Page 36 of Light Fae's Love
Entirely.
Devi gasps as her hand flies to her chest, her chocolate brown eyes pained as tears fill them. Curio cries out as he sets his jaw, his winter winds surging around him in a maelstrom as he stumbles, freed from Quinn’s bonds.
Even I feel it, as the Dark Haven of Florence is removed from me, since my tether to it was through Quinn. Like a distant echo, I can sense the Dark Haven Vampires remain bonded to each other by the ancient bloodlines they received from Quinn and Emiliana DiClario at the point of their initial death.
But Quinn is out now—and so am I.
Metaphysically cut from the Dark Haven of Florence as neatly as a leaf sunders to a blade.
“Quinn, no!” Devina says, a tear slipping down the statuesque Vampiress’ face as she blinks at him.
“If I take you all to Rome with me, the Council will interrupt our connection and seize the Dark Haven through me—they’ve done it before to other Masters. You know it as well as I do, Devina.” Quinn is quiet as he sets a hand on her shoulder.
“We should be there, supporting you!” Devina fights with him now, flinging his hand off and seething with wrath throughout her knifing, crimson aura. “If you will not take us with you metaphysically, then take us with you to fight, in person!”
“No.” Something tender passes between Quinn and Devi now, as I feel his mesmerization roar out, stroking Devi and telling her to be still. “Listen to me, Devina Scarlotti. This is not your battle, but mine. You are a warrior, not just a knife in the night, though you do not believe you are. And I need my warriors here now, protecting this place and everyone who is so deeply precious inside it. Are you with me, warrior? Tell me you understand, and will stay and protect what we hold dear.”
“I will stay and protect what we hold dear.” Another tear slips down Devi’s cheek, then another, as she finally succumbs to Quinn’s wishes.
I feel via my magic how much she wants to fight at Quinn’s side, though.
And die for him.
“We will stay, Quinn.” Curio steps up stalwartly beside Devi now, throwing an arm around her like a brother and drawing her close. “We will hold this place like a fortress for you. And the Vampire Council of Rome will rue the day they ever fucked with the Dark Haven of Florence.”
“Thank you.” Quinn gives each of them the deepest bow I’ve ever seen, before he moves in, embracing them and kissing their cheeks. The tender moment cannot last between the Master and his two best aides, however. Quinn releases their hands, turning to me and Lucca standing silently nearby.
“Come. We must do our power transfer now. And hope to every god and devil there is that it will be enough to thwart the Council and their aims with us.”
With that, Quinn strides from the hall, heaving the drawing room doors open.
He looks back, and Lucca and I follow.
Ready to fuck shit up with the Vampire Council of Rome—or die trying.
15
ROME
We egress to Quinn’s rooms in the Hotel, to do the power transfer between Lucca and me before Quinn and I leave for Rome tonight. A terrible sobriety has taken our trio in the wake of the Vampire Council’s Summons; no one says anything as Quinn escorts us inside, then up to his bedroom loft rather than do our metaphysical transfer down in his living area, which is less intimate and more easily interruptible by distractions.
Once we arrive in his loft, Lucca makes a beeline for the bed, the place where he recuperated from nearly dying a week ago. He flops down, laying back as if it’s his, as Quinn heads to a built-in wine cupboard on the far wall, pulling out a bottle of red and three glasses. He takes them to his small breakfast table in the open area of the loft, pulling the cork, and pouring wine for us all.
The glasses ridiculously full, even for the decadent Quinn.
“Fuck.” Lucca curses as he rubs both hands over his face, then curries them through his hair. Wrath boils in his deep blue eyes as he scoots out of bed to come take the wine Quinn offers.
We clink in a toast, but no one is celebrating.
“Are you ready to do the transfer, Lucca? Ariana?” Quinn asks us after we have all taken a deep swig of wine, and are in the middle of another.
“No.” Lucca grumps, though it’s clear he’ll do whatever needs doing tonight. “And here I thought today was going so well…”
“What do we have to do, exactly?” I ask as I take another drink of wine, glancing between Quinn and Lucca.
“I have to pour my magic inside you, Ariana, which is never pleasant.” Lucca sets his wine down, then goes back to the bed, eyeing me. “It’s like an invasion, as I force your magic and body to make room for mine. It’s not a complex process, but it’s going to hurt—a lot. Be prepared for that.”
“Okay.” I steel my courage now as I head over to the bed with him, assuming whatever it is we’ll be doing may need a nice soft landing-pad if I collapse from it. As I settle to the bed beside Lucca, and Quinn sets his wine down also, joining us, I note that Quinn’s settled fully in the middle of the ample bed rather than on the edge. With a tense smile, Quinn reaches out, beckoning me to the center of the bed with him.