Page 58 of Light Fae's Love
And making him relive it—thousands of times a minute.
“Ariana!” Arturos is in the box with me now, hauling me up under the arms and rushing me out. Somehow, Quinn has maneuvered up the ramp with the Revenant wrapped around him; I see brief flashes of him standing with arms outstretched like a sacrifice as he takes it with him, up into the box. But we have no means of getting him out now as Arturos slams the ramp shut with his darkwater magics, waving his hands fast through a series of Vampire sigils to re-seal the box, that I’m sure Quinn was using.
But Arturos’ power isn’t Quinn’s, as he uses it to seal the box in as much of an approximation of Quinn’s sigils as he can, though they’re not the same. And now Quinn’s inside the cage, and I feel him losing his grip on sanity as his most horrible memories of Emiliana devour him. They’re beyond awful; they’re demonic, as I feel just the slightest edge of what he’s going through and panic outside the box.
Because I know he can’t withstand this. He’s too weak, with part of his magic stored inside me and the other part used to heal himself last night when that assassin struck. As Quinn loses his grip on reality, shrieking like his very soul is being devoured by the whirling maelstrom of darkness inside the box, I scream at Arturos.
“Do something! Get him out of there!”
“I don’t have a strong enough bond to Quinn to teleport him out!” Arturos finishes sealing up the box and faces me. Horror devours him as he watches what’s happening, scrubbing a frantic hand through his wavy dark hair.
Helpless—as helpless as me.
“Form a bond! Figure it out!” I scream at him now as I hear Quinn’s shrieks—gradually transforming into a terrible nails-on-a-blackboard sound too now. It’s as if he’s a moment from going Revenant himself, along with the creature that’s devouring him.
“I don’t have an official bond to him, you do!” Arturos says, snarling at me now as his eyes flash vertically-slitted with the old power of his Siren-dragon as it heaves through his bones.
“Then make one!” I scream at him as I whip my hair aside—offering him my neck.
Arturos understands. In a moment, he gets what I’m offering; with a snarl, he hauls me close, biting down hard into my neck.
I scream as he does it. It’s not nice, and it’s not pretty as he grinds his teeth down and drains me, trying to make a bond to Quinn. But it works; as my blood and magic—and Quinn’s and Lucca’s also—drain into Arturos’ body, he swallows like a madman. Suddenly, he has our trio’s power inside him as he heaves a deep breath, breaking from my neck.
And roars—with the ancient voice of his Dragon.
Power like a maelstrom is flowing from Arturos now, as he draws on the fullness of our trio’s bond in a riptide. It shakes the catacombs, his energy flooding the entire space as I join him now, screaming through my mind for Lucca to join us.
As I scream desperately for Lucca to give us everything he has, we fight to keep Quinn alive and sane. I feel Quinn slipping towards insanity now though, as those piercing shrieks get broader, deeper, and longer to the Revenant’s taking. Two distinct shades of darkness whirl inside the Florentine Box now.
As Quinn goes Revenant—the last of his humanity and Light snuffing out.
Quinn is replaced by the true darkness of Night as Lucca’s power joins us. Lucca gives us everything he has now, though, to save Quinn from this worst Vampire fate.
As Lucca gives us his purest, brightest love—the true power of our bound Light Fae—my Dark Fae magic explodes with midnight rainbows in the catacomb. Lucca’s Light blazes through me in a supernova, blinding me as everything blazes sunlight-bright.
As Arturos’ watery domain seethes inside us also now, I know we’ve bound him, as well. Not in the same way Lucca, Quinn, and I are bound to each other, but somehow bound to our same fate.
Power explodes throughout the catacomb, reaching Quinn inside the box. A portal is suddenly open, and Arturos knows what to do with that power. He flashes in, getting Quinn out, and shutting the portal quickly behind.
And Lucca and I work our deepest magic now.
To return Quinn from the last edge of Night.
23
DARK
Sunrise came too soon, and I’ve been pacing the halls of the Florence Hotel all day, since I left my Livingtree at dawn. After feeling Quinn get stabbed by a Devilswood blade, I got to the Hotel too late and missed my opportunity to meet with the Lady Eiseth Pendragon, asleep to replenish herself for the day. I don’t see anything around me now as I check in with Quinn and Ariana for the hundredth time through our bond, and feel they’re still sleeping, far away.
I can’t sleep, though, as I pace a Hotel making ready for war. The energy here bristles with battle and defiance as Devi and Curio Silverfrost marshal their Dark Haven Vampires like true war generals.
To ready everything for an attack.
I’m left alone as I pace the halls and under-passages, and finally wind up near Quinn’s rooms. The wards on his doors know me and open; night is setting now as I stare up at the wide sky beyond Quinn’s cathedral-like crystal ceiling. I feel Quinn and Ariana wake, preparing for a fight as they make ready to trap a Revenant this evening. Everything inside me wants to be there as I wait anxiously for Lady Eiseth Pendragon to wake and come to me.
As I pace the main floor beside Quinn’s dining table, I hear a whirring of wings far above. I know it’s Alleno returning with Altenni after I sent them off on an errand today. Making my way up Quinn’s wrought-iron staircase and waving my hand over the hidden Fae sigil that makes the second staircase appear, I head up and unlock the roof hatch. Alleno pushes inside, coming back down the stairs with me.
As we arrive at Quinn’s bedroom loft, Alleno delivers me the news. “Everything is set for your sojourn to Rome, Lucca. I’ve notified your independent Brightwatch that I’ll be heading them up while you are away, and the governing council for your rebellion is aware you’re needed in Rome for a sudden emergency. The only tricky part was telling your father what you’re up to. I told him you’re bedridden, having contracted the blue mushroom plague after visiting so many farms this week and doling out aid. He doesn’t know it’s not contractable by people and animals; our Royal Physician backed me up, saying he’s tending you at your country manor. It appeased your father. He sends his condolences for a speedy recovery, though he is irate you and Ariana aren’t out talking him up right now amongst his exceedingly restless Fae.”