Page 61 of Light Fae's Love
“Worse?” I lift an eyebrow. “How could it possibly get any worse?”
“Oh, it can get worse,” Lady Eiseth says, dark with warning as she pins me with her gaze, then gestures to the doors. “Come. We have said too much, and the hour is late. We must get to Rome and rendezvous with Quinn and Ariana, and Arturos. We must figure out how to stop this shitshow that’s about to take place. Before the last remaining Dark Fae are exposed—and both the Vampire Council and the Summer Fae King go on rampage against us rather than become usurped.”
Even as Eiseth’s words pierce me, worse suddenly happens. Because far away in Rome, I feel Quinn and Ariana suddenly battle for their lives against a Revenant that’s far too strong for them.
As Ariana screams all through her being for me to help, that dark starlight suddenly explodes inside me. I don’t think, I don’t hesitate; suddenly, everything I have is going to them as I flood all that light-dark power, everything I am, down my connection to them.
Even as I explode with magic, sunlight so strong it scorches from me like true day as my diamond rainbows blister Quinn’s rooms, I feel how it’s not enough. Quinn is being drained by the Revenant that devours him, as he drowns in the most horrible memories of Emiliana DiClario.
He’s going Revenant now, as I feel another scream from Ariana thundering through me to give her everything I’ve got left. I do, blazing with power like ten thousand suns exploding.
And then that power’s gone as I pass out.
Alleno’s fast hands barely keeping me from crashing to the floor.
24
RETURN
Quinn is a torrent of Night as his maelstrom of power seethes around us in the catacomb. Though Lucca is far away, it’s as if he’s standing with us, burning his furious love through us both in a last attempt to save Quinn from his doom. Quinn’s going Revenant, though, right now before us, as I see his beautiful face flicker out, lost to the madness of that whirling black energy. Flashes of red and gold are in it, as if the last of his old Summer Fae nature fights now to save him.
Quinn shrieks like a Revenant—insane with the power of the Night.
I give my everything in our trio now, with Arturos, to bring him back. Quinn’s power is still inside me and I use it along with Lucca’s, pouring the last shred of sanity and goodness he left within me back into him as he seethes, losing all touch with himself.
It works, but barely. As we wield our magnificent power, the Music of the Spheres harmonizing between us all now in a beautiful cacophony of dark angelic sound, Quinn begins to return. First his eyes appear in the madness of that swirling black maelstrom, then his beautiful, high cheeks. And then he’s solidifying, falling back through the Night of his unhinged power.
Naked as he crashes into my arms.
The Revenant is caught, roaring behind us in its Florentine Box as Quinn is returned to us. We’ve paid the price for these tremendous magics, though, as I shudder from blood loss and power drain, cuddling Quinn close and heaving hard breaths.
He’s heaving, too. I feel his heart pound in his naked chest as he grips me like a man trying to stay afloat from drowning.
And then he sobs.
Quinn shakes with the insane force of his sobs as he releases his emotions into my chest. I hold him, cradling him close and kissing his temple as he clutches me and cries. He roars into my neck now. It’s as if he’s clawing his way into my body, he’s pulled in that close.
Far away, I feel Lucca’s power beam with love for Quinn one last moment, before shutting off entirely. I’m worried about Lucca now, but I have to focus on Quinn. He screams then, sobbing even harder into my chest, gripping me and shuddering like he’s going to shake himself apart.
“I can’t! Emiliana, I can’t!” He is roaring, insanity still running rampant in him.
“Shh… she’s gone, Quinn! She’s dead. She can’t hurt you anymore…” I try to soothe him as tears fall from my eyes, knowing what he’s going through. The Revenant that’s ceased to scream inside its box watches us now with glowing red eyes. It knows what it did, as I somehow feel a diabolical smile lift inside its whirling darkness.
Pleased with its work.
“Emiliana’s gone, Quinn. You killed her. Remember?” Arturos is calm, soothing Quinn also and rubbing a kind palm over Quinn’s muscled back. I feel him pour a calming wave of his oceanic energy into Quinn not only via his touch now but also through our bond.
Arturos somehow part of it, ever since he bit me.
Arturos looks up at me with glowing blue eyes, brighter than they’ve ever been as oceanic tides swirl through them. It’s as if the ancient Siren-dragon he once was has awakened in him since he bonded to our trio via my blood; as I watch, his pupils and irises go vertically slitted, then return to normal, as a sensation of dark water filaments like flowing eels of pleasure curls all around me.
I’m not Arturos’, though, and he’s not mine; as he drags those tendrils away, I see in his eyes how much he wants to be.
I look back to Quinn—feeling him become stable finally as his energy ceases to whirl.
Quinn goes silent in my arms, then. As if his madness and sobbing never happened, he heaves the deepest breath then sits up, pulling out of my arms. For a moment, he just looks at me—as if no one’s home inside his eyes. But then I reach out, setting my palm to his heart.
It beats, thundering beneath my hand as he recognizes me.