Page 7 of Light Fae's Love
As if he just did battle, Quinn finally releases a long breath.
Though relaxation is still far from both of us tonight.
“Well done,” Lady Eiseth says, as her gaze catches me and Quinn. “The both of you have just charmed the most powerful Master in Eurasia. The question is… can you hold his favor long enough to not have him dismember you?”
“Better to have no notice from Master Ilyov than to catch his eye. He is utterly insane,” Eduardo Romero comments darkly now as he sips his champagne. His hand trembles, as if the ex-Winter Fae’s presence unsettled him deeply.
As I note it, I realize I’m not the only person Master Ilyov’s massive truth-reading power invaded just then, though I’m the only one he talked to. As I wonder what information he gleaned from the others, I see Calla Romero put a steadying hand to her brother’s arm, pouring a hot, fortifying power into him.
It’s the first weakness I’ve noted in the Romeros; as if their old Tempest magic plus their Vampire power is no match for the Siberian Master’s missile-like truth-seeking ability.
A power, I also note, that I’m gaining from my opening magic.
Some quality of the Night that I share with Vampires, being Dark Fae as I am.
“Master Ilyov is dangerous, yes, but insane? No. An ancient understanding of things can look insane sometimes, but is merely a perspective of countless eons.” Gunter Spielmann is thoughtful now as he drains his beer.
“A good perspective to have on one’s side, though, if you can secure him,” Lady Eiseth says with finality as she turns back to Quinn. “Do you have imminent aims against the Council, Quinn? Did Master Ilyov read you rightly?”
“Not if the Council gives me the seat I should already have among them.” Quinn is quiet as he watches where the Master of Siberia went. Turning back to the group, Quinn’s dark aura boils. I can feel his emotions warring deep within, as he feels enraged that the powerful Master of Siberia outed even part of his plans by reading his mind just now.
But Quinn is equally intrigued by this strange turn of fortune, however. As he glances at me with a perplexed frown, his regard is thoughtful. We have no more time to digest it, though, as someone else with tremendous power comes gliding down the stairs into the atrium.
The perfectly handsome Arturos Morregain moves to our group with a regal darkwater glow swirling all around him in the bright summer moonlight. Intention is in his deep blue gaze now as it pins mine, and he comes towards us as if pulled straight to me.
My breath catches as his tides surge all around me for the second time tonight, his deep blue eyes flashing with power as he meets my gaze, then Quinn’s. As Quinn welcomes Arturos into our circle of his strongest allies, Arturos lifts a level dark eyebrow at everyone.
“I just passed Master Ilyov in the halls,” Arturos says in his sonorous baritone, like ancient creatures singing in the deeps. “He had a sharp interest in him as he thrust his magics through my mind just now, searching for information on you, Quinn, and Ariana. What happened?”
“I think we might have just won his favor. For a short while at least.” Quinn gives a wry chuckle as he receives a red wine for Arturos from a server.
“Careful, old friend.” Warning is in Arturos’ blue eyes as he lifts an eyebrow and sips his wine. “That ancient bastard is not to be trusted. Ever.”
“Don’t I know it.” Quinn is thoughtful now as he glances at me.
“What makes Master Ilyov so powerful and feared?” I ask, having heard little about the ex-Winter Fae yet. “Is it because of his truth-reading magic?”
“That’s a good deal of it,” Lady Eiseth answers me as she gazes to where Ilyov went. “No Vampire or Fae can stand up to his mind-reading abilities, not for thousands of years now. He’s ancient, maybe even upwards of twenty thousand years, though even he doesn’t recall his exact age. Winter Fae have impeccable minds and their mind-magics are fierce. When he became a Vampire long ago, Master Ilyov’s mind-powers were strengthened tremendously. All of us know to not resist his thrusts when he seeks information. For he can make a Vampire or a Fae impressively mad… in an impressively short amount of time.”
“Seconds.” Eduardo Romero glances back up the stairs now as if the devil himself might come back down them. “He used that power on my great-uncle several centuries ago for trying to hide the truth from him. Calla and I were very young, but we saw the damage it did. Our great-uncle became a raving thing and had to be heavily warded at once. He went Revenant less than three weeks later… and we lost him.”
“What do you mean, went Revenant?” I lift an eyebrow at Eduardo.
“A Master Vampire of vastly advanced age who loses touch with their mortal emotions can revert to a bestial state, as you already know,” Quinn answers levelly now, though something dark burns in his onyx eyes. “They lose their control and forget their physical form until there is nothing but power and devouring—the black smoke of a Revenant. There have been some Masters over the eons who can provoke the changeover to the insane Revenant state. Master Ilyov is one of those.”
“Which is why he’s so feared by the Vampire community.” I blink in astonishment that one Vampire could turn another into a Revenant.
“That, and his horde of Winter Wights, that he can sic on anyone who challenges him,” Gunter says, and chuckles now with a dark look. “He can not only turn magical Lineages into immensely powerful Vampires to stand at his side, and curse his enemies into Revenants, but he can raise the undead from their frozen graves in the tundra-ice. His fortress at Novakitsk is therefore impenetrable.”
“You’re able to return Revenants to themselves, Quinn, you and your Dark Fae.” Calla Romero has a gleam in her eyes now as she gives a crafty smile. “Master Ilyov may not be as feared as he once was, if you can undo his terrible works. When are you ever going to tell us how that was done, by the way?”
“As soon as time allows,” Quinn says. He’s genial now, though I know he’s not yet figured out how our trio did what we did with the Music of the Spheres a week ago, when we stopped a Revenant horde from attacking the Hotel at the opening gala for the Meeting.
All eyes are on us now, however, even Eiseth and Arturos, who haven’t gotten answers out of Quinn either on just how that was done.
Answers Quinn is still seeking himself.
“Thankfully, Master Ilyov cares little for politics of any kind these days, and tends to remain up in his frozen wastelands,” Gunter says. Like the others, he is focused on Quinn and me as he continues the conversation. “Although… you seem to have aroused Ilyov’s interest, Quinn, with your ideals of Vampire progress and whatever opinions you and Ariana seem to share about the Summer Fae King.”