Page 81 of Light Fae's Love
And I recoil from its terrible emptiness.
“I had hoped you would do better, little Animante.” It uses my Dark Fae type now, as if it knew all along what I was. “I had such high hopes when I Made you. For a Dark Fae is not Sired when it is bitten; it does not die from its Fae magic and rise only with Vampire might. It is Made—a new creature formed by the power of both. Like I was long ago… Light and Night, as One.”
“You were Dark Fae? You were the one who bit me as a baby?” Shock riots all through me. I know with the deepest truth-telling ability of my power that the Gold Eyes is being honest. It’s my words that make little sense to my power.
Somehow, this creature never was Dark Fae.
But something else.
“I was Ascendant. And yes, I am your Maker,” the Gold Eyes says, breathing down at me now as it strokes my face with one finger again, and I recoil. “I was glorious before I Descended and became enraptured with this life of emotion and flesh. For a time after I Fell, I was still glorious; a lover of art and music, passion, and all good things that come with the Night and soft flesh. I was so in love with this world that I wished for it to stay this way, passionate with art and love for all eternity. Which is why I committed my heart to it, to the place where I Fell, sinking the Light of my eternity into the land I so loved. I changed then, into a creature I could not fathom. But that is life, I suppose. To regret. And live on, empty…”
“You lost a part of yourself when you committed your Light to the land.” I understand now as something terrible and incredible makes sense to me. “You lost your center when you separated from your heart and left it in Rome.”
“No. For I left my heart in Florence, little one,” it says back, as it corrects me with a dark gleam in its vivid golden eyes. “And the generations have passed, as all there benefit from my love of art, music, and desire. Except me. Condemned as I am now, to walk the earth like this.”
It motions to its flowing, insubstantial shape of darkness as shock riots through me.
Because I know this creature’s name now.
And I speak it—removing its mystery at last.
“Staphylogenes. You’re the Descendant Staphylogenes—the first Sire of the Florentine Vampire bloodline.”
The Gold Eyes’ vivid orbs light at my words—then sear terribly.
“You know my name. Congratulations.” It nods genteelly now, though its gaze is nothing but terrible. “You should also know that I am not just Sire to all your dear Florentine Vampires, but to your beloved Light-Dark duo as well. For who do you think orchestrated a pit of Revenants to open up and swallow your beloved Fae princelings when they went seeking their doom? It was an opportunity I could not pass up, to create two of the most powerful Dark Fae the world has ever seen—one Cuorante and the other Mentale in their might. For the two of them were ever opposites, even as they were the same. One so hot-bright in his love and passion for the world; the other burning so deadly dark with his perfect mind for plots and intrigue.”
“Only waiting for the perfect Animante to balance and combine their power together.” I see the Gold Eyes’ horrible centuries-old plan come together at last.
“You.” It grins at me, full of terrible glee. “I must say, congratulations are in order for your trio. Though one has Fallen into darkness, becoming Revenant, you have accomplished your goal. Several seats are now available upon the Vampire Council of Rome—if you can return the third of your bound trio to sanity, and ever get the Council to trust you again enough to join them. I would say good luck. But luck is not what you have, when your trio’s magics are wielded as one. What you have is power. And power is ever what interests me. Goodnight, Ariana Summers of the Dark Fae. When the time is right, and your trio’s power is ready, I shall come for you again. Look for me.”
With that, the gold-eyed Revenant Staphylogenes swirls out. It takes its terrible golden fire from the catacomb as it disappears, leaving Arturos and I in darkness as I shout after it.
“What do you want from us?!”
But it’s gone.
To leave me with only questions, as a terrible void darkens my heart.
31
CHANCE
Arturos takes me back to the Florence Hotel after the Descendant Staphylogenes departs the catacomb. There are no words between us as he silently bows to my unvoiced command and opens a watery portal with the last of his waning energy, taking us right back to Quinn’s rooms.
Quinn’s apartment is not as I remember it, however, as I see a plethora of terrible Bloodsigns scalding over every inch of the marble floor, and every vaulted column that supports his crystal cathedral far above. Even those beautiful, high vaults are marred with the most terrible Bloodsigns now, as a demon of Night goes shrieking around the space.
Contained by fifty Florentine Vampires, as they fight to keep Quinn home.
Magic is being worked as Arturos and I pop back, just inside the ebony doors of the space. All of Quinn’s strongest Vampires are involved, as Devi, Curio, and Lady Eiseth work a tremendous feat of magic—containing Quinn’s gargantuan Revenant and pushing it towards a new Florentine Box in the center of the space.
At last, they manage it. As Quinn’s heaving tentacles of Night are swamped by all his Vampires working in tandem, he’s hauled into the box. The ramp is shut, and our Master is locked inside as Eiseth seals wards in place to keep him from getting out.
Quinn roars, with a sound like a thousand shattering chandeliers in the night.
“Ariana!” Lucca is there, limping over to me as Arturos shores him up under one arm. As Lucca gets to me, I grip him in a terrible embrace. Arturos tries to help me from sinking in my exhaustion, but I shove him off, letting Curio help me instead. I hold Lucca as our allies keep us from falling over. Shakes devour us both, but we remain stubbornly on our feet with our allies’ help.
As Quinn roars in his box nearby—terrible in his unhinged might.