Page 83 of Light Fae's Love
“With Quinn in his current state, we can’t do any of that, though.” Lucca gestures to the seething mass of darkness still swirling inside its massive box.
Even as it whirls, making that terrible chandelier-crashing sound again that’s so much stronger than other Revenants we’ve encountered—save the one that caused this entire calamity—I see a flash of light near its center. It’s the briefest thing, but that flicker of red-gold flame way down deep in the Revenant’s core lights my heart.
I beam with hope then, as I suddenly know all is not lost. Quinn is still in there, somewhere—and his Summer Fae Light is showing us, acting like a beacon to him now as it flickers harder to my hope.
Outlining the shape of a man inside all that heaving, malevolent darkness.
“Quinn!” Lucca gasps as he sees it, too.
“He’s still in there. We can get him back. I know it.” Hope lights throughout my soul now, even though I know the darkness we face is so very great.
As my hope sparks, I feel a sudden love beam all through Lucca. As he joins his powerful heart to our group, his vast love returning to us, that immeasurable love lights up Quinn’s Revenant like wildfire. A blaze of passionate heat and red-gold fire seethes through the creature, like a storm. It’s quickly gone; but for a moment, dark onyx eyes stare out at me where only furious, crimson-mad power was before.
As those dark eyes pierce me, sundering me to my core, I feel Quinn still there inside them. His mind reaches me as the briefest thought fills me.
Help.
We will. I send back with all my might, before our connection is lost and that furious, insane redness swirls into his eyes once more. But for a moment, it was Quinn.
And I know what we need to do now, as decision firms inside me.
“Take us to Novakitsk.” I turn to Lady Eiseth as power flows through me, back to my heart. I turn to Devi and Curio also, standing nearby with Alleno. “Devi, Curio, hold the Hotel strong in our absence. The Council will be coming for you now, with everything that happened tonight. I don’t know how many Council members I accidentally killed when my power destabilized… but it was enough for them to seek retribution. Of the worst kind.”
“We’re way ahead of you, little Fae,” Devi says with her fierce briskness, though a soft light shines from her eyes as her lips twitch into a smile. “The Hotel will stand strong against the Council, and our Dark Haven with it. We have surprises up our sleeves they won’t see coming. Especially since we have over a hundred Mentale Dark Fae in residence. Thanks to Quinn’s unknown Making of Dark Fae over the years when he thought he was merely Siring Vampires. Many of them don’t know what they are yet, but we’ll fill them in. And get them ready for battle.”
“A hundred?” My eyebrows rise at such a strong number. “Holy hells.”
“Just get Quinn some help.” Devi is fierce as she takes my hand. “Get him back for us, will you?”
“We’ll do our best.” I nod to her before she leans in and pecks my cheeks like a sister.
Curio comes forward next, embracing me lightly and refreshing me with his wintery winds. “I’ll come with you to Novakitsk, for a brief while, before I come back here. You’ll need a proper introduction to Master Ilyov and his ways, which I can give you. And Eiseth, for all her good intentions, can’t.”
“Why?” I ask him now, puzzled.
“Because I’m his progeny, of course,” Curio says now with an amused chuckle and a wink. “No one knows Ilyov better than I do. Since I’m his flesh and blood son, rather than Made by him.”
“You’re his son?” The deep resemblance between Curio and the horribly intimidating but strangely handsome elder Master of Siberia makes a huge amount of sense now.
“I was born a Dark Winter Fae, Ariana.” Curio nods at Devi now. “I believe Devi told you that. Vasily Ilyov is my father, though I took my mother’s surname, Silverfrost. Andromeda Silverfrost of the Italian Alps Winter Fae was a force of the ages, rest her soul. I never knew what she saw in my father. But she loved him, right until the moment of her death a thousand years ago. And despite all the rumors, there is good in him. I’ll get him to help you. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.” I heave a deep breath now, as something inside me lightens to know we’ll have Curio helping us up in Novakitsk, at least for a brief while.
Arturos cuts in. “I’ll stay here and help guard the Florence Hotel and Quinn’s Dark Haven.”
“You’ll get the fuck out. Now. Before I shred you, ocean fuckwad.” Devi seethes anew at Arturos, though Eiseth turns to her now.
“Do not so lightly turn down allies who could bolster your power, youngling,” Eiseth says, pinning the furious Devi with her hard grey gaze. “Arturos repents. I feel his heart with my abilities as a Dark Fae. Dig deep, Devina. Do you not?”
As Devi holds an intense standoff with Arturos now, still down on one knee in his penitent position, though he’s turned towards her, she snorts. Scarlet fury flashes in her eyes, but she’s not making daggers with her power anymore.
At least, not for the time being.
“Fine,” she says, snapping her fingers at him. “Make one wrong move, though, water-bastard, and I will stab you in the night. Don’t sleep. Don’t ever sleep. Even deep down in your ancient, watery grave.”
As Devi stares with pure hate towards Arturos now, I know she could do it. Though it might take everything she has, she would find a way to off Arturos some deep, dark night.
Even if it killed her.