9. Rage

9

RAGE

A riana, Lucca, and I linger in the Bloodstone hall after the Revenant demonstration with my allies, pondering what to do with our new Revenant-returning power. As we sip our wine, Eiseth chuckles. Her grey eyes flash as she swirls her libations; her energy is amused as she drains her glass, then sets it aside on the table.

I feel like she knows a secret she’s not telling me as she lifts an eyebrow and shakes her head at me. As she pins Ariana next with her gaze, deep approval sparkles in her grey eyes. The powerful Mistress of Britain appreciates the pragmatic answer Ariana just gave about our trio’s bound magic.

Approval I’ve never really seen Eiseth give anybody.

“You have a warrior’s way of putting things, Ariana.” Lady Eiseth chuckles as she regards Ariana. “A warrior Queen, dominating ill-behaved men.”

“I don’t want to dominate anyone, Eiseth.” Ariana turns towards the British Isles Vampiress now, speaking her truth in the way she always does, which I deeply appreciate. “I just believe in using what we have to make all truths come out. And the truth is that both Vampire and Fae society are damaged, and I think we can do something about that. I want to, so we can all live a better life. Even Dark Fae.”

I feel Ariana bite her tongue then. It’s all she can do to not spill the beans about what her parents told her—that there are still Dark Fae alive somewhere, hiding from King Bellari’s pogroms. Even though I know she trusts both Arturos and Eiseth, something protective rises inside her for her people now, and she shuts her mouth. As I frown, both Lucca and I watch her alertly, though neither he nor I say anything in our present company.

That’s Ariana’s business to wrestle with—and her secret to share or keep.

“Well. I believe we have much to think about.” Eiseth glances around our group. “I should retire and attend a few things for my Dark Haven, as I still intend to stay on a few days and relax before I return. You have, however, piqued my interest, Quinn—I will search the Annals of the Isles extensively upon my return to see if there is any mention of a trio such as yours wielding the Music. For that bonding ritual you performed came from my people, and trios like yours were formed in the ancient past to stabilize our societies in times of war. I will see what I can find. And let you know.”

“Thank you, Eiseth. As ever, we deeply appreciate your support,” I say as I lean in, kissing Eiseth’s cheeks. Eiseth moves to Ariana next, kissing her cheeks and clasping her hands before doing the same with Arturos.

To Lucca, though, she only gives a cordial nod, one he returns. She may be my ally, but time will tell if she is Lucca’s—and he’s not about to be overly friendly until he knows friend from foe, something I understand. Eiseth’s smile is amused, however, as she turns away.

Egressing from the underground hall into the deepening night.

“I should get going, too.” Arturos sets his wine aside as he glances at me. “I’m needed back in Rome, but I shall do like Eiseth and pour through the Council’s annals on anything even remotely connected to this. We need information before you three experiment further. I would hate for anything to happen to any of you. Including the arrogant Fae Prince.”

Arturos grins with a sly glint in his eyes at Lucca now, a teasing energy passing from him toward our bound Fae Prince. Something about Arturos’ ribbing makes Lucca chuckle, however, rather than get defensive. I recall Arturos has saved Ariana’s life twice, once when Lucca couldn’t save her with his own power. I feel a sudden accord form between them now, when I know they were nearly at each other’s throats a week ago trying to contain her power on the bridge. But this is a new battle, and all of us are on the same side this time.

Arturos offers Lucca his hand—and to my vast pleasure, Lucca takes it.

“Prince Lucca. Until next time.”

“Arturos. A pleasure,” Lucca says back.

As Arturos turns to bid me goodbye, though, I clasp his forearm—holding on as I impress a point to him. “Be careful in Rome, my friend. The Council’s Annals are heavily watched; any tome you pick up to even casually flip through has deeply imprinted wards to monitor browsing.”

“I have my ways of evading wards, Quinn,” Arturos says. He chuckles, though he looks pleased I thought of his safety. “I’ll be fine. Until we know more, however, I would advise against the three of you experimenting. The Music is not to be trifled with. Take it from a Siren who knows the power of resonance and sound.”

“Thank you,” I say with a solemn nod as we let go. Arturos is embracing Ariana now and smiling at her as he pulls away. There is still something too familiar in the Vampire-Siren’s smile for her, however; something about it makes me course with subtle jealousy now, though I know he’s not trying to claim her.

Arturos is as peaceable as always, however, as he exits the hall after Eiseth. The doors boom closed, and it’s just Lucca, Ariana, and me in the empty hall, an uneaten spread of food and drinks beside us.

As each of us ponders the enormous repercussions of wielding our trio’s magic, I mind-summon my Vampire Catering staff. Five of my Vampires move in briskly from a hidden alcove to take the unfinished spread of food and drink to my private quarters. I gesture our trio towards a different alcove, touching a gargoyle fountain to open a passage behind the stone. My dark magic swirls as the vaulted wall swings wide, admitting our trio to the narrow, blue-lit passages behind the Hotel’s walls.

I close the wall with another swirl of my dark magic as I turn to Lucca and Ariana.

“Come. Let us head to my rooms to talk further. Because even though you are watchful of our trio’s ability with the Music, Lucca, I believe there are ways we can use it safely in the coming weeks and months. I believe it would behoove us to experiment with this power; to test its limits now that you are hale. At least we could get a grip on its effects… before we use it again.”

“I don’t like the way you’re talking, Quinn,” Lucca says with a lifted eyebrow at me now as we move off toward my suite. “You’ve always leaped before you looked when there was power to gain. And they called me the rash one.”

“You still are rash,” I say as we take a turn. “Hot-tempered and defensive when I tell you of my schemes. Which is why I’d like to ensure we’re in a private place before I tell you the rest of my current scheme.”

“Why don’t I like the sound of that?” Lucca says in a growl now as I set my hand to an alcove and flare my dark aura, pushing through into my private rooms. As the stone wall and one of my Italian Renaissance landscape paintings close behind us, I note that it’s deep twilight now, far above the crystal vaults of my rooms.

All around, my suite’s elegant Victorian furnishings glow royal blue and gold by the lights of my massive crystal and onyx chandeliers. Only one fireplace out of three is lit as the sultry summer night descends, just enough for ambiance.

My rooms have an almost three-sixty view of the sky; it never fails to entrance me as I watch stars pop out far above my lofted bedroom. But my guests need nourishment; I turn and gesture to my dining table, now set with the spread from the hall, plus quite a bit more. Some part of me is amused to watch Ariana blink that it’s arrived already.

Always astounded by the things magic can do.

“Come. Let us sit and eat. Then we shall talk more about my plans for the coming weeks.” I gesture to my formal dining table, inviting them to sit.

“Actually, I’d like to hear it right now.” Lucca crosses his arms, however, staring me down rather than take a seat. “Knowing you, the longer you finagle this, the more wiles you’ll try to use on me to agree with you, when I might not otherwise.”

“I believe, since our bond to each other a week ago, that my wiles do not work as well upon you as they once did.” I give a chuckle, though there is truth to it. “Fine, Lucca. For Ariana’s sake and yours, I shall be plain. I do not think we can put off using the Music of the Spheres. Because we’ll need to use it soon before your father, the Summer Fae King, if we wish to not lose the tenuous peace he has formed with us.”

“Why?” Lucca gives a severely arched eyebrow now as he stares me down at this new bit of information.

“Is something wrong, Quinn?” Frowning, Ariana speaks up as I feel deep unease inside her, to hear me mention our current tenuous truce with King Archivolio Bellari. “Have you heard something from King Bellari?”

“Only that the King is reconsidering our truce,” I am direct now as my gaze moves to her, finally letting them both in on the intel I’ve been gathering from my sources. “He has been receiving reports from the city… touting Lucca as gaining the populace’s affection from you two’s outings amongst the Summer Fae. It seems you may be speaking well of the King, but the Fae are picking up on your subtext, thanks to Ariana’s convincing magics and Lucca’s derring-do—that Lucca should be ruling, rather than his father. The King is hearing it now, and wishes for us to prove our ability to take back Rome for him. In three days’ time, he wishes for us to prove our loyalty in these schemes we have wrought. I thought, what better way to show him than by returning a Revenant in his presence? And making him see our ability… to create an army that could take back Rome for the Summer Fae.”

Lucca’s lips have fallen open. As he blinks his long blond lashes hard, I feel a storm fill him to the brim—flashing with fiery streaks of light as his face darkens like a thundercloud.

Lucca is a fury when he’s enraged; a surge of blistering waves of heat and light explode through my cathedral-like chambers now at what I’ve just told him. Livid, his blue eyes burn with a searing luminosity; Ariana jolts back from him as his magic raises a blazing zephyr in the room. The light that shines from him is too bright, crisping my skin like a sunburn. But I weather that storm; it’s not the first time I’ve felt Lucca’s sun-hot wrath.

I know we’re in for a battle now, though, as I watch Lucca blaze.

“ Stronzo! ” Lucca stares me down, snarling. “Did you ever stop to think that sharing this information with me about the Summer Fae and my father might be important?!”

“Lucca, I just heard all of this two days ago.” I am patient, though I am also wary that Lucca thinks I was intentionally hiding this from him—an old piece of deep contention between us from when I used to do that regularly. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew we’d be able to return a Revenant on purpose. Which was successful tonight.”

“You want to drag one of those things into the Palace of Light and run this little experiment in front of my father and the entire Summer Fae Court?” Lucca snarls again, though I see Ariana frown now, not knowing why he’s overreacting about this.

“Do you have a better way to convince King Bellari we can take back Rome?” Making my voice dangerously soft now, I feel my eyes flash crimson, not about to be cowed by Lucca’s anger. “I have no seat upon the Vampire Council yet; I have no influence with them. Your father’s insistence that we prove our power to him is premature, borne of your actions , Lucca. Yes, your people love you. Yes, many of them would probably follow you if you were to start your rebellion officially. Until you sit that throne in the Palace of Light, however, we need your father to provide Fae support for our aims. I can’t do it alone.”

“Not until you have an army of once-Revenants at your command.” Lucca snorts caustically. “Because I’m thinking that’s what this is all about. You see an opportunity to gain power by blood-oathing some of the strongest Vampires to walk this land to you. And using Ariana’s and my sanity and magic to get it done.”

“Blood-oathing powerful Vampires to my Dark Haven benefits us all, Lucca!” I finally lose my patience with his rash heat, feeling my dark eyes flash with vivid red fire. All around, my black aura boils like a vengeful sea, searing with copper and crimson light. “Bolstering my power adds to yours and Ariana’s! Every returned Revenant I bond by my Master’s Kiss means more power for all of us! It supports us—rather than giving only to me, like you suggest.”

“It’s power you don’t understand, Quinn!” Getting right up in my face now, Lucca pokes a finger in my chest. “You blaze ahead like always, rushing to show your might without taking any care at all! You push for this exceptionally dangerous demonstration that would expose me as being bound to not just a Dark Fae but a Vampire , and pretend like it won’t have repercussions! What will my people think, knowing their Prince is bound to two sources of Night rather than the Light?”

“What will your people think?!” I’m harsh now as I slap Lucca’s hand away, everything inside me going molten at his vast insult. “Your people will think you have power , Lucca! And power is currency, when you’re waging a war. ”

“Well, you never stop waging war, do you?” Lucca blazes back, wrathful. “Always war, always machinations, never enjoyment or peace.”

“Life is war, Lucca.” An impeccable coldness settles all through me now as Lucca attacks me—the place I go when it’s too dangerous for the heat of my wrath to be unleashed. I stare Lucca down, feeling my body go still as the grave as my aura becomes ice cold, chilling the room. “Or hasn’t your father yet taught you that with how many times he’s beaten you over the centuries?”

“ Bastardo. ” My last barb was terrible; Lucca goes pale now, as if he’s been slapped. His curse was hardly a breath, but I’ve struck a deep pain in him he’s hidden for centuries.

His eyes go dark now, like the midnight sky. As he flushes hard, I feel the torrent of embarrassment, shame, and rage that floods him. Because I just skewered him with his deepest wound, something Lucca tells no one. As his energy roars like a comet hurtling through the sky, Ariana steps between us, raising her hands and pushing us a few steps apart with her power.

Lucca sears with dark-light fury now, his magic careening around the room as it topples floor lamps and candelabra. As an inhuman basso growl rolls from his lips, I watch his visage transform with frightening severity—a Fae ready to do battle.

His cheekbones are cutting lines now, his brow severe, his ears lengthened to a vicious point as his blue eyes burn. As Lucca’s lips curl up in disdain, fangs similar to a Vampire’s pierce down from his upper canines, smaller ones from his lower.

I’ve seen the show before, though. As Ariana gasps in shock, I let my energy darken to an unfathomable depth like a black hole. As I stand utterly still before Lucca’s rage, I know he feels me go cold. I stare Lucca down with a pure, black wrath devouring me now, something that lives so deeply inside me, I rarely let it out. Because it’s potent, this massive black hole of Night that lives within me .

And it feels too good to stand in it—devoid of all emotion now as I extend a hand, pointing at the door.

“Control yourself, bright Fae. Or get out. Because acting out of unhinged rage like your father endangers lives, and it is not needed here.”

“Gladly.”

Lucca lurches away, turning his back on Ariana and me. He doesn’t even look around as he hauls one of the ironbound ebony doors open with hurricane force. As he slams it behind him, the entire doorframe rattles from his preternaturally massive power.

His furious bright-dark magic swirling away as he leaves.