Page 59 of Dark Fae's Rise

And hers devoured them right back.

“Patience.” Quinn spoke at last, as he poured a soothing energy through them all and the Music quieted. “We have time. We will have many more days and nights to discuss our…involvementas a trio, helping both Vampires and Fae rise to a better day.”

“And Dark Fae.” Lucca added, glancing at Ariana with a bright fire in his eyes. “For if I’m not mistaken, it is time a certain Dark Fae had her rise among us. Because we all deserve a chance at happiness. And I’m damn well certain that if we get to have it, others can too – even any other Dark Fae who may still be out there.”

“My parents hinted that some Dark Fae are still out there somewhere, and King Bellari has, also. Do you think some really are?” Ariana asked as she found herself moving to where Lucca sat with Quinn still down on one knee before him. Reaching out, Lucca pulled her into his lap until she was resting with her shoulder against his chest, facing Quinn.

“If there are, we’ll find them, Ariana. I promise.” Quinn spoke passionately as he smoothed a lock of her red hair back. “Lucca is right; we are all rising now in the world, and your people, if any are still alive, should rise with us. The power we demonstrated three nights ago was unimaginable. Never has any Vampire as young as myself done anything even remotely like it. Most of the returned Revenants have gone home to their original Dark Havens. But a few are so old their Havens no longer exist. Those Masters have decided to pledge to us now. They will take my Master’s Kiss – and become part of the Dark Haven of Florence.”

“Holy crap. Seriously upping your power… and ours.” Lucca blinked at Quinn as his lips fell open. “Gods, Quinn, why didn’t you tell me?!”

“You were still convalescing these past few days and rather not lucid,” Quinn chuckled now as he lifted a dark eyebrow at Lucca. “I couldn’t tell you until just now. But it stands to reason that if we could return Revenants to their sanity once, we could do it again. And build my Dark Haven… with powerful Vampires who may just believe in our aims.”

“That’s a helluva lot of firepower,” Ariana murmured as she understood what they could take advantage of by returning Revenants from madness. But darkness swallowed her as she suddenly thought about the Revenant Gold Eyes and how it had thrust its energy through the Bloodstone to trigger the Music. That thing was somehow involved in their trio’s power; as she hesitated, Quinn reached out, tenderness in his gaze as he stroked her cheek.

“Now you’re the one holding secrets, Ariana. I could view your thoughts through our bond, but it would be an invasion of privacy. Would you like to tell us what has darkened you just now?”

“Yes.” Ariana nodded, inhaling as she looked between Lucca and Quinn. “You know the resonance that’s been happening between all three of us – the music that exploded the Bloodstone when Quinn drank from it?”

“The Music of the Spheres.” Quinn nodded quietly now, though a frown creased his brows as he and Lucca exchanged a glance. “It’s a phenomenon Fae and Angelics can manifest, and Crystal Dragons, though it’s been resonating strongly between the three of us for days now.”

“I’ve never heard of it happening with a Vampire, though.” Lucca spoke quietly as he watched Quinn. “I assume it resonates between us because you are still connected to me via our original bond.”

“And you, me, and Ariana are all originally Summer Fae from powerful Royal bloodlines.” Quinn added as he glanced back to Ariana. “What about the Music, Ariana?”

“Well… it wasn’t just us that shattered the Bloodstone three nights ago. It was the Revenant Gold Eyes.” Ariana spoke quietly now, knowing both men had to know what she’d seen. “It was there, Quinn, haunting the Bloodstone as you drank. It wrapped around the Stone, flooding its power through you, through me… through all of us. It triggered us to go wild, just like it triggered me upon the bridge with Lucca, and after you and I had sex. It was gleeful as we drank its energy. Itwantedus to resonate with the Music like we did, wild and unhinged… and explode the Stone, letting all those Revenants out.”

“My god.” Quinn spoke quietly as Lucca gave a low whistle. As their gazes connected, Ariana felt a powerful understanding pass between them – and fear. “Did it… was it involved when our Music returned all those Revenants at the end of the battle?” Quinn asked as he glanced uncertainly to Ariana.

“I don’t know.” She answered truthfully. “Everything happened so fast. I can’t recall seeing the Gold Eyes as we fought, or when Lucca did his Bloodsign and we resonated the Music to its pinnacle. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there, watching us… just like it’s been doing lately.”

“Indeed.” Quinn spoke direly now as his dark eyes churned with wrath. But Ariana felt fear in him at her news, though he drew a steadying breath. “We cannot know its agenda with us until it comes forward again. For whatever reason, it pushed us to shatter the Bloodstone and unleash the Revenant surprise. But some of the Masters knew something was coming – which makes me wonder if Gold Eyes was the cause of that event or was only pushing us to make sure it happened. Either way, it seems certain it wanted to test us… just like it tested Ariana and Lucca on the bridge, and myself and Ariana at the blood-gala. Clearly, our trio has the power to return Revenants to their sanity and flesh via the Music of the Spheres – and we need to explore that ability in the coming days and weeks. But for now, we should keep Gold Eyes a secret. Only us three should know it is haunting us… and taking an interest in all our lives.”

“Are you still wanting to use the Music to return Revenants, if it satisfies some plan for Gold Eyes?” Ariana asked cautiously now.

“If too many of those re-awoken Revenants return to Dark Havens that are at-odds with yours, Quinn, it could be bad.” Lucca hesitated, frowning. “Especially if we don’t know why Gold Eyes wishes us to discover this power.”

“I think it is a risk worth taking.” Quinn spoke quietly now as he watched Lucca, then Ariana. “All power comes with a price, but if we are all together, I am willing to pay that price. Never have I dreamed such beautiful dreams as I have lately, and know I shall tonight with this new understanding between us. I’m willing to take a risk for our love and power as a trio, to get everything we want. Because it’s not just each other we care for, but a whole host of people who depend on us. I want for us all to walk in the Light, and not just be swallowed in darkness. What say you both?”

And Quinn’s words were so compelling, so passionate that Ariana saw Lucca smile now. It was an amazing smile, pure and bright with the full nature of his Summer Fae joy; and as Ariana saw that smile, everything inside her lit. Both men noted her, and Lucca turned his amazing smile upon her now, his blue eyes beautifully bright-dark as Quinn’s shone dark-bright in the luminous summer morning.

“I’m in.” Ariana breathed, her heart full as she looked at them both.

“All the way.” Lucca spoke also, sitting up with strength now behind her.

As Quinn brightened with a viciously beautiful glow, Ariana saw his dark aura flare with not just his own searing fire now but with rainbow moon-shimmer from her and blazing white rainbows from Lucca. It was so beautiful that she gasped – and Quinn surged in, kissing her lips while Lucca devoured her neck. Heady in surprise, Ariana hardly noticed it when Quinn and Lucca broke from her and began kissing each other. But it was beautiful, and so deeply arousing that when they broke apart, she beamed at them.

As they looked back to her, everything inside her flooded with love as she bit her lip with happiness. Quinn and Lucca both lifted an eyebrow at her with a vastly similar heat.

Before diving back in again to kiss her as they reveled in their trio’s rising joy.