Page 64 of Dark Fae's Destiny

But as the Romeros dart out from behind the failing line of enemy Giants, rushing for Quinn, I see fury in their eyes. Wrathful, they’re coming for him; hastily, I roar for Ariana so we can block them off from getting to him.

All at once, I am surrounded by a cadre of Vampire-Sirens, singing songs to silence Ariana’s and my Music. I can’t get to Quinn—but in a whirling dervish of the most terrifying scarlet blood-blades I’ve ever seen, Devi is there.

As Devi rushes in with a small but exceedingly vicious cadre of female Scarlet Fae warriors, I see they’re somehow immune to the Romeros’ wicked power. As the two factions crash into each other, Devi rips in with her blades—and slices open Calla and Eduardo’s throats so deep, it nearly takes both their heads off.

Satisfaction roars through me as wrathful joy explodes from Devi in the night. She’s a powerhouse of fury, as the Music sings through her like never before. It gives our allies renewed might; me, Alleno, Ariana, and Quinn roar as Devi’s inundating pleasure hammers us.

Fighting on like the Dark Fae we are.

But even as the Romeros are vanquished, our foes hammer back. The Dragon-Vampires, undead Giants, and the Vampire-Sirens surge in to pin me, Quinn, and Ariana inside a furious circle now as we fight. There are Council Masters here, too; I recognize them through Quinn as he roars, making his blazing energy into spears to kill them.

But they are furious and fast, turning into wraith-smoke at our drives, or portaling elsewhere on the battlefield, the moment we rush in. The Council Masters come from every nationality around the world; furious faces from China, Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, and Rome come at us as they summon their most loyal warriors into our fight.

Though this area of central Rome was already in ruins, a part of the old city I know well, our raging drives of the Music blast towers of stone and fallen domes to smithereens now as we rage, rush, and fight. It’s not part of the city the Vampires have repaired because we’re inside the former Summer Fae Palace of Light, decimated in the War of Rome when the Vampires took the city.

But something about being inside my former people’s ruins gives me strength now—even as Quinn, Ariana, and I are suddenly backed into a corner by a rush of the Vampire-Dragons. Wielded by the Mayan Master, they are a tornado of power as they create horrifying winds, towering storms, and black fire as they fight.

Facing off with them, Ariana screams the Music with her voice in a furious harmonic. Somewhere in the ruins, Staphylogenes’ heart hears her; her magic explodes at the Vampire-Dragons now, as Quinn and I join it.

Screeching, they slam to the ground, roiling in pain as our Music smites their ears. It boils their undead brains from the inside out. Quinn blazes with fire, seething it all over the undead Vampire-Dragons.

I sear with Light, scorching them to ash.

As the Mayan Master roars, coming for us like a thunderbolt for killing his creations, Eiseth and her people suddenly portal in, standing in a furious brigade before us. The Mayan Master and his remaining people clash with Eiseth and her fighters. But she is not alone, surrounded by an incredible army of Asian Vampires who portal in now to help us.

Their leader is a screaming hurricane of death, as she whirls inside her spinning fury of bright silks. We leave the Mayan Master to Eiseth and that Asian Mistress, as we feel Master Ilyov and his forces from Novakitsk finally penetrate the outer ranks of the Council.

Though a few of the Council Masters, like the Mayan Master, separated from their group to fight us, most of the Council’s ranks have drawn back in an impenetrable knot now with their most elite fighters. They hammer back drive after drive of our best magic, even as they resist our Music’s powerful sway.

They’re not budging, as that knot sunders everything we throw at it. Worse, even more fighters are streaming into the battle, portaling in from those Council Masters’ Dark Havens all around the globe now to fight us.

From a battle of a few thousand, we’re overwhelmed now by a battle of ten thousand, as those remaining Council Masters empty their entire Dark Havens to fight us. Even the three returned Revenants are having a hard time subduing them, as incredibly elite Vampires fight back now, responding to their Council’s need.

Though I revel in the battle, and Ariana revels and drinks in the brutality of the fight, Quinn drinking hard from the explosions of energy all around him to bolster his magic, I feel us giving everything we’ve got. Even though Staphylogenes’ heart still resonates our unique, new Music through this battle a hundredfold, turning massive swaths of it to our advantage, we’re being overwhelmed by sheer numbers now.

This is far different from our fight to retake the Dark Haven of Florence; this is the Vampire Council throwing everything they’ve got at us in an all-out war now as they battle to undo us.

Ariana’s parents, our Summer Fae fighters, Quinn’s people plus his three returned Revenants, even Ilyov’s masterful drives are failing now. Though the Music that streams through us all joins our power, letting us share our magic many ways, we’re flagging from this never-ending battle.

Because the Council’s forces are just that strong and immense. I feel them understand they can simply overwhelm us with numbers now, no matter how many we turn to our Music, slay, or blaze into ash.

It’s then that desperation finally takes hold inside me, darkening my Light. But even as I begin to despair, a deep lethargy of battle trying to swamp my bones, I suddenly feel new allies come to us.

As a tirade of multi-hued black smoke barrels in, seething all over the battle and draining our enemies to the max, I understand it’s Quinn’s thirty remaining returned Revenants come back to us. They have come to honor their ties to Quinn and our trio, who liberated them with our Music. They fight for us now, as I feel our towering song flood their hearts.

Giving them furious power—to fight.

Not only that, but I feel Quinn’s fierce celebration as the three Dark Fae Council Masters suddenly turn on their brethren—ordering all the people they command to attack the Council from the inside.

It’s devastating as those three turn ranks. As battle erupts from within the ring of Council Masters now, those three Dark Fae heaving masterful drives of magic into their once-fellows, Quinn rages with utter delight.

I hear his song lift to the universe and echo it with my own towering might. Ariana’s rainbow-dark wings swamp the battlefield as she screams with thundering overtones of joy.

And we battle on, bolstered by those who have come to us.

I feel the tides of war turn, finally. At last, the Council Masters are running out of warriors to throw at us; the combination of our allies with the thirty returned Revenants, plus the turncoat Dark Fae within the Council’s ranks are too much for our foes.

As our Music surges brighter, higher, hotter, deafening the battlefield now as we roar, rage, and fight, we all receive new energy. Power floods us, enlivening our muscles and beaming through our bones as even Quinn’s Vampires begin to glow with a formidable Light, as if the very sun itself shines through us.

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