Page 8 of Dark Fae's Destiny

We’re soon crossing over into the Emilia-Romagna region, passing through Bologna, then the Veneto region, which includes Padua. By the time we hit the car bridge to Venice, the Ponte della Libertà, we’re simultaneously relaxed from the long trip but also tense, having no idea what comes next.

As Quinn parks in one of the parking garages at the west end of the city near the cruise ports, we all get out, since the rest of our journey is either by boat or on foot. Dressed in stunning Fae and Vampire couture, we turn heads as we walk through the parking garage, getting photographed by human tourists.

It’s still daytime here; night is an hour from falling, but we look like we’re headed to a photoshoot as the sun sinks low over the water. We catch a water taxi at the Piazzale Roma on the Rio Novo. The four of us settle in to enjoy the ride, as we’re taxied to the shop Quinn knows of, to purchase quality masks.

It turns out to be a famous authentic Venetian mask maker in the human world, called Ca’ Macana, which caters to true lovers and collectors of Venetian mask art. Entering the shop, we’re given a welcome from the man in the store like we’re causal tourists; though the moment Quinn speaks to him in rapid-fire Italian, the rest of us joining in here and there, the man realizes we’re more or less local and warms up considerably.

In no time, we have all the best masks pulled off the walls to peruse and make our decisions. It doesn’t matter which masks we choose; Quinn only supposes they need to communicate something about our true hearts, so the Venice Dark Fae will take us seriously.

In the end, Curio selects a beautiful winter-white and silver joker mask, fitting his buoyant and teasing personality. In classic style, Quinn selects a fearsome yet resplendent Bauta mask done in gold and black, with the half-gilded tricorn hat and hood as part of the mask itself.

Ariana chooses a beautiful full face mask with red lips and a multi-pointed gold, silver, and dark blue star crowning the head. I take a while before finding the one that most calls to me: a simple men’s half-face mask, it has a rising sun blazing from one temple, cascading up over my hair.

Before long, we’re out the door and back into the street. At Quinn’s instructions, we find a quiet alley and put our masks on; he and I unbutton our shirts, undoing our ties so our hearts are bared like Ariana’s.

As Quinn opens his full connection to the United Haven of Florence, using their combined power to cast open a portal through Realms, we’re back through into the Twilight Realm.

The sun is setting as he, Ariana, and I join hands with our masks on and our hearts bared to the evening breeze, starting to walk. Curio follows us, though I feel him raise his wintery magic now as Quinn, Ariana, and I raise our power.

We don’t have any destination as we begin to chime with the Music, flowing between us. We simply have to wander the streets and bridges with our hearts bared and our magic raised until the hidden Dark Fae here notice us.

But our attire, plus our magic, makes the regular Fae citizens of Venice take deep note of us. A variety of Fae live in this city, plus several other Lineages who enjoy the water, like Sirens, Mermaids, and such.

But even here, people don’t just walk around with their magic blaring. It turns heads now, as Fae and others shiver, riveted by our flowing Music as we pass by.

Before long, the sun has gone down, the blue-white nimbus of the Twilight sky all around now as stars pop out far above. We’ve been through countless streets, alleys, and over innumerable bridges; I’m not a Venice native and am thoroughly turned around, though Quinn seems to know approximately where we are.

As Fae-lamps are lit now, sparkling with a variety of colors beneath the stars, I note how there is almost no tension in this city. A few Vampires come and go around us, but they are quiet and calm, as if this place has been given over to a strange balance between the Night and the Light.

I feel the influence of the Dark Fae upon this city, keeping the peace here between the Fae and Vampires in a far more integrated way than Florence. As we pass, I see Fae in the Vampire establishments, and Vampires in the Fae eateries, open late at night to cater to both.

It’s mesmerizing as we meander through; a lovely example of what Florence might one day become, if we can balance the Light and the Night there, too. But first, we have to find the hidden Dark Fae city, and master the Music inside us, without the Gold Eyes.

Which is proving impossible to do, since the Dark Fae have still not made contact.

At last, I heave a frustrated sigh. The person with the most blazing Light in my magic, I’m usually the one in our trio to get most passionate when things get complicated; tired of staring through the eyeholes, I rip my mask from my face. The band of my mask has given me a headache; massaging my brow, I flop to a seat on a wrought-iron bench, tossing my mask to the bench slats beside me.

“This is no use, Quinn. We’re never going to find the Dark Fae. It’s been hours of walking these streets and canals, flaring our magic. Not a peep.” I rub my neck, then crack it. Quinn, Ariana, and Curio surround me, mysterious, as they gaze down at me in their masks.

“We need to give it time, Lucca.” Quinn is magnanimous now as he watches me from his fearsome mask, then gestures to the city. “We don’t know where the Dark Fae are most concentrated here—or even if they’ve seen us but need to fetch the right people before they make contact.”

“The Light and Night are deeply blended in this city.” Ariana nods in her red-lipped star mask. “Even I’m having a hard time telling if someone’s Fae, Dark Fae, or Vampire here. It all just seems rolled together; Quinn’s right. We may have seen some Dark Fae already, but not even known it. The magics are all so unified here.”

“Can we please take our masks off?” I sigh now, irritated. “I’d like to see your faces.”

“Of course.” Quinn is the first to remove his mask, though I thought he’d resist my suggestion hardest. He surprises me by sinking to a seat beside me on the bench—slinging an arm up over my shoulders and pulling me close. “You’re frustrated, Lucca. Your bright Light blisters inside me. How can we help?”

“Can we just… I don’t know.” I scrub my hand through my hair as I try to get in touch with my real feelings and voice them, not just my anger and frustration. “Can we just find a nice hotel to hole up in for the night and try this again tomorrow? It’s been a long day, a long few weeks, and I want a breather. Before we simply jump into the shitshow again.”

“Lucca’s right.” Ariana sinks to the bench on my other side and cuddles close. I put my arm around her, her hand on my thigh. “We’ve been doing a lot lately. Maybe this was premature, heading out on a moment’s notice to find the Dark Fae Sages, when what we should do is recuperate.”

“Every moment we delay is another moment the Gold Eyes can manipulate us through our magic.” Quinn sighs now as his arm comes down from my shoulders. Though even I see the wry smile that takes him as he leans back against the bench, stretching his long legs out.

“However, perhaps you both are right,” Quinn says as he looks up, watching the dark sky with its wealth of bright stars. “Our hearts have been through much; we are all exhausted, despite how well things have been going at the Hotel this past week. The truth is, we’re caught in the middle of massive change, for all of us—and change is never comfortable, even when the outcome is good. We must balance change with rest. Come. I agree with Lucca. Let us find a hotel for the night. We’ll try this again tomorrow.”

But even as Quinn squeezes my thigh, giving me a calm, beautiful smile as we all bare our rawest hearts to each other, I sense presences all around.

As if speaking our truth in this moment summoned someone, Curio clears his throat now, raising his magic in a tight whirl of snow as twenty masked Fae in black step from the shadows all around us.

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