Raising the bowl with his auric magic now so he doesn’t have to hold it, Quinn slashes open his left wrist the long way so he’ll lose the most blood. He’ll heal once the Dark Haven is re-bonded to him; Quinn lets his blood flow into the bowl now, even as he grimaces at the pain. Though he and I bit each other’s lips in our Master’s Kiss ceremony, the location of where he gets blood from doesn’t matter.

Only that his people drink it—and Quinn takes a drop of their blood in return, to seal them to him once more.

Moving to the circle with his bowl in his hands now, Quinn approaches Devi first. Her dark chocolate eyes shine in the torchlight as she anticipates being bonded to him once more; at Quinn’s nod, she raises her own crimson-dark power like a thousand daggers of death, whirling around her.

As Quinn lifts the bowl to her lips, she drinks, just a sip because there are a lot of people to bond tonight. We all know Quinn shouldn’t lose too much blood if we’re going to take back the Red Letter Hotel Florence tomorrow—which is the plan if everything goes well tonight.

One small sip of Quinn’s blood is all Devi needs to re-Kiss to him; I feel a roaring sensation sweep through her from Quinn’s aura diving all through her body with that single taste of blood. As Quinn’s power takes her now, Devi cries out in ecstasy and relief. He leans in, kissing her gently.

Biting her lower lip with his fangs to take her blood and seal her to him.

As Quinn sucks just a taste of Devi’s blood from her lips, I feel her power roar back into him. Like a hurricane of knives, Devi’s Dark Scarlet Fae energy is vicious, even as it is magnificent. It doesn’t just flood Quinn—Quinn is bonded to Lucca and me, and that energy rushes into us both now. It staggers Lucca and startles me, as I set a hand on his shoulder to not be knocked over by its blade-keen might.

As Quinn breaks his kiss with Devi, looking around to make sure we’re all right, Lucca nods. But Quinn’s gaze is penetrating as he feels what just happened.

That Devi’s power fed all three of us, not just Quinn, as she was taken back into his Kiss.

It makes us all pause now, as Quinn considers the ramifications of what just happened. Devi feels it, as she rubs her chest, her lovely eyes astonished. Because it’s not just Quinn’s power bonded to her now; it’s mine and Lucca’s also as we all stand amazed in the night.

Raising a hand, Devi produces a whirl of her magic—and it’s got Quinn’s living-fire darkness in it, plus my black rainbows, even Lucca’s blazing rainbow-light aura cascading through it as we all become bonded by this strange new Master’s Kiss.

All around, Quinn’s Dark Fae stare with wide eyes, shocked at what Devi can now produce; I feel Quinn’s mind churn a hundredfold as he glances at Devi, making sure she’s okay with his new change.

She gives a deep nod, setting her palm to her heart in reverence. Because what’s sweeping her now is magic like she’s never experienced, even though she’s been a strong Dark Scarlet Fae for centuries. Before, she was only bonded to Quinn’s Dark Fae power.

Now, she’s bonded to all of us—in an incredible sharing that goes many ways.

As Quinn looks at Curio next, Curio gives a deep nod that he’s ready, and willing, for this. As Quinn repeats the ceremony with Curio, I feel Curio’s winter winds pummel into us, a sharp taste of peppermint on my tongue.

Like Devi, Curio is rocked as our trio’s magic takes him. Quinn’s at the helm of that magic, with his Mentale Dark Fae energy commanding and orchestrating it. But any of our trio could use it, I understand, as a deep feeling of fortitude sweeps me now from Curio, like endless glaciers in the moonlight.

Curio glances at me, the smallest smile taking him as he lifts one eyebrow sexily at me now, feeling my power inside his and his inside mine. It’s like he’s asking me to fuck with what I’m experiencing from his power; you wish, I think, as the tiniest smile takes me also, though I know he can’t hear my thought.

I know. But it’s fun to tease.

Curio’s sudden thought reaches me easily, though I’ve heard none of Quinn’s people in my mind before. My lips fall open and I gape at him as he winks at me.

And Quinn laughs—a beautiful sound in the night.

It takes the blackness out of all our hearts now, as Quinn laughs. Because his laugh is so incredible, so amazing and free, as it cascades from him in the torch-lit darkness. Everyone suddenly stands taller, and the light that illuminates us flares brighter, as real pleasure cascades through the group now. As Quinn nods to Curio and Curio places his hand on his heart, Quinn moves to the next person in line.

And the ceremony continues.

Each of Quinn’s Dark Fae re-bond to him, as Lucca and I feel them added to not just Quinn’s energy, but ours. Our energy flows through them, as well; each person Quinn re-Kisses feels Lucca’s and my power pour through them, in addition to Quinn’s and the rest of the re-forming Dark Haven.

Quinn is near the end, the process going smoothly even as it builds a tremendous wave of magic in the night, when I suddenly feel a change in Arturos. Though I had almost become used to hearing his shrieks inside my mind, all of a sudden, he ceases struggling in Luliana’s bonds.

Arturos goes terribly still in the night; there is only silence through our strange bond, and it’s somehow even scarier than before as Quinn turns towards it. Two people from the end of the circle, Quinn’s nearly made our power complete—when a massive blast of energy hurls out from Arturos like a bomb.

Luliana Ouros can’t contain that terrible surge of magic; it explodes the horse trough in a wave of water, hammering us all to our asses as it blasts her watery bonds off of Arturos.

As Lucca, Quinn, and I, and all Quinn’s people, are mowed down like matchsticks in the field, that power rushes through Arturos. Expanding a hundredfold, a hurricane of magic seethes around us now, terrible in the darkness as it fights what Luliana’s doing.

Roaring, that power gives its all to remain inside Arturos.

The magic of the Gold Eyes—as his diabolical gaze shimmers in every wave of that awful might.

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