Page 77 of Dark Master's Redemption

Arturos is after that, with Luliana; I don’t expect the quick upsurge in Arturos’ magic as he rushes in fast, intent.

Despite the crippling exhaustion I feel draining all through him from eliminating the Gold Eyes’ sigils in the halls by himself earlier, plus all the fighting these past hours, Arturos surges forward now in a masterful wave of dark water, brutal.

He comes for the Gold Eyes. I try to jump in, to stop him, but even with all my Master’s reflexes and the support of my entire Dark Haven behind me now, plus Ariana and Lucca, I’m too slow.

As Arturos concentrates all the power he has left into one towering wave of water in my apartments, he blasts that gargantuan wave forward. It manifests into a terrible, watery lance—heaving right to the Gold Eyes and piercing its center. As he does, the Gold Eyes sends a spike of pure gold energy back.

Striking Arturos also—right through his living, beating heart.

That spike goes all the way through Arturos, skewering him like a fish on a spear. A hole the size of my fist gapes where his heart was; as he gasps in shock, I see that was a killing blow, even for a Siren.

No creature can heal from a wound like that; as Arturos falls, I catch him, cradling him to my chest. As I roar for him to stay with me, a blast of energy goes out from his missing heart.

Lodged upon the floor with that golden spike of energy still twisting through it, Arturos’ beautiful heart gives one last thud. It sends a blast of pure blue, watery power right to Florian as Arturos looks at me with his beautiful cobalt eyes and whispers his last mesmerization.

“Be free.”

The final wish of Arturos’ heart bleeds Florian out completely, even as something in me rings true like a bell, cleared. Sirens have dominion over all things aqueous; as Florian gasps with seawater bubbling from his throat, all his Vampire’s blood in a pool around him, I feel a strange alchemy inside me. Because Arturos’ final blast was sent right from his heart, to kill Florian in true love. True love for me, as he gasped his last.

And made right all his transgressions against me.

I sob for him, and roar now as I cradle his body close to my chest. His wound isn’t repairable by Vampire magic, so thoroughly done by the Gold Eyes to smite him. As we lose one of our best warriors, and I lose a beloved friend, everyone else looks on, shocked.

The Gold Eyes only smiles now, in its cunning darkness.

Before flashing out—leaving us.

“Arturos!” I roar as I bend over his dead body, cradling it. “No… please, all the gods, no…!”

“He’s dead, Quinn. He’s gone.” Lucca kneels behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder as Ariana hugs me around the waist. “He did a final blessing for us. Let it be good… and let him go.”

As I go to argue with Lucca that I condemned a dear friend today in my bid to take back my Hotel and Dark Haven, I notice what Lucca’s just nodded at. Because where the Gold Eyes flashed out, there is now a little trail of golden blood.

Congealing into a pool where Arturos’ watery lance struck it.

“Right through its own heart—or where its heart should be…” I say, as I suddenly realize that ancient creature can be harmed. And if it can be harmed, it can be killed; a thousand plans go off inside me now.

As I wonder how we might kill it, at last.

A crowd of Dark Fae, liberated Revenants, Gunter’s Vampire-Giants, even a number of Florian’s people move into my apartment around me now, amazed, as I know we have worked miracles today. We’ve achieved all our aims, though Arturos paid the price—despite my wretched sorrow at his sudden death from the Gold Eyes’ strike, I must be the leader they need me to be now, as I do what must be done next.

Though everything inside me screams to hold him forever, I slowly lay Arturos’ dead body to the floor. There will be time to honor him properly, and say goodbye later, I know as I stand, facing my Dark Haven.

Right now, I must be the general and not the aggrieved. I must be the strength these people all around me see in me.

As I summon my courage to lead them, all the way.

“Friends. We have been liberated today,” I begin now, as my gaze roves them. Bloodstained and battered, all are on their feet as they listen to me, just as I am on my feet as I speak as an equal with them.

“With this win comes a re-building of our society, for what it means to be Vampire, Fae, and Dark Fae.” I take them all in. I join hands with Lucca and Ariana, and deep love flows through me from them, bolstering me as I continue. “For I mean to make this Dark Haven a haven now for all who would come to it—Vampires, Fae, Dark Fae, even those of other Lineages who wish to escape tyranny. Because I believe in the equality of all peoples, and the right for us all to live free, sovereign in our lives without any Masters. Though I will remain the pinnacle of the magic here, simply for protection, I shall open this place up to a council’s governance. Of which I would love if Ariana Summers Altvie, Lucca Bellari, Devina Scarlotti, Curio Silverfrost, Adicus Briarwick, Illyria Amati, Bello Bellissimo, and Alleno Massi would join me in lighting the way. Together, we shall build a sanctuary for all who would leave traumatic lives and pasts behind. Or simply those who wish to come join us… because a great love is rising here.”

As I make my speech, I see everyone around me understand. Even Alleno gets what I’m asking, as the tiniest smile takes him—he sets a hand to his heart, saluting me like I’m still his Summer Fae Prince. I am and I’m not; neither Lucca nor I hold that title anymore, being Dark Fae as we are. But we’re building a new family here, a found family, despite everything we’ve lost.

I turn to all of Florian’s people now, and say to them what I have to say next.

“I spared your lives today, because I know many of you never wished to be under Florian’s influence as Master of Monaco. Many of you only did his bidding because you were afraid of his golden manacles, or of those you love being enslaved by them. Just as I never wished to be Emiliana DiClario’s, but did her bidding to protect others, many of you did the same under Florian. I offer you a choice now. Either go your way, liberated from this Dark Haven and seeking another if you wish, or join mine, as I liberate the rest of the Dark Haven of Monaco. And give all of Florian’s people a second chance at life—and love, at last.”

As Florian’s Vampires go still all around me, I feel a decision take them. Then all are sweeping to their knees before me, including Julian, with a fist to his heart and deep honor in his eyes. I nod to him, accepting his allegiance, then nod to them all.

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