CHAPTER 1 – RIFT #2
The door I came through leads into a long hall; to the left are the regular marble colonnades of the Pitti Palace. As I glance right, however, the hall morphs, open to the sky with greenery all around and gilded fountains spouting from the white marble walls.
Past a glimmering seam where I stand, it all seems real—as if I’ve somehow stepped into two worlds at once. The new hall is beautiful, ornate, with fantastical details that exist nowhere else in the palace.
As I stare at it, astounded, I see something materialize in a fountain grotto across from me. It swirls in shadows, a mist of darkness that surges up inside the grotto.
Like a demon, it writhes into a menacing black smoke, darkening the midsummer evening.
A chill of horror passes through me; in all my twenty-eight years as Fae, I’ve seen nothing like it.
As I watch, the menacing black void grows, filling the grotto.
Fear rivets me to the spot as eyes manifest inside that seething black mass.
Red eyes like death.
I freeze. My heart wrenches, thundering so hard I think it might pound apart as the creature stares at me. Despite all the fighting skills I’ve learned over the years, I’m ashamed to say that terror freezes me to the marble beneath my stilettos.
Never have I wished so much for magic as that vicious red gaze pierces me, full of destruction. My life is reduced to nothing compared to its ancient malevolence as it whirls, eager.
As something lances out from its mind—thrusting deep into mine.
Come to me, Ariana Summers, belladonna of the Summer Fae. And we shall raise your dark midnight power, together…
I scream as something slams out from me, hammering the thing back. It’s like a wave of silver and gold moonlight as its massive blaze erupts from my entire body, seething with dark rainbows.
Nothing like it has ever happened before; as that vengeful scream boils out of me now, though, it isn’t a cry of terror but a sudden roar of power. As I blaze with magic now in a way I’ve never done, the creature screams back, screeching like nails on a blackboard.
Its red eyes searing gold—insane.
As I roar, two men suddenly rush in at opposite ends of the colonnade. As he skids to a stop ten paces away, the Barone Quindici DaPonti stares at me in astonishment from the Pitti’s hall, just as an intensely elegant man rushes to a halt in the fae-hall.
A blistering, sun-bright energy roars from the tall, ash-blond newcomer as his lips fall open and he stares at me in shock.
I have no more time as I clutch my head, though, blitzing with pain.
Something is wrong with whatever power surged up inside me just now.
As I collapse, keening in agony, I see the Barone and the unknown man surge towards me.
Both coming together to block me off from the creature.
The Barone rages with darkness as he faces off with the nightmare demon, while the blond is just as vicious with sun-bright energy beside him. The Barone’s hands flash up now—terrible as his fingers lengthen into massive black claws.
The ash-blond newcomer rips enormous silver-gold longknives from sheaths in his boots as a fiery light flames all along those keen blades.
Dressed in an embroidered sky blue doublet and charcoal breeches tucked into tall grey boots tooled with vines, the newcomer looks like a warrior-prince as he snarls, facing off with the smoke-thing.
As battle erupts in the hall, I’m barely conscious from the pain ripping through me. The black thing shoots out thousands of smoke-like barbs to skewer the dark-light duo as they roar and whirl, fighting like banshees to keep it from me.
As the duo crash through the Fae-hall then back to the Pitti Palace’s colonnades, I’m down on my knees at the seam of light. Terror and exhilaration both fill me as the men careen into the creature.
Blitzing it with dark power and light.
Like fire and darkness, wind and sun, they rake it with blades and talons, hammering it with magic. As I fight to remain conscious, I see the Barone has vicious fangs now as his eyes blaze crimson-black, wings of dark fire flaring from him.
The blond lord has grown enormous wings also, but searing with light; his eyes burn gold-white as he and the Barone fight like twin stars now—one hot-bright and the other deadly-dark.
The smoke creature is beaten back; with a last slash of blades and a rip of talons, the two men best it. It screams with a nails-on-a-chalkboard sound as it whirls out.
And disappears from the hall.
As the creature vanishes, however, the blond lord turns—menacing the Barone with his shining blades.
As the lord snarls, the Barone swipes a vicious Italianate gesture back with his talons.
Fangs pierce from the Barone’s canines as his wings of night seethe.
They seem about to battle each other until I keen with pain where I’ve collapsed at the seam in the hall.
Both men look around. Shock fills the Barone and his fangs and claws are retracted as he rushes to me, his black wings of magic gone. The blond lord’s wings of light snap out also as he falls to his knees next to me.
As the bright lord touches me, however, light blazes through me once more. My pain skyrockets and I scream, feeling like I might rip apart; the Barone curls me into his powerful arms, cradling me to his chest.
As he sets a cool palm to my forehead, Barone Quindici DaPonti pours magic into me, his icy darkness calming my vicious blaze.
As the blond lord caresses my cheek—both men touching me now—the power inside me tinges gold and silver.
A beautiful dark blaze fills me, like I languish beneath a midnight summer moon.
A vision of endless stars spreads through me and I hear both men gasp.
Because enormous wings have unfurled from my back.
Blazing with silver-white, gold, and midnight rainbows, as they light up the entire hall with magic.
Continue reading Dark Master’s Kiss: Dark Fae Masters of Italy #1.