Starlight(Pact Arcanum 4)

by Arshad Ahsanuddin

  CHAPTER 21

  September 2142; Sanctuary, French Alps

  Nick pushed open the door to his quarters and looked over the formless shapes within the darkened room. “Lights on.”

  The glowstrips on the ceiling illuminated, picking out the shuttered windows and the furniture covered by white dropcloths. He stepped forward into the room and let the door swing closed behind him, a cloud of dust swirling in its wake. God, has it been that long?

  He tried to remember the last time he had actually stayed the night in Sanctuary. Four years.

  He walked slowly to the rose-marble fireplace and tapped the recessed switch on the mantelpiece. The iridescent force shield hovering above the mantle shimmered out, revealing a triptych of three oil paintings. Scott. Jeremy. Ruarc. All the men he had loved, save one. Rory hadn’t painted himself, saying that it would be arrogant to give a self-portrait as a gift. The images grew red-tinged and blurry as he fought the urge to weep. In the back of his mind, he imagined Luscian laughing at him from Hell. “Magic requires sacrifice, you pathetic weakling. If you want to go back, then go. Nothing’s stopping you but your pride and anger. Is that worth more to you than love?”

  It’s not that simple, he thought.

  “Isn’t it? Or are you just too stiff-necked to accept your own flaws?”

  Nick pushed the accusing voice away. He busied himself for another ten minutes removing the covers from the rest of the furniture and stacking them in a corner. Then he turned off the window force screen to allow in some fresh air, and conjured a minor wind to gently blow the dust out of the room. Dismissing the small whirlwind, he unlocked the door to the ramparts and walked outside to the stone battlement that surrounded the High Tower. Leaning against the chest-high crenellated stone of the outer wall, he watched the rising sun with his senses open wide as the stone buildings of the fortress glowed with crimson light.

  He stood there as the hues shifted to orange, then blue-gray as the stone took on its natural color. Finally, he turned away and faced the single heartbeat, for which he had been listening.

  “It’s been a long time since we watched the sunrise together.”

  Lorcan said nothing, merely closed the gap to stand beside him. He looked down across the slowly awakening city, not meeting Nick gaze. “I left some linens and pillows on your bed. You can change the sheets yourself.”

  Nick swallowed his retort, seeing the tightly controlled anger and disappointment boiling in his lover’s mind. “Thank you.”

  “I cast a sedative spell on Rory to help him sleep.” Lorcan turned his head to pin Nick with a glare. “You shouldn’t have run away.”

  I didn’t run, he started to say, then thought better of it. “How is he?”

  Lorcan snorted in derision. “Shall I pass him a note in class that you were interested? Nick, if you want to know what’s going on with him, then go home and ask him yourself.”

  “I can’t.”

  Lorcan looked out over the city again. “What’s stopping you?”

  The words were so similar to the ones he had imagined, he could hear Luscian laughing at him again. Go back to Hell, Father.

  Nick took a moment to order his thoughts before answering. “I promised myself I would never raise a hand to either of you in anger. I left before the argument could escalate any further.”

  Lorcan gave him an appraising stare. “That’s not how anyone else will interpret it.”

  Nick covered Lorcan’s hand on the wall with his. “But you believe me.”

  Lorcan sighed. “I believe in you, Nicholas. It’s not quite the same thing.”

  Nick removed his hand and faced the early morning sun. “I guess love isn’t blind after all.”

  Lorcan said nothing, and they stood side by side on the wall in silence for a time. “How long are you staying?”

  Nick took a deep breath, and let it out, trying to focus on the center of his awareness. “Until I can be sure I won’t lose my temper.”

  Lorcan nodded silently. “I’ll tell the kitchen to have a meal set up, if you don’t want to join the rest of them in the Great Hall for breakfast.”

  “Thank you, Leshir. I appreciate it.”

  Lorcan gave him a ghost of a smile. “Remember that, the next time I screw up.”

  Nick chuckled as Lorcan walked back inside the castle. For another hour, Nick allowed his thoughts to drift as he meditated, allowing the random clutter of his thoughts to gradually peter out, leaving perfect stillness. Then he spoke out loud to his AI.

  “Animikii.”

  “Nicholas,” said the disembodied voice.

  “Access the Sanctuary Nexus hub. Voice and visual.”

  “Stand by.”

  A few moments later, an image appeared in the air in front of him of a white spiral design with an eye at the center, surrounded by a gold circle. The spiral symbolized the mind as a function of mathematics. The gold circle representing the AI race had been taken from the revised seal of the Triumvirate when it expanded to become the High Council. Together they formed the seal of the Nexus. “Governor Nicholas, the Nexus greets you.”

  “Let me speak to my brother.”

  “Regrettably, that is not possible.”

  Nick frowned. “Meaning what?”

  “Your brother is dead.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Right. Then let me speak to the AI that was based on him. Is it still a member of the Nexus Council?”

  “The Nexus has no individual voice. Your words addressed to one of us will address us all.”

  “Don’t make me laugh.” He lounged back against the wall and glared at the Nexus symbol. “Usually, I find these games amusing, but right now they’re just annoying me. Just put the call through, will you?”

  “Stand by, Governor.”

  Nick closed his eyes and took another deep breath, trying to recapture the mental acuity he had just achieved.

  “Hello, Nick.”

  Nick snapped his eyes open, the held breath escaping in a rush as the voice slammed into him from a hundred years before. Then he froze, looking at the image before him.

  It was Toby, just as he had been, right down to the sweatshirt and jeans he had been wearing the day he died. Only the faint outline of the stone wall behind it defied the illusion, showing through the semi-transparent hologram. It was as if he were looking at a ghost.

  Because that’s exactly what it is. Nick ordered his thoughts. “What’s your name, citizen?”

  “Rory calls the fusion of myself and Icarus by the name Revenant. The AIs call me Nexus Violet.”

  “And what do you call yourself?”

  “Tobias.”

  Nick smothered a burst of fury. “Isn’t that just a little presumptuous?”

  The AI avatar raised an eyebrow. “It’s what I call myself. I am merely conveying accurate information, asked and answered. Are you sure you can handle the truth?”

  Nick controlled his breathing, shutting out the roar of his own blood in his ears. “I’m stronger than you think. I won’t break.”

  “Your brother is dead. His body is dust, and his soul has gone beyond the power of the Grace to recall it, even if you were so selfish as to try and bring him back. I am not him. I have never been Toby, and I never will be. Accept it and move on.”

  Nick stared at him. “Your bedside manner could use some work.”

  “I’m not your therapist, Nicholas.”

  “Obviously. So what are you, then?”

  “I’m your other nephew, the son of Toby’s bargain with the Nexus.”

  “Why didn’t he tell me about the deal? So many things could have been different, if I had known.”

  “The terms of the bargain were agreed upon. The Nexus could and would have withdrawn their offer if he reneged.”

  “Bullshit. He could have found a way. Hell, he could have written me a letter if he wanted to keep it a secret.”

  Tobias sighed. “He didn’t think you could keep your mouth shut.”

  N
ick’s jaw dropped. “Wait. What?”

  “Toby believed you would not be able to resist the temptation to reveal the existence of the technology.”

  The bottom of Nick’s world dropped away and he felt himself standing on a precipice in the center of his mind. “Why would he think that?”

  “Because you love too deeply. Would you have been able to let go of his memory if you knew a part of him continued to exist, even in this altered form? Would you have allowed Scott to die forever, if you had known?” The avatar regarded him with a sad expression. “Or Jeremy?”

  In his mind’s eye, Nick watched himself step off the edge into the open air and fall.

  “He didn’t trust me.”

  “No.”

  The ground came up to meet him, and a part of him died while Luscian laughed in triumph.

  Then he did weep, for one last piece of innocence, lost.

  PART III: SECOND DERIVATIVE MAXIMUM

  CHAPTER 22

  September 2142; House Daviroquir Stronghold, London, England

  William glanced up at the tone from his computer. Tapping his security code into the keypad, he found a new, coded message from Lorcan. He waited for the decryption software to translate the message.

  Stonehenge. Tonight. Come alone.

  William fumed at the curt message. Typical. Lorcan appears to have recovered his flair for the dramatic. Does he think I will simply answer his beck and call now that he is no longer my Master?

  He stood from his chair, and walked briskly toward the teleport gateway. It’s time we renegotiated the terms of this alliance.

  September 2142; the Citadel, Lunar Farside

  Rory woke when he felt the bed shift. He opened his eyes to see Lorcan sitting next to him, fully dressed.

  Lorcan smiled. “You look better.”

  “Do you have to go?”

  “The Court will want to discuss this new development. Outside the Armistice, the threat of being killed by Sentinels or humans remains significant. They’ll want to know what I am doing to acquire the means to preserve their minds after death.”

  Rory groaned and sat up in bed. “The High Council will probably want to decide how best to release the technology.”

  Lorcan chuckled. “You’re going to be on the spot, Leshir. What are you going to tell them?”

  “The cat’s out of the bag now. People know. The Nexus won’t be able to refuse without causing a massive, public-relations backlash against the AI community. Nexus White will see reason, I hope.”

  Lorcan raised an eyebrow. “You hope?”

  “The Nexus has a long history of independent action. They might refuse to yield to the will of organics if it doesn’t suit their purposes.” Rory sighed. “Why did I want this job, anyway?”

  Lorcan’s smile grew strained. “You wanted to be free.”

  Rory stared at him for a moment, and then dropped his gaze. “I should have told you.”

  “Yes, you should have. But that ship has sailed, Sean. You’ll just have to make it up to me.” Lorcan looked away. “To both of us.”

  Rory hesitated before speaking. “Have you heard from him?”

  “I went to see him after you went to sleep. He’s got some thinking to do. Don’t worry, I’ll drop by Sanctuary after the Court adjourns, and see how he’s doing. Maybe we can defuse this.”

  “You know how stubborn he is, Ruarc.”

  Lorcan leaned forward and kissed Rory’s cheek. “And you know how stubborn I am.” He stood and walked toward the door. “I’ll see you tonight, Sean.”

  Rory lay back in bed, and stared absently at the ceiling for a few minutes. “Revenant.”

  “Good morning, Rory.”

  “How did your talk go with Layla?”

  “Better than expected.”

  Rory waited for a moment. “Are you going to tell me if you talked to Nick?”

  “You didn’t ask.”

  Rory frowned. “You’re being deliberately obtuse. Is this punishment for confirming your existence?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very funny. How is he?”

  “He was drinking himself into a stupor when I left.”

  Rory closed his eyes and sighed. “That bad?”

  “I don’t think he liked what I had to say.”

  Rory rolled out of bed. “What did you tell him?”

  “The truth.”

  Rory paused. “About what?”

  “None of your business.”

  Rory snorted as he headed toward the shower. Definitely punishment. “What’s our schedule like for today?”

  “The Nexus meets in thirty minutes, in parallel to the emergency High Council meeting this morning.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  “Magic requires sacrifice, Rory. We may not know who opened the door to this situation, but you were the one who decided to walk through.”

  September 2142; Stonehenge, Wiltshire County, England

  William stood before the heelstone and watched the sunset. He checked the chronometer printed on his hand and frowned. How long does he intend to keep me waiting? Another hour, and then I leave him to his own devices. Lorcan will have to learn that House Daviroquir will not be trifled with, despite our common purpose.

  A sharp crack and the etheric rustle of magic caught his attention. Casting his senses wide, he detected another vampire standing within the stone circle. Finally.

  He walked briskly away from the leaning stone at the entrance of the historical site and made his way inside, following the sound of the other heartbeat. Then he stopped, feeling the jumper block congeal around him.

  Immediately he called his sword to his hand and ran, cursing his foolishness. I was so annoyed at the manner of the summons that I never once questioned its validity. How could I have been so stupid? Their communications were clearly compromised, and he was alone.

  He had cleared the ring of standing stones and was already on the open ground when he felt a sharp sting at the back of his neck. What are they shooting at me? Bullets won’t even slow me down. Then he felt the creeping numbness spreading down his back as his muscles slackened. He stumbled and fell to the ground when he lost control of his limbs. Poison.

  He could barely move his head when the Night’s Herald appeared in front of him from behind a shroud of invisibility. “Good evening, Prince William,” she said.

  “How?” he croaked.

  “My AI was able to infiltrate the Huntmaster’s computer systems and send the false message, if that is what you are asking.” She hefted the small pistol in her hand. “Or do you mean this? An interesting device developed by one of the human intelligence services. It freezes the poison of choice and fires flechettes of ice by linear induction. Silent, lethal, and untraceable.”

  He heard a second set of footsteps approaching from within the monuments, and Vladimir Magister Talizered walked into his field of view. “It’s a pity we had to restrict ourselves to a simple neuromuscular blocker for its first test, but you have information we need.”

  William tried to speak, to hurl his defiance in their faces, but he was paralyzed. He could only watch as the Herald knelt next to him and drew his head back by the hair. Then she bared her fangs and began to feed on him.

  The blood-magic bridge opened between them, and he felt his strength and memories being drained away. His heartbeat accelerated wildly, and his vision turned gray at the edges. Then she stopped, and stood again, leaving him weak and panting for breath on the ground.

  “Are you sure this will work, Razheel?” Vladimir’s voice was emotionless as he contemplated the enemy at his feet.

  “Imperator Luscian’s writings that we confiscated after the Burning contained very detailed descriptions of the spellforms involved. It should work.”

  “Are you certain enough to chance your life?”

  “We shall see.” She stood over William and began a complex incantation while he watched helplessly. Finally, her words tapered off and she drew her sword. “I am r
eady.”

  Vladimir nodded and called his own sword to his hand. Then he spun in place and cut her head from her shoulders.

  William stared at them in incomprehension, watching the fall of her head as it tumbled to the ground, followed by her body. Then he was ripped away from the scene and found himself standing unharmed in an empty landscape, surrounded by mist. He shook himself experimentally, and found his limbs responding to his control again.

  The mists parted in front of him, and the Herald appeared before him, her sword in her hand. “And it seems the gamble was a success, after all,” she said, flashing her fangs at him.

  William summoned his sword to his hand, and was shocked when nothing happened. He swallowed, finally allowing himself a moment of fear for the first time since he had arrived at Stonehenge. “What have you done, Herald?”

  She shook her head. “The Night’s Herald is dead, William Magister Daviroquir. I am Razheel once more; but you may call me Soulkiller.”

  William sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself. You are nothing compared to the Eldest, Razheel.”

  “I don’t claim to be, Prince William. But I have recovered one of his most potent magics: the ability to claim another body for my own.”

  William backed up a step. “Impossible. Even if you had the spell, it would do you no good. You have no soul to pass into another body.”

  She smiled widely. “I have had over a century to study the magic, Daywalker. It doesn’t require me to have a soul, only that a soul be present.” She raised her sword. “Convenient that you have one ready and available for me to bind.”

  William turned and ran into the mist, but he was weakened from the feeding, and she was the stronger for it. In a moment, she caught up to him and stabbed her sword into his back.

  William collapsed to the ground, holding back a scream of agony. I will not show weakness before this witch. He forced himself to speak, despite the pain. “You served the Court with honor, Herald. Don’t throw it away now to wallow in Luscian’s necromancy.”