Sunrise(Pact Arcanum 2) (38 page)

Nick looked pleadingly at Rory. “There must be something we can do.”

Rory swallowed. “You’ve put me in a bad position, Nick. If I don’t defend my honor, the other Magisters will go after anyone associated with me, including all of the Children of the Dawn. On top of that, the Court will portray me as dishonorable, undermining all of the bridges we’ve tried to build. The Great Work will be stopped in its tracks.”

“Fine, so you have to duel.” Takeshi shook his head. “Nick just has to concede defeat, and honor is satisfied. What’s the big deal?”

“It doesn’t work that way, Take,” Scott said. “I studied Court protocol when Nick’s brother started looking into a European tour. Kukiko made the challenge. Even though Nick is her Champion, she’s the only one who can call it off. Rory has four weeks to either fight the duel or concede. Once the duel begins, only the death of one of the combatants will break the combat circle and release the other.”

“You’re saying the only way out of this is for me to fucking die?” asked Nick, incredulous.

“You or Rory,” Scott said grimly. “Why do you think she chose you?”

Nick recoiled in horror. “Oh, God—Reaper.”

Rory sighed. “The only weapon we know of that can kill me. She’s gambling you won’t be willing to lay down your life and go quietly.”

Nick glared at him. “You think I would do that? To you?”

Rory dropped his gaze. “Sooner or later the thought would have crossed your mind.”

“Fuck you, Rory,” whispered Nick. “I’ll find another way.”

Ana moved to stand between them. “Nicholas, I think you should leave.” She wore the same stare of hostility that covered Take and Layla’s faces.

Nick took a step closer to Rory. “I’ll fix this. I swear I will. You just have to trust me.”

“Nick, I…” Rory hesitated. “You should go.”

Nick’s eyes opened wide in disbelief, then he stalked to the teleport gateway and jumped away without another word.

CHAPTER 48

December 2038; House Sojosten Stronghold, Kyoto, Japan; The next night

Isaye Magister Sojosten poured tea into two porcelain cups. Raising one, she sipped it daintily as she regarded the Huntmaster through half-closed eyes. “Are you pleased, my Lord?” she asked in Arcolin.

Aleksei drained his teacup and set it down. “It was an excellent ploy, Lady,” he answered in the same language. “Was it your idea or hers?”

“The ruse was Kukiko’s, my Lord, although she required my help to put the plan in motion.”

Aleksei raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I wondered at the reasoning behind your request for a Full Assembly. You realize that if Nicholas had not proven so weak-willed she would have died on the train, and you would have suffered greatly for wasting our time.”

The Magister Sojosten finished her tea and placed her cup carefully on the low table between them. “He is a Daywalker, my Lord; weakness is in his blood. The risk was negligible.”

Aleksei swept the tea set aside in one swift movement then leaned forward, his fangs extended and his eyes blazing red. “In the future, Lady, you will involve me before you engage the Triumvirate. You could have seriously damaged my own operations by your meddling.”

She sat before him, unafraid. “Your operations are already hampered by the instruments you employ, my Lord. Lorcan Primogenitor Diluthical was a poor choice of Ambassador.”

Aleksei relaxed, his eyes shading back to gray. “Perhaps. Brion’s supporters among the lesser houses were many, and it allowed me to be seen as magnanimous to my opposition. In the end, Lorcan’s weakness will allow me to bring down House Diluthical for his failure. Whether House Luscian is destroyed in the process is of no importance.”

Anchorpoint City, Colorado; Two weeks later

“I don’t get it.” Scott perused his cards. “How can she get away with this?”

“She doesn’t have a leg to stand on if Jiao-long died in honorable combat,” Take answered, idly counting his chips. “As soon as he was dead, their mating was dissolved, and she has no standing in House Jiao-long to challenge the house’s internal hierarchy. But the only witnesses to his death are me and Rory, and our word is suspect as far as the Court is concerned, since we’re not neutral observers to the dispute.”

Scott frowned. “My question is: How did she manage to survive? I thought you eliminated all of Jiao-long’s vampires. Nick showed me Rory’s memories of the Pact Arcanum once; even the angel said Rory was Magister Jiao-long by default.”

Ana tossed her cards on the table. “Fold.” She sighed. “We hit all of Jiao-long’s bases in China and America, and the other houses slaughtered the survivors. She was probably in Japan at the time, attending to House Sojosten business. We didn’t bother to collect the names of the dead or we would have known that one of his high-ranking officers survived.”

“But she isn’t Leshir Jiao-long anymore,” said Scott to Take. “You are. She shouldn’t be able to use the title to challenge Rory.”

“It goes back to the question of Jiao-long’s death.” Take tossed down his cards, as well. “If Jiao-long didn’t die in battle, under Court Protocol she retains the right to seek vengeance for her mate until the killer is executed. She can’t acknowledge that a Sentinel killed him or her challenge would be thrown out. By challenging Rory directly, she’s implying he somehow managed to kill Jiao-long when his guard was down.

“If Rory doesn’t defend his honor, he tacitly acknowledges that the accusation is true, and he loses the right to claim honorable mastery over House Jiao-long. She’s next in succession to become Magister Jiao-long in his place. If he defends his honor and loses, the same thing happens.” He sighed. “If he defends his honor and wins, her challenge is dismissed and there are no other survivors to raise the issue again. His position as Magister Jiao-long becomes unassailable. But for that to happen, Nick has to die.”

Scott scowled. “So what if she becomes Magister Jiao-long? Is a title more important than Nick’s life?”

Ana snorted. “Rory doesn’t give a damn about the title. The problem is that he’s a Jiao-long Nightwalker. If she takes over his house, she has direct authority over him. She could order him to withhold the Grace or even to kill her enemies. I’ll bet she’d just love the idea of an assassin who can’t be killed.”

Scott tilted his head and frowned at Ana in confusion. “Then he just has to renounce his house and live in the Armistice Zone. Lots of Nightwalkers get by like that. What’s the big deal?”

“All of the Children of the Dawn swore allegiance to him during the Burning, Scott,” Ana said with utmost patience. “If he renounces his house, then Kukiko can lay claim to that allegiance as Magister Jiao-long. She can force a confrontation that will undercut Layla’s authority as well. The political damage to the Armistice would be unbelievable. It might even spark a vote of no confidence and remove the Triumvirate from power.”

Scott sighed and threw down his cards, ignoring the pot. “Suddenly, this game doesn’t appeal to me.”

“Me, neither,” said Ana. “Not while Rory is off strategizing with Nemesis over how to make this all go away.”

Take seemed resigned. “Ana, there’s no way at all to make this mess disappear. Unless Rory concedes, one of them is going to die.”

Court of Shadows Embassy, Icehaven City, Hudson Bay, Canada

Nick watched Kukiko on the virtual screen. “Why did you take all the furniture out of the room?”

Lorcan wrapped his arms around Nick from behind. “She’s made life hell for everyone else. Why should she be comfortable?”

Nick covered Lorcan’s hands with his and leaned into the Nightwalker’s embrace. “I can’t argue with that.”

Lorcan laid his head on Nick’s shoulder, wishing he could ease the hatred and desperation he could feel knotting up his lover’s muscles. “Have you heard from Rory?”

Nick shook his head. “He hasn’t said a word to me in two weeks.” He sighed. “I screwed up big this time, Ruarc.”

“Any progress in finding a solution?”

“There isn’t one. I’ve gone through every inch of Luscian’s memories of Court protocol. Someone has to die to make this right. Either me, Rory, or her.”

“I could help you out there, Nicholas.”

Nick pulled away and faced Lorcan. “Are you offering to kill her for me?”

Lorcan studied Kukiko on the screen. “Are you asking me to?”

“If she dies on your watch, you’d be recalled and executed.”

“They’d have to catch me first.”

Nick watched him silently for a time. Then he leaned in close and kissed him. “I wouldn’t sacrifice Rory; what makes you think I would sacrifice you?”

“You said it yourself,” Lorcan whispered. “Someone has to die.”

Nick turned his eyes back to Kukiko. “This is my mess. I have to clean it up.”

Dragging Nick around to face him again, Lorcan said, “Don’t you dare even think that, Nicholas. You can’t just lie down.”

“I’m trapped, Ruarc.” Nick’s face grew sad. “There are no other choices.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“What? Kill the Redeemer?” Nick snorted. “What good would it do? The Armistice would collapse. The Children of the Dawn would kill me in a heartbeat. I would have accomplished nothing but destroying the person who went to war to avenge my suffering and ended up saving my soul. That would be a hell of a way to repay him, wouldn’t it?” Nick turned away again to glare at the screen. “This is the only way. It’s time to put Luscian’s legacy to rest, forever.”

December 2038; Anchorpoint City, Colorado

As the door to their quarters chimed, Takeshi and Rory pushed their dinner plates away and looked up.

“Lorcan Primogenitor Diluthical is requesting entry.”

Rory frowned. “Let him in.”

Lorcan entered, scowling as Rory and Takeshi rose to meet him. “My Lords, may we speak plainly?”

Takeshi glared at the Nightwalker. “Fine. Say what you have to say.”

“Nicholas intends to go through with the duel.” Lorcan saw them both tense. “He intends to lose.”

Rory closed his eyes. “Christ. There has to be another alternative.”

“He has convinced himself that this is the only way to avoid further bloodshed.” Lorcan took a deep breath and continued. “As much as any of us would wish it otherwise, he’s most probably right. There are no conventional ways for the law to be circumvented once challenge has been called, unless the challenger recants.”

Takeshi leaned forward intently. “Do you think she can be convinced?”

Lorcan shook his head. “No. Her scheme has drawn the attention of the Court, and they support her one hundred percent. No matter how the situation is resolved, they win. If the Redeemer falls, the Armistice will crumble. If Nicholas falls, the Triumvirate is deprived of its strongest single ally. She knows that if she allows her plan to fail, she will face the displeasure of the Court.”

“Can she be eliminated?” Rory asked in a neutral voice.

“Not by an outsider.” Lorcan shrugged. “Before the Court caught wind of her plan it might have been possible for me to dispose of her quietly, but now that they know, her life is sacrosanct. Her guards owe first allegiance to the Court, and they’ve all been advised that their lives depend on keeping her safe. There is no way I could have her killed, even if I tried to do it myself.”

“I presume you didn’t come all this way to tell us it was impossible,” Rory said, waiting expectantly.

Lorcan glared at him, eyes red. “Nicholas has set his course. I cannot sway his mind. So, I came to appeal to you. Find another way. Please. You are the Redeemer. He has already suffered so much because of you. Don’t let him sacrifice himself for your sake.”

Rory sighed. “Lorcan, if there’s a way out, I don’t know what it is. I swear I’d do anything to save him.”

Lorcan snarled in frustration. “My Lord, if you truly care about him, then don’t give up. You brought down Luscian by thinking unconventionally. Do that again. Find a way around the inevitable.” He walked to the door. “Because if you allow Nicholas to die at your hands, I swear I will find a way for you to join him in death.”

CHAPTER 49

January 2039; Icehaven City, Hudson Bay, Canada; Two weeks later

The crowd silently filled the central square at the heart of the city, spilling out into the radial streets. The opalescent glow of the perimeter shield, which held back the weight of the water above them, lit the area with its soft radiance. Above the low obsidian buildings, virtual screens floated in the salt-scented air, carrying the scene to those who were too far away to see over the other onlookers.

At the center of the square, a mosaic depicted the cross and circle of the Armistice Nightwalkers, representing their hope for redemption. Nick, flanked by Scott, stood at one corner of the mosaic, Reaper flaming in his hand. At the opposite corner, Rory faced him, with Takeshi and Anaba standing to either side. Lorcan, accompanied by Kukiko and her guards, took up position on one of the corners between them.

From the final corner of the mosaic, Nemesis addressed them in turn, her voice amplified from multiple repeaters throughout the city so that all could hear.

“My Lady, will you withdraw this challenge?” Nemesis asked Kukiko.

The Nightwalker stood proudly. “I will not.”

“My Lord, will you reject this challenge?” Nemesis asked Rory.

“I will not,” Rory answered quietly.

Nemesis took a deep breath. “So be it. The challenge holds. Step forward and defend your honor.”

Rory raised his arms and a half-circle of blue flames spread out from behind him, separating him from Take and Anaba. “Two have entered.”

Nick raised his arms and green flames spread out behind him, completing the circle, leaving the two of them alone within the ring of flames. “One will leave.”

The flames ran together, causing the circle to burn an incandescent white.

Dropping his arms, Nick raised his eyes to Rory’s. “I’m sorry I got you into this, Rory.”

“I know you are, Nick. I had hoped it wouldn’t go this far.”

“Will you do me a favor?”