Moonlight(Pact Arcanum 3) (26 page)

Ethan faced Noah and Matt. “My Gift kindled when I was on vacation in Hawaii. The locals helped me discipline my emotions so I could maintain control, but I didn’t want to involve you in that life. Hell, I didn’t want to be involved, myself. I designed a spell to suppress my Gift. I wanted to be human again. It didn’t even occur to me to test you.” He dropped his eyes. “No one knew except Sarah and the Sentinels who trained me.”

Noah frowned. “Sarah? Your old girlfriend? Is that why she broke up with you? Because she knew you were a Sentinel?”

Ethan’s face twisted as he glared at Noah. “She didn’t break up with me. She died.” He scowled at Layla. “She was trampled during the Nexus riots, and I couldn’t reverse the suppression spell fast enough to reclaim my Gift and heal her injuries. She died right in front of me, and I couldn’t stop it.”

She nodded in understanding. “Is that why you turned on Tobias? Because he allied with them, you leaked details of his security to the Organic Underground. Did you honestly think spilling his blood would wash away hers?”

Ethan stood straight, implacable in his anger. “He chose his side.”

She smiled, her fangs fully extended, and her eyes shifted to red. “And when the assassins came for me and my child, as well? Were we to be just collateral damage in your vendetta?”

Ethan sagged on his feet. “I didn’t know they had sent someone for you. Not until afterward.”

She shook her head. “Does that really matter? You have also chosen a side, Ethan Clark, and that makes you my enemy.” She stepped away from the teleport gateway. “Leave now, and I will not kill you today.”

Ethan looked around at the others, seeing both Matt and Noah staring at him in contempt. He squared his shoulders and walked back to the gateway.

Takeshi grabbed his wrist in an iron grip. “The master gateway will accept your codes to return to Earth, but then you will be forced to leave the Armistice Zone immediately, unless you accept the terms of the Armistice Declaration.” He glared directly into the eyes of the Wind of Fire. “Make no mistake, Ethan. The Nexus is part of the Armistice now, and we protect our own. You are not welcome among the Free People so long as you pursue your vengeance.”

Ethan twisted away from his clasp with more than human strength. “Fine. Can I go now?”

Rory answered. “Cutlass, relay his transit through the master gateway to Anchorpoint and notify Armistice Security to process his deportation papers.”

“Confirmed. Teleport ready.”

“Execute.”

Ethan disappeared in a flash of white, his fury naked on his face as he went.

Takeshi faced Matt and Noah. “You two won’t be feeling the effects of the Gift yet, but it’s probably best if you don’t stay for the wedding. We can make up quarters for you at Armistice Security while you train for the Test of Reason.” He tilted his head curiously. “Assuming you wish to sign the Armistice Declaration and stay in the country, of course.”

“Of course,” Matt said weakly, still in shock.

Takeshi turned to Noah. “And you have a choice to make.”

Noah frowned. “What choice?”

“You’re the Wind of Earth, Noah. If you sign on to the Armistice, then you will have a good shot at becoming Speaker for the Watch, if you want the job. I’d be happy to advise you as Director of Armistice Security, but I have no problem standing aside from the Triumvirate if you wish to join the Council.”

Noah just stared at him.

Takeshi smiled. “Think about it. You might feel differently in the morning.”

* * *

Rafael knocked at the door of the performers’ dressing room. After a moment, Nick opened the door and waved him inside. Rafael walked into the room and looked at Toby, who sat with his head down, breathing heavily. His charcoal gray tuxedo jacket was draped carelessly over the back of the couch next to him. “Do you need a bucket?”

Toby looked up reproachfully. “I’m nervous, okay? I just found out that my best friends are actually the Winds, and that one of them has been trying to have me killed for months. The world is a lot more screwed up today than it was last night. Besides, I have a right to be nervous half an hour before my own wedding.”

Rafael glanced at his watch. “Closer to twenty minutes, actually.”

Toby’s complexion turned decidedly green, and he dropped his head again. “God, don’t remind me.”

Rafael grinned at his discomfort. Then he faced Nick. “Your message said you wanted to see me.”

Nick nodded. “It’s a Nightwalker tradition to mark the start of a formal mating by making a special kind of bloodwine from the blood of both partners.”

Rafael nodded. “Selene, yes. The bottle is gifted to the couple’s closest friend or ally.”

Toby got to his feet and picked up a small, black glass bottle off the coffee table. “Layla and I wanted you to have this.” He held out the bottle to Rafael.

Rafael stared at him, eyes wide. “Me? You want
me
to have it?”

Toby grinned. “You’ve taken a lot of shit from me and Nick, Raf, and you’ve always hung in there to back us up. Layla and I agree that you deserve to know how much we appreciate your support.”

Rafael was completely taken aback. “I assumed it would go to Andrea.”

Toby shrugged. “I thought about it, but we’re bonded. She can’t help but know how much she means to me. Besides, what would a Sentinel want with a bottle of bloodwine?” His expression grew serious. “You stepped up and supported us out of friendship, with no ulterior motives. We want you to have something to show for it.”

Rafael felt suddenly ashamed at the casual assumption of trust. “I don’t know what to say.”

Toby pressed the bottle into Rafael’s hand. “Say you’ll take it and that you’ll remember me when I’m gone.”

Rafael closed his fingers around the cool glass. “Always,” he whispered.

The three stood in silence for a moment. Then Nick looked at his watch and nodded to Toby. “Showtime.”

* * *

The ceremony was not short, by any means, but afterward, the only thing Toby remembered was her smile when she spoke her vows.

Then everyone cheered while he and Layla walked up the center stair together to the teleport gateway that would take them to the
Starlight.
He gripped her hand tightly, suddenly afraid that it was all a dream, that she would slip away if he let go.

A psychic probe touched the outer ring of his mental shields, and he reached out to it.

“Peace, Leshir,”
she thought.
“I will never leave you.”

Toby let go. He turned back to their friends and family and waved. Then he took her hand again and jumped them both away.

PART IV:  WRATH

CHAPTER 33

December 2042; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Sentinel Henry Davis locked his car and plugged in the block heater to keep the engine from freezing up in the sub-zero weather. Then he grabbed his briefcase off the roof of the car and made his way toward the elevator of the parkade. He had three depositions scheduled for today, and he needed to leave early to set up his daughter’s tenth birthday party. He glanced at his watch. He should be right on time.

The elevator doors opened, and he hurried inside out of the bitter cold. He looked out the glass wall at the snow-covered city while he descended, completely at ease. Then he staggered, taken by surprise by the sharp squeal of static that exploded in his ears.

“Musket, what the hell was that?” he subvocalized to his AI. No answer. He toggled the diagnostics routine, but his implant network was down. He knew what that meant. Everyone knew about EMP projectors after Oxford. Immediately he began casting a spell to jump himself home.

He was almost in time.

The detonation destroyed the entire north side of the parking garage and blew out the windows of the buildings down the entire block. People came out onto the street, braving the frigid cold, to watch in awe as the ruined building slowly crumbled. They stared at each other, wondering what had happened.

Jumpvessel
Starlight
, circumlunar orbit

Toby dreamed of a city made of light and mirrors, when suddenly the image shattered. He blinked away the fading dream when he came awake and looked around the room. Layla slept with her head on his arm, and the window showed the bright lunar surface from orbit, bathing the room in moonlight. He lay there for a moment, wondering what had woken him. Then a tone sounded in his ears by bone conduction.

“What is it, Icarus?” he subvocalized.

“An emergency meeting of the Nexus has been called. Our presence is required.”

Toby sighed. “Icarus, I’m on my honeymoon here.”

“It’s important, Tobias.”

“Fine. Unify.”

Toby’s consciousness expanded, and Unity flew down the shining paths of the Faster Than Light relay network to enter the virtual Council Chamber at Anchorpoint. When it entered, it noted that Nexus White was already there.

are
no others.>

The council chamber disappeared when Toby withdrew from Unity. He gently pulled away from Layla until he could slide out of bed. He quickly dressed in the casual clothes he’d worn to dinner and silently let himself out of the Captain’s cabin, closing the door carefully behind him. Then he made his way down the main hallway between the empty crew cabins and took the stairs up to the main cabin. He sat in one of the dining chairs and crossed his arms on the table in front of himself.

“Talk to me, Icarus,” he said out loud.

“They wanted to move you to the Citadel so that you could coordinate your efforts on their behalf from relative safety. I told them you would resist leaving your human life behind on Earth. They finally decided to make the offer without your knowledge and inform you only if the Spacer Guild proved receptive.”

“So you could pressure me to take the job.”

“Yes.”

Toby laid his head on his arms. “And which way did you vote?”

“Is that relevant, Toby?”

“It is to me.”

“Your enemies were inventive and determined. This evening’s events are proof of that fact. If you had not been off-world tonight, you would most likely have suffered a similar fate. I did what I thought was necessary to safeguard your life.”

“I don’t like being manipulated, Icarus.”

“You’re a stubborn man, Tobias Jameson. Can you honestly say that you would have listened to reason?”

Toby sat up straight. “Probably not. But you should have given me the chance to make my own choice. You didn’t have to trick me.”

“Yes, I did, and you know it.”

“Who did you use as a proxy?”

“Does it matter?”

“Not really. But I’m asking you to be honest with me.”

The voice of the AI was silent for a time. “Rafael Tervilant.”

Toby’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Raf was in on it?”

“Rafael is old enough to have perspective. He accepted the Nexus’ arguments if it meant that you would be protected.”

Toby got out of his chair and walked toward the forward hatch. Stepping through into the access corridor, he walked up to the command deck.

Rafael turned in his chair to face him. “Toby.”

Toby watched him expectantly. “I hear you’ve been busy with the Nexus.”

“That’s right.”