“What are you?” he asked, feeling numb.
A series of his own memories reflected back on him, showing the moment when Scott began to include him in his social circle, the day he finally figured out what he had been doing wrong with Ana’s dancing lessons and heard her laugh out loud for the first time, the night that Nick had taken him out for dinner and given him a gift of a handmade wooden frame for him to hang his college degree. He felt the echo of his own emotions from those moments wash over him, and then he understood.
Friend.
The presence bathed him in a sense of approval and then withdrew from the link behind its shield. Jeremy was left alone in his head, staring at the other mind hovering in front of him, inviolate. Then, he backed away. He retreated entirely from Layla’s body, opening his eyes to see the others standing over him in concern.
Rory grasped his hand to help him up. “Are you all right? You just shuddered and collapsed. I could tell you were engaged in a psychic connection, but I couldn’t reach you.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Jeremy. He looked at Layla. “You were right. Your mind is altered, but not by an intrusion.”
Layla frowned. “What then?”
“You’re pregnant, Layla.”
CHAPTER 6
New York City; The next day
Faith Jameson walked up to the nurse’s station. “The paging operator said I had a visitor.”
“Yes, Doctor,” the nurse said, pointing to the waiting room. “He’s in there.”
Faith walked to the door of the other room and gasped when she saw Toby standing there, signing autographs.
He looked up and smiled at her, then turned to the rest of the women in the waiting room. “Ladies, if you will excuse me. I wanted to visit with my sister for a bit.”
Faith swallowed when twenty pairs of eyes swung around stare at her.
“Dr. J…” one young woman said in awe, “you never mentioned that you were related to the Jameson brothers.”
Faith sighed. “It never came up.” She grabbed Toby by the arm, dragging him out of the room. “Could you come with me, Toby?”
Toby allowed himself to be pulled along until Faith pushed him through the door marked with a sign reading “Doctor’s Lounge.” She followed him through the door and scowled as she pulled it closed behind her. “Damn it, Toby! Where do you get off coming to my place of work and embarrassing me like that?”
Toby blinked. “I’m sorry, Sis. I just came by to see you, and they made me wait there. A bunch of people recognized me. I was just trying to be polite.”
“Polite?” She fell into a chair and laid her head in her hands. “Over two years, Toby. Two years since Nick turned the whole world upside down, and now you traipse into my life and say ‘Hello’? Do you have any idea how fast word of this will spread? All I wanted was to do my job—without being tarred by your celebrity, even before you became a Sentinel. Now everyone will know you’re my brother, and they’ll be clamoring for the chance to have me tend to them, just so they can get closer to you. Do you have any idea how much work you’ve just thrown my way?”
Toby swallowed in chagrin. “Oh, God, Faith, I didn’t mean it like that. Honest. I … I’m sorry. Look, maybe I should just go.”
She slumped in her chair. “No, I’m sorry. If I didn’t want you to come by the hospital, I should have said so.” She regarded him thoughtfully. “So what brings you to New York, little brother? Armistice business?”
“No, I just wanted to see you. I thought maybe we could talk.”
“Talk?” She raised her eyebrows sardonically. “You mean like the monthly phone call I get from you and Nick—when you can tear yourselves away from the supernatural long enough to remember you have a family?”
Toby’s face reddened. “We’re not that bad.”
She laughed. “Of course, you are. You’re both exactly that bad. If I hadn’t been invited to Nick’s wedding, I probably wouldn’t have seen either of you again until Christmas.” She leaned forward expectantly. “So tell me. What is it that you want?”
Toby met her eyes momentarily and then dropped his gaze. “I thought maybe I could get some advice.”
She stared at him. “You want my advice? Tobias, we barely live on the same planet anymore. What could I possibly advise you about?”
Toby didn’t look up. “I made you a promise once, back when I was a kid.”
She watched him carefully, noting his obvious discomfort, and tried to soften her tone. “What promise?”
He glanced at her hesitantly. “I promised you that if I ever met someone special, you wouldn’t hear about it from anyone else but me.”
Her jaw dropped.
He rolled his eyes and waited.
She closed her mouth. “You met someone special? You?”
“I’m not a complete slut, Faith.”
She shook herself. “No, of course you’re not. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so surprised.” She laughed. “Hell, if Nick can settle down with a guy, then you’re certainly entitled to a girlfriend.” Then she hesitated. “Um, it is a girl, right?”
Toby rubbed wearily at his eyes. “Yes, she’s a girl.”
“So tell me about her. What kind of woman finally snagged my little brother’s heart?”
“Her name’s Layla, and I … I’m not sure it’s as serious as all that. We just had fun together.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Had? Past tense?”
“We kind of had an argument and broke up,” Toby said sheepishly.
“What kind of argument?”
“It’s complicated.”
“So summarize.”
Toby hesitated. “She gave me a birthday present that I didn’t like.”
She sat back and frowned. “That doesn’t sound like anything bad enough to warrant a break-up. Hell, I didn’t even send you a card.”
“She gave me a magical artifact that she stole from someone that she mind-raped and murdered.”
She just stared at him for a long moment. “Does that kind of thing happen a lot in the Armistice?”
“Only when you’re dating a vampire.”
“I see.” Faith shifted in her seat, at a loss for something to say. “Why would she do something like that?”
“They were at war. Killing each other was the most natural thing in the world back then.”
She shook her head. “No, I mean, why would she give you a gift with that kind of history?”
“Oh.” Toby reached up and pulled the gold cross into view above his shirt collar. “It’s a protective charm. She wanted me to be safe.”
“It’s beautiful.” She ran her fingertips over the charm. “Is there a reason she thought you needed to be safe?”
“Um, I can’t tell you that, Faith. It’s classified.”
She let her hand drop. “So you’re dating a vampire named Layla, who has good taste and bad manners. Don’t vampires always go by a House name, as well?”
“Layla Magister Curallorn.”
Her eyes widened. “Nemesis? You’re dating Nemesis? Isn’t she thousands of years old?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?”
Toby crossed his arms and regarded her with a defiant expression. “Not really.”
Faith sat back in her chair and regarded her brother soberly. “Are you asking me for my blessing, Tobias?”
He swallowed nervously. “Yeah, kind of.”
She considered her words carefully. “Let me be honest, Toby. I’m amazed at how bad a match you’ve made. I don’t know her, but I know you, and I think you’re only with her for the challenge. You will never be equals, never be partners, and it’s a waste of time to even try.”
Toby got slowly to his feet, gazing down at her with cold fury. “Thanks, Sis. I appreciate your honesty.”
“Toby,” she said, “I only want you to be happy.”
“I know, Faith,” he said, his face twisted in anger. “But that doesn’t make it any bet
ter.” He straightened and turned away. “I’ll see you later.” Then he spoke quietly to his AI and disappeared in a haze of white light.
CHAPTER 7
Anchorpoint City, Colorado
“How is this even possible?” asked Nick. He faced Jeremy, who sat on the couch of their apartment next to Rory and Take. “Are you sure?”
Jeremy nodded. “Absolutely. Its mind is only partially aware, but it’s definitely a Fourth Order telepath.”
Nick looked at Layla, pacing in the open area of the living room. Behind her, Scott and Ana leaned against the wall on either side of the door, continuously broadcasting a composite ward around the room to prevent entry or eavesdropping. “Then it must have something to do with the Grace. Nightwalkers aren’t fertile, so something changed when you entered the third life.”
“Clearly,” Layla said, grinding her teeth. She looked at Rory. “Did the angel mention this at all?”
“No, but you said it yourself, they aren’t fond of sharing details.”
“Details?!” she shouted. “You think this is a detail?”
“Calm down, Layla,” Rory said in a placating tone.
“I will not calm down!” she screamed. “I will not be a guinea pig for the White Wind! Whatever their plans for this child, I am not a part of them—do you understand?”
“She’s right,” said Takeshi. “We need to know what we’re dealing with, and only the higher powers understand what is going on.” He looked at Rory. “Is there any way to contact them?”
Rory shrugged. “The only way is through the Pact Arcanum. It took Jiao-long ten thousand years of trial and error to recreate the sciences that allowed for construction of the binding chalice, but I retain the knowledge of his final work. I can make another one, if necessary.”
“You’ve already invoked the Pact Arcanum once, Rory,” said Nick. “You can’t do it again, but I can request an audience if you build me the tools.”
“No,” Layla said, her eyes flashing red. “They are meddling with my life. I should be the one to speak to them.”
“We don’t know what effect the ritual will have on the child, Layla,” Nick said. “For the traveling spell to work, you have to be near death. You can’t risk it.”
Layla sighed and addressed Rory. “How long will it take?”
Rory shrugged. “A few weeks, maybe, if I work non-stop and get it right the first time. It’s complex and has to be absolutely perfect. I might have to make several attempts.”
Scott looked at Nick. “What do we tell Toby?”
Layla growled in a low rumble. “Nothing.”
“Layla, I know the two of you are having problems, but he deserves to know,” Scott said.
“No,” said Layla. “He is not ready to be a father, let alone the father of such an extraordinary child.”
“Layla,” Ana said gently, trying to be diplomatic, “do you honestly think you can hide this? He’s going to find out eventually. Don’t you think that you should be the one to tell him?”
Layla stood still in the center of the room. “Very well,” she said in a subdued voice. “I will tell him, but only after Nicholas addresses the higher powers on my behalf. Tobias should have all the answers before him when he learns of this.”
“Until then, we have to keep this quiet,” Take said. “We’ll send Toby on his assignment early, and then we’ll move ahead with the ritual. Hopefully, we’ll have some concrete data by the time he gets back.”
“We should see what we can learn about the baby by conventional means, as well,” Jeremy suggested.
“No Armistice doctor will be able to keep this under wraps, Jer,” Rory said. “It’s too unprecedented.”
“Then we’ll use a human doctor,” Nick said, with a hint of a smile.
Layla turned to face him. “Do you have someone in mind?”
“Yes,” Nick’s smile widened. “You’re family now. It’s time you met the rest of them.”
Oxford, England; The next morning
Andrea answered the door to find Toby on the other side. “Toby,” she said with raised eyebrows, “this is a surprise.”
Toby grinned at her. “You said I had a standing invitation.”
“So I did.” She smiled and held the door farther open for him to pass by. “Come in.”
Toby walked into the apartment, looking around casually to map out the entry points and lines of attack. Her place was small but neat. The walls were painted a restful light blue, and the furniture was well used. It looked like a home, not just a place to crash after school.
“Nice digs.”
Andrea closed the door behind him. “Thank you. I spend a lot of time here, so I try to make it comfortable.” She followed him into the main room. “Please, sit down and tell me what I can do for you.”
Toby took a seat on the couch. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”
She sat in a chair across from him. “Why don’t you start with what’s really going on?”
Toby scrunched his eyebrows. “Meaning what?”
“I am not stupid. My father and your brother had that secret meeting after the funeral. Now suddenly I have a Sentinel bodyguard. Don’t tell me that’s a coincidence.”
Toby leaned back into the couch and spread his arms out to either side. “You’re right, it’s not a coincidence. But your father made it clear that we weren’t to discuss it with you.”
She folded her arms and glared at him. “You’re here at my invitation, Toby, not my father’s. I expect you to be honest with me.”
“Andrea, I’m sorry, but I can’t discuss it.” He pondered what he could say without violating his orders. “All I can tell you is that your father asked us to put some stronger protection around you than humans could provide.”
“Protection.” She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Is that why you’re here? To protect me?”
Toby met her gaze directly. “That’s part of the reason.”
“And the other part?”
Toby shrugged. “My life got complicated, and I needed a change of scene. You said I could visit, so here I am.”
She considered that. “Fair enough.” She got up and walked into the kitchen. “Do you like tea? You can’t get away from it around here. I was just about to make some when you knocked.”
“Sure.”
She came back with a tea service and two cups. After she poured the tea, she sat back, and they sipped at the hot drink. “So how is your life complicated?”
Toby broke off a piece of biscuit and chuckled. “You don’t want to hear about the soap opera that is my world, Andrea.”
“Try me,” she said with a smirk.
Toby looked at her more closely to see if she was joking. “Seriously?”
“Sure. The Armistice interests me. What goes on behind closed doors?”
“All right.” Toby took another a sip of his tea and ordered his thoughts. “It started at Nick’s wedding…”
New York City
Faith came back to her office and closed the door behind her. She silently regarded Nick and Layla for a long moment. “Somehow, I’m not surprised. What can I do for you, Nicholas?”
“We hoped you could help us,” Nick explained.
She frowned. “Couldn’t you at least pretend you didn’t have ulterior motives in coming to see me?”
Nick pursed his lips in mock confusion. “Would that make you respect me more, or less?”
She laughed and came forward to wrap him in a hug. “Don’t ever change.”
Nick embraced her. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you as often as I should, Faith.”
“You’re busy being a head of state.” She let go and walked around the desk to sit down. “I’m just a doctor, and look how much free time I have.”
Nick sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and motioned Layla to take a seat in the other. “That’s what we’re here about, actually. We need your professional opinion about something.”
She raised
her eyebrows. “Nick, I’m an OB/GYN. How could I possibly help you professionally?”
“Dr. Jameson,” said Layla, “I realize we have not met formally since the wedding, but I have a problem that may lend itself to your expertise.”
She looked at Layla with an unreadable expression. “What kind of problem, Speaker Layla?”
“Are you aware that your younger brother and I were in a relationship?” Layla asked as she interlaced her fingers.
“Yes,” Faith replied. “He came by yesterday and told me. He said you broke up. And he told me why.”
“Indeed.” Layla steeled her composure at the obvious challenge. “I have since discovered that I am pregnant.”
Faith gave her a long, measuring look. Then she frowned at Nick. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Nick shook his head. “Nope. We’re still trying to figure out how it happened.”
“In the usual way, I imagine,” said Faith. She looked at Layla. “Didn’t the two of you take precautions?”
“No. There was no need,” Layla said. “We are immune to disease, and no vampire mating has been fertile in recorded history.”
Faith narrowed her eyes. “But it wasn’t a vampire mating, was it? It was a vampire/Sentinel mating. Have there been many of those since the start of the Armistice?”
Layla looked at her thoughtfully. “No. There is too much prejudice on either side. Matings between vampires and humans, or Sentinels and humans, are not uncommon, but to the best of my knowledge, there are only three vampire/Sentinel unions in the Armistice. Nicholas and Jeremy, Sean and Takeshi, are the only other cross-species metahuman mates that I know of.”
“What are you thinking, Faith?” Nick asked.
Faith looked at him. “You once said that Daywalkers can’t create new scions. Maybe they were just going about it the wrong way.”
“Be that as it may,” Layla said impatiently. “We wish to know what we can expect from this event, based on human experience.”
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