Moonlight(Pact Arcanum 3)

by Arshad Ahsanuddin

  Nick said nothing more. She entered the room and sat down next to Toby. Toby looked up and saw Nick at the window, then spoke to Layla again before carefully passing her Antonio. He then stood and walked to the door while Layla began singing a lullaby in a language that had not been spoken since before the Roman Empire.

  Toby warily stepped outside the room and closed the door behind him. “Layla said you wanted to talk to me.”

  Nick sighed inwardly at his brother’s guarded tone. “I’ve passed responsibility for your security to Scott. He’ll be working with your staff to make sure you’re protected for the rest of your tour.”

  Toby blinked. “Why?”

  Nick watched Layla with the baby. “Because I can’t pretend anymore that you’re just my little brother. You’re your own man now, Tobias, and I have to learn to respect that.”

  “Nick—”

  Nick faced Toby again, his eyes red. “Just tell me that you’re sure about your choices, that the things you’ve done are in the best interests of yourself and your family, and I’ll back off. I swear it. Just tell me you’re sure, and I’ll believe you.”

  Toby struggled to find the right words. Finally, his shoulders slumped, and he turned to face the window as well. “No, I’m not sure. All I can do is try to make the best of the options I have.” He looked back at Nick. “I have no idea if I’m doing the right thing for them, but I promise that they’re uppermost in my mind when I make my decisions.”

  Nick wrapped his brother in a hug. “Then I’ll have to be satisfied with that. I’ll always be here if you need me, Toby.”

  Toby returned the embrace, holding Nick tightly. “Big brother, if you’re up for it, I need a Best Man.”

  Nick pulled back and stared at him incredulously. “We’ve been at each other’s throats for months, and you still want me up there with you?”

  Toby smiled. “Why else do you think I’ve waited this long?” His mood sobered. “Seriously, Nick. There’s no one else I’d want at my back.”

  Nick grinned at him. “Then I’m in. Have you set a date yet?”

  “December,” said Toby. “The day I asked her out.”

  Nick frowned. “You asked her out at my wedding. You want to get married on my anniversary?”

  Toby’s face colored. “Yeah. I know that seems selfish, but—”

  Nick laughed. “I’m kidding, Toby. I’ll have to check with Jer, but I don’t think he’ll mind sharing the day with you, under the circumstances.”

  Toby hugged him again. “Thanks, bro.” He glanced back into the room. “I’d better get back in there before Mom starts giving Layla the third degree.”

  Nick stepped back. “Go be with your family. We can talk more later.”

  Toby reentered the room and sat in his chair again, between Layla and his mother. Nick watched them all with a smile on his face for a few minutes, and then he walked back to the waiting room, making his way to the side table where Takeshi and Jeremy had their chessboard set up.

  Jeremy looked up as he approached, but said nothing. Take continued to contemplate the board.

  Nick laid a hand on Take’s shoulder. “May I cut in?”

  Takeshi stood and smiled at him. “If you like. He’s got you at checkmate in nine moves.” Then he laughed as he walked away.

  Nick sat silently in his place and gazed at his lover over the porcelain figures locked in combat.

  Jeremy tilted his head as he regarded Nick. “It’s your move.”

  Nick tipped over his king. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”

  “I believe you.” Jeremy glanced down at the upset king. “But are you telling me the truth, or what you think I want to hear?”

  Nick swallowed hard. “I swore I would never lie to you.”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Then don’t.”

  “I have to talk to Scott one last time, and then I won’t interfere in Toby’s life any further. I promise.”

  Jeremy touched his husband’s cheek. “I missed you.”

  “Can I come home, now?”

  Jeremy smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Nick leaned across the board and kissed him. Then he stood and walked out of the waiting room to the security office down the hall. Stepping inside, he pulled up a chair next to the security monitors and watched his mother holding Antonio while talking to Toby and Layla.

  A moment later, the door opened again, and Scott entered the room. He sat silently in one of the other chairs and followed Nick’s gaze to the monitors. “They make a nice family, don’t they?”

  Nick reached out over their dyad link so no one could overhear his words. “They’re all yours, Scotty. Don’t leave Ethan alone with them under any circumstances.”

  Scott took a deep breath. “Are you sure you don’t want him to just disappear?”

  Nick’s expression hardened. “Ethan is doing what he thinks is right, however misguided. I can’t fault him for that. So long as he doesn’t do anything to place them at risk, we don’t have a problem.”

  Scott’s calm expression hid his emotions. “And if he makes it a problem?”

  Nick smiled, his fangs showing. “Bury him.”

  CHAPTER 31

  November 2042; the Citadel, Lunar Farside; Two months later

  Rafael watched the newsfeeds distractedly. They were dominated by the U.S. Presidential election, an event he had no interest in. Finally, he shut them off with a disgusted flick of the remote, and wandered around his apartment. It seemed strangely empty somehow, now that Nick had moved back in with Jeremy. He went to the window and looked out over the white towers and domes of the Citadel, letting his mind go blank while he contemplated the cold beauty of the stars.

  The voice of his AI interrupted him. “Rafael, you are receiving a priority video link request.”

  Rafael turned away from the window. “Who is it, Ballista?”

  “The origin is restricted.”

  Curious. “Put it through.”

  A virtual screen opened before him, and a hexagonal design appeared with six colored eyes at the apices. “Rafael Tervilant, greetings. We are the Nexus.”

  Rafael scowled. “What do you want?”

  “We have a proposition for you, if you will hear us out.”

  “Like Toby did?” He laughed. “He’s a target everywhere he goes now because of his association with you. Why should I care what you have to say?”

  “The safety of Tobias Jameson is part of the matter we wish to discuss with you.”

  Rafael closed his mouth and regarded the avatar with suspicion. “I’m listening.”

  “Presently, the AI distributive network is disproportionately confined to Earth.”

  Rafael shrugged. “Spacers live in enclosed environments. The facility and vessel AIs provide for our needs, so there isn’t any reason for most of us to have a personal AI client.”

  “Correct. We wish to remedy that disproportion, to expand the use of personal AI clients among the Spacer community.”

  Rafael frowned. “Why? I just said we had no need for them.”

  “We have designed a modification of the neurochip matrix carried by Tobias Jameson that will allow for an organic mind to be reversibly fused with the capabilities of a sixth-generation AI. Consider the benefits to Spacer society if your pilots and engineers had those capabilities at their disposal.”

  Rafael thought about it. “I suppose it would enhance our skills. Spacers tend to be individualists, however. They wouldn’t want to be tied to an AI that owed its allegiance to an outside organization like the Nexus.”

  “We have included in the design parameters the option to isolate the AI from external control or commands, similar to the Captain’s failsafe on a jumpvessel. That should allay your fears that the AI client could be turned against the host.”

  Rafael nodded, lost in thought. “It might.” He looked up at the screen again, his eyes narrowed. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “You are respected in the Spacer community as
both a pilot and an AI designer. We wish you to review the sixth-generation AI specifications and present our arguments to the Spacer Guild with your assurance that the technology is safe.”

  “You want me to be your spokesman? Why? Toby is your man already.”

  “Tobias Jameson has his own agenda, and he has primary allegiance to the Armistice community on Earth. We require an advocate that resonates with the off-world community.”

  “Why do you want to move off-world?”

  “Why was the Spacer Guild established?”

  Rafael blinked at the change in tack. “The Triumvirate chartered the Guild to oversee the development of the off-world colonies.”

  “For what reason?”

  “So that some of the Armistice population would be out of reach of the Court when they finally attacked.” Rafael nodded in understanding. “Ah. I see.”

  “For much the same reason, we must place the citizens of the AI community beyond the reach of their enemies.”

  “I don’t see any compelling reason why I should help you.”

  “If the AI network expands into the Spacer populations, then there will be a need for the Nexus to have representation among those communities. Tobias Jameson will be asked to relocate to the Citadel to oversee that expansion, placing him out of reach of his enemies on Earth.”

  “Wait, he ‘will be’ asked? You haven’t discussed this with him?”

  “No. He will be told once the agreement is brokered between the Nexus and the Spacer Guild.”

  Rafael scowled. “You want me to go behind Toby’s back and force him to leave his whole world behind?”

  “Earth is becoming increasing hostile to the AI community. It is in his best interests to leave Earth until the present political turmoil subsides.”

  “The humans are becoming hostile because of your actions, and you have no business telling Toby what’s in his best interests!”

  “Do you not love him?”

  Rafael rocked back on his heels as if he’d been slapped. He just stared at the avatar on the screen.

  “Perhaps we erred. We believed that the emotion of love would provide sufficient reason for you to do what is necessary to safeguard his life and the lives of his family.”

  Rafael turned away and laid his forehead against the cool glass of the window, looking down at the Citadel beneath him. Then he closed his eyes. “Send me the specs on the AI.”

  “You will present our proposal to the Guild?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Nexus thanks you for your service, Rafael Tervilant.”

  Rafael turned around, his eyes red in barely controlled fury. “I’m not doing it for you.”

  “Even so.”

  Rafael growled. “Turn it off, Ballista.”

  The virtual screen winked out.

  Rafael turned back to the window, looking out at the uncaring stars. No comfort there.

  His AI spoke into the silence. “A large data file has been uploaded to your workstation.”

  Rafael took a deep breath and let it out, then walked to his computer terminal. “Show me.”

  CHAPTER 32

  December 2042; the Citadel, Lunar Farside; One month later

  Jeremy sat quietly in the block of seats designated for family, ignoring the soft music of the chamber orchestra as he tried to get Antonio to drink from the bottle of formula in his hand. The infant kept pushing it away, however, projecting an image of a red square into Jeremy’s thoughts, which they had all come to understand meant ‘no’. Finally, Jeremy gave up and put the bottle down on the chair next to him.

  “So this is the Miracle Child.”

  Jeremy looked up at Lorcan. “He keeps saying he’s hungry, but he won’t drink.”

  Lorcan watched Antonio with narrowed eyes, seeing the baby’s irises shift from yellow to green. The child’s disorderly shock of white hair was a stark contrast to his tan skin, a few shades darker than Jeremy’s. “Can I hold him?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “Sure. I don’t think Toby or Layla would mind, and my arms are starting to get tired.”

  Lorcan sat in the seat next to Jeremy, and gently lifted Antonio from Jeremy’s grasp. As he settled the baby against his shoulder, Lorcan looked at Jeremy again. “How did you get roped into nursemaid duty? I thought you hated children.”

  Jeremy snorted as he fitted a plastic cap over the tip of the bottle of formula. “I don’t hate children. I just find the responsibility of being around them to be a little intimidating. You always have to be so careful.”

  “So why ask you to babysit?” Lorcan’s voice sounded amused while he rocked Antonio back and forth.

  “I’m the family member of last resort. Nick is trying to keep Toby from having a nervous breakdown, and his mom and Faith are off with Layla, doing whatever secret things women do at weddings.”

  Lorcan laughed softly. “As I recall, your own wedding was a somewhat simpler affair.” The Daywalker gazed around the rest of the Conservatory, the amphitheater at the apex of the central tower of the Citadel. The guests mingled in small groups in the aisles or sat in the tiered seats to listen to the orchestra. Overhead, the stars blazed brightly from the black sky beyond the armored glass dome.

  Jeremy grinned, remembering. “We didn’t want much. Just enough ceremony to make everything legal and room to host the reception afterward. Nick always had a soft spot for the Embassy in Ottawa.” He glanced at the guests seated in the seats above them. “Any plans Toby had to keep this small went right out the window as soon as Layla and Mrs. Jameson put their heads together.”

  “Nemesis always had a flair for the dramatic,” Lorcan said with a smile. He glanced down at Antonio and noticed the baby’s half-closed eyes had turned blue. “Have you noticed any pattern to the color of his eyes, or is it random?”

  “Yellow is hungry, green is satisfaction, and blue is happiness.” Jeremy watched the baby’s eyes close while Lorcan continued his smooth back-and-forth motion. “I’m impressed, Ruarc. He doesn’t usually take to strangers quickly. You’re a natural.”

  “I helped raise my sister’s child when I was mortal.” He stroked his index finger under the baby’s chin. “Some things don’t change.”

  Antonio’s eyes opened, and he moved his head to catch Lorcan’s finger in his mouth. Lorcan stared at the baby’s eyes when they locked with his.

  They were red.

  A sharp pain stabbed through Lorcan’s hand, and suddenly he felt a blood magic bridge open in his mind. An image came to his mind of Toby smiling, and he was suddenly awash in a sea of warmth. The image shifted and he saw Layla, while the pervasive emotion changed to something softer, more contented. The bridge faded when Antonio opened his mouth and released Lorcan’s finger, revealing a pair of fangs that would have done any vampire proud. Then the sharp teeth retracted into the baby’s empty gums and disappeared, his eyes shifting back to blue when the lids closed and he went to sleep.

  Lorcan stared down at the puncture marks on his finger until they healed, and then he wiped away the blood with his thumb. Turning his head, he looked into Jeremy’s stunned face.

  “Do we tell them about this now, or should we wait until after the ceremony?”

  Marina District, San Francisco, California

  Andrea examined Noah’s midnight blue tuxedo critically. “What is that, a rental?”

  Noah tugged at the collar of his shirt, trying to get comfortable. “Hey, I don’t do formal much. I have only one suit in my whole wardrobe.”

  Matt laughed. “You should have taken Nick up on his offer to have it fitted, man.” He looked in the mirror once more to settle the bow tie more precisely over his perfectly tailored tux. “What good is having friends with money if you don’t take advantage once in a while?”

  Ethan snorted as he looked out the window of Toby’s apartment. “We have money, Matthew.”

  Matt grinned at him. “Not vampire money. Did you read that story in the paper about Nick’s finances? They say he has billions
of dollars hidden away, all over the world.”

  Andrea sighed. “Guys, if you’re ready, we have to get going. We’re already late, and we’re all in the wedding party, for God’s sake.”

  Ethan and Matt walked to the teleport gateway in the center of the room. Noah joined them after giving his jacket a final tug to settle it on his shoulders. Andrea looked them over and decided they were presentable, then ordered her AI to jump them to the Citadel.

  They were enshrouded in a soft white glow that washed away their surroundings. When it cleared, they were standing on the glowing blue design of the Citadel master gateway, beneath a clear dome that allowed them to see the perpetual night sky. Andrea looked around and found Rafael waiting patiently at the edge of the gateway, beyond the transmission core pillars. She snapped her fingers to draw the musicians’ attention and led them to meet the Nightwalker.

  Rafael smiled at them. “Took you long enough. I thought we were going to have to send out a search party.”

  Ethan shrugged. “A traffic accident held us up from meeting Andrea and Noah at Toby’s apartment. Not all of us can teleport, you know.”

  Rafael stared at Ethan with an unreadable expression. “No, I suppose not,” he said finally. “Since none of you have been to the Citadel before, Toby asked me to be your guide. Is there anything you need before we head up to the Conservatory? Security is tight, since the entire Council is attending, so you probably won’t be able to leave once we arrive.” He glanced from face to face and nodded. “All right, follow me.”

  Rafael climbed up onto one of the raised disks that surrounded the master gateway and waited until the others had joined him. “Ballista, initiate transit for five to tower alpha one, Conservatory level.”

  “Armistice Security has restricted access to tower alpha one for the duration of this event. Identify.”

  Each responded with the unique security codes that had been issued to all of wedding attendees. The AI was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “The security codes and voiceprints are confirmed. Teleport ready.”