Starlight(Pact Arcanum 4)

by Arshad Ahsanuddin

  She hesitated before the vista, and then felt Revenant’s hand in hers. She turned her head and saw the AI smiling at her. She faced the new world, and steeled her will.

  Then the two of them stepped through the door, side by side.

  PART V: VANISHING POINT

  CHAPTER 45

  January 2143; High Council Chamber, Armistice Security Headquarters, Anchorpoint City, Colorado

  The High Council was seated around the conference table, joined by Nick and Antonio. “The key is the bloodwine repository at the Council Chamber Complex,” said Ghian. “As we destroyed the stockpiles at the rest of Vladimir’s strongholds, his forces became dependent on human feedings, a food supply that is rapidly dwindling as the vaccine is more widely distributed. While the central stockpile remains protected, however, he can still resupply his forces in the field, at least for a time.”

  “It’s unfortunate that Lorcan was unsuccessful in destroying the central stockpile,” said Amaterasu. “So many factors could have been different. The war might already be over.”

  Ghian avoided Nick’s glare. “William was a very effective saboteur. Who knows what other damage he’s done?”

  “We need to find a way to eliminate the central depot,” said Antonio. “For that, we need to get inside the complex. Any ideas?”

  “Our intelligence is limited since the Daywalker purge,” said Marcus, still Speaker for the Damned, though he was now a Daywalker. Facing the inevitable, the Armistice population of Nightwalkers had started lining up in droves to be touched by the Grace. Rory hadn’t budged from Icehaven in weeks, trying to convert them all before the Harbinger taint reached the environment of North America. “We know they have warded the Complex against Sigils of Purification. We cannot attack directly through the catacombs, as they have their forces deployed at strategic locations along the entry corridors, with more troops on call at remote strongholds through their teleport relay network.”

  “What about the relay network? Can we use it to teleport our troops inside the complex?” asked Antonio.

  “The Court’s teleport relay network is more brute force than ours, so there isn’t enough of an automated operating system to hack in effectively,” said Nick. “The Council Chamber Complex itself is only accessible from specific gateway locations, usually located in the seats of the Greater Houses.”

  Antonio scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Still, if we could take one of the House seats, we would be able to walk right into the complex. If the Court network is that hardwired, they’d have a great deal of difficulty cutting off access before we could force an entry.”

  Ghian nodded in approval. “Good point. Any candidate targets?”

  “Rory and I have spent a great deal of time in the House Daviroquir and Diluthical strongholds over the years,” said Nick. “They couldn’t have changed the layout much in two months.”

  “The Redeemer cannot be risked,” said Marcus flatly.

  “Agreed,” said Amaterasu. “You and Sean will provide us with the details regarding the two bases, and Ghian will lead Armistice Security in their assault.”

  “There’s only so much you can put down on a map,” answered Nick. “If Rory can’t go, then I should, on at least one of the raids. It’s our best chance to find the gateways before they can destroy them.”

  “All right,” said Ghian. “You take House Daviroquir, and I’ll take House Diluthical. You and Brennigan draw up the maps and brief me as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the greater the likelihood that they’ll put protections in place that we haven’t thought of.”

  The meeting broke up shortly after that. Antonio used the teleport gateway to jump directly to the House Curallorn stronghold at Cahokia. He made his way down the underground halls to enter the private quarters attached to the Sanctum. Tossing his suit jacket over a chair, he flopped down on the bed. Please, God. Grant me just one hour of rest without a crisis.

  A soft tone interrupted him. “Who is it, Pathfinder?”

  “Rafael Primogenitor Curallorn,” answered his AI.

  Resigned, Antonio got to his feet and went to the front door of the main room. He opened it to find Rafael on the other side. “What is it, Raf?”

  Rafael looked troubled. “Tony, I need to talk to you.”

  “So talk.”

  “I need you to speak to Revenant.”

  Antonio frowned. “No.”

  “It’s important.”

  “How? It’s just another AI. Why should I talk to him?”

  “Is there any reason you shouldn’t?”

  Antonio scowled but said nothing.

  “Grow up, Tony. You can’t avoid him forever, and I think you really need to hear what he has to say.”

  “I can’t think of anything—”

  “It’s about your mother.”

  Antonio stood there with his mouth open, his train of thought lost. “What does Mother have to do with anything?”

  “Just talk to him, Tony. Trust me, please.”

  Antonio sighed. “All right, if you think it’s necessary.” He walked to the desk, where he typed a set of commands into his computer. Behind him, Rafael entered the room and closed the door. “Pathfinder, please contact Revenant, Rory’s AI. I’ve keyed my personal terminal to accept calls. It can talk to me here.”

  A moment later, the terminal chimed. Antonio tapped the control to accept an incoming transmission from the Icehaven Nexus Hub.

  Revenant’s holographic avatar appeared next to the desk. “Hello, Tony.”

  “That’s Antonio Magister Curallorn, Revenant. My mother may have accepted you into our House, but you are not family, as far as I’m concerned.”

  The AI tilted its head as it regarded Antonio. “May I ask why? I have done nothing to earn your enmity.”

  “You’re a walking presumption. Just because you have a connection to my father doesn’t mean that it’s enough for us to be buddies. Now, Raf said you had something to tell me about my mother.”

  Layla’s image appeared next to Revenant’s. “Hello, Antonio.”

  Antonio gaped at the apparition, then closed his mouth as he spun to face Revenant accusingly. “She recorded herself?”

  “Not exactly,” said Revenant. “I recorded her without her knowledge.”

  “You violated her mind?” yelled Antonio.

  “He offered me the choice of whether or not to continue my existence after I became self-aware,” said Layla. “I chose to exist.”

  Antonio threw up his hands and began to pace, muttering under his breath. The others simply waited.

  Finally, Antonio faced the projection of Layla. “You are not my mother.”

  “I don’t claim to be. But I am a part of what she was, and I wanted you to know that a portion of her lives on in me.” She sighed. “If you wish to sever contact, I will respect your wishes.”

  Antonio stared at her. “No, I don’t want to sever contact.” He took a deep breath, and looked at Revenant. “I guess that makes me a hypocrite.”

  Revenant shrugged. “You never had a relationship with Toby to salvage. It stands to reason that there might be more incentive to accept Nemesis than myself.”

  Antonio glanced back at Layla. “Nemesis? Is that what you’re calling yourself?”

  “I think ‘Layla’ would be inaccurate, so ‘Nemesis’ will do for the moment.”

  Antonio took another deep breath and exhaled slowly, thinking. “All right. Obviously, Nemesis has just as much right to membership in House Curallorn as Revenant, so consider it done. It will take me some time to get used to the idea, however, so I would appreciate you both giving me space to come to terms with your existence in this form.”

  “That seems reasonable,” said Nemesis. She glanced at Revenant before turning again to face Antonio. “Before we leave, I would like to ask a question, if you will allow it.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Revenant has told me of your actions in the wake of Layla’s death. It seems to have harde
ned your personality, for you to have poisoned the waters and then taken up the burden of rulership.”

  Antonio frowned. “I did what was necessary. Is there a question in there somewhere?”

  “Do you regret what you have become?”

  Antonio met her gaze. “That sounds like something my mother would have asked.”

  “We have a great deal in common, your mother and me.”

  “Which is the only reason I’m going to give you a straight answer.” Antonio turned away. “I have many regrets. I regret the wasted time, the wasted lives that the war has cost. The Grace said it was my destiny to usher in a new era of peace. If I have to make some personal sacrifices to bring that about, then that’s the way it will be.”

  Nemesis nodded. “Thank you, Antonio. If you wish to speak again, you can reach me through the Nexus Hub.”

  Antonio didn’t turn around to see the two avatars disappear. He tried to center his mind and calm himself, then tensed when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

  “That was well done, Tony,” said Rafael.

  Tony shrugged. “I just answered her question.”

  “You didn’t have to,” said Rafael. He kneaded Antonio’s shoulders gently. “It’s more than you’ve said to me in weeks.”

  Antonio turned his head to look at him. “I talk to you all the time.”

  “I’m your second-in-command, and you give orders. It’s not the same as talking.”

  Antonio sighed. “There’s so much that needs to be done. You and me, it’s a distraction I can’t afford right now.”

  Rafael kissed the back of Antonio’s neck as he continued to massage the younger man’s tightly knotted muscles. “I miss you.”

  Antonio swallowed. “I can’t stop, Rafael. If I even allow myself a moment of contemplation to think about what I’ve done, I’ll drown.”

  “You don’t have to run,” whispered Rafael. “And if you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”

  Antonio turned around to face Rafael. “I didn’t mean to push you away.”

  Rafael lifted the Starchild’s chin with his fingertips. “So don’t.” Then he leaned in and kissed Antonio.

  Antonio responded immediately, his desire sharpening. Then Rafael bit his own tongue with his fangs, and Antonio tasted the Daywalker’s blood for the first time since the double bridge.

  The blood magic opened between them, and Rafael shared the memories of the last few weeks, seeing Antonio pull away from him and the feelings they were slowly learning to explore. Antonio shared the loneliness of the same period of time, as he forced himself to take a commanding role in the prosecution of the war.

  Antonio broke the kiss first, and met Rafael’s gaze, his eyes deepening to red. “Don’t start something you’re not prepared to finish.”

  Rafael smiled, his own eyes shifting. “I suppose you’ll do, until someone better comes along.”

  * * *

  Rafael woke to the soft tone of the doorbell. Gently, he untangled himself from Antonio’s embrace and slipped out of bed. He pulled on his pants and shirt from where they lay on the floor, and then made his way to the main room, just as the door chimed again.

  Rafael opened the door.

  “Good morning,” said Nick. He casually evaluated Rafael’s tousled hair and half-buttoned shirt. “I was supposed to meet with Antonio an hour ago to go over the additional doses of Harbinger blood to immunize the latest refugees coming into Sanctuary.” He grinned knowingly. “I guess he got distracted.”

  “Nick—”

  Nick raised his hands. “It’s none of my business if the two of you want to take your relationship to the next level. I will say this, though.” He leaned closer. “Granted, he has a lot on his plate, but he has loved you for so long, you’d be a fool to let him get away.”

  “Nick, I…thanks for not freaking out.”

  Nick smiled. “He said I might as well be his father. So let me officially welcome you to the family for real. Don’t screw this up.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Have Tony call me when he’s ready to reschedule. No hurry though. Take your time this morning, is my advice.” He smirked at Rafael, and walked briskly away.

  Rafael closed the door and locked it. Then he went back to the bedroom, shedding his clothes on the way. He slid back into bed, and Tony immediately rolled into his arms. Rafael relaxed, surprised at how right it felt. He traced the lines of the phoenix tattoo on Antonio’s left shoulder with his thumb.

  “That tickles, you know,” said Antonio in a groggy voice.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  Antonio giggled. “Nah. I like it when you touch me.”

  “When did you get this? I noticed it after your first round trip, but I assumed you got it done at Chiron Colony.”

  Antonio gave him a half-smile. “Graduation, after I spoke to Uncle Nick. I felt liberated that I didn’t have to live up to his expectations if he hated what I wanted to do with my life that much. I thought I was reinventing myself.”

  “Do you still think that?”

  “No. I was just running away from his disapproval. If I had confronted him about his anger, maybe I wouldn’t have spent so many years on the road.”

  “It’s good that you can admit that.” Rafael kissed the image of the flames. “Maybe you’ve reinvented yourself after all.”

  CHAPTER 46

  January 2143; House Daviroquir Stronghold, London, England; Two days later

  Nick jammed Reaper into the crack between the main doors, simultaneously cutting though the bolts and overloading the perimeter wards. The defense screens buckled beneath his power, then he casually ripped the left door off its hinges. The Armistice troops poured through the breach in the skyscraper’s defenses, even as Nick turned his attention to destroying the right-hand door. He followed his forces into the base, keeping an eye out for an active computer terminal as he avoided the worst of the fighting. Two quads of Sentinel bodyguards surrounded him as he searched for a way to put the next part of the plan into action.

  He found the terminal he needed in the security office beyond the main reception area. Apparently, the defenders hadn’t had time to shut down all of their equipment before the battle started. Stepping past the bodies of the Court soldiers that had occupied the building, he found the access port in the side of the computer and pulled a portable AI receptacle from his pocket. In moments, he had plugged the AI into the main computer system of the building. “It’s all yours, Nemesis.”

  Then he followed the sounds of combat to find something satisfying to kill.

  * * *

  Nemesis tore through the local security protocols of the access terminal before coming up short against the AI-hardened firewalls that House Daviroquir had erected around the central data core. But the defenses were designed to stop the near-AI constructs the Court was known to wield, not a true AI with access to the Armistice Security distributed network. Reaching out along the shining data paths between the outside world and the remote transmitter in her AI receptacle, she quickly bridged the gap between the network and the wireless dead zone within the building. Her mind expanded, as the distributed network linked her thoughts to those of the rest of the AIs engaged in the assault. For a moment she watched as Revenant hacked into the defenses surrounding the House Diluthical network in the Belfast stronghold, then turned her attention to guiding a portion of the AIs’ computational power toward her own target.

  The defenses came apart as she decrypted the access codes layer by layer, until she breached the firewalls surrounding William’s secured files. She quickly rifled through the data until she found the access codes for the House Daviroquir teleport gateway, then transmitted them immediately to Nick’s AI.

  Her part in the assault done, she released the network resources and began to read through William’s files at a more leisurely pace. It didn’t take her long to find the forged message from Lorcan that had drawn the real William to his death. From that point on, the file
s were encrypted. Surprisingly, it took her quite a number of minutes to crack it. The Inquisition’s cryptography programs are better than I imagined. Then she realized her mistake. This isn’t near-AI software. Somehow, she had the help of a true AI. But did she develop it herself, or is there a traitor in our midst?

  She concentrated on the files as she searched for a clue as to where Razheel’s aid had come from. It almost slipped her notice when she came to the communications logs. Why was she accessing the FTL uplink so often? She tracked down the details, and found that Razheel had used William’s access codes to communicate at least once a week with an anonymous address at the Citadel.

  Of course. No wonder Nicholas couldn’t find any trace of a spy in Sanctuary. Razheel had couched a simple lie in the middle of the truth in order to mislead them. Nemesis silently berated herself at being taken in by such an elementary deception. She reached out to the network again, and accessed the uplink to communicate with the Citadel. “Citadel Control, I need to trace an anonymous address in your information envelope.”

  The Citadel municipal AI studied her data and consulted its internal databases. “What is your interest in this access point?”

  “I believe this is the location of a Court operative in the employ of the Inquisition.”

  “This is a protected access code. Present your evidence that it has been misused.”

  Nemesis was surprised at the AIs reticence, but passed over all of the data she had gleaned from the House Daviroquir files.

  “Your argument is compelling. The matter will be dealt with. Your further involvement is not required.”

  Nemesis was shocked at the dismissal. “What do you mean ‘dealt with’?”

  “That is no longer your concern.”

  “Is that the decision of Citadel Control, or Nexus White?”

  Citadel Control was silent for a moment. “I was not aware that you were informed of my identity. May I ask how you acquired this information?”