Moonlight(Pact Arcanum 3) (20 page)

Take looked at Toby. “We take care of our own, Tobias. Andrea suspected an inside job, so we scanned the minds of every member of your security staff and went through every cent of their finances. They’re clean.”

Toby relaxed in his chair. “Hell, I could have told you that. Some of those guys have been working for us for years.”

Take watched him carefully. “We also investigated the other members of your band.”

Toby’s eyes bulged, and his face reddened in fury. “How dare you? Those are my closest friends you’re talking about. They would never have—”

Take cut him off. “Ethan Clark has been withdrawing large sums of money—in cash—every month since the Nexus riots began. He also wears a second-generation psychic inhibitor somewhere on his person, so we’ve been unable to exclude him as a suspect.”

Toby was speechless, his mouth hanging open.

Nick sighed. “You think he’s an OU sympathizer?”

Takeshi tilted his head slightly. “It’s possible. We haven’t identified any motive as of yet, but he’s certainly engaged in some kind of covert activity.”

Toby shook himself. “No. Ethan wouldn’t do that. I’ve known him since kindergarten. He would cut off his arm rather than betray a friend. There’s some other explanation.”

Take smiled. “Of course.”

Toby scowled at him. “Don’t patronize me, Takeshi. I’m telling you, you’re wrong!”

“The facts are clear, Toby. The only question is the interpretation.”

Toby slammed his fist on the desk. “You’re saying one of my oldest friends is plotting to have me killed? That’s ridiculous, and I won’t sit here and listen to this any longer.”

Nick laid his hand gently on his brother’s arm. “The assassin wasn’t there just for you, Toby.”

Toby sat frozen in his seat. Then he turned slowly to face Takeshi again. “What do you need to find out for sure?”

“Watch him,” Take instructed. “Find out where he goes, whom he has contact with. Sooner or later, he’ll lead you to an answer.”

“Identify the enemy,” Nick murmured.

“Isolate him from reinforcements,” answered Take.

Toby swallowed. “Eliminate the threat.”

CHAPTER 27

Anchorpoint City, Colorado

Toby sprawled morosely in a comfortable chair, watching the sunset. His musings were interrupted when Layla pulled open the frosted glass door to the balcony and walked outside. She lifted his discarded suit jacket from the floor and draped it more carefully over the back of the second chair, before sitting next to him and covering his hand with hers.

Toby absently lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Welcome home, Layla.”

Layla gently turned his head toward her. “You are sad, Tobias. Was it so terrible to spend the day with Nicholas?”

“It wasn’t that,” Toby said with a sigh, already feeling reassured just from the warmth of her voice, softened with concern. “I stayed in Unity mode for most of the day, just to keep from fighting with him. Icarus helped me keep my temper in check.”

Layla frowned in disapproval. “You rely too heavily on Icarus, Leshir. You should face your problems head on, rather than using him as a crutch.”

“I know.” Toby took a sip of his water. They didn’t keep any alcohol in the apartment while Layla was pregnant, not even Tiamat. Toby enjoyed the intimacy of letting his lover feed on him, but he could do with an occasional break from the reminder of her immortality. “There’s something we have to talk about.”

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

“Andrea intercepted another assassination attempt at one of my concerts.”

She scowled and drew her hand back. “And how long have you known that?”

“Since this morning. Avery told me. Nick didn’t know either.”

She regarded the sunset. “I see. Do you wish to proceed with the rest of your concert series?”

Toby sighed. “Yes.”

“Then you must take additional security precautions.” Her tone hardened.

“We discussed this after the second assassin.”

“Then we will discuss it again,” she answered, fury chilling her voice. “I have offered to place my soldiers at your disposal to maintain your security. They have centuries of experience at identifying predators, whatever their race. If you must stay this course, then I do not see why you insist on relying on humans to protect you.”

Toby put down his glass so he could reach out to take her hand in his. “Try to understand, Layla. There’s already so much that divides me from my friends, just by my being a Sentinel. If I surround myself with vampires, it only makes it harder to maintain that connection. I want them to see me as an equal.”

“And I want you to survive long enough to see the birth of your son.” She turned her head to meet his gaze. “Why is your desire more pressing than mine?”

Toby took in her haughty expression and, knowing that there was no answer to that, decided to give in gracefully. “How many soldiers do you want to guard me?”

She stared at him in suspicion. “Twelve.”

“Six.”

She considered for a moment. “Six would be acceptable.”

“And they’d take orders from my security staff.”

She smiled. “No. They will take orders from me.”

Toby shook his head. “That won’t work, Layla. You won’t be there all the time. They’ll need to have direction from someone on the ground who’ll coordinate with my human security.”

She smiled wider, allowing the points of her fangs to show. “On the contrary. I will accompany you on tour, and I will lead the detail myself.”

Toby was horrified. “Absolutely not.”

“You will agree to my terms, Leshir, or I will simply follow you from concert to concert with as many of my soldiers as I deem necessary. Do you think your human security will be able to keep me out?”

Toby swallowed and his mind raced. There was one other card he could play, but it was dangerous, and the results would be unpredictable. “Layla, the assassin was coming for you, as well.”

She stared at him for a moment. Then she laughed. “Where is this fool? I will teach him the error of his ways before he dies, if he thinks that I am prey to be hunted.”

“Forget about him,” said Toby. “He’s irrelevant. What matters is that these fanatics are targeting you as well as me. You can’t endanger Antonio by putting yourself in the open like that.”

She gently covered her abdomen with her hands, talons fully extended, and looked out at the last light of the setting sun. “Very well, I will remain in secure locations. However, you will accept a proxy of my choosing to lead the security detail.”

Toby chewed on his lip. “Who did you have in mind?”

“No, Leshir. You will agree to my terms, or I will not stand by and allow you to continue your reckless pursuits.”

Toby considered. If she chose to, there was any number of ways she could prevent him from performing, from legal injunctions to simply breaking his legs. “All right. We’ll do it your way. Who do you want to lead the detail?”

She didn’t face him. Instead, she continued to stare at the horizon, her profile seemingly carved in stone. “Nicholas.”

Toby stared at her in shock. “No.”

“Those are my terms, Leshir.”

Toby stood from his chair, his fists clenched in fury. “Nick is the Archangel! If he’s on site, then Armistice Security will walk right in and lock down the entire area.”

She continued to watch the sky as it darkened. “Is that the basis of your objection, or are you more concerned with having your brother in charge of your life again?”

Toby’s anger deflated in an instant. He was not stupid, and he knew himself well enough to know that she was completely on target. “He thinks my career is putting me in danger. He’ll do everything in his power to keep me off stage.”

She pressed her lips together, still not looking at him. “Tobias, have you considered that if your brother is involved in your security preparations, and can satisfy himself that you are well-protected, then he will no longer have any basis to argue with your choices?”

Toby blinked, and then he slowly sat in his chair, lost in thought. Finally, he turned his head to meet her gaze. She watched him with a small smile. “Maybe. Do you really think he’ll come around?”

She gently scraped the underside of his jaw with her claws. “It will give you an opening. Is the imposition of having Armistice Security involved in your protection worth the possibility of healing the rift between the two of you?”

He smiled at her. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She leaned back in her chair, and Toby watched red sparks scatter across her irises when she grinned at him. “Perhaps, but I never tire of hearing you say it.”

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for thinking of me, Leshir.”

She brushed her fingertips against his cheek and down the line of his neck, her hands having returned to human form. “I love you, Tobias Jameson. Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” he said with complete sincerity. “Do you want to tell Nick the good news, or shall I?”

“You should tell him. Your next concert is in seven days. I suggest you wait until just a day or two before the performance, so that he has no chance to think about it. In the long run, it will soothe his mind to believe that he is coming off the better in the deal.”

Toby laughed and leaned back in his chair while he watched the stars come out. “Layla, I’m glad you’re on my side.”

She smiled at him indulgently. “I am on no one’s side but my own, Leshir. You are mine, and I mean to keep you, for as long as destiny allows it.”

He grinned, knowing that she was entirely serious. “If I’m yours, then you should come and claim me, before I get away.”

She gently sliced through the thread of the top button on his shirt with the razor-sharp edge of her claws. When the first button dropped to the floor, she reached for the second button. “Would you like to run, Leshir? It might improve your chances of escape, but not much.”

The Citadel, Lunar Farside

Rafael stepped off the teleport gateway and walked down the short corridor toward his apartment. He’d had a long day of teaching first-stage cadets the basics of conventional flight, and he just wanted to sit back and relax for a few hours. He smiled to himself. Maybe he’d take the
Starlight
out for a Sunday drive. Nick had given him completely free rein by naming him Captain of the ship. Being called in occasionally for chauffeur duty was a small price to pay for the freedom to fly. He yawned when he turned the corner to his door. Then he stopped short at the sight of the figure slumped on the floor next to the entrance to his quarters.

“Nick?”

Nick looked up blearily and took a swig from the bottle in his right hand. “Hello, sailor. Buy a guy a drink?”

Rafael chuckled as he helped Nick to his feet. “It sounds like you’ve had enough to drink, Nicholas.” He pulled Nick’s left arm over his shoulder and half carried the Daywalker into his apartment. Rafael walked him to the living room couch and let Nick slide bonelessly onto the cushions. “You only get drunk without me when it’s family that’s got you down. So which is it, Toby or Jeremy?”

“It’s both of them,” Nick said miserably. “Toby won’t listen to reason, and Jer keeps taking his side.”

Rafael raised his eyebrows.
That was news.
He strode into the kitchen for a pair of glasses and a bottle of rum. The alcohol wouldn’t get him drunk without the added rush of Sentinel blood, but it gave him something to offer that wouldn’t put Nick under the table. He sat down in the living room across from Nick and poured them both a shot. “Why don’t you switch your poison, Nicholas? House rules: The host sets the pace.”

Nick sighed and put his bottle of bloodwine on the floor. He claimed one of the glasses, then took an experimental sip. He made a disgusted face and just cradled the glass in his fingers. “I’m worried about Toby. He doesn’t seem to realize the danger he’s in.”

Rafael sipped at his rum and shook his head. “He understands perfectly, Nick. But he can’t live his life in fear. This is the world he’s chosen to live in, and you can’t protect him from it.”

“Jeremy said the same thing. He thinks I’m being a moron,” Nick said with a rueful smile.

“The Seer is a student of human nature. He has a certain insight into people’s motivations, including yours. Maybe you should listen to him.”

Nick scowled. “I just want what’s best for my brother, Raf. Is that so wrong?”

“What makes you think you know what’s best for him?” Rafael asked with a pointed look.

Nick opened his mouth and then closed it. “Touché.” He took another sip of his drink and tried to focus his muddled thoughts on considering his position objectively. “The Nexus is just using him.”

Rafael leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Of course, they are. But maybe he thinks it’s worth it.”

Nick growled and his eyes shifted. “I don’t know what could possibly make the risks he’s taking worthwhile.”

Rafael smiled and finished his drink. Placing the glass back on the table, he stretched out and laced his fingers behind his head. “That’s right. You don’t know. He didn’t tell you the terms of the bargain he cut with the Nexus, so you have no idea what he’s getting out of the deal.”

Nick’s eyes faded back to their normal color, and he stared morosely into his liquor. “You’ve got a point there.”

“Why don’t I take you home, Nick? It’s past four a.m. in Colorado. I’m sure Jeremy is wondering where you are.”

Nick slumped farther in his seat. “He threw me out.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Nick knocked back the rest of his drink. “He said until I got my head out of my ass, I could either sleep on the couch or crash with one of our friends, but he’s tired of my whining.”

Rafael stared at him, taken aback. “You’re telling me Jeremy is withholding his favors? Seriously? The man you called a crazed sex maniac?”

Nick nodded and poured himself another glass of rum. “Apparently, those six weeks he spent off-world taught him a few things about doing without.”

Rafael’s irises shaded toward red, and he stared at Nick. “Nicholas, why are you really here?”