Read Online Sunset: Pact Arcanum: Book One by Arshad Ahsanuddin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Arshad Ahsanuddin
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pants, and black fingerless gloves. God, he looks so young. He hasn’t aged a day since we first met.
Snow-capped crags reached for the sky all around them and glowed faintly in the reddish light, although they seemed brightly lit to Nick’s enhanced senses. With a grateful breath of crisp mountain air, Nick walked across the cracked, burned stone, his bare feet avoiding the worst of the bloodstains. Rory stood watching the flickering blue flames of three huge bonfires in the courtyard below.
“What are you burning?” Nick asked.
Rory continued to watch the flames, listening to their faint crackling. “The bodies of House Luscian. Once they’re completely consumed, we will commit their ashes to the wind and the sunlight.”
Nick nodded, unsympathetic to the fate of his brethren. “How did you know I was here? I was trying to be careful.”
Rory tapped the side of his head. “Anaba linked to me. She explained what happened after you rose to the third life.”
“Ah. Once a triad, always a triad, I guess.”
Rory’s striking green eyes seemed to glow in the light of the blue flames, which highlighted the dark auburn of his hair. “It’s the first time I’ve felt her thoughts in almost three years. Ana and Take don’t touch my mind much anymore. She only called to tell me you would need an amplified, fixed-point teleport gateway to jump all the way back from Hephaestus Station, and that if Luscian had one operational, it would probably be hidden somewhere in the castle. So I sent everyone away from the High Tower and extended my thoughts to cover the entire complex looking for you.” He paused for a moment. “What did you say to her? She seemed less hostile than usual. If I didn’t know her any better, I’d say she gave me the information as a peace offering.”
“We chatted for a while, once she stopped trying to kill me.” Nick shrugged. “Sorry about the Citadel, by the way.”
Rory laughed. “Yeah, she told me she leveled the place in an attempt to take you out. She’s already making plans to improve her original design when we start rebuilding.”
Nick picked up the open wine bottle from the wall in front of him and poured a generous amount of the crimson liquid into two flutes of Venetian glass that rested next to it, both inscribed with the crest of House Luscian. Inhaling the coppery aroma of fresh blood, he waved his hand to cast a warming cantrip over the two glasses and watched them steam as they reached body temperature. He took one of the glasses. “What shall we drink to?”
Rory claimed the second glass. “To endings and new beginnings.”
Nick clinked his glass against Rory’s, the crystalline chime singing through the early morning air. They both drank, watching the funeral pyres for a few minutes before Nick broke the silence. “This stuff is good. What is it?”
“Tiamat, a brand of bloodwine produced only in Armistice territory.”
“It doesn’t taste like the stuff Luscian drank. It’s stronger, more powerful.”
“Most of the members of the Court of Shadows prefer human blood.”
“This is Sentinel?” Nick raised an eyebrow as he took another sip and rolled the wine over his tongue. “I can only taste the echo of one soul.”
“This is Single Voice. There are lesser varieties, but I wanted nothing but the best for you.”
Nick sighed and put the glass down. “Rory, it’s not your fault.”
“Then whose fault is it?” Rory’s voice tightened with anger. “Luscian went after you because you were my friend—the only human friend I let myself have since Jiao-long turned me. It was selfish of me to get close to you, and it cost you your life. I should have warned you.”
“You couldn’t have told me the truth.” Nick looked out at the lightening sky. “I wouldn’t have believed you without proof. And now I know why you could never give me that.”
Rory regarded his friend curiously. “Meaning what, exactly?”
“It was there in Luscian’s
Snow-capped crags reached for the sky all around them and glowed faintly in the reddish light, although they seemed brightly lit to Nick’s enhanced senses. With a grateful breath of crisp mountain air, Nick walked across the cracked, burned stone, his bare feet avoiding the worst of the bloodstains. Rory stood watching the flickering blue flames of three huge bonfires in the courtyard below.
“What are you burning?” Nick asked.
Rory continued to watch the flames, listening to their faint crackling. “The bodies of House Luscian. Once they’re completely consumed, we will commit their ashes to the wind and the sunlight.”
Nick nodded, unsympathetic to the fate of his brethren. “How did you know I was here? I was trying to be careful.”
Rory tapped the side of his head. “Anaba linked to me. She explained what happened after you rose to the third life.”
“Ah. Once a triad, always a triad, I guess.”
Rory’s striking green eyes seemed to glow in the light of the blue flames, which highlighted the dark auburn of his hair. “It’s the first time I’ve felt her thoughts in almost three years. Ana and Take don’t touch my mind much anymore. She only called to tell me you would need an amplified, fixed-point teleport gateway to jump all the way back from Hephaestus Station, and that if Luscian had one operational, it would probably be hidden somewhere in the castle. So I sent everyone away from the High Tower and extended my thoughts to cover the entire complex looking for you.” He paused for a moment. “What did you say to her? She seemed less hostile than usual. If I didn’t know her any better, I’d say she gave me the information as a peace offering.”
“We chatted for a while, once she stopped trying to kill me.” Nick shrugged. “Sorry about the Citadel, by the way.”
Rory laughed. “Yeah, she told me she leveled the place in an attempt to take you out. She’s already making plans to improve her original design when we start rebuilding.”
Nick picked up the open wine bottle from the wall in front of him and poured a generous amount of the crimson liquid into two flutes of Venetian glass that rested next to it, both inscribed with the crest of House Luscian. Inhaling the coppery aroma of fresh blood, he waved his hand to cast a warming cantrip over the two glasses and watched them steam as they reached body temperature. He took one of the glasses. “What shall we drink to?”
Rory claimed the second glass. “To endings and new beginnings.”
Nick clinked his glass against Rory’s, the crystalline chime singing through the early morning air. They both drank, watching the funeral pyres for a few minutes before Nick broke the silence. “This stuff is good. What is it?”
“Tiamat, a brand of bloodwine produced only in Armistice territory.”
“It doesn’t taste like the stuff Luscian drank. It’s stronger, more powerful.”
“Most of the members of the Court of Shadows prefer human blood.”
“This is Sentinel?” Nick raised an eyebrow as he took another sip and rolled the wine over his tongue. “I can only taste the echo of one soul.”
“This is Single Voice. There are lesser varieties, but I wanted nothing but the best for you.”
Nick sighed and put the glass down. “Rory, it’s not your fault.”
“Then whose fault is it?” Rory’s voice tightened with anger. “Luscian went after you because you were my friend—the only human friend I let myself have since Jiao-long turned me. It was selfish of me to get close to you, and it cost you your life. I should have warned you.”
“You couldn’t have told me the truth.” Nick looked out at the lightening sky. “I wouldn’t have believed you without proof. And now I know why you could never give me that.”
Rory regarded his friend curiously. “Meaning what, exactly?”
“It was there in Luscian’s
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