Starlight(Pact Arcanum 4)
Table of Contents
Part I: Endings and New Beginnings
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Part III: Second Derivative Maximum
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
STARLIGHT
P
ACT
A
RCANUM:
B
OOK
F
OUR
A
RSHAD
A
HSANUDDIN
T
EXT COPYRIGHT 2012 BY
A
RSHAD
A
HSANUDDIN
S
EE
B
ACK
M
ATTER FOR
G
LOSSARY,
P
RINCIPAL
C
AST AND
T
IMELINE
P
ROLOGUE
THEN: April 2043; House Diluthical Embassy, Court of Shadows Council Chamber Complex, Alexandria, Egypt
One could always tell how comfortable Lorcan was in his surroundings by the number of books around him. His office in the Council Chamber Complex was relatively secure, so bookshelves held some of the favorites from his collection. Otherwise, the office was paneled in rich, red oak, lit by a complex Murano glass chandelier. It was relatively spare of furnishings, with only a small number of chairs, a large, mahogany desk, and a few filing cabinets.
Lorcan was working through a priceless sheaf of parchment pages with a red fountain pen. He was a short man, with spiky, black hair and green eyes. Normally, his bearing was so smooth you could skate on it, but today he just looked harried. The documents detailed an African dispute between several Lesser Houses that threatened to erupt into open warfare.
Fools. Do they think the humans would tolerate an overt conflict? Not to mention that it would expose their own soldiers to the Sentinels.
The vampire hunters might not have a Wind of Earth to lead them these days, but they knew how to do their jobs.
If the Court would just admit that the old ways have to change if they want to survive…
Lorcan snorted, putting the pen down on the desk next to a glass of tepid bloodwine. He rolled his head and let his vertebrae crack, releasing tension.
Might as well wish upon a rainbow for a pot of gold. They won't change unless it's forced upon them.
He glanced down at the petition in his hand again, and sighed.
Less than half done. Why the hell did I want this job, anyway?
One of his senior Consuls stepped into his office. “My Lord, the Magister Daviroquir desires an audience.”
Lorcan stood, grateful for the distraction as he put away the documents. “Send him in.”
A few moments later, the other vampire lord entered, a heavyset, Caucasian man with an aura of deference. The vampire knelt before him. “Master, my life is yours. I am your blade to wield.”
Lorcan smiled and walked around the desk. “I accept your honor, William, to defend as if it were my own. Rise.”
William got to his feet. “My Lord, there is something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Lorcan indicated one of the antique, mahogany chairs with a wave of his hand. “By all means. What’s on your mind?”
William sat on the edge of the chair, his expression intent. “I’ve been studying the structure of your political alliances in the time since you ascended to mastery of House Diluthical.”
Lorcan gave a short bark of laughter. He leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms in front of himself as he considered his second-in-command. “I didn’t realize I’d done anything worthy of study.”
“You are too modest, my Lord. Even if it had not been for the fortuitous opportunity to eliminate the rest of the Fourth Council, you were well on your way to building a powerbase that might have carried you to the position of Imperator eventually.”
Lorcan shrugged. “The goal was to elevate House Diluthical to the rank of Greater House, but the office of Huntmaster would have been out of reach without the actual might to challenge Aleksei Magister Talizered.”
“True. Your house would not have wielded that level of strength on its own. However, your use of strategic alliances was inspired. It’s possible that you would have been able to create a coalition of houses strong enough to topple the previous Huntmaster from power.”
“I think you give me too much credit. Aleksei was a cunning and devious leader. He managed to bring down Luscian himself by pitting him against the Redeemer.”
William nodded vigorously. “Yes, exactly. He used subterfuge to try and eliminate the two most powerful houses in the world: House Luscian and House Jiao-long.”
“I don’t see where you’re going with this, William,” said Lorcan with a slight frown.
“Imperator Aleksei focused his strategies on those two houses because he recognized the threat they represented: the power of the Firstborn, and the Pact Arcanum. You’ve downplayed your ties to the Magister Jiao-long and the Magister Luscian to minimize your threat profile and allow the other Magisters to underestimate you in Council.” William smiled, showing his fangs. “Perhaps that was shortsighted.”
Lorcan cocked his head. “I beg your pardon?”
“Sean Magister Jiao-long is the Redeemer, and wields the power of the Pact Arcanum that he gained from the Grace. Nicholas Magister Luscian is Soulkiller’s Bane, and carries the power of the Firstborn through the strength of the Crown of Souls that he stole from Luscian. The two of them remain objects of fear and awe for precisely those reasons, even though their conventional forces are almost nonexistent. But that is only a fraction of their true power.”
Lorcan mulled over William’s words, but still couldn’t follow his senior scion’s logic. “Explain.”
“Although Prince Sean and Prince Nicholas have never chosen to wield them, they have inherited a wealth of allegiances and obligations from their former masters. It’s one reason few spoke out against the Magister Luscian when he reclaimed his territory from House Tervilant. He demonstrated a knowledge of Court law and protocol that allowed him to act with impunity.
“That was Aleksei’s strength, in forcing others to bend to his will not only by force of arms, but by manipulating their honor. Jiao-long Firstborn did the same in his war with House Curallorn, when he persuaded the European Magisters to press the issue of western colonization with their daylight proxies, in order to weaken Prince Layla’s supporters in America.
“If you were able to convince House Luscian and House Jiao-long to take a more active role in the Court, with yourself as a proxy, you could draw upon those old allegiances and widen your influence significantly.”
Lorcan scratched his chin while he considered the possibilities. “An interesting supposition. However, it would be dangerous. Such an alliance would be perceived as a serious threat by all of the other houses. There would have to be a very significant objective in mind to justify so great a risk. I can’t think of anything that would be important enough to warrant the attempt.”
William stood and faced Lorcan. “No, my Lord,” he said. “I think you can.” Then he flexed the spell of concealment he wore, and just for a moment, the light of the Grace shone from the cross sigil branded on his forehead.
Lorcan’s eyes widened, and he understood instantly. He reached out with his mind and forged a shallow link with William.
“Do not speak of this ever again within the Council Chamber Complex. Although the Night’s Herald forswore her blood rank when she took her vows, her allegiance is still to House Talizered and the memory of Aleksei. She would like nothing better than to brand us both traitors.”
William nodded.
“The Great Work is the future of our race, my Lord. Only with our help, can the Redeemer expand his influence beyond the confines of the Armistice Zone and lead our people back to the Light. Do you think Sean and Nicholas will join us?”
Lorcan was silent for a long moment, remembering a voice filled with music and thunder.
One day, we will call upon you.
He raised his gaze to meet William’s eyes, seeing the vivid commitment of a true believer.
“Yes, William. I think they will.”
P
ART
I
:
E
NDINGS AND
N
EW
B
EGINNINGS
C
HAPTER 1
October 2082; Cathedral of the Sky, Anchorpoint City, Colorado; Thirty-nine years later
Rory walked toward the end of the corridor, ignoring the alcoves on either side, brightly lit by floating orbs of white fire.
I would rather have had candles. Somehow, it seems too bright and cheerful in here.
Finally, he reached the end, and the passage widened into a small, octagonal room. He’d had to pull a few strings to get one of the coveted private alcoves, but in the end it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered.
He put the bundle of fresh cut flowers and incense down on the shelf next to the door and reached for the broom, intending to begin his private ritual, and then stopped. The altar on the floor was already clean, the dried flowers and ashes from his last visit swept away. The upright wooden board with the coiled dragon kamon was free of dust and freshly polished. On the altar was a blooming white rose, encased in lacquer.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
Rory spun to face the other side of the alcove and the man that he had been too preoccupied to notice leaning against the wall. “Ruarc.”
Lorcan stepped forward into the light and looked at the dragon crest. “I’m sure you would rather have done it yourself, but I wanted to honor him in my own way.”
Rory clamped down on his temper. “Why are you here?”
Lorcan turned to face Rory with a neutral expression. “Because Nick mentioned the accident in passing during our last summit, and he couldn’t believe that I didn’t already know.”
Rory sighed. “There’s no reason you would have.”
“Six months, Sean. He’s been dead for six months, and I had to hear about it from someone else. I thought we were friends.”
Rory’s anger flared, and he clenched his fists to keep his claws sheathed. “We’re not friends, Imperator. I don’t have to keep you apprised of the events of my life.”