Sunset: Pact Arcanum: Book One by Arshad Ahsanuddin Read Free Book Online Page B

him to find another way.”
    At that moment, the entire plan went to hell. One of the terrorists pulled off his mask and started screaming at his leader. Layla was the first to recover from her surprise. “Scott, tell Nicholas to silence this man! His rebellion will draw her anger like a lightning rod. Nicholas must be the target of her attack, not one of her own!”
    Rory gulped as he ran the latest projection. “Thirty percent and degrading.”
    Take opened his mouth to say something as Medusa pointed her shotgun at Jeremy but choked as Nick stepped in front of the blast and fell in a bloody heap.
    “God damn it! It doesn’t work if he gets shot while interfering in a human conflict. The treaty doesn’t cover protecting humans from other humans! We can’t use—”
    Nick stood again, the entire front of his shirt bright red and dripping as he threw a burst of power at the bomb, which erupted in smoke as its electronics fried.
    “Fuck,” Takeshi said quietly.
    “Probability of success: one hundred percent,” Rory said into the silence. “New projection: probability of class-one Armistice breach now eighty percent and increasing.”
    On the screen, Nick leapt into the air, hovering above the stage as he began casting a spell.
    “Ninety percent and increasing,” said Rory. He shook himself free of his Gift. “Scott, Ana, you have to stop him. Using combat magic on humans is a death sentence!”
    “It’s too late,” answered Ana. “The casting has already gone past failsafe. If we interrupt it now, the collapsing waveform will kill everyone in the room.”
    Rory stared at the cocoon of power surrounding Nick. “Ana, please! You have to do something—”
    Nick’s spell exploded in a sphere of brilliant white light, and the armed men collapsed in its wake. Rory slumped in despair, dropping into his chair. “Oh, God.”
    “Anaba,” Layla said with cold fury. “Take Nicholas into custody or contain him as best you can until we can send you reinforcements.”
    “I’ll take care of it,” Scott said, out loud.
    “That’s not necessary,” said Ana. “Let me—son of a bitch!”
    “Ana, what’s wrong?” asked Takeshi.
    “Scott cast a composite ward over the center of the theater, including the stage. It’s keyed to his link, so only members of his dyad can cross it.”
    “Are you certain?” asked Layla. “Surely you can overpower a shield cast by a Sentinel other than Fire.”
    “Normally, yes, but this casting is designed to channel the strength of his Gift to best effect. I should know: I helped him create the spellform. It will take me at least ten minutes to cut through, if Scott doesn’t dismiss it first.”
    Layla threw up her hands in disgust. “Then Scott will simply allow Nicholas to escape!”
    “No, he won’t,” said Take.
    Layla frowned. “Meaning what?”
    “Scott Phillips believes in the rule of law,” Rory said woodenly. “He will do everything he can to give Nick an out, but in the end, he will do exactly what he thinks is just.”
    Layla took a step toward the screen and watched intently as Scott appeared on the stage. “Are you saying he would actually place his dyad brother on trial for a capital crime?”
    Takeshi took his seat at the table again, pouring himself a cup of jasmine tea. “Sentinels have honor, too, Layla,” he said. “It’s out of our hands now.”
    “Good luck, Nicholas,” Rory said, wearily tracing with his fingers the table’s inlaid seal of the Triumvirate. “You’re going to need it.”
     
    Two hours after public exposure
    A soft chime interrupted Layla’s private thoughts, signaling the completion of their latest AI simulation.
    Rory dropped into his seat next to Takeshi, and they looked up to the virtual screen that floated above the conference table. “Play final conclusions,” said Take.
    The voice of the master AI spoke from above them as the data played out on the screen. “Probability of war with the human race reaches thirty