Sunrise(Pact Arcanum 2) Read Free

entering a secure territory,” said Antonio in a cold voice. “When my people told me who you were, I ordered them to let me handle you myself. Be grateful you didn’t have a triad waiting for you when you got back from dinner.”
    Edgar gave him a sour look. “I am not an active Sentinel, my Lord. You agreed to let me retire.”
    “And I have honored my agreement. If you hadn’t come to my city, I would never have contacted you.” He sighed. “In case you don’t recall, protocol requires you to check in with the Sentinel command structure when entering a major territory for the first time, so they can call upon you if they require military assistance.”
    “Yeah, right. I have no intention of being drafted into that life again.”
    “I know, which is why I prepared this for you.” Antonio held out a laminated plastic card.
    Edgar stared at the card in his mentor’s hand, inscribed with small pictograms of Arcolin text. “And this is?”
    “A writ of free passage. It will allow you to travel anywhere in the United States without further interaction with the local territory leaders, on my authority as the Wind of Fire. I would have given you one when you first retired, but we hadn’t set up national protocols yet for the other territories to accept my uncontested leadership after the battle of Alexandria.”
    Edgar reached out and took the card. “Why are you doing this, Antonio?”
    “Because you saved my life, and all you asked for in return was to be with your family. Consider this my follow through.”
    Edgar slipped the plastic card into his pocket. “Thank you.”
    “Don’t thank me. You have what we all dream of, Ed. Enjoy it while it lasts, and live a long and happy life. That’s all I want for you.”
    Edgar said nothing in reply, merely walked away.
    Antonio sighed, and rubbed his eyes. I’m too old to let a dismissal from a subordinate sting so much. Antonio walked out of the opposite entrance of the hotel and out onto the street. He walked down the less travelled streets until he came to an alleyway where he could teleport back to his base unobserved. He stood in the shadows and opened his senses wide, to fix his position and jump back to more familiar settings.
    Nightwalker.
    Antonio snapped his head to the side and picked out two young men leaning against the wall of the alley, talking. Ordinarily, Antonio wouldn’t have bothered to kill them, but he could feel the three humans coming down the alley from the other side. This could get ugly.
     
    * * *
     
    It had been a long, hard slog, but finally Nightfall had cause for celebration. The band had put out smaller releases before, of course, but this was their first professionally produced and published album. The scents of cumin and tamarind filled the crowded Indian restaurant, which hummed with a low rumble of conversation as the three wound up their congratulatory dinner.
    “To us.” Takeshi raised his beer. His almond-shaped brown eyes creased with laughter, which belied the somber charcoal suit he wore over a black T-shirt.
    Ana tapped her martini against his glass. “Long may we reign.” Straight jet hair framed her face and her bronze skin was flushed from the alcohol.
    Rory’s glass of whiskey joined theirs with a clink. “Amen.” He had come directly from work and still wore a simple white dress shirt and tie, his auburn hair tied back in a ponytail.
    They knocked back a slug of their drinks before gazing again at the CD on the table before them. It featured a picture of them on stage: Ana on keyboards, Takeshi on guitar, and Rory behind the drum kit. If sales justified it, they had been promised a concert tour of larger venues in the fall.
    Rory couldn’t wait. They’d been at this part-time for four years—since their senior year in high school—and it was just starting to get good. They’d already racked up a loyal following on the club circuit, and the doors they had been waiting to open had finally materialized. He