Ambassador to the Triumvirate. He was dressed casually in a green T-shirt and black slacks and he held Nick’s hands in his own. The Nightwalker talked quietly to Nick, his expression troubled.
“I’m surprised they’ve still got their clothes on ,” Ana said on a private level of their psychic link.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually. They always do,” thought Scott, his tone edged with disapproval. “Nick still insists they’re just friends.”
“Nick is an idiot,” Ana said as she watched Lorcan stand and walk out of the room.
“He’ll see through Lorcan eventually,” thought Scott. “Personally, I can’t wait.”
The two felt Nick turn his attention to their joined minds.
“Welcome back, Ana.”
Ana laid her psychic touch on Nick’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear about Toby.”
“You were right.” Nick’s grief echoed along the link. “I should have tested them years ago.”
“What’s he going to do?” asked Ana.
“They’re all going to spend the night at my place at the Citadel. Toby still wants to do the overseas concert tour with his band in the fall, despite the danger. That’s assuming they don’t cancel on him after all of this comes out. Lorcan will warn the Nightwalkers around the scheduled venues that Toby is to be left strictly alone, but there’s always a risk someone won’t get the message.” Nick’s psychic voice grew brutally cold. “I told him they would all pay dearly if anything happens to my brother. Lorcan says he’ll make sure the Court understands the cost of making a mistake.”
“Nick,” said Ana, “Michelle says she has something to tell us when you get back here.”
She felt him stiffen and then slump again, resigned. “Might as well get it over with then.”
A moment later, a soft chime rang in the outer office and Nick appeared in a white haze. Ana and the two Journeymen lined up facing the couch, ignoring Jeremy for the moment, who simply stepped out of the way. Michelle stood to confront them.
“You lied to me,” Michelle accused Scott. “Betrayed me. You never even gave me the chance to be a true partner in your life. You had every opportunity to trust me with your secrets. Instead you chose to keep me in the dark while you placed yourself in danger over and over again, without any regard for how it might affect me and your son if something happened to you.”
She turned to Nick. “You, I can understand. You don’t have anyone depending on you. But Scott and Ana have families.” She glared at Ana. “You’re supposed to put us first, but neither of you even tried to give up this life for our sakes. Neither of you has any courage in your convictions.” She looked directly at Scott, whose face was contorted by anguish and remorse.
“Tell me, if you had to do it over again,” she asked, “would you do anything differently?”
“Michelle,” Scott pleaded, “please don’t ask me that.”
“Answer me, Scott! Tell me the truth—for once.”
“No,” he said, his voice breaking. “I would have done everything the same. You were never born to this world. I was. I never had any choice about what I became. You’re my Light. How could I drag you down to join me in the darkness with the monsters?”
“That’s probably the most honest thing you’ve said to me in five years.” Michelle’s expression softened as she stepped forward and took his hands. “I vowed to stay with you for better and for worse, Scott. If this is God’s plan for you, then we’ll walk the road together, you and I. But you have to tell me the truth. No more secrets.”
He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.
“No more secrets,” he whispered in her ear.
* * *
As Nick watched his dyad brother try to mend his family, he suddenly felt a presence in his mind. It had forged its way between the inner and outer ring of his mental shields, where no one but he could detect it. Resisting the urge to
“I’m surprised they’ve still got their clothes on ,” Ana said on a private level of their psychic link.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure they’ll get around to that eventually. They always do,” thought Scott, his tone edged with disapproval. “Nick still insists they’re just friends.”
“Nick is an idiot,” Ana said as she watched Lorcan stand and walk out of the room.
“He’ll see through Lorcan eventually,” thought Scott. “Personally, I can’t wait.”
The two felt Nick turn his attention to their joined minds.
“Welcome back, Ana.”
Ana laid her psychic touch on Nick’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear about Toby.”
“You were right.” Nick’s grief echoed along the link. “I should have tested them years ago.”
“What’s he going to do?” asked Ana.
“They’re all going to spend the night at my place at the Citadel. Toby still wants to do the overseas concert tour with his band in the fall, despite the danger. That’s assuming they don’t cancel on him after all of this comes out. Lorcan will warn the Nightwalkers around the scheduled venues that Toby is to be left strictly alone, but there’s always a risk someone won’t get the message.” Nick’s psychic voice grew brutally cold. “I told him they would all pay dearly if anything happens to my brother. Lorcan says he’ll make sure the Court understands the cost of making a mistake.”
“Nick,” said Ana, “Michelle says she has something to tell us when you get back here.”
She felt him stiffen and then slump again, resigned. “Might as well get it over with then.”
A moment later, a soft chime rang in the outer office and Nick appeared in a white haze. Ana and the two Journeymen lined up facing the couch, ignoring Jeremy for the moment, who simply stepped out of the way. Michelle stood to confront them.
“You lied to me,” Michelle accused Scott. “Betrayed me. You never even gave me the chance to be a true partner in your life. You had every opportunity to trust me with your secrets. Instead you chose to keep me in the dark while you placed yourself in danger over and over again, without any regard for how it might affect me and your son if something happened to you.”
She turned to Nick. “You, I can understand. You don’t have anyone depending on you. But Scott and Ana have families.” She glared at Ana. “You’re supposed to put us first, but neither of you even tried to give up this life for our sakes. Neither of you has any courage in your convictions.” She looked directly at Scott, whose face was contorted by anguish and remorse.
“Tell me, if you had to do it over again,” she asked, “would you do anything differently?”
“Michelle,” Scott pleaded, “please don’t ask me that.”
“Answer me, Scott! Tell me the truth—for once.”
“No,” he said, his voice breaking. “I would have done everything the same. You were never born to this world. I was. I never had any choice about what I became. You’re my Light. How could I drag you down to join me in the darkness with the monsters?”
“That’s probably the most honest thing you’ve said to me in five years.” Michelle’s expression softened as she stepped forward and took his hands. “I vowed to stay with you for better and for worse, Scott. If this is God’s plan for you, then we’ll walk the road together, you and I. But you have to tell me the truth. No more secrets.”
He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.
“No more secrets,” he whispered in her ear.
* * *
As Nick watched his dyad brother try to mend his family, he suddenly felt a presence in his mind. It had forged its way between the inner and outer ring of his mental shields, where no one but he could detect it. Resisting the urge to
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