The Legacy: A Custodes Noctis Book (29 page)

“In living we serve, in dying we serve, the line continues, we are joined with our present and our past.” Rob spoke the formal words, Galen felt his brother’s gentle touch against his heart, slowing it. Rob grabbed his hand and held it tightly, to the point of pain, as Galen focused and helped his brother stop his heart. He could hear his father and uncle reciting the formal words as the world began to slide away. “You have served the world, now rest until you are called again.”

“No, no, no,” the thing was screaming, fighting him.

“Yes,” he told It. “Yes. We die now.”

He could feel himself dying, he could feel It dying with him. Galen’s felt his heart stop. He was aware for another moment, aware of his brother’s hand on his, aware of his father and uncle, then he let himself go—dropping gently down into a glimmering black pool surrounded by white light and a soft song.

* * * * *

He could still hear the song playing softly in his ears as he focused on the present again. Mike’s face was white, Rhiannon was crying softly, Rob was sitting beside him, his hand resting on Galen’s arm.

“You died?” Mike said.

“Yeah,” Galen said softly.

“You think that’s the kind of thing your doctor should know?”

“Dad healed me,” Galen said, hearing the bitterness in his voice. “He wasn’t supposed to, if he’d left me dead, Rob would be safe. The
world
would be safe and he and Bobby would still be alive.” Galen sighed.

“Too bad,” It whispered against his heart. “Too bad he didn’t leave you dead, my Emrys Keeper.”

“It’s talking to you,” Rob said quietly.

“Yeah.”

“What?” Rhiannon asked. “What do you mean?”

“It infected him again,” Rob said, looking at her. “While we were at the hospital.”

“Infected?” It was offended. “No, no, returned to my rightful place. We will be great, you and I, when we Become, when we walk this world together.”

“No.” Galen focused inward, trying to stop the pain, trying to still the voice.

“Drink, Galen.”

Galen felt the bottle pressed against his lips, he sipped blindly, wondering when he closed his eyes. The thing was fighting against his spell, but he knew It was losing the battle, It was screaming defiance, but the voice was getting quieter. “Rob?”

“Sleep, Galen, let your spell work, I’ll entertain our guests,” Rob’s voice was gently ironic.

“Thank you.” He opened his eyes and smiled at Rhiannon and Mike. “Sorry, long day.”

“He’s right, Galen, you need to sleep. You were up a lot of last night,” Mike said.

“And the night before that, too,” Rhiannon added. “You can’t run on no sleep, no matter what you think and no matter how many coffees you get from Becci.”

“I don’t know if it’s the coffee or Becci that perks him up,” Rob said with a chuckle.

Galen sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the conversation flow around him as exhaustion, pain and the spell combined and pulled him away to the first dreamless sleep he had known in ten years.

Chapter Seventeen

Sunlight filtering through the curtains woke Galen. He stayed unmoving, enjoying the few moments before he was fully awake, those moments when the bed was perfectly comfortable, exactly the right temperature, the pillow perfectly soft. He also let the dream he’d been having wash over him again—Rob home, and all that went with it.
Odd I had that dream, it felt…maybe because it’s my birthday? I miss him more at birthdays.
He shoved the thought away as he stretched a little. The clink of dishes pulled him fully awake.

“Rhiannon?” he said, opening his eyes. He was lying on the couch, the quilt pulled over him.

“I sent her home. She wanted to stay, and really? Getting rid of her can be quite a trick,” a soft, sardonic baritone answered him.

Galen sat up and looked into the kitchen, blinking away the tears that were suddenly in his eyes. “Rob?”

“Are you okay?” his brother asked, frowning in concern.

“I…uh…”

“Galen? What’s wrong?” Rob looked at him, his eyes unfocused.

“I… Sorry.” He pushed himself up, swaying. “I need to take a shower before we open the shop,” he said quickly, trying to hide the sudden emotion.

“What?” his brother said. “Galen? Lying doesn’t work.”

“It’s stupid,” he said, turning towards his room.

“Galen?” The soft question wouldn’t let him walk away.

“It’s stupid, Rob.” He cleared his throat as his voice hung up on the name. “I thought it was a dream.”

“A dream?” Rob frowned, then his face smoothed out as comprehension lit his eyes. “Nope, not getting rid of me that easy,” he said with a grin. “I don’t think you should work today.”

“I have to open up.”

“You can barely stand.”

“People expect the store open.”

“And I doubt you could heal anyone today,” Rob continued, undaunted.

“The shop needs to be open, Rob,” he said, grabbing the wall as the room flipped over.

Rob looked at him for a long moment. “Fine, I’ll do the heavy lifting and the running. You just tell me what to say. About time I started learning anyway,” he said easily. “Go take your shower.”

Galen grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom, turning the shower on and letting the steam heat the small room. Stepping into the shower, he let the warm water run over his shoulders, easing the knot of tension tied at the base of his neck. He glanced down at this chest, the scar had altered. It was black and pulsing, like something breathing or the beat of a heart in the center of the scar. It ached, right at the edge of a throbbing pain, but it had diminished from the night before. The voice was quiet, even the soft whisper gone for the moment.

“Hey, you drown?” Rob banged on the door.

“I’m okay, Rob, just getting out, sorry.” He quickly toweled off, and before pulling his shirt on, he taped a gauze pad over the black wound in his chest. He’d grabbed a dark t-shirt, just in case the wound started seeping the black fluid again.

Rob was waiting in the living room when he got out. His brother glanced at him, his eyes unfocused. Galen smiled, knowing there was no way to hide the black wound from Rob’s Sight. “I need coffee,” Galen said, hoping to distract Rob. He headed down the stairs and into the shop.

 “I can go get it, Galen, you should…”

“Don’t, Rob, I’m okay.” Galen frowned at his brother as they walked through the store and over to the coffee shop, daring him to say something.

“Yeah, you’re okay. Just great.”

“Morning, Galen, Rob,” Becci said, leaning out the window.

“Holy shit,” Rob said under his breath.

“What’s the theme today, Becci?” Galen asked. She was wearing black hotpants, fishnet stockings and two small skull stickers—just enough to cover her nipples—and nothing else.

“Oh, it’s Goth fantasy.” She smiled at him as she started his coffee. “Americano for Rob, right?” Rob nodded. Galen shoved an elbow in his brother’s ribs.

“Breathe,” Galen said under his breath. “You’re turning red.”

“Thanks,” Rob said, his breath coming out in a long sigh. “Nice outfit.”

“Oh, do you like it? It shows off my tattoos.” She turned so they could see the patterns decorating her back.

“Nice,” Rob said, smiling.

Becci smiled and put Galen’s coffee on the ledge. She set a cupcake beside it. “Happy birthday, Galen,” she said, shyly.

“Thank you, Becci. It’s Rob’s birthday, too.”

“Is it? But you’re not twins? Weird.” She put Rob’s coffee down beside Galen’s. “I didn’t know. Can I give you a flavor? Whipped cream? A muffin?”

“Galen can share.” Rob smiled. “He always takes the bigger piece though, even when I asked nicely,” Rob continued. Galen stared at him—he sounded like he was six.  

A chocolate muffin appeared beside the cupcake. “I didn’t make this, but they’re pretty good.”

“I was kidding.”

“It’s your birthday, you need something. And calories don’t count on the big day.” She winked. “Come back for seconds later.”

“Thanks, Becci,” Galen said, picking up the cupcake and his coffee. The world spun, he took a deep breath and walked carefully back towards the shop, aware of Rob hovering behind him. “I won’t fall down in the middle of the street.”

“You never know.” His brother opened the shop door and held it as Galen walked in. “Sit down,” Rob said. “I’ll open up. I remember how from before.” He smiled as he set his coffee and muffin on the counter, then opened the curtains and turned on the sign. He walked back over to Galen and leaned against the counter. “Happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday, Brat. I don’t have anything for you, yet. I was planning on shopping yesterday.”

“Galen,” Rob swallowed. “I…” He cleared his throat. “I have my brother back, I don’t need anything else. I don’t have anything for you, either.”

“Will you—can you forgive me?”

“Forgive you?” Rob asked, his eyes clouding. “Galen…”

“I’m sorry, Rob, I shouldn’t ask.”

“Shut up,” Rob snapped. Galen blinked in surprise at his brother’s harsh tone. “You’ve asked me that before, and Galen…”

“Rob…”

“What part of shut up do you not get?” Rob said, his eyes flashing. “You don’t need to ask, you have…I can’t…I thought…It’s me…”

“You aren’t making much sense, Rob.”

Rob took a deep breath. “You died for me, Galen. How can you think…?” Rob shook his head. “I didn’t know, Galen, I didn’t hear that.”

“What?”

“That it was in both of us, that it needed both of us. That you’d die, too. I’ve thought that if I’d just died then, you wouldn’t have.”

Galen shook his head. “I’m sorry. There wasn’t time to tell you. And Rob, I would’ve died, had it been in me or not.”

“You don’t know that, Galen. Your Gift might have…” Rob trailed off.

“It’s our way, isn’t it?
Custodes Noctis?
” Galen sighed. “I don’t think the Gift would have helped.”

“Galen…” His brother took a deep breath.

“Hey, what kind of coffee you want this morning?” The shop door banged open and Flash came in. He stopped, looking from Galen to Rob and back again. “Oh my god.”

“Flash, this isn’t the best…”

“Oh my god, the brother.” He took three large steps over to Rob and pulled him into a quick embrace. Galen had to chuckle at the look on his brother’s face. “Good to see you, kid,” Flash said, letting go and slapping Rob on the back. “How’d it happen, Galen?”

Galen smiled. “He was in the hospital, Mike called.”

“You and hospitals, kid. How I saw you last time.” Flash smiled at Rob.

“What?” Rob looked at Galen. “Galen?”

“This is Flash. He plays bass in The Urban Werewolves.”

“Hi,” Rob said.

“Hi, he says. Damn, Galen.” He looked at Galen. “Just damn.”

“Yeah.” Galen smiled at his friend.

“You were responsible for one of the biggest scares I’ve ever had, kid,” Flash said to Rob.

“Flash, shut up,” Galen said.

“What do you mean?” Rob asked.

“Shut up, please, shut up.”

“We were playing a big party,” Flash said, ignoring Galen. “We were taking a break, kicking back, having a drink, you know. Chatting. There was this girl…Never mind. Galen and I were talking and all of a sudden…”

“Shut up!” Galen practically shouted.

“He just drops. Eyes roll up in his head and he was down. It took a second for it to register, you know. Then I checked him, I think one of the girls was screaming. Galen wasn’t breathing and I couldn’t find a pulse, but I’m not very good at that. I was getting ready to start CPR and he takes a big breath. A few seconds later he was awake, but disoriented and muttering about ‘got to get to Rob.’ I had no idea what he was talking about.”

“Galen?” Rob turned to him.

“The car wreck, three years ago. I’m not sure where you were when it happened, but I can tell you the moment your heart stopped for a few seconds.” Galen tried smiling. “Flash insisted on coming with me.”

“Yeah, like you could’ve driven yourself anywhere at that point,” Flash snorted.

“Coming with you?” Rob said softly. “You were there. I thought…You were there. It wasn’t a miracle recovery, it was you.”

“Yeah, I…I should have stayed, but…”

“You were worried. You needed to stay away. You needed to stay dead. That won’t work anymore.” Rob frowned. “You told me, when you saw me the other day the block shattered, why not then?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I might know,” Rob said with a smile.

“Coffee?” Flash said. “No? Sarah’s coming on, I’ll be back.”

“That’s a strategic retreat if I ever saw one.” Rob glanced at Galen.