The Legacy: A Custodes Noctis Book (38 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

The rain had stopped by the time they reached the site of the ritual. The all-pervading damp was still there, sending a soft ache into the scar tissue on Galen’s chest. He rolled his shoulders and looked out the window at the dark place. He could just make out the ring of stones in the glow cast by the headlights. Something that felt like an inaudible rumble flowed through him, the remnants of the ritual, of the Old One, still moving through the place. Galen could sense the emotion from Rob. His brother was worried. “I’m okay, Rob,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.” Rob looked over at him, then laid his hand on Galen’s arm. “You’re lying.”

“Not too much,” Galen said, smiling. “It has to be done.”

“I still wish you’d let me do it,” Rob muttered. Galen looked at his brother as another set of headlights swept over the place. He raised his eyebrows and met Rob’s eyes. “Okay, fine.” Rob grinned. “Rhiannon, Flash and Mike are here.”

“We don’t really need babysitters.” Galen got out of the jeep and walked around to the back, waiting for Rob to open it.

“They seem to think we do,” Rob said, laughing. His mood was catching and Galen felt an answering chuckle in his chest. “I guess I could’ve messed with Rhiannon’s car, but then I would have had to sabotage Mike’s and Flash’s.”

“And take their credit cards so they couldn’t rent one,” Galen added.

“So, letting them come along seemed like a better idea.” Rob opened the back. “I got everything I think we need.”

“I’ll say,” Galen said, looking into the jeep. Rob had their swords, several additional blades, a large box full of herbs and charms and some smaller items scattered in the back. Galen reached in and grabbed his sword, pausing as the song flowed up his arm and behind his eyes. He leaned against the car for a moment as the dizziness passed. “I wonder how long that goes on?”

“I don’t know.” Rob picked his sword up and closed his eyes. “It could be inconvenient.”

“I didn’t notice it during the ritual,” Galen said as they walked towards Rhiannon’s car.

“We might have been a little distracted at that point.”

“Maybe.” Galen laughed softly. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen, maybe you three should stay back here,” he said as they approached their friends.

“Yeah, sure. Of course we will.” Flash looked at him. “Not.”

“He said it.” Rhiannon smiled.

“I agree,” Mike chimed in.

“Fine,” Galen said, smiling. “Just be careful, and if something looks like it’s going sour, for gods’ sake, run. Promise that.”

“We’ll run. Right guys?” Flash said, looking from Rhiannon to Mike and back again.

“Flash…” Galen growled.

“Oh, no. Fuck no, not leaving you, Galen. Just get over it. Okay? You and Rob are the pros, we get that, but we’re here to back you up, and back-up doesn’t run.”

“Especially the doctor,” Mike said.

“Right,” Rhiannon agreed.

“Okay,” Rob said, “but be careful.” He turned to Galen. “Are you ready? The moon’s starting to rise.” When Galen hesitated, Rob put a hand on his back. “Galen?”

“I’m ready.” He looked at Rob, trying to ignore the growing tingle of darkness simmering beneath his feet.

“What?” Rob asked.

“Nothing.” Galen walked towards the circle, memories of the ritual playing in front of his eyes. He stopped at the mark the Old One made when it fell. Darkness flowed out of the ground, running up his legs, exploding in his chest. He felt the impact with the ground as his knees slammed into the earth.

“Galen!” Rob’s hand was on his arm, supporting him.

“It’s okay.”

“No, no, it’s not. This was a mistake. Rhiannon!”

“No, Rob. Help me up. We have to cleanse this place. If we don’t…” Galen broke off, wondering if he should tell his brother what was left lurking under the blackened soil. “Help me up.” Rob pulled him to his feet and left a steadying hand under his elbow. “I need the herbs.” Galen held out his hand before his brother could object.

“Okay.” Rob acquiesced too easily. Galen looked at his brother for a long moment. “I heard you, Galen. About what’s left,” Rob said softly. “I’m not sure you can keep stuff like that from me.”

“That might be a pain in the ass,” Galen grumbled. He took the black velvet bag of herbs from Rob. Galen carefully sprinkled the area where the Old One had died, then walked to the altar. The vision of his hands sinking into Rob’s chest was suddenly before his eyes. His hands started shaking as a sense memory—warm liquid, the resistance of Rob’s ribs—crept into his awareness. He took a deep breath and covered the altar with herbs.

“I have the candles. I already lit them at the place where It died.” Rob carefully put the candles onto the altar. He lit them and turned to Galen. “Are you sure?” He smiled. “Of course you are. I’m ready.”

Galen placed his hands on his sword, right hand on the hilt, left holding the blade. He stopped. “I’ve never done this before, Rob,” he admitted.

“Have you ever raised an army of the dead before?” Rob clapped him on the back. “Just start. I’m sure it’ll be like the other.”

“How will you know…”

“What to do?” Rob finished for him. “I’ve read the ritual. Remember I planned to do this by myself. I’ll follow your lead, Galen.”

“As will we,” Parry’s form shimmered into existence beside them, joined an instant later by Bobby and a third man. Galen recognized him—the First Emrys.

“Thank you,” Galen said. He took a deep breath and tightened his hand on the hilt of the sword. He let his eyes close, aware of the pulsing of dark evil under his feet, slowly filling the circle again. With another breath he began to sing, the song flowing out of him as if it were part of him. Reality wavered, the song grew in intensity.

He felt Rob’s hand on his shoulder, heard his brother’s voice join his. Power surged through him, light began to pool at his feet, he heard other voices, a counterpoint to the song he and Rob were singing. The power began to build, the light slowly engulfing him. The darkness was pushing in on him trying to reach him through the light. A single cold claw of the dark touched him, he thought he felt himself fall, but he wasn’t aware of his body. The song filled him completely, surrounded him.

Galen continued, waiting for the moment, and it was suddenly there. He let the song change, and the power that had been gathering exploded outwards, washing the circle in a huge wave of light, chasing the darkness away, from the shadows of the stones, from the dark place where the Old One had died. Galen felt a shriek echo out of the earth, a final strand of something lashed out, wrapping him briefly in the dark, then disappeared into the night.

“What are you doing? Check on Galen first,” Rob’s voice was harsh. “Help me up.”

“He’s alive, Rob,” Mike answered. “Galen?”

“I know he’s alive,” Rob snapped. “Galen?” he said gently. Galen felt his brother drop down beside him, then Rob’s hand on his head and chest a moment later. White light flowed out, touching the spots of darkness lingering in his body. The light increased. “Thanks for the help, Dad, Emrys,” Rob said. Galen let the healing flow through him, floating a little as it took away the ache in his head and chest. “Galen?”

“Here,” Galen said, opening his eyes. “You have blood on your face.”

“I got hit by a piece of the altar,” Rob said with a grin.

“What?” Galen held out his hand, Rob helped him sit up. He looked around. “What happened?” Galen asked, looking over at Flash. His friend was sitting on the ground, shaking his head.

“You… You just… I mean, I knew… I saw during the other ritual… But I never thought…” Flash stopped every few words, Galen wondered if his friend thought he was finishing the sentences.

“Flash?”

“Holy living fuck, Galen,” Flash said, focusing on him.

“I’d like to agree with that,” Rhiannon said, crouching down beside Galen.

“What?” Galen looked at his brother, Rob quirked an eyebrow at him. “Well, Brat? What?”

“Galen, I never… And I was…” Flash continued.

“Did he get hit on the head?” Galen asked the group at large.

“We all did,” Mike said. Galen noticed cuts on the doctor’s forearm.

“I just don’t… I mean… It fucking exploded.” Flash was shaking his head again.

“What exploded?” Galen said quietly, suppressing the urge to shout at them. “Rob?” His brother pulled him to his feet.

“The altar and the stones, Galen.”

“They what?” Galen looked over where the altar had been, nothing was left but an indentation in the ground. The circle of stones was gone, the clearing scattered with bits of broken rock.

“Exploded,” Rob said.

“Exploded?” Galen walked to the indentation, the echoes of darkness were gone from the place. He felt a tiny whisper of something, then it was gone, slipping through the night.

“Exploded. Blasted apart like you’d filled them with dynamite,” Rhiannon said, walking up. “You did it.”

“No, Rob, Dad, Bobby and Emrys did it.” Galen put his arm around her and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

“No, Galen Emrys. You did this. You did what I couldn’t, what none of us could.” The First Emrys was there in front of him. “We helped, but you did this. You and your brother.” He reached out and laid a shimmering hand on Galen’s shoulder. “We will wait until you call us to serve again.” He slowly disappeared, his form blending with cloud-muted stars.

“He’s right, Galen,” Rob said quietly.

“He is indeed. We’ll see you at home,” Bobby said, Parry nodded.

The whisper touched him again. Galen closed his eyes and focused on it. It was connected to the place, somehow, but the echo was faint. He concentrated, reaching out along the line of the connection, feeling his way.

“The first clearing,” Rob suddenly said.

“What?” Galen opened his eyes and glanced at his brother.

“The first ritual, the very first, Galen. There’s something still there.”

“Dad and Bobby cleansed the place,” Galen said, shaking his head. “And you’d think if there was anything left, it would be at the farmhouse, at the place of the second ritual.”

“We need to go back,” Rob said quietly. “If we go now, we can be there by tomorrow moonrise. Maybe a little sooner, depending on speed limits.” He grinned at Galen. “You can sleep in the car.”

“I don’t need to sleep, Rob. I’m fine.”

“Well, I’m not,” Flash said from behind them. “You don’t think you two are going anywhere without us, do you?”

“We can handle this,” Rob said.

“I’m sure you can, doesn’t mean we aren’t going,” Rhiannon said, frowning at them.

“Thank you,” Galen said quietly, looking at their friends, a rush a of gratitude warming him. “We need to do this alone.”

“Galen…” Flash met his eyes for a long moment. “Okay, Rhiannon can drop me off and I’m going to go get drunk. Really, really stinking drunk. I’ll see you in a couple of days, assuming I’m not in an alcohol-induced coma.”

“Flash?” Galen looked at his friend.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine by the third shot.” He walked over and gave Galen a brief hug. “I’ll make sure the shop’s open at ten tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks.” Galen watched Flash walk towards Rhiannon’s car. “I’m okay,” he said to Mike as the doctor pulled a stethoscope out of his pocket. “Go with Flash.”

“Galen? Are you sure?” Mike was peering at him.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He smiled and waited as the doctor followed Flash.

“I’ll see you later, honey,” Rhiannon said. She pulled out her keys and walked away.

“Do you think they’re heading home?” Rob asked.

“I think they’re going to wait about half an hour and follow us, actually. Rhiannon knows where it is.” The whisper was back, pulling at him. “We need to go, you’re right,” he said to Rob. His brother nodded. Galen picked up his sword, looking at the blood on the blade. “Where did that come from?”

Rob shook his head, laughing. “Your hand, genius.” Galen looked down in surprise at the slice in his hand. The wound was already healing.

“You’re getting good at fixing things like that,” Galen said as they walked to the car. He put his sword in the back and dropped into the passenger seat with a sigh. “Do you want me to drive?”

“I’m fine, you get some sleep.”

“I don’t need to sleep,” Galen grumbled, the words were hardly out of his mouth before he heard a soft snore.
Was that me?

Sunlight on his face woke him. Galen looked out the window, forest was slipping by, broken occasionally by a single house or pasture. “Hey,” he said quietly.

“Welcome back.” Rob looked over with a grin. “There’s coffee in the thermos.”

“Thanks.” Galen poured himself a cup. “When did we get coffee? And a thermos?”

“I always have a thermos. I stopped for coffee about an hour ago. I figured you’d have to get up soon.”