The Legacy: A Custodes Noctis Book (25 page)

“Good,” the man said. “We can begin soon.”

Galen sat up. The doctor moved quickly across the room and grabbed him, forcing him back down onto the bed. Galen struggled against the hands, trying to make it as believable as possible. The nurse grabbed his arm, Galen felt a cold touch in the woman’s hand, he felt the sting of a push against the port in his hand. And that was all.

He could smell damp burned wood, the scent twisted through returning consciousness. There was also the scent of gasoline.
Maybe I’m in a garage?
Galen opened his eyes. He was in a small room. There was light coming under the door, but no windows, nothing to let him know what time of day it was. Galen pushed himself up. He was still dizzy from whatever they’d given him. He thought he could smell the incense he remembered from the farmhouse coming under the door. Galen wondered how long he’d been out as he slid over to the wall and levered himself up. He was leaning against the wall, waiting for his head to stop spinning, when he heard the latch on the door turn.

He launched himself at the door, knocking down the man who was on the other side. Galen looked around. It might have been a garage or a converted stable. He guessed he was back at the farmhouse—or at least where the farmhouse had been. Galen remembered there were several outbuildings, and hoped Rhiannon would do the same.

There were two doors to his left and three to his right. He turned right and started opening them, looking in, not finding what he was looking for. He headed back the way he’d come, realizing too late the man he had knocked down was up again. He sprang at Galen.

Galen took a swing, knowing it was futile, and braced himself for the hit he knew was coming. It caught him in the stomach, he felt the nearly healed wound in his side pull and his legs went out from under him. He felt himself lifted and dragged back across the floor. “Rob! Rob!” he shouted, hoping his brother would hear, and would know Galen was there, too.

He was tossed back into the room. He hit the floor hard and just stayed still. As he lay there, he tried to reach out for his brother again and just at the edge of his awareness caught a tiny hint of Rob. Pain, fear, despair.
“Rob? I’m here. You’re not alone.”
That was what came through strongest from his brother, the fear he was alone.

The door opened, Galen looked up as the bearded man came into the room. He had a brazier in his hands, it was smoking and Galen knew it was the incense he had smelled at the farmhouse. The man put the brazier down and set a golden cup beside it. The incense drifted around the room, Galen blinked as his mind tried to identify what was in it.
Frankincense, myrrh, pine? Maybe pine, that might be hellebore…

Another man came into the room, carrying a tray. Galen couldn’t see what was on the tray. There was a third man, Galen recognized him.

“Nice nose,” he said with a smirk. The man kicked him. “Where’re the other two? They both dead?” He was kicked again.

“Stop!” the bearded man said. “We must begin.”

The two men wrenched Galen up off the floor. He tried to get a sense of them through the touch, but he could barely “feel” anything.
The incense, there’s something in it, it’s stopping the Gift.
The man with the broken nose pulled the hospital shirt off of Galen. They pulled his left arm out. The bearded man started chanting.

He watched as the bearded man picked up the cup. Galen looked in it and felt relief wash over him when he realized it was empty.
The chanting continued. The bearded man approached him. He had a silver knife in his hand, held the cup under Galen’s arm and sliced deeply into his forearm. Blood ran into the cup. Galen heard himself swearing at them. He felt a little disconnected.
Hellebore and, hmm, what else is in that incense. It’s affecting me pretty fast.
When they were satisfied that they had enough blood, they put the cup back by the brazier.
I wonder how they decide that? Is there a line in there, “fill to here with blood”?

 
The chanting increased in volume. The men holding him tightened their grip on his arms and pulled them away from his body. The bearded man had the knife in his hand again. He took a golden saucer from the tray and put ashes from the brazier in it, then poured a little blood from the cup. He dipped the knife in the mixture and turned to Galen with the saucer in his hands.

Galen closed his eyes, waiting for what would come. He jumped when he felt something run down his chest. The chanting got louder. Another trickle of the liquid down his chest, another and another. The bearded man put his hand over Galen’s heart. He felt the cold of the thing, then the hand was pulled away. The chanting went on.
I think they’re carving symbols into me like Rob.
Galen sagged.
Well, that wasn’t too bad.

Then he felt the touch of the knife again.

It slid slowly along the path of the liquid, drawing a line.
The knife stopped its downward path, then…
Oh gods no.
It slid under his skin and started back up. The knife paused, twisted and began to move again. He heard himself screaming, unable to stop the sound.

He didn’t know how long it went on. He was still conscious, but only just, when they stopped. They wrapped him up in something, then lifted him onto his feet and dragged him out. He was dropped into another room, unable to move. Galen thought he heard something, he listened, someone else was in the room with him.

“It was my birthday,” a voice whispered, sounding like it was talking to itself. “I wish Galen were here. I wonder what they’ll do to me? That scream a little while ago, it sounded like Galen. I wish he were here, I don’t want to die alone.” The voice paused for a minute, Galen heard a sob. “Dying alone will be hard.”

Not believing his ears, Galen pushed himself up onto his right arm. He looked over… “Rob!” He crawled to his brother and gently turned him over. “Rob?” He was limp in his arms. “No. Come on Rob.” Galen lifted a shaking hand to Rob trying to get a sense of how badly his brother was injured. He found a pulse, faint, but there, and nothing else. He pulled his brother against him and put his back against the wall so he could support Rob’s weight. Galen tried to focus the healing into his brother, but he couldn’t bring the light to his hands. The incense had blocked the Gift. “Rob?” he said gently.

“Galen?” Disoriented, confused, still limp, nearly lifeless in his arms.

“Rob, I’m here, it’s okay. Can you hear me? I’m here. It’s okay.”

Rob whimpered. “Galen?”

“I’m here.”

“Can you help me a little? It hurts.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Rob…I…”

“The incense? It affects you too, you can’t heal me, just like I can’t see.”

“I’m so sorry, Brat.” He gently pulled Rob up and put his brother’s head against his shoulder. Galen put his cheek on the top of Rob’s head. “Dad and Uncle Bobby’ll be here soon. I’m sorry,” he said again.

“It’s okay, Galen. We’re together.”

“No matter what, we’re together.” He let his head rest against Rob’s. “I’m sorry Rob, this didn’t go quite as planned, but at least I’m here with you, at least we’re together
.
”
And he let his eyes close.

Chapter Fifteen

“My god,” Mike whispered, the words coming out in a sigh of horror. Galen blinked, he’d forgotten the doctor was even there, forgotten he’d been speaking, the past had suddenly been so close. The old scar was twisting, the pain shooting out from the wound almost in anticipation of what it knew was coming. Mike gave him a wild look and walked over towards him, tugging at his shirt. He pulled it up and ran his hand along the old scars on Galen’s chest. “You were…they…” Mike swallowed, looking sick. “I always wondered, you know, but I never really believed. My god, Galen, they flayed you.”

“Only a little.” Galen tried for a laugh, it came out strangled, his heart had started pounding suddenly. He took a deep breath trying to steady himself.

“Galen?” Rob said softly from beside him. Galen looked over, his brother was frowning, his eyes unfocused. Galen knew Rob was “looking” at him. His brother put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m okay, Rob.”

“No, you’re not,” Rob said, squinting. “Something…” The wound suddenly twisted, deep, driving pain into Galen’s chest. He thought he might have cried out. “Galen?” Rob said anxiously.

The voice was back, whispering to him, trying to force his mind away from his control. “Time, nearly time, I have waited long years for this, Keeper. Our time has come,” It said.
Galen was gasping for air, he could hear Mike shouting, he felt Rhiannon’s hand on his. “Very soon we can finish what you began. Very soon I will have my time, you will give me the gift and we will walk together you and I, you will know me.”

“No,” Galen heard his voice. Rob’s hand left his shoulder and the warm presence of his brother was suddenly gone. He felt himself shifted. Someone was holding onto his wrist. Mike’s voice was anxious, talking to Rhiannon, she was answering, but the words had ceased to make sense.

“They trapped me, held me, but now…now our time is near. We were so close once and you took that away. Not this time. Soon, soon Keeper you will be mine,” It continued.

 
“No.” His own voice again, harsh and grating against his ears.

“Yes, yes, soon. So much to answer for, a long line of pain from you and yours, but you will give me the gift. You denied me once, but you cannot stop it. They made the mistake of keeping you alive and now you are mine…finally mine…” The voice sighed, a sick pleasure in the sound as pain stabbed into Galen, like the blade from so long ago. “Remember this? Yes, you thought you ended it, but…” Laughter filled his mind.

“Drink,” Rob’s voice overrode the laughter. Galen felt something pressed against his lips. “It’s the red bottle.” His brother’s voice was coming from far away.

“Very far away, you are nearly mine now, that will not save you. Nothing can now. Too late, he is mine, you are mine, and soon I will be back to walk and rule as I once did. We have a small task for tonight, Keeper. Something I need to know.”

“No,” Galen’s heard his voice, it had a finality to it. He tried to steady himself, tried to focus and despite everything, he felt his heart slow a beat.

“Galen? What’s going on?” he heard Rob’s voice, anxious, demanding an answer.

“Yes, yes, my Keeper,”
the voice shrieked in his head. Galen remembered the sound.

“No.” Galen wasn’t sure he had spoken aloud. “Rob,” he said to his brother, again unsure. His heart slowed. “Rob, something….” The voice was screaming.

“Not yet. This doesn’t happen now.” Rob’s voice had an edge of steel to it.

“Rob… It wants something,” Galen whispered, wondering if anyone heard him. Another beat slower, he could feel the world slipping away, it felt familiar.

“Yes, perfect, my Keeper.” The voice had the edge of laughter in it.

“How if I’m dead?” Galen asked the voice.

“Your death is later, my Keeper, this is a test,” the voice said.

“What’s happening?” Mike was shouting.

“He’s dying,” Rob snapped. “No, Galen, I won’t let you.”

“Dying? How?”

“I don’t know. Galen are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Mike shouted.

“Galen, no, please no, honey.” That was Rhiannon.

“Rob,” the word sighed out of him as the world began to fade. “Don’t…” The laughter began to increase in volume. Another beat slower. Mike and Rhiannon’s voices faded to murmurs.

“No, Galen.” Oddly, Rob’s voice seemed clearer. There was warmth on the old wound, flowing out, pushing the pain away. The voice was suddenly confused, the laughter fading to a hush. Part of the pain flowed away, outwards. “Galen?” Rob’s voice overrode the pain, the laughter, the angry screams of the voice. There was a pleased, almost triumphant, undercurrent in the voice, but It was angry that it was being slowly silenced. Galen tried to focus.

“No, Galen, not now, not this time,”
Rob’s voice played in his head.
“I won’t let it happen.”

“It wants this, Rob.”

“It doesn’t get your death. Not tonight, Galen,”
Rob’s voice was hard, determined.

 
Galen felt the thing’s hissing voice pulled away from him.
“No, Rob, what are you doing?”
Galen’s heart wouldn’t slow and further, something was gently blocking it, holding him there.
“Rob, Dad and Bobby made a mistake…”

“Yes, they did,”
his brother answered, the words loud in his mind.
“But it’s not the mistake you think.”

“It wants this, whatever you’re doing. Stop, please, Rob.”

“Trust me.”
The warmth flowed beyond the old wound, numbing it. Galen recognized the affects of his spell, but something else was working on it as well. The voice had been pulled away, like a splinter pulled from a wound. He could still sense the edge of it somewhere, but it was away from him.
“Trust me.”
Galen took a deep breath. He struggled against the warmth, against the light, trying to block it like he had his father.
“Please, Galen, trust me.”