The Hunt: A Custodes Noctis Book Page 15

  “Lucky for you I grabbed a change of clothes.”

  “You did?”

  “More than half the time when we go out like this, one of us ends up needing clean clothes.”

  Rob chuckled. “Too true.”

  “And you are not getting into my car smelling like that.”

  “I let you bleed all over the seats of my car two months ago and you hold a little bog water against me?”

  “Do you really want that stink in the car?” Galen asked, stopping by the back of the Jeep, opening it, putting their weapons in and handing Rob the clean jeans, t-shirt and a garbage bag.

  “No.” Rob took the clothes. “I'll tie the bag up tight.”

  “Good idea,” Galen said, walking around the car and getting in. He turned the ignition on and flipped the heater on high. It was starting to put out warm air when Rob got in.

  “I saw a pizza place in town,” Rob said before Galen could speak.

  “You don't want to just head back to the motel?”

  “Too hungry.”

  Something in his tone alerted Galen, he glanced over at his brother. “Rob?”

  “Not the motel, not yet,” Rob said softly.

  “Pizza it is.”

  Galen turned onto the highway into town, the fog was closing in again, shutting off the world except for the car and the few inches that the headlights cut through the mist. A traffic light loomed out of the gray blanket, the occasional street light cast ghostly beams through the mists, illuminating the area under it, making everything around seem darker, less visible. He was beginning to worry that he'd missed the entire business section of town when a bright “open” sign reflected reds and blues into the fog. He pulled into the curb. The business section of the town was less than three blocks long, and he figured they'd be more likely to find what they were looking for on foot.

  “I think it was across the street from the tavern,” Rob said.

  “And where was the tavern?” Galen said, stepping onto the sidewalk.

  “In town?”

  “Helpful, Brat.”

  “I smell it,” Rob piped up after they'd walked past four stores. “Is that a beer sign?”

  Galen squinted into the fog. “You're cheating again.”

  “Just because you won't use the healing for a hangover doesn't mean it's cheating when I use the Sight to find food.” Rob laughed. “Here we are.”

  Galen opened the door. The small restaurant was immaculately clean and smelled of fresh bread and spices. The place was empty, they sat down at a table by the window. “Smells good in here,” Galen said, watching Rob; now that they were sitting down, he realized that his brother wasn't all the way there. He was used to Rob partially checking out when he was researching or meditating, but since the bond was muted, this lack of attention bothered Galen more than usual. He wasn't sure if it was just Rob thinking hard, or the call of the Hunt that was distracting him. “Rob?”

  “Huh?” Rob was staring at a point somewhere over Galen's shoulder. He could see mists swirling through Rob's eyes.

  “You with me?”

  “What?” Rob blinked and shook his head. “Yeah.”

  “Hello,” a man who looked to be in his early thirties said as he approached the table. “Can I get you something to drink?” He put menus on the table.

  “Thanks, just water for now.” Galen quickly looked over the menu. “We'll have the veggie supreme.” The man nodded and Galen waited until he was gone before he turned back to Rob.

  “You understood what they were saying?” Rob asked.

  “Only a little at first, I got most of it once I was hearing through you.”

  “You recognize it?”

  “Yes and no, enough so it eventually made words in my brain.”

  “It was a variant of Old English.”

  “What?”

  “It was!” Rob said, enthusiasm lighting his eyes. “But it's evolved, they've added some interesting words that weren't present in the original dialect.” He trailed off with a grin. “That's what was probably that throwing you off.”

  “Yeah, I'm sure that's what it was, Brat. I can read the language, I needed it for my Ph.D.”

  “Yeah, I know. My accent sucks. I told my professor that he was mispronouncing the word for sacrifice. And he said—um, never mind what he said—let's just say I ended up in front of the department chair.” He chuckled.

  “Of course you did.” Galen frowned when he saw the fog cloud his brother's eyes again. “Hey.”

  “I'm here.” Rob smiled. “It's harder than I thought, staying focused.”

  “Bells?”

  “And a song. I hear the horses, too.”

  “I understand,” Galen said quietly. “Rob...” He stopped what he was about to say as the waiter approached the table with their food.

  The man put the pizza down and glanced at Rob. Almost as if it had moved on its own, his hand rose and touched the odd burn mark on Rob’s forehead. “How did you escape?” he said softly. He dropped his hand and turned to leave, Galen grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

  “What do you mean?” Galen kept his voice conversational, even though there was no way the man could escape his grasp.

  “Please let me go,” the man said, trying to pull away.

  “Sit down.” Galen pulled him down to a chair.

  “I can't,” he said, casting a wild glance around the empty restaurant. “If they see me, I'm dead.”

  “If who sees you?” Rob asked.

  “The servants.”

  “Servants?”

  “Yes, how did you escape them?” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Once they took Chris, he never escaped.”

  “When did he die?” Galen asked.

  “Seven years ago.”

  “You're lying,” Rob said, frowning at him.

  “No, I'm not!”

  “Yes, you are.” Rob leaned forward. “About something.”

  “No.” The man was shaking his head, staring at the table. Without warning, he grabbed Rob's left arm. “Oh my god!”

  “Let him go,” Galen growled.

  “You're Custodes Noctis!” A hesitant smile lit his face. “Not vassals? Actual Custodes Noctis?”

  “Yes. I'm Galen Emrys, that's my brother Rob.”

  “I'm Jeff Owain.” The smiled broadened.

  “Tell us about Chris. Was he your brother?” Galen picked up a piece of pizza and put it on a plate for Rob, shoving it in front of him.

  “Cousin, but more like a brother.” Jeff looked away. “Seven years ago, they took him. I found him the next day out at the bog.”

  “We've been there.”

  “He was dead, but...”

  “But?”

  “I don't think he was dead.”

  “What do you mean?” Galen asked, glancing at Rob. His brother was picking at the pizza, staring at the table.

  “This'll sound crazy.” Jeff laughed bitterly. “Well, maybe not to you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I've seen him.”

  “Seen him?” Galen frowned, Rob was methodically tearing the pizza to bits.

  “The first time was right after it happened. I went out there one night. I guess I was planning to leave a stone or something for a memorial, you know. I honor the traditions.” He paused for a moment. “I heard horses, they caught me there and dragged me to the edge of the water.”

  “The horses?” Galen said. Rob finished with the piece of pizza and started shredding a napkin.

  “No, the each uisge. Then riders came, you know. One of them got off his horse, he had a curved knife in his hand. The each uisge held me,” Jeff said, rubbing his wrist. Galen noticed faint scars on both wrists. “And when he got to me, I swear—no, I know. It was Chris. He whispered ‘run’ to me, then his face changed, he said something to the each uisge and they let me go, and I ran. I went back once or twice after that, I thought I saw him watching. I don’t know. He was Chris and he wasn’t, if you know what I mean?”
/>
  Galen thought of the man who'd slit Rob's throat, who'd stood before him with his face shifting. “I do know. Was he buried?”

  “Yes, at the King's Chapel.”

  “King's Chapel?” Galen asked. Rob had found another napkin and was tearing it apart.

  “It's at the other end of town.”

  “The Romanesque one?”

  “That's it. I'll get you the address. I'll help however I can. The Owain family once served the Custodes Noctis, and I will. Would you like some coffee? On the house. The pizza is too.”

  “Thanks.” Galen smiled as Jeff went to get the pot. “Good pizza,” he said to Rob. His brother was shredding another piece of the pizza. He didn’t look up, just stayed focused on the act of destruction he was accomplishing. Jeff brought the coffee back, along with a pile of napkins which he dropped in front of Galen with a smile.

  Galen took another bite of pizza. Rob was shredding his way through the new pile of napkins. Three napkins later, Rob picked up his fork. Something buzzed through their connection, but Galen wasn't fast enough to stop Rob from driving the fork into his left hand, the tines piercing the flesh between the thumb and forefinger.

  “Rob!” Galen was out of his chair, pulling the fork from his brother’s hand. “What's going on?” he said, pressing one of the last whole napkins down on the wound on Rob’s hand.

  “Galen?” Rob sounded confused. He looked down at his hand, where the blood was already saturating the napkin, then up at Galen. “What happened?”

  “Hold still.” Galen laid his hand over Rob's and focused the healing into the wound. A cold fog blocked the light for a moment before Galen could push his way past it. “Jeff?”

  “Yeah?” he answered as he came out from the back and walked towards their table, stopping in his tracks when he saw the bloody napkins. “Do you need the first aid kit?”

  “No, I got it,” Galen said with a smile.

  “What happened?” Jeff asked.

  “The napkins got boring.”

  “Did I do that?” Rob looked from his hand to Galen.

  “You did.”

  “Great.” Rob flexed his hand.

  “Sorry I wasn't fast enough to stop you. What happened?”

  “I was listening.” Rob frowned. “An old song of the Hunt. I could hear them, the song was about the blood, the sacrifice.” His voice was dreamy, a soft smile on his face.

  “They demanded blood?”

  “They asked for it,” Rob corrected him.

  “Let's go. Jeff, can you pack up the pizza?” Galen said.

  “Sure, let me get a box.”

  “Thanks.” Galen stood and pulled Rob to his feet. “I'm going to get the address of the chapel. No forks while my back's turned.”

  “Yeah.” Rob stepped away from the table and looked out the windows.

  “Is he okay?” Jeff asked.

  Galen shrugged. “Where's the chapel?”

  “Which way did you come into town?”

  “From the south.”

  “Okay, flip a U and turn right at the stop light, go up one block and turn left. It's down six blocks.” He smiled. “If you need any help, anything, even just free pizza delivery, let me know.”

  “Thanks, Jeff, we will.” Galen took the box from him and headed towards the door. If the feorhbealu called other creatures there, they'd need all the help they could get. “Rob?”

  “I'm here.” Rob opened the door. “How did you know about the church? We couldn't see anything when we came into town.”

  “I remember it from when we were here seven years ago. Bobby gave me a lecture on Romanesque architecture in general and the preferences of the Victorians.” Galen grinned. “Dad started in too, I felt like I was in an art history lecture.”

  “Fun.”

  “I did get even later, I found...” Galen trailed off, remembering finding the herbs and lecturing his father and uncle on what they were and what they were used for.

  “Galen?”

  “Sorry, Brat. I found plants that were used in magic—some very rare, they shouldn't have been out here at all. They were growing in a faerie ring.”

  “Used in the ritual?”

  “Maybe at one time. They wouldn't need them if the new member dies when they join.”

  “But when Custodes Noctis used to join as King and Champion, they didn't die, they passed into the Between World, soul and body. Stephen said some Keepers returned to the Hunt several times. Once the rituals are performed, the Keepers retain the ability to move between planes.”

  “But?”

  “What?” Rob said, opening the door to the Jeep and getting in.

  “There's more, I can hear it in your voice.” Galen put the pizza on the back seat, got in and turned the engine on. He cautiously pulled out and made a U turn, unable to see into the fog, he was waiting for something to run into him as he turned. “Rob?” He could sense the uncertainty in Rob, the fear. He'd sensed worry and even fear from his brother before, but the uncertainty was so rare he glanced at his brother. “You're worried.”

  “I am. I was so sure, Galen, when I talked with Stephen. I thought you could escape them, that we'd be able to take control of the Hunt.”

  “And now?”

  “I don't know. The call is stronger than I thought it would be.”

  “You're already losing yourself to the king,” Galen said softly, knowing the truth before Rob spoke.

  Rob stared out the windshield, the bleak look back on his face. “I am.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Rob

  The thick fog hid the buildings as they drove through town. Rob tried to stay focused, but the soft chiming of bells and the quiet song were slowly pulling him away. It worried him, the song was similar to the spell Blake had given him to make the each uisge see him as the fallen Keeper long enough to make that irrevocable choice. He knew it was intended to begin his transformation to the king—knowing he was already losing the fight to that call caused a ripple of fear to run along his skin.

  Even so, he didn't regret the choice. One thing he hadn't told Galen, something Stephen had explained to him, was that once a fallen Keeper joined the Hunt as king, they never escaped—even the ones who wanted to leave were trapped in the Between World. It was a punishment, after all. What was worrying Rob, and why he had willingly changed placed with his brother is that Stephen had made it clear that even if Galen joined voluntarily he would be kept there as a member of the Hunt. Even if they met the older rituals when the Keepers came and went, Galen would still be trapped. Rob was hoping that if Galen joined as king's champion Rob could somehow keep Galen from being trapped when it was over. Rob had no idea how long he could keep that information from his brother, Galen had a sixth sense about that kind of thing, not just because of their connection—it seemed to work with everyone around him.