The Hunt: A Custodes Noctis Book Read online

  “I think Flash is up to something,” Galen said, breaking the silence.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don't know, there was something in his voice when he called.”

  “Like?”

  “I'm not sure, I just have a funny feeling.” Galen glanced over at him. “More than one, actually.”

  “Galen...” Rob broke off, he could see something moving in the fog, light and shadow playing around a building. “There it is.”

  Galen turned into a small parking lot. Rob got out as soon as they stopped. A raven croaked from somewhere to Rob’s left, he could hear the voices of crows echoing in the soft evening light, and somewhere beneath it all, the sound of bells, of horses and singing and the baying of hounds. Movement caught his eye, he looked up at the roof just as a raven landed. It cocked its head to the side, laughing softly.

  “Rob?” Galen said, coming up beside him.

  “I'm here.” Rob led the way to the dark red door and opened it, stepping into the foyer of the chapel. It smelled of incense, the interior lit by low lights and flickering candles. The entrance was screened from the rest of the building by a set of frosted glass doors, an intricate pattern of intertwining vines etched in the panels.

  “Wait.” Galen stepped in front of him and laid a hand on the door, he closed his eyes and Rob saw the quicksilver around Galen shift as he used his Gift to reach beyond the glass to sense what was there. After a moment, he lifted his hand away and opened the door. Rob stepped forward and looked into chapel. He nodded to Galen to let him know it was clear, knowing his brother's intentions without asking.

  He followed Galen into the chapel, glancing around. There was a shimmering golden line on the floor that led to a raised platform at the front of the building. “Can you see that?”

  “What?”

  “The line on the floor?”

  Galen looked down and frowned. “Yes, I can.”

  “Can I help you?” a woman said, appearing from a recessed alcove on the platform.

  Rob was drawn to the effigy on the platform, he brushed past Galen and stopped beside it, watching the colors play around the human figure carved from stone. It was old, it had the deep shine of something ancient, something touched by magic for long centuries. He reached out to touch it, watching as his hand moved through the swirling colors like it was passing through waters rippling with sun and shadow. His hand came into contact with the stone, it was warm, the magic flowing around it, heating it from within. There was a deep thrum of power there, the stone had been witness to myriad rituals over its vast existence. He could see some of what it had witnessed swirling over the stone—mists, horses pawing at the earth, the Hunt poised to ride, other creatures waiting and watching as the Hunt gathered. Without warning one of the feorhbealu was there, racing through the landscape, the Hunt turned, but the thing sensed Rob, it stopped and turned towards him, a growl rumbling through the stone, the colors moving around it altered as the thing focused on him. It held him transfixed, the touch of its darkness curling through his body. The feorhbealu started moving towards him, slowly becoming visible. It was far more horrifying than the thing they'd fought in the park, far more terrifying than the Old One they had faced the year before. It knew what he was becoming, and he knew it would kill him before he could take his place with the Hunt if it could.

  “Rob!” Rough shaking accompanied the shout. The healing flooded him, slamming through his body like a physical blow. “Look at me!” His head was wrenched around. “Rob, focus!” Rob blinked, the dark landscape faded away and Galen swam into his line of sight.

  “Here,” Rob said, taking a deep breath.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “Who are you?” the woman asked. Rob had forgotten her. She stepped closer, looking at them.

  “I'm Galen Emrys,” Galen said, moving in front of Rob. “He's my brother, Rob.”

  “Emrys?” A smile lit her face. “Welcome! Welcome! Custodes Noctis here! I've hoped sometime you'd come. I am Vivian Owain.”

  “Owain? Are you related to Jeff?” Galen asked.

  “He's my nephew.” She glanced around the chapel, as if checking to see if they would be overheard. “Chris was my son. I've served at the chapel since he... Since he was taken.”

  Rob saw the hesitation moving through her. “Voluntarily?” he whispered, matching her tone.

  Vivian shook her head. “My family has served the Custodes Noctis before, but this is different. The ones who took my son, they do not ride to...” She stopped abruptly, her face going white.

  “What's going on?” a voice asked. Rob turned to face the speaker. She was tall, her dark hair flowing to her hips. Power surged around her, and something else. He recognized it now, having met Stephen Blake; the woman was human but the colors of the Fae moved through her as well.

  Rob knew who—and what—she was. “Priestess,” he said, meeting her eyes.

  “Why do you violate the Chapel, Keeper?” she hissed, anger sparking through the air.

  “We come to honor those that ride.”

  “Honor?”

  “Yes, before we ride with them.” Rob was aware of Galen standing behind him. His brother was barely an inch taller, but it felt like he was towering over Rob, a solid, very threatening presence at his back.

  “Ride with them?” she spat, moving closer to Rob, one hand outstretched.

  “Stay back,” Galen said quietly.

  “You cannot stop me.”

  “Oh, yes, I can.” Galen stepped in front of Rob. “And I will.”

  “The Hunt has accepted us, the first ritual has been met,” Rob stated.

  “They accepted you?” Her demeanor changed, the anger disappearing and in its place anticipation. “Custodes Noctis will ride by choice?”

  “As it once was.”

  “As it will be, it is good, it is right, it is joy,” she said softly, raising her hand in a salute. She smiled gently and reached out, her hand brushing Rob's arm before pulling away. He closed his eyes as a small jolt of energy flowed through him. Galen's hand was suddenly on his shoulder, supporting him as he swayed.

  “Don't touch him again,” Galen growled.

  “Please wait,” she said. Rob heard her moving away, soft bells chiming as she opened a door somewhere in the chapel.

  “Rob?”

  “I'm okay,” he said, drawing a breath. Her touch had brought the mists back, he shook his head, trying to push them away. “Part of the ritual, I think.”

  “She touches you again, and I'll take her hands off.” From the way Galen said it, Rob knew it wasn't a threat, he meant it and was completely capable of fulfilling the promise of action.

  “I know, I don't think she will, at least not now.”

  “I don't care when, Rob.”

  “You offered to ride with the Hunt?” Vivian asked from beside them.

  “Yes.” Rob smiled at her.

  “Why?”

  “To reclaim it,” Galen said gently, laying his hand on her shoulder. “We'll ride as they were intended, to hunt the darkness that we can't fight in this plane.”

  “The legends are true?” she gasped. “Keepers once rode with the Hunt by choice?”

  “They did, and we will.”

  “My son, can he be reclaimed?”

  “Perhaps,” Rob offered. “I promise you we will do all we can.”

  “That is more than I could ever hope. Thank you.”

  “We'll free you, as well.” Galen smiled.

  A door closed somewhere, the soft thump loud in the chapel. Vivian smiled and nodded before turning and walking away. The priestess returned as the older woman disappeared through the door at the side of the platform. Rob turned back to the woman, she bowed slightly as she stopped in front of them, a large glass bottle full of iridescent liquid in her hands. She held it out to Rob, Galen took it.

  “To prepare you,” she said quietly. “A cup tonight, one tomorrow midday and then before
the ritual tomorrow night.”

  “I understand.”

  “The ritual meal will await you when you return to the motel.”

  “Good,” Rob said. He waited until she bowed again, then walked quickly out of the building, needing the cold air outside to help him focus. He leaned against the jeep, breathing deep, drawing the air into his lungs, letting the smell of fir trees and damp leaves fill him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the experience of the physical world, using that to help quiet the call of the Hunt that was now thundering through his mind and throbbing in his body.

  “Hey.” Galen put a hand on his shoulder. “Let's go.”

  “Yeah,” Rob said, opening his eyes and smiling at his brother. “What were you doing?”

  “Poking around.” Galen grinned. He opened the door and put the bottle of liquid on the floor, waiting until Rob climbed in before heading around to the driver's side. When he turned the car on, he shoved a CD into the player, loud music blasted into the cab.

  “Thanks.” Rob hadn't needed to ask—the heavy metal music drowned out the song of the Hunt. He closed his eyes and let the complex guitar solo distract him as Galen headed back to the motel. His brother was humming along with the solo, when the lyrics began, Galen started singing. Rob smiled, his brother's tastes in music were eclectic to say the least. Classical, various kinds of rock, even opera. He just hoped he'd be spared the “baroque complexities of early metal music” lecture for the day.

  “Shit,” Galen said under his breath several songs later.

  “What?” Rob opened his eyes and sat up. They were pulling into the hotel parking lot. He followed his brother's glance and saw the black SUV parked beside their spot. “Is that...?”

  “Flash,” Galen growled. A wave of annoyance bordering on anger boiled through their connection. He pulled up beside Flash's car, calmly turned the jeep's engine off, opened the door and got out. Flash was out and around his car as soon as Galen's feet hit the ground, an expectant grin on his face. Galen grabbed Flash and shoved him against the car. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I take it from this reaction, things are even worse than I thought?” Flash inquired with a smile.

  “I left you in charge of my shop!” Galen shook him.

  “Yeah, you did, I delegated.”

  “To? Don't say Rhiannon.”

  “Galen?” Rob said quietly, walking up beside his brother and Flash. “We're being watched,” he added silently.

  “Who?” Galen replied, letting go of Flash as if Rob had stopped him.

  “A man over by the archway. I think we should go to the room.”

  “Get your stuff and get upstairs, Flash,” Galen said, stepping back.

  “My stuff's already in my room.” Flash grinned. “Next door to yours.”

  Galen threw his hands up and stalked off, Flash followed him. Rob paused, watching the man standing by the archway. Some of the same patterns he'd seen around the priestess flowed around him. A raven croaked overhead, Rob glanced up, the bird was sitting on the roof of the motel. When he looked back towards the arch, the man was gone.

  “Rob!” Galen called from the walkway outside their room.

  “Coming.” He walked up the stairs and into the room. Flash was leaning against the wall by the door to the balcony, a smile on his face. Rob wasn't fooled, he could see the nervousness in Flash's stance. Galen was pacing in front of him. “What's going on?” Rob said, closing the door.

  “You didn't leave Rhiannon in the shop did you?” Galen asked.

  “No,” Flash said, swallowing.

  “What?” Galen narrowed his eyes.

  “Well, I did call her and she came by, but while I was telling her about stuff, this priest came in. Said he was looking for Rob, when I told him you were out here, he got this weird look and left without another word. Rhiannon said that was a bad sign and went off to find Greg and Mike, and I called...”

  “Who?”

  “Pete and Sean, of course.”

  “Pete and Sean? You left those two idiots in charge of the shop?”

  “Fuck no, do you think I'm stupid?”

  “That remains to be seen,” Galen grumbled.

  “I told Becci, too, she said she'd keep Sean and Pete in line. Pete's terrified of her.”

  “Wait, did you say Rhiannon is getting Mike and Greg? To do what?” Rob asked over Galen's groan.

  “She said they would be out.”

  “They would be out? Gods.” Galen groaned louder and sank into one of the chairs by the table, dropping his head into his hands.

  “Galen?”

  “I don't know whether to laugh or kill someone. My head hurts.” Galen sighed and looked up. “Relax, Flash, it's okay.”

  “Really?” Flash sagged in relief and sat down in the other chair. “What's in here?” He picked up the bottle the priestess had given them and turned it upside down, watching the viscous liquid as it moved.

  “I don't know.” Galen took the bottle from him and started to open it.

  “No!” Rob snatched it from him, then looked at it in surprise. “Sorry.”

  “You okay?” Flash asked, frowning at him.

  “Yes,” Rob said,

  “No,” Galen spoke in the same moment.

  “Right.” Flash nodded. “That's what I thought. Do you tell me? Or do I guess?”

  The room's phone buzzed, Galen picked it up. “Yes? Oh? Yes.” He waited for a moment and replaced the receiver in the cradle. “Dinner's waiting for us.”

  “Dinner? I'm ravenous.” Flash jumped up. “What?”

  “Ravenous?” Rob asked with a laugh, trying to dispel the uncomfortable feeling suffusing his body. Each step along the ritual path seemed to pull him further towards oblivion.

  “Got a word-of-the-day calendar, that was yesterday's word.” Flashed grinned.

  The restaurant was across the parking lot from their room. Flash walked beside Galen, Rob trailed behind. He watched his brother, worry flowed around Galen, even bubbling through the muted bond. There was tension as well, Rob rarely saw it, but Galen was wound tight, ready to strike out at something. When they reached the restaurant, Galen held up a hand to stop them, and walked into the building first, then motioned them to join him. There were few diners in the large room. A fire burned in a fireplace in the far corner.

  “Welcome,” the hostess greeted them with a wide smile. “I will show you to your table.” She frowned when Flash stopped beside Galen. “Is your servant dining with you?”

  “Yes, of course,” Rob said. She nodded and led the way to an alcove set behind the fireplace.

  “Your what? I'm a what?” Flash demanded from behind him.