The Hunt: A Custodes Noctis Book (4 page)

“I think the words, but somewhere between my brain and my mouth they stop.”

“Galen’s blocking us, isn’t he?” Bobby asked, incredulously.

“Yeah, it has to be him. I’ve wondered if we could get into physical proximity with Rob, if we could force through the block. I don’t know. For all I know, if we tried to leave we’d just drive in circles. I think he’s blocking Rob too—I mean, Rob’s never asked to come back, I don’t think that’s just grief, I think it’s because he
can’t.
”

“How can Galen do that?”

“He’s determined not to let the Legacy come to fruition, he’s sure that he’s one of the Keepers of the saga, but he thinks as long as he stays dead, as long as he’s separated from Rob…”

“There are other ramifications, Parry.”

“I know,” Parry sighed sadly, then shook himself, they talked about it on a regular basis, but the despair creeping into his soul felt different. “Bobby? Do you see anything?”

“Funny you should ask, the mist, there’s an odd tinge to it.”

“Odd tinge?”

“Dark, cold.” Bobby turned and gazed down the path to the beach. “It’s affecting us, whatever it is, isn’t it?”

“Might be,” Parry agreed. He started down the trail, listening for any movement, aware of a cold damp slowly seeping into him, something that had nothing to do with the fog or the waves crashing just out of sight. Somewhere over his head a raven called, its harsh croak the only sound other than the surf.

“Dad!” Galen’s voice slammed into Parry with physical force. “Dad?” the call came through the mists, amplified by Galen’s power, Parry heard it clearly in his head.

“Galen!” Parry shouted. “Bobby!” He hadn’t needed to call his brother, Bobby was already on the way, just a few steps behind him as they raced down the path Galen had taken.

The raven’s croak echoed around Parry as he ran through the dark trees. He glanced around, trying to find Galen. When they broke through the trees and into the grass on the beach, Parry stopped for a moment and waited for Bobby, knowing that the Sight would allow Bobby to located Galen long before Parry could.

“Over there!” Bobby pointed to the right, down by the driftwood cast up by the waves.

Parry turned and ran through the grass, the sand slowing his progress. As he came around a large trunk, he spotted Galen, lying in the sand, face down. “Galen!” He ran to his son, slamming to his knees beside him. He gently turned Galen over as Bobby knelt beside him.

“He’s almost gone,” Bobby said breathlessly, fear coloring his voice.

“Galen?” Parry laid his hand on Galen’s head, trying to assess the damage, wondering what had happened in the few minutes they were apart. Darkness flowed up the touch, Parry shifted his hand, laying the other over Galen’s heart, trying to get a better sense of what had attacked him. Cold mist wrapped around him.

“Shit,” Bobby whispered.

Parry glanced up from Galen. Bobby was staring across the grass, a look of surprise on his face.
 
Parry squinted, all he could see was a soft shimmer, almost like mirage on a hot day, the grass moving in the wind. It took a moment before he realized that the wind wasn’t blowing. It was only in that single spot that there was any movement in the silent landscape.

Bobby made no sound as he stood, he moved so he was between the shimmer and Parry. “I can see you,” he said. There was a pause and Bobby drew his sword and held it in front of him. “Did you hear me?”

Parry asked silently, through their bond.

Bobby took a step forward. “You know what I am, stay back.” He took another step, his sword raised. “Parry!” Parry was up an instant later, drawing his own sword and moving to Bobby’s left. “Just ahead of you!” Bobby called.

Parry raised his sword and took a swing at the air, only slightly surprised when he felt his blade impact on something solid. He pulled back and thrust again, the sword slamming against metal this time. “Shield?” he asked Bobby.

“Shield and sword.” Bobby was swinging his own blade, the sound of metal striking metal ringing through the fog.

“Got it.” Parry moved forward, took another swing at where the shield should be, then feinted to the right, his sword slid into something, an icy cold swept up the sword and into Parry’s hand. He nearly let the hilt go as the freezing touch of darkness wrapped around him.

“Down!” Bobby said from beside him, Parry moved without thinking. He was up in the next breath, cutting low. There was a phantom grunt of pain. Out of the corner of his eye, Parry saw that odd mirage-like shimmer moving up. “Behind us?” he said.

“Yeah.”

“Right,” Parry said, knowing Bobby would move. They shifted together.

“Riders,” Bobby said suddenly.

“What?”

“Oh gods, Parry! I… I think it’s… Oh gods, it is! It is the Hunt! Wake Galen, get him up, conscious!”

“Are you sure?” Parry asked, dropping back beside Galen, his heart pounding with fear for his son.

“Pretty damn sure, I can see them. The other thing is with them. We have to get Galen out of here. Get him up.”

“Trying,” Parry said, focusing the healing into Galen. Cold seeped up his arms, and with it the image of swirling mists and softly chiming bells. “Galen,” he said desperately. He wasn’t going to lose Galen without a fight. “Galen!” In desperation, he slapped Galen’s face, and finally he felt the light moving through his son’s body, felt when the first sliver of awareness touched him. “Galen?”

“My lost brothers,” Galen whispered. Parry wasn’t sure if he’d heard it, or sensed it through the healing. “I can go.”

“No, Galen.” Parry concentrated, trying to force Galen into wakefulness.

“Parry? You might need to hurry, I can’t hold them off forever.”

“I’m trying,” he murmured. “I don’t have enough…” He paused, then changed his focus. “Galen, I need you to use my Gift, focus it into yourself. Come on, Galen.” There was a long moment when nothing happened, then he felt the shift in the healing as it amplified and altered, blending with Galen’s Gift.

“Dad?” Galen’s eyes fluttered opened.

“We really need to go,” Bobby said, stepping back towards them.

“Help me,” Parry said, pulling Galen to his feet.

“What’s going on?” Galen mumbled.

“Now!” Bobby said desperately. “You take Galen, I’m right behind you!”

Parry ran towards the path off the beach, Galen stumbling beside him. As they reached the trail, he heard Bobby shout in pain, felt the blow echo through his own body. He staggered.
“Bobby?”

 

Parry could hear movement behind him as they ran through the trees, Galen’s steps faltering more with each passing moment. By the time they were back to the car, Galen was nearly unconscious again. Parry wrenched the door open and laid him on the backseat. He ran around the car and jumped in, turning the key in the ignition just as Bobby dove in the passenger side.

“Go!” Bobby shouted, Parry complied, not even waiting for Bobby to get his door closed before flooring the gas pedal and racing up the road.

Rob’s head was spinning through a hundred Sagas as his father finished speaking. “The Hunt? Are you sure, Uncle Bobby?” Rob said, looking at his uncle’s softly shimmering form swirling with the colors of concern.

 
“Yeah, I saw them.” He paused. “And the thing that hunts with them.”

“The
each uisge
?” Rob asked.

“Yes,” Bobby said quietly, his eyes haunted.

“The Hunt,” Rob said again, rolling the word on his tongue. “They haven’t been seen in more than a century, and the last time was in Europe, assuming the reports from a few frantic Victorians are correct.” He got up and paced across the store, turning the information over in his mind.

“What do you know about the Hunt?” Parry asked.

“Me? You mean other than the stories elder Keepers use to scare younger ones into sticking to their studies?” Rob stopped his pacing to smile at them.

“Yeah,” Bobby said sheepishly.

“I know the Sagas. Supposedly the Hunt was founded by Keepers, but something changed and instead of being an honor to serve with them it became a punishment.
Custodes Noctis
that denied their destiny were condemned to lose themselves and ride in the Between World with the Hunt. The
Saga of the Winter King
states that a Keeper was chosen as King of the Hunt, losing all sense of who he was and taking on the part of the king, becoming a member of the Hunt, serving for a set time before another comes to claim his place—well not exactly. The king is the same. In the Saga, they quote part of the ritual and the new and old king refer to each other as ‘my brother, myself’. Scholars believe that the life experiences of each new king are somehow integrated, even as the self of the person is lost.”

Rob paused and ran a hand through his hair. “The reason for founding the Hunt is lost, as is the ritual that created it. There’s an obscure passage in the writings of Petronius the Alchemist,
 
that makes mention of the Hunt and the creatures it was intended to pursue. It’s only three lines, it’s almost as if he was taunting the reader. He implies he knows more about it all, implies, in fact, that there is ‘lost knowledge’ having to do with the Hunt.”

“Oh?” Parry said, the colors around him altering to reflect curiosity.

“It’s one of those things that scholars do, you know, hint they know more. I don’t know if it’s true. A modern historian has written a biography of Petronius—and also one of the Keepers Sagas. I was thinking of contacting him about a phrase in one of the Founding Sagas I’m using in my dissertation I looked up his contact info, he’s actually local. I’ll call in the morning when…” He broke off when a surge of emotion from his sleeping brother hit him. “Galen?”

“What is it, Rob?” Bobby asked, moving towards him.

Rob didn’t register the word. “Galen?” he called again, reaching through their bond.

Galen replied, the words loud in Rob’s mind.

Rob was ran for the stairs.

Galen’s voice was panicked.

Rob burst through the door into Galen’s room, there was something else there. A dark shadow-shape was standing beside Galen, a hand reaching out for the still form in the bed. Rob launched himself at the thing without thinking. The darkness shifted to face him, growling low in its throat.

“Rob! You take care of Galen!” Parry called, suddenly beside him, a ghostly blade shimmering in his hand. “Bobby!”

“Here,” his uncle called from behind the shadow.

Rob ducked under the blow the thing aimed at him and dove towards the bed. He grabbed Galen and rolled them both off and onto the floor. “Galen?” he said, shaking his brother. Galen groaned. “Galen!” Rob shook him harder. Galen’s eyes were moving behind his eyelids.

“Get out!” Parry shouted.

“Right.” Rob dragged Galen to his feet and raced towards the door. He ran into the living room and dropped Galen on the couch before heading back to the bedroom to help his father and uncle. Before he reached the door there was a growl of pain and a triumphant shout from Bobby. Rob stopped and breathed a sigh of relief. A moment later, Parry and Bobby came out of the room.