“He's a barfer, you mean.” Rob chuckled.
“Yeah,” Galen agreed, stretching carefully.
“The wounds are all closed, you aren't bleeding anymore.”
“At least I managed that before I fell asleep.” He looked at Rob, his brother's eyes were almost clear, only a hint of the mists curling there. “How are you?”
“It's quiet right now. Well, mostly.” Rob grinned.
“Mostly?”
“I can hear them, but they're a long way off.”
“The bond's less muted this morning, too,” Galen said, aware of the soft hum of their connection stronger than it had been in a long time.
“Weeks, actually.” Rob finished his thought. “Which is odd, because last night I wasn't here.” He paused with a frown. Galen knew the look, his brother was sorting through information. Rob perceived the world differently because of the Sight, and sometimes he needed a moment to process what he'd seen as opposed to dreams or other non-tangibles. “I was with them, somewhere in a dark landscape, and I heard you shout, I think. Yeah, I did. We, I mean the Hunt, were on the beach when the each uisge cried out. Then I heard you.” He focused back on Galen. “You went after something like that alone?” Rob demanded, anger simmering through the bond.
“I did try and wake you, Brat.”
“Oh.” The anger cooled a little, replaced by a sudden wave of concern. “What's that?” Rob's eyes unfocused.
“What's what?”
“That.” Rob made a vague gesture with hand. “Is it from what you fought? No, it's not. It looks almost like poison.” He stood in alarm and grabbed Galen's arm, trying to drag him to his feet.
“It's okay, Rob, there isn't much left.”
“The mead! That's what made Flash sick?”
“You didn't see it?”
“No.” Rob frowned. “What was it?”
“I'm not sure, a combination of herbs and a spell. It was the spell that was intended to kill, they just put a stronger dose of what they gave you into our glasses.”
“We all drank out of the same bottle.”
“No, they dropped the third bottle after they served you and brought a different one out.”
“You didn't pick up on it?”
“The herbs were already working, and I was a little drink-taken at that point. That was probably the plan.”
“But who? And why?”
“I don't know. Someone linked to the Hunt, since it was in the mead.”
“They want us to join.”
“Do they, Rob? Or just you?” Galen asked, meeting Rob's eyes.
“No.” Rob shook his head. “Both of us.”
“Maybe,” Galen said gently. “I'm going to shower, then let's go get breakfast.”
“I have to take the second dose at midday.”
“I know. I'll be right out, I have a feeling it's going to be a long day.”
“Yeah, me too,” Rob agreed.
After Galen had cleaned up, they headed out of town looking for a place to eat. There was a string of small communities, all vying for the tourist trade, and all deserted in the winter months. Galen was getting ready to turn back when Flash pointed at a small building nestled in large fir trees, a garish, hand-painted sign standing out front.
“Sands Pancake House?” Rob said dubiously. “Sands and pancake don't sound like they should go together.”
“It also says giant pancakes,” Flash said as he got out of the car. “Giant.”
“A little poison's not enough to stop you?” Rob asked, following Flash into the restaurant.
Flash stopped so abruptly, Rob ran into him. “Poison?”
“Flash,” Galen began.
“Poison?” Flash's voice went up half an octave.
“It was in the mead. I told you I'd tell you in the morning,” Galen said soothingly, the emotions boiling off his friend were enough to make his head ache.
“You told? What? Poison?” Flash spluttered, anger becoming fear.
“I'm sorry.”
The fear simmered into something else. Flash sighed and grinned at him. “You are so buying me the largest stack of pancakes they have.”
“And a coffee,” Rob added.
“Three coffees,” Flash corrected. “Maybe four. And you're going to tell me what happened.”
“Both of us, you're going to fill us in on how those slashes got on your back, too.” Rob sat down at a table.
“Slashes?” Flash dropped into a chair, he looked from Rob to Galen. “Five coffees and a side of bacon.”
Galen waited until they'd ordered before he told them what had happened the night before. By the time he was done, agitation was buzzing through the bond. When he finished, he rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension and turned to his food, ignoring the glares from both Rob and Flash.
“You went out there alone?” Flash demanded.
“After something that was eating an each uisge?” Rob added.
“Yeah!” Flash agreed. “What's an each uisge?”
“It's one of the Fae,” Galen answered him.
“Fae? Like a fairy?”
“No,” Rob said, “nothing like that. They're scary people-eaters. They like everything except the liver.”
“Don't blame them there, liver's kinda gross. And you went after something that was eating one of those?” Flash turned his glare back on Galen.
“I did.”
“Letting the Hunt think you did it for one of them was smart. They were pleased.” Rob's voice was thoughtful. Galen looked up, mist was starting to drift into Rob's eyes.
“And you know that how?” Flash's glare shifted to Rob.
“He knows, just go with that for right now,” Galen snapped.
“No,” Flash growled. “You've left a big piece out of this puzzle, both of you,” he said before Rob could open his mouth. “Let's start again, at the beginning this time.”
“You're right, you deserve to know.” Galen sighed, picked up his coffee and started talking. He explained as much as he could about the Hunt, the feorhbealu, Blake and the rituals to come.
“Why here?” Flash asked. “Why not in Tacoma?”
“The altars are here,” Rob said dreamily. “They maintain the chapel and watch for the king. They gather under these stars.”
Alarm curled through Galen. He looked at Rob, there was very little of his brother in the eyes that were staring out the windows. While he watched, Rob picked up a fork, Galen stopped the downward plunge this time. “Rob!” He tried to focus the Gift into his brother, but he met a wall of fog that wouldn't part for the light. He resorted to a hard pinch on Rob's arm.
“Hey, that hurt,” Rob complained, blinking at him.
“I told you, no forks.”
“Forks?” Rob looked down to the utensil in his hand and his face paled. “Was I going to impale myself?”
“I think so.” Out of the corner of his eye Galen spotted something dropping from the sky, a tattered piece of black silk fluttering down to the ground. At the last moment, the raven stopped its downward spiral and landed with a hop. Rob stood up, his gaze fixed on the large bird. “Where are you going?” Galen grabbed his arm to stop him.
“We need to go to the Place of Ritual,” Rob whispered.
“Rob?”
“The raven, it called my name, Galen, we have to go.” Rob headed out the door to stand by the Jeep.
“I guess we're going,” Galen said, paying for their food.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Flash grumbled.
Galen didn't voice the fact he agreed with his friend.
When he pulled onto the highway, the sun was out, the fog hadn't started rolling in and the world was washed in bright winter light. Fields lined part of the road they were driving along, horses calmly walking in golden grass. Water shimmered in many pools, some filled with huge glacial rocks, others outlined in trees with white trunks like bones placed there by a cautious hand. In one open space crows and ravens had gathered, pul
ling at something on the ground. As they drove further, the strange stunted pine trees lined road, their black trunks and odd, bulbous puffs of greenery somehow sinister, even in the bright light.
Galen tried to ease the tension in his shoulders, ignoring Flash's ongoing commentary from the back seat. What was harder to tune out was Rob; his brother had started humming shortly after they left the restaurant, the song similar to the one that had haunted Galen's dreams. He caught himself unconsciously humming along. After a few minutes, he could hear Flash humming in harmony. Galen doubted Flash realized what was going on, but he couldn't resist a song for long, no matter what it was.
It was quiet when Galen pulled off the road. They got out of the car, the scent of the bog filling the cold air. Flash made a face, but followed them as they walked down the path towards where they'd met the Hunt the day before. A raven called from a tree over their heads, another echoing the cry from further along the path. Rob led the way, a soft smile on his face, his head cocked a little to the side, listening to something Galen couldn't hear.
Fog was beginning to eddy in the reeds lining one side of the pond, the gray mist moving through the stalks as if pushed by a gentle breeze. The dark water was moving, ripples flowing from the center of the pond towards the shore. In the trees on the other side of the clearing, Galen could see one of the each uisge watching silently, the dead flesh scent of it blending with the smell emanating from the bog and permeating the area around them.
Rob headed to a large flat stone set in the grass, running a reverent hand over it before dropping to his knees and briefly resting his head against it, then bared his left arm and stretched it over the stone. The raven croaked from behind Galen, it was in the air above Rob an instant later, circling lazily, pinions extended, until it was joined by another. They fluttered down to the stone and landed in front of Rob. The larger of the two hopped forward and stopped, obviously waiting for something. Galen saw the bright sparkle of metal in his brother's hand just before Rob sliced into the arm lying on the stone, blood flowing over his skin.
“What the fuck?” Flash started running towards Rob, Galen grabbed him before he could stop the ritual. “Let me go! Or stop it!” Flash demanded.
“It's part of the ritual, Flash.”
“What?”
“You think I want to let this happen?” Galen growled. “We have to, though. It's part of it all, part of the rituals we need to follow for this to work. Rituals like this, Flash, they all have fail safes.”
“Fail safes?”
“Usually it's break the ritual and you die.”
“Fuck.” Flash stopped struggling and just watched.
The sound of Rob's voice broke the stillness, the words soft, nearly unintelligible. He was looking at the raven, the words tripping easily off his tongue, the bird cocked its head to the side and muttered softly. Rob spoke again and the raven gave a happy cry, opening its wings and throwing up its head with a croak of laughter. The second raven approached Rob with little skipping steps. He smiled and reached out to touch each bird, a look of affection lighting his face. The larger of the two dipped its beak into the blood pooling on the stone, then touched Rob's face with its bloody beak. The other came forward and repeated the movement, marking the opposite side of Rob's face with a print of red. Rob spoke to them, gently stroking each of them as he did. The larger one rubbed its head against his cheek, almost like a cat, then stepped back. It murmured something then the birds stretched their wings and fluttered into the sky like bits of silken black paper.
Galen was moving before Rob slumped over the stone. His brother's eyes were closed and there was a happy smile on his face. A soft rustling noise drew Galen’s eyes away from him, from the blood marring the stone. The each uisge was still standing under one of the stunted trees, Its gray flesh transparent in the soft winter sun, the bone standing out in clear relief against the background of the trees, the ground-level fog swirling around its legs.
“Rob?”
“Galen?” Rob asked, his voice thick. He opened his eyes and squinted at the bright light. “What happened? How did we get here?”
“You decided to have a little 'feed the birds' moment,” Flash grumbled.
“What?” Rob frowned. “The ravens?” His voice took on a gentle note.
“Yes,” Galen replied.
“The Ritual of the Ravens, they will serve me when I am king,” Rob said, mists curling through his eyes. “As will you,” he added, addressing the each uisge. It tossed up its head in acknowledgment before turning away and moving into the shadows of the trees. “We should get back, it's almost time for the midday dose.”
“Wait.” Galen stopped him. Laying a hand over the bloody wound on Rob's forearm, he let the healing flow and closed the slash, using the Gift to get an idea of how deeply Rob had been affected by the ritual. “Hang in there,” he said silently.
“I'm trying, Galen, I am, but I might be losing myself.”
“I know.” Galen sighed, then stood, offering Rob a hand to get up. His brother swayed for a moment, a distant look in his eyes, Galen gave him a gentle shake. “Hey.”
“Here. Let's go.” Rob smiled and led the way back to the car.
Chapter Thirteen
Rob
The heavy fog was still clouding Rob's mind as he struggled towards consciousness. The second dose of the iridescent liquid had put him to sleep, nearly silencing the link with Galen, pulling him into a cold world untouched by sunlight, dark shapes moving through endless rolling plains. It was terrifying gazing into the Between World. During his dreams the night before, he'd known he'd been dreaming, but part of him had been with the Hunt, present, knowing what was happening without actually riding with them.
“Soon, soon, it is good, it is right, it is joy,” the king whispered to him. Rob's heart sang with joy at the statement, he would be king soon, riding with his ancient brothers. With a gasp, he pulled himself away, forcing his eyes open and staring blearily at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on the world around him, not that cold place that was calling with increasing volume.
“Yes, I'm still here.” Galen's voice came from the other room, despite the call of the Hunt, he could feel irritation buzzing along the bond. “Do you have any idea what this is costing?” There was a pause. “Most people at least have the decency to play music, not sing off-key. It's so off-key it hurts.” Pause. “I know what time it is, I still remember when you called me at three in the morning for that cite from... Yeah, I know I own one of the only copies on earth, but it was three in the morning. Want to tell me what you found?”
Rob sat up, shoving the fog further away, trying to focus on what Galen was saying and the emotions flowing through the now muted bond.
“What'd he find?” Flash asked.
“Rob can translate four or five at once, and he's half your age, so stop complaining, Hugh.” Galen chuckled softly in response to something the other said and affection flowed along the bond, warming Rob. “Yeah, that's true,” his brother said, the affection present in his voice as well.
“Four or five what?” Flash demanded. “What's he saying?”
The Hunt: A Custodes Noctis Book Page 18