The Legacy: A Custodes Noctis Book Read Online Free PDF Page A

frown.
    “Yeah?” Rob pulled his eyes from the waitress, he had been staring at her. He caught Galen’s look and just smiled at Ashley-the-waitress until she left.
    “What is it?” Galen said softly. “What did you see?”
    Rob frowned as he thought about it. Galen watched him. “She had black spots.”
    “What kind?  Like illness? Like your grandmother?”
    “No, not like that, like, I don’t know. It felt wrong,” Rob said, carefully choosing his words.
    “You can tell me more, Rob,” Galen chided gently.
    “I’m not sure what it is. She looks wrong somehow.”
      “Okay. I trust you. We should eat up and go on to the next town tonight, Rob. We’ll be that much closer to home, you know?”Galen saw the waitress head into the kitchen. She reappeared with the pot of coffee and Rob’s milkshake a few minutes later.
    All through their meal the sense of something wrong kept growing. Galen could feel his back muscles tensing in response. He watched Rob looking at the waitress, the frown of concentration on his face. Galen wished his brother could tell him more of what he saw, but Rob was still learning to use his Gift. The ability to “see” things as they were, evil, illness, good, health, was the younger brother’s Gift. It was difficult to learn, to use and control, at least according to their uncle. 
    Galen watched Ashley go back and forth between the tables. Another waitress, older—maybe in her early thirties—had come on shift as well. She, too, was watching Ashley, and when Ashley was busy with three men sitting at a table at the far end of the restaurant, she headed over with a pot of coffee.
    She bent over towards Galen as she filled his cup. “Get your brother and get out of here. He’s in danger.”
    “What do you mean?” he said quietly.
    “Kids his age disappear around here. Two months ago my…my…” She stopped and looked at him. He could see a tear run down her face. “My daughter—it was her thirteenth birthday and she disappeared. They found her, four days later.”
    “I’m sorry,” Galen knew from the way she said it that her daughter was dead. “Do you know what happened?” he said as softly as possible, smiling at her like he was thanking her for the coffee.
    “She was cut up, mutilated, there were marks drawn on her, symbols of some kind. The police…” She stopped when she saw Ashley heading back across the diner. “Just go.”
    “Thank you.” He looked over at Rob. His brother heard what she said and stopped eating. “Did she have black spots?”
    “No,” his brother said quickly. “Galen?”
    “Time to go.” He stood up and casually tossed a twenty down on the table. They walked slowly out of the restaurant. The parking lot where he had left the car was dark. Galen had purposefully parked under one of the large lights. The jeep was new, a present from his father and uncle, and he had no intention of letting it get stolen on its first road trip.
     “Rob?” he said, keeping his voice nearly soundless. His brother closed the gap between them. “When we get to the car, get in and lock your door. Okay? No matter what happens.”
    “What?” Rob sounded a little scared.
    “Just do as I say, it will be okay, trust me.”
    “Of course I trust you, Galen. Duh.”
     Galen fished in his pocket and pulled out the keys. He used his body to hide the action as he handed the keys to Rob. “Start the car for me.”
    “Galen?” Rob said, fear beginning to color his voice.
    “It’s just a precaution, Rob. Be prepared, right? But you need to get into the car, make sure your door’s locked and get it started, no matter what.” He repeated it emphatically, hoping the training they had would be enough to help his brother through whatever was about to happen.
    “Yeah, sure,” Rob said, moving to Galen’s side.
    As they approached the car, the three guys Ashley-the-waitress had been serving stepped into their path, trying to block their way to the car. Galen