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

in front of Galen jumped towards him and drove a fist into his side, the pain exploded and dark spots danced before his eyes. Galen collapsed to his knees.
    He heard Rob’s terrified shout, “No! Galen!” and heard Rob screaming at the edge of his awareness. “No!” And his brother’s voice was cut off.
    Galen tried to struggle to his feet. Another punch to his side, he didn’t even see it coming. It put him down. He thought he felt someone kicking him. His whole focus, what was left of it at least, was on his brother. Galen reached out with what was left of his strength, trying to reach Rob, but his sense of his brother was completely gone. He needed to know what was happening. His last vision before blacking out was Rob, limp, unconscious, tossed into the back of one of the waiting cars, then the darkness rose up and claimed him. “No, Rob, no.”
    * * * * *
    “No, Rob, no.” Galen heard his voice, heavy with grief, suddenly loud in the quiet room. He opened his eyes, Rhiannon was looking at him, tears on her cheeks.
    “I’m sorry, Galen,” she said softly, laying a hand over his.
    “Usually I wait until you leave to work myself into this state,” he said, the laugh still bitter. His head was resting on the back of the couch as he looked at her. “Sorry.” He reached for the bottle again.
    “I think you’ve had enough, honey,” Rhiannon said, pushing herself up off the couch. “It’s almost five and I have to work part of the day.”
    “Yeah.” Galen tried standing up, only to drop back onto the couch again. Rhiannon laughed gently and pulled him up, letting him lean on her. He realized she had maneuvered him into the bedroom and pushed him onto the bed. As he dropped down onto the mattress, she pulled the blankets over him. He remembered mumbling something about putting a note in the door of the shop before he was asleep.
    He was running. They were chasing him. Terror was pounding through his veins like blood in rhythm with his heartbeat. He had mistakenly run into a small alley, it cost him. As he came out from behind a large dumpster, they cut him off. Hands grabbed him and tried to pull him away, fists connecting with him, a voice calling out to leave him alive. Then, suddenly, sirens, feet running and someone asking if he was okay, he couldn’t answer, pain and blood prevented the words from forming. 
    Galen shot upright in bed, his heart pounding from the nightmare. His hands were shaking with fear as the room came slowly into focus. “Oh, not good,” he groaned. Galen grabbed his head and stumbled out of bed towards the bathroom. Once there, he rummaged through his medicine cabinet for the homeopathic remedy for a hangover, Nux Vomica. He pulled the small tube out and dumped several pellets under his tongue. After splashing cold water on his face, he walked back into the bedroom and shoved the curtains all the way closed. It was gray outside, the light still too bright. How much did I drink? I don’t even remember. Galen sank back into the bed with a sigh. That nightmare, it felt a little like…No.
    Pulling the pillow over his head, he went back to sleep.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    The phone was jangling from the living room. It stopped, but not before it had wormed its way through the pillow and straight into Galen’s brain. He pushed the pillow aside and peered blearily at the clock, it was just before noon. He was sure he’d told Rhiannon he’d open the shop at noon . Groaning, he stumbled into the bathroom, dosed himself with the Nux Vomica again and climbed in the shower, letting the hot water ease his pounding headache. “Never again,” he said to his reflection in the mirror, then laughed, knowing he said it every year. The water had started to cool when he finally got out.
    The store was quiet as he walked through, he unlocked the door and headed straight for the espresso stand. “Hey, Becci,” he said quietly.
    “Galen!” She bounced over to the