“I just wanted to be sure, you know that,” his father said, patting his arm.
“I know, Dad.” Galen took a deep breath and looked at them. “Rob’s dying.”
“No.” They both shook their heads.
“I felt it. I can feel it. His heart, it’s not working right. I felt drugs, too, not your healing.”
“I can’t, Galen.”
“What?”
“The thing won’t let me, it blocks me.”
“I…” Galen stopped. “It tried to stop me, but I pushed through it, why couldn’t you do that?” Galen looked at his father, Parry was frowning at him.
“It hurt Parry,” Bobby said. “When he tried to force it. I thought…” Bobby swallowed. “He’s telling the truth.”
“Dad?”
“It’s true, Galen. I’m sorry. I…You have to…” Parry broke off. “Galen…”
“Parry?”
“I…” Parry turned and strode out of the room.
“Galen?” Bobby looked at him.
“We’ll be okay,” Galen said gently. Bobby squeezed his arm and followed Parry out of the room. Galen waited for a count of ten before slipping out of bed. He walked over to Rob’s bed and laid his hand on his brother’s head. Pain, the sluggish metallic feeling of drugs and a deep darkness flowed up the touch.
Galen rubbed his hands together, focusing the light, breathing deeply. He put his hands back on his brother and pulled the light into his hands. He met the hard wall of darkness.
“No, no healing, nothing. No, not this time, Emrys. He dies, then soon you will both be mine,” a voice hissed at him.
“No,” Galen said. He forced the light against the wall, pushing, he felt the darkness push back. Taking a deep breath, he stabbed through the wall. The healing flowed from his hands, running into his brother’s body. Rob moaned. “It’s okay, Rob, it’s me,” Galen said softly. He guided the light, letting the healing fill his brother until he came to the ruin of Rob’s heart.
“You can’t heal this, Emrys Keeper. He’s still mine. When he dies, when you die, I can walk again,” the voice said.
“I can and I will,” Galen said, focusing on Rob’s heart. Pain lashed up the contact, slamming into his body, making the scar on his chest where the thing had stabbed him twist. It recognized Itself there and laughed, the sound filling Galen’s head.
“Yes, yes, soon. I am with you, with him. Soon,” It hissed. Galen ground his teeth together and tried to force his way past the black spot. “No!” It said. The healing suddenly stopped, a black spot in Rob’s heart pushing the light away. Galen tried to start the light again, aware of blood dripping from his nose.
“You can’t stop me,” he told the hissing voice.
“Galen!” his father’s shout surprised him. Parry grabbed him an instant later.
“No, Dad,” he wasn’t sure if he said or thought it.
“Galen, no.”
“Yes,” Galen said firmly. With a deep breath, he used the contact with his father to pull the healing light from Parry. He heard his father’s gasp, felt the convulsive grasp on his arm. Somehow he knew his father couldn’t pull away.
Galen forced himself back to Rob’s heart, back to the black spot hissing in his brother’s chest. Galen saw It, twisting and turning in Rob’s heart, waiting like a serpent to strike with the last of Its poison. He grabbed It, the thing struggled with him as he tore It out of Rob’s heart, pulled It up, out of his brother and into his own body. It was screaming as It flowed into him, running up his arms, Galen forced It into the scar Its knife had left. He held It there as he guided the last of the healing through Rob.
“Break the contact, break it,” Parry said desperately.
“Parry?”
“Do it now, Bobby.”
“No!” Galen shouted as Bobby pulled him away from Rob.
“Let go, Galen, let go. I can help your brother now, let go.” Galen could feel his father’s arms around him as he was guided back to bed. “Why?” Parry said sadly.
“Had to, Dad,” Galen said opening his eyes. The world was washed in red. Blood vessels broke maybe?
“Galen…”
“I heard you, this is the only way. I die, It dies, Rob—you can help Rob. He’ll make it.”
“Galen, let me heal you,” Parry said, rubbing his hands together.
“No, Dad, It has to die before It can walk. Before It can finish the sacrifice. This is the only way.”
“Die, Galen, but let me…You just have to die for a moment…” Parry said eagerly.
“Yes, yes, good plan,” It whispered. “Die, sacrifice yourself and then come back. Perfect. Let that happen.” It was laughing with joy.
“No, that won’t work, trust me. It won’t work. You have to keep Rob alive. If he dies…”
“If he dies what you did means nothing. No, it means you helped me, made it easier.” Laughter filled his head.
“It’s not in Rob anymore, is it, Bobby?”
“No, Galen,” his uncle said sadly. “It’s not there at all, there’s just a little scar left.”
“Good,” Galen sighed.
“It’s in you, Galen,” Bobby said. “Parry…”
“I know, I was there.” Parry shook his head.
“Promise me, Dad. Promise you’ll do…”
Parry laid a gentle hand on Galen’s head. “Of course, you don’t have to ask. We’ll do everything we can, we’ll send him back to his family. He’ll be safe there. We can keep an eye on him, but stay away, that way if it’s still out there…He’ll be safe.”
“Thank you, Dad, sorry.” Pain ground into the scar. “Can you…? If I help?”
“Sleep?” Parry put his hand on Galen’s chest. He saw the spasm of pain cross his father’s face as his hand brushed the scar. The sound of a heartbeat filled Galen. He knew it wasn’t his. As he’d healed Rob, his heart had absorbed the damage. Sleep claimed him.
The soft sound of someone crying woke Galen. “Rob?” he said. That’s what he thought he’d said, all he heard was a groan that sounded like an “r”. That won’t work. “Rob?” he tried again.
“Galen?” Rob said with a sniff. “Galen?”
“Are you okay?”
“Galen?”
“Are you okay, Rob?”
“He won’t be, soon, soon, soon,” the voice whispered to him. Pain ground into his chest, twisting the scar, making his heart beat frantically. He heard the change in the heart monitor.
“No,” Galen told the voice. “Rob?”
Galen heard the springs on the other bed squeak, a moment later Rob’s hand settled on his arm. “Galen? Did you say something?”
“He will be mine again, you are mine. We will walk together you and I,” the voice said.
“No,” Galen said again.
“No? You didn’t say anything?”
Galen opened his eyes, blinking against the brightness of the light. Rob was standing beside the bed, tear streaks on his face. “Rob? Are you okay?”
“Galen,” Rob squeezed his hand.
“Are you okay?” Galen asked, desperation in his voice.
“I guess,” Rob scrubbed tears off his face. “I feel better. But Galen…”
“What is it?”
“You’re dying.”
“Rob,” Galen began.
Rob sat on the edge of the bed. “Don’t lie to me, Galen. I can see it. I know what happened. I can see your heart, I can see the handle of the blade, it’s still in you and now that thing—It was in me—It’s in you now.” He looked at Galen, his eyes mature in his still youthful face. “I told you we’d never be Keepers together.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I knew, Galen, I just never thought…I thought it would be me.” The maturity was still there, but tears began streaming down his face. “Galen…”
“Come here, Brat,” he said gently, holding his arm out to his brother. Rob leaned forward, into the embrace, then collapsed against him, sobbing. The thing in his chest
purred with pleasure and tried to push beyond where Galen was holding It. He kept It there, knowing that his time was fast running out. “You can’t have Rob,” he told It silently.
“No!” It screamed back. “No, not when I am so close.”
“Yes,” Galen told It. He held Rob gently as his brother sobbed against him. Tears had worked free from Galen’s eyes and were running down his cheeks. A gentle pressure on his hand, where it rested on Rob’s back, marked the return of his father and uncle. The four of them were silent except for the sound of Rob’s sobs. “We’re going to die soon,” Galen told it.
“No!” It lashed out at Galen, pain exploded through his body. He cried out, fighting the thing as It tried to escape the prison in Galen’s chest. The pain was reaching the unbearable point when it diminished a bit, just enough for Galen to open his eyes and focus on his family.
“I need to go,” he said to Rob. His brother’s hand was resting on his chest.
“I know,” Rob said, tears running down his cheeks.
“Dad? Uncle Bobby?” Galen looked at them. They walked to the other side of the bed. Parry put his hand on Galen’s head, Bobby’s hand rested on his shoulder. “I….” He stopped for a minute, then started again, falling back on the formal ritual. “I have served faithfully, I have walked the path chosen for me, I ask for release, for rest, until I can serve again.”
Parry shifted his hand to Galen’s chest. “I don’t know…”
“I’ll help,” Galen said, forcing the words out as the thing writhed and screamed in his chest.
“In living we serve…” his father began.
“No,” Rob said suddenly.
“What?” Bobby said.
“It’s my right, as his brother, as the Keeper that served with him.”
“Rob, no,” Parry said gently.
Galen met his brother’s eyes and saw a wisdom beyond his age. Rob looked back, defiant, pleading. “Rob?”
“We didn’t live long together as Keepers, Galen…”
“No, Rob,” Bobby said quietly.
“Yes,” Galen said, looking at his father and uncle. “It’s his right, his place, Dad. He...” Galen couldn’t go on, the thing was screaming, pushing against the bonds he was holding it in. “Please.” His father nodded and moved his hand away.
“In living we serve, in dying we serve, the line continues, we are joined with our present and our past.” Rob spoke the formal words, Galen felt his brother’s gentle touch against his heart, slowing it. Rob grabbed his hand and held it tightly, to the point of pain, as Galen focused and helped his brother stop his heart. He could hear his father and uncle reciting the formal words as the world began to slide away. “You have served the world, now rest until you are called again.”
“No, no, no,” the thing was screaming, fighting him.
“Yes,” he told It. “Yes. We die now.”
He could feel himself dying, he could feel It dying with him. Galen’s felt his heart stop. He was aware for another moment, aware of his brother’s hand on his, aware of his father and uncle, then he let himself go—dropping gently down into a glimmering black pool surrounded by white light and a soft song.
* * * * *
He could still hear the song playing softly in his ears as he focused on the present again. Mike’s face was white, Rhiannon was crying softly, Rob was sitting beside him, his hand resting on Galen’s arm.
“You died?” Mike said.
“Yeah,” Galen said softly.
“You think that’s the kind of thing your doctor should know?”
“Dad healed me,” Galen said, hearing the bitterness in his voice. “He wasn’t supposed to, if he’d left me dead, Rob would be safe. The world would be safe and he and Bobby would still be alive.” Galen sighed.
“Too bad,” It whispered against his heart. “Too bad he didn’t leave you dead, my Emrys Keeper.”
“It’s talking to you,” Rob said quietly.
“Yeah.”
“What?” Rhiannon asked. “What do you mean?”
“It infected him again,” Rob said, looking at her. “While we were at the hospital.”
“Infected?” It was offended. “No, no, returned to my rightful place. We will be great, you and I, when we Become, when we walk this world together.”
“No.” Galen focused inward, trying to stop the pain, trying to still the voice.
“Drink, Galen.”
Galen felt the bottle pressed against his lips, he sipped blindly, wondering when he closed his eyes. The thing was fighting against his spell, but he knew It was losing the battle, It was screaming defiance, but the voice was getting quieter. “Rob?”
“Sleep, Galen, let your spell work, I’ll entertain our guests,” Rob’s voice was gently ironic.
“Thank you.” He opened his eyes and smiled at Rhiannon and Mike. “Sorry, long day.”
“He’s right, Galen, you need to sleep. You were up a lot of last night,” Mike said.
“And the night before that, too,” Rhiannon added. “You can’t run on no sleep, no matter what you think and no matter how many coffees you get from Becci.”
“I don’t know if it’s the coffee or Becci that perks him up,” Rob said with a chuckle.
Galen sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the conversation flow around him as exhaustion, pain and the spell combined and pulled him away to the first dreamless sleep he had known in ten years.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunlight filtering through the curtains woke Galen. He stayed unmoving, enjoying the few moments before he was fully awake, those moments when the bed was perfectly comfortable, exactly the right temperature, the pillow perfectly soft. He also let the dream he’d been having wash over him again—Rob home, and all that went with it. Odd I had that dream, it felt…maybe because it’s my birthday? I miss him more at birthdays. He shoved the thought away as he stretched a little. The clink of dishes pulled him fully awake.
“Rhiannon?” he said, opening his eyes. He was lying on the couch, the quilt pulled over him.
“I sent her home. She wanted to stay, and really? Getting rid of her can be quite a trick,” a soft, sardonic baritone answered him.
Galen sat up and looked into the kitchen, blinking away the tears that were suddenly in his eyes. “Rob?”
“Are you okay?” his brother asked, frowning in concern.
“I…uh…”
“Galen? What’s wrong?” Rob looked at him, his eyes unfocused.
“I… Sorry.” He pushed himself up, swaying. “I need to take a shower before we open the shop,” he said quickly, trying to hide the sudden emotion.
“What?” his brother said. “Galen? Lying doesn’t work.”
“It’s stupid,” he said, turning towards his room.
“Galen?” The soft question wouldn’t let him walk away.
“It’s stupid, Rob.” He cleared his throat as his voice hung up on the name. “I thought it was a dream.”
“A dream?” Rob frowned, then his face smoothed out as comprehension lit his eyes. “Nope, not getting rid of me that easy,” he said with a grin. “I don’t think you should work today.”
“I have to open up.”
“You can barely stand.”
“People expect the store open.”
“And I doubt you could heal anyone today,” Rob continued, undaunted.
“The shop needs to be open, Rob,” he said, grabbing the wall as the room flipped over.
Rob looked at him for a long moment. “Fine, I’ll do the heavy lifting and the running. You just tell me what to say. About time I started learning anyway,” he said easily. “Go take your shower.”
Galen grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom, turning the shower on and letting the steam heat the small room. Stepping into the shower, he let the warm water run over his shoulders, easing the knot of tension tied at the base of his neck. He glanced down at this chest, the scar had altered. It was black and pulsing, like something bre
athing or the beat of a heart in the center of the scar. It ached, right at the edge of a throbbing pain, but it had diminished from the night before. The voice was quiet, even the soft whisper gone for the moment.
“Hey, you drown?” Rob banged on the door.
“I’m okay, Rob, just getting out, sorry.” He quickly toweled off, and before pulling his shirt on, he taped a gauze pad over the black wound in his chest. He’d grabbed a dark t-shirt, just in case the wound started seeping the black fluid again.
Rob was waiting in the living room when he got out. His brother glanced at him, his eyes unfocused. Galen smiled, knowing there was no way to hide the black wound from Rob’s Sight. “I need coffee,” Galen said, hoping to distract Rob. He headed down the stairs and into the shop.
“I can go get it, Galen, you should…”
“Don’t, Rob, I’m okay.” Galen frowned at his brother as they walked through the store and over to the coffee shop, daring him to say something.
“Yeah, you’re okay. Just great.”
“Morning, Galen, Rob,” Becci said, leaning out the window.
“Holy shit,” Rob said under his breath.
“What’s the theme today, Becci?” Galen asked. She was wearing black hotpants, fishnet stockings and two small skull stickers—just enough to cover her nipples—and nothing else.
“Oh, it’s Goth fantasy.” She smiled at him as she started his coffee. “Americano for Rob, right?” Rob nodded. Galen shoved an elbow in his brother’s ribs.
“Breathe,” Galen said under his breath. “You’re turning red.”
“Thanks,” Rob said, his breath coming out in a long sigh. “Nice outfit.”
“Oh, do you like it? It shows off my tattoos.” She turned so they could see the patterns decorating her back.
“Nice,” Rob said, smiling.
Becci smiled and put Galen’s coffee on the ledge. She set a cupcake beside it. “Happy birthday, Galen,” she said, shyly.
“Thank you, Becci. It’s Rob’s birthday, too.”
“Is it? But you’re not twins? Weird.” She put Rob’s coffee down beside Galen’s. “I didn’t know. Can I give you a flavor? Whipped cream? A muffin?”
“Galen can share.” Rob smiled. “He always takes the bigger piece though, even when I asked nicely,” Rob continued. Galen stared at him—he sounded like he was six.
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