The Summoning (Custodes Noctis) Read Online Free Page A

made Rob’s heart flutter.
    “Something like that. Thanks, Becci, I’ll be back in a bit.” He took the coffees she handed him and headed across the street.
    Galen was at the bookshelves, frowning at them. He took the cup. “So, what’s the new system this time?”
    “I think it’s pretty obvious.”
    “Uh huh.”
    “Top three shelves, magic. Herbs, charms, other, then subdivided by region, so Europe, Asia… Next shelves are herbals that can fall into magic and medicine, again subdivided by region, all alphabetized by author. It’s the same for all the other subjects as well.” He glanced at Galen. “I color coded them too.”
    “Oh, is that why my bookshelves look like they have the measles?”
    “I was thinking polka dots, it was Becci’s idea. She thought it would make it easier for some of our more casual clients to come and find a book. All the, ahem, less serious books are in the pink dot section.”
    “Becci’s idea?”
    “No, she wanted little daisies. I thought the pink was less noticeable.”
    From the sound of mock disgust, he was pretty sure Galen would have preferred the daisies. “At least I know it will all change in a week or two.”
    “You never know.”
    “Did you sleep last night?” Galen asked, casually walking over to the counter and sitting down. His brother rarely commented on his sleeping habits.
    “I did, for a little while. Something woke me and I couldn’t get back to sleep.”
    “Are we going to talk about the something?”
    “Yes.” Rob took a drink of coffee.
    “Now?”
    “I’m not sure it’s a something that’s anything yet.”
    “Dor told Dera that you couldn’t breathe.”
    “How do they know? They weren’t even there!” Rob stopped, realizing he’d just said more than he should have.
    “And the late night call was to…?”
    “Billy.”
    “Why?” Galen was completely focused on him. Rob had always suspected his brother had some tiny hint of the Sight, maybe not even enough to consciously realize it, but that searching look was more intense than usual.
    “I’m not sure, Galen. I don’t know if it’s a dream or a memory or what. Billy has helped in that past, before I came home, you know that.” He took a breath to defend himself, but his brother just nodded for him to continue. “And Borja came in last night and said something was coming, something Old and it would involve me—us—and some now and some later. He said the time line was ‘skewed’.”
    “Skewed? That’s odd from a shifter. Usually they see visions as a linear projection.”
    “I know, he said there was twisted metal, desecration and Darkness, capital D type.”
    “And we’re involved? Keepers or us?”
    “He said us, although I have a feeling it’s bigger than that,” Rob said, sifting through the conversation again.
    “What is? The now or the later?”
    “I have only had eight shots of espresso, ask me after ten more.”
    “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
    “No.” Rob sigh. “It doesn’t make me feel better either. There’s something wrong, Galen. I just don’t know if it’s me or the world or both.”
     

Three
     
    Galen
     
     
    The garden was quiet, the warm scent of the richness of growing things surrounded Galen as he knelt among his plants, gently pulling some to transplant to the other side, or snipping a leaf to encourage growth. He never weeded the garden in the sense most people would, he just coaxed the plants up and moved them to a different area. One person’s weed was someone else’s medicinal or magical plant. He still laughed at the memory of Flash’s discovery of the carefully tended patch of dandelions. Even after Galen had carefully explained that they were important, and not just “filthy pain-in-the-ass weeds”, Flash remained unconvinced. In fact, after sitting with Galen while he tended the garden once or twice, his friend had become so frustrated he’d disappeared to the coffee stand for nearly an hour.
    Galen