Disclaimer: Characters property of Muffy Morrigan from a book series called Custodes Noctis. Characters used with permission.

Author's Notes: Here is the bonus chapter for this week. Chapter 8 will follow on its usual day on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy the following chapter. Please let me know what you think of the story.

Muffy thanks for letting me play with your characters.

Talisman

Chapter 7

Rob eased the jeep round a corner, and then pulled in behind the shop. He put it in park and let his hands fall into his lap. He focused on the back door and wondered if he had enough energy to make it.

"You know this is nice listening to your brother's symphony music and all," Bobby started to say.

"It's Jupiter. One of his favourites," Rob whispered.

"Whatever," Bobby said. "Turn off the car and get upstairs."

Rob looked down at his shaking hands. It had been a blur of road, mile markers and exit ramps. Drive through coffee shops, brief stops at the side of the road and one stop for caffeine pills when coffee had lost all effectiveness. He heard about all the evils of those pills for hours and miles of blacktop because Uncle Bobby had been riding shotgun since he'd started out to get the amulet. Talking to him, at him and even screaming at him when he'd started to doze off. It had scared the absolute crap out of Rob and jolted him awake. It had kept him awake for over an hour until he pulled into a pharmacy and got the pills.

"Rob, you need to," Bobby started to say but got cut off again.

"I know what I need to do. Gods, just give me a minute. I've just driven for almost thirty hours," Rob growled. "Damn construction."

"Ok. Don't fall asleep. I'll be right back."

"Yeah, yeah," Rob said tiredly. He felt conflicted just sitting there. He needed to get upstairs and check on his brother. At the same time, he had an overwhelming fear that it wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't work and his brother was lost to him forever.

"Thinking like that isn't going to get you anywhere, son," Parry said quietly.

Rob jumped, not realizing he'd not been alone or that he was talking out loud. He buried his face in his hands for a second and willed his bolting heart to slow down. "Gods, dad! Don't do that!"

Parry just smiled slightly then turned serious. "Galen is fine. Flash is fine. They're sleeping, but their dreams are wearing them out."

"How?" Rob asked as he turned to look at his father.

"They just are. It's like when they were at the Rat's Nest. In fact, it's almost exactly how you explained it to Bobby when you were there watching the band play," Parry said. "We need to take care of this."

"I don't remember how," Rob said softly as he looked at the back of the store illuminated by the jeeps headlights. "I don't remember what I researched. I... Dad... I"

"Easy, Rob. It's ok. I remember what the research said. We just need to get the amulet you picked up next to the one on Flash. It should allow us to remove it from Flash and then we can deal with them," Parry said, then put a hand over his youngest son's heart.

Rob inhaled sharply as his head fell back to the headrest. Warmth spread through him as his father cleared away the confusion and dread, exhaustion and the shakiness from the caffeine pills. A moment later he sat up and looked at his father. "Thanks."

Parry smiled. "It won't last long. You need sleep and the amulet is having an effect on you. Are you ready to take care of it?"

"Yeah," Rob said and took a final deep breath. He turned off the jeep and headed inside.

He could hear Rhiannon talking as he walked up the stairs. As he reached the top he could see her speaking to Bobby and Parry. For a second he just stood there and looked. Galen and Flash were where he'd left them. Their faces were pale, sweat streamed down their faces, their heads moved slightly back and forth on the pillows. Rob couldn't help but see their fingers were twitching and their breathing was strained.

While he'd been gone IV's had been inserted into the backs of their hands. He watched as Mike checked the bag over his brother, and then put a cloth over Galen's forehead before turning to do the same with Flash.

His brother's face wasn't calm, like it should be in sleep. Instead his lips were pressed tight together and his eyes were clenched together. Galen was in pain, but Rob couldn't feel it.

At the realization, he was stumbling through the room, ignoring Rhiannon, Parry and Bobby. He just needed to connect with his brother for just a moment. Just a reaffirmation that he was there, and could hold on until Rob could finish what he needs to do.

"NO!" Bobby and Parry shouted at the same time.

Rhiannon reached out for him, to stop him from touching Galen. She didn't know why, but the fear in Bobby and Parry's voices jolted her into action.

Rob had barely touched Galen's arm when his body went slack, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor.

Suddenly, he was on stage. Both hands gripping a microphone in its stand and he was singing out the gentle tones of one of his favourite Sagas. It was underscored by gentle strokes of an acoustic guitar before the keyboard joined in, then bass and finally drums.

Galen and Flash were singing backup for him in perfect harmony. Rob held his note and let it fade out while they played. Looking around, Rob could see Galen to his right and Flash to his left. He was slammed with their exhaustion while at the same time he was filled with energy from a dark mass of writhing crowd moving and dancing to the music that encompassed them all.

Rob felt forced to sing the next verse before he could look back to Galen. His brother's hands were coated in blood that had soaked into his shirt and his favourite guitar. He locked eyes with him for only a second before he had to sing the next verse, but the look in Galen's eyes were a mix of exhaustion, fear and pain. As the verse ended, he glanced at Flash and saw he was exactly like his brother.

Rob looked back to Galen, he can't seem to move from his spot but he saw the shine on the stage and knew it was slick with blood. He locked eyes with Galen again. He can see Galen pleading for him to make it stop, to help, to do something, anything.

He wanted to answer him, but Rob can't feel him, can't talk to him through their link. Pain snakes up his arm and he knew its what Flash and Galen were feeling. The ends of their fingers are shredded and blood was continuously oozing out of them and onto their guitars.

Harmony rose around him as he was filled up with misery and agony. His voice wavered slightly as it changed to a melancholy tone and the harmony around him immediately changed to a minor chord to match. The hopelessness of it threatened to overwhelm him as tears slipped down his cheeks.

A moment later, he was back on the floor of the apartment over the Apothecary. Mike was kneeling above him, shining a penlight in his eyes and holding his wrist for a pulse. He could feel the strong presence of Bobby and his father all around him, in his mind, rippling over his skin, warmth in his body, lending him strength.

"Dad, please," he whispered feeling the tears trip down his cheeks. "They're... They're dying."

Parry sat next to him and Bobby appeared on his other side. "Stop fighting us, Rob. Let us help a little."

"Take it easy, Rob," Mike instructed softly. "Just take a moment."

"Mike?"

"Yeah?" Mike answered as he put the penlight in his pocket content to let Bobby and Parry do what they needed to do.

Rob closed his eyes for a minute as he just let the warmth from his father heal him again. He sighed softly as he felt some the malaise drift away and started to feel more like himself.

"That should do it," Parry said. "Rob, open your eyes."

Rob looked at his father. He still felt tired, but it was more than that, he felt worn out, and he wondered what the point was of all of this.

"Get up and take the amulet out of your pocket, and put it next to the one around Flash," Parry said. When he saw the hesitation he shook his head. "Now Rob. Get up now!"

Rob shook his head slightly as if to clear it. He ran a hand over his tear-stained face and forced himself to stand up. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the amulet. He traced the loops with one finger then looked at his dad.

"Now," Parry said, seeing the uncertainty in his youngest son's eyes. "Just put it next to the one around Flash's neck. It won't hurt him, it won't do anything bad."

Rob nodded and struggled against the doubt and sadness that seemed to be filling him. He forced his legs to walk the few steps over to his friend. He hesitated slightly again before he pursed his lips and held it out next to the amulet around Flash's neck.

"That's good, Rob. Now see if you can take the amulet off of Flash's neck," Parry said from right beside him.

Rob could hear voices murmuring around him but he couldn't quite focus on what they were saying. The only voice that he could make out fully was his father's but only because he was right beside him and talking directly at him. The soothing voice, the feeling of being protected by him making him focus on his directions and Parry's alone.

With a shaky hand, he pulled the amulet off Flash. Rob stumbled back as Galen and Flash seized upwards, gasping and then collapsing back.

"Oh, Gods, oh, Gods... oh oh Gods... I hurt them! You said I wouldn't! You said!" Rob said as he stumbled back and nearly tripped over the coffee table that had been moved out of the way earlier so Mike could work on his patients.

"Rob! Look at me, only at me!" Parry said as both he and Bobby stood directly in front of him. "Just breathe through it. It'll pass. Give it a minute. Just breathe."

Rob had backed himself into a corner and tried to see around his father and uncle but couldn't. His breathing was fast, too fast, and his heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest.

"I can't ... Galen.... He's not.... Dad, he's not...

"He will be. Give him a bit of time. He's still here, Rob," Parry said quietly. "He will be here when you finish."

"Rhiannon, you need to give us a hand here," Bobby said as he turned to talk to her. "Just don't touch the damn things."

A very pale Rhiannon suddenly filled Rob's sight.

"Hey, you're ok, Rob," she said as she touched his shoulder. "We're going to go downstairs. It won't take long."

"What? Why! I have to stay with Galen."

"Your Dad and Bobby are staying, honey. We're going to take care of these things. Ok?" she asked and when he closed his eyes and shook his head, her lips pursed together. "Hey. We're going to take care of this so you're brother won't be hurting anymore. Get with it here, Rob. I need you with me to help your big brother. Now."

Her quiet but demanding voice made him open his eyes.

"That's better," she said, giving him a slight smile.

"What do we have to do?" he asked softly.

"Your father pointed out a box in the shop. We put the amulets in there. He said you should hide it with a spell and then it needs to be buried somewhere where no one will find it, preferable on shop grounds."

Rob was about to say something when a voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

"Knock knock!" Sarah's voice drifted up as the creak of the stairs told them they were heading up.

Bobby and Parry disappeared from view but Rob could still sense them.

"We brought coffee," Becci said as she got to the top, her hands carrying to-go coffee on trays, as her eyes lingered on Flash and Galen. She cleared her throat and took a large to go cup out of the tray.

"Ok, Mike's got the vanilla late," Sarah said as she took it from her co-worker and handed it to the doctor.

"Thanks. Really need this," Mike said before taking a deep smell of the drink, then taking a long pull off the cup. "Oh, god, that's good."

Becci smiled at him.

"We brought coffees for the guys for when they wake up," Sarah said softly as her eyes were on them. She put the tray with three drinks down on the floor as she sat down next to Flash. "I gotta double shot for Galen and a caramel late for Flash per doc's orders. One for Rob when he gets back."

"Rhiannon had the eight-shot espresso," Becci turned and as she saw Rob, her brow furrowed.

Rhiannon took the coffee and the tray. "Thanks."

Rob struggled to push back the sadness eating away at him as he watched Sarah settle next to Flash. He took a step towards the stairs, but was stopped by Becci wrapping her arms around him. Rob could feel her trembling; feel her fear for his brother, for Flash and for himself. He was confused about why she was so worried about him.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

Rob found himself tightening his hold around her, giving himself just a moment to hold on. He turned his head slightly into Becci and breathed deep. The smell of coffee and the woman in his arms surprisingly calming and steadying for him. Rob could feel her hope and he did his best to absorb it, to help chase away the gloom inside him.

"Rob and I have to do something downstairs. You girls want to stay up here and keep the guys company?" Rhiannon suggested.

"Sure," Sarah said softly as she put her hand over Flash's.

The next few minutes passed almost like a dream. Rob followed Rhiannon downstairs, put the amulets into the box and mumbled words over it.

"Rob I know you're exhausted and I know how much of a toll this has taken on you. We need just a little bit more."

Slowly Rob raised glazed eyes up to his uncle.

Bobby smiled gently at him. "Never mind. Let me give it a try."

Bobby put his hands above and below the box. He spoke Artesian and then in Latin. There was an odd popping sound in the room. Symbols burned outward from the box in decorative form.

"Wow," Rhiannon murmured appreciatively.

"Still got a few tricks up my sleeve," Bobby said with a grin.

"Where?" Rob said as he looked at his uncle. He was swaying slightly on his feet, blinking rapidly.

"Our boy here is about to turn into a pumpkin," Bobby said to Rhiannon. "I assume they have shovels around here?"

"Yeah. I'll get them. Lead boy wonder here out into the garden. I'll be right there," she said.

Ten minutes later the amulets were buried and hidden. Two minutes after the last bunch of earth had been tapped down a bit of green formed around the patch. Fully formed grass covered the area and matched the small patch around them.

"Works for me," Rhiannon said as she looked at the ground and Rob just stared off into the dark of night.