Scales of Justice

by Brett Humphrey

  Akore spread out both hands, each finger pointing towards a different man and shouted the word, “Mortem.” Immediately each man dropped to the ground like a puppet with their strings cut.

  He walked over to the chest, kicking Daniel’s leg out of his way. “After all, dead men don’t feel any pain,” he muttered and looked inside the empty box.

  He muttered, “Revelare,” and there was a flash of light as the spell revealed the arcane crystals which had been hidden by a spell. He picked up each grapefruit-sized crystal and placed it in a different pocket. Although he wasn’t surprised, he was disappointed none of them had held their magical charge this long. It would take time for them to charge in this world of little magic, but once they did, he would be practically invincible.

  He looked at the dead men in disgust. This could complicate matters, but he had no choice in the matter. He would have to be extra careful. “At least I had the foresight to have you hike up the trail rather than ride with me,” he said to Daniel as he searched the man’s pockets and removed his cell phone to make sure his number wasn’t found on his body. “After all, dead men don’t need cell phones,” he patted Daniel’s chest and stood. He looked up at the stormy sky and smiled, then began the hour-long trek back to the cable car which would take him back to his driver and his new future.

  Newport Beach, California

  I stood on my deck watching the sun slowly sinking into the ocean. The sky was ablaze with the swirling shades of yellow, orange, red and purple of the setting sun and I took a deep breath of the salty air coming from the ocean below. I watched the waves crash on the private beach below my house and felt the pull of the water. I longed to shed my clothes and dive into the cool depths and swim to escape my sadness, but I knew that wasn’t possible.

  The purchases of the houses on either side of mine had been completed while we were in India, so I was the only one who had access to the beach below. Even though he didn’t make a sound, I could sense Jason coming up behind me. That was one of the benefits of being true mates with someone, you always knew where they were. Jason and I were tied together in a way that made me feel complete; I couldn’t wait for our wedding so we could give ourselves to one another completely.

  He brushed the hair away from my neck and planted a kiss where my neck and shoulder met.

  “That tickles,” I giggled and moved away from him.

  “That’s not exactly the reaction I was looking for,” he chuckled and wrapped his arms around me from behind and I settled into his embrace.

  “Well, that’s what you’re always going to get, mister, that’s my ticklish spot and you know it,” I laughed.

  “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

  “I know this is what happens when we befriend humans, but it doesn’t make it any easier. We’ll live for hundreds of years and humans may only live eighty years or so. The longer we live here, the more people we know will die. Is it worth it?”

  “Is what worth it?” Jason repeated gently.

  “Making friends with humans?” I asked, tears spilling down my cheeks as I turned to face him. “Is it worth the pain of loss?”

  Jason cupped my cheek with his hand, stared into my eyes and smiled down at me. “Of course, it’s worth it. You heard the pastor. You made Nick’s life better and for the past ten years you treated him with dignity and respect. He had a hard life, but he looked forward to the times you’d have lunch with him. How many other people do you know who take the time to get to know a homeless person, let alone become friends with one? Cyndi, your heart is so big, it’s impossible for you not to make friends with humans. Our only other option is to move back to Theria when Alister and Aileene return from their honeymoon.”

  “There’s no way I’m doing that. We must stop Akore,” I said, getting angry.

  “But why? Josef has the rest of Tionchar at his disposal and they can hunt for him,” Jason pressed.

  “Because he’s killing people,” I said hotly.

  “But these are just humans, and they’re going to die anyway,” he countered.

  I pushed away from Jason and stood with my hands fisted at my sides. I couldn’t believe that he would be so callous about this. Didn’t he see the fear on the faces of the people Akore killed in India? Didn’t he see the woman holding her baby, trying to comfort her even though she knew she couldn’t do anything about what was happening to them?

  I opened my mouth to blast him when I saw the smirk on his face and realized he was goading me.

  He reached out and grasped my hands in his, tenderly massaging with his thumbs until my fists dissolved in his gentle grip. “You care too much about people to not become friends with them. Even if you know their deaths will eventually cause you pain, you can’t help loving them anyway. And that’s one of the things I love about you,” he said and leaned down to gently kiss me.

  “You’re right,” I sighed after I turned my head to lay my ear on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “I don’t like comparing humans to animals, but it is sort of like people who keep Great Danes as pets. Even though they know the dog may die in ten years or less, they love it anyway and when that one dies, they get another. They give those dogs love and care for the time they have with them and enjoy the love dogs give them in return.”

  We turned back to watch the last of the sunset and saw a large wave heading toward my beach. The water was being pushed ahead of something huge and as the wave swelled and crashed on the shore, I saw the outline of a kraken in the water. Before the water finished washing up on the beach the enormous creature shrunk in on itself and a naked man walked out of the surf carrying a lobster pot in each hand.

  “You’re shameless, you know that?” I yelled down to Brian as he walked across the sand to climb the stairs that led up to my house.

  “Maybe,” he shrugged, “but I brought dinner, so I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  I laughed and turned to Jason, so I didn’t have to look at Brian climbing the stairs. Even though shifters don’t mind nudity because most must disrobe to shift, I felt weird. He was like a second dad to me, yuck.

  “You deal with him; I’m going to get the rest of dinner ready.” I smiled and walked into the kitchen to see what Bobbi had left us in the fridge to go with the lobsters.

  “You look ridiculous,” I laughed as I looked at Brian in the frilly pink bathrobe Jason had picked out for him after he came into the house. It didn’t help that he was also wearing his Elvis sunglasses and was munching on a lobster claw, shell and all. When we weren’t eating around humans, we all enjoyed eating lobster the way we did in the ocean, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, yum.

  “Would you rather I take the robe off, little darlin’?” he drawled.

  “No, please,” I begged laughing. “I already feel like I must scrub my eyes because of what I saw earlier. Where did you get these beauties?” I asked as I took a bite out of the lobster I was holding.

  “Off the coast of San Onofre. The warm water cycled back into the ocean from the nuclear power plant makes for a great hunting ground,” he answered. “I added a few more pots there and one of us can check back next week to see if we have more.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jason answered as he buttered another roll. Bobbi loved to bake, and she made the best rolls.

  “I’ve got a gig at The Coach House tonight,” Brian said as he pushed back from the table and stood.

  “I thought you were on hiatus,” I said.

  “I am,” Brian called over his shoulder as he took his dishes into the kitchen and added them to the dishwasher. “However, Brian Setzer was supposed to play tonight but came down with the flu. He asked me to fill in for him. I’ve got to get ready; do you two want to come?” he asked as he walked to his room.

  “What time is the show?” I asked in a casual voice. The nice thing about having enhanced hearing is we could carry on conversation anywhere in the house without shouting. Of course, it could cause other issues, too, which is one of the r
easons I bought the other two houses. Brian snores and it sounds like he’s cutting down trees with a dull chainsaw even though he’s at the other end of the house from my room.

  “Nine,” he said as he started the shower in his bathroom.

  Jason nodded so I answered, “We’ll meet you there.”

  Thanks, Brian sent, I’ll leave tickets for you at Will Call.

  The Coach House is a nondescript building in a light industrial park in San Juan Capistrano, California. It has hosted concerts for over forty years and some of the biggest names in music have played there at one point or another. It was a small venue, only four hundred and eighty seats, but three hundred seats closest to the stage were reserved for those who ate dinner there, also. Brian left us tickets for one of the tables in the dining area so of course, Jason and I ordered a second dinner. I’m sure if Shelley were here, he would make a joke about us being hobbits.

  I ordered the Catch of the Day which was yellowfin tuna on a bed of rice pilaf and Jason ordered the filet mignon. I might have had some of his steak along with the tuna; what can I say, I like my surf and turf.

  At first the crowd was disappointed that Brian Setzer wasn’t able to play so they weren’t as lively as I would have liked when Brian came on stage dressed as Elvis. However, when the Setzer Orchestra began to play and Brian sang the song Hound Dog, the crowd started enjoying the show. They transitioned straight into Jailhouse Rock and by the time he launched A Little Less Conversation, he had the audience singing with him. Brian started the concert in a black jumpsuit but changed after every four songs, to represent the different decades Elvis performed in concert.

  He played to the crowd and would toss scarves into the audience. It was hilarious to watch the women scramble to catch them, the same way concert goers wanted a scarf from the real Elvis when he was alive. Even though Brian is a friend, and I already knew he was talented, I was amazed to see how he held the audience in thrall with his singing and his performance on stage. He brought tears to my eyes when he sat on a stool center stage and sang Love Me Tender with only his guitar to accompany his voice. He really was sensational.

  All in all, Brian and the band played twenty songs and received a standing ovation at the end, as well as calls for an encore. Brian got a mischievous look on his face then turned his back on the audience to talk with the band. After a moment he turned back to the crowd and, with a huge grin on his face, addressed them. “I want to thank you for coming out tonight and for being such a wonderful audience. I know you were as disappointed as I was to hear that Brian Setzer couldn’t perform tonight but apparently, he’s at home with the flu. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you, buddy.

  “Anyway, I want to finish the concert tonight with something different since we’re so near the ocean and we who live here have a pinch of sea salt in our blood.” He laughed, and the audience joined him. “People who are lucky enough to live near the ocean are a different breed. I want to dedicate this song to my good friends, Cyndi and Jason. They’re getting married in about a month and a half and they’re with us in the audience tonight.”

  The cheers, whistles and shouts of congratulations continued until Jason and I stood to wave at everyone and I turned to see Brian laughing at my embarrassment. Our sitting again must have been the cue for the band because as soon as my butt hit the seat, the drummer started the song on the steel drums he wheeled in while my back was turned. It took me a moment to identify the music but once I did, I laughed at the audacity of my friend and vowed to find a way to get him back.

  Brian began dancing on stage as the rest of the orchestra joined the drummer and played an extended intro before Brian launched into the lyrics.

  “Is this—” Jason leaned over to ask.

  “Yep,” I laughed as Brian began the song.

  “The seaweed is always greener, in somebody else’s lake—”

  “The jerk is singing Under the Sea, from The Little Mermaid.”

  August 30

  The ringing of my phone jarred me awake and I fell out of bed reaching for it on the nightstand. The blackout curtains were doing their job, so I wasn’t sure what time it was. Since the call was coming through on my landline I knew it was important; only Josef had that number.

  “Whazza?” I asked when I finally managed to gather my wits enough to reach up from the floor to grab the handset off the shrilling telephone.

  “Good morning to you, too, how soon can you get to the airport?” Josef asked, laughing at me over the phone line.

  “Which airport?” I asked, sitting up and rubbing the elbow I’d smashed into the floor in my fall.

  “John Wayne,” Josef responded.

  I put my hand over the handset and called, “curtains and lights,” to the automated system. The lights slowly grew brighter and the curtains automatically opened to reveal a gorgeous early morning sky. I stood, looked at the clock and did some quick calculations.

  “At this time of the morning, it will take us almost an hour to get there,” I finally answered.

  “Perfect,” Josef said. “Hillaes, Wu, Carlos and Yoli are on their way to the airport now and the jet will take off from Sky Harbor in about thirty minutes. That will give you enough time to grab your go-bag and head to the airport. I’m sorry you won’t have time to grab a burger before you catch your plane,” Josef teased.

  “Bummer,” I grumped and sent a mental message to Brian and Jason that we needed to head out in thirty minutes so they should be ready to go in twenty. I got replies acknowledging my message then turned my attention back to the discussion with Josef. “Where are we going, and how long will we be gone?”

  “To answer your second question, I’m not sure, but I promise you’ll be back in time for your wedding. And in answer to the first, you're headed to South Africa.”

  “Great, another long flight,” I muttered. “Why are we going there?”

  “There was a strange item in the news about a group of men who had destroyed a monument on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town and dug up a chest buried under the cairn.”

  “Remind me what a cairn is again,” I asked, my brain still fuzzy from sleep.

  “It’s another name for a big pile of rocks,” Josef laughed.

  “So, this group destroyed a large pile of rocks? That is a strange story,” I agreed while placing my go-bags on the bed then walking into the bathroom for a quick shower, “but I’m not sure I understand why this is a reason to send us there.”

  “Two reasons,” Josef countered. “The men were found dead near an empty chest without an apparent cause of death. The authorities leaked a lightning strike to the press but our agent in South Africa just confirmed there weren’t any external marks on the bodies indicating a lightning strike. The second, and most compelling reason, there used to be a dimensional gate on top of Table Mountain that provided a direct route from Claw to Earth, but it was destroyed around the time the ruling council attacked Akore in his fortress. You’re heading to South Africa because we finally have a lead on where he’s gone to ground.”

  September 1

  Table Mountain

  Cape Town, South Africa

  I yawned as I stood looking north at the spectacular view of Table Bay from my vantage point next to what used to be Maclear’s Beacon. The sunlight sparked on the navy-blue water in the middle of the bay and, with my superior eyesight, I could even see the waves crashing on the shore of Robben Island in the distance. The chalky-green water along the coast of Camps Bay to the west beckoned me and my stomach rumbled when I thought of the hunting ground under the waters there. Of course, that area was also full of great white sharks so that made the hunt even more exciting. I’d have to take Jason on a date there, later.

  I turned back to survey the damage that had been done on top of the mountain and shook my head. Maclear’s Beacon was built on this spot because it was the highest point on the mountain and had served as an important astronomical point since eighteen forty-four, but now the rocks that made up
the beacon lay strewn around the ground. I was more concerned with the murder of eight men, but I was also dismayed by the wanton disregard for anything that got in Akore’s way.

  I looked at my watch, grateful to see it had automatically adjusted to the local day and time. Thankfully, I didn’t need to worry about time zones when I traveled underwater; just thinking about thirty-one hours of travel made me tired. Our flight landed only three hours before and, even though I slept on the plane, it wasn’t as restful as sleeping in my bed or on the ocean floor.

  Once we cleared customs, we piled in an armored SUV with heavily tinted windows and spent the forty-five-minute drive being briefed by our local contact, Enzokuhle. He was one of the members of Tionchar who had come to Earth in the past six months. He told us he was an impundulu and when he saw our blank expressions, laughingly explained he turned into a human-sized black and white bird who could summon thunder and lightning with his wings and talons.

  He shared that he had flown over the top of Table Mountain when he heard the report of the dead men found there but there were too many police officers on the scene for him to do anything more than observe. He said the men appeared to have died suddenly because it looked like they fell where they were standing, in a half-circle, facing an open chest. There was another man on the ground closer to the chest with a machete near his hand, but other than that weapon there didn’t appear to be any sign of violence; at least he couldn’t see any wounds on the bodies other than those made by scavengers after death.

  He answered as many of our questions as he could but since he hadn’t actually been to the site where they died, he didn’t have much to add. He did, however, have copies of the initial Forensic Pathologist’s report which showed each man’s heart burst in their chests. The Forensic Pathologist didn’t speculate how this could have happened; she just reported her findings. The cause of death was still pending. We had special permission from the Commandant of the South African Police Services, Colonel Dlamini, to investigate the scene so that’s how we found ourselves atop Table Mountain.