Scales of Justice

by Brett Humphrey

  Chapter 9

  Llandudno Estates

  Cape Town, South Africa

  Akore stood over the battered and bloody body of the woman his men shot. She was riddled with holes and she had a gash along the side of her head where the last bullet hit her. He tried to use his magic to see if her spirit had left her body yet, but his energy was spent. Akore bent down to feel for a pulse but didn’t want to get his hands bloody so he watched the body for any sign of movement. Satisfied that she was dead, he turned to walk back to the vehicle. He looked over at the young woman huddled on the ground near the van and grunted in disgust because his magic was too depleted to cast the spell to steal her life-force.

  “Put her back in the cell then clean this mess up,” Akore jerked his head at the dead body. “Quickly now, the guns were quite noisy and one of our neighbors may have called the police with a noise complaint. Once you weigh down her body and dump it in the ocean, light off some fireworks for the Onam festival; that should satisfy anyone looking into our business.”

  Akore moved away from the bloody mess on his lawn and walked towards the van. He was disturbed that she had been able to resist his death spell but was gratified that bullets had done what his magic couldn’t. It really was irritating that he wasn’t able to steal her life-force, her magic would have gone a long way to bringing him back to full strength.

  “Drive me back to the house,” he told his driver as he settled in the passenger seat. Before they pulled away, the other man walked from the other side of the building pulling a flat cart with a rusty chain piled on top.

  Don’t move, a voice whispered in my aching head.

  I couldn’t if I tried, I answered.

  You’d be surprised at what you can do, the voice chuckled.

  Everything hurt, especially my head but I managed to hold still as I felt my body being roughly rolled on the ground. My head felt stuffed full of cotton, but I could make out the distinctive sound of clinking metal as I rolled and could feel my body wrapped in chains. I was dragged across the ground and slammed onto a hard surface. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to cry out as pain burst through my body when I landed.

  Almost there, the voice whispered again, and I was startled by the sound. I could feel my body moving even though I didn’t have any strength to move myself.

  This is going to be bad, the voice soothed.

  How could it be any worse than what I’ve already gone through, I asked sarcastically. I really shouldn’t have asked because I found out. For a moment I felt weightless and knew I was falling but then felt crushing pain as I landed on the rocks. Since my arms and legs were bound by the chain, I couldn’t do anything to break my fall and I crashed on my side, my leg shattering when I landed. The pain I felt when I was shot was like red hot skewers entering my body, but this felt like being ground in a rock crusher. The pain was so intense that I blacked out again, which was probably a good thing, because otherwise I would have cried out involuntarily.

  I woke when I felt myself flying once again then sighed as ocean water wrapped me in its cool embrace. The pain intensified again as salt water entered each of my wounds and fire poured into my body. I could hear the cracking of my bones as they realigned themselves and knitted back together. I’d never healed so quickly or completely before and the pain was excruciating and all consuming. I screamed into the black water surrounding me and wished for death.

  I’m not sure how long it took for me to come back to myself, but streaks of sunlight were streaming through the water illuminating the particles of dissolved minerals in the water and shining off the scales of the small fish darting around me. I was still bound in the chains and lying on the rocky bottom, the surface of the water fifty feet above. I flexed my arms and legs and the chains shattered. I felt for my necklace and was relieved that it was still around my neck.

  Standing, I stretched and twisted my back and neck, my joints cracking as everything settled back in place. My thoughts were still fuzzy, and I touched my head where I’d been shot, grateful that the bullet had grazed my head rather than piercing my skull; I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t heal from a bullet to the brain. I transformed into my mermaid form and felt a sense of relief which was quickly replaced by sorrow as I saw the dozens of bodies wrapped in chains and attached to weights, littering the ocean floor around me. Now that I knew where Akore’s property was, there was no way he could escape my wrath.

  Jason, I called mentally.

  Cyndi—He shouted through our mental connection and I winced because his sending caused me pain.

  Yes, it’s me, I answered, my mental voice sounding weak in my head.

  Where are you?

  I’m in the water below Akore’s property. Jason, we must stop him, he’s kidnapping and killing people, there are so many bodies surrounding me; he’s caused so much death and destruction, my heart broke and I broke down sobbing as I saw a smaller body that must have belonged to a child.

  Tell me exactly where you are and we’ll come get you; your thoughts are so jumbled I can’t get a precise location through our mate bond, Jason pleaded when he finally broke through the misery of my emotional breakdown.

  I—I don’t know, I stammered, I’m still a bit confused, I think my brain is still healing.

  Your brain is healing?

  Yes, from where I was shot in the head—don’t worry, the bullet just grazed the side of my head, above my left ear—I think my hair’s messed up, I’ll need to get it done when we get home—I stopped talking when I saw a yellowtail swim into view and I realized how hungry I was, my body needed food to finish healing.

  It didn’t take me long to consume the yellowtail then I captured a six-foot mako shark and made a meal out of that. As I dropped the remainder of the carcass for the bottom-dwelling creatures I looked back at the bodies and watched the fish, crabs and other ocean scavengers feeding from them. Even though their lives had been cut short, their bodies would nourish the sea creatures in the next step in the circle of life; Akore was going to pay for his evil.

  There was a buzzing in my mind and as the injury to my brain completely healed, I recognized Jason’s voice.

  Sorry about that, my body took over and I went into hunting mode. It needed the energy to finish healing, I apologized to my true mate.

  You were broadcasting while you hunted so I knew you were okay, Jason answered, his relief was evident at hearing my mental voice. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Your thoughts were muddled before, even more so than normal, he teased, but your sending is clearer now.

  Ha, ha, I drawled. Your brain would be scrambled too, if you’d been shot in the head.

  You were shot?

  Many times, but I got better, I sent as I swam towards the open ocean. Now that I’m thinking clearly, I’m going to swim to the hotel. Are you still there?

  Yes, but we’ve all been worried sick because you’ve been out of communication since the night before last—

  What? I interrupted; how could I have lost a full day?

  Let’s see, Jason sent drily, you were drugged, kidnapped, shot in the head and—he paused, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

  I’m pretty sure my leg shattered when I was thrown off the cliff onto the rocks, I sent quietly.

  Hmmm, Jason sent but I could tell he was anything but calm. And you wonder why it took over twenty-four hours for your body to repair itself?

  When you put it that way, I sent him as much love and comfort through our mental connection as I could. I’m completely healed and on my way to you, I sent, I didn’t mean to get hurt. Akore caught me by surprise when he had his two goons shoot me; I didn’t have time to do anything to defend myself.

  I know, Jason sent wearily, you couldn’t stand by and watch an innocent be hurt. I may not like you putting yourself in danger, but that’s also one of the things I love about you.

  I basked in his love and as I swam towards the Clifton Hotel, I told him everything that happened from the time I felt
the sting of the syringe until I woke up on the bottom of the ocean. He listened but I could feel his roiling emotions as I recounted the events. We discussed why he couldn’t use our mate bond to pinpoint my location and we surmised it had to do with my head injury. He hadn’t been able to sense my presence from when I was shot in the head until I’d healed enough to reach out to him.

  . I’d arrived at the dock below the hotel by the time I finished, and I could sense Jason standing above me. I transformed underwater and was thankful the magic of the thought medallion clothed me with what I was wearing when I transformed into my mermaid form, even if the clothes were ripped and full of bullet holes. Thankfully, the blood washed out of them during my twenty-four hours underwater.

  I climbed onto the dock and stood before my life-mate, my sodden clothing sticking to my skin and the water cascading off my human body. He looked at me with such tenderness as he stepped close, it was almost my undoing. He reached out a shaking hand and touched the side of my head where the bullet had grazed me. I could feel him tracing the path the bullet took and even though my skin was healed, I knew the hair hadn’t grown back yet.

  “I came so close to losing you,” he whispered as he enveloped me in his arms, “please don’t ever do that again.”

  His arms tightened reflexively when I began to shake uncontrollably as I was assailed by the memories of the past two days. The heat from Jason’s body, combined with the relief I felt because I was alive, overwhelmed my senses. I did the only reasonable thing I could in that situation; I blacked out.

  The water of the still pond mirrored the turquoise sky above, the day was bright, and the sunlight was so weighty it was almost a physical thing. I tipped my head back to look at the impossibly large sky dotted with fluffy-white clouds and searched for the position of the sun but didn’t see one in the sky. I was sitting on grass at the edge of the pond and my feet were dangling in the water and the water was so clear I could see large fish swimming lazily near the bottom of the deep pool. The coolness of the water contrasted with the warmth of the sun on my back, and I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment. I didn’t know where I was, but I didn’t care; I was at peace.

  A laugh burst from my mouth because I couldn’t contain the joy I felt by sitting here. The air was filled with a wonderful fragrance, and even though I couldn’t identify the exact scent, I knew it smelled like home. I leaned forward and took a drink from the pond and it felt like I was drinking liquid sunshine and I was filled with energy and was satisfied in the same way I would have been after consuming a swordfish.

  The ground shook slightly, and a great presence settled next to me on the right, and all my cares and worries fled away.

  “I’m proud of you, little one. You have endured much but are still committed to protecting the weak,” a deep voice rumbled next to me. I cracked my eyes and looked to my right where a great lion was resting with his head on his front paws. He was closer in size to a buffalo than a lion, but I knew who he was.

  “An’Ceann,” I spoke softly, “did you really speak to me after I was shot?”

  “Yes daughter, that was me,” he rumbled.

  I nodded as we sat in silence, but my thoughts were whirling in my head.

  “Ask me whatever you want,” An’Ceann said, humor in his deep voice.

  I leaned against his side and felt his love for me, which gave me the courage to continue.

  “Why didn’t you warn me before I was kidnapped?” I asked, trying not to make my question sound like an accusation.

  “If I warned you before you were kidnapped, what would have happened?” he asked gently.

  “I suppose I wouldn’t have found Akore’s hideout,” I answered. “But I wouldn’t have gotten shot either.”

  “That is true—but let me ask you this. What if I told you the resonance spell Hillaes cast on the arcane crystals wouldn’t have located Akore before his defenses were fully functional and the only way for you to find him was for you to be kidnapped; what would you have done?”

  We sat in silence as I thought about his question. Before I could answer, he asked me something else.

  “What would you have done if I told you that you could save the lives of six women and find Akore’s hiding place if you allowed yourself to be kidnapped, shot and horribly injured?” he pressed.

  “I would have done exactly what I did,” I answered confidently.

  “Yes, you would,” he smiled, “and that’s one of the things I love about you. You care about people and are willing to sacrifice yourself to help them. Whether you give your time and money, as you did with Nick, or wade into a fight, as you did with the women and children on the Brownlow or put yourself into danger to protect someone else as you did with Maryam Nor and her daughter Marti in Malacca and Nikita at Akore’s compound; you are driven to protect the weak.

  “Daughter, you have the heart of a warrior and such boundless love, even if I had warned you by telling you about the pain you would face, that wouldn’t have stopped you from walking into danger.”

  “That’s true. Jason says I’m stubborn when I think I know the right thing to do; I prefer to think I’m just determined.” I grinned and An’Ceann laughed. We sat in silence for awhile, and I gained strength as I leaned against the great lion.

  “I can’t stay here, can I?” I asked although I was reluctant to move.

  “No, you cannot. It isn’t your time. Although, you came close after you were shot. I’m just glad your head is as hard as it is,” An’Ceann teased. After sitting together for another minute, he spoke again. “Akore is a blight on the people of Earth and only you and the other members of Tionchar can take care of him because there aren’t any humans who can face him in battle. Even though he has been greatly weakened, he’s still more powerful than most people can imagine.”

  “If he’s so powerful, why don’t you take care of him?” I asked.

  “I am taking care of him, through you and the others loyal to me,” he said as I stood to face the lion. His eyes were bottomless pools of love, wisdom and knowledge and I could also see the sorrow for those who had been killed and the choices Akore had made that brought us to this point. I suddenly understood that while An’Ceann could deal with this on his own, he chose to work through us who were loyal to him and followed his ways. I had the opportunity to play a great part in his plan and I felt honored to be able to do so.

  “I won’t let you down,” I promised.

  “Oh, daughter,” he crooned and pressed his nose to my forehead in a lion’s kiss. “You couldn’t let me down even if you failed miserably. There’s nothing you can do to make me love you any more just like there’s nothing you can do to make me love you less. You do what only you can do and let me work through you to do the rest," he rumbled in a purr and everything faded away.

  I came back to my senses and found myself back on the dock with Jason’s arms supporting my body. Apparently, no time had passed while I was with An’Ceann and I was right back where I started. Although this time, I felt the strength I’d received from the lion’s kiss coursing through my body. I stood on my own, kissed Jason soundly, which surprised him because I had been dead weight in his arms a moment before, and declared, “Let’s meet with the others, we have plans to make if we’re going to destroy Akore once and for all.”

  September 14

  Cape Town Clifton Hotel

  Cape Town, South Africa

  “Thank you,” I said as I handed some folded bills to Jessica, the Room Service Manager.

  “Ma’am, that isn’t necessary, a gratuity is added to the bill and both Mr. Brian and Mr. Jason already gave me something extra to share with the others.”

  “And now you’ll have even more,” I said with a smile. “We really appreciate how well you’ve taken care of us. Our party is rather large, and we eat a lot.”

  “It’s just part of the exceptional service we provide our guests at the Cape Town Clifton Hotel, but I thank you for your generosity. Please don’t he
sitate to contact the front desk when you would like us to clear the dishes or if you need anything else," Jessica said and closed the door after the last of the waitstaff departed.

  “You realize between the three of us we gave each of them a month’s salary,” Brian laughed as I joined everyone around the dining room table. The glass wall was open and the ocean breeze was gently blowing into the room, the sheer curtains softly billowing in the breeze. While it would have been nice to eat on the balcony, there were too many of us to fit out there comfortably. Besides Jason, Brian, Wu, Hillaes, Carlos, Yoli, Steve, Robert, Enzokuhle and me, Ishka and Raksaka had come from India to join us. They wanted to be part of Akore’s downfall since they had witnessed the evil he caused in Goa and through the slave trade.

  It amazed me how quickly everyone had assembled once Jason broadcast that I was alive and on my way to the hotel. Ishka and Raksaka had flown from India after they were informed I’d identified Akore as my kidnapper and had arrived late the night before. I was surprised by the patience displayed by my team as they waited the hour for me to get cleaned up and our food ordered before they asked me to fill them in on my adventures. Josef joined us on screen even though it was one in the morning back in Phoenix.

  As we ate, I talked about everything that happened from the time I was injected with the drug until we sat around the dining room table. Of course, there were interruptions as I was asked to clarify points of my story, especially my vision of An’Ceann, so it took over an hour for me to finish my tale.

  “I’m sorry the resonance spell wasn’t as effective as I expected,” Hillaes said.

  Wu pulled her into a one-armed hug, “Akore was a master sorcerer over six-hundred years ago and even though magic is limited on Earth, he’s been honing his craft ever since.”

  “I agree with Wu,” Josef said from the screen. “Besides, from what Cyndi shared, your protection spell saved her life, your magic drained Akore and that probably saved the lives of the captured women.”