by being the last one standing. RULING: One would get the lake and the swans. One of the queens would agree to create an identical lake and herd of swans for the other. And both would pay a fine.
Upon hearing the ruling, the brothers fell to arguing over which would keep ownership of the original lake and swans. In less than a minute they’d lunged at each other and were in a full-blown brawl, causing such a disturbance that the sephalian was forced to engage.
As I read on into the night, the pattern of assessing fines became clear. I had no clue where all that money went, but I was afraid it went to buy Alfa Romeos and magic shawls for magistrates. That struck me as far more corrupt than attempting to bribe a magistrate with lunch. A person calling in a favor to the judge might expect a sentence, probably a fine, to be reduced. Considerably.
Lochlan’s name came up again and again. As did occasional references to the sephalian, whatever that was. I made a note to track it down in the velvet book. Right after a well-deserved night’s sleep.
At times I roused enough to know I was dreaming about fantastical creatures that were so much more vivid in life than in stories. Nevertheless, I woke surprisingly refreshed, thinking I could smell coffee.
On opening the bedroom door, I heard kitchen noises and confirmed that, yes, indeed, coffee had been brewed. Good coffee from the smell of it. I pulled on a robe and padded downstairs to find a variety of fresh citrus segmented and deseeded, my favorite yogurt, my favorite granola, and my favorite topping – fresh berries.
“Olivia?” I called, but there was no answer.
She’d come and prepared breakfast then left. Since I was a person who was partial to some ‘alone time’, I thought that was amazingly considerate of her.
I took my breakfast to sit and look at the little garden, which featured a blooming mimosa tree, to think things over. I’d promised to reach a decision by mid-day and I would.
As had been suggested, the reading of journals was clarifying. The author of the journal I’d read had, at one time, been a human like myself, oblivious to the fact that we share a world with magic kind and creatures. He, like the other magistrates, had made a transition such that the impossible became the everyday.
I imagined myself ‘hearing’ every case I read about and thought over how I might’ve ‘ruled’ had the outcome been up to me. In a strange twist of psyche, I was able to form a vision of being that person. And, I could see why magic kind would think it an honor to be the recipient of that position.
After dashing off an email to my daughter with assurances that I was having the time of my life, I showered and got dressed hurriedly. I was strangely eager to begin what would, no doubt, be another day of firsts. I’d never thought of myself as a thrill seeker. Just the opposite. Yet I found myself wondering what wonders would present themselves before I returned to the bedroom that night.
Since I’d slept late, it was time for shops to open. I stepped out my front door, looked at the garage across the way, and remembered the promise I’d made to take Romeo for a spin. Or was it the other way around?
Without stopping at the Hallows, I went straight across the circle to The Silver Braid. The OPEN sign behind the half-glass door had been turned facing outward.
No one was in sight when I went in, but that gave me a minute to look around. I’d never been what might be called a ‘jewelry person’, but each of Brad’s pieces was a work of art. Most were complicated Celtic knot designs. Some were wide, flat chains. Some were heavy chunk rings with diamonds embedded in crevices. Some featured large medallions with dragons or snakes circling to take hold of their own tails.
I was particularly drawn to the medallion that featured a large, diamond-eyed, wolf’s head superimposed over a patchwork of Celtic designs.
“Brad?” I called out.
I heard a small thump in the rear seconds before he appeared.
“Magistrate,” he said simply. He didn’t smile, but did convey steady good-naturedness.
“I just came by to say hello and see your shop.” I waved. “Your work is stunning.”
“You’re very kind.”
“Not at all. Truth was never truer. And I came to look for something special.”