Hank took the bag and looked at the item through the plastic. It was a heavy, round medallion, seemingly made of silver with a black design in the center.
“Interesting design,” Hank mumbled as he looked it over. “Any idea what it means?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Doctor Jacoby replied, “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“I guess I had better sign for this,” Hank said looking up at the doctor. “I have some sources that may be able to identify it.”
“No problem there,” The doctor replied as he slipped a clipboard across the table. “This thing kind of gives me the creeps anyway.”
“Yeah,” Hank responded, “This whole case is creeping me out a little.”
***
“Yep! I seen dat there before,” Roscoe replied when Hank showed him the medallion.
“You have?” Samuel questioned Roscoe suspiciously.
Roscoe nodded animatedly. “Yep! You remember fella that done pushed me down?”
“Of course I remember that dummy. Twernt more than a day or two ago!”
“It were yesterdy,” Roscoe replied with a wink. “My backside’s still sore.”
“I remember it like it were Sunday,” Samuel piped in again, shaking his head unbelievingly.
“Yesterdy were Sunday you idjet!” Roscoe crowed. “Why I gotta s’plain evryting to you a hunert times?”
“You say he pushed you down?” Hank interjected, hoping to get the two men back on track.
Roscoe nodded. “He didn’t like my answer to his question.”
“Did you know him?” Hank proffered, “Before he pushed you down?”
“Nope,” both men answered in unison.
“He were mighty peculiar,” Samuel offered.
“Weird lookin too,” Roscoe added quickly.
“How so?” Hank asked, looking at Roscoe.
“How so what?” Roscoe asked with exasperation.
Hank sighed. “How come you said he was weird looking?”
“Oh,” Roscoe exclaimed, “I get your meanin’. Well, for one thing he were bald…like he shaved it that way…you know what I’m meanin’?”
“Lots of people are bald,” Hank replied with a sigh.
“Not on the streets they ain’t,” Samuel piped in. “Razer’s err s’pensive! A feller down here don’t put much stock in shavin’. We gots to protect our assets fer the important stuff.”
“Ok,” Hank nodded as he scribbled a note in his notebook. “Shaves his head. Anything else?”
“He were a raspberry,” Roscoe added with a knowing nod.
Hank looked at him with a confused look.
“You idjet,” Samuel exclaimed, looking at Roscoe. “You can’t jus say something stupid like that an expect everybody to understand what yer sayin.’
“You understood it didn’t-cha?”
“Of course I understood it! I have to hang around you every day!”
Looking up at Hank, Samuel continued. “He means the guy had a birthmark on his face…it were the color of raz-berries.”
“That’s what I sayd!” Roscoe exclaimed.
Hank shook his head. “How come only one of you saw the medallion?”
“Cause it were hangin’ down when he leant over me,” Roscoe exclaimed while pointing his thumb at Samuel. “Superman here were hightailin it to the alley at the time.”
“I was positioning myself to summon help if’n it were needed,” Samuel replied defensively. “What kind of friend would I be if’n ida stuck around and he had us both down?”
Roscoe waved off his explanation. “Whatever. You got that there fryin pan in your cart that woulda just fit his head is all I’m sayin.”
“What was the question?” Hank interrupted; frustrated at the way the conversation was going.
Both men looked up at him with blank looks.
“Say again?” Samuel asked.
Agitated, Hank kneeled down in front of them. “You said he pushed you down when he didn’t like your answer to his question? What was his question?”
“Oh!” Roscoe finally answered, nodding his head in understanding. “I get your meanin.”
“He asked me where he could find a feller…I told him I didn’t know.”
Hank was nodding as he wrote in his notebook.
“Who was it he was asking about?” he asked then.
“You,” Samuel piped up then.
Hank stopped writing, looking up at the two men.
“Excuse me?” he answered dumbly.
Roscoe pointed to Luci as he spoke. “He were lookin for that red devil dog…and you.”
Chapter 23
Roscoe and Samuel hadn’t known anything else.
Hank was now seated at his desk in the office, inspecting the strange medallion and making a list of the only thing that he actually had…questions!
Why would one of the victims have been looking for him?
Why were Benton and the others destroying the victims?
What did the symbol on the strange medallion mean?
Taking it up once again in his hands, Hank studied the silver object closely, turning it over and looking for any hallmarks that would indicate where it had been made or who made it.
There weren’t any.
He was getting extremely agitated by the time he put the medallion back into the evidence bag, but once he did he immediately felt better.
“Hmm,” he mumbled when he noticed the improvement.
Must be some dark magic attached to it.
Hank jumped up and quickly scanned the office around him. The voice had been as plain as day, and yet there was no one else anywhere close…just himself and Luci.
Settling back into his chair slowly, he glanced down at Luci suspiciously. She returned his gaze from her spot on the floor as she usually did, ever alert and ready to jump into action.
He shook his head as he rubbed his eyes.
“I must be going crazy Luci; I’m starting to hear things.”
Leaning forward, he tried to concentrate once again on the list.
“Come on brain, work with me here. What other questions do I have?”
Although not strictly related to the crime wave, he nevertheless started writing down the other questions that had been swirling around in his head.
What was it that he was supposed to do to help the people of Faerie?
Who was the man that had been looking for him?
He gave the last question some additional thought. As far as the people of Faerie that he had actually met, there had only been four. He closed his eyes and searched his memory, trying to remember if he’d seen any of them wearing the medallion. Assuring himself that it couldn’t have been one of them, another thought came to the fore.
Dulci had said that he was in danger!
Could the victim with the medallion have been part of whatever or whoever Dulci had been worried about?
His mind moved back to the words that had appeared in his head only moments before. Was there dark magic attached to the medallion? Was it part of the danger Dulci had mentioned?
Once again Hank leaned back and rubbed his eyes. Sighing finally, he dropped his hands and moved his eyes down to his partner.
“I can only think of one thing to do girl,” he mumbled in a defeated voice.
“We need to go back.”
Chapter 24
It was nearly dark when they approached the pair of small trees on the path. Hank hesitated, his heart racing inside his chest as he thought about what lay ahead.
His destiny Dulci had called it.
The thought of Dulci lightened his heart as he leaned down and unsnapped Luci’s leash. “Ok girl, are you ready for this?”
Licking his hand once in reply, Luci’s eyes were alert as they moved toward the gateway, seeming to scan for any danger ahead.
“Ok,” he sighed as he stood and withdrew the staff from his shoulder. “Let’s do this.”
***
; Hank felt the now-familiar cool dampness on his face as they emerged from between the two ancient trees. Going down on one knee, he scanned the forest before him, looking for any sign of danger.
Sensing none, he slowly stood. It had been his intention to head directly to Dulci’s home, but looking around the rapidly darkening forest, he was unsure now if he could find it in the darkness.
Letting out a nervous breath, he glanced down at Luci.
“Think you can find Dulci’s place again girl?”
Seeming to understand, Luci turned forward and started off at a slow walk down the path. Following closely behind, Hank kept his mind occupied as he scanned the forest around them.
By the time he noticed the low light emanating from Dulci’s window, the forest was completely black around them.
Hello Hank.
Dulci’s melodious voice suddenly filled his head as his heart skipped a beat at the sound.
Please come on in, I have tea ready.
Looking down at Luci, he noticed her looking back at him.
“You heard the woman,” Hank grinned, “Let’s go!”
***
The door opened before them as they approached, even though he could see Dulci sitting comfortably in her chair across the room. As they passed through the doorway, it slowly closed behind them.
Dulci’s smile was infectious as she stood and moved toward the pair.
“This is indeed a pleasant surprise,” she cooed as she hugged Hank and then Luci in turn. “Although I thought you might return sooner rather than later.”
He nodded. “I have many questions.”
“I’m sure you do. Please, have a seat and I will pour you some tea.”
Lifting a fanciful ceramic teapot, she poured the golden liquid into an empty teacup set beside his chair. Setting down the pot, she then ran her fingers gently against his cheek as his heart pounded in his chest. As he held his breath, she then moved her hand down to his chest before lightly gripping his medallion and pulling it out of his shirt.
A smile spread across her lips as she gazed at the metal disc. “I thought your aura was different tonight, you have Tamaki’s medallion!”
Spending a few more seconds looking at the familiar medallion, she then lowered it back into Hank’s shirt and laid her hand gently over it on his chest for a few moments before taking her seat. It made his insides turn to mush.
“I am pleased,” she stated, settling once again into her chair. “You have talked to dear Ariel, and now you know a little more of your destiny.”
Hank took a sip of his tea, noticing once again the calmness it inevitably elicited in him.
“Not near enough though,” he replied as he sat forward in his seat. “I was hoping you could fill in a few of the blanks.”
Dulci nodded slightly, her infectious smile an invitation to proceed.
Hank leaned back into his chair, uncertain of where to start.
“I guess…being a detective on the other side and being confronted with a string of what we consider murders…I guess I need to know what is going on there first.”
Leaning forward anxiously, “I don’t know about here, but in my world murder is not tolerated. As a homicide detective, I have a sworn duty to find the murder and or murderers and bring them to justice. Since Benton and his friends seem to be the perpetrators…and they are friends of yours…”
Dulci’s smile disappeared, replaced with a pained look as she too leaned forward and looked Hank in the eyes with an intensity the likes of which he never experienced before.
“I must appologize for putting you in that situation, Hank. It was never our intent for this to happen, and in point of fact, it is many times more a case of self defense than murder.”
Seeing his confused look, Dulci sat back in her chair again and crossed her hands on her lap.
“I guess I should start at the beginning.”
Looking down at her lap, Dulci collected her thoughts before speaking again.
“Our land is divided between two main groups; these are called Seelie and Unseelie. I am Seelie. As a group, we generally cooperate with humans on certain matters, and in turn return that kindness. We are beings of light, both in heart and in attitude…for the most part.”
“The Unseelie however,” she continued, “Are generally dark beings, although there are exceptions on both sides.”
“Recently, we were at war with each other once again. During that time, the Unseelie grew quite strong. One of the hallmarks of their campaign, well that of their dark Queen named Aveta, was to bring down the barriers between our worlds. Their intention was to bring the war to the humans, and ultimately to also rule your world.”
Hank shivered at the thought. Unseelie…ruling the human world?
“Wow,” he uttered, “How close did they get?”
“Too close,” Dulci muttered, “But we finally prevailed, thanks in great part to our new Queen, Shade. She is part human by the way, and I’m sure you will meet her someday. You may be surprised to know she’s related to Benton, who is also human.”
Hank’s head was spinning again. “Wait…Faerie is governed by a—a human?”
“Part human, Hank, but part of her lineage also encompasses one of the oldest families in Faerie. She is quite powerful. Benton is her brother.”
His jaw dropped. “I hope she is more level headed than he is!”
Dulci laughed at that. “She is incredibly level headed…and Benton is quite young…but extremely brave. He is one you would want on your side in battle.”
“Ok,” Hank started, sidelining any further discussion of Benton. “So Unseelie defeated by Seelie. I’m with you so far.”
“Before they were ultimately defeated, the Unseelie were quite adept at pulling down many of the barriers surrounding Faerie. Those have all been pretty much rebuilt now, but during that time, many of this realm escaped into yours. Most of those were Unseelie and Slaugh, the darkest creatures of evil in Faerie. They are not something that you want to leave out there, in your realm.”
Hank nodded, “I saw one of the creatures the other day…before Benton destroyed it that is.” He rubbed his chin, his brain was spinning with all the information.
“With Slaugh, there is no choice but to eliminate them. They are not creatures you can reason with. As far as the other Unseelie go, they are given a choice. Many choose to fight it out though, attacking Benton and his crew and refusing to return to Faerie. It is these cases I was referring to before when I mentioned self defense.”
Hank mulled all of this information over in his head as it once again threatened to spin out of control. A dull throbbing ache pulsed in his temples and he briskly rubbed at them, hoping it didn’t turn into a full blown headache.
“Luckily for us,” Dulci continued, “Most of the Unseelie and Slaugh have iron sickness in your world, as well as suffering from the lack of magic they would have in Faerie. Without the sickness as a factor, I would imagine that they would have created much more havoc than they have at this point. Most faeries bide their time hiding with glamour to blend in and stay alive.”
Hank sat up suddenly. “Some of my witnesses have described them as being sickly!” Then another thought crossed his mind. “They have also said they sparkle!”
Dulci nodded knowingly. “That’s their glamour. Think of it as a magic cloak to hide their true selves and better fit in to your world.”
“Ahhh,” he exclaimed, “That explains a lot.”
Remembering something suddenly, he dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out the medallion discovered in one of the piles of ash.
“What do you make of this?” he asked as he held out the evidence bag.
Dulci visibly shivered as she looked at it.
“Where did you get that?” she whispered. She cowered away from it, as if it caused her severe physical pain.
“From one of the ones killed…Unseelie I would guess by your description. According to some witnesses, he had been asking about Luc
i and I. He’s the recently expunged victim of Benton and his crew.”
Dulci got up from her chair and crossed the room to a set of shelves, removing a metal box before returning. Opening the box, she held it in front of Hank.
“Put it in this box please.” She kept her eyes averted from the medallion. This was not comforting.
“It’s evidence in a case Dulci! I’m responsible for it!”
Dulci’s eyes softened as she returned his frantic gaze. “Hank, please. You have to trust me on this. Please?”
Mulling her request over in his head, he finally relented, placing it in the box before she snapped the lid closed. Holding her hand over it and mumbling a few words, Hank noticed a glow surround the box momentarily before she moved across the room and replaced it on the shelf.
For the second time that day, He immediately felt better when he released the medallion. In fact, he felt more relieved than anything.
“Feel better?” Dulci inquired as she made her way back to her seat. She peered at him curiously.
“Yes!” he exclaimed, “How did you know?”
“The dark magic is strong in the Kolograt Medallions. I’m actually surprised that you didn’t suffer any burns on your skin from handling it.”
“Kolograt?” Hank questioned, leaning forward with interest.
Dulci’s eyes traveled toward the window warily before she answered. A deep, foreboding concern framed her eyes as she spoke.
“The Kolograt is a secret society of Unseelie believers. They actually refer to themselves as a clan, evoking familiar connotations even though few are actually related by blood. The society is full of exceptionally strong wizards, elves, and witches whom have turned fully to the darkness. They practice wicked sorcery while utilizing an Alliance Ring to increase their power. Feeding off one another’s individual powers, the magic swirls through each before it is thrust upon the intended victim. They were thought to be extinct.”
Dulci was looking down at her lap, as if unsure of herself, playing nervously with her fingers.
“But they aren’t extinct. We think their intent is to try and reverse the outcome of the war…to bring the Unseelie back to power…with the Kolograt as the new ruling class. Their leader is a ruthless wizard by the name of Pironin…he of course sees himself as the future king of Faerie.”