The Valley of Kings and a Queen

Chapter 14

"You might not want to do that." Olivier suggests whispering to me to avoid being yelled at by gods.

"Who is next?" Finley yells louder this time his voice echoing off the halls of the chamber.

"Oh shire," the old gentlemen, "Walter Joseph Foster soul number," the man rattles off an ungodly long number that wastes a few minutes.

"Bring him in for judgment," Finley says dreadfully. A man in his mid-forties comes to kneel at his throne. "Mr. Foster – died from a car accident three nights ago." My body reacts in hurt for Finley whose own father had fallen to the same tragedy not too long ago; though, he seemed unfazed by the information his counsel was reading off. "father of two girls – Josie and Laila. Former husband to Rudy Foster. Had an affair with a mistress a few years into his marriage. Left his family when his youngest daughter was only two. Ran off with another woman committing adultery. Partook in white collar crimes and fraud in his company," Finley continued to read a list of crimes that man had committed.

"Please, please, I can explain," the man kneeling at the altar begging for mercy.

"Anubis, ready the scales and prepare the heart," Finley instructs.. A heart appears in Anubis's palm. He then goes forward and places the heart on the scale against what appeared to be a white ostrich feather – the feather of truth.

"That's what we need," I whisper to Henri, Olivier, and Aiden who nod in agreement.

"How are we going to umm let's say borrow it for a second without them noticing and maybe banishing our souls into the fires of hell," Olivier exasperates.

"I have an idea," I say, making the basketball three symbol against my temple except I forget that they don't understand the meaning behind it – only Finley would understand and he's temporarily unavailable.

"Here's the plan," I explain to them quickly. Across the room, the heart has finally finished being weighed. The scale tips in favor of one side, but I'm not sure the meaning.

"The scale reads the soul is heavier than the feather of truth,"

"Take him off with Ammuet," Finley declares.

"No please. Please don't!" The man's piercing cries echo through the entire chamber as guards surround him grabbing him by his arms and leading him off through a different set of doors. I can still hear his horrific screeches even after he's well gone.

"Who's next," Finley or should I say Osiris asks. "Bring'em in." For a god well it seems very ungodly business. Imagine being sentenced to have immortality only to spend it judging and sentencing the dead.

"Leo James Hunter." Instead of this guy's soul, Aiden appears in front of the throne. Osiris doesn't seem to have noticed that the boy standing in front of him is far from dead, but so clearly alive and well – hopefully he'll stay that way for the time being. His guards stare at Aiden trying to make sense of his lively being, but Osiris who isn't paying much attention slowly becomes frustrated.

"Go on then and read off his statement and list of crimes. You weren't hired to stand and stare now," Osiris voice cuts deep. Well, the guards begin to read of Leo's crimes still struggling if their minds are messing with them.

As Aiden bows for judgment, and Henri has captured and held hostage the real Leo's soul, Olivier, and I have snuck across the hall to the scales. Grey or Anubis seems to be falling asleep when he suddenly blinks at me as if he wants to confirm that I was real.

"Grey," I whisper, trying to call out to him hoping that part of him is still in that Egyptian god's body and can be summoned to life. His jackal face just glares at me numbly, clearly unfazed by my presence. "Grey, we need your help, if you can hear me, help us." I cry out to him trying to awaken him from whatever state he has been shoved down into.