“I can protect us both too.” Fisher grinned at her. “What is that for? By the way, you sort of look like a fruitcake right now. Don’t do that around your family, or they really will have you committed.”
“I just thought of you protecting me. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone say that to me.” She asked him if he thought her incapable of doing that. “No. On the contrary, I think you’d do a great job of keeping me out of trouble and safe. I’d gladly be your damsel in distress for you to help me.”
“Don’t be silly.” She got up off her couch and went to sit with him. “I was just thinking that this couch needs to be deeper when we’re on it together. That way, you can hold me while we watch the fireplace.”
The couch widened under her, and she stretched out more. It should have freaked her out a little, having her every wish taken care of. But she was going with the flow now. Having things explained to her, along with the magic, Piper felt like she was on top of things. That she was able to understand more than she had previously. Turning to lie on her back, she looked up at Fisher.
“She said the streaks in our hair mark us as hers. I thought you all belonged to her.” Fisher explained. “So this is more than her just creating you and your family as shifters. You and I literally belong to her and her castle. Do you think we’ll get to go there someday? I have a feeling there are a lot of things around the castle that people no longer believe in.”
“You mean like dragons and unicorns? They’re there. Several of them, as a matter of fact. There are also flying horses, as well as a few animals that were here but have gone extinct. She told us once that if the humans learn to control themselves again, she might well bring them back. She’s done it before, I guess.” Piper was excited to know that. That Aurora worked with both worlds, hers and the one she lived in, to make sure that all animals had a chance. Piper asked Fisher about the flying horses. “They’re beautiful creatures, but they’re not as big as portrayed in books. Not small either, but about the size of a small horse. Their colors are wonderfully brilliant, as well. Like rainbows from the sky.”
Piper loved talking to Fisher. There didn’t seem to be any subject he didn’t know at least a little about. Some things, jobs that he’d had in his past lives, he was more knowledgeable about, but he never talked down to her or made her feel stupid because she didn’t know as much as he did.
“Once, when we were just coming to our own, becoming adult tigers, we happened upon a man with a traveling circus. He was down on his luck and having to cut corners wherever he went. But he was good to his animals. All of them loved him.” Piper asked Fisher if he could speak to all animals. “Yes. I’ve been able to converse with all manner of creatures. I believe you can do that as well.”
“I can, can’t I?” Piper looked around the room to find something, anything she could test out her newfound powers on. When she didn’t see anything, she asked Fisher to continue. “I want to hear about everything you’ve ever done. I want to be a part of every aspect of your life since you were born.”
“That’s a lot of stories. But back to the traveling circus. As I said, he was a good man. Just not doing as well as he hoped, I suppose. Traveling from town to town, he enjoyed meeting young people, telling about the creatures he had as well as anything else that he could impart to them. We followed him for a few days before Dad came up with a plan to help him out. It was dangerous, not to him but to us, but the need to help him was greater than our fear of being harmed.”
She watched Fisher’s face as he thought about that time in his life. She could almost see the younger him, watching a circus with caged animals. Piper wasn’t sure she’d like something like that, to see animals being held with chains and ropes.
“One night, while the people were sitting around their fire, having the very last of their food, my dad, as a man, walked into the circle and told him who he was. Not his real name, of course—we were never to do that. He told him how he had these beautiful tigers that were all in good health and would listen to him when they did their antics. He never said tricks. We only did things that a normal tiger would do, you see.” She nodded, fascinated by the story he was weaving in her mind. “Dad called for us, three at a time, so that we’d not be caged for too long, and had us do things like you’d do to impress someone. We would stand up or roll over, much to the amusement of the people there. We were hired on the spot. But Dad, he had a plan that would make the man enough money to see him through the winter. You see, that’s all he had left. The poor man was in bad health, and wasn’t going to have another season of being the only circus that had three black tigers in his show.”
“What did you end up doing? I mean, the plan, what was it?” Fisher told her what his dad had done. Piper cried. “That is far and away the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Showing the man how to advertise and to make sure the next town would know they were coming so the townspeople saved their money to see the show. I loved your dad before this, but I love and respect him even more for what he did. You said the money went to those in the circus after he passed away. Did he have anyone left to take care that he was buried in a proper way?”
“Only you would think of that, my love. No, he had no one but the people that traveled with him. But they did him out right. With the money they’d made, a great deal back then, they not only bought him a proper headstone, but they had it carved with the likeness of him so all would remember such a great man.” When he told her the name of the man, Piper realized she had heard of him and smiled. “We were put on this earth to help those in need. To help not just the creatures like us, but humans too. Only those with a kindness deep inside of them ever profited from our magic. Those that abused the power had the ruination of their lives set upon them until they were less than they’d been before.”
“Do you do that still? I mean, go around helping people when you hear about it?” He explained to her how much easier it was now that there were computers. “I would imagine you can have about every person in the world at your fingertips if you know how to look. I can do that as well. Find people that might not want you to find them. Also, to write programs for large companies that wish to save their information from others.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” She asked him what he meant. “Find certain people. Nor could any of us use the computer all that well until about ten years ago. We might well be magical, but things like computers aren’t something we’re all that good at.”
She got up off the couch and made her way to his office. There was a computer in there. One of the faeries had asked if she wanted to help with putting the correct one in the room. Sitting there while it came on, she asked Fisher for a name of someone they’d helped, just as a starting point for her to show him what a computer could do for them.
“Try your brother. I have no idea why, but I’m betting you can find out more about him than Harper can with all her contacts.” She pulled up her brother. It was the first time she’d ever done that to any of her family. Piper sat back in her chair when she saw the information there for her to get. “What is it, honey? I shouldn’t have had you look up his name. I’m so sorry. Just go to someone else’s name. Mine. Use mine.”
“Louis has money.” Fisher came around the side of the desk to where she was sitting. “My parents, they put money in an account for all of us when we were children. It was a savings account just for children if I remember correctly. I remember being so proud of myself when she’d allow me to put my own money in. It’s still there—all of it. It’s right there for him. I have to look for Mary’s account.”
She had money too. More than Louis did, but not by a great deal. It had been sitting in the account, drawing interest since they’d been born. It looked as if the accounts had been opened a week almost to the day after Mom had given birth to them.
“Look to see if your account is still there.” It was. Nothing close to what her sister and brother had, but there
was a substantial amount in all their accounts. “What are you going to do with it? I’m sure it could go a long way in keeping their families in a better place after they’re both in prison.”
“I’m not going to tell them, first of all. If I do, they’ll drain it just for the sole purpose of spending it on stupid shit. No, I’ll tell their spouses about it.” Fisher told her that was a great idea. “Yes, but after the families empty it out, then I’m going to tell them what Mom had done for them. They won’t be happy, maybe, but they might be happier knowing that Mom had cared for them more than they thought.”
“I don’t know if you should tell them face to face.” Piper asked him why not. “Because they’ll be dead anyway if they so much as come at you. And while I don’t know them as well as you do, you can bet this isn’t going to be something they’re going to be happy about. Especially since it’ll be there then gone before they can get to it.”
“Perhaps. But I don’t care about them so much as the damage that has been done to the people they married. Maybe the spouses can use it to recoup the money lost from the scholarships. Did Harper ever figure it out?” He told her what she’d told him. “So they went to the bank telling them they had this money coming, and borrowed against it for books and a car. I’m sure they never once thought of buying either.”
“Not that Harper could find, no.” She hurt for the kids. Her niece and nephew both knew about it now, but it was no less painful for her to know it. “What do you want to do with your money? That is yours too. Your parents did that, especially for you.”
“I think I’d like to put it into an account for our children. For them to use for college or a new home. Whatever they need. And I’d like to add to it. You said the money I make from working isn’t necessary, so I’m going to bank it, so there is funding should they, or for that matter, anyone, need it for college.” She looked at him. “A college fund. For anyone that needs it. Call it the Mary Margaret and LeRoy James Foundation. What do you think?”
“I think that is an amazing idea. I love it. I’m betting the rest of my family will help out with it.” Piper loved this man. So very much. “All right, my heart. What do you want to do now?”
“Go back to bed with you.” He laughed and picked her up in his arms. “Are you always going to be this easy? If so, we might have to slow down a bit. I’m a little sore from earlier.”
“I’ll pamper you in the best way possible. Then after that, I will hand feed you dinner, then show you how much I love you with every part of my body.” Fisher wiggled his brows at her, and she laughed. “I think, my love, that we have been very remiss in some things. I’m betting I can find a place or two on you that I might have missed earlier. Want me to have a look?”
Piper was positive he’d not missed anything, but she was willing to have him make sure. While he carried her up the stairs, she remembered something that she had in the way of magic. It was to be able to detect when someone was in pain. She wondered how that would come in handy, then was dropped on the bed. Right now, however, she just didn’t care.
Chapter 7
Fisher stood outside the castle doors. His body felt heavy, and looking down at himself, he realized he was in armor. It was a dream. One of long ago, when he had defended such castles for the person with the most coin to be handed over. But this time, he had no army behind him. Looking around, he saw Piper beside him, her manner of dress like his, her hand filled with a sword as big as she was. The comfort it gave him, having her there with him was profound. Looking forward, he saw the great being making his way toward them.
“Where are we?” He didn’t understand the question, so he didn’t answer her. To give the creature coming toward them any kind of information was something one did not do. “Fisher, are we going to defend the castle?”
“It’s our duty.” He glanced at her when she told him all right. It was odd, he thought, to have his mate in his dream. But he didn’t care. Dreams were safe. “The creature coming to us, it’s not human. Can you see that?”
“Troll.” He looked around for the voice and saw that Peter and Snowflake were there. “He wants inside. You cannot allow him to breach the gates, my lord. ‘Twill be a nightmare should he do that. His army, they are riding horses that are captives. Did you see that? Someone should make sure they aren’t harmed.”
The dream was different, but only a dream. Telling Snowflake to see if one of the horses could speak to him, she took off toward the others behind the great troll. Once she returned, a white horse, so brilliantly glowing in the morning fog that Fisher had to blink several times in order to see him clearly, returned with her.
“You are a captive of the troll? Would you and the others like to be free?” The horse told him not only were they captives, but they were also shorn of their wings. “Why would he do such a thing to such a creature as yourself?”
To keep us from flying away, my lord. Can you help us? We will stand with you and your mate, should you need us. He told him he would be just fine with him and his faeries. However, he said he would set them free to go to their homeland. You help us, my lord, and we will bow before you to be your servants for life.
“The queen. She is the one you will bow before.” The horse told him he was the one they’d work with. The queen would have to deal with it. Fisher laughed. “I can live with that. This is a dream.”
The horse looked at him oddly but said nothing. He took his smaller blade from his sheath and held it tightly in his hand until the gems and stones on it cut deeply into his hand. Once his hand was covered from fingertip to wrist with his own blood, he dropped the blade and put his hand on the snowy nose of the horse. With his other hand, he slammed his sword deep within the soil beneath his feet. The sound of the magic he was using was deafening in its wake.
The sword, a gift from the queen Aurora, was made especially for him. He had no idea when she’d given it to him nor how he knew how it had been made. But in dreams, he knew all sorts of things were easily explained. No other creature or human would ever be able to use his sword. It was light, so it wouldn’t tire him using it in a long battle.
The pummel was made from the earth, a gift to him so that he might protect the very thing it was made of from others that might wish to hurt the earth. The blade was made of the finest steel, forged in the greatest fires of the earth’s volcanoes. It would never rust, never break so long as it was used for good. When he used the sword, nary a sound would be heard except for the wind, which would allow him to kill his foe before they even realized he was near.
It was a sword made for a warrior, a warrior that would defend the castle he was helping until death. Not his own, but the death of those that dared to try and breach the doors of the castle. Fisher fed the sword with his blood, completing the ritual that would help him win battles.
“I, Lord Fisher Prince, black tiger of the queen Aurora, give you all that was stolen from you. For you and all of your kind.” The ground rumbled beneath him, and Fisher had just a moment of worry. Could this be real? But it was a dream. “You will now have my protection so long as you need it.”
He removed his bloodied hand and saw the mark that marred the beauty of the white horse. On some level, Fisher knew the mark would be there for all time. It was his mark that claimed the horse as his own.
As soon as his wings appeared on his back, great wings that would be needed to carry such a horse, the horse took to the skies only to return and stand beside Piper. He bowed low before her. Wings opened wide, he looked magnificent—a true beauty in contrast to the blood that would be shed this day.
I shall be your steed, my lady. You need only to climb upon my back, and I will help you in your fight. Piper climbed up on the horse and asked him what she should call him. My name is too hard in your language. So if you’d call me something you like, I shall come to you when you call.
“What is the meaning of your name?” The horse t
old Piper what he thought it meant. “Avalanche. It’s a good name. You will be called that. The thundering snow coming off a mountainside is the perfect name for one such as yourself.”
As Fisher looked out over the field where the troll was standing now, he saw that all that had been riding were now on the ground. Their horses, now with their wings, were flying in the sky, dropping great piles of shit on the top of the soldiers’ heads. The very creatures that had shorn their wings before. Fisher laughed so hard he nearly fell onto his sword.
Pulling his sword free of the earth, he held it upright. Snowflake said that Black Knight was here with her men. Asking if she would see him, he wasn’t surprised when the faerie, leader and ruler of the great faerie army landed on the pommel of his sword.
“We are ready to serve you, my lord.” He nodded. “You need only to say the word, and we will destroy the army before you.”
“All but the troll. He needs to be punished by the queen of this castle so that others will think twice about coming here.” With one nod, the sky in front of him darkened with the faeries. He was reminded of a murmuration, a great cloud of starlings flying together in a whirling, ever-changing pattern. “Go.”
In a matter of seconds, less, he thought, the creatures that had taken up arms with the troll were falling to the ground. Their deaths were quick. They never had the chance to even draw their swords against so many. He moved forward, Piper upon Avalanche beside him, to speak to the troll.
With the tip of his sword, he drew blood from the creature. The green of its blood ran down along the blade of his weapon as the troll begged for his life. He called him by name, telling him he’d not known such a man as himself was now defending the castle.
“That is your excuse for coming here? You thought it would be easy to take the castle from the queen here?” The troll said his men were hungry. “It looks to me as if you’ve not pushed away from the table enough, troll. Now that your men are dead, you too will be punished. The queen will tell us what your sentence will be.”
Fisher: Prince of Tigers – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Page 9
