Judith (Queen's Birds of Prey Book 3)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “I shall speak to him. Is it Donald, the mule man?” Barron nodded, his face nearly touching the ground, he was bent so much. “Stand up, man. I believe I have pointed out that this is not a time for formality. We must all work together for the greater good of the people. I shall speak to him now. Then I must, as you know, return to the castle for the final loading.”

  Along the way to speak to Donald, she was stopped no less than twenty times to be thanked for the things she’d provided for the people. Without making the great move, Dante knew all of them would have been killed. Because of their loyalty to her as queen of the castle, the king of these realms, a tyrant of a man, would have ordered them all butchered as soon as he killed her on their wedding night. Of this, she was certain.

  “My lady? I have yet to put on a pot for tea, but you must join us in it.” Dante was not one to hold back when she had something to say. She told Donald she wanted him to take a larger home. “Oh, my lady. Barron should never have bothered you with this. We are quite happy with where we are.”

  “But you have six people in a single man’s home, Donald. What, I ask you, will the man who was supposed to be in this home do with a home with many bedrooms? He will be overwhelmed in trying to keep them clean while you are smashed up in this one bedroom chamber with your little girls.” Donald looked at his daughters, beautiful little ones that were his pride and joy. “There is a home just over the road here you shall be moved to. I insist. Your daughters will share two bedrooms, and you will have your own. I know for a fact, sir, that your snore is legendary. For your daughters to have a good sleep, you will need to be far from them. Do you not agree?”

  “Yes, my lady.” He moved just a little closer, and in a low voice spoke to her. “I did not wish to cause you any undue trouble. You have given all of us a chance to survive this, and I wanted to be sure you knew I was ever so grateful for it. I’m as happy here with you and yours as I ever was in the castle keep, my lady. Incredibly happy.”

  “I’m glad that you’re happy here, Donald. You are a good man and a man that cares well for his daughters. I shall have the men move you to the new home. It will give me a good feeling knowing you have plenty of room for yourself and your family.” He thanked her. “Your daughters, sir, they will be safe here. You need anything, you make sure that you contact Barron.”

  “Thank you, my lady. If there is ever anything I can do for you, you need only to ask. I am and will be indebted to you for the rest of my days.” Dante felt her eyes water up with the man’s words. Her life, she knew, was only a short time away from ending. “Thank you very much.”

  The little girls curtsied at her, and she had to move on. It broke her heart every time she saw small children. She so wanted to hold her own. Telling Donald she’d have the men move him once again, she moved toward the long house that would serve as a church for the people and a meeting place for them to gather should they need to. Her eagle was awaiting her when she returned to the now all but abandoned castle.

  “You have done well, my heart. You, of all the birds I have, are the one I worry most about.” The eagle asked her why. “You are so much like me. Hard when you’re needed to be. Too soft when it comes to our people. I fear someday it will harm you in ways that not even I could fix.”

  Her eagle, like the other birds, had been a huge part of getting the people moved. If not for them, there would be no way she could have done this. It would have meant certain death for all of them, including her own son.

  Going to the throne room, she sat upon the floor. Dante had moved her chair to the caves for the others to sell off should no one want it. But because she could see into the future, just bits and pieces, she knew that at least one of them would want such a monstrosity.

  “When this is finished, soon now, I will give you and the other birds magic to keep you safe from others who would try and capture you.” Her eagle asked what sort of magic. “You will be able to blend into situations you wouldn’t normally consider a problem. There will be problems, too. From the things I have seen, you all will have trouble from those around you.”

  She laid back on the cold stone. The castle had been forged so long ago, Dante could not remember who had erected it. Now, as she looked up into the night sky, the roof here long since removed, she thought of what was going to happen in the coming days.

  “He has set sail and is nearly here. The king of all the lands is coming to claim not just my castle and my wealth, but my birds as well. There are many people on the vessel that carts his bottom here who have no desire to be his servants. If only I could have saved them as well.” The eagle, standing upon her perch built just for her, reminded her she could not save them all. “In this, I wish it was wrong to have thought that. They will suffer, these people. They are suffering, for there is nothing to do to appease the king to find favor with him. There are few that he has not made suffer by lashing them on their backsides. Too many of them have died in his foolishness to make me his wife for such a short time.”

  Listening to her eagle squawk at her about the king and idiocy, Dante thought of her impending death. It would be a sad affair only to her son and the birds he would one day claim as his own. However, just knowing all would be safe from the king’s tyranny made all the other things so worthwhile.

  “If I had it to do again, I would do nothing differently. I would still do what I am doing now so that all would live on. Even with you birds, I would do just what I have done to keep my kingdom here.” The eagle asked her if she’d been happy. “Happy? I don’t know that I have had that much happiness in my lifetime. I have been content. Not the same, I suppose, but I have been content with my lot in life. If only I could have kept living the way that we have, I do believe I could have made such a difference in things here and in the future. Before I forget this again, I have taken the time to write out the things t’will keep the new town with coin in their coffers. I know it will be aplenty, but I will worry until my last breath if it will be enough.”

  Her last breath. It was only a few days away. Much too soon for her, but also, Dante knew, it would be well worth the pain of dying. Sitting up, she looked at the birds, all six of them on their perches watching over her and the emptied lands that they could see. They were the sole reason she was able to do this. This she knew more than anyone could have guessed.

  “I shall retire, I think. I have no bed to speak of now, so I will only lie upon the ticking. On the morrow, we shall have a feast. A great amount of food, as well as drink. ‘Tis fitting, I think, to celebrate this new way of life for so many.” Her beautiful phoenix asked her why she seemed so sad. “Sad? Aye, I am that and more. Things are moving at a pace I wish didn’t exist. But it is for the wellbeing of all that have called this place home. In that, I suppose I am sad that I shall never be able to return here in my lifetime.”

  But they would. All six of them and more would return someday and see the castle as it should have been—a lovely home to her son and his mate. The one that she herself had hand-picked for her beloved child. Oh, to be able to see them grow into love. But it was not to be.

  Getting up before she made a fool of herself by crying over something she had no control over, Dante did indeed head to her bed. For tomorrow and the next would be the hardest of anything she’d ever done before.

  Chapter 1

  There was no hope to salvage anything from the burnt out shell of a house. Someone had set it; Jude was well aware of the smell of gasoline within the place. It sickened her that someone had waited until everyone was busy getting ready for Christmas and the holidays to deliberately set fire to the house.

  Jude looked up when her sister Piper said her name. “I’m going to burn this to the ground. Just so when the place is rebuilt, they don’t have to worry about cleaning up the area. Have you found anything yet?” Jude told Piper she’d not found anything at all but a few broken items. “I can smell the gasoline that was used. I�
��m assuming you already knew.”

  “I did. Have you heard anything from the family? I’ve not.” Piper told her just what she knew—the family was staying in the house down the road until they could rebuild. “Do you think they did this on their own? I have to admit, it was very telling when we found the kitchen devoid of anything other than a few cans of dog food. Smells fishy even to me.”

  “Why don’t you just say it? It smells like they did this to reap from their insurance policy. The trouble with this is, they might just be able to get themselves a brand new home. Did Mercy tell you they’ve done this before? Maybe I should burn down my house and start over. There wouldn’t be any lingering gas smells either.” They both laughed. “But seriously, what do we know about this family? Other than they’re arsonists.”

  “Just what Mercy told us. This is the second time they’ve had their house burn down around them. The last time they were only able to get partial help on the rebuild because a large portion of the house was salvageable. This time, in my opinion, they made sure there was nothing at all left to build from.” Piper looked around when Jude did. “The Christmas thing is still a few days away. Are you leaving early with the rest of the family? I’ve not decided when I’m going. I don’t even know where we’re going to be staying when we get there.”

  “I’m not leaving early. I have one more piece to finish, then I’m going to ship it to the show I’m having in January. I know I could carry it. It’s for a charity event I signed up for about six months ago. I’m not in the mood to even go, much less bring an item to auction for people to pay extraordinarily little for. That sounded like I was bitching because I didn’t want to help. But it’s just...I don’t know. I’m not really in the mood for Christmas, I guess you could say. I’m hoping that once we get there, that’ll put me in the spirit.” Jude told Piper she had sounded ungrateful. “I’m not upset, actually. Ungrateful? I guess just a little. I’m not used to having to share my sisters. It’s been just us six for thousands of years. About the party? I guess you could say I’m indifferent to going. I love the holidays when we six get together. This will be the first time in longer than anyone in our town can remember that we’ll not just be the birds celebrating the holiday.”

  “We’d have Joel, Miley, and Bryson this year. I don’t mind them being here. However, going someplace that is so strange to us doesn’t make it feel like a fun holiday for me.” She grinned at Piper. “I’m giving Miley the most outrageous gift. I hope she likes it. It’s my old medieval armor that I wore a long time ago. She talks about the one you have in your home all the time.”

  “See? That, right there, is what I’m talking about. No one there will have any idea that it’s something you wore, and are giving it to a kid you love like we all do.” Piper picked up a large burnt piece of wood. “This reeks of gas. I think the fire marshal needs to come here and have another look around. I know he was here before, but I’m telling you right now, if his report says anything but arson, I’m going to boil him in his own fat.”

  They both turned when a car pulled into the driveway. The emblem on the side proclaimed him to be the same man the two of them had just been talking about—the fire marshall, Aryne Patterson. He nodded to Jude and stared at Piper. Everyone was blown away by their beauty when they saw them for the first time, but Jude thought the man was staring directly at Piper’s hair. To her, it looked like Piper had dipped her head into the setting sun over an open body of water, the colors were so bright with the hues of the late sunlight.

  Piper, like her, was a bird. Jude was an eagle. Piper was a phoenix. It was why her hair was so breathtaking. Her hair, like the others, was what her feathers looked like when she shifted to her other half. It was just as bright, if not brighter, when the phoenix came out to play. Clearing her throat before the man got himself in dutch with Piper for staring so long, Jude asked him why he was there.

  “Lady Oliver asked me to come by, today if I could, to look the house over before it was taken the rest of the way down. I had no idea the family was in such a hurry to rebuild. I came as soon as I could.” Jude thanked him. “No reason to thank me, Lady Jude. This is my job. I’m to understand that you and the other ladies are going out of town for the holidays. I so wish my family could do that once in a while. Go visit other relatives, I mean. I hate all the fuss and bother with having so many people in my home.”

  Piper laughed, and Jude did as well as the little man came to stand in what Jude thought was the living room. Not speaking to him while he worked, she moved to stand with Piper to speak to her.

  “Mercy said you were going to sell your condo. Have you had any luck in finding a place you’d like to live?” Piper said that all the good homes were taken by Mercy and Blaze. “Yes, well, I’m sure they didn’t take them all. I’m looking as well, but I have to admit, I’m in no hurry to buy just yet. I love a couple of houses here, but they’re very drab to me. I want something old like Mercy’s home, and as homey as Blaze’s. They both have the best taste in decorating a room. Don’t you think?”

  “Yes. I suppose. I think with Blaze, however, she has some extra help in the décor of the house. I’m thinking Bryson has a lot do to with the things in the living room. I’ve never been so tempted to take a nap as I am when I sit on their couch. It doesn’t even matter if the fireplace is lit, I feel all warm and cozy when I’m there.” Jude said she had the same feelings. “I’d steal them from her if I thought I could get away with it. I guess I’ll have to go and buy me a set of them so I can have some too.”

  “How nice of you.”

  They were both laughing when the fire marshall asked them what they knew about the family. After Piper finished giving him what she knew, Jude told him the rest. “This is their second fire. This time I’m to understand they have an exceptionally large policy on their home and contents. Also, I don’t know if this matters to you or not, but when the house was inspected two months ago when they doubled their insurance, the value of the home didn’t meet the criteria for what they were insuring. I’m not sure what happened as to whether they were able to upgrade the policy or not.”

  “They were turned down. But I have since found out the family was able to get a second policy from someone out of state. Once this is settled, not in their favor, I’m thinking, the secondary insurance company will have to surrender their license to sell homeowners’ insurance. This is not going to go well for the Martins, I’m afraid.” He turned to look at the two of them. “Lady Piper, can you tell me your opinion of the fire? I know you to be an expert on fires. I would greatly appreciate your insight on this one.”

  “Do you smell the gasoline?” He nodded at Piper. “Then I believe you have your answer. I would also like to point out we’ve not found any furniture except a beaten up couch in the basement. There are no frames we can find for any mattresses, nor much in the way of food in the kitchen area to your right. Also, and I find this really weird, there isn’t a single television shell or anything in the way of picture frames with broken glass. There should have been at least one that would have survived, I think.”

  “I noticed there isn’t a washer and dryer here, either.” Piper told him she’d not thought of that. “Yes, well, you haven’t been doing this for as long as I have. I believe, however, eventually, you would have noticed it.”

  “Thank you.” The man looked around at the large barn, as well as the three storage sheds in the back of the property. He asked if they’d been in them. “We haven’t. I wasn’t aware that we could.”

  “I can. It is my job to be as thorough as I can when inspecting a place after a fire. I would very much like it if you two were to go with me while I open them.” He smiled at them. “I seemed to have lost the note that was given to me just this morning on those buildings in the back. I don’t remember if it said I should or shouldn’t look inside of them. The contents belonged to someone else in the family. The sir’s mother, I think?”

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sp; “She’s no longer alive.” He nodded. “Oh, I see. You lost the note. I understand now. Yes, Piper and I will be only too happy to go out with you to the shed. But I’m thinking, just to be sure we don’t cause any harm to the building’s contents, we should call the police as witnesses to it.”

  “Great idea, Lady Castle. Yes, I think you might well be onto something with that.”

  Piper called the police, and the three of them waited for them to show up. Piper, like the rest of the birds, was on incredibly good terms with every cop on the force. When you donated enough money for them to have an entirely new building built, they didn’t mind coming around for little things like this. The inspection of a couple of buildings and the probable outcome would tickle them.

  The police showed up in less than five minutes. After Mr. Patterson told them what he was doing and what he needed to do, it was the police who broke the large lock on the barn door to open it. He, Officer Dent, told them his body camera was on, and he’d make sure the insurance company had a copy of it before he left today.

  As soon as the lock was broken and the chains pulled away, Officer Dent opened the door and whistled. Jude didn’t have to look to know that the barn was filled with the things from the house. She followed Piper into the building after the two men entered.

  “It’s marked with their rooms.” That was what she noticed too. Piper walked to one of the boxes labeled kitchen and pulled out several cans of green beans. “This is why there aren’t any cans of food in the house. They’ve saved all their things out here. I’m betting that someplace in here is all their photo albums, as well as some pieces of furniture.”

  “The furniture is over here.” Piper just looked at her when Officer Dent claimed he’d found more things at the back of the barn. “I’m going to have our police photographer come here and take pictures of this stuff before we leave here. Also, I’m not sure what you think, Mr. Patterson, but I’m thinking this is fraud.”