Judith (Queen's Birds of Prey Book 3)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “The work on the castle is coming along nicely. It helped me that there was plenty enough magic for me to tap into when I started working.” He looked at her. “Do you suppose it would be possible for you to be a woman now? I’ve enjoyed speaking to you, Judith, but I would also like to see your other half. If you don’t mind.”

  Hopping down to the flat surface of the roofless room, she shifted even before her feet touched the stone beneath her. Keeping her distance from him, just in the event he wanted to harm her, she reached out to any of the other birds to tell them where she was. Mercy told her he was safe. Sure, easy for her to say—she wasn’t up in the turret with him.

  “Mercy said you are trustworthy. I’m not so sure yet, so I’d keep my distance. I don’t have time to fuck around with you today. Besides, I think there is something wrong with you that you’re not frightened of my bird. So? What’s the matter with you?”

  Duncan laughed, and she knew immediately who he was and who his mother was. He laughed like her.

  The braying of a jackass. It was much like his mother. She wondered if anyone had pointed that out to him as yet. Not sure what to say to him, she bowed down, so her head was touching the cold stone beneath the two of them.

  “Don’t do that. Don’t bow to me, Judith. Please. We’re equals.”

  She didn’t look up at him but wondered what the hell he was talking about. She felt a bit of humor when Mercy asked her if she’d figured it out yet.

  I’m fucking pissed off at you. You should have told us. Mercy asked her what fun that would have been. I wouldn’t have landed here in the first place. And secondly, I would have landed on your head to knock some sense into it. What the hell, Mercy?

  When he touched his finger to her chin to lift her head up to his, Jude stared at him. Christ, he looked so much like his mom now that she knew who he was, it was uncanny. The urge to touch him, to see if he was real, had her lifting her hand to his cheek, and his scent hit her—hard.

  “No.” His lordship nodded as she stood up to back away from him. Every part of her body was at war with the other. Flee or stay? Shift and go, or stand her ground? Whatever happened, she was sure it had to be a joke Mercy was pulling on her. “This can’t be right, sire. You’re my king. All of our king.”

  “And you are my queen.” She backed up when he moved closer to her. “I’m sorry. I should have said something when I first saw you, but I was told to wait until today. Judith, I’ve waited for you to be mine all my life, it seems.”

  “This is supposed to be a joke, right?” He shook his head as more of the conversations with Mercy came to her. “She knew. Mercy knew who you are. She never said a word. I didn’t even know that— What is—? You’re our king. I’m nothing more than a magical creature.”

  “No. You’re so much more than that, Judith. All of my mother’s birds were so much more than just magical creatures. Without you and your sisters, we’d not have this day. The kingdom’s people would have perished when the new king arrived, if he was still set to marry my mother. So much—every living thing—is still here because of the six of you. And you are my mate, my other half. My queen.” She turned and jumped over the side of the turret. “Judith, come back.”

  Shifting into her bird, she soared at a height that made her slightly ill. Or was it knowing she had been chosen by someone with a wicked mind to be the lady of the castle? Finding a place to set down, Jude landed on the mountain she’d been to hundreds of times before the death of the queen.

  What the hell are you doing? She didn’t answer Mercy because, honestly, she had no idea what she was doing. You can’t run away from this, Jude. You have to know he’s the perfect person for you.

  You might well have mentioned this before I got here. Mercy told her she wasn’t allowed to. Why? You couldn’t have just mentioned that—oh, I don’t know, I might find my other half here, and woohoo, he’s the king of all the lands we worked for?

  I couldn’t tell you, Jude. I couldn’t tell anyone. You have no idea how much I wanted to warn you about this. So many times in the last week, I went to just tell you. But I was sworn to secrecy. Jude thought about the many times Mercy had come to her place and hung out with her. This, you and Duncan coming together, it was foretold by Dante. She knew what her son was to you.

  How did you even figure out she had a son? I didn’t know. I’m sure none of the rest of the birds knew about him either. Mercy told her she’d not told them either. How is it possible she was able to hide not just a baby from us, but her pregnancy as well?

  Duncan was born before she brought us to the castle to change us. Well, that did make sense. She birthed him after her husband died. Mary—you remember her and her two sons? Well, she raised Duncan as her own, but he’s not really hers, and now they’re here in the castle together. Even Mary lives here now. If you want, I can send her to you so you can talk to her.

  I don’t want to speak to anyone just yet. Lying back on the snowy mountain, Jude wondered at this all coming together. You said that Dante knew about him and me. How did you find this out?

  The books. And a lot of research. Also, I saw him a couple of times. But once I found it in the books she left for us, I understood a great many things. He’s been investing the money that was left for him to care for New Town, and they are living well because of it. The castle, as of the moment I got here and signed it back over to the two of you, has been renovated to this century. Cable, Internet—all the things you’ll need to use while being the queen. Jude told her she wasn’t going to be a queen. Honey, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you are. The queen of the lands here, and everywhere he invested in.

  This is all so surreal. Don’t you think? Mercy told her that once she’d gotten used to the information, she thought it was the perfect choice. I don’t know how to be a queen. I’m just a bird that is out of sorts.

  You have never been just anything, Jude. There were a lot of times in the past—before I knew what you were, I’ve come to realize—that you were taking control and getting us on the right road. Times, now that I can look back on them, I realize you were made to be a ruler. Don’t you remember all the times we’d be fighting over some investment or where to live? Small things, I know, but all you had to do was point out the flaws in our reasoning, and we’d settle right down. Mercy laughed. You would never raise your voice like I would have done. You never got angry like Piper would have and burnt us all to a crisp. Jude, you were just there, a calming factor in every single decision we’ve ever made.

  You’re making me sound like a puppy or something. Mercy laughed, and Jude joined her. I’m guessing right about now his lordship is wondering what the hell he’s gotten himself into. I would be. I just left him there.

  Actually, he’s here in the room with me. I’ve not told him that we’re speaking. I’m just watching him pace. He does that just like his mother did too. Oh, have you heard his laughter? I nearly fell over when he laughed earlier. She told Mercy she’d figured out who he was by it. I don’t think I’d point that out to him just yet. He’s worried he screwed up with you and doesn’t know what to do. Miley is about to tell him to fucking find you, by the way. He hasn’t been able to fly until now. I think she’s also giving him tips on flying. She had to learn a lot, and she’s giving him little bits of what she had to learn. I love that kid.

  I do, as well. She’s come a long way. Both of you have. Mercy thanked her. What am I to do? Mercy, I’m not sure I can be a queen to anything or anyone. Do you understand?

  I do, but do you understand that there couldn’t have been a better pick to be the queen than you? You’re exactly what Dante wasn’t. She needed to be who she was to make sure things got done. That we were safe. You don’t have to do that. You can rule any way you want and not have to be concerned that the people you rule are going to die from dysentery or starvation. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but it’ll be much less dangerous than
it was back when we were made. Yes, there was that, she supposed. And here is a nice thought you can take to your heart while you’re thinking about what to do. He’s a generous, handsome man who is exactly like his mother in so many other ways it’s almost like he has her spirit within him.

  Jude thought about all the things Mercy had told her. All the things she remembered from when Dante had been alive. She had been a hard ruler, but she’d had to be. Without her making sure everyone pulled their weight and did their jobs, they all would have died.

  The trenches around the castle, bringing in water and taking away the waste, were cleaned daily. The water was always fresh when it seeped through the small inlets she had dug for just that reason. She’d been very much in fashion by today’s standards, Jude thought. Recycling and up-cycling was a way of life for them all even back then.

  Houses would be torn down when it got to the point it was more repaired than new. The wood was put to other homes if it could be used. What wasn’t reusable was burned in fireplaces to keep the homeowners warm. Gardens were recycled in a way that even the left over bushes from the growth would be reused in a way that would thatch roofs, or be dried for pretties to sell. Also, there was the way Dante always knew just how to treat wounds that had festered, how to treat sicknesses that would have killed. Jude now wondered just how much of the future Dante had seen. Obviously enough so she could keep not just the people healthy, but the animals they all depended on as well.

  As she sat there, a shadow fell across her, and Jude looked to the sky. At first, she thought it was one of her sisters, but realized it could only be the king. His bird, an eagle like hers, was having trouble staying up. Laughing when a current caught him unawares, she shifted to her bird and joined him in the sky.

  I could do this every day. I might be better at it if I did, but this is so lovely. I’ve never seen the lands as I am right now. No wonder Mother didn’t allow her fear of heights to keep her from sailing through the sky like this. Jude told him she had been terrified of falling. Yes, I still have the harness she wore on one of the birds. Mercy wants to be able to take the children of the village on rides. I told her we couldn’t take the children coming on Christmas. I have had enough trouble with the children’s home in just getting them out here. Is there anything I can do to convince you that what my mother has done is real?

  I will come around. Eventually. Right now, I’d like to just fly a bit, and not think of the things she might well have done in anticipation of us. She soared high up, then came down at a slow fall, riding the currents as they blew cold wind over the mountain. The things I love to do as a bird cannot be done in the town where we have all lived. This is a freedom I’ve not had since we all left here. I can be my original size and not be noticed, but this, right here, this is what I have so enjoyed.

  The two of them flew for what seemed like days. She knew it had been hours since she joined him—the sun setting over the water was a clear sign they’d been out here for so long. Duncan, as he asked her to call him, didn’t bring up the fact she was his mate. Thankful for that reprieve, she told him about herself in bits and pieces, as he did the same for her. It was, she supposed, like what had been planned for so long was finally paying off. Or something akin to that.

  When they finally landed in the back land of the castle, she shifted to herself almost before touching the earth. Duncan had a bit more trouble with it. Landing, he told her, was a great deal harder than he thought it would be.

  It took him three tries to land and shift. The first time he was still much too high to do it and nearly splattered himself all over the snow covered lawn. The second time was much funnier, as he was only partially shifted as he landed. The weight of the large bird on his human legs had her literally rolling in the cold grass as he tried the third time and made it stick.

  She was still enjoying herself when he came to stand over her. Putting out his hand to help her up, Jude took it as if he’d been helping her all her life. The magic between them touched her in a way nothing had ever done before.

  “I touched your skin earlier and was afraid I’d been wrong about you.” She asked him what he meant. “I don’t know exactly what I thought, to be honest with you, but I wondered where the punch to my system was. Now, now that we’re working on a relationship, I felt it. Did you?”

  “Yes. I think I was too afraid to feel much of anything the first time.” He didn’t let go of her hand, and Jude found she was all right with that—for now. “I’m nervous now too. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with having you as a mate. It’s very strange to me.”

  “Me too. And I’ve known about it for some time.” Jude nodded. “There is some food left for us. I’m afraid we’ve missed dinner with everyone.”

  Entering the castle from the rear, Jude had a thought. She’d never been in this part of the castle before. Her only knowledge was of the turrets and the perches Dante had had made for them. Walking into the kitchen, it made her laugh. It was nothing but a kitchen like the one she had in her home now. Telling Duncan her thoughts, she sat down to enjoy a sandwich with him. It was a start, she thought. To what? Well, she thought, time would tell.

  ~*~

  “Who is this again?” Charlie thought he heard someone talking, but right now, all he could hear was static. He hated telephones as much now as he had when the suckers first came out. “Is there anyone there?”

  “Grandda?” He nearly fell back when the voice on the other end came through as clear as day. “Grandda? This is Duncan. I’m Dante’s son. I was wondering if I could see you.”

  “Who is this again?” The laughter had him closing his eyes for just a moment. His entire life seemed to pass right before his closed eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been tricked like this before. You’re good, I’ll tell you that. But I’m not falling for—”

  “I’m standing at the front door. This isn’t a trick, and if you’d allow me to come in, you’ll never have to worry about collection men again. Nor anything if you’d allow me to take care of you and Grandma. You’ve no idea how hard I’ve been looking for you. Mom came to me and told me you were at the cottage. However, when I went there, the place was gone. I’m guessing time took its toll on it. I need to see you, Grandda.” With the phone still in his hand, he made his way to the door. It wasn’t like it was a long walk—the place they’d been staying at was smaller than some bathrooms he’d been in. “If you open the door, I can help you. I could, I suppose, tell you some things about Mom. Like she was the greatest queen that ever lived. That she was well loved by those around her. She was the greatest mother of all, keeping me safe when others would have kidnapped me to—”

  Charlie opened the door. The man standing on the other side didn’t move to come into the home he and his missus had been in for the last few years. Nor did he rush him, which was what others had done, trying their best to get something from him to pay down some of the bills the two of them had acquired. He reached for his mate, asking her to come to him.

  “Charlie, what are you doing standing there with the door wide open? Are you inviting every bill—? Oh my.” He would trust her judgment on this predicament he was currently in. More than anything he’d ever wanted, Charlie wanted this young looking man to be his grandson. Watching her, tearing his eyes from the face he’d thought about for all his life, he watched his lady wife. “Oh my. Duncan? Is it really you?”

  “Yes, Grandma, it’s really me. I’ve come to take you home with me.” Sara started sobbing then. The years of waiting, of needing someone to say those words to them, had been all they’d wanted. A ghost, he supposed, from their past to come and see them. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come here sooner. I didn’t know, you see. Mother came to see me a few nights ago and—”

  He couldn’t wait any longer to have him in his arms. Dragging him to his body, Charlie hugged the boy as tightly as he could manage. He was there—his grandson. Duncan then pulled Sara to
him, and the three of them stood there, babbling and bubbling over with tears as their words fell all over each other.

  Charlie pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed it over his face. He’d always been a proud man, but right now, he just didn’t care who saw him sobbing over this. Pulling Duncan all the way into the house, he noticed the beauty standing just outside the door. He put out his hand to pull her in, too, when she spoke to him.

  “I loved your daughter more than I ever did anything in my life. I wanted you to know that.” Charlie asked her who she might be. “I’m Jude. Judith Castle. I was one of her birds.”

  Charlie remembered the birds. The things Dante told him about how they’d saved the castle. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. Charlie was aware of them, but not much more. He looked at Duncan when he said her name.

  “This is my mate. Judith and I are to be wed—when she says yes, that is. Mom told me long ago I’d be mated to one of her birds. We’re just getting to know each other.” Charlie asked her if she’d come into the house. “She thinks we should be alone. To catch up on our lives. I could only convince her to come with me, but nothing more.”

  “Young lady, if you’re going to be wedded to my grandson, you’re going to be my granddaughter. So you get your bottom in here now so that I can get me a big hug from you. It’s been much too— I’ve not hugged anyone but my missus here in— I sure would appreciate it if you’d come on here and hug this old man. I’m going to get them from the two of you as much as I can from now on.” She did as he wanted and hugged him. It occurred to him that she was a delicate little thing, and he pulled back to look at her. “My goodness. You sure are a pretty little bit, aren’t you?”

  “Thank you.”

  Sara hugged her next, telling her how glad she was to have met her.

  While they were standing there, the door still wide open, a man darkened the doorway. Charlie was embarrassed to have him coming around on a day like this one. This wasn’t the time for him to be collecting. Not that he had anything to pay him with anyway. However, before he could open his mouth to run the man off, Judith spoke.