Blaze: Queen’s Birds of Prey: Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Queen's Birds of Prey Book 2)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “You’re joking.” Holloway laughed again, telling Bryson that not only was he not joking, but there was more. “Is any of this going to come back on Ellen? I hope not. I think she’s been through a great deal. Those kids, some of the stories that I heard about them makes me want to hunt them down and make them pay.”

  “Oh, they will, Lord Bryson. They certainly will. The list of things that were left in the house when the father passed away is very well thought out, and provided not only the amount of each item, but where it was in the house. While I didn’t know the man, I certainly would have loved to have found out how he was able to keep things so organized. He even had pictures of each item that was worth something. And from what I can tell, everything in that house was worth a great deal.” Bryson asked him what he was going to do now. “Tomorrow morning, bright and early, the police are going to knock on the door and roust the pair. Rumor has it that they’ve been having some very loud parties there. There hasn’t been a reading of the will, so I’m assuming, as Remi did, that they’re selling off some of the things in the home to finance their lifestyle. A lifestyle that their father didn’t allow them to have on his dime, so to speak.”

  “They’re going to be arrested?” Holloway said not yet. “Then why are the police there? I’m sure there are any number of things that they can be brought in for.”

  “Yes, there are. However, we’re doing this one by the books. They’ll be asked to come to the reading of the original will, one that was brought to me a few days ago. This will, the one that Mr. Bishop signed about a month after he married Ellen, is the one that should have kept that poor woman in her home with luxuries that were left for her. The judge of the county will be there as well. As a favor to me.” Bryson asked what sort of payments they would be required to make. “Well, if they have about three million dollars each, that will only take care of the things that we know for sure are missing from the home. Remi again helped me with that. Then there is the money, another two million each, that they owe the estate. The judge in this case will more than likely give them the lightest sentence that he usually gives. They’ll pay back one hundred dollars for every day that they’re in prison. Are you good at math, Lord Bryson?”

  He did quick math in his head. “Holy Christ, that’s nearly one hundred and forty years each. I don’t think they’ll get to pay it back at that rate. Will Ellen be all right?” Holloway assured him that she would be just fine. “Good. I’d hate to have her suffer because the children that she helped raise are assholes.”

  “You couldn’t have picked a better term for them, I don’t think. But back to my reason for calling you. I just wanted to see if she came with anything other than the clothing on her back when she came to live with you and your lovely wife.” Bryson told him that she’d barely had even that. “Good. That’s good to know. I’ll be in touch with Ellen in a few days. I’m to understand you’re taking care of Curt soon as well?”

  “Yes. He’s going to go away for a very long time. Perhaps we can get them adjoining cells. They can talk about how they treated people that were good to them. And from what I’ve seen with Ellen, she is a good person. She certainly was to me when I was a child.” Holloway said that he’d gotten that from the neighbors around them too. “Good. I’m glad to know that it wasn’t just hopeful thinking on my part about how I was taken care of by her.”

  “No. I heard that she’d been trying to get Curt out of her life for a long while. Even had a plan set up with Ms. Biggby. She’s gone now, I guess, but they had plans, maps, and even some of those toss off phones they use. Ms. Biggby’s daughter gave it all to me when I was out there a week ago. Couldn’t say a nice thing about Curt, though. That man should have been shot years ago.” Bryson was sure that no one had a good thing to say about him. “Well, young man, I’ll let you get back to work. I’m sure glad that Lady Blaze found you. She sure does light herself up when she talks about you.”

  “I love her as well.”

  When the connection was closed, he went back to his work. Nothing really that he couldn’t put off, but he knew that if he didn’t get as much done today as he could, tomorrow would be terrible. It didn’t just pile up around him, it seemed to just take over his desk and everything else in the room.

  But, and this was very strange for him, he was enjoying the work much more than he ever did any other job that he’d had. This would include the one where he was working at when he met his Blaze. Not that he wasn’t planning on going back to work there, just that he’d be in a different position. Running the development company rather than working at one of the desks was going to be great, he thought. Looking around the office, he wondered where he was going to put those files, because there would be plenty when the plant was open for business again.

  “Are you packed?” He must have zoned out for a moment, and was startled by Blaze speaking to him. “For the trip tomorrow. We’re going to go home for Thanksgiving. I’m sure that I told you.”

  “You did, and yes, I’m packed up and ready to go. Esy said that we’re going as our birds. I don’t understand how that could be safe, what with all the holiday travel going on.” She told him. “Oh. I didn’t realize that we’d be small birds. Did you tell me how we’re to take things with us when we travel like that?”

  “I might not have on that. We can carry large amounts of things even when we’re small. But with this trip, everything that we can’t carry has been shipped out already. Things for you went out a few days ago, but it’ll be there on time. You’ll love it.” Bryson told her that he was looking forward to it. “I am too. Sort of. I’m also very nervous. It’s been since we were changed that any of us were there. New Town is going to be so different now that I’m sure no one will know who the hell we are, and why we’d even think that they’d care.”

  “I spoke to Mr. Holloway today. He was telling me that he was from there. Or I think I might have assumed that.” Blaze told him that he was from there. Even Stella and Todd were. “Yes, that I do remember you telling me. How long will we be gone? Have you figured that out yet?”

  “Just a couple of days. No more than that, I’m afraid. Because after Thanksgiving, we’re going to be getting ready for Christmas. We go all out with that holiday. And we give a lot of parties for a lot of different people that work for us.” He smiled at her when she sat on his lap. “I think that I’d rather stay right here with you instead of going so far away. Not that we can’t do it easily enough, but it’s nice to be snuggled up with you on the couch.”

  “We never did much on either holiday when Dawn and I were living at the house. Then after Curt was kicked out, we still didn’t do much in the way of having fun. I can’t even remember the last time we even bothered with putting up a tree.” Blaze just stared at him. “I’m serious. It was a lot of hassle just to get out cards to the few people we cared enough to send them to. Much less putting up a tree and then having to take it down again.”

  “Oh, that’ll all be done when we return. Next year, you and I will plan out the house. This year’s has been done for months. When we leave, Stella and Todd will let the decorators come in, and by the time we return, we’ll have a holiday home that will bring people from all over the state to look at.” He asked her if she was serious. “Yes. Three years ago Mercy was on the cover of some magazine. This year I’m planning on outdoing her. It’s been a competition between us for decades. I’ve never won, damn it.”

  “You women are the most competitive people I’ve ever met.” Blaze told him that he was correct on that one. “I’ll just stand back and watch as you guys figure this out. I have no idea what sort of decorations you have in mind, but I’m betting it’ll be more than any one store sells for the entire season.”

  “Pretty much. Since our homes are so close together this year, it’ll be a blast. Last year and the one before, the only people with homes of any size were Mercy and Piper. Piper’s decorations at Halloween are difficult
to match. She loves that holiday more than any other, I think.” He could see her going all out for Halloween. The woman loved witches and pumpkin decorations. “I’m ready to go tonight. I hope at least someone remembers me.”

  “I’m sure that everyone will know you, love. You’re very hard to forget.” Blaze thanked him, then punched him in the arm. “I truly meant that as a compliment.”

  “You did not.” Blaze hugged him tightly. “Whatever did I do without you before? I don’t even think I could change my shoes without you here now. Thank you for being what I never thought that I’d want in a mate.”

  He wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but let it go. Being called to dinner, they walked hand in hand to the kitchen, a place where they took most of their meals. It was, to him, the heart of the house. Someplace that he could go for solitude as well as wholesome cooking.

  Chapter 12

  Blaze was so happy that they’d come here. So many people they had met when they’d worked for Dante were still there. And descendants were as vast and friendly as their parents had been. Of course, they didn’t really know them as people, and that had been funny to watch their faces when they realized that they were the Queen’s Prey.

  “They’ve modernized much more than I thought they would have so far from anyone else.” Jude looked around as she continued. “Mercy told me that she thought the stash that was left for them did this for them. I’m very glad. I would have hated to have come here and found that it had changed very little since she passed away.”

  “I was just happy to see that they had running water and electricity. I wonder which one of them came up with the idea that they were needed?” Jude told her. “Oh, that’s wonderful. They send their children to college in the bigger towns. I love it. And since they come back here when they finish, that’s even more special, don’t you think?”

  “I do. I so wish that Dante could see this all. She’d be so proud of them for moving forward. I miss her sometimes. I’ve decided to go with Mercy to see the castle ruins.” Blaze said that she had as well. “What about Bryson? Do you think that he’d enjoy seeing where it all began?”

  “I think he’s still resting. I had forgotten that he’s not used to flying as much as we do. He promised that when we get back home, he’s going to fly daily so that he’s in better shape. I think it shamed him some that Miley did better than he did.” They both laughed as they watched all the food being taken to the large city center. “It will be a feast, I’m thinking. I’m so happy that we came today. This is the perfect Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for, don’t you think?”

  “I do.” Jude turned to her as she continued. “I have had the oddest feeling since we got here. I know that you’re going to laugh, but I think that we’re all being watched, from afar. I know that there are hundreds of people here, but I feel like there is someone else, not here, that is watching us.”

  “Us? Or just you?” When Jude flushed brightly, she laughed. “So. Do you think it might be your mate? He’s so shy that he only feels safe when he’s far away from you? Not boding well for you to meet if he’s doing that, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know what to think. But here’s the strangest part. I feel like whoever this is, it’s not a bad feeling. Like they’re watching over me instead of simply watching me. Do you understand?” Blaze said that she thought she did. “I’m probably just being silly. But I am having a great time. And look at Miley. Who would have thought that she’d bond so quickly with all the kids here? I don’t think she has this many friends at her school.”

  “I was thinking that earlier. She has grown so much, don’t you think?”

  Not just in age—no, it was her manner. When they’d first met the little girl, she’d been bound to a wheelchair and would have been for life. But after Mercy healed her, she’d been non-stop in everything that she did.

  Dinner was going to be in a couple of hours. They decided that while it was still light out they’d head to the castle. Blaze still wasn’t sure that she wanted to be there. It had not only been their home for a great deal of their life, but it was also the tomb of their queen.

  Bryson was going with them, as was Miley. It would be nice, Blaze supposed, for them to see it for the first time. All Blaze could think about was how it had looked in all its glory so very long ago. Now, thanks to them, it was in ruin.

  They all were aware that the castle hadn’t been perfect. Back then there had been no running water except what they could bring up from the well that the castle had been built around. Toilets were nothing more than pits in the ground, and the smell in the warmer months was too much to bear at times. Also, while food and meat were plentiful, disease and sickness were things that they combated daily.

  Dante had taken care that they had plenty to eat to combat any of the things that came with living in filth. She made sure that there was plenty of straw to lay on the grounds. They had a doctor on duty that would do his best. With what Blaze knew now, she wondered how they had survived living in that time. Surely more people should have perished from not being able to keep things clean and sanitized.

  Mercy landed first. Blaze was sure that they’d gone to the wrong place. The castle here was being repaired, and a fine job was being done of it, too. It looked as if it had never been destroyed. There were large earth movers in the courtyard surrounding it, like they had only just left—the smoke from their chimneys was still blowing warmly. There were even a few of them that would be able to lift some of the heavier stones.

  Landing on one of the places that had been built especially for them when they lived here, Blaze shifted to her human self and stood atop the tower. Remi and Esy joined her, and Bryson. They all looked as confused as she felt.

  “Something is going on.” Blaze was too confused to tell Esy that she was speaking the obvious again, something that she did a great deal. “Mercy knows something. Look how she’s just walking around like she fully expected this. What do you think she knows?”

  “You should ask her.” They all turned to Bryson when he spoke. “Or not. You can just stand up here and speculate on what she knows, or do what I am going to do and go down and ask her.”

  He moved to the edge and shifted as he jumped off the side. Bryson had been doing that for a while now, just playing around with his bird. When he landed beside Mercy, she hugged him. Okay, Blaze thought, she did know something, and she wanted to know too.

  Following Bryson’s flight, she landed just as the others were landing as well. All of them asked at once, not only wondering what Mercy knew but why she’d not told them anything.

  “There is nothing to tell you. I knew that the castle had someone working on it. I didn’t have anything to do with it, but I knew. As for who is doing it, all I know is that we’ve been invited to the Christmas party, and all will be told to us then.” Bryson asked her if there was nothing she could tell, or nothing she was able to tell. “Both. Don’t ask me anymore. I can’t tell anyone what is going on until then. I promise you, it’s nothing underhanded, but it’s going to be good.”

  “You know who will be there, don’t you?” Mercy only stared at Jude, her face as unreadable as she’d ever seen it. “What’s going to happen that has you all close mouthed? You said that it’s not bad. But are you sure about that?”

  “I’m as sure about that as I am of my love for Joel and Miley.” Jude stared at Mercy. It was a hard stare, like she was trying to read her mind. They all knew that Mercy wouldn’t allow them to do it, so she wondered why she’d even try. “All right. I’ll trust you on this. I don’t like it, just so you know, but I’ll trust you with this.”

  “Thank you. I hate keeping things from you, but I was sworn to secrecy. I won’t break this promise.” The way Mercy worded that had her thinking that she’d not just been asked to keep it to herself, but that she’d been ordered to. “Let’s just enjoy looking around and see what improvem
ents have been made. All right?”

  They all agreed and went their separate ways to do just that. Perhaps thirty minutes later, Piper yelled at them all to come to her. There was no fear in her voice, but a great deal of pain. Hurrying to her, Piper was sitting in a small plot of ground that faced the castle walls.

  “Holy Christ.” The headstone was made from one of the stones of the castle walls. The image that was chiseled into the stone was of the queen. It was as beautiful as the portrait of her that hung over Mercy’s fireplace. Esy sat down as she read what was on the stone. “Here lies the queen of the castle, Queen Dante of the Six Birds. Creator. Mother. Daughter. The greatest ruler that ever lived. Mother?”

  “You did this, didn’t you, Mercy? I just know it.” They all agreed with Remi. “Do you suppose she’s buried here? That whoever found her body— Mercy? You’re the one fixing up the castle for us, aren’t you? What’s going on here? Tell us.”

  Mercy didn’t even look up from the stone. That was when Blaze knew that something very important was going on. Something that she was sure would change their lives in some way or another.

  They headed back to the town and had the most amazing dinner. The townspeople went all out, as they did every year, because, like them, they had a great deal to be thankful for. They would not have survived if even one of them had been left behind to be beaten by the king until they told what had happened at the castle all those years ago.

  The town’s mayor stood up and everyone became quiet. His name was Barron, named for his father, who had been mayor of the town when it had been set up. Barron cleared his throat.

  “We, this year especially, have a great deal to be thankful for. Not only have the queen’s protectors come to see us, but we have three more children born this year.” The applause was loud, and happiness rang though the entire building. “However, we have lost one of the many that came with us so long ago. Allison’s mother was a great woman, and served the queen well as her lady’s maid. Allison, sadly, was killed only a week ago when her home was hit by a boulder that was being brought down from the mountain for the stone where our Lady Queen now lies.”