“Will you need to go to the cities?” I ask.
He hums softly. “We will. There is a ball in about eight weeks. It’s a celebration of our country’s birth. I’ll need to give a speech and we’ll dance and drink.”
“We?”
His hand flexes against my stomach, though it’s hard to feel over the corset. “Yes, Birdie, we. You will be by my side from now on, never to leave, not even for a moment.”
“How will you explain me?”
I wait as he pauses, though it isn’t for long, because it seems like Colton James has an answer and plan for everything.
“You’ll be my cousin from Bunafi.”
Wrinkling my nose, I tilt my head back to look up at him. “I’m sure that cousin would not be an appropriate term for what we do together and if anyone suspected…”
He doesn’t even flinch from my words. “Cousins do not marry and consort in your country?”
“Colt,” I cry out. “Gross. No. I mean, I guess some do. I had a whole history lesson on how they did that in the royal families and they had a heap of birth defects because of it too. It’s icky, Colt. Seriously, it is not better to stay in the family. It’s gross, and I refuse to let people think that I’m gross. I’d rather they think of me as a hired hooker, because seriously—ew.”
Colt’s body is shaking behind me and he bursts out laughing from my rambling. I don’t blame him at all, my rambling is a little bit ridiculous at best, always has been. Still, I shiver in disgust at the thought of him telling all the people at his fancy ball that I’m his cousin.
Gross.
He leans over, touching his lips to the side of my cheek. “Not my cousin then. Perhaps just a lady friend?”
I wrinkle my nose, not much liking the term lady friend either, but it’s infinitely better than cousin.
Still so very gross.
COLT
Lady friend is not the winner either, judging by the way her nose wrinkles at the term. I decide to table the topic for the moment, we can figure it out later, right now I’m just glad that this conversation is finished and she is no longer angry with me.
“Things will be hectic when the men arrive,” I inform her.
Though, I’m not sure why I’m telling her this, but I feel as if she needs to know that I will be busy and unable to spend much time with her, not that I have been able to spend a lot as it is, but when they arrive, there will be less.
The house comes into view and she lets out a sigh. “I understand, Colt.” Her voice is soft, her tone sad and I’m unsure of why she is still upset. I have fixed everything she was angry with me about.
“You’re not okay,” I say.
She doesn’t speak immediately, then she clears her throat. “I just don’t know what I’m doing here. This whole thing, it’s weird and at first I thought it was fake, then a dream, then an adventure, but now...”
“Now?” I urge when she doesn’t continue with her words.
“I’m not sure how I fit into any of this. I have some supposed magic that I can’t feel or control and there’s some prophecy that nobody seems to know much about, including what happens when it comes true. Everything feels really pointless.”
I shouldn’t feel anything from her words. She’s processing her sudden life change, much like the way I processed when Adelaide and Temperance were taken from me, and then again, when I started feeling the extreme guilt the other day about being with Birdie and the feelings that I’ve had for her.
Internal processing is what I do, but Birdie is a talker, she processes verbally and I find that I actually enjoy that trait about her, it makes it easier to understand her inner workings.
“The gods do things sometimes that don’t make sense, Birdie,” I say.
She’s quiet for a moment, then lets out an exhale. “My god does too.”
“Your god?”
She nods her head. “I don’t have multiple gods, just one singular one. He is all-knowing, and usually things happen that are unexplained at the time and later they might make sense, then again, they might not.”
“Sounds like ours,” I grunt.
Guiding Lonesable toward the barn, I stop short and dismount from him. Reaching up, I wrap my hands around Birdie’s small waist and pull her off of him too. I expect her to look up at me or walk toward the house, but she doesn’t. Instead, she turns toward Lonesable.
“Thank you for the safe journey, beautiful beast,” she whispers to him as she runs her hand along his neck.
He neighs, but speaks to me. You will make her happy, Colt. She deserves it. She is giving up her whole world to fulfill this prophecy against her will. She welcomes you openly. You must always make her happy.
I don’t respond to him, instead, I wrap my hand around Birdie’s waist and guide her toward the house. She needs to get out of the sun and I need to get away from Lonesable. I’m not ready to hear what he has to say about my relationship with Birdie, not yet, probably not ever.
This situation, her coming to me from her world. She isn’t here out of a sense of duty, she’s here because of the gods and for no other reason. She isn’t necessarily willing to stay, she has no choice and neither do I. Therefore, I don’t feel the need to make her happy.
It’s true I don’t want her angry or upset, but blissfully happy? I’ve already tried to make one woman happy and she was murdered, taken from me along with our sweet and innocent child. I have no desire to try again.
I’ll keep Birdie comfortable because she has no choice in being here, away from her world and family, but happiness is not at the top of my priority list. Not hers or mine.
“I must meet with Ernest, you’ll find Florence and work on your abilities and training the rest of the evening,” I announce.
She jerks, turning her head and tilting it back to look up at me. “Okay, Colt.”
Dipping my chin in a nod, I leave her in the foyer as I make my way into my office, not looking back. I can’t look back when it comes to her. Because one look back will be my demise, I’ll want to keep her right next to me, to kiss her, to be inside of her. Instead, I walk away knowing that she is safe here in this house and with Florence.
Chapter Twenty
BIRDIE
Colt must have known that the men were coming, and soon, because the next day an army appears. They don’t come from town, but rather from the opposite direction. I don’t know anything about the geography of this place, and being out here on Colt’s land, we’re very isolated, so I have no idea where they are coming from, but they are coming in droves.
Standing at the window in the formal living room, I watch them come one by one, they’re in military uniforms with rows of them in perfect formation on horseback.
“The special forces have arrived,” Florence announces.
I don’t look away from them, I can’t. They move in perfect unison as if they are one man on one horse.
“Special forces?” I ask.
She hums. “Logan sent them, they are the elite soldiers of the country, sent here to protect Colt from harm.”
Licking my lips, I want to ask about the lions, I want to ask about the seriousness of this entire thing, I want to ask a million questions, but I decide against it. This is Colt’s world and I’m just a visitor, plus, none of this is really my business at all.
“Are you ready for today’s lessons?” Florence asks.
Nodding, I push the thoughts of the men out of my head and turn to her. She’s smiling at me, something almost twinkling in her eye. Without a word, she turns around and I follow behind her, trying not to think about these men arriving and a million other things that are tumbling and rambling inside of my head.
Once we’re outside, she continues to walk until we’re in the barn. I’m sure that those men who are closing in on the house will be stabling some of their animals in the barn, so I’m not sure why Florence has brought me here.
“Close your eyes,” she demands.
I do it, unsure of where she’s
going with this. Not once have I been able to conjure up any type of magic with her. It seems that I only have magic when Colt seriously upsets me, pisses me off, or makes me come. It’s ridiculous.
Everyone knows exactly what I’m feeling because of this, and I think that they’re walking on eggshells so that they don’t upset me.
Inhaling a deep breath, I keep my eyes closed and I attempt to relax. “Listen around you, Birdie. What do you hear?” Florence asks.
Pressing my lips together, I strain to hear the things around me. I hear the hooves of the horses in the distance. I hear Lonesable’s hooves crunching the hay on the ground. There is the sound of the wind as it slides through the barn causing the metal tools hanging on the wall to rattle slightly.
Then something slams into my head. Something that I don’t believe is happening, even as it happens. I hear a voice in the distance. It isn’t loud, it’s soft. It’s almost like a dream, almost as if I’m imagining it, but I know that I can’t be.
It’s Drusilla.
All of my sisters are missing now. Where is Birdie? Nobody vanishes into thin air like that. She just disappeared. Her camera was just sitting in her car. She would never leave her camera behind, no matter what. Something is really wrong here and I don’t know what to do. What do I do? I’m so lost. What the hell do I do?
Opening my eyes, I inhale a loud breath, gasping for air.
“What happened?” Florence demands.
“I heard my sister,” I whisper. Lifting my eyes, I look directly into her gaze. “My sister that is still at home, in my world.”
I almost expect Florence to turn tail and run as far away from me as possible. There is something seriously wrong with me. This isn’t normal and this is way beyond causing a little rain from crying.
This is hearing my fucking sister, who is in another fucking dimension.
Florence reaches out, taking my hands in hers and squeezing. “That is amazing. Though, your connection with her may be simply because you’re close sisters, but perhaps all part of the gods’ plans. I’m unsure, but I would like you to try to reach her some more.”
“I don’t know how I did it though,” I whisper.
She smiles, tugging me a little closer to her. “It doesn’t matter how, just that you can. You’ll do it again, concentration is key and we will get there. You have powers, Birdie. True powers.”
“My sister. I could hear her voice,” I breathe.
Florence nods her head. “The gods have gifted you this for a reason, it will aid you in the prophecy, somehow. We must try and figure out how this can work to our advantage.”
“Can we not tell Colt, yet?” I ask.
I don’t know why exactly, but I don’t feel like this is something that Colt needs to know yet. Maybe I’m thinking too much into it, but I want to have at least a working knowledge of this, whatever it is, before I boast about it to Colt.
“He will need to know,” Florence murmurs.
“And I’ll tell him, just not yet.”
Florence’s eyes narrow on me and she nods her head once. She instructs me to close my eyes again and to listen. To tell her what I hear, and I don’t know if it’s because I’m nervous or if it was all just a fluke, but I don’t hear anything.
I don’t hear anything the third time or even the tenth. Florence doesn’t even look the slightest bit disappointed, she just smiles kindly, and tells me that we’ll try again another day.
The sun is beginning to set and as we make our way back to the house I’m surprised to see that the men have now set up a whole camp around the property. Keeping my head down, I hurry toward the house and slip inside.
I don’t know who these men are and normally it wouldn’t bother me to be surrounded by so many, but this feels weird. They’re lonely soldiers, surrounding me in another dimension. I don’t know their customs or their rules. I’m one of three women in this place and I’m the only one under the age of fifty.
“They will not harm you. You’re with their leader, you are untouchable, not that they would do anything without your permission anyway,” Florence announces sensing my unease.
“They won’t?”
“They are trained, Birdie, they are always fiercely loyal. These are his elite soldiers. They will protect you with their lives.”
I think about her words. Protection. I like the sound of that, and I know that Colt has mentioned needing to keep me safe, but I don’t know if it’s for me, or more for the guilt about his wife and what happened to her when he couldn’t be there to physically protect her.
Guilt.
He does things for me out of guilt and I hate it, mainly because I am falling for him more and more each day for no other reason than because of the man that he is.
I want him to care for me because of who I am, not because he feels guilty about his dead wife and then I hate myself for feeling that way, and the cycle continues inside of my head, over and over.
COLT
Brazos is the first man to approach me, as he should be since he is in charge of leading this group of soldiers. They’re here for one purpose and one only, to protect me and in turn protect Birdie.
“We need to have a meeting,” I announce. “How are your provisions?” I need to know if I should make my way to town and move the general store along in the order that I placed.
Brazos shakes his head once. “We have plenty for about two weeks.”
“Good. I’ve ordered supplies and food to be delivered, but I hadn’t anticipated you coming so quickly. They’ll be here soon though,” I say.
He dips his chin once. “We have heard no updates from Whitecotton on the situation.”
Clearing my throat, I think about Logan who only left here a few days ago. I’ve received zero missives from him since he’s been gone, but I doubt he’s even reached his destination yet. Though, I do find it odd that he hasn’t informed Brazos on the current status of the situation at hand.
“I’m sure that you have just as much, if not more information than I do. However, I did want to converse with you about something. How many men can you spare for a special assignment?”
“How special?” he asks.
Clearing my throat, my gaze shifts to the side, then slides back to meet his. “Special and delicate.”
“Four?”
Nodding my head once, I press my lips together. “I need them. They’ll be tasked with being a woman’s personal guard. She won’t be leaving here without me, confined to the house and the main outside area. But they will guard her with their lives.”
“And she is?” he asks.
Do I tell him the truth? I shake my head. I can’t do that, not yet. Not until I know everything about this prophecy. Ernest claims we should get news soon from the scholars up north, once I’ve talked to them, only then will I feel comfortable telling anyone else about this situation. At this point, she’s a witch, and technically can be destroyed for it in this country.
“Mine,” I state.
“Your…”
Drat the man for forcing me to put a label on who this woman is to me. I can’t call her my mistress, that obviously puts a stigma on her that she doesn’t appreciate, not that I appreciated the way she was gawked at in town much myself.
“Lady friend,” I explain, trying not to laugh at the expression, imagining Birdie’s turned-up nose. “Miss Birdie Collins is to be guarded at all times. I want someone in the house next to her door twenty-four seven, even when she sleeps. When you’ve chosen your four best, send them to my office, I have some important information for them regarding their new duties.”
Without giving him another moment of my time I turn and head into the house to my office while the men set up their camp. I start to go through my letters, hoping to see something from Logan or the scholars, but I have nothing.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask Ernest, who is standing quietly at my back.
“I have not, sir, but that doesn’t mean that they are not on their way. I would v
enture a guess that this would be too good for them to stay in their homes and they will make the trip here to see Miss Birdie for themselves.”
I don’t deny that I’m a bit afraid of that. What happens if they tell me something that I don’t want to hear? What happens if they try to take Birdie from me? I don’t know if I would let them.
Closing my eyes, I let out a grunt. I know that I wouldn’t let them. That woman is mine, as much as I try to deny it, I can’t, at least not to myself. Ernest doesn’t say anything else and I’m grateful for his silence, that is until my office is filled with four soldiers.
“Jeremiah.” I chuckle as I stand and greet one of the men that I fought beside years ago.
His lips twitch in a grin as he returns my enthusiasm and we embrace. “Brazos acted as though this was a secret mission of some kind. We’re here to serve, James. We want you to know that you can trust us.”
Clearing my throat, I lean back against my desk, gripping the edges before I shift my gaze between them all.
“I’m going to tell you a story, one that I can’t believe is true myself. I’ll understand if you think I’ve gone a bit crazy, but know that this is real.”
With that lead-in, I tell them everything. Their eyes widen, a couple take a seat, but it’s Jeremiah who watches me intently. He doesn’t look as if he thinks I’ve lost my mind, but he does look a bit concerned.
“Can I be upfront?” he asks once I’ve finished the story of how Birdie came to us and who she is.
“You can,” I say, dipping my chin in a small nod.
“A year ago, I would have called you completely insane. The three men behind me think that you probably are, but I don’t.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
He clears his throat, lifting his hand, he wraps his fingers around the back of his neck and squeezes. He lifts his gaze to me, his eyes flashing with something that I can’t quite read.
Bride of the Frontier (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 3) Page 14
