Piper: Queen’s Birds of Prey: Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Queen's Birds of Prey)

by Kathi S. Barton

  “I did it.” She turned and looked at Grant when he came into the door. “I told you I had magic of my own. And being fae, I could ask the earth for all kinds of things. This, however, is a duplication of the other building you had. Only, as you pointed out, much larger. I wanted you to be happy here. I would have been happy too if you’d not left so early this morning.”

  She laughed and kissed him as he had her. They had company, and she didn’t want to get into this with him while the others were wanting answers. Taking his hand, she went to the other side of the room with the little man. The first thing she wanted to know was his name.

  “Gosh, I completely forgot. My name is Key, my lady. ‘Tis an odd name, I’m told, but I like the way it sounds when I say it. Key.” There were several sanders in the area he’d taken them to. One of them was the very one she had been afraid of him using. However, all he wanted to know how to use was the sandpaper. “It would be easy for us to use, I think, but it’s much too large for us to carry around. If you’d show us how to use it, we’d be very grateful.”

  “You tell me how big of a piece you’re wanting to use, Key, and I’ll cut some of this up for you. Also, you should know that there are different grades of it. Some is used for shaping, but I also have the kind of sandpaper that is used for making the surface smooth. I’ll cut you up some of all that I have. When you need more, you need only to tell me. I’ll gladly do this for you.”

  As she and Grant helped cut up the paper with scissors, they talked about the building. The others, perhaps a dozen or so more little people, came to help, carrying the cut paper to a place that would be out of her way. Piper decided to make them an area all of their own, so they could have their own space.

  Grant put together some cardboard boxes for them, smaller than anything a person could ship in, but perfect for the faeries. They even brought down some of the things they’d been making with her scraps, and she was pleased to see that they’d made tables and chairs with some of it.

  Piper was delighted with the things they were making and told them that if they wished, she’d give them more metal and items in the building for them to use for the others around. They even hung up some of the little suncatchers they’d made from broken glasses and bottles they’d found.

  “I think you’ve made yourself some very good friends.” She looked at Grant and smiled. She told him how much she liked them being there. “Yes, I can understand that. What you have here are the older faeries. Even some of them older than us. They’re not put out to pasture as humans would do to older beings, but they find themselves something to do, as you have given them the tools for, and barter what they make for things that others make. These little people will be the envy of every other faerie in the land.”

  “Once, just a few years ago, I had a piece that went to a greenhouse. They were huge at the time, and while I was waiting for the check they owed me, I had a look around. There were these little gardens in the dirt. I remember thinking that while I know only a very few faeries, I couldn’t see them putting out all the crap the humans thought they’d have.” He asked her what was there. “Well, for one thing, they had these toadstools in bright, colorful colors. That just screamed, come and find me. Also, they had swing sets and grills. Why on earth would a faerie need a grill? They don’t eat meat, nor do they usually grill their flowers. Also, and this was something I just simply could not wrap my head around, they had gardens. Some of the seeds would have been ten times the size of the faerie. Not to mention, how on earth would they have been able to plant more than one thing? Humans have such an odd sense of things.”

  They were still laughing when she started to work on her newest project. Grant talked to her about the things he had to look into, and she sort of half heard him. At some point, he kissed her on the cheek and left. Piper wouldn’t have been able to tell you anything he’d said to her when he left or if she’d said anything to him. This work was all she could concentrate on right now.

  Grant brought her lunch. She was sure she ate at least some of it. Her belly wasn’t growling as it usually did when she was working. Stepping back from the piece she’d been thinking about, her heart did a little jump. Piper had to keep telling herself she’d made this, and it wasn’t something she’d picked up. It was, to her, the most beautiful piece she’d ever made.

  It was a water feature; she thought they called it. The metal stand stood about six feet tall and had two dozen branches all around it. The branches she’d put there were hollow, so the water could slowly flow out of them into the beautiful colored cups at the tip of each branch. She was almost afraid to turn it on, fearing it wasn’t going to work. Or worse yet, it wouldn’t be nearly as beautiful as she thought it would be. She wanted Grant to see it first.

  Can you come out here please? I need you to see something. He asked her if she was all right. Yes. Just finished this, and I wanted you to see if it works with me. Unless you’re busy. I can understand that.

  No, I’m not busy. He laughed. Do you have any idea how long you’ve been out there, love? She told him a few hours, at least. You’ve been there for three days. Three days. I talked to Remi about it, and she said I shouldn’t bother you, but to take you food out once in a while and make sure it was close enough for you to find. Then I was to leave. Right now, it’s three in the morning. I’m on my way.

  No. It can wait. Grant told her it couldn’t. He wanted to see it as well. I’m so sorry about this. I had no idea. I’ve done this before, but I’ve usually been the only one that would be worried about me eating. I can’t wait for you to see this. I hope it turns out all right.

  Grant smiled at her from the doorway. As he made his way to her, she noticed that he did look like he’d just gotten out of bed, and she hated even more that she had bothered him. He assured her that it was wonderful that she wanted him to come out.

  “I’ve hooked up the water to it. I’m not sure how I did that, as I’ve never done anything like this before. But I guess I know enough.” Piper asked Grant to turn the water on. “But step back, so it doesn’t fall on you if it’s wrong.”

  The water coming through the tubes was starting to spurt and make noises. Just as she was ready to turn it off, Grant told her to wait. There would be air in the lines. As the water began to reach the highest level, it started to flow over the glass cups just as she had imagined it.

  “Piper, this is wonderful. The water, as it comes out, blends in with the glass perfectly. It reminds me of dew on the grass in the morning.” The sound was also just as she imagined it would be. Like the trickling stream they’d all played in as birds while with Dante. “This is magnificent. Thank you so much for sharing this with me first. I cannot believe how lovely this is. I hope you plan to put it in our front yard. This would be such an amazing piece of work.”

  She was giddy with excitement. The fact that he loved it as much as she did only made her more excited to see what else she could do with working for her own pleasure. Glancing over at the birds she was doing, Piper knew she had only one more bird to do, and that was of herself. Even the castle was finished up.

  “What is going on with this piece?” She walked over to where he was. There was a line that she’d been working on. The metal hadn’t been working the way she wanted it to, she told him. “What was the plan? Because I can see this working in a couple of things I have going right now. Remember me telling you about the things in my trunk? There were several tapestries that I would love to hang. If you’d not mind, I can make these into the perfect hangers.”

  “Sure. I can even decorate the ends of them should you want. The ends will need to be fixed so that the hanging item doesn’t fall off the rod.” She picked up the longest one at about three feet. “These would work out well for them too, as they won’t rust or make any sort of marks on them. Thanks. I didn’t want to have to toss these out, and I love that idea.”

  Grant told her what other things we
re in his trunk. When they made their way into the house, he showed her some of the things he didn’t understand. The book, handmade and full of recipes, was perfect for him. Dante had made her mate feel as much a part of her family as she had them all those years ago.

  She knew that Dante had sewn some of the tapestries. They were scenes of the castle, crudely done, but lovely enough for them to hang. Piper had noticed that they had windows with glass in them in all the rooms. The addition that had been put on the right side held not only several bedrooms but also a place she thought would be perfect for children to play. The way it was filled with soft carpet, a fireplace, as well as a great many windows also had her thinking that the room would also make a nice room for family gatherings, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

  Here it was only June, and she was ready to put up Christmas again. Shaking her head, she helped Grant hang not just the tapestries but also the other paintings that Dante had wanted him to have.

  There was one Piper loved more than the others. It was a painting of the six of them sitting on a fenceline someplace. As their small birds, they were lined up in order of being changed. After her were Remi and Esme. Piper had hopes that they’d find their mates soon. It was wonderful having someone around you all the time that didn’t annoy the shit out of you. Laughing to herself, she did wonder what Grant would say if she told him her thoughts on having him around. He’d more than likely tell her the same about her being around. She so loved this man.

  By the time they finished putting up the things from the trunk, the two of them were starving. It was still early morning, and she realized it had been a while since she’d eaten. Once she decided she was hungry, Piper thought she could eat an entire vat of seeds. Settling on a bowl of cereal while Grant fixed them something more substantial, Piper thought of the other things she needed to get done before she went to bed tonight.

  Right now, she thought she might not make it another hour. Once her belly was filled, all Piper wanted to do was nap. Lying down on the couch while Grant read the recipes he’d gotten, Piper was asleep in no time.

  Chapter 7

  The things that had been brought up from the underwater graveyard were beginning to fill up the large barn that had been put up to hold it all. Not only had they been able to find several large trunks of coins, but there had been a great many swords as well. Piper had been able to get them looking good again with her heat. Remi had used a sword at one time in her life. Being a pirate with the others had been fun too. Pulling one of them from the scabbard that had also been found with them, she played with it for several minutes before she realized she was no longer alone.

  “I didn’t see you there.” Grant told her it was all right, that he’d been coming here to do the same thing. “I used to be really good at one of these. But after all this time, all I can do is mimic the moves. I’d never be able to survive if I had to defend myself with one again. How about you?”

  “I had several of these at one time. I thought of myself as a collector of all things violent. That period of my life only lasted long enough for my mom to have found them. I think I was all of ten at the time. But the queen, Dante, she gave me one when I was a little older. And she left me one in my trunk.” Remi told him she had some too. And that she too had a trunk for her mate. “She was a very generous person. I wish I’d known her as well as you guys did.”

  “I remember one time when we were all away from the castle. I never really minded being away from the people there. But I was able to have a little fun with being a bird of prey. I guess having to fend for myself back then made me realize how much I depended on the others for help. The queen, she needed us all, not just one of us, to help her. Not that she was cruel to me or anything, but being a vulture, I’m not exactly the most beautiful bird around.” He said he had seen her and thought she was. “Thanks for that. No, you have the most beautiful of all of us. Piper has color and vibrance that none of the rest of us have. I love her, don’t get me wrong, but I’m very jealous of her beauty too.”

  “You’re very beautiful, Remi. The silver of your hair with the green of your eyes mesmerized me from the beginning.” Not that she was vain, but she did glance in the mirror that had been found in the sea with other women’s things. “The way your hair glistens in the moonlight is one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever witnessed.”

  “Now you’re just being mean.” He said he was serious. “I do hope that when I find my mate, he is as sweet and strong as you are, Grant. You’re so calm and nice. Even when you’re mad, as I’ve seen in you with people when they’re not doing what they should, you still look like you couldn’t have chocolate melt in your mouth. In the event you didn’t know this about me, chocolate is one of my biggest downfalls when it comes to sweets.”

  “Yours and Duncan’s. I heard that the other day he nearly ate an entire ten pound box of the sweets. Me? I don’t really get into really super sweet things. I like apples and other fruit.” She made fun of him again about being a purest. “I guess I am. I just enjoy what the earth gives me. Probably the fae in me.”

  “No, I’d say it was the niceness in you.” She looked at the swords and then back at him. “Want to play around a little? I’m sure we can both have some fun with them before anyone finds us.”

  “Absolutely.”

  He took one of the larger swords, and Remi watched as he tested its weight. None of them were cheaply made. Several of them had been made with the king in mind, she’d bet. There were so many jewels on a couple of them she knew that they were for show only and not for real use. When Grant had one that he said he could work with, they started working the room, wielding the swords like she was sure he had long ago.

  By the time she was too exhausted to lift her arm, she was covered in sweat, and her hair was sticking to her head. Remi was glad she’d been able to get in a few digs, and Grant had done a good job on her as well. There were cuts on her flesh as well as her clothing. She found that she didn’t care. It had been that much fun.

  “I’d like to spar with you again sometime. I feel out of shape right now, but I think this would go a long way in helping me out. It’s a damned sight better than walking.” She said he should fly. That took a lot of muscle movements. “You know, I forgot about that. That I could fly. I’ll have to talk to Piper about it when she gets back.”

  “Where did she go? We have dinner together every Wednesday night. She’s never missed one before.” He told her what he knew. “I can see that. She’ll make it then. Those fires, I think they take a great deal out of her when she has to have someone arrested. The fire that she went to last week. What do you know about it? If I can ask.”

  “Sure, you can. It was arson. The number of bodies that were in the place is going to mean hard time for the two men that caused the fire. Piper not only found out who had done it but their reasoning behind it. Not that their reasons are sound ones, but she did find them.” Remi asked him what she’d found out. “They were fired the week before. They figured they’d just fire everyone in the place because of them not having a job. I don’t think they thought anyone would be in the place on a Saturday morning. That’s the morning they do a deep cleaning of the place, and it caught a lot of people inside.”

  “Did Piper tell you she’s been to several fires that took a lot of lives? Believe it or not, she hates it. It was why I was so surprised she took this job with the Feds. She can pick up the reason something burned to the ground in no time. It’s dealing with the aftermath of one, the bodies or insurance, that really gets her upset. I’m betting that before too much longer, she has to quit. It’s very hard on her.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on her for it then. Thank you for the heads up.” Remi told him it was her pleasure. “She’s been working in her studio nonstop for the last few weeks. I think that since someone told her that she didn’t have to do pieces that people wanted to see and could do what she wanted, she’s taken tha
t to heart. Some of the pieces she has finished are spectacular. Work like I’m betting no one has seen before.”

  “She told me about the water tower. I can’t wait to see it. Did I tell you she sometimes comes and helps me out at the restaurants? It’s not that big of a deal for her, but when I need something cooked really hot and fast, she lends me her breath. I can’t tell you how many times she’s saved my ass.” The two of them laughed at that. “She’s my favorite of all my sisters. I’m sure the others love her too, but not like I do. Piper has been my rock and my foundation so many times that I can’t count them all.”

  “I’m sure you’ve been there for her as well.” Remi told him she had, but not in the way that Piper had been for her. “I can see the closeness between the two of you sometimes. Mercy loves you all, but she’s more standoffish about it. Jude, she’s quiet about her love. You know it’s there, and you love her for it, but she’s the gentle one of the six of you. Not that she couldn’t be hard when necessary, but it’s in her nature to use her voice rather than violence to take care of something. Esme. She’s a little harder to read. A loner for sure. Her anger or whatever she’s dealing with comes out in her paintings and art. The colors mostly are what tells me she is angry. It’s not on her face or the makeup of her body, but it’s in her work.” She asked him about her. “You’ve been the most difficult of all of them to pinpoint. Mostly I think it’s because I don’t see you as often. You’ve been gone more than here since you’ve all moved to this area. You’re generous. I have discovered that. Twice in the last two weeks, I was going to help out Benson and my mom and found that it was already finished up. I found out that you’ve been doing that with all the people around here. I particularly love that you’ve made sure the grade school has new buses for the kids.”