by Nicole Kurtz
Once outside and seated in the eagle carriage, she glanced back up at the beautiful home. Carno and Geraldine had crafted a false world of following the goddess’s will and teachings. Tonight, that world had imploded, leaving nothing but carnage in its wake.
The truth is light. A goddess scripture in the peace tenet.
Hawks brought truth to light, by seeing what could not be seen by ordinary eyes. Instead of peace, Prentice’s experience had found people hated hawks for this reason.
The results were dark, never light.
Chapter Fifteen
Two Days Later
Prentice placed her bags at the foot of the carriage. James hoisted them onto the back, securing each one with a broad, leather strap. Her train from Gould would depart in an hour, and it would take them about that long to get to Bailey’s train depot. The rain conveyed the sadness she felt. Balthazar stood under a bright yellow umbrella. His mouth struggled not to pout and instead became a twisted mix of grin and disappointment.
“I heard from the dove in Bailey. Both Geraldine and Carno Finch are in custody. Geraldine appears to be recovering from her injuries. They’re in separate birdcages, so I doubt either of them are happy,” Balthazar said.
“And the rest of the family?” Prentice asked as she turned to face him fully.
“Vacationing in Adams Mountains. The Finches have a cabin there.”
“Good for them.”
Balthazar smiled. “Another tidbit that will brighten your day. Both Boris and Brian arrived home yesterday. They’ve been over in Heather working on the railroad for the last two weeks.”
“They didn’t tell their parents?” Prentice shook her head.
Balthazar shrugged. “Boris said they left word for their parents. Somehow the note got misplaced, tossed out or something. Whatever the case, they’re safe and accounted for. You thought we were backward, the folks over in Heather Nest…”
“I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. You don’t have to be a hawk to see that, Prentice,” Balthazar said and laughed.
“So, that’s it,” Prentice said.
“Indeed.”
She bowed and then straightened. “The Order will submit a bill for my services. I gave my testimony to Eagle Jamison this morning, and the evidence has been delivered to his possession. This concludes my investigation, Dove.”
Balthazar nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Contact the Order if you find you need my services again.”
Prentice got into the carriage for what would be the last time. Droplets of rainwater cascaded down the windows and cast shadows throughout the interior. She missed her home and longed to put the horrid events of Gould and the Finches behind her. She longed for curry and smoked meats.
Three hard knocks made her jump seconds before the door wrenched open.
Balthazar stuck his head inside. “Sorry! The carrier pigeon dropped this off about an hour ago. It has your name on it.”
He held out the crumpled, damp envelope to her. His gaze hovered on her.
“Goodbye,” he whispered and zipped out of the carriage, slamming the door closed as he left.
Prentice used her pen dagger to slice open the sealed letter. The Order’s winged purple wax seal spoke to its official authenticity. Inside, she groaned. It didn’t look like she would get to go home after all.
Hawk Tasifa—
Your services have been requested in the Sulidae Egg. Arrive within two days and greet Dove Raz Haq. The situation as we know at this time:
Missing sacred goddess’s feathered crown.
Proposed magical use.
Possible suspects: Rook Bjorn Renner
The truth is light. Bring it forth as hawks see what is unseen.
Peace,
Cardinal Wick
Prentice pinched the bridge of her nose. The carriage had already jerked her forward. Sulidae Egg caused a knot to form in her belly. Rook Renner stood as one of the oldest, most respected rooks, but now he stood accused of theft.
It didn’t make any sense, but Prentice would get down there to see what others couldn’t.
She banged on the carriage ceiling. “James, kick it into high gear. I’ve got another investigation to get to!”
James replied, “Yes, hawk.”
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The End
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Bonus
First look at the next Kingdom of Aves Mystery, A Theft Most Fowl
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The University of Sulidae was the oldest one in Aves. Originally, its location resided in the Auduban Nest, close to Lanham Egg, home of the Order. Political infighting forced the intellectual thinkers to put some distance between themselves and the Order. Experience taught them that the closer you got to power, the harder it was to survive. In response, the Order opened an intelligence file on university members. Despite its history of hurt feelings and tensions on both sides, many of those within the Order’s rank traveled and studied at the university’s new location in Sulidae Egg, in Edmonds Nest. It sat on the banks of the Plume River at the apex of the Audubon and Edmonds nests. The egg revolved around the university. The campus was its own island in the egg.
Rook Bjorn Renner’s entire life orbited around the university, most importantly the Sulidae Museum of the Goddess. As curator, Rook Renner’s true passion and what he spent his life doing, was collecting goddess artifacts. As a renowned expert in all things goddess, Renner received a constant stream of requests to verify and validate recently discovered treasures. Over time, his teachings gained more urgency around authenticity.
Prentice found it strange that a devoted bird like Rook Renner would steal the Five-Feathered Crown. Why now? Why only that one? Why not something less copious?
It didn’t add up.
Someone broke into the museum and stole the Five-Feathered Crown. In the ensuing massive manhunt, the eagles, the security for all eggs, searched, but came up empty. Request for assistance from the public produced nothing, according to the reports. No doubt, Rook Renner was frantic with worry.
She sipped her tea as ideas formulated in her mind. Drinking Earl Gray became a simple pleasure among the stickiness of investigative work.
The ancient cogwheel train raced across the way, and it gently rocked as it chugged its way through the Edmonds Nest. She’d left the Bailey’s rolling hills and the Adams Mountains, their snow-capped tips. They grew smaller in the distance along with the red roofs of Bailey Egg. Now, two days later, she meandered Adams River. She missed Gould, and if the circumstances changed, she’d return again, but not for work. She’d been on the train for two days and Sulidae appeared in sight. Thankfully, she had the sleeping car to herself. The night seat folded down for a bed. Features included carved wood paneling, pressed metal ceiling, frost glass, and lamp oils and other ornate decorations. She sat in the small overstuffed chair and removed her notepad.
When not on an active investigation, Prentice wore casual clothing. Her dark wings identified her as a hawk. Her sapphire headdress bore silver embroidered wings, and it matched her frock. A silver satin scarf draped from her neck and across her left shoulder. She put away the boots in exchange for flat, closed-toe sandals. Sulidae lay in the Edmonds Nest, just southwest of Lanham. The weather remained warm throughout the year due to the Avian Sea currents. She dressed accordingly, but only by chance. Unable to return home from her last case for a change of clothes, Prentice happened to have cooler clothing packed. No doubt, the rook sowed the seeds of his own demise with his erratic behavior.
The train bumped over the railroad tracks as it slowed into Lizard Mountain Train Station, the sun set. The whistle announced their arrival, and Prentice disembarked with her luggage and satchel. She already missed the cool mountains of Gould. Along the platform, coachmen carried signs advertising their services. She secured one, and in no time, she found herself seated in a carria
ge, her luggage bags secured outside, in the rear, and her driver seated in front. Two beautiful horses pulled them away from the train station and into the night.
Even early supper time, the egg bustled with life. Students clutched heavy satchels and walked or bicycled through the streets. People clustered together in casual conversations at outdoor cafes, illuminated by votive candles. The pedestrians hiked alongside cyclists with ease in a practiced rhythm.
In the hushed carriage interior, Prentice embraced the nostalgia rushing over her. She hadn’t been here in years, not since graduation. Outside the carriage window, the Plume River glistened as it snaked its way through the egg. A clear sky put the constellations on display, and she warmed at the memory of nights spent in Rook Ioan’s astronomy class, charting and memorizing the heavens, gazing through telescopes and listening to how they came to be. A hawk was never lost as long as they had the sky.
“We’re here.” The coachman wrenched open the door and disappeared around to the carriage’s rear. He clambered up the short ladder and threw down her luggage bags. They smacked the ground.
“By the goddess, be careful!” Prentice bellowed as she exited. Vultures!
The coachman came back around with said baggage stuffed under both arms. He glared at her as he placed them beside her. The tight, grayish skin bore thin scars. The bright scarlet birthmark across his sharp nose drew attention away from his beady dark eyes.
“Thank you.” Prentice took five birdsongs from her leather pouch. She dropped the copper coin with the 5 emblazed on the tail and the goddess’s likeness on the front into the coachman’s gloved hand.
“Evening.” The man bowed, his face softened by the tip, before leaping up to the driver’s seat. His agility surprised her. His girth didn’t hinder his movements at all.
She turned her attention to the pristine cathedral that consumed the center entrance of the university campus. The air was heavy with the thick fragrance of frankincense and sage. A cobblestoned maze of dark corridors threaded through the grounds and connected the buildings. Dark hallways stretched out in a monolithic maze of nooks and crannies. The illusion of safety had been shattered, and tension hung in the air. It was impossible to take in at a glance the enormity of the university.
Ahead, a figure appeared in the growing dark. Lit lanterns illuminated the square. She could make out the red turban atop a head. A sudden strong wind billowed his dark robes. Prentice didn’t need her hawk abilities to recognize Rook Renner. Her jaw tightened as he approached.
Once the wizened old man reached her, he wasted no time embracing her.
“Hoot, Prentice.” Renner pulled her close.
His voice was stronger than Prentice expected.
She returned his hug but pulled back. “Hoot, Rook, but how are you here? Shouldn’t you be in a cell?”
Rook Renner’s jovial face held bemusement. He didn’t seem distraught. “It would seem my rapidly eroding reputation has kept that action at bay.”
His raw-bone features decorated with broad red lines beneath each eye and a vertical one from his forehead down to his chin disappeared beneath a bushy white beard.
“Come. I’m glad you’re here.” He clasped her hand in his bony one. The soft flesh palm spoke to the rook never doing physical labor in his life.
“Where?” she asked.
He motioned ahead. “I’ve had a small instructor apartment set up for you.”
Prentice took back her hand. “An apartment? Rook, you know I’m hear to investigate you and the theft…”
She trailed off. She had a sinking feeling about this.
Rook Renner raised his hand. The silver rings he wore caught the pale moonlight.
“I’m aware. It’s a studio, nothing luxurious. The Order cannot say I attempted to bribe you. My status may not be what it once was at court, but I’m greatly injured at this intrusion. The sooner we get this resolved, the sooner I can get back to my work.
“Rook…” Prentice felt sorry she hinted at it.
But she didn’t travel here to rekindle their student-instructor relationship. She’d been assigned to this case, and she had a job to do.
See the unseen.
She adjusted her satchel across her torso and then hoisted her luggage.
“Lead the way.”
Rook Renner, with a gracious smile, said, “Follow me.”
End Excerpt
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About Nicole Givens Kurtz
Nicole Givens Kurtz's short stories have appeared in over 40 anthologies of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Her novels have been finalists for the EPPIEs, Dream Realm, and Fresh Voices in science fiction awards. Her work has appeared in the Bram Stoker® Finalist, Sycorax's Daughters, Baen's Straight Outta Tombstone and Onyx Path's The Endless Ages Anthology.
Visit Nicole's other worlds online at Other Worlds Pulp, www.nicolegivenskurtz.net.
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Did you love Kill Three Birds? Then you should read Silenced: A Cybil Lewis SF Mystery by Nicole Kurtz!
In the year 2146, private inspector, Cybil Lewis and her inspector-in-training, Jane, fill a need in post-apocalyptic D.C. Cybil accepts a case that catapults her into a world of lies and deceit. As they investigate, they move far into the reaches of the divided states and deep into the upper crest of political turmoil. As they move closer to the truth, they discover that the people, who are entrusted with the safety of the territories, will do anything to keep their secrets, including murder. Especially murder.
Read more at Nicole Kurtz’s site.