She laid back on the cold stone. The castle had been forged so long ago, Dante could not remember who had erected it. Now, as she looked up into the night sky, the roof here long since removed, she thought of what was going to happen in the coming days.
“He has set sail and is nearly here. The king of all the lands is coming to claim not just my castle and my wealth, but my birds as well. There are many people on the vessel that carts his bottom here who have no desire to be his servants. If only I could have saved them as well.” The eagle, standing upon her perch built just for her, reminded her she could not save them all. “In this, I wish it was wrong to have thought that. They will suffer, these people. They are suffering, for there is nothing to do to appease the king to find favor with him. There are few that he has not made suffer by lashing them on their backsides. Too many of them have died in his foolishness to make me his wife for such a short time.”
Listening to her eagle squawk at her about the king and idiocy, Dante thought of her impending death. It would be a sad affair only to her son and the birds he would one day claim as his own. However, just knowing all would be safe from the king’s tyranny made all the other things so worthwhile.
“If I had it to do again, I would do nothing differently. I would still do what I am doing now so that all would live on. Even with you birds, I would do just what I have done to keep my kingdom here.” The eagle asked her if she’d been happy. “Happy? I don’t know that I have had that much happiness in my lifetime. I have been content. Not the same, I suppose, but I have been content with my lot in life. If only I could have kept living the way that we have, I do believe I could have made such a difference in things here and in the future. Before I forget this again, I have taken the time to write out the things t’will keep the new town with coin in their coffers. I know it will be aplenty, but I will worry until my last breath if it will be enough.”
Her last breath. It was only a few days away. Much too soon for her, but also, Dante knew, it would be well worth the pain of dying. Sitting up, she looked at the birds, all six of them on their perches watching over her and the emptied lands that they could see. They were the sole reason she was able to do this. This she knew more than anyone could have guessed.
“I shall retire, I think. I have no bed to speak of now, so I will only lie upon the ticking. On the morrow, we shall have a feast. A great amount of food, as well as drink. ‘Tis fitting, I think, to celebrate this new way of life for so many.” Her beautiful phoenix asked her why she seemed so sad. “Sad? Aye, I am that and more. Things are moving at a pace I wish didn’t exist. But it is for the wellbeing of all that have called this place home. In that, I suppose I am sad that I shall never be able to return here in my lifetime.”
But they would. All six of them and more would return someday and see the castle as it should have been—a lovely home to her son and his mate. The one that she herself had hand-picked for her beloved child. Oh, to be able to see them grow into love. But it was not to be.
Getting up before she made a fool of herself by crying over something she had no control over, Dante did indeed head to her bed. For tomorrow and the next would be the hardest of anything she’d ever done before.
Chapter 1
There was no hope to salvage anything from the burnt out shell of a house. Someone had set it; Jude was well aware of the smell of gasoline within the place. It sickened her that someone had waited until everyone was busy getting ready for Christmas and the holidays to deliberately set fire to the house.
Jude looked up when her sister Piper said her name. “I’m going to burn this to the ground. Just so when the place is rebuilt, they don’t have to worry about cleaning up the area. Have you found anything yet?” Jude told Piper she’d not found anything at all but a few broken items. “I can smell the gasoline that was used. I’m assuming you already knew.”
“I did. Have you heard anything from the family? I’ve not.” Piper told her just what she knew—the family was staying in the house down the road until they could rebuild. “Do you think they did this on their own? I have to admit, it was very telling when we found the kitchen devoid of anything other than a few cans of dog food. Smells fishy even to me.”
“Why don’t you just say it? It smells like they did this to reap from their insurance policy. The trouble with this is, they might just be able to get themselves a brand new home. Did Mercy tell you they’ve done this before? Maybe I should burn down my house and start over. There wouldn’t be any lingering gas smells either.” They both laughed. “But seriously, what do we know about this family? Other than they’re arsonists.”
“Just what Mercy told us. This is the second time they’ve had their house burn down around them. The last time they were only able to get partial help on the rebuild because a large portion of the house was salvageable. This time, in my opinion, they made sure there was nothing at all left to build from.” Piper looked around when Jude did. “The Christmas thing is still a few days away. Are you leaving early with the rest of the family? I’ve not decided when I’m going. I don’t even know where we’re going to be staying when we get there.”
“I’m not leaving early. I have one more piece to finish, then I’m going to ship it to the show I’m having in January. I know I could carry it. It’s for a charity event I signed up for about six months ago. I’m not in the mood to even go, much less bring an item to auction for people to pay extraordinarily little for. That sounded like I was bitching because I didn’t want to help. But it’s just...I don’t know. I’m not really in the mood for Christmas, I guess you could say. I’m hoping that once we get there, that’ll put me in the spirit.” Jude told Piper she had sounded ungrateful. “I’m not upset, actually. Ungrateful? I guess just a little. I’m not used to having to share my sisters. It’s been just us six for thousands of years. About the party? I guess you could say I’m indifferent to going. I love the holidays when we six get together. This will be the first time in longer than anyone in our town can remember that we’ll not just be the birds celebrating the holiday.”
“We’d have Joel, Miley, and Bryson this year. I don’t mind them being here. However, going someplace that is so strange to us doesn’t make it feel like a fun holiday for me.” She grinned at Piper. “I’m giving Miley the most outrageous gift. I hope she likes it. It’s my old medieval armor that I wore a long time ago. She talks about the one you have in your home all the time.”
“See? That, right there, is what I’m talking about. No one there will have any idea that it’s something you wore, and are giving it to a kid you love like we all do.” Piper picked up a large burnt piece of wood. “This reeks of gas. I think the fire marshal needs to come here and have another look around. I know he was here before, but I’m telling you right now, if his report says anything but arson, I’m going to boil him in his own fat.”