Remington (Queen's Birds of Prey 5)

“It was.” She turned and looked at Juniper and slipped her hand from his, pretending to wipe her face. “He was killed quickly. I know that too, but it makes it no less painful for what happened to him. He was our only child, Juniper. I don’t know what I’m to do now. He’s gone.”

“Yes. But we got the money from him first.” Turning away again, she put her hand in her lap and wanted to draw on her magic to give herself a weapon. She wanted to kill Juniper where he sat. But making it so they had identification so they could get on the plane had cost them so much. Rose hadn’t looked in the mirror yet, but she could almost feel her age taking her beauty away. “Just think, we’ll be home in four hours. I bet things haven’t changed a bit, don’t you? I mean, I know they were working on the castle when we left. I’m sure it’s no better than it was before. Who would have been on top of the workers? No one, that’s who. And I’m betting that Basil is near death by now. I have tried to contact the staff we had in place, but they seemed to have been cut off from me.”

“Do you think them dead?” He asked her who would have had such strength to kill them all. “I was thinking the very same bird that killed my son. She had to be powerful in order to have killed him like she did. I’m telling you right now, Juniper, I’m going to make her pay for what she’s done.”

With a pat on her leg, he told her that things would work out. There were so many questions going through her mind right now that she wanted to scream. How did he think things were going to go better? They were without their child. Didn’t he feel that as she had? What did he think was going to happen when they arrived there? That they’d be welcomed with open arms? She’d bet anything that they’d be met at the gates to New Town, or even the fae lands, by the birds. Not that it was any of their concern what happened in their world, but the very fact that they had already stuck their feathers in where they didn’t belong made her think they were a short plane ride from death. So long as she was able to extract payment for the death of her son, she’d willingly have her own head removed.

Pretending to be asleep, she thought of a dozen or more plans and tossed them out. Rose knew some things that Juniper didn’t. Like the queen’s birds would and could kill whoever they wanted. Even all the humans in the world if they felt like it. Even, she thought sadly, her own baby boy.

When the plane came to a jerky stop, she waited until everyone on the plane was off before she stood up. They’d had to fly coach and not what they had wanted. If it had been up to Juniper, he would have charted them a plane to go home in with just the two of them on board. It was just dawning on her how much he was worthless when it came to saving money. She’d bet anything that had she not taken the money from him when she had, they’d not have two coins to rub together. Much less enough to fly home. Rose hoped there was someone there that would end her misery and kill Juniper as soon as they landed. But it would never happen that way. She’d have to deal with him forever. It took her a long time to remember why she’d liked him at all.

Rose had begun to hate the other man. Wondering if there had ever been a time when she loved him, she stared at him while he waited on the line of people to leave so he could get their carry on. It was only an empty bag with a few magazines in it, but he had acted like it needed its own overhead compartment when they’d gotten on this morning.

It had taken her a while to figure out the money system with the humans. It wasn’t like they had at home, where bartering was the way to go when a family or a person needed something. Even work was done in a way that no one would have to exchange dirty money or coins to have it done. Human money was dirty too. Nasty, as a matter of fact.

Credit cards had given her so much trouble she’d finally cut them all up and carried money around when she could. It was cumbersome, but it kept her from overspending and having to pay off a bill each month when it arrived. That was what had gotten them into deep trouble when the cards were presented to them—the realization that they’d have to be pai

d off. That there wasn’t an endless supply of money on them that you never had to worry about. To this day, Juniper still had trouble with it. That was why she handled all the money. Or when she could, she made sure she had it before Juniper did.

Disembarking, she was hit with the smell at first. Nothing smelled cleaner than the air out here. As they were making their way up the ramp, she thought of the million and one things she needed to do yet. One of them was to contact Basil and see if he’d forgive her. She wanted out of this mess with Juniper in the worst kind of way. When her name was called with Juniper, she looked up at the man and woman standing there. While she didn’t know them, the magic coming off them was so strong she was ill with it. It wasn’t until he spoke that she found herself down on her knees and bowing her head.

“I’m happy to see you have retained some manners, Rosemary. You’ve been causing a great deal of trouble for those you left behind. I do hope you’re willing to reap what you have sown.” She said she was sorry. “I’m afraid that sorry does not cut it. You and Juniper are going to pay for your crimes and do so without complaint. Basil is going to join us at my estate.”

“Basil?” She didn’t look up to see if anyone answered Juniper. But since he spoke again, Rose figured they had. “I last heard he was on death’s bed, your lordship. I’m sorry. But I don’t believe I know who you are. You have the magic of someone powerful, and I do wish to submit to you, but I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“This is my wife, Queen Judith, Wife of Duncan Neal Dante, Queen of Duncan Castle, Lady of the Realm. I am King Duncan, only son of Queen Dante, Queen of Dante Castle, Lord of the Realm.” Rose did glance at them then. There was no way this was Dante’s child. She never had any children. “And yet, here I stand. Rose, you would be better off thinking better thoughts than how you will kill one of my birds. I will deal with you and your husband directly. For now, you will be put in arms and taken to my castle.”

Then he laughed. There was no mistaking that laughter as being from anyone but Dante’s child. He brayed like a jackass, as she had done. Never a lady-like twitter, as Rose had. No, Dante would throw back her head and laugh at anything and everything that touched her fancy.

Rose’s arms were suddenly in shackles. Her ankles too. Rose could walk, but it was cumbersome with the weight of them dragging between her feet. Juniper never shut up about how he was brother to the king of the fae and not subject to the laws of the king of the castle. He, too, was shackled, but his were heavier and seemed to be tripping him up more.

As for what he was talking about, Rose knew better. They all answered to this man and his wife. The other realm kings and queens were only in the area by the grace of the man that ruled the lands. It was the same with his mother and the king that died while she was married to him.

There had never been a time when they’d gone hungry or without when the queen had decided to take over the castle. Rose had wanted to hate her for what she was doing. Running around like a butcher’s wife, working herself to the bone and never taking a break. But the more she saw of her and the people that served her, Rose saw that they genuinely loved her. They trusted her too to make sure they were safe when the overlord, the king of the country, had said he was going to marry her.

Not only had Dante made sure that her own people were safe from others coming to harm them, but she also made sure the fae and faerie alike were taken care of. She offered them not only shelter but wagons to move their belongings. The usage of her birds to carry whatever was too large for them to move. Not only did Basil make sure their people were taken good care of at the same time, but he’d also gifted the queen quite a few fae for them to use. It had been a good working relationship. She wondered why she was only thinking about it now.

She looked at the limo that the king and queen were getting into. At one time, she had such things to use. A car and servants. She’d had things that were hers and hers alone. Juniper and she had robbed the coffers when they needed more money. Not only that, but they’d paid the people working in the fae realm to murder Basil. Rose wondered why she’d done such a thing.

Basil had been good to her, she thought as she was put into a large van and locked to the floor with her chains. The woman with them—another bird, she didn’t doubt—said nothing but made it clear that she’d not hesitate in killing them if it came to that. Rose kept her mouth shut and thought about her life with Basil.

“He’s alive.” She nodded at the woman—she’d not caught her name—and asked if he was all right. “Yes. My sister removed the iron from his body, and he put it on display in his home. Neither you nor anyone else will ever be able to harm him again.”

“I’ve no wish to do that. I was only just wondering why I did it in the first place.” The woman started naming off things. Greed. Stupidity. Ignorance. Cutting her off, as she was hitting too close to the very reasons, she spoke to her again. “Who are you? I’m assuming you’re a bird. Which one?”

“You’ve met me. I’m Remi. The vulture.” She nodded and looked out the small opening just to her right. “If you think to get into his heart or head again, you won’t be able to do that either. You’ve fucked up royally, and you’re going to pay the price.”

“You’re the one that killed my son.” She nodded and smiled. “I would appreciate it if you’d not show so much happiness about it. He was my only child.”

“He and his gang went into a nursing home to murder any and all residents that were there. Sorrel didn’t care if someone, a child, for instance, would have been caught in the crossfire. He was there for one thing, and that was to kill my husband’s mother.” She didn’t bother asking her if she’d deserved it or not but watched her face as she continued. “I gave him an easy way out of the punishment that he would have gotten here. And he would have been brought back here. I would have carried him in my claws and brought him. His heart was black as the stones from a fire. His blood ran so thin that I think it was as happy to escape such a monster as I was to kill him. Nay, he needed to suffer. Had I the time, I would have made it so.”

“He was a man who liked diversity.” All Remi did was lean over and touch her finger to her knee. The images, all of her son doing heinous acts to people—men and women alike—were so awful that she had to beg for it to stop. When it did, finally, Rose leaned over and puked. Her belly, her mind, and her heart couldn’t handle such atrocities. “You lie.”

“You know as well as I do that I cannot lie to you. Even though you have left your husband to fend for himself, you are still his mate until death you do part. No, that was your son, and you knew what he was like. Not only that, but you witnessed it enough when he was younger, but you turned your back to him.”

“What’s she talking about, Rose?” Remi did the same to him, touched him on the knee and let him see their son. When he did the same, puked several times on the floor, Remi leaned back and smiled at them both. “That can’t be right. You made all that up.”

“Whatever makes you rest easy at night, you go on thinking that.” The van stopped, and Rose watched the woman stand up. “You will have a trial of sorts, then you will be executed. Sadly, it will be quick and your heads removed. Once you are both dead, your bodies will be cut into pieces and dropped into the sea. Your hearts and head will be hidden away so you can never be made whole again.” Juniper said she couldn’t do that. “Oh, but I can. My husband and I are going to rule the fae world while Basil takes some time to himself. You have shit in my field, and I’m so very happy that I get to make you pay.”