Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey 4)

“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.”

“I have no idea what you might be talking about.” Grant laughed. “I’ll thank you not to tell anyone what you know. They think I’m selfish. I’m sort of liking that for now. But the buses, they were needed, and I had the means to get them with very little effort on my part.”

“No one thinks you’re selfish. And you’d be surprised at the fact that Piper knows what you’re up to. She is jealous at times that you’re quick at getting things done before she even hears about it.” Remi smiled at him. “Ah. I see. You do that on purpose. Good for you. It keeps her on her toes. The rest of them as well. I’m sure you know already, but what are your plans for your share of the hidden treasures? You have it all mapped out, I’m betting.”

“I do—at least a portion of it. I’m going to open a place that will serve meals to those in need. I’m calling it Pay it On. Pay as you can afford it. And if you can afford two meals, the money will go toward someone that can’t afford a meal.” Grant told her that was a nice idea. “Thanks. I already have one opening in the worst part of Ohio. I’m hoping to use it as a model for a few more. It’s not my idea, but I’m expanding on someone else’s. I think it’s about the best way I can help feed the hungry.”

They talked about other projects the two of them were heading up. Remi knew how to cook and enjoyed it. That alone was what helped her a great deal in feeding the masses with not much in the way of money. It seemed that Grant had a few ideas concerning helping the underprivileged.

“When I was younger—even now, actually—there was always food on our table. Meat too, even though we didn’t eat all that much of it. I did figure out after a few years that if we were having meat, that meant my mom had invited someone to the house to get a hot meal. There wasn’t much in the way of poverty around here, thanks to Dante. But there were a few older people that had no one to help them out. No family.” Remi asked about the kitchen that had been set up. “That was a wonderful idea that Dante had. Having a kitchen cooking meals all day long for those in need. However, if a person wasn’t able to get to the kitchen, it did them little good. My mom tried to have meals delivered to them a few times, but as I got busier with school and such, it was more and more difficult for either of us to make sure everyone was fed. Not that it was anyone’s fault that these people didn’t have food every meal, but someone should have checked on them. That’s what I’m doing in larger cities. I have a group of older, but not elderly, people going door to door in the older areas and seeing what they can do for the shut ins. Not only does it get the people traveling a good meal, but they fix meals for the elderly person that they can reheat when needed. All of it is made in their home and with their things. It makes them feel safer, I believe.”

“I love that. Yes, I can see that. I’m guessing these people, they’ll pick up things for them as well?” Grant told her that the only thing they couldn’t pick up was meds. “Why not medication? I mean, that would seem to me as a perfect thing for them to do.”

“I have heard where groups of people will say that they’re helping the elderly by picking up things for them. Using their credit card or cash to go and get things like food and picking up their meds when they’re ready. Then when their bills come in, the person is gone with their medications and has been buying groceries for their own home instead of the person they’re working for. Medications, some of them, anyway, have a high resell value. I’d rather not have to have them go without medications over food anytime.” Remi thought perhaps this was something that not only had Grant heard about but had experience with too. “When necessary, there will be a car driven by a pharmacist that will take their medications to them. While there, he or she can explain what it is they’re taking, as well as any kind of side effects they might experience.”

“Does Piper know how wonderful you are?” Grant’s face pinked up; embarrassment looked adorable on him. “If you ever feel underappreciated, you come and see me. A nice handsome man like you is good to have around.”

He left her there then. Remi was still laughing about his hasty exit while she put some of the things that had been brought in today away. It had been her job to catalog and mark everything they brought here. Soon, she knew, they’d have to start looking for a larger place. At least one that would hold a few dozen shelves, as they were bringing the smaller things up now.

As she emptied the last of the carts, she turned and looked at some of the things they’d been able to save. Most of the material and soft goods might well have been destroyed. But thanks to the magic that Grant had, a few of the dresses and some of the men’s clothing had been brought up with no issues. She knew that on other finds like this one, they would have been completely destroyed. However, magic had made it so everything was as nice and new as it had been when the ship was boarded. Remi hoped they’d put them in a museum someplace nearby. She was sure that others would love to see the sort of dress that was popular back then for the rich and stupid. Remi was sure they’d think of a different title for them, but hers was more appropriate.

Leaving the warehouse, she locked up and headed back to the dock. Piper was coming her way with some more things to sort. It was going to be a long while before this stuff could be divided up. Remi was looking forward to using a few of the pieces in her new home. She only hoped that if she ever had a mate, he’d like what she had. Or he could just leave. At this point in her life, Remi could take a man or leave him. It no longer seemed important to her to have a man around all the time.

~*~

Piper walked around the cave twice before she found the things she’d been looking for. Looking at her list, she had a long way to go before she was finished up. They had each remembered something they wanted her to look for. One of the things was the harness that the queen rode on when flying upon Mercy’s back. She knew where she’d seen it last, so headed in that direction. Grant came from one of the many smaller caves with his arms loaded down with things too. Piper went to help him.

“I should have figured I’d find things I’d like to take back with us.” Piper asked him what he’d found. “Well, I did find that picture of the seascape that we were to look for. It’s very well done. Do you know who the signature is?”

“Yes. If you look at it closely, you can make it out too.” Grant picked up the framed painting and held it close to his face. Finally, when he got it, he looked at her. “I had no idea why he never took it out of here in the first place. It’s a wonderful work of art. I’m sure if you were to look for that name there, he’s been painting like that forever. Who would have thought that Duncan would sign his work DHQD? But if you know what his middle name is, it makes sense. Duncan Harrison, Son of Queen Dante.”

“He’s really good. Even as old as I believe this is, Duncan really was quite the painter.” She told him there were more, but she’d not been able to locate them. “I think I have a couple of smaller paintings of his. They were marked for me to sell them for the cash for unknown projects. I have a feeling, however, that she knew just what projects they would be used for. Don’t you?”