Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,22

the two of them. How, he wasn’t sure, but there would be a lot of laughter and tears before they came together. Smiling to himself, Grant was up for this. He was looking forward to getting to know Piper in any way she’d allow him to. She certainly was a beautiful creature. Grant couldn’t wait to see her bird. He had a feeling she was more beautiful than even her human self when she was flying through the sky.

Chapter 3

Piper had to walk around the area she was in three times before she finally just stepped back and took in a deep breath. She was still standing there with her eyes closed when Grant spoke to her through the link that no one else could breach to find out what was going on.

I can help you. She told him she wasn’t sure what she was doing, so she didn’t know that he could. I’m fae. I would imagine you are as well now. Or at least partly so. Just dig your fingers into the soot, and you should be able to connect with the land around you. The earth will tell you answers to whatever questions you have.

This fire, it was set. He said he knew that. Not gasoline. But something just as volatile.

It smells to me like burnt grease. She looked at him as he stood there on the other side of the burnt out building. I’m not saying that’s all I can smell, but I would say it’s at least seventy percent of what was used as an accelerant.

She did as he asked her to do and bent down to the burnt out area she was standing next to. Digging her fingers deep into the debris as well as the dead soil beneath it, she could feel the earth speaking to her just beyond where she was.

My lady. How may I help you today? I must say I’m glad you are a part of Lord Grant’s family. He is a good man. His help with the earth is all that keeps us alive in some areas. She asked where the fire had started. Just to the north of you. There you will find what you are searching for. There are others as well, the placements of the cause of the fire. But the item there will show you what you can look for.

Thanking the earth, giving it a little of her own magic, she felt the shudder of the earth beneath her feet when it thanked her. Moving to where she was told, she sensed Grant coming around the side of the shell that was left and standing by her as she searched for what she’d been told.

“You were right.” He said he didn’t feel any better about being right. “No. Neither do I, as a matter of fact. But it is grease. She told me there were several more around, but this would help me in what to look for. Do you know if the people have all been accounted for?”

“Two are still missing. But the three hundred dead that they’re working with now have all their attention. It’s going to be difficult to make sure they’re all named. Having the cars on the lot is going to help a great deal.” She knew that, as well. It would help them understand who hadn’t left as soon as their meal was over. “I have an idea that I can help with the identification of the dead. If you’d not mind, that is.”

“If you can make it so the families can be notified sooner rather than later, that would be wonderful. I think if you can name then, there will be less of a chance that a family member will need to see them looking like they do.” She had been in the makeshift morgue twice now. The smell alone was more than she could handle. “The man in charge is Agent Parkerson. He’s the one that called me to the scene.”

After he left her to find out if he could help, Piper set about finding the other accelerants around the building. It took her six hours to find them all, fearful if she missed anything, it would cause the case to be thrown out of court. The people that had caused this, they needed to be dealt with in the worst possible way.

As night fell on the shell of the building, she found Grant in the makeshift morgue. He had identified the bodies, all of them.