Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,65

assure you. But at the time, I could only think what her not being here did to me.” Piper told him she was sorry for his loss. “Thank you. It was a great many years ago. However, it doesn’t mean I don’t miss her at times. She was much like you, Lady Piper. Headstrong, and a woman that demanded courtesy. She also would have had my head had she had any idea what I did to you today. For that, I’m profoundly sorry. But as I said, I need your help.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure we can help you.” Basil looked at Grant and nodded. “You said this had to do with your child. Have you only one?”

“I have none, as a matter of fact. That is where the two of you come in.” Piper stood up, and Basil quickly went on to explain. “I don’t wish for you to have my child, Lady Piper. No, not that. But to be a somewhat surrogate for it. It will be much easier than having to go to a physician to have you implanted with one, should that be the route we take. But I need only to touch the two of you, and you will go about creating the child on your own.”

“I don’t understand.” He looked at Piper and asked her what she needed him to explain. “You just have to touch us, and then we’re going to somehow carry you a child? That seems fishy to me. What’s the catch?”

“Catch? Why none, I assure you. You will both be well paid for this. Very well.” Piper said they didn’t need money. “No. I suppose you don’t. Then what is it you would require for you to help me? You see, I’m not long for my world. I only have a few thousand years left in which to train a child to do what is needed to care for the fae. I have, I’ll honestly admit, been doing too much in order to keep things going. I should have approached someone before now. But had I done that, the magic would have likely killed the person that does such a job for me. The two of you are so strong it will not be an issue for either of you to carry the magic that would be required for you to carry a fae king.”

Neither one of them said anything, at least to him. He knew they were talking to each other, however. When Grant looked at him sharply, he had a feeling his mate had figured out what was going on and told him. Basil, instead of telling him anything, called for refreshments to be brought to them. Then he confessed.

“I have less time than I told you, as I’m sure your mate has said. I will not see the birth of this child, nor will I be able to teach him the things he’ll need to know to be a good ruler.” Piper told him to tell them all of it. “Of course. Once I touch you, the two of you will not just have my child for me, the king that will someday replace me, but you’ll be the king and queen of the faes until such time that your child will be able to take over. It is imperative that someone watches over the people here. Just as it was important for me to keep the lands safe for you and your family to come to take it. Dante, she knew I was dying even then.”

“What caused you, the king of faes, to be so ill like this?” He wanted to sob to Piper, to thank her for her gentle tone. But he was a leader after all and needed to show them that. “You know, I could care less how strong you want us to see you. For all I care, you could be doing this on your deathbed. You might well be if you don’t get to the fucking point.”

Basil couldn’t hold back; he did burst into tears. She was gentle and kind when it was necessary and hard when that was a better way to approach things. Just as his own mate. He got up to hand them the picture of his wife that had been painted so long ago. It made it easier for him; he thought if they could see what a wonderful person he’d lost.

“There was fighting among our kind for many years. Then when we weren’t trying to kill