Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,9

“I’m not bored, but I hate doing things that people want. Why can’t they just purchase the things I like and leave me alone? I want to make a phoenix again, this one larger than life. I want to work on this project instead of putting things together that people want to show off. Damn it, I want my stuff to be just that. Mine.”

“What is it you’re making now anyway? I’m sorry, but I can’t see the end product in this one.” She pointed to the wall where the plans were. Piper hadn’t been one for plans before. But with the help of Joel and him engineering what she wanted the end product to look like, she didn’t have so many failed attempts as she had before. Actually, she’d not had a single one fail. Joel seemed to understand her babbling about what she needed him to work out for her. “This is beautiful, Piper. And the fact that it’s your design that makes it all the more special. What are you going to do with it once you have it finished?”

The castle. She had laid in her bed with her eyes closed as the entire thing came together in her mind one night. Not only what she was making, but also the colors that would be put into it. She would use their feathers. For each of the birds that would be atop the castle, a single feather would be used to make them true to life in color, as well as to show off their size. There was no doubt in her mind that she’d never get enough money for it to want to sell it. It was for her and her alone.

It occurred to her sometime later that she was alone in her studio. There were still the little people that lived in the building with her. They would come down after everyone was gone for the evening and clean up her mess. Not that there was ever much to do, but it would be like she’d never blown flames over metal where shavings of it would fall. Nor would her empty bottles of water and empty bags of seeds be lying about either.

In favor of working on the castle, she worked on the falcon, Mercy’s bird of prey. The feather she’d asked for a week ago from each of them had done just what she’d hoped. It looked like the big bird had simply landed on her table and had hardened. Piper only hoped the others would go so well.

“Aunt Piper?” She looked up from the piece she was working on. Piper was her big bird, the only way she could get the heat she needed. However, it didn’t seem to bother the child in front of her. It took her befuddled mind a few seconds to realize who it was. “It’s Abe Dante. I wanted to talk to you if you’d not mind. But I can come back if this isn’t a good time.”

She shifted back from her bird and sat down. It had startled her, she thought. So involved in her work, she’d completely forgotten where she was, as well as that there might be others in the room with her.

“I’m sorry.” He turned away from her. “No. Don’t go, Abe. I’m sorry I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that— Well, you must have said my name more than once, I’m thinking.”

“Yes. But I was watching you work too. I’ve never seen you working before.” He smiled at her, and she knew right then that this kid was going to be a heartbreaker. “You’re all sweaty. I’ll get you a bottle of water.”

“What time is it?” He told her as he moved to the fridge that was magically filled with water just for her. “My goodness. Six o’clock? Sheesh. I never realized—obviously. How about I take my favorite guy out to dinner for keeping me from working through the night?”

“You mean me?” She nodded at him as he brought her a drink. “Sure. That would be fantastic. Then I can ask you something. I have to ask my mom and dad first. They’re working late tonight. I told them I was going to come here and see you.”

“Good. Never take off from anywhere without telling someone. Being the prince of a castle might make people stupid enough to try and hurt you. Then they’d be dead.” All the kids had been talked to over the last few weeks. “Where