“How many more days?” I ask with a groan as soon as my butt hits the leather saddle.
Colt chuckles. “Six more days, darlin’.”
My head drops as I let out a moan which only makes him laugh a little harder. Shaking my head, I try not to think about my poor ass and how badly it’s going to hurt in a few days, but maybe the pain will just cause it to become numb and I can live in denial? Pressing my lips together, I look straight ahead at the desert horizon.
“Did you hear anything about Logan?” I ask after a few hours of silence.
I try to look around at the desertscape, but my mind is too busy spinning as I think about Logan, Daisy, and that horrible Bessie woman.
Colt is silent, his body still pressing close to mine, and I think that he’s not going to answer me, that he’s going to completely ignore my question, but then his deep voice murmurs against my ear.
“I’m keeping a pulse on the situation, but I am not going to show my hand, not yet.”
“That woman could be here as well. I’m worried,” I admit.
He hums, nipping my earlobe as we continue on our way. “Nothing will happen, Birdie. I have it all under control.”
I’m not sure that he does, but I decide that I am pretty able to take care of myself so I’m just going to try and relax as we head toward the city. I’m excited to see the rest of this country, hopeful that no matter what happens we will come out victorious.
The rest of the trip goes by in a blur of riding horses all day, only stopping long enough to eat, then resting for a few hours every night, sometimes just in a tent on the side of the road.
I’m not sure how I do it, because I’ve never been a natural and outdoorsy kind of girl, but I do and I find that the closer we get to the city, the longer that I wish we could stay away. What awaits us in the city, the unknown, it terrifies me.
I would rather stay out here, or back at Colt’s property in Silverridge, and just live out our days in denial. I can’t do that though, we can’t do that. Not only are there issues within his country and turmoil within the ranks and leadership, there’s also the prophecy and what is to come of that.
Hiding isn’t an option, no matter how appealing it is. Pressing my palm against my belly, I close my eyes. Hiding is most definitely not an option.
Suddenly, he tugs on the horse’s reigns and I lift my head, blinking as I look out ahead of us. We’re stopped at the top of a hill, the city down below and I stare at the large buildings in front of me.
“This is Bullhollow, the capital city of Devilrise,” Colt announces.
I expected to see a city that was southwestern or maybe even a southern style landscape that matched his home, but it looks like old pictures of New York from the history books.
The buildings are all tall and stacked close together, but there is one major difference from old photographs and the way I imagined New York or any other major city in the eighteen hundreds, this place, the buildings, they’re all bright pink. Not just pink, but neon pink. I’ve never seen anything like it and they glitter in the sunlight as it shines down.
“Colt,” I breathe.
“Welcome to your kingdom,” he rasps.
Turning my head, I rip my gaze away from the city to look back at him. “Kingdom?” I ask.
He dips his chin, his lips brushing mine. “You’re not a conventional queen. You won’t have a crown or a throne, but never doubt that you are indeed the queen of Devilrise.”
His lips press against mine, his tongue fills me and right there on top of a hill overlooking what he calls our kingdom, I fall a little deeper in love with Colton James.
COLT
The buildings, my building specifically, comes into view and I try not to think about what I am going to have to do while I’m here. This is anything but a trip of leisure. Sure, there will be a ball and other social engagements, but I will also need to deal with the traitors and their families.
Trotting up in front of my building, I gently pull on the reins, stopping Lonesable in front of what will be our home for the duration of the trip. Dismounting, I help Birdie off of the horse and face the front door.
Ernest and Martha will be joining us soon, and will be taking over the duties of the home along with taking care of Birdie and watching over her while I do what I need to. And I plan on doing a hell of a lot, too. I need to weed out the names that I was given and figure out who causes the biggest threat to me, to my wife, and to my station as the leader of this country.
Clearing my throat, I push all of those thoughts behind me and place my palm at the small of Birdie’s back as I guide her toward the front door. Without a word, together we make our way inside of the pink home.
“Are all your buildings pink?” she asks as we step inside of the foyer.
“In this city, yes.”
“In other major cities?”
I think of the major cities I’ve been to, and while this is the only pink one, however, it is not the only colored one.
“Each major city has a designated color,” I explain. “I don’t know how or when it happened, I’m unsure of the roots, but I do know that they are different colors, yes.”
Birdie doesn’t say anything right away. She takes a step farther inside and my hand falls from her back as she
