I crossed my legs, bending forward to rest my forehead against the mattress. I loved photography, but I did not enjoy being in front of a camera. “I don’t know, Sadie. I take photos, not the other way around.”
“What if I told you that it’s a themed shoot?” she quickly asked. I could hear the desperation in her voice.
I hesitated. “What sort of themed shoot?”
“It’s a medieval tarot-themed shoot. I somehow scored a really great deal on props from the costume department at one of the colleges from St. Louis.” She was so excited—or anxious—that her voice shook.
I lifted my head, groaning. “Sadie…”
She sighed, and someone whispered something to her I couldn’t make out. “Okay, I was warned I would probably have to bring out the big guns. I don’t know what this means, butI—”
“Who is the little bird that told you I was in town?” I interrupted.
“That doesn’t mat—"
“Who, Sadie?” I said through gritted teeth.
She laughed, loud and jubilant, “It’s your mom.”
I barked out a sound I didn’t think I’d ever made before—a cross between a laugh and a scream. “I know she went with me to that clinic, but I didn’t know she had your number.”
“Yes, we kept in touch. She’s probably my biggest supporter,” Sadie said with a softness to her voice.
I grinned. “Yeah, she’s pretty great, right?”
“She is. She told me to tell you two things. Lady. Knight,” she drawled out, “and it’s at your favorite house on top of the bluffs.”
I smirked, amused that she knew me so well. “Fine. What time, and what do I need to wear?” I asked.
She held the phone away from her ear and squealed. “Show up around 3:30. Your mom already has a costume picked out.”
CHAPTER 03: CHARLIE
“The storm’s timing may hit earlier than we anticipated. We can expect snowfall in the viewing area around 4:30. We are asking that if you don’t need to be out, please stay home and let the ILDOT workers do their jobs,” the meteorologist said as I stood in front of the TV, putting on the vambraces Sadie’s team sent me.
I wore a full suit of 3D-printed armor. It was lightweight, which was fantastic. The plastic would probably stay a little warmer than if it was made from metal. I had put on a thick, fleece-lined long sleeved tee underneath it, hoping that would stave off some of the below-freezing chill.
A knock at the door had Beau going wild, so I set down the other vambrace to answer. I smiled and stepped back to let Sadie in while Beau excitedly wagged his tail so hard, his butt wiggled with it.
“Come on in. I love those coveralls,” I said as I walked to the kitchen. “I just made some coffee. Would you like a cup?”
“Please. That would be amazing,” she replied.
“Does your crew need any help getting ready for the shoot?” I poured her a cup and handed it to her, then pushed the cream and sugar toward her across the counter.
She stirred her coffee as she contemplated. “No, I don’t think so, but thank you. How are you feeling about this shoot?”
I shook my shoulders out. “I’m very nervous. This is so far out of my comfort zone, but I trust you.”
“I appreciate that,” she chuckled nervously. “When I saw your application, I had so many ideas. I can’t wait,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “Do you need help with the rest of your outfit?”
“Ah, no, but thank you.” I finished tying up the other vambrace, then poured myself a cup as well.
We chatted for a little longer as Sadie played with Beau. He was in heaven with all the attention. There was another knock on the door, and Sadie began rushing me out to the set. It was a little early, but she wanted me blindfolded before my partner got here.
The horse accompanying me for this shoot was named Pythia, and I hid a smile behind my hand.If they only knew. She was a Friesian, and she wasstunning. I’d never really cared about horse breeds since I hadn’t grown up around them, but she might’ve been the most beautiful war horse I’d ever seen. The handler helped me up onto her, and we were led to the set.
Pythia was staged between tables with goblets on their sides and coins overflowing to spill out and off the tables into the grass. There were skulls in piles at the bottom of the tables, and swords were strategically sticking out of the ground. How the staging crew had gotten them into the frozen ground, I had no idea. I was going to trust the process, though my anxiety about new things was telling me to run.
