The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  We chatted about her week and the upcoming game and weekend plans. As soon as she jumped out at her place, I scooted forward in my seat.

  “Did they get that rogue vampire?”

  “They did. Odd thing. They found him shackled in an abandoned building. Would have taken several vampires, perhaps a witch to bring him down.”

  “That’s creepy.” I played my part. “What will they do with him?”

  “He lives no more. They took they chains off and started a fire. It will look like the house burned by accident with him drunk inside.”

  “That’s morbid. But I’m glad he’s not a threat anymore.” Do you know if Mother and I have an outing coming up?”

  “Not to my knowledge.”

  I slumped down in my seat, thinking she had run out of leads for whatever she was looking for. I wondered if Hunter was the closest thing. Maybe he was the key. But I didn’t plan on playing my cards until I knew the rules.

  The vehicle stopped, and I clutched my bag and heaved the door open.

  “Miss.”

  “Yes?” I turned to see an open window as Orm’s brow furrowed.

  “Are you eating enough? Getting enough sleep?”

  “Sure, Orm.”

  “Just eat this for an old man.” He tossed me a bag of trail mix.

  “Okay, see you in an hour.”

  I tore open the package with my teeth as I walked into the gym.

  Gymnastics equaled freedom for me. For two hours a week, I could flip through the air and hurdle a vault without thinking. The workout was exactly what I needed to calm my twitching muscles. After my cool down, I found the coach in the office.

  “I’m done.”

  “Back on par today I see. You were amazing as always, Alena. I really wish you would consider joining our team or at least take a stab at the Olympic tryouts.”

  We went through this at every new gym. “I really just like the workout. I’m not interested in anything more. Do you have any other hours I could come in? Maybe over the weekend?”

  “Sunday mornings I come in to do paperwork sometimes. It’s not every week, but I could text you when I do.”

  “That would be great. Will you email my mother and let her know too?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks, see you next week.”

  Mother paid the gym owner well to shut the facility down for two hours a week. With nearly fifteen years of gymnastics under my belt, I figured she could have built a space for less.

  Studying via audio chat with Nick that evening, my phone dinged with a text message from Hunter.

  Thought maybe you could meet my friends. Lunch Friday?

  Meeting his friends felt daunting. What would they think of me? I had no hard evidence about my witch theory. Should I try and meet his mother and father to rule it out? Would I know my father if he stood in front of me? My mind careened through scenarios that had brought us together.

  “You still there?” Nick asked.

  “Yeah. Hey, I think I need to go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “No problem.” He ended the call.

  Cradling my phone in my hands, I thought of how to reply to Hunter. Can’t Friday. we have to wear our cheer uniforms and sit together at lunch.

  Thursday? He replied.

  Like Tomorrow?

  Yes. At the sushi place you like?

  Okay. I texted him the address of the new place I’d adopted as my favorite.

  My friends are giving me grief about making you up.

  What did you tell them?

  The truth.

  Really? I texted.

  That okay?

  I guess.

  You haven’t told your friends?

  Been here three months. Not sure I want to add Samo friend to my allergy kid status. I punched in the words feeling proud of my distraction technique. He wouldn’t understand. He didn’t live in a masked world. In truth, he did. Most beings, pure humans, walked through life believing they were the only type of people that existed.

  He asked me what I was doing and how the rest of my day had gone. My phone rang, and I could see from the display screen that it was him.

  “This is way easier than punching in all those letters,” he said. “Can you talk?”

  “Yeah, I finished my homework.” I closed my computer and hopped onto my bed.

  “So how was the rest of your day?”

  I thought about almost having my windpipe crushed and the smell of the rogue vampire’s breath on my face. I described my friends Sophie, Nick, and then Ganby. Listing the people I’d meet the next day, he used voices to mimic each one. By the time he’d gotten through three of them, I was rolling on my bed unable to control my laughter.

  “What is this?”

  I sat up to see Mother, Elizabeth, and Orm staring at me from the doorway.

  “Sorry, gotta go. Bye.” I ended the call and stood, shoulders squared. “Nothing.”

  “Who were you talking to?”

  “A friend.”

  “Well, your magic is sputtering all over the house like a rocket. You’re giving me and Elizabeth the worst migraines. It’s late. You should be sleeping.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s been a long day. You should get some rest,” Mother instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Orm, Elizabeth, and Mother retreated, closing the door behind them. Finding my phone on the covers, I texted Hunter.

  Sorry. Past my curfew. Didn’t realize. See you tomorrow.

  Next I sent a message to Sophie. Meeting new friends for lunch tomorrow. Want to come?

  New friends? Who?

  Friends from the library?

  Okay. Sure.

  Happy to be able to show Hunter I wasn’t a complete freak, I readied for bed. Closing my eyes, I fell into a semi-restful state with thoughts of the rogue vampire, Fahim, Chalondra, Nick, Hunter, and Sophie swirling through my brain.

  “Rise and shine.” Elizabeth’s words brought me out of my trance. “You’re starting to sleep more like Orm, I believe.” Elizabeth opened my blinds.

  “Well, if I weren’t so tired all the time.”

  “Teenagers, always the same.”

  “Maybe if you remembered what if felt like to grow four inches in a year.” I stuck my tongue out at her as I walked to the bathroom.

  At breakfast, I cleared my lunch plans with Mother. It seemed like it might be easier to disclose my relationship with Hunter than have Orm find out.

  “So, you made some friends at the library?” Mother’s eyes fixed on my face.

  “Yes. That human you took me to see. Turns out he’s really nice.”

  “Nice? Nothing more? What of Nick?”

  I shrugged and stood, taking my plate to the sink. “They’re both nice.”

  “I guess you’ll figure it out.”

  “You’re not letting me date anyway, right?”

  “We will discuss on a case by case basis.”

  “Really?” I flung my arms around her shoulders.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I love you.” I squeezed her tight and released her, zipping from the room before I could be criticized for using the familiar term of Mom.

  “And stop zipping about,” she called after me.

  Checking my outfit, I met Orm at the door. “How do you think I look?”

  “Shouldn’t you ask your friend Sophie?”

  “I don’t want her to think I like him. It’s complicated because of Nick.”

  “I see.” He rolled his eyes and ushered me out the door.

  “What’s with the change in Mother?” I asked him as soon as we were in the car.

  “She realizes you will begin your coven ritual training and will be on your own. I believe she is trying to let you get used to freedom in a safe environment.”

  “By dating?”

  “No. By being human.”

  “Since when have I been human?”


  “You will have the choice.”

  “What do you mean? Why is this the first I am hearing of this? I always thought I would be part of your coven.”

  “A witch of age may choose not to join coven, then they lose their magic.”

  “Why would I do that?” I asked.

  “To be normal.”

  “I’ll still be a half vampire.”

  “It is easier to deal with sometimes.”

  “Really, because it never feels like that.”

  “Because you are growing, you can’t control your physical or hormonal changes. For the most part, you control your magic. If you were a full witch, it would be harder to do so.”

  I’d never really thought of it that way. I sat forward, leaning between the front seats. “If I gave up my magic, would I be in less danger? Would Mother have less risk?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps what? Yes or No?” My voice echoed through the vehicle.

  “It is not my place to tell you this, but your Mother hasn’t fought this hard for you to have you renounce your magic.”

  “So, she wouldn’t want me to abandon the coven?”

  “No. But as far as your mother is concerned, I didn’t insinuate that she would want you to become a witch. She wants you to choose your own path. Your happiness is her only goal.”

  Somehow, I doubted that. Maybe if I believed she loved my father. Perhaps if we hadn’t been on some nebulous hunt for an unknown target I would’ve believed she thought of nothing but my well being.

  “You are here, madam.”

  “I know, Orm. Have a good day.” I lifted my pack to one shoulder.

  “Good luck at lunch.”

  “Thanks, I’ll need it.”

  My leg bounced as I waited for the lunch bell. Meeting Sophie outside, she started in with questions right away. Who was this mystery friend? Why was she invited to tag along?

  “So, I’m a witness to the friend status.” She huffed when I explained my relationship with Hunter. “And you know.” She aimed her index finger at my face. “Hannah and Melody would flip if they knew you were friends with Samo peeps.”

  “I know.” I exhaled.

  At the restaurant, I caught sight of Hunter through the window, and a ping of magic hum rippled off him as our eyes met. He waved, and glancing to the street, I searched for signs of Orm.

  “Is that him? You smiled when you saw him,” Sophie said.

  “He’s a nice guy and friend. I smile when I see you too.” I hooked my arm around her neck briefly.

  “Whoa, that’s the closest you’ve come to a hug.”

  “I warm up to people slowly.” I winked at her.

  “As if I hadn’t figured that out yet.” Her eyes rolled to the sky.

  “Come on. This will be fun.” I looked up to see Hunter in front of us, holding the door open.

  “Hi.” His smile spread across his face.

  “This is Sophie.” I motioned to her once we were inside.

  “Hi, Sophie.” He held out his hand, and she shook it.

  “Whoa, she exists!” A female voice came from behind him.

  “Layla, this is Alena and Sophie.”

  “Hi, Alena. I would say I’m his oldest friend, but you have me beat by a year,” Layla said.

  I froze at her words. He’d shared how we’d met fourteen years ago? I’d assumed the quote truth to be how we’d met at the library. Shaking the hand she offered, I forced a smile.

  “It’s great to meet you too.”

  At the table, Hunter introduced us to his other friends Jacob, Mike, and Matt.

  “So imaginary friend girl exists.” Jacob bobbed his head. “Yep, that’s sorta freaky.”

  “I guess so, or a version that looks a lot like her.” I added a nervous laugh for effect.

  “Hey, that’s true, Hunter. Maybe you just look like the imaginary friends you had as kids. I mean you were three, right? Who remembers that far back?”

  Hunter cocked his head towards me. “She does. She has a photographic memory.” I cringed again as another fact that I hadn’t shared with Sophie came to light.

  Glancing her way, I noticed she kept her features in the same relaxed smile. I imagined I would have a good amount of explaining to do on our walk back to school. Fortunately, the conversation switched to more mundane topics like hobbies, music tastes, and high school gossip. Sophie knew enough people to keep up a dialogue, introducing new topics easily.

  When the checks came, Hunter reached over me for ours. “You bought food last time, so it’s my turn.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, that’s really sweet,” Sophie put in with a wink to me.

  Tucked in between him and Sophie, I hated the thought of moving. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and leg-to-leg with him felt nice, and I steeled myself for the sensation of cool air surrounding me once again as we stood. Outside, Hunter’s eyes found my face.

  “Are you okay? You’re shivering.” He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, which were beaded with chill bumps.

  “Yeah.” I nodded and scraped the hair out of my face as a gust of wind swept past us.

  His friends said their goodbyes, but Hunter lingered in front of us. “It was nice to meet you, Sophie. Okay”—he looked to the ground and then back at me—“I’ll call you.”

  “Great. This was nice. Thanks for inviting me.”

  “No problem.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Okay, bye.” He spun to join his friends.

  “Someone’s got a crush.” Sophie nudged me.

  “It’s not like that.”

  She grilled me on how Hunter and I had met and my photographic memory issue. “So, all this studying you’ve been doing with Nick?” Her fingers made quotes around studying.

  “Yeah, I could get it done in like five minutes,” I said as we walked. “You won’t tell people, right? I already seem weird enough as the new person with allergies.”

  “And some kind of freaky ability to save people from death.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You were not going to die.”

  “Not with you around obviously.” She linked her arm in mine.

  I didn’t refuse the contact as we walked to school. Even with her knowing the new information, I was glad I’d invited her. “Thanks for coming. It made the conversation flow so much better.”

  “Hunter’s cute. If he weren’t from Samo, I might want to see him more. But it looks like his friend Layla may have feelings for him too.”

  My emotions exploded. Heart pounding and palms sweating, I unhooked my arm from hers, forcing a smile. The stupid vampire possession reaction had kicked into high gear. Hunter isn’t yours, I repeated in my head. We reached the front doors right as the bell rung.

  “I’m going to the restroom. Thanks for coming with me.”

  “You already said that.” Her eyes locked on mine. “You okay? You look flushed.”

  “Yeah, hot from the walk, I guess.” I fanned my face. “I’ll see you after school.”

  In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face. Looking at my reflection, I remembered how Hunter’s pale eyes bore into mine through the restaurant window. A zing of magic had escaped him. There was no doubt in my mind he had powers. It must’ve been our magic that made it possible for us to interact with each other as kids. If I could awaken his witch abilities, maybe we could repeat our experience, and then he would have his answers. But maybe we didn’t need his magic, only mine. Could witches place themselves in another room, be present without their physical body? I’d have to ask Orm.

  Hearing the bell and checking the hall, I whisked to my desk.

  “Whoa.” Annabelle turned around. “Were you there a second ago?”

  “Yeah, I sat down a few seconds ago.” I waved my pencil at her.

  “Whoa, look who has color today,” Ganby joked from across the aisle.

  My emotions were already heightened, and a picture of him hanging by his shirt from the basketball goal popped into my
mind. Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my calming balm. Things were good, and I wasn’t going to let Ganby ruin them.

  After study hall, I walked with Nick to the gym. With his friends bantering about predictions for the game the next day, he joined in their conversation. As I slowed in front of the girl’s locker room, he caught my hand.

  When I fought his grip, he dropped it. “Sorry. Can I text you?”

  “Sure, I’d like that.”

  At cheer practice, Hannah fired command after command at the squad, making sure each cheer and routine appeared perfect. I knew the session would be intense, and I looked forward to a long evening at home. After we finished, I waved at Nick on the practice field and jogged to the locker room. Finding my phone, I read a text Nick sent after school.

  Hope we can talk tonight and you can make it to the restaurant after the game tomorrow.

  Family night at home. Sorry, thought I told you. Mom said I could go tomorrow. See you in class.

  “Are you studying with Nick tonight?” Sophie peeked over my shoulder at my phone.

  “Family night.” I stuffed my gear into my backpack and left the locker room and found Orm waiting outside.

  “Hello, how was your lunch date?” he asked as I closed my door.

  “It wasn’t a date. I was meeting friends. Sophie went with me. Hey”—I buckled my seatbelt—“can witches project themselves somewhere else? Like could I interact with someone in another place?”

  “Where did that question come from? I’ve never told you anything like that.”

  “Well, you never told me I could renounce my magic either.”

  “Fair enough. But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “One of Hunter’s friends was someone he’d known since kindergarten, and I got to thinking about my imaginary friends.”

  “You think they weren’t imaginary?”

  “Is it possible?”

  “For a very strong witch, perhaps.”

  “What about a child with out-of-control magic?”

  “Maybe.” One of his eyebrows shot up as he looked at me in the mirror.

  “Hey.” I leaned forward. “What if I found my imaginary friends?”

  “Have you found them?”

  “No.” Keeping an eye on his reaction, I plopped back into my seat for effect. “Is that who mother is looking for?”