The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  “That would certainly be of interest for many reasons.”

  “Like what?” I stuck my head between the seats again.

  “Well, like why did you have a connection with these children? Were they witches too? Or half witches? But more importantly, why are you grilling me about theoretical ideas?”

  “I don’t know.” I sat back again, letting my hands fall to my lap. “Now I think you haven’t been honest with me about lots of things.”

  “Withholding information is not lying.”

  “It is, sort of.”

  “You are getting information when you need it, when you are able to do something with it, when you are able to make a good choice,” Orm said.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Life is not fair.”

  I knew a bit about life not being fair, but I’d learned a long time ago not to dwell on my hardships. At home, I left my pack on my bedroom floor and showered. Changing to an acceptable dinner outfit, I started my homework. When Elizabeth called me for the meal, I had put away my last book and was about to text Hunter.

  A zillion questions rattled through my brain on the way to the dining room. Sitting opposite Mother, I waited through the blessing and as the dishes were passed around the table. When Mother set her fork down after tasting the first bite, I started.

  “Should I be planning on joining the coven or renouncing my magic?”

  “Dear child, really? How was your day? How are you feeling? Anything new going on with your job?”

  “Sorry.” My eyes dropped to my plate, and I lifted a piece of meat to my mouth. Finishing chewing, I asked about everyone’s day. Elizabeth and Orm described their shopping trip, and Mother glossed over the details of some meetings she had. I didn’t really get it. They did the same thing every day. But I smiled and answered their questions about my school day and cheer practice.

  “And what of your date with your friends at lunch?”

  “It was good. I invited Sophie along, and she was a good conversation maker.”

  “That sounds nice. So, where will your friends be going after the game?”

  “Cliff’s Fun Center. It’s an arcade,” I said.

  “That sounds harmless enough. Will can escort you.”

  “Can he wait in the car?”

  “He can wait in the car.”

  “Thank you.” Unable, to contain my excitement, I jumped up and squeezed her shoulders.

  “Orm tells me you have other questions?”

  “Yes. Why wasn’t I told about the coven thing? Do you want me to become a witch? Or should I be totally mainstreaming.”

  “I believe Orm phrased it best this morning. It will be your decision. Your coven training will begin December twenty-first, six months from your birthday. You’ll know what to choose when it is time.”

  “But aren’t we still looking for someone like me?”

  “I never said that. I believe you are of aid in helping me find someone I am looking for. That is all you need to know.”

  I fought slamming my fist on the table and storming out. I’d only argued with Mother once. It had ended with me being sent to my room for the entire weekend and grounded from attending any functions save school for a week.

  “Let’s go shopping Saturday. We can go look for a dress for the Homecoming dance,” Mother said

  “I haven’t been asked yet.”

  “Well.” She placed her napkin on the table. “I’m sure it’s a matter of time.”

  “May I be excused?”

  “You may. You have your lesson with Orm in half an hour.”

  “Okay.” Feeling defeated, I made my way to my room. It seemed the closer I came to figuring out my future, the more mysteries I uncovered. Hunter seemed like a dead end. I needed to focus on Fahim to discover if he had additional information. But there was schoolwork to be done and I set my alarm and started reading.

  When my time was up, I made my way to Orm’s study pondering how to have more time at Fahim’s bookstore.

  “You certainly are stirring up trouble,” he commented as I entered the room.

  “Well, if someone would give me answers, then things would be a lot easier.”

  “What do you want to learn today?” He ignored my comment.

  “You’re letting me choose?”

  “I am.” He sat down in his favorite arm chair and motioned for me to sit across from him.

  “How about spying? Like being in one place but interacting in another.”

  “I’ve never seen it done, but you could try.”

  “Are you trying to tease me?” I moved to the front of my seat.

  “No. I don’t know the limits of magic. Every individual is capable of different things. Who am I to assume what you are and are not capable of?”

  “But the other day you said to read thoughts was very hard, almost impossible,” I said.

  “Because it has been written about over the centuries.”

  “Don’t tell me witches haven’t tried teleportation.”

  “You’re talking about a blend between a locator spell and communication.”

  “But also physical interaction.”

  “I have not seen it done.”

  “Okay. I want to try.”

  I crossed my legs yoga style. Orm asked where I’d like to go and told me to focus on the person or place. To start, I thought of Elizabeth in the kitchen, cleaning up after our meal.

  Within a few seconds, there was a rap on the door. “What are you guys doing in here? I had this awful urge to see Alena.”

  “You’re putting thoughts into her head,” Orm said to me. “Try reaching out with your mind and picturing yourself in the space.”

  I tried again and again, to no avail, my theory about my experience with Hunter and Ivy crumbling by the second. We’d been children. We hadn’t tried to seek out each other. It had just happened, at least the first time. From then on, all I had to do was think of Hunter or Ivy, and I would be with them.

  Exhausted, I gave up after an hour.

  “If you choose to be a full witch, you may be given the powers.”

  “By whom?”

  “That is the big question.” He chuckled and rose to his feet, crossing the room, to open the door for me.

  Well, that isn’t cryptic, I thought, padding in my bare feet back to my room.

  I picked up my phone to see texts from Sophie, Nick, and Hunter. My finger hovered over Hunter’s number. Maybe it was something special Hunter, Ivy, and I had. Whatever had enabled us to interact I couldn’t risk repeating it at home. Orm would sense the energy coming from my room in a second.

  Typing in a simple hello to Hunter, I waited for his reply.

  My mom wants to meet you. Could you come to dinner Saturday? We eat early so mom can get to work. Five?

  I’ll ask mom. Thinking I could lie to Mother and tell her we had an event for extra credit and Sophie would drive us, I settled on my bed. She would never approve a meet-up at someone’s house she hadn’t fully scoped out yet.

  Okay. I’ll wait.

  Like now?

  Yes, silly. For someone with a photographic memory you are a little dense sometimes. He added a winky face picture to the end of the text.

  Be back in a second. Clutching my phone, I walked to Mother’s bedroom and tapped on her door.

  “I realized we have this extra credit event Saturday. Sophie wanted to know if I could go with her.”

  She looked up from her book. “What is the event?”

  I thought up something quick. “A poetry reading.”

  “That sounds like fun. I used to go to those all the time.” Fixed on the wall behind me, her eyes glazed over.

  “Maybe we can go shopping Sunday instead.”

  Her attention refocused on me. “Maybe after that little extra gym time you talked yourself into.”

  “I can do that?”

  “Yes.” She crossed to me and wrapped her arms around my middle. “I do love you. I know you get fr
ustrated, but we need to keep safeguards in place.”

  “I know. I love you, too.” Remembering the incident with the rogue vampire, I squeezed her tight.

  “I do have something I want to teach you.”

  Shaking out her hands, she placed them on my forearms.

  “They’re cool. How did you do that?”

  “Vampire parlor trick. Pull your blood into your core.”

  “Like the opposite of when I make myself blush?”

  “You do that?”

  “I learned it by accident.”

  “This is a little trickier, and you can’t do it for long otherwise you will really freeze. Try.” She took a step away from me.

  Focusing on my extremities, I closed my capillaries in my fingers. Placing them on my chest, I realized it worked.

  “Now I can dance with someone for longer than two seconds.”

  “Be careful, don’t stay in that state for more than five minutes.”

  “Okay, got it.” Thank you. I flung my arms around her neck.

  “You’re welcome, dear.” She kissed my cheek as I released her.

  My lie tempered the joy of the moment. But I rationalized my actions. I had a right to figure out my destiny.

  In my room, I messaged Hunter that I could come.

  Sweet, so what can you eat? he answered.

  Raw vegetables & fruits, cheese, yeast breads, sushi.

  So sushi?

  I guess.

  Okay, we can do that.

  Thanks.

  He texted me the address, and I added it to his contact information. Realizing I hadn’t finished my homework, I changed for bed and piled my texts around me.

  The next thing I knew, I heard my door open and Elizabeth crossing to the blinds.

  “Good morning, your cheer uniform is all laid out for you.”

  “No.” I covered my face with the pillow.

  “Aren’t you looking forward to your date with Nick?”

  “I have to get through classes and the game first.”

  “You like cheering.”

  “Yes, I do. But there’s this prison called high school with Ganby in it. I’m eating with the cheer squad, so I need to take a lunch.” I sat up and stretched my hands towards the ceiling.

  “What is Ganby?”

  “This evil boy that has literature and French with me. He singled me out the first day, and he isn’t letting up.”

  “Oh, the boy you wanted to kill.”

  “Yes.” I slipped into the bathroom.

  Overall, the day wasn’t horrible, save for Ganby who paraded straight to me in fourth period. “It’s not zombie cheerleader day. Halloween isn’t for a month. Maybe you should get some melatonin supplements.”

  Annabelle stood and opened her mouth. Quick as a wink, I positioned myself between them. “Not worth it, Annabelle.”

  “Well, she moves faster than a zombie. I’ll give her that,” Ganby said behind me.

  “You know she’s dating Nick Stuart. He could get the whole football team to beat you up,” Annabelle shot back at Ganby.

  “Annabelle, come on.” I cooled my hands long enough to drag her to her seat. Happy with my new trick, I began my inquiry. “How did you know about me and Nick?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Somebody told somebody you guys were going to the arcade tonight.”

  “It’s a group thing.”

  She lifted her shoulders again and let them drop as the teacher called the class to order.

  After class I joined the cheer squad and football players who had claimed several picnic tables outside. At least we weren’t smashed into a tiny cafeteria like in Seattle where the noise became deafening.

  My phone dinged, and I smiled at Hunter’s message.

  Lunch not the same without you.

  You mean not insane without me.

  Ha. Ha.

  Nick sat down beside me, and I closed my phone and took out my trail mix. Feeling self-conscious because it seemed people had already put us together, I picked at the nuts. But it was easy enough to join in the conversation, and the half-hour lunch period flew by.

  “So, we’re not having study hall today. We get out of school early for the game.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you at the stadium then. Good luck tonight. Or break a leg, whatever is the correct sentiment.”

  “Both of those work.” He shot a winning smile at me, slapped his leg, and spun and walked away.

  “Yep, still no color,” Ganby said, lifting my arm as I entered class.

  “Seriously, lay off, and don’t touch me. What is your problem?” I pulled my wrist away from his grasp and stared directly into his eyes.

  “My problem?” He looked up and laughed. “I’m not the one new at this school who thinks she can prance onto the cheer squad and steal center stage. At least that’s what Hannah thinks of you. You know they’re playing you, right? They’re going to drop you like last year’s fashion.”

  I briefly wondered if arguing with him would even help. I had no idea if he was right or not. But it didn’t matter because our French teacher cleared his throat, demanding attention. Sitting, I forced calming breaths in and out of my lungs. My legs bounced as I tried to control my fight-or-flight reaction. Right then all I wanted to do was run. No, I rationalized, Sophie would have warned me about something like that. Could she be blind to it too? My next thought turned to using my power of thought compulsion to change Hannah and Melody’s perception of me. It would be a fast solution. I wasn’t sure I wanted them to like me. But I didn’t want them ruining my senior year.

  Leaving my last class, I thought of what to do with my hour. Since I hadn’t been in a few days, I wanted to go to Fahim’s bookstore. After Ganby’s rant, I needed to be distracted and feel safe, not reminded of other problems. I texted Hunter. Do you have a last period?

  No, why?

  Me either. Want to meet up?

  Sure. Where?

  Mall? At the fountain?

  Awesome. See you there.

  I used the closest exit and headed for the street. Walking the three blocks to the shopping center, I found the water feature. I used the trick Mother showed me and pulled the blood from my fingers. Sneaking up behind Hunter, I covered his eyes with my hands.

  “Guess who?”

  “Alena?” He grabbed my hands and spun to face me. “How are your hands not burning up?”

  “I learned a trick.”

  “So, what? You hold a block of ice before you touch me?”

  “Not exactly. It’s complicated. Sort of like a yoga physiological control thing. My mom found it online.”

  “I like it.” He smiled at me, his face barely six inches away. “And I like holding your hands.” My heart fluttered as he held my palms to his chest, and I lost control of my blood flow. “And it’s gone.” He released my fingers. “What’s up? I figured you for a planner, not a spur of the moment girl.”

  I motioned to the sidewalk. “Are you hungry, or could we walk?”

  “I don’t need anything. Let’s walk.”

  He kept pace with me, glancing at me while I tried to figure out if I should even bring Ganby up. Hunter was the closest thing I had to a friend outside Sophie. I couldn’t tell her about Ganby’s theory on Hannah and Melody. I took a deep breath.

  “So, there’s this guy.”

  “I don’t want to talk guys with you.” He covered his ears.

  “Come on.” I pulled his hand from his head. “It’s not like that. He’s always mean to me, has been picking on me since the first day. Today he told me these other cheerleaders were setting me up to play some prank on me or something. I don’t know what to think. I’ve only been here three months. I know they kind of resent me breaking into their group, but would they be that mean? I just want to have a decent senior year and get out of high school. Is that too much to ask?”

  “I don’t know how it is in other places, but at Uni, Samo, and Pali, the girls seem attention hungry.”


  “So, if I steal their popularity, I’m a threat?”

  “Maybe.” He shrugged.

  “Maybe my mom will let me be home-schooled.”

  “Good luck with that. I’ve tried a billion times.” He tapped his fist to my bicep.

  “Funny thing is that I’ve fought to stay in school, and now I want to bail because of one mean guy.”

  “Does he pick on everybody?”

  “This girl in our class says so, but it seems like I’m the only one. I’m a freak with my pale skin and weird diet.”

  He spun in front of me “And amazingly blue eyes and hair that seems to change color with the light. That guy is a huge idiot.”

  I internally smiled at his attention to my features. “Yeah, I’d pretty much like to snap his neck right now.”

  “Well, that’s a little dark.” Hunter turned and proceeded along the sidewalk.

  Shaking off the thought of squeezing Ganby’s windpipe till it cracked, I reached for Hunter’s hand. “Hey, you should come to one of our games.”

  “We play Uni next week.”

  “Oh, okay, well that works.” I wondered why I hadn’t thought of next week’s game.

  “Will you be able to talk to me, or is that off limits?”

  I thought about Nick and decided we were just friends so far, and Hunter and I were only friends, so a friend saying hello should be fine.

  “I totally think it’s fine. Hey”—I jiggled his hand—“did your friends say anything about me?”

  “Are you kidding? Miss skin like cream and hair like silk. They were either jealous of you or wanted to date you.”

  My face flooded with heat.

  He dropped my hands. “Look at you all blushy.”

  “I am not blushing.”

  “Why would you even try that right now?”

  “I don’t know. I’m embarrassed.” I looked to the ground.

  He turned in the direction we’d come. “I don’t think I helped you.”

  “You did, just by listening.”

  “So,” he looked to me and back to the walk, “any new theories about our transcendence experience?”

  I cocked one eyebrow. “Interesting term, lying beyond the ordinary range of perception.”

  “Geek much.”

  “I have a theory. But I don’t have time now. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” I took a few steps. When he didn’t follow, I turned to look back at him.