I’m officially freaked out. When that seal touched my arm, it was like someone pierced me with an icicle. This cold aura shot up my arm and is sitting in my chest. I’m freezing. He rubbed his arms with his hands.
Did I trust Jude? He could be telling me that story to elicit the same from me. I bit my lip, wondering what to tell him.
I’ve got to get out of here. That much I’d told him before.
I second that. We finish the training, gain our full powers, and find a way out.
I’m not leaving without my dad.
What about the sword?
I’m going to do as much reconnaissance as I can this week. I didn’t add that I had no intention of joining the coven. Powers or not, I had a sinking suspicion that being initiated into the coven made you theirs. I hated that I had doubts about Jude. He’d proven himself over and over. It became a matter of me trusting my instincts. My gut had said to trust Jude until that brand was pressed to my arm. Perhaps, the chill enveloping me had me thinking weird.
I love you. His words sounded in my mind. Tears formed in my eyes. We’re going to get through this, he told me.
I was glad he thought I was scared rather than ashamed for doubting him. Picking up the text on top, I opened it and started reading. Sitting motionless cooled my body further, and I tucked my knees to my chest.
You can’t let them guess what happened, Jude said.
Putting my feet to the floor, I sat up straight, tucking my hands under my legs. The story distracted me as it started with the first witches sired by Michael barely a hundred years after God created man, followed by the lines of Gabriel, Raphael, and finally Uriel. It relayed how witches fostered peace between vampires and humans. After all, vampires finally had someone to fear.
I set the text down and picked up the books one after the other, wanting to find the one specific to Michael’s line. Would they have given me access to information about Sonia, Thanatos, or Theron? The bottom book held the title Coven of Michael, and I opened to the first page. It described how not all of those sired by Michael’s line joined the coven. Some families formed their own covens, but Michael’s remained the largest coven in the witch community, spanning five thousand years.
“Skipping ahead, already?” Miguel’s voice startled me.
“I’m not a huge history fan.”
“Too bad you don’t have Jude’s memory. You’re both looking peaked, did you get up at all?”
Jude stood. “You told us to study.”
“That’s right. I did.” Miguel’s lips formed a thin smile. Did he think we were bound by his commands now? If so, I would surely foster that thought. It could only serve me well.
In the dining hall, I downed two cups of tea, glad I’d taken to doing that each meal so it didn’t seem I was trying to warm myself.
“Why don’t you have an hour of rest, and then we’ll meet in my study,” Miguel said as he set his napkin on the table.
“Thanks, I want to feed my birds.” I dabbed my lips and pushed my chair back.
In my room, I started a fire and ran a hot bath, soaking until the water cooled. I found my outdoor layers and fitted them under my pants and sweater. I noticed the birds hadn’t chirped since I’d entered the room and crossed to observe them. They huddled on the far sides of the cages. Whatever had taken root in my body made them scared. I prayed there was a way to undo what Miguel had started. At least I hadn’t been brainwashed yet.
“Dominion,” Miguel started when we met him in his study. “Michael’s line is given dominion over the witches. As such we have dominion over all the beings of the earth. This is your last trial, to master dominion.”
Thinking Michael’s coven was sounding more like a cult every second, I sneaked a glance at Jude. I pondered the horrific tasks Miguel had lined up for us. Hoping we’d passed all of his loyalty trials, I followed him and Jude to the weapons hall.
“Dominion over inanimate objects is one thing. But allegiance of a living being is another.” Miguel picked up a cage containing a rabbit.
Wondering if he could brainwash me into not knowing who I was, I watched as he opened the door of the cage and let the rabbit jump away. Perhaps mind manipulation would alter my desire to join the trinity. But if that was the goal they could have turned me against them already. They sought to have all of us, I realized. I was bait.
“Call to the animal,” Miguel instructed.
“I’m guessing not like here bunny, bunny?” Jude asked.
“No, reach out to him with your mind.”
It took the whole afternoon to get the rabbit to come to us. I wondered if I could use the same trick on the canaries. But I didn’t want to gain their affection by force.
Miguel led us out of the hall and locked the door. “You should work your muscles. Give your mind a break.”
We followed Alex and Jacob to our rooms to get our workout gear. I hated that I was spent from our afternoon of wooing the rabbit and prayed the following days would be power-light so I would have enough energy for my camouflage spell.
As was our habit at the gym, Jude and I ran in opposite directions.
Is this day ever going to end? he asked as we ran.
I need another drink.
No more drinking. We must stay sharp. Look for any chance of getting out. Maybe the library will be emptier tomorrow.
We’re going to die here, I told him.
Where is that coming from?
I don’t know. I can’t get warm, even running. I turned over my arm, noting the bumps that covered it.
I’m getting in the hot tub after this.
That sounds amazing.
After my run, I showered and put on a bathing suit. Jacob trailed me as I walked to the pool room.
“No swimming today?” he asked as I passed the lanes.
“I’m beat.” I wondered if he was finally starting to warm up to me, but he made no further comments. The man was all business.
With the hot water surrounding me, my body finally relaxed, and I reclined my head on the wall.
“Miss.” I felt a tap on my arm. “It’s been twenty minutes.” Jacob’s face hovered over mine.
“Wow.” I sat up, realizing Jude was across from me. “Thanks.” I took the robe Jacob held out to me and hurried up the stairs.
“No wine tonight?” Miguel inquired as I let my glass sit in front of my plate.
“I’ve had enough of that for a while.”
“How’s your wrist?” Maria rubbed her hand down my arm.
“Fine. It’s barely red.”
“I can’t wait to see Michael’s seal on you.” Maria beamed.
I prayed it took correctly. I’d wondered if it would show up on the wrong person or someone who had the wrong intentions. Perhaps all was required was a willingness to join the coven though.
At the end of dinner, we made our way to our rooms in silence. Inside, I fed the canaries and opened the window to converse with Jude.
I’m beat, he said.
Me too.
Goodnight.
Jude.
Yes.
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
Shivering, I latched the window, piled the logs in the hearth high, and started them ablaze. Wishing I had an electric blanket, or a castle’s equivalent hot brick or warm water bag, I huddled under the covers fully dressed. It took a while to warm inside my cocoon, but eventually I did, falling into a fleeting sleep filled with dreams of angels, snakes, vampires, and witches.
Waking at the sound of my alarm, I dreaded facing another day. But I couldn’t give up or let them see a weakness. We would get through this. We were going to get out somehow, back to my family, and find Alena and Hunter. With renewed motivation, I hurried to the shower and dressed.
After breakfast, we started our schoolwork and were given an hour in the gym. With just enough time for a quick shower, I didn’t dare try to sneak about. When we finished lunch, Miguel led us down the first basement level to a room lined with cages of
various animals. I scanned the room, spotting a turtle, snake, various birds of prey, a wolf, small African deer, chimpanzee, and several monkey species. I strained my eyes to see the animal in the far corner. A mass of orange fur was all I could make out.
Miguel crossed to the cage I studied. “This is Felix. He is an orangutan. If you can convince him to do something, then you can probably convince a human. These creatures are for you to practice on. I wouldn’t let them out of the cages, especially the larger cats. Start with the reptiles and move up, getting them to obey some simple commands. I’ll leave you to it for a couple of hours.”
I have an idea. Jude spoke to me using our secret communication. I’ll do the magic, and you rest up. They’ll never know which one of us is directing the animals. That way you’ll have enough energy left to do some snooping around later.
Good idea, but what about the trials at the end?
Practice for an hour and then rest. If you need help when we’re tested, I’ll help then too.
You don’t think Miguel would know.
I have no clue. But we’ve got to get some more reconnaissance time in.
Agreed.
We started on opposite sides of the room with the smaller animals. When we got to the mammals, the task became harder.
“It might help if we had some treats or something.” Jude laughed.
I joined him in front of the wolf. “Maybe two heads are better than one.”
He worked until he got the canine to roll over. Then it was my turn, and I pretended to try to direct the animal. But in actuality, Jude did.
See it’s working, he said.
Just don’t over tax your energy. We need you in good shape too.
Are you kidding? I’m as strong as a horse.
Don’t say that too loud, you might offend one of our friends. I pointed to the donkey.
He got the spider monkey to clap, donkey to walk in circles, and chimpanzee to wave. Jude rubbed his forehead as we approached Felix’s enclosure. The doors to the room flew open, startling me. Miguel approached us. “I believe you two may be a bit over zealous. I don’t want you burned out by week end.”
“My head is starting to hurt.” I set my fingers on each side of my temples.
“Why don’t you retire to your quarters for an hour before study time.”
As he spoke, Alex and Jacob appeared behind him. Frustration broiled in my psyche. If I had to be flanked by those two ogres for much longer, I was going to lose it.
In my room, I ignored that the canaries quieted as soon as I approached. Lighting a fire, I ran a hot bath. My layers had kept me warm enough, but I needed something to relax my nerves. Hoping to find something in the library that might offer us hope for escape, I sank into the warm liquid. I wished I had Jude’s memory so I had a better sense of the layout of the compound. I realized the library might aid me in that task too.
That afternoon the library was empty save for the librarian who sat at a huge elevated desk of dark wood just inside the entrance. He nodded to Miguel and looked down his speckled nose at us as we passed. The silence penetrated my layers, and I shivered. Looking out the ceiling height windows, I cursed the swirling fog, thinking the island might be worse than Iceland in the winter. Refocusing on our path, I tried to catch glimpses of the titles as we passed. Most of the books seemed to be history texts.
“So, is this library for like regular books?” I asked Miguel as we came to the table where we’d been seated the previous day.
“Some, but many are texts belonging to our coven, stories and histories, spells, and incantations handed down through the generations.
“So, you do use spells? When will we learn those?” Jude asked.
“Perhaps when you’re a coven member. They’re reserved for the strongest of our coven. The books are spelled such that only those worthy may open them.”
“Can I have a pencil and paper? It helps me to remember if I write things down?”
“Of course.” Miguel twirled his finger in the air, and the spotted nose librarian appeared within seconds, paper and pencils in hand.
“I travel fast for an old geezer, eh?” He laughed as I stared in amazement.
“Sorry, it was rude to stare. You are fast. And he spoke to you with the request?” I looked to Miguel, whose mouth turned up on one side, forming a thin half smile.
“If you’re asking about how he communicated his need, it was more of a command. The idea that I needed to bring paper and pencil to your table popped into my head.”
“Just the same as we are learning with the animals. So basically, you could control anyone in the world to do whatever you wish.”
“Well, in principle. Witches outside our coven would not be as open to the suggestions, but humans are quite malleable. But—” he wagged a finger at us “—that is not the way of witches. We are restorers of balance, healers, peacekeepers, protector of humans, as you have read in your texts. My use of the command was to speed delivery of the required articles.”
“You think that one would think of using magic for anything else? She’s still torn up about the birds.” Jude rolled his eyes, pulled out the chair, and lowered himself into the seat, his legs outstretched and an arm over the back as if bored with the reminder.
“Of course, Jude here is bored with our talk and wishes only to gleam the most of his time here.” Miguel spun to the librarian. “Thank you, dear sir.”
The librarian nodded his head, turned, and loped off with a hobbled gait.
“He’s one of our oldest coven members, knows everything about everything,” Miguel noted. “But I will leave you to your studies.”
As soon as Miguel left, I wrote on the page and handed it to Jude. Can you help me make a map of the compound for me?
He started to put the pencil to the paper, and I motioned for him to stop. Then, I had him describe what I should draw. I didn’t want him implicated as an accessory if I got caught. It took a while, but I got all three levels illustrated to his specifications.
When we finished the map, Jude stood. “I need to use the restroom.” He winked at me.
I did my best to wink back, but the gesture turned out to be a blink like always.
You can’t wink. Nice to know. He spun on his heels and headed towards the back of the hall.
“Where is Jude?” The librarian’s words startled me, and I jumped to my feet.
“He said he was going to find a restroom.”
“Miguel didn’t instruct you not to leave the table?”
“No.” His words left me wondering if the lack of direction were a test. Not sure whether I had passed or failed, I sat back down, nervous to find out what would happen to Jude.
Within a few minutes, Jude and the librarian appeared from between the stacks. “I guess there aren’t any restrooms in here.” He kept walking past the table in the direction of the exit.
Pulling my jacket snug around my neck, I lifted the text I’d left off with the previous day and started reading. The history led me through the great flood, and how their numbers were diminished while the numbers of vampires, with their unique survival skills, stayed strong. Then it described how Michael granted his line additional powers, gracing them with telekinesis and telepathy. Desiring balance, the other archangels did the same with their families.
Escorted by the librarian, Jude returned to the table. He picked up a book and started reading. “Guess we weren’t supposed to get up.”
“I guess not.”
When I needed to stretch my legs, I walked to the librarian’s desk and back. After three hours of reading, Alex and Jacob appeared to escort us to the gym. We had three hours till dinner, and I figured it was plenty of time for my covert trip. After warming up, weights, running, a swim, and a soak in the hot tub, I went to the locker room and started the shower.
Figuring the best place to start again was the security room, I cloaked myself and exited the gym. The halls were more crowded, and I figured more workers were employed during
the week. I made it to the tech center in a fraction of the time it’d taken the previous day. Observing the screens, I made mental notes of all the empty halls and their locations, figuring they might be the prisoner’s cells. Then, I tracked back to the locker room, washing and stopping the stream of water.
When I exited the locker room, dressed for dinner, there was no mention of my time in the shower. I thought through my strategy as we sat in the dining hall. If there wasn’t as much traffic in the prisoner’s halls, there would be less chance of me getting there. Perhaps if I went at a mealtime, then a worker would be delivering food. I could fake an illness at lunch, go to the restroom, and then slip out.
I put my plan in motion the next day. After a few bites, I covered my mouth with my napkin. “I’m sorry. I need to be excused.”
“What’s wrong, dear?”
“I just need a minute. Is there a restroom?”
Miguel clicked his fingers, and Jacob appeared beside me. “Escort Camille to the ladies’ room and wait for her to make sure she’s okay.”
Glad Maria hadn’t offered to come with me, I followed Jacob down the hall.
“I may be a couple of—” I covered my mouth with the napkin, turned, and bolted into the restroom. Before the door shut, I cloaked myself and sneaked out. I only had one chance at this, I couldn’t be sick two days in a row, so I made my way to the elevator and was lucky enough to catch it to the bottom level with a worker who had a cart. He pushed the button for basement level five, and the elevator proceeded down. I watched as each number showed up on the display: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5. When the doors opened, I followed the worker down the hall as he stopped at a room and unlocked a windowless door.
Just then a shrill alarm sounded.
The worker abandoned the door as well as the cart and ran to the elevator. I followed right on his heels, praying the alarm wasn’t for me. On the main floor, the man jogged off the elevator towards the main entrance. I rushed to the bathroom, half opening the door and uncloaked myself.
“What’s going on?” I demanded of Jacob.
“Routine drill.”
“It scared me to death.”
The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set Page 48
