“It will stop soon. You can finish your meal.”
I followed him back to the dining hall. As I sat down, the siren stopped.
“Must they do these things at meal time?” Maria asked.
“Helps the staff be prepared if they’re caught off guard.”
“What kind of threat are they preparing for?” Jude asked.
“Vampire attacks mostly,” Miguel answered.
“When was the last one?”
“World War II. Vampires infiltrated the army and used warships to cross from Italy.”
Something clicked in my mind. I remembered Alena saying Hitler had possessed the sword of Longinus. Had the vampires stolen it from Michael’s coven?
Maria’s shoulders shuddered. “Enough talk of vampires. Are you okay, dear?”
“Yes, I think I over did it in the gym, got over heated, and the food affected me wrong.”
Tracing back to our rooms after the meal, I opened my window to converse with Jude.
I thought the alarm was for you, Jude said.
I did too.
How far did you get?
Basement level five. I followed a kitchen worker. It looked like he was delivering meals to locked rooms. There weren’t any windows in the doors. The alarm sounded before I could look inside any of them. I’m going back tomorrow at the same time.
Don’t you think it’s too risky? he asked.
What choice do we have? It’s the closest we’ve come to finding our dads.
I guess.
The next day I took a hot shower after exercising.
“Oh, my. What happened to you, dear?” Maria grasped my arm as I sat down.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong?”
“You look flushed.”
“I do feel warm.” I felt my forehead.
“I hope you’re not coming down with anything.”
“Do you mind?” I stood up. “I’ll be right back.” I started to walk away, and Jacob was beside me the next instant. Entering the restroom, I told him I’d be just a minute.
As I had the previous day, I cloaked myself and slipped out the door before it closed. Seeing the same worker approach the elevator, I picked up my pace and made it through the doors just in time. Calming my breath, I followed to the first room. When the door opened, I got a quick glimpse of the space, bare except for gymnastics-like mats lining the floor, walls, and ceiling. It had to be a cell.
The worker exited a minute later, carrying the same tray. It was covered, so it was hard to tell what had occurred. From the smell, I had guessed the cart to carry food. Perhaps there were animals in each room and a separate locked compartment containing them.
He went to the next door, and I followed close behind him, entering the room. What I saw stopped me cold. A man, who could’ve doubled for Jude, save twenty years and twenty pounds less of muscle weight, sat on the floor. The worker lifted the cover off the tray, slid a sandwich onto the mat, and backed out of the room. Frozen for a second, I ran to catch up before the door slammed shut. Wondering if I’d missed a chance to see my dad in the first room, I stuck close to the employee.
As he opened the door, a shrill whistling sound accosted my senses, and I dropped to the floor. The employee pulled the door shut and spun to face me. His eyes were wide with shock, and I knew my cloak had failed. Quicker than I could get to my feet, he pulled handcuffs from his belt with one hand and grabbed my wrist with the other.
Thinking to enact the opposite of a healing spell, I grabbed his arm and pushed my magic into it.
“You’re going to need more power than that, child.” The giant of a witch laughed.
Summoning all my power, I threw it at the witch. The lights on the ceiling busted and the man fell back, pulling me with him.
He rose. “This is child’s play. In a second there will be a dozen witches just as strong as me in this hall. Stop now while you’re ahead, youngling. They may let you see your father before they kill you.”
“They need me.”
“We’ll see about that.”
What had been a shrill whistle increased in pitch and volume, and it felt like my brain might explode. Grabbing my head, I dropped to the floor and all went dark.
Light appeared behind my eyelids, and I fought the haze in my brain. Sensing someone near me, I shot back, and my head hit a padded surface.
“You were in the same room with your father when you were discovered. So, sad you couldn’t be reunited.” Miguel’s voice was heavy with conceit. “I’m not sure how you tricked Guinevere or lasted three days with the brand, but I guess you are to be commended for making it as far as you did. I was certainly fooled. The only question remains is whether you had help.”
“I just wanted to find my dad. Who would help me?”
“Your drawings were quite good.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Are you sure Jude wasn’t helping you?”
“Why would he help me? He’s only here for himself. He thinks I’m a crazy loon.”
“Well, we have a more powerful Seer than Guinevere on the way. She’ll get the truth from him. Such a waste.” He ran his hand down my cheek. “You would’ve worn the crown, princess.”
My mind reeled as I digested the information. His gaze left my face and traveled to the exit. “Keep her sedated. No drugs. Feed chamomile in through the vents.”
I took in my surroundings. Every inch was lined with pads, white pads. My only thought was for Jude. I prayed he could evade detection and join the coven. That was the only hope for us. I had to put faith in the notion that somehow his vampire side blocked the Seer. I took comfort in the idea that they wanted me alive. I hoped they thought the same of Jude and our dads.
The first night and the next day, the chamomile and my depression bested me, and I slept through much of it. But the next night a dream woke me. Images of Jude’s face, the dagger, and Alena and Hunter played through my mind. When I woke up, I knew I had to stay strong. If I lay there, my muscles would atrophy and my powers would fade. A guard brought me breakfast, a bagel sandwich. I held my palms out, and he let it fall into my hands.
Day two, I thought. After eating, I marked the second day of my imprisonment by nipping the skin of my inner arm twice. Only one camera was mounted on the ten-foot ceilings, and I stayed under it, doing push-ups and sit-ups until my muscles seared with exhaustion. I used my scrub bottoms to practice magic, twirling them in a cyclone, commanding the legs to knot together.
I kept up the routine, but as the days wore on, it grew harder to focus. I based each morning on the food they brought, eggs on a bagel in the morning, meat on bread at lunch and dinner. But there was nothing, no sound, no color, no human interaction, save the person who brought me three meals and took me to the restroom four times a day.
“Camille.” Jude’s voice broke through my slumber. At first I thought it a dream, but he spoke again, and I opened my eyes to realize his warm arms were holding me.
“How did you get in?”
“We’ve got to move fast. Everyone is distracted by the ceremony.”
“What ceremony?”
“Something with the sword.”
“It’s the solstice. I need to get there.”
“We need to find our dads and get out. I’m guessing we only have a small window.”
“Take me to the ritual and then go find our dads. I have to know what they’re doing with the sword, or we have been here for nothing.”
“That’s stupid. The most important thing is getting out.”
“We’re so close.” My eyes pleaded with him.
“Fine, here.” He held out a bottle of liquid. “This will help wake you. I figured they had you drugged.”
“Just chamomile. Did you join the coven?”
“Yes, this morning.”
“It didn’t change you?”
“Yes, and no. I believe my vampire side prevents them from seeing my true intentions and having my allegiance.”<
br />
“Are you still cold?”
“Yes, colder than before. The burden of the coven is strong.”
He led me through the empty halls to a stairway. We walked up the five floors to the main level and snaked through several narrow, dark corridors. Gripping his hand, I struggled to keep his pace. We turned a corner, and light glowed in front of us. At the end, a narrow opening, just wide enough for a person to slide through, overlooked an amphitheater.
Unlike the rest of the building that was formed from stone block, the space seemed to be cut out of the rock. Above us, a high jagged arched ceiling held chandeliers with hundreds of oil lanterns. Below, curved benches formed of smooth marble ringed an altar. Theron and Thanatos stood on each side of Sonia. The dagger lay on the table in front of them. The reflection of the flames danced off the metal scabbard, making it shine like gold.
“Camille.” Jude tugged at my arm. “We should get our dads now.”
I spun to face him. “You really came for me. You aren’t one of them.”
“Of course not. Did you think I was lying to you this whole time? You’ve seen the sword, let’s go.”
My eyes bore into his. “I’m sorry.” I looked back to the dagger. “I need to stay here.”
“What?” He pulled me away from the opening. “You’re going to be discovered. Now is our chance to get away.”
“Stick with the plan. Go get our dads and meet me back here.”
“I don’t like this. I’m not leaving you.”
“Be smart. It doesn’t help if we don’t know what we’re up against.”
Jude’s large eyes pleaded with me. “Camille, you’re not thinking clearly.”
I switched tactics. Gripping his hands, I fixed my gaze on his. “Jude, be fast. Go get them and come back. It’ll give me enough time to figure out what they’re doing down there. Then we can escape together.” I couldn’t say, wouldn’t say, that the glimmer of the sword had me transfixed. Yes, I wanted information, but I also wanted the dagger. It belonged to me, and I intended to get it back.
“Do not leave this spot, and do not get caught.” Jude squeezed my hands, and then his lips were on mine. His soft lips, warm and smooth, reminded me of everything I loved: him, my mom, Tyler, Dad, and the haze of the lance lifted for a second.
“I love you.” I gripped his hands.
“Don’t get caught.” He released me, turned, and jogged away. I watched his back as his form retreated, somehow with no sound of his feet on the rock.
Looking back into the amphitheater, I studied the backs of the witches gathered there. Miguel and Maria sat in the front row. Beside them, the man I saw made my heart freeze.
Jude. Jude. Come back. I pushed the message to him.
“What is it?” he whispered as he reached me.
“Look.” I pointed to his father.
Beside me, I felt his arm go rigid. “Well, I just have one person to free now.”
“I’m sorry.” I clutched Jude’s arm.
“He made his choice.” He spun and dashed away.
Sonia seemed to be chanting something. I couldn’t hear the words and didn’t want to use my magic for fear of detection. Stepping to the table, Theron ran the sword across his forearm, creating a cut inches long. Thanatos held a bowl under the wound, catching the blood as it dropped. After a minute or so, the flow slowed, and I noticed the injury had already started healing. Sonia lifted the bowl over her head, continuing her incantation. Then she brought the vessel to her lips and titled it up, drinking the contents. Handing the dish to Thanatos, she stepped forward, ascending what I guessed to be stairs, hidden from my view.
She sat and then lay down on the table. Lifting the sword from his side, above his head, Theron joined in the chant Sonia started, his lips repeating the same phrase. Theron moved to Sonia’s side, also taking up the words. Then the congregation began reciting the lines, and the message became clear.
Michael, we call on thee to sustain our line. Make your servant, Sonia, as timeless as you are.
Timeless, my mind reeled. They sought to make her an angel? No, immortal! What if they all could became immortal? Michael’s coven would be unstoppable.
The glint of the sword brought my attention back to Theron. Quicker than lightning, the sword shot down towards Sonia, piercing the center of her chest. The witches continued their chant, the volume increasing with each repetition. I expected to see Michael himself appear from the heavens, but a light rose from the spot the blade had entered Sonia’s body. It floated up above her body rising above Theron and Thanatos. Theron withdrew the sword from Sonia’s chest, and the incantation changed.
Ancestors, we call on you to deliver Sonia’s spirit to her body.
Seemingly from nowhere, a host of glowing spots appeared. They encircled Sonia’s light, swirling around it, creating a whirlpool. Caught up in the flow of the swirling souls, Sonia’s light, what I assumed to be her soul, descended down the spiral and flowed back into her body. I saw her chest rise, and the host of lights disappeared.
The room grew quiet. Sonia’s eyelids fluttered, and she laid her hands on her chest. The wound closed as she did. Thanatos helped her to her feet. She stood atop the table, and the sound of whispers from the crowd drew my attention to Miguel. My mind raced wondering why they needed me when they could make themselves immortal. I remembered the sword, and my eyes found it in Theron’s hand, still covered with Sonia’s blood. The sight of the holy blade tarnished with the evil witch’s fluids created a ball of rage in my chest.
“Do you wish to join us, dear? Is this what you seek?” The words sounded as if the speaker stood right beside me. My eyes cut to Sonia whose gaze was fixed on me. She lifted her crown off her head and held it out towards me. Looking left then right, I realized I’d moved from my hiding place and stood in at the front of the opening, in view of all.
“Or perhaps it is the blade.” Sonia motioned to the dagger in Theron’s grasp.
Stupid! My brain yelled. As fast as I could, I swirled and ran through the narrow tunnels. I had no idea how to get out or if there was an exit that might lead me to Jude or safety. Thinking about the courtyard, I turned in the direction of what I thought to be the center of the building. If I could make it outside, perhaps I could transport myself beyond the compound’s gates.
Finding a main hall, and seeing an elevator on one end, I jogged the opposite way. I heard multiple footsteps and cloaked myself to aid my escape. Speeding towards the center of the castle, guards trailed me. Then, another set appeared in front of me. Calling on the air to lift me up, I floated above the crowd coming at me. They stopped when they reached the oncoming group.
“Fools!” Sonia yelled. She marched through the guards towards me, and I glued myself to the ceiling, praying my cloaking spell held. Stopping directly below me, she turned her face upward. “Come child, we have much to discuss.” Her hand reached up and gripped mine. A frigid shock shot through my arm to my heart. “You belong to me now.”
THE END
Kingdom of Honor
Kingdom Journals Volume 3 – Jude’s Story
“Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live regist'red upon our brazen tombs
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
Th' endeavor of this present breath may buy
That honor which shall bate his scythe's keen edge
And make us heirs of all eternity.”
—William Shakespeare
“Camille.” I tugged at her arm. “We should find our dads now.”
She spun to face me. “You really came for me. You aren’t one of them.”
“Of course not. Did you think I was lying to you?” Sliding my hand down her arm, I grasped her hand. “You’ve seen the sword. Let’s go.”
Her eyes bore into mine. “I’m sorry.” She looked into the amphitheater. “I need to stay here.”
“What?” I squeezed her hand
and pulled her away from the opening. “They’re going to see you. Now is our chance to get away.”
“Stick with the plan. Go get our dads and meet me back here.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Be smart. It doesn’t help if we don’t know what we’re up against.”
Setting my hands on each of her shoulders, I forced her to look at me. “Camille, you’re not thinking clearly.”
She ran her hands down my arms and gripped my hands. Her gaze met mine. “Jude, be fast. Go get them. It’ll give me enough time to figure out what they’re doing down there. Then we can escape together.” Seemingly transfixed by the dagger, her eyes darted back to the front of the arena where the sword lay on the table.
It made sense. Having as much information as possible would be useful. “Do not leave this spot, and do not get caught.” I squeezed her hands, and kissed her hard.
“I love you,” she whispered as our lips parted.
I sucked in a breath. She loved me. “Don’t get caught.” I turned and jogged away wondering if leaving her was the biggest mistake of my life.
Jude. Jude. Come back. I heard Camille’s voice in my mind and sped back to her. “What is it?”
“Look.” She pointed to people seated near the front.
My dad sat beside Miguel. I balled my fists. What had he done? “Well, I only have one person to free now.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“He made his choice.” I spun and dashed through the passageway.
At the main hall, I summoned a cloaking spell and jumped into the air, using the wind to speed my progress. The corridors were deserted, and I had to wait for someone to enter the code for the elevator. Three guards ran in my direction, and I held my breath as they reached me.
Breathing hard, the guard on the left turned to the middle one. “What’s going on?”
“There’s been a breach in level B5,” the middle guard replied between jagged gasps for air.
“That’s where the princess is held?” My ears pricked at hearing them call her princess. She was not their princess, she was not their anything. Camille belonged with me and the trinity.
The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set Page 49
