The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  “Yeah, sure, wonderful.” I rolled my eyes.

  “We’ll get Camille. It’s only a minor setback. It’s great that we can be sure of where she is.”

  “Yeah, but I wasted two days in LA looking for Fahim. We’re out two days here on a plan that won’t work. Who knows what we’re up against at her new location?”

  Hunter jutted his arm out in front of me, halting my progress. “But we’ve got Marcus.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “Any plan that does not involve some other guy drinking my girlfriend’s blood I am good with.”

  I turned to face him. “That would be weird. I’m sure Alena was just trying to help Janine.”

  “Alena has a limitless ability to be compassionate.”

  “You worried about her and Tyler?”

  His eye shot to the ceiling and back to me. “She thinks she can save the world.”

  “Isn’t that what this is sort of about?”

  “Not everyone can be saved.”

  “This about your brother?”

  “Half-brother,” he corrected.

  We’d reached the sleeping quarters, and I pointed to my door. “I’m going to change for a run. Want to join me?”

  “Not trying to avoid anyone, are you?”

  “Who, like Tyler or Grady?” I chuckled. “Yes, them.”

  Anne suggested Fahim, Dimitri, two vampire guards, Orm, and Chalondra go meet Marcus, Elia, and his two sons.

  I hated having nothing to do. “Let me go,” I said to them as they entered the garage.

  “It’s unnecessary.” Orm waved me off.

  “Give me something to do.” I opened the door as they reached the van.

  Turing to face me before climbing in the back seat, he laid a hand on my shoulder. “Get a more detailed map, and find Camille’s exact location. Pull up aerial views on Google maps and start planning her rescue. You’ve got tons to do.”

  Thinking my brain had been temporarily out of order, I went in search of a better map. I’d assumed the leather map they’d used the night before was significant, but Alena explained the smooth surface ensured the blood didn’t sink in. Searching the complex, I didn’t find a laminated or hard-surfaced map. Then I realized I could pull up a map on an electronic screen.

  “Ever try this on an electronic screen?” I asked Alena.

  “I’d never seen somebody located before yesterday.” She and Hunter followed me to the tech room.

  I approached the electronic table. “I feel so stupid. All of these little things I missed.”

  “You’ve been running on fumes for two weeks. The lack of sleep is probably affecting your concentration.” Alena turned to face the other workers. “Can we have the room?”

  No one questioned her, and within a minute we had the space to ourselves. “Anyone ever not do what you say?”

  “Hunter usually.” She rolled her eyes and wrapped one arm around his waist.

  He kissed her cheek. “You don’t want a lap dog for a boyfriend.”

  “I also don’t want a dead boyfriend.” She made googly eyes at him and then faced the screen again.

  I tapped on the keyboard and pulled up a map of northern Sardinia. Slicing my hand, I held it above the center of the screen.

  “Wait.” Alena handed me a napkin. “One drop and we can get a more accurate point.”

  “Good idea.” I covered the cut after letting a single drop fall. It moved north nearly to the edge of the island and stopped on top of an open space. “There’s no structure on that spot.”

  “She’s underground.” Hunter tapped on the screen.

  “The tunnels could originate from any one of these homes.” I drew a circle around five nearby buildings. “How much satellite data do you have access to? We’ll have to study everything going in and out of the area since the twenty-first.”

  “Well, let’s get the tech people back in here. Hopefully Marcus passes Chalondra’s test so we can narrow down the time window.”

  Turning my wrist over, I noticed it was nine o’clock. “Can you guys get the tech people on this? I’m going to find Aaron. We can use more brain power.”

  I found him in the weapons room. He abandoned his cleaning task and followed me to the tech hub. We could use the boats to get to the island, but we had nine miles of land to get across. A vehicle or helicopter would be required. A helicopter would be too loud. But seeing an airstrip within eight miles gave us two escape routes, air and water. Figuring I could always run her to the coast, I stored that thought for plan C.

  Our brainstorming got me to ten. I felt like I would jump out of my skin, so I changed and made my way to the gym. Unfortunately, Tyler and Grady occupied the weight room.

  “Hi.” I waved and lay down on the bench under the arm press. I started lifting. After a few repetitions, Tyler appeared above me.

  “Need a spotter?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  “When were you going to tell us you were part vampire?” He put his hands to his hips.

  “When it was important.” I sat up and spun to face him.

  “Well, lucky for you it helped us find Camille.”

  “We got a better reading, exact coordinates. The tech guys are scanning the satellite data to find the entrance.”

  Grady joined us. “What do you mean?”

  I told them what we learned and about the brainstorming session with Aaron.

  Grady flung his towel over his shoulder. “Let’s pray Marcus pans out.”

  “Not sure he helps us if he wasn’t given clearance to know where she is.” I moved to the next workout station.

  “I guess that’s right.” Grady followed me.

  “You think the sword got moved too?” Tyler sat down opposite me.

  “Well, that’s another question for Marcus.” I set the machine for fifty pounds. “Let’s finish weights, and we’ll stretch our magical powers.” I lay back down on the bench to work my legs.

  “I’m happy to spar with you. I hope you’re ready because I’ve got a lot of pent-up anger against you.” Tyler lurked over me.

  I sat up to face him. “It was Camille’s idea.”

  “Just don’t think you have some kind of claim on her. She’s seventeen.” He jabbed his finger into my chest.

  “I’m her herald. I like her, but this isn’t the fifteenth century. Camille can do what she wants.” It was an understatement. I loved her. I knew that would never change. But I wasn’t going to tell her brother that.

  Shaking my head, I made my way to the track. I couldn’t run hard enough or fast enough to get the frustration out of my brain. After an hour, I showered and made my way to the cafeteria. Seeing Janine, I realized I hadn’t updated her on Camille’s location and added it to my mental list of shortcomings.

  “Sorry, I should have found you earlier. We have new information on Camille’s location.” I detailed our findings and the working plan.

  She pressed her fingers to her temples. “My head is spinning all the time. I just want my daughter back. I don’t understand why they’re even meeting with Marcus.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Diplomacy, I guess.”

  “I get that he wants to keep his family safe.”

  “If he’s telling us the truth. You can’t assume these beings have good intentions. Camille and I have learned that the hard way.”

  “I guess the same could be said about humans too. I’ve never really met anyone who was evil.”

  “Me either, until Miguel.”

  “Miguel?”

  I shook my head. “Sorry, Dr. Antos.”

  “I let this happen. If I’d been more vigilant in my research, if I hadn’t let her go to Italy—”

  “We’re adults, or nearly adults. We have this calling, and we’re choosing to act on it. We wanted to go after Grady and my dad.” Camille wouldn’t blame her mom or want her to feel responsible for anything that had happened.

  She set her hand on my arm. When I looked at her face, tears
streamed down her cheeks. “How did you know they took them?”

  “We didn’t. It was just a hunch.”

  A light near the ceiling blinked, and Alena’s voice came over the speaker. “They’ve made contact with Marcus. We’re streaming it in the tech room.”

  Grabbing some food for lunch, I joined Alena and Hunter in front of the video screens. Marcus and three other men sat opposite two vampire guards, Orm, and Chalondra, in the van.

  Marcus’s eyes cut around the space. “Orm, I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I could say the same for you. We thought you weren’t flying in till later today.”

  “I want to reassure Anne of my good intentions.”

  Orm cleared his throat. “Yes, we would like to be assured of your intentions before we proceed.”

  “You mean so you can kill us now?”

  “Your words.” Orm folded his hands in his lap, and I wondered if that would be the only solution if we decided we didn’t trust Marcus. I guessed he knew too much.

  “Why is Anne calling off the mission?” Marcus pressed.

  One of Orm’s eyebrows shot up. “The better question is, do you know where Camille is?”

  “All my intelligence indicated she was being held at the castle compound. Do you have different information? Can you tell me where you think she is? It may be a trap.”

  “This is Chalondra.” Orm ignored Marcus’s questions.

  “A seer I’m guessing?” Marcus shifted in his seat.

  “Yes.” Chalondra stretched out her hand to Marcus.

  His eyes cut to the men beside him. “This is Elia, my brother, and two of his sons, Orthos and Pantos.”

  “Gabrielle is our sister,” Orthos supplied.

  Marcus’s shoulders rose and sank, but he extended his hand to Chalondra. She took his hand, and closing her eyes, Chalondra’s lips moved as she chanted a silent incantation.

  Over an hour passed, and she didn’t budge from her trance. I paced the area behind the row of desks, thinking this show was taking time away from searching for an entry point to Camille’s location. I approached Hunter.

  “Is someone searching the satellite data?”

  “Yes, they set up an algorithm. It will alert us if there is something of interest.”

  Five minutes later, Chalondra opened her eyes. “The short answer is he has no ill intentions or plans against us. He only wants to prevent his coven from melding with Michael’s. He doesn’t know more than he’s told us.”

  It felt like a yoke had been lifted from my shoulders. We hadn’t compromised Camille, Alena, or Hunter by taking Marcus’s offer of help. I’d worried we’d jumped too quickly because I’d pushed for any non-violent way to get in the castle. With Camille already in jeopardy, I couldn’t have another life on my conscience. But hopefully, Marcus would know of the location in northern Sardinia and give us some guidance on how to rescue Camille.

  It took an hour more to clear each of the other witches in the van, and it was almost time for the evening meal before the group entered the compound. As soon as they exited the vehicle, the vampires locked metal bands onto their wrists.

  “I thought we were allies,” Marcus noted.

  “You understand we can’t take any chances,” Orm responded.

  “And you realize you are holding a council member hostage.”

  “You came of your own free will. You may leave any time.”

  As they progressed to the entrance, Marcus stopped in front of me. “Jude.” His eyes blinked in rapid succession, and the corners of his mouth turned up. “Good to see you’re in one piece. Everyone had taken you for dead.”

  Grady entered the garage. “I’m sure you thought me dead too.”

  “They did assume you hadn’t made it. But there isn’t time for pleasantries. We need to get Gabrielle out today, as planned. How do you know Camille isn’t on that site?”

  “You already asked that, friend.” Orm motioned for him to proceed inside.

  “The trinity bond is very strong.” Alena fell in step with him. There was no doubt the girl lied well. I made a mental note and tucked her mother in the same category in my mind.

  “A distraction at the main compound could help us,” Fahim put in.

  Marcus stopped and turned to face him. “I was hoping there would be no footprint at all, that Gabrielle would just disappear. We’ll both be implicated if Camille is rescued the same night. But if you leave no trace, then the list of potential suspects would be long. I have officially embraced and outwardly appeared happy for Gabrielle’s union with Theron and our coven’s with Michael’s. Many other witches and vampires don’t want to see Michael’s coven multiply by almost two-fold.”

  “Let’s move to the conference room so we can video conference with Anne.” Hunter directed the group to the meeting room.

  Once seated around the table, we connected with Anne via video feed.

  “Do we know who he would choose as a replacement?” Anne asked once she’d been brought up to speed.

  Marcus spun to face her image. “I don’t know who made his short list. I’m guessing they were all from my coven though.”

  “You seem to know a lot about Michael’s coven. Why can’t one of your people extract Gabrielle?” Hunter asked Marcus.

  “I like to keep all of my business separate.”

  “That way no one person knows too much?” Alena questioned.

  “I am not trying to be duplicitous.” Marcus’s shoulders rose and fell. “Everything I do, I do for the good of my family and the witch community.”

  “I believe you in that.” Anne turned away from the camera as if in thought.

  My brain turned over and over the various scenarios. Marcus’s assumption that we’d be implicated if Camille and Gabrielle were taken the same night sounded spot on. What if we made it look like we thought Camille was still at the compound? Stage a rescue attempt at the castle as a distraction? Marcus could take Tyler, as planned, and Grady and I could go to the northern site to rescue Camille. Alena and Hunter wouldn’t have to be involved at all.

  Ideas and strategies proposed by team members were recorded on the electronic screen. In the end, we didn’t have the intel to stage Camille’s rescue that night. My knee bounced with frustration, but I didn’t want to rush into anything. We wouldn’t get two shots. We agreed to lend support for Gabrielle’s extraction as planned that evening. The team removed Tyler’s role as he wasn’t needed. Marcus would handle getting Gabrielle to her waiting father and brothers, and they would escape via boat. Anne assigned six vampires from her guard to go on the point boat and six to follow on each of two more boats.

  It surprised me that she was willing to commit so many resources to Marcus. Perhaps she assumed they had become true allies. Maybe Anne felt if she went all in, he would too. I wondered if she were investing a lot in a prophecy that might or might not help her people. Did she really believe vampires had no souls? How could any being not have a soul? Did I think toads had a higher consciousness? Not really. But my mother? If she were half vampire, half human, did she have a soul? Did I believe in this prophecy? I wasn’t sure, but I knew Camille did, and I would do anything for her.

  My thoughts wandered to Anne’s predicament. Masses of vampires believing they were soulless meant they believed they were damned from the beginning. They had no chance for an afterlife, therefore no reason to be a good citizen. Would performing a ceremony with a magic ritual, that supposedly granted her people souls, rein in a wild vampire community? I wondered if my mom felt empty inside because she was soulless. She’d battled drug and alcohol addiction since puberty. She’d tried every spiritual fad that came along. Of course, I figured being half vampire and unaware would put anyone over the edge.

  “Do we know how Gabrielle feels about this?” Alena’s voice brought me out of my thoughts, and my eyes cut to Elia and his sons.

  Elia shook his head. “She’s seventeen. She thinks Theron walks on water, that he’s the prize b
ull.”

  “A bull is a good metaphor,” Hunter chuckled.

  “Has anyone tried to talk with her? Will she be willing to go with you Marcus? Or will she put up a fight?” Alena asked.

  Marcus cleared his throat. “She won’t suspect me. I can get her to the exit point.”

  Hunter stood. “Then we’re all set. We should get you to the boats. Dimitri will take you.”

  Anne stood too. “May the spirits be with you, soldiers.” She pushed a button on the desk, cutting the feed from her location.

  “Do you have specs for other safe houses Michael’s coven may keep?” I shadowed Marcus as he made his way to the helicopter pad.

  “We’ll talk about this tomorrow. I’m expected for dinner, and I’ll be late as it is.”

  I watched him get in the helicopter, praying he had some intel for us. When I spun to go back inside, I slammed into Tyler.

  “He know anything?” He fell in step with me.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I hope so.”

  I held the door for him. “At least you’re not bait anymore.”

  Inside, I tried to rally the troops to talk about Camille’s rescue.

  Alena wrapped her arm around Hunter. “They haven’t found anything on the satellite images yet. I’ve got to get something to eat and blow off some steam. You with me?” She kissed his cheek.

  “Sure.” Hunter smiled at her and then looked back to me. “We’ll get on it first thing tomorrow.”

  Grady, Tyler, and I took our meals to the tech room and studied the maps, listing possible scenarios. Without intel on the structure, we couldn’t get far, and we joined Alena and Hunter in the communications room to monitor Gabrielle’s abduction. I’d tried not to think of the mission that way, but after hearing that she was perfectly happy with her situation, it seemed to fit better. I got that you didn’t want Michael’s coven to have that much power, but I figured they’d replace her with another from Marcus’s family. I wondered how he would play the kidnapping. He’d have to fake being upset and enraged.

  The team arrived with the girl after midnight. She kicked and screamed as they led her handcuffed into our building.

  Alena approached Elia. “She doesn’t look happy.”