The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  “Can we finish one rescue at a time?”

  “How did Gabrielle get here?”

  I explained what happened with Marcus and how they’d kidnapped her from the castle.

  “And you didn’t think to get your father out too?”

  “Camille. I couldn’t think of anything but you. I’ve been racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out how to rescue you.”

  “Well, I’m safe now, so you need to think about your dad.”

  “I’m going to disagree with you on that point. We—”

  A huge boom echoed through the tunnel, and the rock around us shook. Loose stones and dirt sprinkled down on our heads, and I hugged Camille to me and lurched forward. As we ran through the narrow passage, my heart thudded in my chest with each foot fall. In front of me, Dimitri slung Chalondra onto his back, and Aaron, Orm. The flashlights bounced in front of me, the light diffused by the dust swirling around us.

  “Cover your nose and mouth with your jacket so you’re not breathing in all the grit,” I told Camille, praying the tunnel walls would hold.

  In about two hundred feet, Dimitri slowed in front of me and stopped behind Aaron.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Not sure.”

  I scooted around them to the front of the group. Alena and Hunter stood at the edge of the tunnel overlooking a raging creek. The exit to the tunnel stood halfway up the bank.

  “You can fly, right? Can you carry someone?” I asked Alena.

  “Probably, can you jump that stream carrying someone?”

  “Easy, we only need to make a couple of trips.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Hunter agreed.

  He secured Orm on his back and got a running start before launching himself into the air. With the darkness, we couldn’t see him land, but within seconds he appeared in front of us, rolling to dampen his impact.

  Alena transferred Chalondra and then Gabrielle. I jumped over Camille, Janine, and Tyler. Grady made the launch, and then Hunter and I brought over the doctor and nurse.

  As I landed on the soft bank with Dimitri and Aaron flanking me, another explosion blasted through the tunnel and the roof fell, closing the entrance.

  Dimitri whistled. “Now that is action for you.”

  “Dimitri,” Alena scolded. “Let’s not forget our friends are back there, including Fahim.”

  Hunter wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “We’ll come back for them.”

  Opening our map programs on our phones, we pinned a location and decided that in twenty-four hours we would meet up if Alena hadn’t been followed.

  “Can’t we just talk to each other?” Camille asked.

  “It won’t be safe,” I told her.

  “No, I mean Hunter, Alena, and I can communicate using our magic.”

  “Which you don’t have right now.”

  “Right.” Her eyes dropped.

  I lifted her chin. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you fixed.”

  With Orm and Chalondra, our group grew bigger than I would have preferred. But I saw the value in having their council and they were frail, so I agreed to take them with us. We hiked up to the lane and, using the electronic map, found our location and called a car to give us a ride.

  “This is the weirdest thing ever,” Tyler noted as we waited. “We run through a tunnel to escape evil witches, and we call a cab to get us to our safe house. I feel like we need horses instead of GPS.”

  “What, because witches can only exist in Camelot?” Orm asked.

  “I’m still adjusting.”

  I pulled the stone bracelets we’d procured in LA from my bag. “We should use these. It’s easy enough to slide them off if there’s trouble.

  Grady instructed the driver to drop us a few blocks from the address. When we arrived, I lifted Camille from the car. Grady signaled for the group to stop. “I’m going to go ahead and make sure everything is safe.”

  “Good plan,” I told him, wishing I’d thought of it. But all that passed through my brain were scenarios wherein Camille might avoid the pain of the tethers being yanked from her soul. We huddled under the eve of a house, staying in the shadows.

  Within a few minutes, Grady’s form appeared on the sidewalk. When he reached us, he shook his head. “We have to go with plan B.”

  “What? Where’s Helene?” I insisted.

  “She’s been moved.”

  “What do you mean? I spelled her in there.”

  “I own the property. Only I could spell someone there. I guess they skipped that in your training. I spelled Helene in and had someone watching the house. If something seemed off, if the location was discovered, I left instructions for them to move her.”

  “So, I only had the power to spell someone in a room of the house? Why wouldn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

  “You already knew the location of one of my safe houses. I didn’t want you knowing the location of another.”

  “In case I got captured. Guess I can’t blame you for that. Where is the new place?”

  “An hour’s drive. It’s bigger anyway.”

  We stood on the curb, waiting for yet another ride. I pestered Grady with questions about boundary spells. Learning the owner of a house couldn’t be imprisoned in his own structure seemed like good knowledge to have. It reminded me I had eighteen years of learning about magic to make up for. When the car arrived, we stuffed ourselves in the small SUV. At least the vehicle’s suspension was smooth and Camille slept.

  Orm whispered to Chalondra the entire ride, and I listened to their discussion on remedies for Camille’s poisoning.

  “Chelation therapy should take care of the heavy metals,” Janine offered. “Once we confirm her kidneys are working properly, then we can do the treatment. I thought we decided that.”

  “Let’s hope it’s as simple as that.” Orm forced a smile.

  I leaned towards Orm. “Hey, if there’s something you’re not telling us, then out with it.”

  “There’s no way to know what else they did to her.”

  “I think we all know that already.”

  “Okay, then.” Orm nodded.

  I knew I should trust Orm and Chalondra. But even after being with them the past few weeks, I couldn’t completely. My mind ticked through the list of people I did. It didn’t take half a second to figure out: Camille, Pop, Nan, perhaps Grady, but only because we had the same agenda when it came to Camille.

  Leaning my head back on the seat, I realized every part of my body ached. I hadn’t slept well in weeks, and I wouldn’t until Camille got healthy. Fantasizing about a vacation on a white sandy beach, I slipped into a light sleep.

  Movement in the car woke me, and I opened my eyes to see a light hanging over the door of a small cottage set back from the road. The others got the bags, and I lifted Camille’s sleeping form from the seat. Carrying her inside, I stopped short as each of the other’s faces were frozen in what looked like various stages of emotion, ranging from fear to shock.

  “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Let me take Camille.” Grady approached me, arms out.

  “I’ve got her. Tell me what’s going on,” I whispered.

  “This way.” Grady turned to face a doorway.

  I followed him upstairs to a room in the back of the house, laid Camille on the sheets, and tucked the blanket around her. Back in the kitchen, I posed my question again.

  Grady crossed his arms over his chest. “Helene is gone.”

  “Gone where?”

  “No, gone, gone.”

  “Dead?” The word came out more forceful than I’d intended.

  “She passed yesterday,” a man standing beside Grady told me.

  “This is Abram, a dear friend of mine.” Grady pointed to the man. “I don’t understand. You gave her ten years.” He paced away and then back to me.

  “No, she wouldn’t take them.” My lungs tightened in my chest as I realized she’d still be alive if I’d forced t
hose years on her.

  Grady threw his hands up. “Great, this is the time Helene picked to be unselfish.”

  “You said you knew someone else who could do the spell, right?”

  “It’s too risky to involve someone else now. That person is probably being watched anyway. Michael’s coven will know that we’ll try to remove the mark.”

  I straightened my shoulders. “I can do it.”

  “You’re a new witch. You won’t have the power, even if you could remember the incantations,” Chalondra proposed.

  “I have a photographic memory. I can do the spell. If I need more power, I can channel you guys.”

  “It’s risky,” Orm noted.

  “I know I can do this,” I emphasized.

  Chalondra shook her head. “If a tether breaks…”

  “You said the tethers would be weaker because her magic is blocked.”

  Orm paced away and back. “They should be.”

  “And Camille can push them, that’s how I got the last of mine expelled.”

  Grady stretched his arms. “She’ll need to be stable.”

  “Then we get her stable and perform the spell.”

  Janine yawned. “We should all get some rest.”

  I took my pack to the room I’d laid Camille in and spread a blanket on the floor.

  “Oh”—Janine jumped as she walked into the room—“I figured I’d stay with her.”

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Okay, well I’ll find another room.”

  “You should find a good bed.”

  “I will. Good night.” She backed out of the room.

  I washed up in the bathroom and settled under my blankets. Feeling pressure on my shoulder, I turned to see Camille’s hand.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yes, you can rest easy. I’ll be right here.”

  “Will you lay beside me?” She bit her lip.

  My heart issued a thud, and my chest warmed with her words. “Of course.” I got up and lay on the blanket beside her.

  “If I had my magic, I’d know if Alena and Hunter were okay.”

  I wrapped my arm over her. “They’ll be good. They’re survivors.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I know so.”

  “I missed you.”

  Hugging her to me, I kissed her head. “I missed you too.”

  She spun around and snuggled into my chest. I rested my arm over her waist, thinking I’d be in a heap of trouble if her dad came in. Feeling her chest rise and fall, knowing she was safe, made my heart swell with emotion. Relief spilled out with every breath, and I relaxed for the first time in weeks.

  When I woke, light filled the space, and I jumped from the empty bed. Peeking at the sky, I noted the sun at its apex. I rinsed my mouth in the restroom and jogged to the kitchen. Orm, Chalondra, Janine, and Camille sat at the table eating.

  “Did Grady and Tyler go to meet the others? Why didn’t you wake me?”

  Janine got up and stirred the pot on the stove, spooning a portion into a dish. “You haven’t slept in days. Abram went with them. They needed two vehicles. Here.” She held the bowl out to me.

  “Cars here are really little.” Camille’s voice sounded like the sweetest melody I ever heard.

  “You look good.” I fought scooping her up and swinging her around, opting to rub her back as I slid in beside her. Noting the color in her cheeks had returned, I breathed another sigh of relief.

  Her dark eyes found mine. “Chalondra and Orm were telling me how the brand is removed. I want to start this afternoon.”

  “I think you should wait another day. Get stronger.”

  “Every day we wait makes us sitting ducks. We have to get this finished sooner rather than later.” She held out her wrist.

  Noting scars halfway up her arm, I ran my finger over them. “What are these?”

  “Nothing.” She tugged her sleeve over the marks.

  “What happened?” I insisted. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No, I”—her eyes darted around the room—“made them to keep track of the days.”

  “I’m so sorry.” My eyes pleaded her forgiveness. “You’re safe now. We have tons of protection. We don’t have to rush. What’s one more day? It’s going to take ten to get the tethers out anyway.” I returned to the stove, refilling my bowl.

  “Mom said you did yours in five.”

  “Because I am a crazy maniac. We’re not doing yours that way.”

  “You should write everything out in case something happens,” Orm piped up.

  “Like something happens to me?”

  “Yes.” His eyes shifted to Chalondra.

  My breath caught in my throat. “Are you a seer? Did you see something?” I set my bowl down.

  “No, I only read where people have been, who they are.”

  “Good.” I lifted a bite to my mouth and reclaimed my seat beside Camille.

  I could have stared at her forever. My cheeks warmed when her eyes met mine. Wishing we could be alone, just for a day, I decided it would be selfish of me. Janine hadn’t seen her daughter in months. I’d only been apart from her for a couple of weeks, had only known her two months. How strange how one’s life could turn upside down in such a short time, I thought.

  Finishing my soup, I helped clean the kitchen. As I approached Camille, Orm waved a notebook and pen in front of my face, redirecting me to the table.

  “Fine,” I told him, “but I’m going upstairs to write.”

  Chalondra crossed to the cupboard, reached in, and produced Helene’s box from inside. “I guess this is yours now.”

  “I’ll be down when I finish.” I winked at Camille as I passed her.

  An hour into my notes, I heard commotion in the kitchen and hurried down the stairs to see what was going on. Alena, Hunter, Dimitri, Aaron, Gabrielle, the doctor, and nurse followed Grady, Tyler, and Abram into the front room. Camille crossed the room to hug Alena, and my skin pricked. Why couldn’t I be happy, relieved that they were safe?

  “So, the transfusion worked?” I asked.

  “Looks like it,” Alena noted.

  “Tell us everything.” I motioned for them to sit.

  “They’ve had a long night. They already briefed us, so let them get cleaned up and get some rest,” Tyler suggested.

  Thinking Tyler had upped his game a little, I helped the group get their belongings to rooms in the basement.

  “Did you finish writing down the spell?” Orm asked as I rounded back to the main room.

  “I’m almost done. So, do we have any news of survivors?” My eyes found Grady.

  He reviewed what he knew, and we switched on the television. The media reported that a sinkhole had opened up in the location occupied by our former safe house. They didn’t find any bodies, guessed any killed were burned by the electrical fire. We figured those that survived had been captured by Michael’s coven.

  “Fahim included?” I asked.

  Tyler stood. “We assume. Alena and Hunter are taking it hard.”

  “We should hold a memorial for Helene as well,” I told them.

  “That’s a nice idea.” Camille joined us. “Alena was really close to Fahim.”

  “You need to finish that spell.” Chalondra pointed at me. “Let us worry about remembering the dead.”

  I took Camille’s hand. “Do you feel strong enough?”

  “We can start tonight after dinner. You should rest up.” Orm pointed at Camille.

  It only took another half hour to finish the document. Janine and Grady reviewed it, and then we presented it to Orm and Chalondra. After the evening meal, we cleared the dishes and gathered in the dining room. Lighting a candle for each life lost, Alena ended with Fahim’s. Dimitri and Aaron each shared how they’d met Fahim and become part of his family. It reminded me of my mother, and I wondered if she would ever know her real family. She’d adopted the people in the commune as her family, and I guessed they were as real as any
for her.

  Pushing the thoughts out of mind, I refocused on the task ahead. We moved to the bedroom Camille and I shared to prepare for the debranding. Grady, Janine, Orm, and Chalondra gathered to assist. I hated thinking about Camille being in so much pain. Even with her renewed energy, she looked frail, and I doubted they’d given her more than a full meal a day. She hadn’t mentioned her week in captivity save to describe the poison. I tried to think of it as little as possible. I knew it’d been the right decision to flee the compound, but thinking of her there alone still made my stomach turn.

  “May I?” Orm asked, holding out a bottle of liquid. “Abram had some oils I played with a bit. She can’t ingest anything, but I think this will help with the pain.”

  “You don’t have to ask that twice.” I took a step back, making space for Orm to stand beside Camille. He spread an oily liquid onto her arm, up to her shoulder, and across her chest.

  I explained the process to Camille, and she lay down, arm outstretched and wrist up. Pulling the first stake from the box, I laid it on the matching character and began the incantation. I watched Camille’s face as it contorted. Her skin grew tight across her jaw seconds later, and I recognized the all-too-familiar stare of determination. Seeing the glowing tether lock onto the stake, I pulled it out an inch. Camille’s eyes squinted shut, and I steeled my resolve, knowing we had to get through the process to be free.

  “Tell me how you deceived Miguel in the coven ceremony. Wouldn’t they know you were a vampire if they drank your blood?” she insisted while we waited between pulls on the tether.

  “No.” I shook my head. “Later, another time.” The image of her birds danced through my head.

  “Why?”

  “Yes, how did you pull that off?” Grady asked.

  “It’s not important,” I insisted.

  Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. “Hmmm, a crack in his perfect armor.”

  “I never claimed to be perfect.” At least my record of late had been clean.

  “What happened to my birds? Did they ever sing again?”

  Dang, I thought, the girl must read minds. “I couldn’t keep them in my room because I thought Miguel would be suspicious. They moved them in with the rest of the animals.”

  “And they sang again?”

  “Yes, they sang.”