The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  Needing a break, I rise and step outside into the cool air. Unbraiding my hair, I let the wind blow through it.

  Will joins me. “I can’t believe they don’t see how stupid it would be to end the coven.”

  “They don’t know witches.”

  “Not that we really do.”

  “We know them better than they do.”

  “And better than I ever wanted to.”

  “We have to get to the other tribes before they act.”

  “I’ll gather the others.”

  Encountering the same resistance at the other tribes, we convince them to wait until after the tribunal to strike. Next, we head southwest, crossing a mountain range, forests, and desert onto the land bridge between the northern and southern Americas.

  “They say the cave is hot, very hot, especially in summer,” Will comments as we start for our destination just after sunset.

  “It’s the only place we can meet in secret. We’ve planned this out very carefully. The Americas tribunal must be a success,” I contend.

  “If local lore is to be trusted, it’ll be safe.”

  “The stories have been handed down for generations. I believe them. What I’m worried about is what will be decided.”

  Will slows to a walk. “People listen to you. There’s something about you that makes them think.”

  “Yes, because almost everyone I cared about has been murdered.”

  “You have quite a story.” Will resumes his pace, and I match his tempo.

  We arrive at the entrance at midnight. I smell the others gathered inside. Multiple openings to the cave allow us to enter at different locations, making the spot better suited for our purposes.

  “Are we ready?” I face my group.

  Seeing nods of affirmation, I jump down the gap in the rocks to the first crystal structure. The moist hot air presses against my skin, and every nerve sends an impulse to flee. Shaking out my muscles, I push off to the next structure. My eyes adjust to the lack of light as I descend. Reaching the bottom, I take in the scene above me.

  Huge white pillars, larger tree trunks, jut out in every direction. The native’s legends tell of a tribe of vampires being hunted by a coven of witches. The vampires descended into the cave, hoping to escape, only to be followed by the coven. Once inside, the witches’ powers ceased to work. The giant crystals blocked magic, and the witches were slaughtered by the tribe. The tale spread around the globe, and witches have avoided the Americas until present day.

  The other tribe representatives have gathered in a cavern closer to the surface. It’s not as hot in the space, and I set my pack with the others. We’re the last to arrive, and I jump atop a crystal near the ceiling and call the group to order. I take suggestions and set goals for the tribunal.

  The humid air grates at my nerves as the debates continue into the next day and night. In the end, the vote for an edict of peace outweighs the counterview, two to one. As the others take leave, our tribe waits, giving me time to speak with each group as they depart over the next three days.

  “I’m ready for a trip north. What do you say, Queen? Care for a dip in the Arctic?” Will quips as we exit the steamy cavern.

  “That sounds amazing, but it must wait. We have a residence to attend.” I take his hand as he helps me over a boulder.

  “Are you sure you just don’t miss a certain Emmett Schmidt?”

  “No, I don’t miss him.” This isn’t a lie. Although, my thoughts have turned to him often, they were more in fear for his safety. It’s odd to think of a human this way. I haven’t in so long, not since Henry. I think of Emmett as part of our tribe now that he knows the secret, and above all, we protect our tribe.

  As we run, the stress of the tribunal falls away. I revel in the physicality of our journey and reflect on our progress. Soon, I can call a worldwide tribunal, perhaps even suggest a treaty with the witches.

  I insist on a fast pace home, and a welcome call sounds as we approach the property just after sunset a week later. Still, few greet us, and as we make our way towards the lodging dwelling, sounds of metal clashing reaches my ears. Through the windows, I see bodies flying past.

  Entering, Emmett’s form whizzes past me and slams into the wall to my right. A loud roar of laughter follows.

  Rage consumes me. “What have you done?”

  The room falls silent as the vampires fall into line in front of me. Beside me, Emmett pushes to a stand, shoots me a half smile, and joins his comrades. He’s shirtless, and I note his bulging biceps, rounded chest muscles, and solid torso.

  I ball my hands into fists. “Gregor, you were in charge. Why is he here?”

  “What do you mean? He had your blood, said you invited him to join our tribe.”

  “Are you mad? What’s our first law?”

  Gregor hangs his head. “No human may know of the existence of vampires.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine. “Do you deny that it’s your blood?”

  Now, it’s my turn to fess up. “No.” I lift my chin as loud sighs break through the group. “Emmett discovered me the night we learned of the witch coven in Massachusetts. He’d been watching for months. There wasn’t time to deal with the issue, but I didn’t want him harmed, so I gave him a vial of my blood.”

  “Then he’s a quite crafty fellow, and I say he stays.” Gregor takes a step towards me. “Shall we have a vote?”

  Anger pulses through my veins. I don’t want Emmett fighting beside vampires. There are too many ways he could die. Then, I will have to inform his parents, look into their eyes and see the grief I feel for the loss of Alec, Henry, my parents, and siblings.

  “I think he’ll be of value as more humans move into the area,” Will asserts.

  I shoot him my hardest stare, but the corners of his mouth form a smile. My glare has no effect on Jacob, Mambi, or Gregor, and in the end, I’m the sole vote against him.

  “You won’t live here.” I seethe at Emmett and then throw my bag to the ground and storm from the room.

  Halfway to the shore, I regret my rant, but I need time alone after the months of travel with the tribe and Will always at my side. I shed my clothes and jump into the sea. The moon rises to its apex before I’m ready to exit the water. Will approaches from the tree line as I finish dressing.

  “I know I reacted irrationally. It won’t happen again.”

  “He’s smart, and he goes for what he wants. You have to admit that.”

  “It puts the whole tribe at risk.”

  “You’re the only one who sees him as different. The deal he made with Gregor is that he’d be one of us in every way. No one is to give him special consideration.”

  “He can’t stay with us forever. Our blood may slow his aging, but it won’t cure it. And what of his parents? What will he tell them?”

  “He wants to give them small amounts of vampire blood to keep them healthy too. It could be explained away as good family heritage and clean living. There are two new farms to the south just since we’ve been gone. We need a human ally if we want to stay here.”

  The wind picks up, and I pull my coat closed. “It doesn’t matter what I think. It has been decided. I want to be alone.” I walk away, leaving him on the sand.

  “He wants to be part of something bigger than himself. Surely you can understand that,” he calls as I jump to a tree branch.

  Swinging to the next tree, I pick up speed in an effort to outrun my raging turmoil.

  Our sentinels continue to monitor the witches in Massachusetts. The coven lives integrated with the human population, and we don’t see evidence of more joining them from the Old World.

  A month later, I find myself beside Emmett on the cart. Somehow, I’ve been tricked into making a provision run to the port with him. Flour and sugar for his property sits beside nails and ropes for ours.

  “What are we building?” Emmett asks as we jostle along the path under a darkening sky.

  “They melt down the nails to make swords.”

 
; “I’ll have to learn that.”

  “I’m surprised there’s something you don’t know.” I smile up at him. Every time I see him he’s with a different group using new tools.

  “I don’t know much about you. No one ever talks about our queen.”

  “Don’t refer to me as Queen. We’re friends.”

  “You pretend to be a friend to my mother. You treated me as friend once. Now you avoid me.”

  “I thought you were in training.”

  “I am. But I would think you’d be interested to know how I’m doing.”

  I look to the sky. “That’s why I have Will and Jacob.”

  “And Gregor and Mambi.” He nudges my shoulder. “Mother inquired about us. She thinks I should find a wife.”

  Shrugging, I scan the forest, keeping watch as we travel the barren road. “You’re welcome to marry.”

  “But, I want to marry you. It would make Mother happy.” He pulls the reins, slowing the horses to a stop. “Please consider it. Or does my presence offend?”

  “No, to the contrary, I enjoy your company. But, we’re not well matched. There can’t be anything more between us.”

  “I would be fine with that. I have pledged my loyalty to your cause already.”

  I don’t want to talk about intimacy, so I skirt the subject. “That’s not fair to either of us.”

  “You’re waiting for another?” He rests his hand on my forearm, and his eyes hold mine.

  “No.” I expel a breath.

  He jerks his hand away and flicks the reins. The cart lurches forward. “You just think it would be unfair to me?”

  “Yes, it would be. I’m sorry. I think of you as a comrade. I can’t reciprocate your feelings.”

  “I gave that up the night you returned from Mexico.”

  “Then, why still insist?”

  “It was Jacob’s idea, because of the talk in the town. You all look eighteen. It’s odd. It would be helpful for them to see a normal married couple.”

  “But we can’t—” A snapping sound catches my attention, and I cut my eyes to the source.

  An arrow whistles towards us. I shove Emmett to the floor as I dodge the tip. Rustling noises from each side of the cart signal an ambush. I slide to the floor and grab the reins, flicking them hard to signal the horses to gallop. With a gust of wind, two bronze bare-chested beings appear in front of our rig.

  Their musk hangs heavy, and I scan the trees, searching for more of them. The horses buck, kicking their front hooves in the air. I fight to keep the animals in control. Beside me, the scent of fresh blood, heavy with berries and tinged with metal, wafts to me. Looking to Emmett, I see a large gash in his forearm.

  “What did you do?” I deflect another arrow as it barrels at me.

  “I’m saving my queen.” Emmett pushes me to the floorboard and takes the reins, redirecting the horses into the forest.

  As the cart jostles over the bumpy ground, he kicks me, and I fall into the dirt. I roll as I hit the ground and jump to the first tree.

  Will drops from a branch opposite me and gives chase. I dart after him. “What about Emmett?”

  “He’s not the target. Can you smell them? Where did they come from?” Will sucks in a deep breath as we run.

  “I don’t know. I was distracted.”

  “You and me both. Damn human drama.”

  I jump into a tree and swing from branch to branch, trying to position myself above them. They are fast, and I push my muscles to match their pace. All the while, I take in every clue I can from the environment. Then it hits me, the slight tinge of smoke in the air.

  “Smell the smoke? It’s a trap.” I halt my pursuit.

  Will freezes in front of me. “You’re right.” He lets out a sharp whistle.

  Emmett approaches on one of the horses and slides from its back. “What’s going on?"

  “Fire. We smell smoke.”

  “Come with me. I can keep you safe on my family’s property.” Emmett tugs at my arm.

  Will shakes his head. “You don’t know anything about Anne if you think she will leave her people while we’re under attack. Let’s loop around the other side, try to get a sense of what’s going on.”

  Will and I start to run, and Emmett chases on horseback. Light grows in the south, and smoke grows thicker. As we approach the main compound, the smell of blood almost overpowers me. My eyes cut to the skirmishes between our tribe members and bare-chested attacking vampires, assessing there to be at least sixty enemies in the space.

  “Emmett, go save as many animals as possible. Help get the fire out.” I point him towards the barn, knowing he won’t last a second in direct combat.

  Seeing Will drop his first enemy, I run to aid Gregor. “You shouldn’t be here, Anne.”

  The attacker swings at me, giving Gregor a clean shot. His dagger slits the vampire’s throat.

  Another five enemy tribesmen run from the woods. I keep one occupied while Gregor runs a blade through the man’s middle. We move to the next skirmish.

  A tall vampire wearing a feathered headdress saunters towards me. With hatchets in each hand, he crouches and circles us.

  “What do you want?” I ask.

  “Do you not recognize my tribe? We have amassed many against you. You have more numbers than I anticipated. But at least we can send a message. You cannot enter a foreign land and make new rules for us.”

  Sniffing the air, I search my memory for similarity. Then, it hits me, an image of warriors lined on a tribe’s border in South Florida. They’d said nothing, only stood there as if in silent protest.

  There’s not time to argue politics and I lunge at him with my javelin. My spear pierces his torso just beneath his ribs, but he doesn’t stop. I pull my dagger from my boot and jab at his arm. Pulling the spear from his side, he barrels towards me. Guessing the chief to be stronger but perhaps not quicker, I take a running step and leap over him. Spinning around I kick my leg out, and my foot lands on his chin as he faces me.

  Off balance for a second, he compensates and comes at me again. I take in my surroundings. The fire seems to be contained, but all my forces in the vicinity are locked in combat. The sentinels within hearing distance haven’t returned, and I fear they were taken down first. The tribe attacked from the south save the ambush on Emmett and me. I’m comforted thinking my western and northern scouts should be safe as they would have been too far away to round up.

  Eyes gleaming, the chief studies me. “At a loss, Princess? Is that what they call you?”

  “No.” I hold his stare. “They call me Queen.” I sweep my left leg around, hitting his calf. His knee buckles, and he falls. The next second, he grabs my ankle, and I slam into the sand.

  A guttural cry echoes through the space, and I know it’s Jacob’s. I scan the bodies, looking for him. To my left, he falls to his knees beside Mambi. “Jacob!” I yell. “Go! Take her!”

  His eyes lock on mine. The next second, he jumps to his feet and thrashes his spear into the skull of the vampire beside him. Hands pull at my leg, and I refocus on the chief. He scrapes my body over the dirt. Injured but healing, he thinks smart to conserve energy. I flip and land my dagger in his forearm. Still, he claws at me with the other hand. I stab his bicep, ripping a gash in his muscle.

  Jumping to my feet, I loom over him, wondering for a second if I can kill again. Arms wrap around my middle, halting my blow. I kick my boots into the shins of my captor and punch at his torso. He’s huge, twice as big as me at least, and my thrashing has no effect on the grip on my chest. Before me, the chief rises to his feet. His mouth draws up on one side. “So, Queen, what have you to say now?”

  Inhaling a breath, the scent of blood, human blood, accosts my senses. A hush falls over the clearing, as if we freeze in place. With another lung full of air, I realize whose blood is spilled. Emmett!

  Not wanting to lose our advantage, I sink my fangs into the arm holding me and squirm from his grasp. The chief runs in the direction of the smell
of blood, and I start after him, a host of other vampires trailing me. Jumping to the window sill, the chief scales up the barn. Looking up, I see Emmett standing on the top, blood dripping from his wrist.

  Rage and horror erupt in my thoughts. I jump to the window and bound towards the chief, missing his foot as he fords the roof. As I swing my legs over the edge of the shingles, I see Emmett running the other way. The chief darts after, and I follow. The next second, my soldiers jump to the roof and surround the chief.

  Gregor and another our tribesmen named John take hold of his arms. “Queen, the honor is yours.” Gregor pushes the chief towards me.

  Realizing my left hand clenches my dagger, I let it fall to my side. I straighten my spine. “What say you, chief?”

  I rotate in a slow circle, taking stock of the battle. Emmett’s stunt gave us the upper hand, and fifty-six, I count quickly, of the chief’s men lie dead save two held by Jacob and Will.

  The chief’s jaws swivel in their sockets, and he spits on my feet. I jump back to avoid the liquid, guessing it to be venom. “I know you don’t enjoy killing. I wonder if you’ll live by your own law and have me stand fair trial or kill me with your own hands.”

  “We will live by the law. Shackle him in the hot house.”

  “How will there be a fair trial?” Jacob yells.

  “We’ll ask for witnesses. Gather representatives from neighboring tribes.”

  “But, it’s their word against ours.” Will clenches the arms of his captive.

  “That’s for tomorrow. Secure him and the other two. Keep six guards watching at all times. We attend to our own tonight.”

  I let Gregor and John pass with the chief. Then, I set my sights on Emmett who holds a piece of his shirt against the wound on his arm. I walk towards him with slow deliberate steps, willing my rage to abate one breath at a time. Reaching him, I release my fangs and puncture my wrist, letting the blood from the vein collect in my cupped hand. I offer Emmett the liquid and he wraps slurps it from my palm.

  “Let me see.” Taking a step back, I lift his injured wrist and unwrap it. With my fresh blood pumping through his veins, the wound closes and begins to heal.