The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  Stunned for a second, it jumps up and whips around, the tail catching Will’s ankles and knocking him to the ground.

  I chuckle. “It’s a worthy foe.”

  Will bounds up and grabs the animal by the snout. It thrashes its head forward, sending Will rolling over the ground. Will lunges at the animal, but it opens its mouth wide.

  “You don’t want to lose an arm in that,” I yell at him.

  He circles the animal. Mouth agape, the alligator follows Will, never letting him get around back. Will jumps over the gator, but it can’t spin fast. It bobs its head back and forth, chomping at air.

  “Leave it be,” I tell Will as he tires.

  “Do you think the meat tastes good?” Will hops over the animal to stand in front of me.

  “Too much work. Are you ready to rest?”

  “I think we should pick another spot.” Will offers me his hand.

  “Higher in the trees, maybe?”

  He chuckles. “Yes.”

  We spend the next two days the same way, pushing our muscles to their limits, and studying the landscape, animals, turkeys, herons, beavers, snakes, and fauna, huge trees with moss hanging from each branch, plants growing from lake bottoms with leaves that rest on the water top.

  “Do you dread going back?” Will asks as we approach our property with the setting sun.

  “No, I feel rested, refreshed.”

  “You still miss Mambi.”

  “I will always miss her. And I miss Jacob.”

  “He does tend to be funnier than I am.”

  I stop and tug at his arm. “Thank you for this.”

  “Of course, Queen.” He winks and swats the dirt off my pant leg.

  Coming up the path, I catch Eugene Schmidt’s scent. “Why is Eugene here? I can’t see him like this.”

  “Sneak in the back and clean up. I’ll run up to my quarters and do the same.”

  Tiptoeing in the back door and up the back staircase, I hear Gregor speaking with Eugene on the porch. “I thought they told you they’d be away. They’re due back tonight.”

  “Sorry, my wife must have been confused about their plans. She thought they would just be gone two days. When Anne didn’t come to call, she got worried. And I had a matter I wanted to discuss with Jacob if he has returned.”

  Gregor clears his throat. “We don’t expect Jacob for a long time.”

  “Then Will maybe.”

  “Yes, I’ll send someone to his quarters to check and see if they are back. John”—Gregor snaps his fingers—“can you go see if Anne and Will have arrived yet. Mr. Schmidt is anxious to talk with them.”

  I slip into my wash closet, shed my clothes, and jump in the bath. The water is cold, but there isn’t time to heat it. I scrub with soap and rinse. Then, I dry and slide on my house dress. Catching sight of my hair in the mirror, I sigh. I douse it with water and form a braid, winding it atop my head, and pinning it. Last, I twist small strands around my fingers forming ringlets next to my face. Exiting my room, I hear Will greeting Eugene.

  “Mr. Schmidt, what a pleasant surprise. It’s good to see you.”

  Jogging down the stairs, I chuckle at Will’s tense voice as I imagine him grimacing as he shakes Eugene’s hand. Will isn’t a social person, and humans are hard for him to be around without thinking of draining their vessels dry.

  “Yes, I hoped to speak with you or your brother.”

  “Of course.” I hear Will open the door and footsteps entering the front room.

  Slowing my pace, I meet them in the parlor.

  “Anne, look, Mr. Schmidt, has come to pay us a visit.” Gregor rises from his seat.

  Eugene stands as well. “Anne, it’s good to see you. If you don’t mind, and I hope you don’t think this rude of me, but I have matters to discuss with your brother.”

  “Of course.” I curtsey to him, and walk from the room, hiding on the other side of the wall.

  “What concerns you?” I hear Will ask Mr. Schmidt as their feet shuffle across the floor.

  “No concern,” Eugene begins, “just a request. As you probably realize, my son favors Anne very much. He believes it may be time to ask for her hand.”

  I suck in my breath and clench the doorframe for support. What has Emmett done? Why would he put me in this position?

  “I see.” I imagine Will’s face tensing.

  “So, you would be amenable to the union? He, of course, will come to ask your permission.”

  Will clears his throat. “Forgive me, I was not expecting to be in this position. But, I think my elder brother would also give you this answer. We only want Anne to be happy. It will be her choice.”

  “Of course, their happiness is paramount. My wife is very taken with Anne, and I think our families fit well together.”

  A laugh almost escapes my lips, and I fear I’ve become delirious.

  “We have a great amount of gratitude for your hospitality these past months. Anne appreciates it especially.”

  “So, Emmett may call on you to get your blessing? On the morrow perhaps?”

  I scream no in my head.

  “Yes,” comes Will’s reply.

  Waiting till I hear Eugene mount his horse and canter away, I zip outside, and catching Will off guard, shove him to the dirt. “Why did you say that? What were you thinking?”

  Will jumps to his feet. “Why did you attack me?”

  “Are you mad? You know I don’t favor Emmett.” I push Will’s shoulders.

  “You favor him as much as you’ve favored anyone since I’ve known you.”

  I will not marry him, I want to yell at him. Hearing others drawing near, I keep my voice even.

  Will locks eyes with me. “I told Eugene it would be your decision.”

  Maria, Sarita, Gregor, and John as well as a few more gather round us.

  “Emmett must have his reasons. Let’s hear him out tomorrow,” Will suggests.

  I address those gathered. “Has Emmett been here while we were gone? Did he say anything to you?”

  “He sparred with me yesterday. Said something about the church service being tense, that the new human settlers are wary of us. That’s all,” Gregor reports.

  “He said the same to me the day before,” John adds.

  I want to storm into the house and up to my room. But, I dig my nails into my palms. “We’ll speak with Emmett tomorrow then. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

  As the vampires disperse, Will whispers to me. “You’re getting better at reining in your emotions.”

  “Not good enough, I fear. It doesn’t do to have a spoiled brat for a leader.”

  “You’re young. They know that.”

  “Sometimes I wonder why they follow me.”

  “That passion that so often hinders you also draws followers.”

  Wanting some space, I suggest he rest in his own quarters.

  “You know I don’t rest well apart from you.”

  “Good night then.” I lift my skirt and stomp up the stairs. In my room, marking pen on paper in hurried strokes, I write to Elizabeth. Most of the time I never send these emotion-fed ramblings, and tonight is no different. I rip the pages to shreds.

  It’s hard to rest, wondering why Emmett makes such a bold move. Why would he try to force me into the marriage? When the sun rises, I gather the eggs, milk the cows, feed the goats, and check on the crops. I’m too wound up to call on Mary, although I’d promised. Instead, I take a swim at midday, hear reports, and then spar with Will and Gregor under the shade of the trees.

  As dusk descends, I hear hoofs beating on the dirt path and catch Emmett’s scent drifting on the wind. I gather Will and Gregor, and we wait for Emmett on the front porch. As he slides off the horse, he bows, one knee to the ground. My breath catches in my throat, thinking he means to propose right then.

  “Queen.” Looking up, he lays a hand over his heart. “Please, you must be very confused by my actions. But know that I have the interest of the tribe in mind. Workers
on our property as well as the new settlers have many questions about the odd group that lives here. You look nothing alike, save that you’re all young and strong. If you want to stay, blend in, you need to appear more traditional. What better way to solidify your place in the community than marrying me?”

  I hate to admit his strategy makes sense. Still, the girl in me yells no, not only grieving for the marriage with Alec I will never have, but for Emmett, as I will not lie with him as a wife would. “Let us walk.”

  Walking through the marshes, I think of my people. Many are mated, and several are with child. All seem content, happy to have land to call our own. The track spans several miles with shoreline to the east, wide forest ringing it, a small pond, and enough room for fields. Save the issue with the invading tribe, proximity to humans, and Emmett, I too am happy here.

  I stop when we reach the beach. “I’ve made my opinions about a marriage between us clear.”

  “For all the reasons I said before, this is a good idea. My mother already loves you like a daughter, and this would make her so happy.”

  I pace in front of him. “So, you’re doing this for your parents and our tribe?”

  “I won’t say that it won’t make me happy too. Do I repulse you that much?”

  Looking over the water, I force myself to speak the truth aloud. “No, you’re quite nice to look at and good company. But, we could not be together as man and wife. There would be no children. Halflings are forbidden.”

  I feel the sand move as he approaches. “Gregor told me that and the story of Black Crow. I’ve already committed myself to your tribe. You know that. I’ve never met another like you. I can’t imagine I will. You’re who I want for my wife.”

  “This isn’t the only way to make the settlers more comfortable with us. We’ll host the church service in a couple of weeks. They’ll see that we can be trusted.”

  “And they’ll see further just how different you are from them. This is the best way.”

  “What happens when we have no children?”

  “Others in the tribe will have children. The settlers will see them.” His large eyes plead with me. I know he wants this for himself, for his parents.

  “Youngling vampires can’t be trusted around humans till age two at the earliest.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You see us as civilized, but that’s not our true nature. We’re animals to our core.”

  He grabs my hand. “You’re not a monster.”

  I hold his stare. “Every time you touch me, I fight the urge to hurt you. Animals do not like to be tethered. The tribe that attacked us wanted to be able to live as they have for centuries, taking what food source pleases them. Humans, people, are our meal of choice.”

  Releasing my hands, he takes a step back. His face contorts as he processes what I’ve said. “You think I would be delicious?”

  “Yes. But I was trained from a young age to think of humans as equals, not a food source. To stop breathing when they were near, look everywhere but the vein on your neck. All of us in this tribe live that way. We have to if our race is to survive.”

  “Why is human blood different from other animals?”

  I look beyond him to the woods. “Does it matter why? Just as the squirrel has a favorite mushroom or the fox prefers rabbit, humans remain the first choice of our race. Your blood strengthens us like no other.”

  Emmett bends over and picks up a stick from the sand. He tosses it in the surf. Spinning to face me, he grabs my shoulders. “Put me out of my misery, make me like you.”

  Pushing his chest, I break his grip, and he stumbles back. “I told you. Don’t you see babies being born as vampires? We can’t make you like us. I told you that in the beginning.”

  “All the stories about the demons of the night, there has to be some truth in them.”

  I shake my head. “Humans didn’t want to believe their loved ones were gone forever. It was easier for them to think they’d become monsters than died at the hands of them. Even if you could be like me, you wouldn’t want it. To live in fear of exposure, being on the run for centuries.”

  He kicks at a wave as it crests on the beach.

  “What say you now?” I ask after a few minutes.

  His chin drops, and then he lifts his eyes to meet mine. “You become more beautiful with everything I learn about you. I would be honored to be your husband. I will leave you to ponder the decision, Queen.”

  Bowing before me, he turns and walks away. I lean over and pick up a rock. My mind craves release from the strain of the day, and my muscles ache with tension. I fling the stone as hard as I can, watching it sail above the water until it loses height. Emmett has forced my hand. If I refuse, relations with his family will be strained. My friendship with him, however tenuous it has been, would cease. He’s correct on many points, and this angers me further. I know many eyes must be watching, and I start to walk south.

  Will’s scent drifts to me, and I sense him just beyond the tree line. I know he will keep his distance until I call him. I study the grains of sand beneath my feet, the waves as they lap upon the shore, the birds floating on the wind, the blue sky above, trying to cool my rage.

  “Will.” I face the forest.

  He emerges from the trees and jogs to me. “Didn’t take you long.”

  “I want this to be done with. Do I need more information? Should we poll the group?”

  “While you were with Emmett, Gregor and I spoke with a number of our tribe. They are content here and would like to stay.”

  “Then I should marry Emmett?”

  “I will not suggest that choice. You have to make it.”

  “If there were another way, he has made it almost impossible for me to discover it. If I say no, I’ll likely isolate us further.”

  “You’re angry with him?”

  “Yes, aren’t you? I made it clear to him many times that I was not interested in a marriage to him.”

  “I can see both sides. He’s also craftier than I gave him credit for.”

  “Damn him.” I kick at the sand, sending a bunch into the air. The wind pushes it into my face. “Damn him.”

  “Does that mean you’re saying yes?”

  “Yes, tomorrow we should go to the Schmidts. Leave me for now. I’m taking a swim.”

  Unlike before, the sound of the surf and the sea salt beating on my skin grates my nerves, and I race to the cool pond to rinse off. My heart races and mind burns with anger, and I fear it will never abate. I long to be in Elizabeth’s arms, warm and safe like when I was little.

  Returning to my room, I stare into the empty hearth. It should be Alec, my mind screams, and the tears start to fall. Hearing a rap on my door, I blot my cheeks. Jacob stands in the hall, and I pull him into my room, wrapping my arms around his chest. “You came.”

  “Will sent for me. He didn’t think anyone else could console you.”

  “I wish Mambi were here,” I whisper into his ear.

  “I would like her to be here for you too. But I’m here.” He gathers my hair in his hands and smooths it down my back. “You won’t be sad forever.”

  “Sometimes I feel his loss like it happened yesterday.” I sob into his shoulder.

  “You’re not helping me feel any better about my future.”

  I pull away from him. “Forgive me. How have you been?”

  “Look at this.” He flexes his bicep.

  Placing my fingers on his arm, I find they don’t reach halfway around. “What are you eating?”

  “Deer mostly, some bobcat and fox.”

  “I should join you as sentinel.”

  “Who would stay behind to marry the humans?” He pokes me in the ribs and chuckles.

  I slump into my chair. “What have I done?”

  “What any good queen would do. I’m proud of you.”

  “It may only last twenty years.”

  “Or half a century with our blood in his system. We’ll get tired of living here by
then.” Jacob jumps and lands on my bed.

  “Hey.” I swat at him. “Not with your traveling shoes on.”

  “Look at you all queenly and dainty. What? Can’t get dirty now?”

  “I’ll show you dirty!” I snatch the pillow from behind his head and rip it open, sending feathers everywhere. Dipping my hand in the heating pot, I fling water on him and smash a handful of goose down onto his skin.

  “Now, it’s war!” He grabs another pillow and lands a blow on my head.

  We jump around the room, dodging each other’s attempts at landing hits. The chair topples, and I jump on the bed. Jacob joins me, and it gives under the pressure, crashing to the floor.

  The door swings open, and Will runs in. “What’s going on?”

  “A pillow fight.” I bounce on the mattress and throw him a pillow.

  Jacob holds up another. “How many of these do you have?”

  “I’m a Queen”—I twirl around—“a delicate flower that needs her soft pillows.”

  “Plus, you’re a spoiled brat.” Will grabs me by the middle and swirls in a circle.

  “The room is spinning,” I laugh.

  “Everything is spinning.” Jacob skips around us.

  “What’s going on?” Gregor asks from the hall.

  Will releases me, and I freeze realizing we have an audience. “It’s a pillow fight.” I launch a torn pillow at him.

  Gregor catches the cushion. “Have you been drinking?”

  “No, but we should.” I point at him. “Gather everyone and start the music.”

  One brings a fiddle and starts a jig in the main hall. Bottles of wine arrive in crates from the cool house. Jacob grabs me, and we skip around the room to the rhythm of the music. I raise a bottle to my lips and pass it to him. As he releases me, Will grabs my hand, and we continue the dance.

  Jacob jumps to the tabletop. “To My Queen!” A cheer goes up, and I lift my bottle and take another swig.

  Over the next week and a half, we buy fabric of blue and white satin and my dress—with a square low neck-line fitted to my waist, and three-quarter sleeves that fan out over my wrists—is assembled. There are fittings and alterations, tastings, cleaning, and decorating, as we ready the barn for the ceremony and main hall for a reception following. My only solace lies in that my marriage to Alec would have been different. Although we’d planned a public ceremony and party at Henry’s school, Elizabeth and Faye were to witness our handfasting ceremony in the woods the night before.