The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  With the tribunal complete, we sail back to New England before the first freeze and reach our coastal home by Mabon. My eyes follow the embers as they rise with the heat from the flames of our bonfire. The shards of light remind me of the sparks from Lucas’s wings, and I close my eyes to reset my thoughts. The exercise proves unsuccessful, as it has all year. I can’t get his blue eyes, square chin, or muscular frame out of my head.

  I wonder why I hold onto his memory. Surely, I haven’t developed a fascination with an elusive being. Perhaps his memory serves to distract me from the idea that I may never love again. If I fantasize that I love him, and he loves me, then it fills my longing for a soul mate, someone with eyes only for me, another heart to complete mine. And I imagine this world, that has left me stripped of my family and betrothed, not to be as cruel as it seems. For as much as I say that my life is complete, I long to experience that oneness, the feeling of pure contentment, of lying in another’s arms again.

  “What are you dreaming of, child?” Elizabeth’s voice brings me from my thoughts.

  “Just entranced by the flames.”

  She wraps an arm around my shoulders. “You don’t seem happy this holiday.”

  “I am.” I force a smile. “The tribunal went well. We made great progress.”

  “What is next, my little dove?”

  “The witches. We need an agreement of peace with the witches.”

  “I’m sure you will achieve it.” Releasing me, she pats my knee and stands.

  I’ve learned not to engage the witches in the year before the turn of the century. Even with the tribunal behind us and our compound a seeming fortress, I can’t help being nervous as the winter solstice nears. My apprehension grows as I contemplate with mixed feelings seeing Lucas, and the equal chance that he won’t come. Has he even thought of me in the past one hundred years? Why do I think of him with fondness? Just because he showed a moment’s interest in me?

  The sun sets early, and we build a fire of logs higher than my head in the center of our property. The game and wine are plentiful, and the merriment of the group warms my heart. Seeing the families dancing around the fire, memories of Alec surface.

  To my right, I spot Will engaged in an arm-wrestling match with Gregor, Jacob spurring them on. Elizabeth and Orm dance with the younglings. I know I shouldn’t leave alone. With our history of attacks on this date, it’s possibly the worst time to venture out on my own. Still, I can’t help but to take advantage of my friends’ distractions.

  Walking slowly through the forest, bare feet to the cold ground, I listen for every minute sound. With each change in the wind and new smell, I freeze, waiting for Sonia to appear. I reach the beach and dig my toes into the soft sand. With a clear sky above and the waves lapping the shore, my senses start to relax.

  Swimming seems too big a risk, and I walk along the beach, watching the waves come in and go out. Gauging from the night sky, I guess there to be three hours to midnight. My hopes of seeing Lucas fade with each swell that breaks on the sand.

  As the wind changes direction, the music from our festivity floats to my ears. I kick at the whitecaps, jump into the air, take running leaps, and flip head over heels. My muscles tire, and I sway with the beat of the tune.

  A swoosh of warm air causes my body to go rigid. Taking just a sliver of a second, I contemplate my options. My only defense is speed. I bolt north, hoping to make it to our cave hideout. Within a hundred feet, I realize I have no pursuer and huddle behind a boulder, cursing myself for being paranoid. Another gust of heated air tickles my skin, and a flash of light causes bright spots to form in my field of vision.

  Lucas’s deep voice sounds in my ears. “I scared you. Perhaps I need a better approach strategy.”

  I lift my face to see his muscled form atop the rock. My first impulse is to yell at him. Where have you been? I swallow and take a deep breath. “Yes, perhaps in the future, you could just approach like a normal being.”

  He jumps to the sand beside me, wings disappearing into his back. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be out here alone. Especially on such a cursed night when the dark spirits rule the skies.”

  “You’re the only spirit I’ve seen in the heavens tonight.”

  “Aye, but I’m flesh.” He stretches out his muscled arms.

  “For now.”

  Running his hand through golden hair, he looks to the stars. “These are not things we should speak of.”

  “Then what shall we speak of? Why are you here?”

  “I saw you alone.”

  “From where? How did you see me? You happened to be flying overhead?”

  “Yes, well, you have a habit of attracting bad company, so I may have been watching.”

  “Where else have you been?” My eyes find his and blue flecks of his irises dance in the moonlight.

  “Let’s walk.” He motions down the beach.

  After a few steps, I repeat my question.

  “You’re very demanding. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “No one ever speaks ill of me because I am the queen, and the queen is always right.” I lift my chin into the air.

  “Forgive me, my lady.” He bends his knees, and lowers his chest, bowing his head.

  “Stop.” I push on his bicep. As I touch his skin, a tingling sensation shoots through my fingers up my arm, and spreads throughout my body. “What’s that?”

  “Again, with the questions. I have been about.”

  “Doing what?” I jump in front of him as he restarts our walk.

  “Helping people.”

  “So, is that what you do all the time, help people?”

  “Yes.” He points to the sand ahead, and we resume our pace. “Also, I enjoy swimming.”

  “Swimming? You can fly and you enjoy swimming?”

  “Yes, there’s something quiet and tranquil about the water.”

  “I like swimming too.”

  “I know.” His eyes sparkle as a smile spreads across his face. He halts midstride and looks to the sky. “I should go. Let me escort you back to your friends.”

  “Don’t you have until midnight? You sat with me before.”

  “For a bit, yes.” He shakes his shoulders, and his wings unfurl. Shards of light spew from the ends of each feather.

  Then, I think that maybe I’ve misread him. Perhaps he’d only spent time with me to ease my grief, not because he wished to be in my company. I turn in the direction of our compound and quicken my steps. “I’m sorry to have burdened you.”

  “No.” He grabs my hand, and my nerves nearly explode under his touch. “I’m sorry. It’s complicated. Even though I’m allowed the freedom of this form, I’m not untethered from my duties.”

  My emotions careen out of control, trying to figure out why he has returned to me and how I feel about being with him and being without him. I snatch my hand from his grip. “Perhaps you should go.”

  “It’s for the best.” He takes a step back, and his eyes pan to the sky. “Please, I need to see you to the safety of your tribe.”

  Cold air surrounds me, and I lace my arms in each other. I look to the sky, realizing clouds seemed to have formed where clear sky reigned minutes ago. “Of course.”

  He extends his wings behind me as we walk, and they warm my skin. Weaving through the buildings, he stops before we cross into the center courtyard. His eyes cut to the sky again. I look up to see thick gray clouds swirling above. When my eyes find his face, a shadow passes over his brow.

  Lucas grabs my arm and pulls me under the eaves of the nearest structure. “Get everyone inside.”

  “What’s going on?”

  The muscles around his eyes tighten. “Everything will be fine. Look, here’s your friend.” He motions to the field, and I see Will crossing to us. Lucas’s warm fingers wrap around mine, sending the now familiar tingling sensation through me. I squeeze his hand. He releases me and, with a jump, shoots into the sky. I watch his form, a white blur, and then a spot, like a star. />
  Will’s eyes follow Lucas’s trail. “I see your friend showed after all. Is that where you were? With him? I’ve been looking everywhere.”

  “We need to get everyone inside.” I lift my skirt and run towards the center of the court where everyone else seems oblivious to the growing storm.

  As we cross the courtyard, shadows of winged creatures zoom across the field. I look up to see the clouds turning black. “Did you see that?”

  Will grabs my hand and starts to run. “The winged beings that seem to be invisible? Something wicked this way comes, I believe, My Queen.”

  I hate to cause panic, so I sound the whistle for a weather event. It’ll get everyone inside. Lightning is a common occurrence, and we have a healthy respect for the damage it causes. Inside the main building, I walk through the rooms, taking count of my soldiers. Finding Jacob and Gregor, I hear their reports. All are accounted for.

  “Oddest weather I’ve ever seen,” Orm comments as I press my face to the glass.

  Fog rolls in, so thick I can’t see the building twenty feet from us. Then, a flash of light cuts through the gray, and I jump. Bolts of lightning litter sky through the night. There’s no wind, no rain, just heavy fog and the lightning. I bite my lip, fearing for Lucas and his fate. As dawn approaches, we start to see filtered rays of sun through the low cloud. The sun evaporates the moisture, and I venture out under a blue sky.

  “Where are they?” I look to Orm.

  “Guess it was just a storm after all.” Orm holds my gaze.

  “You know I don’t believe that.”

  “Let’s not guess at things we can’t know the answers to.”

  Knowing he speaks of Lucas, I square my shoulders. “Just a passing squall. I’ll check the livestock.”

  My stomach is pitted with fear. Did Lucas survive whatever battle occurred? Did the witches come for us and he die defending me and my people? Why do I care so much for him? He saved me and those closest twice. That’s his purpose, I tell myself. He’s supposed to protect you.

  We won’t know Lucas’s fate for one hundred years, and there’s nothing to be done with the question of his well-being. Thoughts of him come to mind often, and I push them away for fear fret of the unknown will consume me. I experience twinges of guilt as I realize he may be replacing Alec in my heart. No, not replacing, I insist. A realization that perhaps I’ve finished mourning Alec seeps in. His absence isn’t crippling anymore, and I wonder if I may let myself love again.

  As 1817, the predicted year of the Children of Light, comes and goes, we vampires feel no more spirit-filled than before, and Orm reports no change, so we assume the curse stands. I reach out to Marcus of Michael’s line as he seems the highest in the witch’s leadership with passion for peace. Still the only witch covens willing to talk with us are the handful we’d gathered before, and even they do not agree to attend the next tribunal. In the end, even Marcus walks away from his stance with no explanation.

  With escalating tension, we return to the crystal cave in 1849, convening for the summer solstice. Representatives from the world over descend into the sweltering passages under and around the giant crystals, into a large cavern.

  “Napoleon was a crazed lunatic half-bred witch product with thirst for blood. We find no evidence that a vampire initiated his siring. You can’t expect us to sit passively by and not defend our tribes,” an ambassador from Germany proposes. Calls of agreement rumble through the crowd.

  I shake my head. “That’s not what I ask. Just uphold the covenants we’ve agreed to before. We do not engage the witches, do not expose ourselves, do not kill unless in defense.”

  “What if the witches expose us? What then?” one from London asks.

  A female from France stands. “We could expose them first. It’s been done before. My father told me a story of how our people exposed the witches and convinced humans we were needed to keep people safe. The humans will beg us to rid the world of witches.”

  “How do we do that? The world has moved on from witchcraft. Salem has been deemed a horrible mad tragedy.” Another’s voice is laced with intrigue.

  “Lure them out and make them use their powers in front of the humans,” the French woman answers.

  I raise my hand to call for silence. “Have you forgotten the great flood? How the witches killed thousands of animals, humans, even their own, trying to rid the world of our species?”

  “You sound as mad as the humans of Salem, crazed with fear and hysteria.” Orm’s voice is weak with the harsh conditions, and he draws in a labored breath. “Why are you fearful? Nothing has changed. So, the witches won’t talk. They weren’t talking before you sought peace. Nothing has changed.”

  A German male jumps, landing inches from Orm. “Your people’s population increases with every passing year. We can defend ourselves when we outnumber you, but not if witches are able to amass an army as big as ours. That’s why we must talk of strategy for eliminating your race.”

  Not exactly sure how to quell the situation, I insert myself between the German and Orm.

  Hushed whispers grow in the room. I hold Orm’s gaze for a second, then confront the German. “You are correct. We can’t stand against armies of witches. But, Orm is a friend to us. He has provided valuable information about how we may seek peace with the witches. Please, treat him with respect. He wants the same thing we do—peace for our people.”

  “Where has that gotten us?” the German spits in the dirt beside my feet.

  “We planted the seed. The witches know we want to talk. That’s all we can do for now.”

  “Yet, they still breed these halfling mixtures of beings.”

  “We can’t say how these beings were sired,” I put forth.

  “I tire of these talks.” An old female vampire from the Congo stands. “Can we agree to uphold the covenants?”

  There’s a second, and the vote is unanimous to keep the edicts, although the German and several others abstain from being counted for or against. Next, they discuss representation and decide our group is too big. They move to vote within regions and send twelve delegates to a tribunal in fifty years.

  With the Gold Rush, we move north and inland. I’m sad to leave the coast, but the humans in search of wealth have little regard for others. I know it would only be a matter of time before our people are exposed by accident. The United States is plunged into Civil War over human rights and control of law-making, and most of us feel happy to be away from the debate and death.

  “I don’t understand why we just can’t aid the North. The war would be over in one battle,” Jacob argues.

  “Or at least we could eat someone,” Will quips.

  Jacob rolls his eyes and turns to me. “How can you sit by and let this happen?”

  “If you want to help their army, I’m not stopping you. This isn’t a dictatorship. But, I won’t be involved in human affairs.”

  When war ends the humans turn their attention to scientific progress and travel. The transcontinental railway brings more humans west, and we see the first telephone, electric light bulb, and first skyscraper built.

  It becomes more and more evident that, as we did on the east coast, we must again assimilate into human culture. Returning to our lands in California, we find a city teeming with people and our Spanish neighbors having established El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula which in English translated to The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula.

  “Home of the angels,” I repeat to myself, thinking of Lucas.

  “What was that?” Orm asks as we tour our plot of land.

  “Nothing, there’s bit of work to be done, but it will be beautiful again.”

  “As long as we still have a beach. Right, Anne?” Will smiles at me.

  In 1898, Marcus reaches out to open a dialogue. Because he abandoned talks with no explanation before, I’m wary of his intentions. He explains that like us, the witches realize, that blending is the best way to
preserve our species.

  “There’s little space left, technology advances quickly, we don’t want war with your race,” Marcus tells me as we walk the beach.

  “We’ll need assurances. After you left last time, my people will not be so quick to believe you. There have been too many mixed beings, and they seem to be of witch origin. Besides being evil monsters, these beings risk exposing us all.”

  “I believe we have enough support to sign such a contract.”

  “We will meet again next year then, agreed?”

  “Yes, agreed.” Marcus dips his chin and jumps into the air, his form disappearing within seconds.

  “You think it’s wise to make deals with these beings?” Will asks as he joins me.

  “I’m not really making a deal. We decided long ago that siring a mixed being should be forbidden.”

  “But to pledge it to another species is a different matter. Can trials still be internal?”

  “I don’t know.” I stare into the sea, wondering if Lucas is still alive and if I will see him the next year.

  Sailing to England, and then to Ireland, we hold the conclave days before the Mabon of 1899. Two representatives from each continent, save Antarctica, have been elected to serve as electors. I speak for the western area of North America stretching from the Mississippi to the Pacific, and the Mexican border to Alaska.

  The twelve of us draw up guidelines as to how elected representatives should decide and enforce law. The governing body established by the twelve chooses me, Anne of Scotts, as the first Chancellor of the vampire race. The chancellor holds the duties of organizing the meetings, keeping discussion on task, and breaking a tie if one arises. The sole outstanding issue becomes a proposed agreement with the witches. In the end, we draft a treaty outlining edicts for behavior, including peace between our species, and illegality of mixed-species beings, with accused judged by a jury of equal number of vampires and witches.

  It falls on me to negotiate a treaty with the witch leaders, and I meet Marcus in London. There are weeks of talks and meetings with hundreds of their coven leaders.