KIngdom of Embers (Kingdom Journals Book 1)

by Tricia Copeland

  “And I have to come?”

  “Yes dear, we are going. It will be good for you to bond with someone of your own kind.”

  Over mutual loathing of our mothers, I thought.

  Arriving at our condo, I went straight to my room and texted Hunter.

  I CAN’T COME OVER SATURDAY NIGHT. FAMILY THING.

  MY MOM WORKS TOMORROW NIGHT. COME OVER AFTER THE GAME. He wrote back.

  GOOD PLAN. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

  I’d never felt so alone than I did that night thinking about Nick, Hunter, Theron, Mother, joining a coven, turning eighteen, graduation, choosing a college, and vampire wars. Wishing I could turn off all my powers and vampire traits, I sobbed into my pillow.

  “My stars you look like death, child,” Elizabeth noted as I rose from my bed. “Heavens, I best make you quail eggs this morning. Your uniform is all laid out for you.”

  Seeing the red and white outfit reminded me of the day ahead. We had a pep rally and the cheerleaders would be eating as a group at lunch. Thinking I’d skip my vamp military training for a nap, I dressed and headed to the kitchen.

  Mother sat perched in her spot at the end of the bar like always, and I wished she would evaporate.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie? Elizabeth said you aren’t looking well. Are you eating okay?”

  “Probably not.”

  Elizabeth put a teacup in front of me. “This will fix you right up, dearie. I had Will dart over to get some quail eggs.”

  “Oh, how fun for Will being able to use his vampire skills like that.”

  “Alena.” Mother’s voice took on a commanding tone.

  “Sorry. I think I need a vacation.”

  “You’re only three weeks into school, dear.”

  “I’m not going to make it.”

  We sipped our tea in silence until Will arrived with the eggs. “I’ll see you at your game tonight.” Mother stood, and her clicking heels indicated her retreat from breakfast.

  “Is the thing with this boy bothering you?” Elizabeth asked as she set my egg cups in front of me.

  “Which boy?”

  “Theron.”

  “I don’t know. I just want things to go back to the way they were.” Those were my words, but I didn’t really mean them. Backwards was ignorance, and forwards was enlightenment, although it seemed to be a bumpy road.

  “Dear—”

  “Leave me alone, Elizabeth. I want to go to school and be a cheerleader, nothing else.”

  “As you wish.”

  Orm met me at the door, and I realized I’d missed his calming presence. But there were more pressing matters on my mind.

  “Do witches hate vampires?” I demanded as we entered the foyer.

  “I am not at liberty to say. What do you believe?” He pushed the button, calling for the elevator.

  “Theron is in the middle of his coven training. He’s already spilling information.” Thinking I was clever to hide my information behind Theron, I pressed on. “Do you think something is brewing?”

  “Child, you test every fiber of my being.”

  “Well, start my training.”

  “December twenty-first we will start, I promise. Six months before your birthday, I will not start any earlier.” We exited the elevators and made our way to the car. “What is the bracelet you wear?”

  “I picked it up at a second-hand store. I thought it was cute.”

  “Will they let you wear it with your uniform?”

  “We’ll see.”

  We weaved through traffic to school. With the tension between Orm and me, I’d never been so glad to see the entrance. I clutched my backpack and, jumping out of the vehicle, waved goodbye to Orm.

  I found Sophie with the other cheerleaders. As I greeted her, Hannah stomped over and lifted my wrist.

  “What is this?”

  “I had an episode. My mom flipped out and is making me wear this medical bracelet. She thought it looked cool.”

  “Well it looks like someone bought it at a thrift shop.”

  “I know. But it even has this alarm thing. I can’t take it off without my mom knowing.” Grateful the leather strip was fitted with a metal plate, I spun it on my wrist.

  “I guess you have to wear it then. Maybe find a ribbon and weave it through or something.”

  “That’s an awesome idea. Thanks, Hannah.”

  “We’ll go at lunch.” Sophie added.

  As Hannah retreated, Sophie pulled me to the wall.

  “You didn’t tell me you got sick.”

  I hated lying to Sophie but needed the story to stick. “It was over the weekend.”

  “I guess we haven’t talked much this week. Hey, do you want to sleep over tonight? Maybe we can hang out with the guys after the game and then go to my house.”

  “I can’t. My mom is still freaking out about me getting sick.”

  “Well, maybe we can go shopping tomorrow afternoon. I still have to find a dress.”

  “That will be perfect,” I agreed.

  She caught me up on everything else I’d missed on our trip to the craft store at lunch. My fake health episode even helped hide my avoidance of Nick as she reported he had asked if something was up with me.

  “Why don’t you get red and white, that way you can make a braid?” She held up two ribbons.

  “Works for me.”

  “Will your friend Hunter be at the game tonight?”

  “I think so. That might be awkward, right?”

  “Way.” She rolled her eyes. “Pray he’s not sporting school colors.”

  I started to worry that my family might see Hunter with my bracelet. There was nothing I could do, so I dropped the thought in the barrel-of-uncontrollable-situations area of my brain. At least I could talk to Sophie about Theron.

  In class, I ignored Ganby as he ranted about the unofficial bling piece on my wrist. After school, we warmed up and rode the bus to the Samo High stadium. Mother, Elizabeth, and Orm sat right in front of the cheerleader box, and their presence increased my anxiety.

  Hunter approached, and I ran up to him. “You can’t kiss me here,” I whispered, keeping my hands secured behind my back and a good foot’s buffer between us.

  “Why?”

  “My family is watching.”

  “When do I get to meet them by the way?”

  Figuring Mother would be suspicious if I didn’t introduce him, I motioned to them. “I guess you can now?”

  I led him up the bleachers. “Mother, Elizabeth, Orm, this is Hunter. Remember, I told you I met him at the library. He goes to Samo.”

  “Hi, Hunter.” Mother extended her hand for him to shake, and Elizabeth and Orm repeating the same gesture.

  “I’m sorry, but what is Samo?” Mother continued.

  “Oh, sorry, Santa Monica High. That’s the school we’re playing today.”

  “Oh, got it, like Uni. Nice to meet you, Hunter.” Mother smiled

  “You too.”

  “Do they know I’m your boyfriend?” he asked as he followed me to the field.

  “Not exactly. I’m not supposed to have boyfriends, so…”

  “Okay, well, I hope that will change.”

  “This year is the first time she’s even let me go out with friends, so I’m hoping it will.”

  “Plus, of course, when they see how awesome I am…” He shot me his winning smile.

  I fake-punched him on the arm. “I’ve got to go.”

  He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I want to kiss you so bad.”

  “Tonight. Bye.” I spun and sprinted to the field.

  Melody approached. “Who was that?”

  “A friend.”

  “I didn’t think you had friends. Well, besides Sophie.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “I met him at the library. He goes to Samo.”

  “I hope you aren’t ditching Nick.”

  “Nick and I are cool.”

  “Yeah, well, he thinks things are okay.” Melody’s hand went to he
r hip.

  “They are. Nick is the first guy I met here. I’m new. I don’t know anyone. I haven’t known people forever like you guys. Can’t we be friends?” I asked her.

  “You and Nick, or you and me?”

  “Either or both.”

  “I guess.” She rolled her eyes.

  Hoping I’d won Melody over, I refocused on my cheering duties. During the game, my attention was shared between our routines, watching Hunter, my family, and Nick on the field. By the end, my nerves felt like they had been frayed beyond repair.

  Mother, Elizabeth, and Orm met me on the grass.

  “You’re looking pale.” Mother felt my forehead. “Do you feel okay?”

  “Sure, just tired from the day.”

  “Well, I had Orm fetch you a smoothie. I didn’t want you to get sick like last week.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.” I took the drink from Orm.

  “Okay, well, we’ll see you in the morning. Have fun with Sophie.”

  When I approached Sophie, she had her hand to her hip. “No one’s going out. Everyone’s bummed we lost. And you can’t even hang out. This sucks.”

  We commiserated as we made our way to the locker rooms to grab our bags. I texted Hunter as I sipped my smoothie. DON’T THINK I CAN BE SEEN WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. I’LL MEET YOU AT YOUR APARTMENT IN AN HOUR.

  SOUNDS GOOD. I’M GOING TO HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS FOR A BIT.

  Finding Nick, I tried to cheer him up. “It was close, and you guys played really well.”

  “Yeah, I guess. But it’s senior year and our biggest rival.”

  “Sorry, I get it.”

  “We’ve got Pali next week. We can beat them. I know it. I hope you don’t mind. I don’t really feel like doing anything tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “It’s okay. I understand.” I heard Sophie call my name. “I’ll talk to you this weekend.” I turned and jogged to our bus.

  At Hunter’s apartment, I texted him to make sure he’d gotten home.

  ALMOST THERE, he messaged. I scanned the streets and found his approaching form.

  “Hi.” He smiled and leaned down to kiss me.

  I stood on my toes and returned his kiss, thinking that nothing had ever made me so happy.

  He lifted the bag in his hand. “I brought food.”

  “That was nice.”

  “So, you haven’t changed yet, I see. Not sure I like the ribbon on my bracelet.”

  “Oh.” I fiddled with the strands as we walked up the stairs. “You and a half-dozen other people. We’re not supposed to wear any jewelry, and I told them it was a medical ID bracelet.”

  “You that worried about me you couldn’t take it off for a day?”

  “I don’t know. I feel safer with it.”

  “How fast could you get to me anyway?” he asked.

  “I can run fast, and I know people, so…”

  “And there are these things called vehicles. Do I get to know who these people are?”

  I followed him around the apartment as he put the food in the kitchen and dropped his backpack in his room. “Maybe once your magic is really stable. Do you mind if I change?”

  “Oh, sure, go ahead.”

  Closing the door to his room, I changed to leggings and a sweater.

  When I let him in, he crossed to the closet. “Hey look.” He showed me his newly organized space. “My mom thought I was sick or something.”

  “Sweet.” I sat down on the pillow inside.

  “I know.” He sat in front of me and planted a kiss on my lips.

  With his soft cool mouth pressed to mine, I could have kissed him all night.

  “Okay.” I waved my hands in the air. “Focus.”

  He smiled and wrapped his hands around mine. “What are we learning today? I’ve mastered levitation. I can even lift my bed.”

  “Man, you’ve been practicing. You’re getting strong. You head doesn’t hurt after?”

  “A little, but it’s not bad.”

  I went through the list of my capabilities, and he brought in his mother’s half-dead plant. Cupping his palms over the branches, he pulled the last bit of water and nutrients from the soil into its roots up to the leaves, which expanded with renewed life.

  “I guess it still needs water.” He crossed the room and filled a cup.

  “That would help.”

  “Can I make water fall out of the air?”

  “I would imagine you could cool the water in the air until it condenses,” I told him, feeling like a huge science techie person.

  “Sweet. Can I set something on fire?”

  “Yes, heat the object until it sparks.”

  “This is awesome!” He pulled out a metal tin and set a piece of paper on it. Within a few seconds, it began to glow and flames shot from the pan. “How did you heal me?”

  “Sort of the same as the plant. I summoned the body’s natural healing properties to the location of your pain to speed up the process.”

  “So, to hurt someone you would do the reverse. Push the blood or fluids away or heat up the cells until they burst.”

  “Gross, but yes. But that’s not what magic is for. It’s to be used to maintain balance. Witches are supposed to be the peace keepers, life givers, healers.”

  “Like angels?”

  “If you believe in biblical teachings, yes, I guess.”

  “Where do we come from?”

  “I don’t know.” I told him about choosing to join a coven and my theory on gaining all the witches’ secrets only when you were a member. He combed the apartment, finding candles to light, water to boil and freeze, and popcorn to pop.

  After two hours of practice in the closet. He reclined on the pillow.

  “I’m cutting you off for the night,” I said, seeing him rub his temple.

  “Fine, but I want to work on the wind tunnel thing next.” He stood in the small space. “Seriously, thank you for showing me all this.”

  As I stood, I took his hands. “Don’t thank me yet. You don’t know what this means for your life.”

  “I won’t join my dad’s coven. I don’t trust him.”

  “I think there are many roads to cross before you get there. You can have a normal life.”

  “Is that what you’re going to choose. To ignore your magic?” He opened the door, and we stepped into his room.

  “I don’t know.”

  “How many people have you saved?” He plopped down on the bed.

  “I’m not supposed to use my powers in public. But two.”

  “So, two people who would be dead?”

  “Or severely hurt.”

  He ate the popcorn, and I snacked on the sushi he’d brought home. We stayed up till two talking, and I watched as his breathing slowed to a sleep rate. This time we set our alarms and were up before his mother came home.

  “When will I see you again?” he asked as he walked me down to the sidewalk.

  “Monday?”

  “It’s not soon enough. What if we met up at the library? I need to get some study time in anyway.” He tugged at my hand as I backed away from him.

  “I’ll see what the weekend schedule is. I have this thing with my mom tonight.”

  “Okay.” He closed the distance between us. “I can’t wait to see you again.” He bent over and kissed me. The familiar tingling sensation spread through my body as he ended the kiss.

  “Me either.” I smiled and waved at him.

  The next block, I stole looks behind me, seeing him watch me as I got farther away. Finally, I had to make a turn, and I kissed my hand and blew it at him. He pretended to catch it and stuck it to his chest. I meandered through the streets, enjoying the quiet of the city and the sun starting to reflect off the buildings. At Fahim’s, I knocked on the back door and was greeted by Dimitri.

  “You studying or working out?” he asked.

  “Need to get some study time in.” I followed him down the dark hall.

  “Anything I can help with?
”

  I spun to face him. “No. I just want to learn as much as I can.”

  “You have any friends?”

  “Yes!” I defended.

  “It was a valid question. You sure do spend a lot of time here.” He swung his rag over his shoulder.

  “We move a lot, so I’m new. I really have only like three friends, four if you count the guy that’s mean to me.”

  “Well, Fahim said to help with anything you needed, so let me know.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I rolled the ladder to where I’d left off the previous week. Three hours in, when Fahim and Eden arrived, it was time for me to head home.

  “You find anything of interest?”

  “No, just general knowledge.”

  “Okay, well, we’ll see you next time.”

  “Thanks,” I called to them as I walked out the door.

  At home, I tried to be as quiet as possible. Still, Elizabeth was beside me in a second. “How was your evening?”

  “Good, and yours?”

  “Very nice. It was good to meet Hunter.”

  “Yeah, he liked meeting you.”

  “Your mother is having brunch, and she made spa appointments for the afternoon.”

  “Really? Okay, tell her I’m going to shower, and can leave after that.”

  Wishing for an afternoon of sleep, I washed, changed, and then met Mother in the living room.

  She asked about my night, and Elizabeth brought a tray of cheese, fruit, and bread. After calling Will, we made our way down to the garage. The next few hours were spent with a hair dresser, on manicures, and pedicures, and a relaxing soak in the steam room. Not five minutes in, it became evident the session’s purpose seemed to be prying all the information about Nick and Hunter she could from me. As we drove home, she finally asked about Theron.

  “Were you attracted to Theron?”

  Feeling my face warm, I hesitated. “What kind of question is that? He is attractive, yes.” I left out the chill I’d felt when we met. He’d seemed kind enough, but being the creature I was, I wouldn’t forget the warning.

  “Did you feel something more? I am interested if he felt like one of your kind.”

  “No, nothing like that. Could you stop? You’re making me nervous.”

  “Sorry. A quick nap will have you rested and ready for our evening.”

  In our condo, I napped as she suggested and was woken by Elizabeth pulling open the blinds.