The Kingdom Journals Complete Series Box Set

by Tricia Copeland

  They stepped a few feet from the pile of bodies, and the man flicked a lighter and threw it into the heap. The clothes caught fire, and the people became engulfed in flames.

  Alena turned away, rejoining the boy she’d embraced before. They locked hands and followed the others into the wooded area.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about vampires?” he asked her.

  “It is forbidden.”

  “But you told me about witches.”

  “Only when I was sure that you were one.”

  “So, you are half witch, half vampire?”

  “Yes, the most forbidden creature of all. That is why it’s dangerous for me and my family. You don’t hate me, do you?”

  “I wish you would’ve told me. I could never hate you. What do we do now that Theron has the sword?”

  “We find Ivy.”

  I felt a hand on my arm. “Camille. Are you with us?” Mom’s eyes bore into mine.

  “Yes, sorry. Just remembering the dream.”

  “It wasn’t the buzzing again, was it?”

  “No, Mom, no buzzing. I’m fine.”

  “That dream had to be about a guy.” Tyler chuckled from across the table.

  “Not everyone is a sex-starved geek like you.” I shot him an evil stare.

  “Guys! Just one breakfast, please.”

  “Sorry, Mom.” I popped a bite of pancakes in my mouth, thinking I would spend the weekend in the library researching magical swords and what psychological condition caused the dream to continue after I woke. The term lucid dream stuck in my head, and I made a mental note to look it up.

  I tended to my Saturday chores and homework. Then, I packed a bag and walked to the library. Remembering seeing the sword’s box lying in a pentagram, I typed the words sword and pentagram into the search window. There were no applicable results, and I typed in magic sword, which again gave me no relevant answers. Next I typed in famous swords, which brought up a list several pages long, starting with Excalibur, King Author’s sword.

  One site listed a Celtic sword, Fragarach, which I noted because of the Celtic term anam cara the older gentleman had used. The blade was supposedly forged by the gods and wielded by a being that ferried souls to the afterlife. Those pierced with the sword were forced to speak the truth. Noting a book about Fragarach, I moved on to the alternate search terms, including dagger, lance, and spear. Searching for a famous lance brought up a site that listed mythical objects, one of which included the Holy Lance or Spear of Longinus. I wrote down the book numbers and found both texts on the shelves.

  “Someone is interested in mythology,” the librarian commented when I handed him the books.

  “Yes.” I forced a smile.

  At home, I plopped on the couch and scoured the books for information listing possible good and bad uses for each of the weapons. I figured if an evil person had Fragarach, then there would be no keeper of heaven and hell. While bad, I couldn’t see an immediate danger to human kind. However, the Spear of Longinus supposedly brought freedom to enslaved people. So, if a person with ill will wielded it, then those incarcerated for crimes might be set free, I guessed.

  Examining my paper, I realized I’d gone too far down this path, crumpled the page, and tossed it in the wastebasket. Why did it matter what sword it was? It didn’t, did it? Would learning which mythical weapon the bad guys had stolen help me decipher my dream and figure out my psyche? I doubted it. But the girl and boy thought it was important to find Ivy, ergo me. Maybe I was pivotal in retrieving the sword from the evil dude, Theron.

  I grabbed another sheet of paper and started making a list of the characters I knew: the girl named Alena; her mother; Elizabeth, who died; an old man; the boy; another large man; Thanatos, who seemed to be feared; Aaron, who the girl was happy hadn’t died; Theron, the evil teenage boy; and Ivy, possibly me. Then, I wrote down: Alena equals Violet, and boy equals Chase.

  “Whatcha doin’, pipsqueak?” Tyler entered from the kitchen.

  “Nothing.” I closed the book on the notes.

  He snatched the text beside me. “Mythology, eh?”

  “Yeah, I have a research paper for literature.”

  “Good luck on that. So, senior year. You made it. That’s something I would’ve thought to be mythology.”

  I threw a pillow at him. “Really? Because it seems like you and college are going to fall into that category.”

  “I’m taking a gap year. It’s a total thing. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be a mountain-bike guide for a year in Iceland?”

  At exactly a year older than me, my brother constantly taunted me. I guessed he figured it made me tougher or something. Maybe if I’d been a boy, we’d be wrestling on the floor. It was fine. I’d learned to hold my own with him. It drove Mom insane, but Tyler and I had been sparring that way since we were little, it was kind of our thing.

  “Hey, we should cook Mom dinner,” Tyler suggested.

  “I’m up for that.”

  Invading the kitchen, we found ingredients for her favorite savory crepes.

  “But seriously,” Tyler started, “no humming right, just a dream?”

  “Yeah, just a weird wacky dream.”

  “Okay.” He handed me the pan.

  We made a stack of crepes, grilled some meat strips and veggies, and were setting the table when Mom arrived.

  “Aww, guys”—her eyes filled with tears—“you’re so nice. I’m sorry I had to work today. Tomorrow we’ll go on a hike or something.”

  “No worries.” I hugged her.

  “And you.” She wrapped her arms around Tyler. “I’m sorry I keep moving you around.”

  “Hey, family first.” Tyler told her.

  At four a.m., ringing in my ears woke me.

  The girl, Alena, stood in a doorway with her mother, welcoming the boy, ergo Chase, and a woman.

  “We’re so glad you came, Rachel and Hunter. I’m Anne.” Alena’s mother shook the woman’s hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Rachel handed a bouquet of lilies to Anne. “I heard about your loss. I’m very sorry.”

  “Thank you. Please come in.” Anne stepped back, motioning for the guests to enter the condo.

  Rachel, Hunter, Alena, and Anne walked into a sitting area where the older gentleman I recognized from the previous night waited.

  “Rachel, this is Orm, a family friend.” Anne introduced him to Rachel.

  “Nice to meet you.” Rachel’s smile looked tentative.

  They sat on the sofas, but Alena bounced up. “I’ll get some drinks.”

  “Yes, that would be nice,” her mother commented.

  Alena brought ice water from the kitchen, and Anne poured wine for the adults.

  “So, Rachel, you must be interested in why we wanted to meet with you.”

  “Yes. Hunter said this was important, and I wasn’t supposed to freak out.”

  Anne chuckled. “Well, yes, there is that factor.”

  Hunter proceeded to tell his mother about his special powers. He demonstrated levitating a chair and lighting the logs in the fireplace.

  “Dad is a very powerful witch. He would very much like for me to join him in his coven. But he’s not a good man. I don’t want any part of his way of life.” Hunter finished his story.

  Rachel’s mouth hung open. “You made that couch float? Thanatos is a witch? You are a witch?”

  “Your son is very powerful for one who has just awakened his powers.” Orm spoke for the first time.

  “And this is how he and Alena knew each other as imaginary friends?”

  “We believe so.”

  “So, Alena is a witch?” Rachel turned to face Alena.

  “As am I,” Orm replied.

  “We believe Thanatos may try to take Hunter and Alena.” Anne spoke again. “We feel it is in their best interest to house them in a safe place until they are eighteen.”

  “Eighteen? That is nearly nine months away.”

  “Thanatos is very powerful.”
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  Rachel took Hunter’s hand. “Thanatos is your father. He wouldn’t—”

  “Mom, Thanatos killed Elizabeth.”

  Rachel’s hand went to her mouth, and she gazed wide-eyed around the room.

  “We have many resources at our disposal.” Anne crossed the room to sit beside Rachel. “They can finish school online. They will have access to a gym and pool.”

  “Will I be able to see you?” Rachel ran her hand down Hunter’s back.

  “We can arrange meetings perhaps once every other week or so. And you will be able to video chat with him any time you like,” Anne said.

  Tears formed in Rachel’s eyes. “When would you leave?”

  “Tonight,” Hunter confirmed.

  Rachel nodded, and the group walked Rachel and Hunter to the door.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Hunter squeezed Alena’s hand and kissed her cheek.

  “Okay.” She nodded. “Be safe.”

  “I have my best men protecting them,” Anne told her daughter.

  I blinked and realized I was still in my room. Finding the sheet with my character list, I marked down Chase’s name as Hunter and the older gentleman’s as Orm. Then I wrote witch next to Hunter, Orm, Thanatos, and Theron, and witch-vampire next to Alena. I guessed that made Anne either a vampire or witch. Thinking I would never get sleep again, I checked the time and slid my feet in my slippers, padding to the kitchen for some warm milk. The story didn’t start again, and I convinced myself the visions and oration comprised an intricate dream.

  “Come on slugabed, the sun will be up soon. I thought we were hiking.” Mom pulled the covers from atop me.

  Seeing the time read five after nine, I sat up. “Sorry, I was awake for a while during the night.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, sure, just thinking about stuff.”

  “Okay, well, I have breakfast ready.”

  Slipping on my hiking clothes, I made my way to the kitchen. Tyler had already finished half a plate of pancakes. “Sleep much?”

  “Eat much?” I plopped into the chair with my dish.

  As I brought a bite to my mouth, my ears started to ring and a vision danced in front of my eyes. As before, Alena and her mother, Anne, welcomed Hunter and Rachel into their home. Hunter had a duffle bag on one shoulder and a backpack on the other.

  Tyler waved a hand in front of my face. “Are you in there?”

  “Sure, yeah.” I stuffed the bite in my mouth as the vision or hallucination, I guessed, continued. The ability to experience the hallucination and be conscious of my surroundings fit perfectly with the definition of schizophrenia, but I pushed that thought from my head to focus on the story in the hallucination. Hunter said goodbye to his mom, and they rode the elevator down to a garage.

  It was hard to keep up the conversation with Mom and Tyler as I saw Alena and Hunter load bags into a sport utility vehicle, ride to a hangar, and board a private jet. Gulping down some coffee, I excused myself to pack for the hike. Finding some socks and my boots, I climbed into the car with Mom and Tyler, wondering how much longer the story would play out. But as Alena and Hunter fell asleep on the plane, the hallucination ended.

  “Wow, this is an amazing view,” I commented to Mom.

  “Well, I’m glad you could join us.” She squeezed my shoulders.

  “Sorry, sort of lost in my thoughts.”

  “Yep, she’s in love,” Tyler deadpanned.

  Quick thinking had me admitting that I might be. It seemed like a pretty good excuse for being distracted. Trying to decipher the dream’s meaning the previous day had me questioning my sanity, and I decided hallucinations research may be more fitting. I refocused on the terrain and mountain views. Of all the places we’d lived, I loved Iceland best. The dark and cold bothered me sometimes, but the scenery couldn’t be beat, and the people were all so nice. Mom and Tyler seemed happier than they’d ever been.

  I wondered if I should go back to the States or stay in Iceland for college. The University of Iceland had a good vet school, but it was very competitive. Mom had grown up in Colorado and attended vet school at Colorado State. Her parents still lived there, and I remembered liking it when we visited.

  Tyler had set his sights on European schools, but I wasn’t sure how he planned to pay for it. I figured he could settle for a semester. We had our college savings and with part-time jobs would make it through. Dad sent money regularly, but his salary was meager. Most of the time, I didn’t know where he was. We wouldn’t hear from him for months, and then he’d text or call with pictures from his latest project. The one thing about my dad we could count on was that if there were something big, he would show up.

  He and Mom had met in college. While Mom got her vet degree, Dad studied archeology. Mom said he never was cut out to live in one place. A gypsy, a nomad, she called him. He traveled the world hunting for old relics and lost civilizations. Officially, he worked for the Smithsonian in Washington, but I guessed his apartment there to be as empty as our text message logs.

  I planned to apply to the University of Iceland, Colorado State, and since I’d been thinking so much about Los Angeles, UCLA. We hoped to visit Colorado and California over winter break to make sure I wouldn’t still have health issues.

  “Did that clear your head?” Mom’s words brought me out of my thoughts as we reached the car.

  “Yeah, it was good.”

  “Should we get some lunch in town?”

  “Sure, sounds good.” Tyler and I agreed.

  We piled into Mom’s wagon and drove into downtown Reykjavik. After eating and some window shopping, we returned home.

  I looked at my watch. “I’m going to the library. I’ve got some more research to do.” Grabbing my backpack, I wound my scarf around my neck.

  “Are you sure you aren’t researching some boy there?” Tyler joked.

  “Why would I date a geeky guy? I have a brother for that.” I poked him. “I’ll be home at six,” I called to Mom.

  At the library, I used several search terms—visions, dreams, daydreams, and hallucinations—and found texts in the psychology section. Seeing hallucination as the top symptom for schizophrenia, I rested the book on the table. I’d been diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia when I’d started playing with my imaginary friends, Violet and Chase. I’d been medication free for four years without incident, save the intermittent hum in my ears. Successive moves to healthier cities seemed to have solved that issue.

  Mom kept me seeing a psychiatrist even though the hallucinations stopped. She said growing up with only one parent and moving so much had to be hard on a kid. I thought she was petrified I’d slip back into schizophrenic behavior and wanted every safeguard in place. I guessed she’d been right, as I had no other explanations for my dreams, which had become full-blown hallucinations.

  Still, I didn’t want to tell Mom. I hated the medicines prescribed before. The pills left me feeling hazy and dazed, like I was walking through a half-lit world all the time. I wasn’t depressed. But I wasn’t ever really happy. I guessed the point was to even out my hormones, but there was rounding off the corners and then there was the off switch. The drugs prescribed killed everything.

  Feeling torn about how to handle the hallucinations, I shelved the books and made my way home. Just as I opened the door, my ears started to ring, and an image of Hunter and Alena appeared in front of me.

  “Good morning.” Hunter smiled at Alena as she walked towards him. “I thought you were going to sleep all day.”

  “I am half vampire. It would be preferable.” She sat beside him on a sofa.

  “I’m not going to get used to hearing that anytime soon.”

  “Oh, good, you’re up.” Anne walked into the room with Orm. “We should start your tour.”

  They led them through the house, showing them the library, kitchen, dining area, gymnasium with a basketball court and gymnastics equipment, workout room, lap pool, and tennis courts. Next, Anne o
pened a door to a room as big as a football field. Landscaping lined the glass-covered walls, and a concrete path ringed the area. In the middle, there was a sand volleyball court, another pool, and beach chairs. The next room appeared to be a study with desks, computers, and a video screen.

  Closing the door to the office space, Anne turned to face Alena and Hunter. “You will finish your coursework and then work with Orm each day. You’ll have time for workouts and leisure activities in the evenings. There is to be no outside contact except on the secure lines. You know the stakes.” She pointed between them.

  “Yes, we got it,” Alena confirmed.

  Tyler’s face appeared in front of me. “How was the library? Did you see your boyfriend?”

  “What? Sure.” I waved him off as I proceeded to my room.

  With the room spinning from juggling the multiple realities, I lay on my bed.

  “You okay?” Mom sat beside me.

  “Yeah. Just dehydrated, I think. I’m going to get some water and take a nap.”

  “Okay, well, let me know if you need anything. We’ll have dinner in a bit.”

  As I closed my eyes, the humming increased in volume and images of Anne, Alena, Hunter, Orm, and another witch I recognized from the battle scene appeared. I got up, went to the bathroom, and splashed my face with cold water and filled a glass, chugging the whole thing. But the scenes still danced in front of my eyes.

  Orm clapped his hands together and directed Alena and Hunter to get in some exercise before lunch, explaining that they’d have study time in the afternoon. When Alena objected pointing it was Sunday, he reversed his decision allowing them some relaxation time until after the evening meal.

  I pressed my palms to the counter and blinked but there were no further images. The hallucination stopped as quick as it had begun. Why? I searched for a pattern. The lunch meet ups in Los Angeles, the evening dates, their failed attempt to get the sword from Theron, and a trip to some secret bunker, all had a consistent thread. The visions only came them when Alena and Hunter were together.

  Maybe I craved having a boyfriend and an epic fantasy adventure with him. Could it be that all the books I’d read twisted themselves together to form a plot structure I couldn’t ignore? I pictured the dreams from Roald Dahl’s big friendly giant book spinning together to form an elaborate storyline. I wondered if I should be writing all the visions down.