I blinked and shook my head.
Cooper frowned. “You know a lot about this place for a guy who moved away at six years old. What aren’t you telling us?”
Jackson arched one eyebrow. “What do you know about Buckingham Palace?”
“The royal family lives here?” I guessed. “That’s basically all I know. Oh, and an episode of Sherlock took place inside, although I assume that wasn’t actually filmed here, and I’ll stop now.”
Jackson smirked. “The one when he’s only wearing a robe or something? No trousers?”
I grinned. “Yes!”
He chuckled. “I love that show.”
Cooper rolled his eyes. “And that’s a deflection. Start talking, Lancaster.”
“London used to serve as home to Eden, before moving to Italy during the late Renaissance. At the time, this palace was Coven Headquarters. And so, since my family were both Coven Leader and English monarchy, they lived here—"
“Wait, what?” I shook my head. “I thought this place was built like two hundred years ago.”
“After Henry stole Michael’s sword and we lost our magic, The Coven decided they needed to step out of human politics. From that point on, the humans were left to rule themselves, and the arcana just focused on our job of protecting the world.” Jackson took a deep breath. “So, they used magic to conceal the evidence of our existence. Humans forgot this place existed. In fact, many of man’s famous buildings and landmarks suffered the same fate. Hidden and forgotten for a time, then re-birthed under new names.”
“WOW.” I shook my head. “My mind is so blown right now.”
“Obviously I have never lived here, but my family knows it well. I spent my childhood looking at the maps of this place, and we visited quite often.” He rounded another corner and then led us up a flight of stairs. When we got to the top, he stopped outside a closed door. “It’s easier for me to go through the tunnels alone. Wait just outside this door, and I’ll come for you.”
“Wait, where is this opening up at? Like right in the middle of everything?”
Jackson shook his head. “No, I brought you to a corner on the side. You should be able to stay hidden for a few minutes.”
“That doesn’t sound as reassuring as I hoped. But let’s do it,” Cooper said with a nod. He looked at me and gestured to the door. “After you.”
I pushed the door open, and bright light poured inside. I hissed like a vampire as the sun’s rays pierced my eyes. Cooper chuckled in my ear, and then his big warm hands gripped my shoulders. He gently urged me forward, directing me into the full sunlight while I blinked and tried to adjust to the light again. In the distance, the roar of the crowd echoed.
Cooper pulled me backward—and a cool shadow fell over me. I opened my eyes and found us tucked in a dark corner under an archway. We were inside the center area of the palace that was like a courtyard— Oh, wait, didn’t he call this a quadrangle? I glanced around looking for Jackson, but he was nowhere in sight.
I frowned and eyed our surroundings. There were walkways and columns everywhere. Lots of archways and doors. None of which were marked or guarded. In fact, I didn’t see a single person in this area. I wanted to watch for Jackson so we’d be ready to move, but I had no idea where he’d be coming from.
“Did he say which door he’d be at?”
“Nope.” Cooper shook his head and pulled us deeper into the corner. He patted the wall behind him. “But seeing as we emerged from this wall, I’m going to assume he’s not coming out of an obvious doorway.”
A door to our right opened, and half a dozen guards marched out into the quadrangle. They wore the iconic red coats and tall, fluffy black hats. They had rifles hooked around and hanging off their shoulders.
My stomach tightened into knots. Where are you, Jackson?
Cold energy tickled down my sides, and goose bumps broke out over my skin.
Just then, the last guard in the line glanced over his shoulder in our direction. Oh shit. I turned and fisted Cooper’s shirt, then pulled his mouth down to mine. Our lips crashed together. I squeezed my eyes shut and gave myself over to this kiss.
The guard shouted, but I couldn’t hear him over the pounding of my heart. All I heard was the thunder of his footsteps. Each one grew louder and louder, so I knew he was coming for us. Butterflies danced in my stomach. I tensed, bracing myself for trouble. I just hoped a couple of kissing teenagers wouldn’t be too much of a red flag.
“HEY! You two!” the guard shouted.
I gasped and pulled away from Cooper, then turned to look at the guard—but my gaze landed on Jackson.
He stood on the other side of the archway from us, tucked away in the corner like we were, with his hand gripping an open door. His eyes were wide and wild, his face pale. The muscles in his jaw popped.
My heart fluttered. I gripped Cooper’s arm and pulled him into a run. We sprinted across the archway toward him.
The guard screamed behind us. I peeked over my shoulder and found him racing after us.
We leapt through the open doorway next to Jackson and into darkness.
The door clicked shut behind us, and then lights flickered to life over our heads.
I sighed and leaned against the wall for support. “That was close.”
Cooper chuckled. His lips were red and puffy-looking from our kiss. “That was perfect timing.”
Jackson pushed by me. “Let’s go,” he growled.
He didn’t wait for us. He just took off down the tunnel. Cooper and I scrambled to catch up to him as he turned a sharp corner and headed up a narrow staircase. When we got to the top, we found another door.
Jackson stopped and glared over his shoulder at us. “Keep up,” he snapped.
Without missing a beat, he shoved the door open and jumped out. I cursed under my breath and leapt through after him…and froze. My jaw dropped. We were inside Buckingham Palace. And it was gorgeous. My gaze snapped around wildly, unsure of where to look first. The floors were a rich red carpet that matched the cascading drapes. The walls and furniture were a pristine white with shimmering metallic gold accents. It was like I’d just stepped through a time portal.
“Bettina!” Cooper hissed.
I flinched and looked over to find they were already fifteen feet down the hallway. Shit! I sprinted to catch up, then followed in line behind them as we ran through the queen’s palace. It felt totally and completely wrong to be jogging in a place like this, but we had no choice. Time was of the essence, and we didn’t have much of it.
Everything passed by me in a blur. I didn’t let myself pause for even a second to look around at the beauty surrounding us. We were on a mission, and I wasn’t going to be the cause of his failure. I gritted my teeth and followed Jackson down a long hallway, around a corner, and through a set of doors until we slid to a stop inside a grand room.
There was beauty all around me, but the first thing I spotted was the glistening golden top of Queen Victoria’s memorial out front.
“The balcony room,” I heard myself whisper. “This is it.”
“Stay away from the windows,” Jackson barked.
Only then did I realize I’d walked over toward the doors that led to the balcony, the famous balcony the royals used. I leapt away from the doors that led out there and hid behind the wall.
“DUDE, what are you doing?” Cooper hissed.
I turned and found Jackson standing on top of a table.
In Buckingham Palace.
Jackson didn’t answer him, or get down. He stood straight and reached into the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
My heart jumped up my throat. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I ran over to the table and just watched. Jackson had his hands up inside the chandelier. With each jostle, golden light flickered around the room like a disco ball. He ducked down and squinted his eyes, then looked straight up into the light.
I held my breath and gripped the edge of the table.
There was
a flash of blue light, and Jackson’s eyes widened. He froze, then slowly lowered his hand…and a massive red stone sat in his palm. It was an oval shape with lots of facets that glistened under the chandelier’s light. The color was a dark, rich red.
My breath left me in a rush.
Cooper leaned across the table. “Is that it?”
Jackson crouched down and held the stone out for us to see. “Henry’s ruby.”
“Oh, how lovely,” an unfamiliar female voice said.
We all jumped and turned toward the sound…and found a little old woman standing just inside the doorway. She wore a bright, neon green coat that went all the way down to her knees and a matching hat that had vivid purple flowers on it. A sparkling cluster of diamonds was pinned to her lapel, and her hands were covered in white satin gloves.
Jackson gasped. “Queen Elizabeth.”
Chapter Forty-Four
BETTINA
Shit.
Shit.
SHIT.
Holy shit.
The queen.
Oh my God.
Queen of freaking England.
Shit.
No one moved. No one spoke. I doubted anyone was breathing. Jackson was still crouched on the table. On the queen’s table.
The queen glanced back and forth between Jackson and the table.
Jackson slid off the table then stood tall with his arms by his sides. Then he bowed his head slightly.
Oh shit. I’d never met a queen before. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was. But I knew there was one, and it wasn’t the same for girls and guys. THINK! I panicked and curtsied, but it came out mostly like a bad plié.
She looked at me with both eyebrows raised.
I cleared my throat then nodded. “Your Majesty—”
Jackson looked to me and hissed. His eyes were wide.
Oh ,no, what did I just do? Was that wrong? My heart pounded. My stomach was in knots.
A man in a black suit walked through the open doorway then slid to a stop. His eyes widened.
The queen flicked her wrist, and rainbow-colored mist billowed out of her fingers. The man stood straight then turned and practically sprinted away. He disappeared down the first hallway past this room.
I gasped and the queen looked to me.
“What, and let you have all the fun without me?” The queen shrugged one lime green-clad shoulder. “Did you get the stone?”
“Wait, what?” Jackson screeched.
The queen winked then snapped her fingers. There was a flash of white, and then we were in the middle of a park, under the cover of trees. I looked up, and it was still the Queen of England in front of us. But then she flicked her wrists…and Tegan stood in her place.
“TEGAN!” Cooper shouted.
Jackson cursed and tugged on his hair. “Bloody hell, woman.”
Tegan giggled like a movie villain and clapped her hands. “You should’ve seen y’alls faces, man.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “You are so evil.”
Her grin widened. She brushed her shoulders off. “Gotta say, being the queen felt good.”
Cooper put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “You could’ve given us a heart attack!”
Tegan rolled her eyes. “Y’all could’ve actually gotten caught and in big trouble with that reckless-ass plan you just used.”
Jackson stumbled back until he hit a tree, then he slid down the trunk and put his face in his hands. “Goddess, Tegan. My heart…”
“Thank you.” She giggled and did a little victory dance. “Now, tell me, did you get the stone?”
“Wait.” I shook my head. “How did you find us?”
“Bentley,” Tegan said with a shrug and tapped her temple. “He saw you’d need my assistance here.”
Cooper cursed and rubbed his brow. “What happened before? With the forty-seven missed calls? Is everything okay?”
Tegan tapped on the pink soulmate glyph shimmering from her chest. “Tenn felt me go down in the Strait. He handled it well.”
I chuckled then covered my mouth.
But Cooper just shook his head. “And Joseph? Nothing from him?”
“Oh, there’s plenty from him. He’s been—” Tegan pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “But let’s not worry about that right now. We need to focus on helping Jackson succeed. Michael’s sword is our priority. Tenn has Eden under control.”
Jackson groaned and hung his head. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“Now, for the hundredth time…do you have the stone?” Tegan pointed to her forehead.
He nodded and held it up for everyone to see without picking his head up.
Tegan snatched it out of his fingers and held it up to her eyes. She inspected every angle of it. “Is there any secret message on it?”
Jackson’s head snapped up. He frowned and leapt to his feet. Tegan handed him the stone without hesitation. He took it and moved into the sunlight while he held the ruby up to his eyes. A second later, he gasped and spun toward us.
“Yes,” Tegan whispered. “What does it say?”
Cooper frowned and leaned over Jackson’s shoulder. “There’s writing on it?”
Unable to stop myself, I also looked over Jackson’s shoulder but saw nothing.
Jackson shook his head and ran his fingers along the edges of the ruby. “It’s not words. It’s an etching… It looks like…bloody hell… I think it’s of the Tower of London. That must be our next stop.”
Chapter Forty-Five
JACKSON
I wasn’t going to admit it now, but Tegan’s prank was hilarious.
And I’d fallen for it hard.
If I managed to succeed in finding Michael’s sword, I was going to allow myself to laugh at the moment. Right now, I just wanted to puke. I shoved Henry’s red ruby into the pocket of my jeans then made sure his crown was still securely fastened to my belt.
Bettina scowled and twirled her long blonde hair around her finger. “Tower of London… Isn’t that where Henry died?”
I nodded. “And I think that’s the exact spot we’re supposed to go check out.”
Tegan looked to me. “Do you know where he died there?”
“Wakefield Tower.”
“Is that place a cover-up, too? Cooper frowned. “Like the palace? And have you been there?”
“There’s no cover-up I know of, and yes, I’ve been inside Wakefield Tower.”
Bettina shuddered. “Why?”
I shrugged. “Our last ancestor with magical abilities died there. He’s kind of a big deal for my family. So I’ve been here many times.”
“Grab ahold of Bettina and Cooper.” Tegan eyed me. “Don’t make me force you.”
Her threats were not blind threats. She could make me do anything physically. But it wasn’t necessary. I jumped to my feet and slid to stand between them, then I grabbed their hands. Cooper’s body was hot and sweaty. Bettina’s skin was soft and delicate, like a warm blanket I wanted to snuggle into—
Focus, Jackson.
“Okay, Lancaster.” Tegan cleared her throat, and her magic rushed over my body like trickling water. “Just picture that tower we need to be in, and the portal will take us there.”
I closed my eyes and imagined myself back there. It’d been over a decade, but I thought I remembered it rather clearly. There was nothing in my memory that seemed like a clue for this quest. All I could hope was that I couldn’t see it then because I wasn’t ready. But still, I pictured myself right there. Tegan’s magic tightened around me. It warmed and buzzed. When it faded away, I opened my eyes…and déjà vu hit hard.
It looked exactly the same.
The room was mostly round in shape, with walls that were both stone and white, which stood in contrast to the dark floors. There was some random furniture, like a throne that definitely wasn’t Henry’s, a chest, and some chandeliers. To my left was a fireplace right next to what would’ve been the king’s private bedchamber. Next to that, n
estled in the corner and tucked behind a screen, was a small chapel that held gorgeous stained glass windows.
My stomach turned. History said that was where Henry was killed. There was even a small tile in the floor that marked it as such. No one knew the exact truth of his death, not even my family. I’d hoped I’d get that answer one day, but it wasn’t looking like that now.
Tegan sighed loud enough to make me look over. She smiled softly and stared straight ahead. “I just love stained glass windows.”
“Dude.” Bettina tugged on Tegan’s jacket sleeve then pointed up. “Look at the ceiling.”
I knew what the ceiling looked like, but her voice was hypnotic and I found myself craning my neck back at the sound of her words. The stone vaulted ceiling was always my favorite part of the tower.
“Yeah, they’re both pretty, but we’re hunting for clues,” Cooper grumbled. “Lancaster, you see anything?”
Bettina frowned then turned to me. “Could it be in the ceiling?”
I shook my head. “That wasn’t added until the 1800s. Do you see anything, Tegan?”
“Yeah, you’re the riddle master,” Bettina said softly.
Tegan grimaced. “Last time I helped, my best friend was almost killed by a creature from Middle-earth…so yeah, I’ll pass. Transportation seems to be my only acceptable form of assistance here. I’m just a secondary character from now on.”
“We killed that monster fairly quickly.” Cooper shrugged. “Just saying.”
I groaned. “No, she’s right. It’s not worth the risk. I have to figure this out myself.”
The answer was here somewhere. The etching on the stone wasn’t specific. It was simply the Tower of London. Or at least, I thought so. I hadn’t looked it up to confirm, but I knew this tower well. Then again, if Henry had left these clues for his future descendant to find the sword, then perhaps this wasn’t the right place. Unless of course his death was a cover-up in itself, or at least the details of it.
I froze. Bloody hell. Was his death a damned cover-up, too?
The Wild Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 3) Page 22