KIngdom of Embers (Kingdom Journals Book 1) Read online

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He swung his bag over his shoulder and walked into the elevator. I waited two minutes, realizing if Orm were watching, he probably would catch on after a day or two. We’d have to mix things up, meet somewhere else.

  Again, I sprinted back to school. This time I gave Ganby an evil stare, and he kept quiet. Meeting Nick in study hall, the guilt of spending time with Hunter started to weigh on me. Maybe I’d press Orm or Mother for more information about my father so I could at least figure out whether Hunter and I were siblings. If we weren’t, it wouldn’t help with my guilt though. Weren’t people allowed to have friends of the opposite sex? I’d known Hunter since preschool, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about reconnecting with an old friend.

  If I wanted to be stealthy, I could find something of my father’s to perform a locator spell. Who was I kidding? I comprised a walking talisman for him. My cells were half his makeup. Nothing could be a stronger binder. I needed enough time alone in a safe place to do the spell. When Orm taught me the locater spell earlier in the year, he’d given strict instructions. It was to be used for emergencies. Especially, young lady, I remembered his finger aimed at my face, you are not to use yourself as a conduit to find your father. It will put you as well as him in danger. I hadn’t tried it before because I’d been scared to know the truth. Fearing the whole ruse of him being off protecting me was a lie kept me from using my magic to find him.

  I started to brainstorm ideas for places to do the spell. The best would be in my home, but it was never empty. Could I pull it off at night when Orm slept and Mother and Elizabeth rested? The other option would be an abandoned building with enough steel to cloak my spell.

  “Miss Scott.” I heard my name and snapped my attention back to the teacher.

  “Yes.”

  “Can you translate?” Thankful for my vamp concentrations skills, I rattled off the translation.

  My mission kept me occupied through Spanish. In study hall, it seemed my presence had been accepted as the coach asked if he should add my name to the roll. Nick got some teasing as a result but seemed comfortable with the razzing. My apprehension was that it seemed like a done deal that Nick and I were a couple. There were probably eight hundred other guys at the school, and I was already limited to one, at least for the time being.

  We got through the calculus homework before the session ended. Walking me to the locker room, he hesitated outside the door. “So, a bunch of people are going out after the game Friday. I was wondering if you’d like to come.”

  “Out? Where?”

  “This restaurant and arcade, it’s about five blocks from here.”

  “That sounds fun. I’ll have to ask my mom.” My nose involuntarily crinkled up.

  “Okay. Let me know. I’ll talk to you tonight.”

  “Great.” I waved to him as he walked away.

  “Hey there,” Sophie called as she approached. “Talking to Nick?” She followed my gaze to the group he’d joined outside the boy’s locker room.

  “He invited me to go out with everyone after the game Friday. Are you going?”

  “Definitely. It’s sort of an after-game tradition.”

  “Cool. I’ll ask my mom then.”

  “Maybe you could sleep over again. Speaking of which, I hardly get to see you anymore. When can we hang out? Friday is like forever away.”

  “Maybe you could come to my place after practice.”

  “Really? I haven’t been past your kitchen.”

  “I’ll text my mom to make sure it’s okay.” I prayed Mother didn’t have guests and was in an amiable mood as I sent her a message. Changing clothes, I read her reply after slipping on my shoes. SHOULD BE FINE FOR AN HOUR OR SO, she’d written.

  After cheer practice, Sophie and I found Orm waiting on the street and piled into the back of the vehicle.

  “How you could need so much stuff for a day at school, I’m not sure. I used to go to school with nothing more than a pencil and book of paper,” he commented as we laid our backpacks on the seat between us.

  “That would have been a stone tablet and chisel,” I joked with him, wondering if they even had school when he grew up.

  At our condo, we unloaded the bags and made our way upstairs. Elizabeth greeted us at the door. “Do you require snacks? Would you like them in the sitting room or kitchen?”

  “We’ll get something in a minute. We’re going to my room.” I tugged on Sophie’s sleeve as she gawked at Elizabeth, who wore a black turtleneck with sleeves past her wrists and a long A-line skirt that reached her ankles. Under the skirt, she had black lace-up boots that stretched nearly to her knees.

  “Sorry about that. She has an odd style.”

  Polite as ever, Sophie replied, “She’s always so sweet.”

  Making our way down the hall, Sophie’s head turned this way and that. Halfway to my room, I stopped. “Sorry, you’ve never been past the kitchen. I’ll give you a tour. We can drop our stuff off in my room, and I’ll show you around.”

  “Okay.” Sophie’s tight smile and wide eyes told me all I needed to know. She looked officially agog.

  Opening the double doors leading to my room, I stood back, giving her space to enter.

  “This is your room?” She crossed to the far window and then turned back to me. “We’re so high up you can see everything.”

  “You’re the first friend I’ve had in here. You don’t think it’s too monochromatic, do you?”

  “No.” She shook her head slowly as her eyes traced from one side of the space to the other. “The white looks good with the dark wood, and I like the purple wall.”

  “Look.” I skipped over to the panel of switches on the wall and pressed the button to shut the blinds. Waiting for it to be completely dark, I turned on my strands of white bulbs.

  “This is so pretty. It looks like a fairy land.” She crossed to my dressing suite door. “What’s in here?”

  “Oh, you can see.” I motioned for her to follow me into the closet and bathing area.

  Her eyes grew wide as she walked the length of my closet and back. She traced her finger down my counter and then along the edge of the Jacuzzi tub. My brain itched for words to fill the silence.

  “Why haven’t we been having sleepovers here?”

  I shrugged. “My mom is sort of—”

  “I’ve gotten the picture. She’s really protective. It must suck for you.”

  “There are some good things about her.”

  “She buys you lots of clothes.”

  “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”

  Exiting my room, I pointed out Elizabeth’s, Orm’s, and finally Mother’s suite at the other end of the level. Crossing to the main living area, I opened the door to Orm’s study.

  “Creepy.” Sophie shivered.

  “I actually kind of like it.”

  “I guess it’s quiet.”

  I walked her through the sitting and main living rooms, past mother’s office suite to the kitchen, where Elizabeth had compiled snacks for us.

  “Poor girls, you must be exhausted and famished from school.” Elizabeth patted my head as we sat at the bar.

  “Is that the only television you have?” Sophie aimed a finger at the flat-screen device mounted on the far wall.

  “These things”—Elizabeth shook her finger at the screen—“stir up trouble if you ask me. People got along perfectly well for centuries before they were invented.”

  I stopped chewing mid-bite and closed the set of clear lids over my eyes so I could stare at her without blinking. Did she have to be so old-fashioned? At least she could’ve acted normal for my benefit. Of course, she had little social practice save from her shopping outings and mother’s guests, so I really couldn’t blame her.

  “My mom hates them too.” Sophie filled the silence.

  “Okay.” I jumped up and grabbed the platter. “We’ll be in my room.”

  “So, do you have like any photos of y
our family?” Sophie asked as I closed my double doors. I pictured Sophie’s family room, kitchen, and halls, littered with framed images of family members and friends.

  “Mom is kind of a minimalist.” I scrunched up my nose, thinking about how camera shy vampires and witches were. Mother would more soon have died than be photographed. Her comment further reminded me of my absent father and goal to get some answers soon.

  “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. I figured I’d know something more about you after seeing your house.”

  “This is all I got.” I lifted my shoulders and let them drop.

  “Hey, let’s talk Homecoming and boys.” Sophie plopped down on the bed.

  I shed my shoes and sat beside her. We talked about David and Nick, outfits, and bonded over wishing we weren’t trapped into riding in the limo with Hannah and Melody. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask her about Samo and Uni’s rivalry.

  “You met someone else? You didn’t tell me.” She grabbed my wrist but released it when I tugged it away.

  “It’s not someone else. This guy helped me find a book at the library, and he noticed my notebook, that’s all. I guess he goes to Samo.”

  “It’s a pretty big deal. Hannah would flip if someone on her cheer squad was dating a Samo or Pali guy.”

  “Well, I can’t date anyway, so...”

  “But you’re going out with us after the game right?” Sophie asked.

  “I still have to ask.”

  “You should sleep over with me. I mean if you want.”

  “I’d like that, thanks.”

  Her phone beeped, and I walked her down to the street level and to the bus stop. Orm had volunteered to drive, but I think he creeped her out since she grew at least two shades of white paler in his presence.

  Upstairs, I changed for dinner and met Mother in the dining room.

  “Did you and Sophie have fun?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Did she like your room? The condo? Is it decorated appropriately?”

  “She thought it odd we didn’t have any photos of our family.”

  “Oh, well, I guess we’ll have to get some of your baby pictures out.” She folded her napkin in her lap as Elizabeth brought in dishes of food.

  “What about pictures of you and Dad?”

  “Young lady.” Her eyes bore into mine. “Please don’t start dinner with this.” She lifted her chin and I decided to wait till the end of the meal to make my plea. It had to be weaved into the conversation in a more creative way than a friend thinking it odd we had no family portraits. There had to be more of an emotional investment on my part.

  I let her go through the normal routine of asking about my day. Then, I put in my request for the Friday night meet-up and sleepover.

  “With the same boy? I’ve given you permission to socialize, and you’ve already limited yourself to one person?”

  “He’s nice. And he’s one of two people who’ve talked to me outside of the cheer squad.” I let my napkin drop to the table top, indicating I had finished eating.

  “That should be okay then if Will is with you.”

  “Thank you. So, when do we have another outing? Anything this week?”

  Mother’s eyes cut to Orm and to her lap and then back to me. “I have a meeting next week.”

  “A meeting? Since when do you have meetings connected to our outings?”

  “Since it is appropriate.”

  “Is this about my dad? Because I’ve been thinking about him a lot.”

  “You know who you are. We’ve made sure of that. Your father—I can’t say more. I won’t. We’ve been over this hundreds of times.” Mother blotted her lips with a napkin.

  “What if I find him? Look for him? Maybe he doesn’t even realize I want to see him.”

  Orm reached his hand across the table to me. “He feels your pull, child. There is no way he cannot. He won’t be able to be found until he wants to.”

  Besides the fact that Mother and Orm would be angry, it couldn’t hurt to try a locator spell. “I need to study. May I be excused?” I slid my chair back to stand.

  “Yes, dear.” Mother folded her napkin and lay it on the table.

  I thanked Elizabeth for dinner.

  “We have our lesson in thirty minutes,” Orm called as I turned to leave.

  “She will be fine with a little break. Go study.” Mother’s eyes darted to the door.

  “Thanks.” I skipped over, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “I love you, dear.” She caught my hand.

  “I love you, too.”

  “Good night.” I waved to Orm and Elizabeth, feeling like a huge yoke had been lifted from my shoulders. Sitting with Orm learning magic reminded me of my father. A man who should be instructing me, one I didn’t know, and an unknown coven I might never be a part of.

  Even with my burning desire to find my father, the day’s drama left me spent. I knew I had to be stronger to perform the spell to locate him. I decided to wait till the weekend when I had a full day’s rest saved up. I fell into my half sleep, wondering if he had red hair and blue eyes and whether he spoke with a Scottish accent or British lilt. Images of a faceless father, Chase, Ivy, a sword, Longinus, and Jesus hanging on the cross flashed through my mind.

  Light in my room woke me from my sleep and unfolding angel’s wings were the last vision I had before I opened my eyes.

  “You look perplexed dear,” Elizabeth noted as she opened my curtains.

  “Do you believe in God and angels?”

  “Where did that question come from?”

  “I’m having weird dreams. Do you believe in heaven?” Stretching, I got up and straightened my covers.

  “I am in heaven. The fates willing I get to spend the rest of my nine-hundred and some odd days watching you grow into a beautiful woman.”

  “So, you don’t believe anything comes after?”

  “I don’t worry. Vampires have been given a gift. I accept that.” Elizabeth moved around the room, picking up the plate and glass I’d left on my desk.

  “Do all vampires believe that nothing comes after?”

  “Well, there are those that believe we are damned for our nature.”

  Her words stopped my progression to the restroom. “Like we’ll die and go to hell?”

  “If you stick to the strict translation of our bible.”

  I wondered if my family knew of the prophecy of Longinus. How could they not in their combined eighteen-hundred and some odd years on earth?

  Elizabeth stopped at the doorway. “You needn’t worry about destiny, love. You have a thousand years on this earth to enjoy.”

  “I guess so.” I moved into the bathroom, readying for school.

  I grew more paranoid of Orm following me and asked Hunter to meet me inside the library.

  “Hey,” he said as I reached him. “If we don’t have any more research to do, we should get out of here. Get some sunshine, fresh air.”

  “That’d be nice. Is there a back door to this place?”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “My mentor is particular about my whereabouts.”

  “Mentor? What is that supposed to mean?”

  “He’s my tutor and chauffeur, but he’s also lived with us my whole life. He’s kind of like my grandfather.” Thinking of Orm that way reminded me of my absent father, but I refocused on Hunter.

  “Yeah, there’s a back door, come on.” He hefted his backpack up.

  At the elevator, he again stepped back to let me in first. We wove through the stacks to the back, and as we exited he held the door open for me.

  “Thank you. That’s really nice.”

  “What?” He squinted his eyes.

  “The door thing.” I wondered if he could be any more adorable.

  “Oh, my mom is really big on manners. Hey, I know this little garden. Want to go there? It’s only a few blocks.”

  “I’m up for whatever.” Normally I cloaked only my magic, but I created a
barrier to block any locator spells. It would be a drain to my energy but time with Hunter was worth it.

  We walked the couple of blocks to a space between brick row homes. A wall formed of the same brick held an iron gate.

  “After you.” Hunter motioned for me to enter as he swung the gate open. A brick path twisted through a manicured lawn. Beds of flowers and bushes lined the lane. “My mom used to bring me here after you left. She told me it was my new magic place.”

  “It certainly does have a mystical aura. It’s so beautiful.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him to a giant lavender bush. In a few seconds his fingers started to wiggle between mine. “Sorry.” I released his hand and he rubbed it on his pants.

  The height of the bushes flanking the paths shielded them from view of the rest of the garden. The bricks winded like a maze through the small block. He led me along the twisting passages, showing me every secluded bench and fountain.

  “This place is amazing.” I leaned over a pool of dark water.

  “I used to call this my wishing well.” He stuffed his hand in his pocket and produced some coins. “Here.”

  “Does it work if it’s not a penny?”

  “Mom used to tell me I got more wishes.”

  “Works for me.” I closed my eyes, focusing my thoughts on the coin, and searched for the perfect wish. Then it came to me: for Hunter to have all the happiness a vessel could want. Opening my eyes and tossing the coin into the water, I turned to face Hunter.

  His gaze was fixed on me. “What did you wish for?”

  “Doesn’t that ruin the wish?”

  “That’s a myth.”

  “What did you wish for?” I asked.

  “To figure out how we telepathically interacted for a year. I could see you, touch you, talk to you, like you were really there, but you weren’t. No one else could see you. And you experienced the same thing. How was it possible? I looked up hallucinations and by all indications we should be treated for schizophrenia.”

  “I hope this doesn’t keep you up at night.”

  “Only a little. You aren’t still trying to figure it out?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve kind of accepted it may be a mystery-of-the-universe thing.”