KIngdom of Embers (Kingdom Journals Book 1) Read online

  I tried again and again, to no avail, my theory about my experience with Hunter and Ivy crumbling by the second. We’d been children. We hadn’t tried to seek out each other. It had just happened, at least the first time. From then on, all I had to do was think of Hunter or Ivy, and I would be with them.

  Exhausted, I gave up after an hour.

  “If you choose to be a full witch, you may be given the powers.”

  “By whom?”

  “That is the big question.” He chuckled and rose to his feet, crossing the room, to open the door for me.

  Well, that isn’t cryptic, I thought, padding in my bare feet back to my room.

  I picked up my phone to see texts from Sophie, Nick, and Hunter. My finger hovered over Hunter’s number. Maybe it was something special Hunter, Ivy, and I had. Whatever had enabled us to interact I couldn’t risk repeating it at home. Orm would sense the energy coming from my room in a second.

  Typing in a simple hello to Hunter, I waited for his reply.

  MY MOM WANTS TO MEET YOU. COULD YOU COME TO DINNER SATURDAY? WE EAT EARLY SO MOM CAN GET TO WORK. FIVE?

  I’LL ASK MOM. Thinking I could lie to Mother and tell her we had an event for extra credit and Sophie would drive us, I settled on my bed. She would never approve a meet-up at someone’s house she hadn’t fully scoped out yet.

  OKAY. I’LL WAIT.

  LIKE NOW?

  YES, SILLY. FOR SOMEONE WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY YOU ARE A LITTLE DENSE SOMETIMES. He added a winky face picture to the end of the text.

  BE BACK IN A SECOND. Clutching my phone, I walked to Mother’s bedroom and tapped on her door.

  “I realized we have this extra credit event Saturday. Sophie wanted to know if I could go with her.”

  She looked up from her book. “What is the event?”

  I thought up something quick. “A poetry reading.”

  “That sounds like fun. I used to go to those all the time.” Fixed on the wall behind me, her eyes glazed over.

  “Maybe we can go shopping Sunday instead.”

  Her attention refocused on me. “Maybe after that little extra gym time you talked yourself into.”

  “I can do that?”

  “Yes.” She crossed to me and wrapped her arms around my middle. “I do love you. I know you get frustrated, but we need to keep safeguards in place.”

  “I know. I love you, too.” Remembering the incident with the rogue vampire, I squeezed her tight.

  “I do have something I want to teach you.”

  Shaking out her hands, she placed them on my forearms.

  “They’re cool. How did you do that?”

  “Vampire parlor trick. Pull your blood into your core.”

  “Like the opposite of when I make myself blush?”

  “You do that?”

  “I learned it by accident.”

  “This is a little trickier, and you can’t do it for long otherwise you will really freeze. Try.” She took a step away from me.

  Focusing on my extremities, I closed my capillaries in my fingers. Placing them on my chest, I realized it worked.

  “Now I can dance with someone for longer than two seconds.”

  “Be careful, don’t stay in that state for more than five minutes.”

  “Okay, got it.” Thank you. I flung my arms around her neck.

  “You’re welcome, dear.” She kissed my cheek as I released her.

  My lie tempered the joy of the moment. But I rationalized my actions. I had a right to figure out my destiny.

  In my room, I messaged Hunter that I could come.

  SWEET, SO WHAT CAN YOU EAT? he answered.

  RAW VEGETABLES & FRUITS, CHEESE, YEAST BREADS, SUSHI.

  SO SUSHI?

  I GUESS.

  OKAY, WE CAN DO THAT.

  THANKS.

  He texted me the address, and I added it to his contact information. Realizing I hadn’t finished my homework, I changed for bed and piled my texts around me.

  The next thing I knew, I heard my door open and Elizabeth crossing to the blinds.

  “Good morning, your cheer uniform is all laid out for you.”

  “No.” I covered my face with the pillow.

  “Aren’t you looking forward to your date with Nick?”

  “I have to get through classes and the game first.”

  “You like cheering.”

  “Yes, I do. But there’s this prison called high school with Ganby in it. I’m eating with the cheer squad, so I need to take a lunch.” I sat up and stretched my hands towards the ceiling.

  “What is Ganby?”

  “This evil boy that has literature and French with me. He singled me out the first day, and he isn’t letting up.”

  “Oh, the boy you wanted to kill.”

  “Yes.” I slipped into the bathroom.

  Overall, the day wasn’t horrible, save for Ganby who paraded straight to me in fourth period. “It’s not zombie cheerleader day. Halloween isn’t for a month. Maybe you should get some melatonin supplements.”

  Annabelle stood and opened her mouth. Quick as a wink, I positioned myself between them. “Not worth it, Annabelle.”

  “Well, she moves faster than a zombie. I’ll give her that,” Ganby said behind me.

  “You know she’s dating Nick Stuart. He could get the whole football team to beat you up,” Annabelle shot back at Ganby.

  “Annabelle, come on.” I cooled my hands long enough to drag her to her seat. Happy with my new trick, I began my inquiry. “How did you know about me and Nick?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Somebody told somebody you guys were going to the arcade tonight.”

  “It’s a group thing.”

  She lifted her shoulders again and let them drop as the teacher called the class to order.

  After class I joined the cheer squad and football players who had claimed several picnic tables outside. At least we weren’t smashed into a tiny cafeteria like in Seattle where the noise became deafening.

  My phone dinged, and I smiled at Hunter’s message.

  LUNCH NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU.

  YOU MEAN NOT INSANE WITHOUT ME.

  HA. HA.

  Nick sat down beside me, and I closed my phone and took out my trail mix. Feeling self-conscious because it seemed people had already put us together, I picked at the nuts. But it was easy enough to join in the conversation, and the half-hour lunch period flew by.

  “So, we’re not having study hall today. We get out of school early for the game.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you at the stadium then. Good luck tonight. Or break a leg, whatever is the correct sentiment.”

  “Both of those work.” He shot a winning smile at me, slapped his leg, and spun and walked away.

  “Yep, still no color,” Ganby said, lifting my arm as I entered class.

  “Seriously, lay off, and don’t touch me. What is your problem?” I pulled my wrist away from his grasp and stared directly into his eyes.

  “My problem?” He looked up and laughed. “I’m not the one new at this school who thinks she can prance onto the cheer squad and steal center stage. At least that’s what Hannah thinks of you. You know they’re playing you, right? They’re going to drop you like last year’s fashion.”

  I briefly wondered if arguing with him would even help. I had no idea if he was right or not. But it didn’t matter because our French teacher cleared his throat, demanding attention. Sitting, I forced calming breaths in and out of my lungs. My legs bounced as I tried to control my fight-or-flight reaction. Right then all I wanted to do was run. No, I rationalized, Sophie would have warned me about something like that. Could she be blind to it too? My next thought turned to using my power of thought compulsion to change Hannah and Melody’s perception of me. It would be a fast solution. I wasn’t sure I wanted them to like me. But I didn’t want them ruining my senior year.

  Leaving my last class, I thought of what to do with my hour. Since I hadn’t been in a few days, I
wanted to go to Fahim’s bookstore. After Ganby’s rant, I needed to be distracted and feel safe, not reminded of other problems. I texted Hunter. DO YOU HAVE A LAST PERIOD?

  NO, WHY?

  ME EITHER. WANT TO MEET UP?

  SURE. WHERE?

  MALL? AT THE FOUNTAIN?

  AWESOME. SEE YOU THERE.

  I used the closest exit and headed for the street. Walking the three blocks to the shopping center, I found the water feature. I used the trick Mother showed me and pulled the blood from my fingers. Sneaking up behind Hunter, I covered his eyes with my hands.

  “Guess who?”

  “Alena?” He grabbed my hands and spun to face me. “How are your hands not burning up?”

  “I learned a trick.”

  “So, what? You hold a block of ice before you touch me?”

  “Not exactly. It’s complicated. Sort of like a yoga physiological control thing. My mom found it online.”

  “I like it.” He smiled at me, his face barely six inches away. “And I like holding your hands.” My heart fluttered as he held my palms to his chest, and I lost control of my blood flow. “And it’s gone.” He released my fingers. “What’s up? I figured you for a planner, not a spur of the moment girl.”

  I motioned to the sidewalk. “Are you hungry, or could we walk?”

  “I don’t need anything. Let’s walk.”

  He kept pace with me, glancing at me while I tried to figure out if I should even bring Ganby up. Hunter was the closest thing I had to a friend outside Sophie. I couldn’t tell her about Ganby’s theory on Hannah and Melody. I took a deep breath.

  “So, there’s this guy.”

  “I don’t want to talk guys with you.” He covered his ears.

  “Come on.” I pulled his hand from his head. “It’s not like that. He’s always mean to me, has been picking on me since the first day. Today he told me these other cheerleaders were setting me up to play some prank on me or something. I don’t know what to think. I’ve only been here three months. I know they kind of resent me breaking into their group, but would they be that mean? I just want to have a decent senior year and get out of high school. Is that too much to ask?”

  “I don’t know how it is in other places, but at Uni, Samo, and Pali, the girls seem attention hungry.”

  “So, if I steal their popularity, I’m a threat?”

  “Maybe.” He shrugged.

  “Maybe my mom will let me be home-schooled.”

  “Good luck with that. I’ve tried a billion times.” He tapped his fist to my bicep.

  “Funny thing is that I’ve fought to stay in school, and now I want to bail because of one mean guy.”

  “Does he pick on everybody?”

  “This girl in our class says so, but it seems like I’m the only one. I’m a freak with my pale skin and weird diet.”

  He spun in front of me “And amazingly blue eyes and hair that seems to change color with the light. That guy is a huge idiot.”

  I internally smiled at his attention to my features. “Yeah, I’d pretty much like to snap his neck right now.”

  “Well, that’s a little dark.” Hunter turned and proceeded along the sidewalk.

  Shaking off the thought of squeezing Ganby’s windpipe till it cracked, I reached for Hunter’s hand. “Hey, you should come to one of our games.”

  “We play Uni next week.”

  “Oh, okay, well that works.” I wondered why I hadn’t thought of next week’s game.

  “Will you be able to talk to me, or is that off limits?”

  I thought about Nick and decided we were just friends so far, and Hunter and I were only friends, so a friend saying hello should be fine.

  “I totally think it’s fine. Hey”—I jiggled his hand—“did your friends say anything about me?”

  “Are you kidding? Miss skin like cream and hair like silk. They were either jealous of you or wanted to date you.”

  My face flooded with heat.

  He dropped my hands. “Look at you all blushy.”

  “I am not blushing.”

  “Why would you even try that right now?”

  “I don’t know. I’m embarrassed.” I looked to the ground.

  He turned in the direction we’d come. “I don’t think I helped you.”

  “You did, just by listening.”

  “So,” he looked to me and back to the walk, “any new theories about our transcendence experience?”

  I cocked one eyebrow. “Interesting term, lying beyond the ordinary range of perception.”

  “Geek much.”

  “I have a theory. But I don’t have time now. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” I took a few steps. When he didn’t follow, I turned to look back at him.

  “Really, that’s all you’re going to give me?”

  “You can walk with me back to school. But it’s something I have to show you. And you can’t tell anyone.” I added the last part, thinking about his friends and Mom.

  I hardly believed I’d decided to show him my abilities. But after feeling the energy coming off him the previous day, if only for a split second, I knew he had powers. It had to be magic that allowed us to project ourselves to each other’s locations.

  “What can I bring tomorrow?” I asked. “I don’t cook, but Elizabeth, my house person, does.”

  “Wait, so you have Orm, who is like a chauffeur slash mentor, and Elizabeth, who cooks for you? How rich are you?”

  “They’re more like grandparents really. My mom works a lot. What about your mom.”

  I wanted the conversation focused on anything but my family arrangement. He told me more about his mother and her job. Before I knew it, we were in front of the school.

  “Thanks for this. I really appreciate it.”

  “Are you kidding? Anytime.”

  “Good, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I smiled at him and spun to the school entrance.

  Thinking I should purchase some flowers to take to his mother, I studied the dreaded double doors of the school building. I listened to the sounds from inside as the bell rang and students started pouring out. Wondering if there was something I could do to prevent a Hannah and Melody coup on my senior year, if it were even true, I decided to focus on being nice. I couldn’t let their attitude affect my behavior.

  Around the building, I found the cheer squad. We changed to warm up before the game and practiced for an hour before putting on our uniforms. Taking our spots on the field, I found Mother, Elizabeth, and Orm dressed in their usual black formal attire: Mother with her business suit, Elizabeth with her turtleneck and skirt, and Orm with his black suit jacket and pants. I waved to them and refocused on my job.

  When we watched the game, I followed Nick’s movements. I cringed with every oncoming tackle, wondering if I could keep myself from jetting onto the field if a bad hit looked imminent. Fortunately, he only took a few hard tackles. Afterwards, Mother, Orm, and Elizabeth met me on the field.

  Mother held up her program. “Is that him?” She pointed to Nick’s picture.

  “Yes. Would you like to meet him?” I crossed my fingers behind my back, praying she said no.

  “That would be nice. We’ll wait for you to change. I arranged for Will to meet us with his car.”

  “Great, right.” I spun on my heels, thinking major humiliation would ensue.

  Jogging to catch up with Sophie, I whispered in her ear. “Mom wants to meet Nick, and Elizabeth and Orm are with her.”

  “Ew. Well, good luck with that. I guess it was bound to happen sometime if you’re going to be dating.”

  In the locker room, I took a cool shower to calm my nerves and changed.

  Sophie and I met up with Hannah and Melody outside. “Hey, guys, do you want to meet my family?”

  “Oh, we never met them.” Melody’s eyes grew wide as she studied their forms. “Who is the big guy in the back?”

  “He’s our driver for tonight.”

  “Hunky, I like it.” Hannah thrusted her shoulders bac
k, highlighting her endowed chest.

  Reaching them, I introduced everyone, and we waited in silence for the guys to finish showering.

  “You have such pretty hair,” Hannah said to Mother.

  “Thank you, dear,” she commented, and the conversation fell off again.

  Seeing guys start to leave the locker room, I waited for Nick’s blond head to appear.

  He approached our group. “Hey.”

  “Great game,” I told him.

  “Thanks.”

  I bobbed my head nervously. “My mom wanted to meet you.”

  “Oh, sure.” He followed me to my family.

  He shook their hands and answered Mother’s questions politely.

  “Okay, dear, have fun tonight. Text if you need me,” Mother said as we finished the conversation.

  “I will, thanks.”

  We rejoined the group, and I realized the party had grown to eight.

  “Are we all going to fit?”

  “I don’t mind sitting on laps,” Hannah said.

  I looked to Will, who rolled his eyes. “Okay, I guess we can go.”

  We followed Will to his vehicle and piled in, with me ending up in the front passenger’s seat. I stole glances at Nick sitting behind me, and he smiled and waved. I hated being nervous, but I guessed there was no way around it.

  At the arcade, Will pulled up to the entrance. “I will wait for your call to pick you up. I believe your mother said you had an eleven o’clock curfew.”

  “Okay, so maybe ten thirty?”

  “Yes, call me if you need me sooner.”

  I shut the door and joined our crowd. Inside, I saw the restaurant littered with red Uni High shirts. Milling through the crowd, we found the hostess and requested a table.

  “You played well. Do you feel good about the game?” I asked Nick as we waited.

  “Yeah, I mean, we won. Not by as much as I’d like, but we won.”

  “Are you okay? Seems like you took some pretty good hits.”

  “A couple.” Nick rubbed his shoulder.

  They seated us at a huge round table, and I chose a seat between Nick and Sophie. I made a mental note to study Hannah and Melody’s behavior. They were focused on the two guys beside them, and I relaxed onto the back of the booth. The waitress brought the menus, and Sophie turned to me.