Kingdom of Darkness (Kingdom Journals Book 2) Read online

  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 opened 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 i
f I should be writing all the visions down.

  Pulling my laptop from my backpack, I began typing. If I couldn’t talk to someone, perhaps writing everything down would help me understand. The story before I had audio had holes, though, like when I saw Alena and Hunter attend a funeral for a boy I didn’t recognize. Alena seemed very upset, but I couldn’t hear their words, and there was no background for me to draw from. Still, in an hour when Mom called me for dinner, I had a month’s worth of the tale in a document.

  “So, do you really have a boyfriend?” Mom asked when we’d loaded our plates.

  “No. I was doing research. I was just trying to get Tyler off my back.”

  “Dang. Just when I thought things may get interesting around here,” Tyler commented.

  After dinner, I traipsed back to my bedroom. My actual schoolwork needed finishing. Working on calculus, physiology, German, and History, I dressed for bed. With my European literature book in hand, I snuggled under the covers. My phone dinged, and I picked it up. Eva, my only real friend, was always away on weekends, and her habit included texting me late Sunday with some question about homework.

  HI. HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND? she asked.

  GOOD? YOU?

  She rattled on about a boy she’d met.

  COOL. I’VE GOT TO FINISH MY READING.

  OH, I WAS STUCK ON A CALCULUS PROBLEM.

  I worked through the equation with her, and she started to talk about the guy again. As she told me the story, the familiar humming sound began to intensify in my ears, and a vision of Alena and Hunter materialized before my eyes. They were seated at a dining table with Orm and the female witch from the forest. I listened for her name. And noted it on my character sheet. Chalondra.

  My pinging phone filtered through the hallucination. ARE YOU STILL THERE?

  SORRY. FALLING ASLEEP. IT’S LATE. I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.

  Storing my phone, I huddled under my blankets, excited to hear more about the characters. While they ate, Chalondra and Orm reminisced about their time together in Salem. Chalondra described how her mother was charged with being a witch and escaped by using her magic to dig a tunnel from their cellar to the outskirts of town. Orm then told them how his mother was taken and he met Anne and Elizabeth not long after.

  “I was in the woods one day, and they found me. At first I thought she might kill me on sight. I wouldn’t have been strong enough to take on two of them.” Orm pointed at Alena. “Did I ever tell you this story?”

  Alena shook her head, and he continued. “Anne and Elizabeth were making their way south. You know vampires always want to live where it’s warm. My mother had just been taken. I’d been posing as her bachelor son, but once they hanged her, I was seen as the bastard child of a witch. Anne’s passion for achieving peace impressed me, and I agreed to aid her in her quest for keeping special creatures safe.”

  “I’m sure you were lured by her passion for peace.” Chalondra rolled her eyes. “Female vampires can be very alluring. It usually ends much like the mating of black widow spiders though.”

  “Double stop,” Alena demanded, her face blushing.

  “Look at us old people with no filter.” Chalondra laughed. “Best get down to the business of finding Ivy.”

  “But how do we find her?” Alena asked. “You said you could sense she was weak? How?”

  “Because I am”—she chuckled—“or was, a child of light. I was born on June twenty-first in the year nine hundred ninety-nine.”

  “You’re over a thousand years old?” Hunter inquired.

  “Yes,” Chalondra nodded.

  “Why do need all three of us? How do we use the sword? Who exactly does it free?” Hunter shot off the questions in rapid succession.

  “The completion of the trinity will enable you to use the sword.”

  “Why weren’t you able to complete the prophecy? What does the sword even do?” Alena asked.

  Chalondra rose from her chair. “We never found the third member of the trinity and we didn’t have the sword. Knowing the prophecy is a heavy burden. I wonder if Thanatos knows he doesn’t have the correct components. Sonia does though.”

  “What does Sonia want?” Alena asked.

  “To live forever.” Chalondra shrugged.

  Orm gasped. “You are right, woman.”

  “Of course I am.”

  “It cannot be allowed.” Orm placed his fists on the tabletop.

  “So, do we get to know about Sonia?” Alena asked.

  “It is a long story but ends with the fact that all she cares about is herself and her family. She will do anything to keep her power.”

  “We should get to work.” Orm pushed away from the table and rose to his feet. “Alena, you’re with me. Hunter, you will train with Chalondra.”

  “But I thought we needed to contact Ivy together,” Alena commented.

  “You are not strong enough. We will begin your coven training. When you join the coven, we can try to contact Ivy.”

  “Doesn’t that take six months?” Hunter asked.

  “We’re on a crash-course schedule. It will be achieved by the winter solstice. Come, boy.” Chalondra held her hand out to Hunter.

  The narrative ended, and I stared out into my dark room, wondering again if I were Ivy. Shaking off the thought, I focused on getting sleep. If the vision returned at four again, then time was precious. I padded to the kitchen for some warm milk.

  “You’re up late. Couldn’t sleep.” The lady walked like a ninja.

  “Just finished my homework. Getting to bed now.”

  “Wow, they must be pouring it on.”

  “I kind of did it to myself, wanting to get into a good college and all.”

  “Don’t push yourself too hard, sweetie.” Mom rubbed my shoulders.

  “I won’t.”

  “Okay, goodnight.” She wrapped her arms around me. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  The buzzing sound woke me. Alena and Hunter locked hands and kissed.

  “Do you ever question them?” Hunter asked Alena when he released her.

  “Sometimes. Usually to no avail. I trust Orm.”

  “Okay, well, if you do, I do.”

  “I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess.” Alena took both of his hands in hers.

  “Are you kidding? I would rather know about it than not.”

  “So how are you doing? I mean it’s sort of a lot to process.”

  “Not bad, considering. I got over the magic part. It’s just the learning curve that’s daunting.” Hunter wrapped his arms around her.

  “You think that’s why your mom didn’t fight you?”

  “Oh, she had plenty to say once we left your place. But I told her I was in whether she wanted me to be or not.”

  “I’m glad we’re together at least.” Alena kissed him on the lips.

  “Yeah.” A smile spread across Hunter’s face. “If you hadn’t found me, Theron would be a million miles away with the sword, and you would be clueless.”

  “You don’t need to prove your worth.”

  “To a beautiful hybrid that is stronger than me? I believe I do. Plus, I’d be dead if it weren’t for you.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for me. Is Chalondra getting you up to speed?”

  “She is.” Hunter yawned.

  “We should sleep. It’s been a long day.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning.” He bent over and kissed her.

  “Goodnight.” She squeezed his hand as the kiss ended.

  The images vanished, and I propped up on one elbow and looked at the clock, seeing the numbers six-oh-three. Wherever they lived it was nighttime, so they either lagged by six to eight hours or were ahead by eighteen. Since they’d originated in California I guessed they would stay in the western hemisphere. You thinking this is real just proves you need to be back on meds. Dreams, elaborate dreams, I told myself, reclining back to my pillow.

  Still, the urge to r
ecord the most recent information had me tossing my covers away and grabbing my laptop. I tapped away at the keys till my alarm sounded. Wondering if I should schedule a counseling session that afternoon, I dressed and made my way to the kitchen.

  A note sat on my place at the table. EMERGENCY AT WORK. HAVE A GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL. LOVE, MOM.

  Hoping none of her animal patients were in too much peril, I fixed my breakfast and gathered my things. At school, I met Eva in our usual spot. She seemed intent on telling me the rest of the story on the latest guy.

  “So, what did you do all weekend?” she asked after finishing her tale.

  “I did a lot of research at the library. I have a big project.”

  “Any cute guys there?”

  “Absolutely none.” I rolled my eyes.

  “You need to get out with someone other than your mom and brother. Come with me next weekend.”

  “I’ll ask Mom.”

  “Your mom is way too protective.”

  “I know.” I’d lived in Reykjavik a year, but Eva was my only good friend. We’d met at a coffee shop. She was the first Icelandic person I’d talked to. She helped me learn the language, and we hung out all summer. We both had some struggles, and we worked well together. I was new, and she didn’t want to hang out with her old friends. The difference was my issues weren’t just moods or situational. I lived in fear of them returning at any moment. The ringing in my ears, an almost overwhelming buzzing sound only I could hear, had plagued me since I could remember. With the visions coinciding with the sensation, I’d almost convinced myself that the schizophrenia had re-emerged too.

  No, I told myself. I had no hard evidence that my dreams weren’t that. Wrong, the other half of me said. You had the dreams when you were awake. Thinking I’d give the delusional thinking a day or so to pan out one way or the other, I headed to class.

  Just after one in the afternoon the buzzing started, and an image of Alena entering the kitchen to join Hunter for breakfast appeared before my eyes.