Kingdom of Honor (Kingdom Journals Book 3) Read online

  “You guys need to shower. You reek of magic.” Pop pointed at us as we sat around the table. “Nan has a special soap that will mask your odor.”

  After eating, we cleaned up using Nan’s special oils soap and met at the entrance.

  “Please be careful.” Janine straightened Tyler’s hat on his head.

  Grady pulled on the oversized jacket he borrowed from Pop. “We’re finding a bookstore. It will be fine.”

  Dressed in ball caps and wind breakers, we hailed a cab and gave the driver the address for the first bookstore. I longed to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin but sufficed to stare at the bright ball in the sky. As soon as we exited the vehicle, I knew it wasn’t the right store.

  “This isn’t the one. There’s a coffee shop in front, we’re looking for a bar in the back.” I spun to tell the cabbie to stay put, but he sped away. “And we have no cab.”

  “The next address isn’t far. Let’s walk.” Grady pointed east.

  Not far ended up being a mile and took us twenty-five minutes with having to wait on the crossing signals. Frustrated, I stood in front of the next candidate. Seeing a lot of low-priced trinkets in the front, I huffed. “This isn’t it.”

  “Just puts us closer to finding the right one,” Grady said and lifted his arm to hail a cab.

  The next two took us an hour to get to, and with six o’clock approaching, we’d run out of open-store-hour time.

  “We can still keep going and come back during store hours if we find the right one.” Grady pointed at the list.

  “That’s a waste of time,” I snapped. “Let’s start again tomorrow.” I walked to the street, motioning for a cab. It’d been easier to not think about Camille the week in Italy with Helene. We’d been making ground, but since then we were spinning our wheels. Being lucid had me replaying every second of my decision to leave her in the tunnel.

  The second day was a cookie cutter of the first, with us making it to eight bookstores and coming up goose eggs on finding Fahim’s.

  “We’ve still got two more,” Grady said over dinner.

  Leaving my plate half full, I pushed back from the table.

  “He isn’t much on optimism, is he?” I heard Tyler comment as I made my way down the hall.

  They didn’t get it. Every day I spent away from her, the hole in my chest grew. If one of my buddies had admitted he felt something like that, I would’ve told him he was going soft and to man up. I re-read Camille’s account of her visions, waiting for my food to settle enough to get in a workout.

  The next morning, we set out before ten again. The space of the second shop on the list was empty, completely gutted. Approaching the door, I cupped my hands around my eyes to peer in.

  “It’s not dusty.” I jiggled the handle.

  “You planning on breaking and entering?” Tyler asked.

  “I wasn’t until you said that.”

  “Wait, there’s a number for a leasing agent.” Grady slipped his phone from his pocket and started dialing.

  I took the device from him, waiting for an answer. When a Brad Smith introduced himself, I inquired about the former leaser. “They’ve been gone for about three months.”

  “Can you give me a name?”

  “If you want to know the history of the space—”

  “Do you know a name?” I insisted.

  “I never talked to the tenant directly, only to their lawyer. I could give you that number.”

  “Thanks.” I waited while he pulled up the information and thanked him again once he’d given me the number.

  Dialing the lawyer’s office, I knocked my hand on my thigh. “Coolidge and Frees, law firm,” a female voiced answered.

  “Can I speak to Doug Coolidge, please?” I paced away from Grady and Tyler.

  Doug picked up the call, and I inquired about the tenant. He told me the couple had grown older and couldn’t keep the shop, but he wasn’t at liberty to give me a name or any contact information.

  “If you’re interested in the shop you should call the leasing agent,” he continued.

  “Thanks.” I ended the call. “He’s not at liberty to give me any information.” I swatted the air with my fist.

  “It’s a pretty derelict neighborhood, maybe we could snoop around, see if anyone knows anything,” Grady walked towards the end of the block. Approaching the alley, he turned to Tyler. “Stay behind us. Watch our backs.”

  The back door was locked up tight, and I entertained showing off my strength and popping the lock. Before I could suggest it, Grady pointed down the lane to a couple of men gathered around a metal trashcan.

  “Let’s ask around.”

  The group of men claimed to not recognize Fahim’s name but pointed down the street to an empty building. Passing the remains of one burned structure, we entered a brick building through a door halfway off its frame.

  “Stay outside.” Grady pointed at Tyler.

  I slid my bracelets into my pockets and motioned for Grady to do the same. A few people lay passed out in the first room, and we made our way through the next few. A creak from above caught my attention. Pointing upstairs, I ascended to the second floor.

  Three men sat around a table playing cards. The biggest one set his hand on the table. “Well, what have we here? Couple of dudes looking for some drugs? Pretty brave coming all the way up here. Or maybe you’re already high.”

  “We’re just looking for some friends.” I flexed my fists.

  “Well, unless you see any skirts in here, we don’t roll like that.”

  “No, a guy owned a bookstore a block down. You know him?”

  “Maybe I do, who’s asking?”

  “We’re friends of Ivy. I held out a card with my number on it. If you know Fahim, Aaron, or Dimitri, could you pass my number along?”

  Before I knew it, he pinned my arm to my back and slammed my face against the wall. “You guys smell kinda nice. Maybe you got some money.”

  I blasted him with a jolt of electricity that sent him flying to the opposite wall. Spinning to face him, I focused on the blood vessels in his head, popping them one by one.

  He hissed and held his temples between his palms. “Damn witches.”

  His partner charged, and I lifted my arm, sending a blast of air his way. It propelled him to the ceiling, and he fell like a lead bullet.

  “Like I said, if you know Fahim or his friends, please pass along my number. It’s very important.” I walked to the stairs.

  Grady huffed after me. “I’m not turning my back on these guys.”

  “Fine.” My adrenaline had gotten the best of me, and my ears were ringing. Right then, if another being approached me, I doubted they would escape with their lives.

  “What happened? Did you find someone who knew them?” Tyler asked as we exited the house.

  “Don’t know.” I slipped the bracelets onto my wrists again and hurried to the end of the alley.

  With the extra energy coursing through my body, I could’ve walked the five miles back to the safe house. Instead I raised my hand in the air. It wasn’t two minutes before a cab stopped in front of us.

  “So, what do you think?” Tyler asked again once we were inside the vehicle.

  “Not now.”

  Back at the house, I shed my hat and jacket and stomped to the bedroom. Changing clothes, I made my way to the workout room.

  “That was some pretty strong magic.” Grady appeared on the treadmill beside me my fourth mile in.

  I smashed the stop button on the treadmill and turned to face him. “I told you I could hold my own.”

  “Is it under control?”

  “As long as you’re on my good side.” I blotted my face with a towel. My phone buzzed, and I retrieved it from the shelf. “Hello?”

  “We have Ivy.”

  “You’re kidding?” I rolled my eyes thinking the guy had a death wish.

  “No. We can get her back to you for a price.”

  “You’re an idiot. What, you
didn’t get enough roughing up today? You need more?”

  “You can’t find me.” The line went dead.

  “Ahhh!” I punched the air. Taking deep breaths, I faced Grady. “We’re at a dead end. We need to do something different. I’m going to shower. Let’s meet in the living room to brainstorm in fifteen minutes.”

  “There’s got to be someone else in here.” I slammed Camille’s document onto the coffee table. “What about Anne. How can we find her?”

  “Who’s Anne again?” Tyler’s brow furrowed.

  I fought lashing out at him. “Alena’s mother.”

  “Do we have more information about her? She would be local, right?” Pop asked.

  “The vampires called her Queen and referred to Alena as Princess. She has enough resources to hide Alena and Hunter away in a day’s notice. She lived in a penthouse with a ton of guards,” I supplied.

  “Did she stay with Alena and Hunter?” Grady asked.

  Before I could answer, Pop fired another question. “Do we have a last name?”

  “No, she didn’t stay with them. She couldn’t because of her position. Her last name is Scott.”

  “Could it be?” Nan asked, looking to Pop.

  “I think it is.” He turned to face me. “Anne Scott is the Vampire Chancellor. Her human name is the same. She keeps an investment company as cover.” Pop picked up the laptop. “Here.” He swung it to face me. “This is where she lives.”

  “Can we just go there and ask to see her?” Tyler asked.

  “I can’t believe we wasted two days.” I got up and paced to the wall.

  Grady joined me. “We need to figure out how to prove we are who we say we are.”

  Picking up my laptop, I tapped on the screen, bringing up the pictures from the Iceland trip in the account synced to my phone. “I have these.” I spun the screen to show the group.

  “There’s Camille.” Janine’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you mind if I look through them?”

  “No.” I handed her the device.

  Tyler and Grady looked over her shoulder as she scrolled through the pictures.

  “You sure do have a lot of pictures of my sister.”

  My face flushed, and I looked to the floor. When Janine handed the tablet back, the picture on the screen was the one we’d taken from the summit before I’d showed her my magic. Before she’d made me cut myself to prove I wasn’t a vampire.

  “Do Alena and Hunter know what Camille looks like now?” Tyler asked.

  “No, but we have this.” I leaned over and picked up Camille’s document.

  “What time are we leaving for the vampire chick’s place?” Tyler asked as he poured a cup of coffee and sat down for breakfast.

  “As soon as everyone has eaten. No need to waste time.” I grabbed my plate and took it to the sink.

  “You better check your attitude.” Grady pointed at Tyler. “It needs to be all respect today, got it?”

  “I still can’t believe we’re talking about vampires like they’re real.”

  “They are. Very real.” Grady lifted his coffee mug to his mouth.

  “You should wash with that soap again.” Pop swung the dishrag he’d been using over his shoulder.

  “How do we smell to vampires?” Tyler asked.

  “I was told by a vampire friend once that we smell of honey,” Grady said.

  It was an interesting statement, and I thought about how Camille smelled of flowers even when she sweated. I shook my head to clear my mind of the thought.

  “You guys are making me more nervous.” Janine crossed to the sink and rinsed her plate.

  Grady followed her. “This isn’t any different than what we’ve been doing for the last two days. Probably safer because Anne couldn’t have three dead witches and a civilian in her foyer. Those heathens yesterday probably wouldn’t have thought twice about ending us if we’d been weaker.”

  “You mean if I hadn’t roughed them up.” I pointed at Grady.

  “What heathens? You didn’t tell me about any incidences.” She turned to face Grady.

  “I didn’t want to worry you. You don’t have to come. Maybe you shouldn’t.”

  “Are you kidding? Who is the best person to convince a woman to help? A mother. Anne’s a mother. I’m a mother. I’m going.” Janine loaded her plate in the dishwasher and strode out of the room.

  Grady looked at Tyler. “Well, I guess your mother is definitely going.”

  “She’s tough. She can handle it.” Tyler stuffed a bit of bread in his mouth.

  Tyler, Grady, and I dressed in the jackets and ball caps, pulling them low over our foreheads. We decided Tyler and I would travel in one car and Grady and Janine in another. Grady and Janine left a few minutes before us, planning to walk a few blocks to get a cab. Our two groups would be dropped off at separate addresses not far from Anne’s building. I guessed I should start to think of her as Ms. Scott at least, as it may have been a better way to address the Vampire Chancellor.

  “This bracelet drives me nuts.” Tyler spun the rocks on his wrist as I hailed a cab.

  “Small price to pay for not getting picked off. Thanatos has a residence in LA.”

  “Who is Thanatos again?”

  “High Priest of the witches. He heads the coven holding Camille. A locator spell with Camille’s blood would find you and Grady in two seconds.”

  “That’s reassuring.” Tyler rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

  “Let’s keep our heads down and get this over with.” I opened the door for him when the vehicle stopped in front of us.

  Tyler’s leg bounced on the ride, and I fought telling him to calm down. When the cab stopped, I paid the driver with cash. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I looked to the sky, grateful for the sunlight. It felt like a bittersweet emotion as I wondered how Camille was doing, and I refocused on our task.

  We met Camille’s parents in front of Anne Scott’s building.

  “I think you should ask for Ms. Scott, Janine,” Grady said.

  “You’re kidding?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, here we go.” Sliding my bracelets off, I motioned for Grady to do the same.

  The lobby seemed like a normal place and the attendant smelled like a human. He stood and greeted us as we approached the desk.

  “Good morning, how can I help you?” the man asked.

  “We’d like to see Ms. Scott,” Janine told him.

  “Do you have an appointment?” He tapped the keyboard in front of him. “Ms. Scott didn’t indicate she expected guests this morning.” His eyes darted between the four of us.

  “We’re friends from out of town. It was kind of a spur-of-the-minute trip. Could we use the phone to call up? Our cell phone battery died,” Janine told him.

  “All of your phones died?”

  “We lost our chargers,” Grady indicated.

  “I will call up. Who should I say is here?”

  “Ivy’s family,” I told him.

  “Ivy’s family?” He looked between the four of us again. “Okay.” He lifted the phone from the cradle and pushed a couple of numbers. “Ivy’s family is here to see Ms. Scott,” he said into the receiver.

  Lines grew on his face as he listened to the other party. I looked behind us to see two of the elevator’s lights indicating the cars were headed down.

  Two elevators headed our way, I transferred the thought to Grady. He nodded his head slightly.

  “Okay, thank you.” The attendant put the receiver back in its place. He looked up to us. “Ms. Scott’s assistant will be with you shortly.” He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands. His eyes cut to the elevators to our left.

  I turned to see two elevator doors open and four tall, broad-shouldered men step out of each. Their smell hit me, and the hairs on my arm stood on end. I replaced the word men with vampires in my mind. Stepping towards the one in the lead, I held out my hand.

  “Hi, I’m a friend of Ivy’s. This is her family. We were hopi
ng to see Ms. Scott.”

  The vampire stopped in front of me, ignoring my outstretched palm. “Come this way.” He cocked his head to the elevator, and the other seven vampires fanned out, surrounding our group.

  “Have a nice day.” The attendant called from the desk as we followed the lead guard into the elevator. Inside, three additional guards joined us. We stood shoulder to shoulder as the car ascended.

  The elevator stopped one short of the top floor. Not the penthouse. I spoke telepathically to Grady who blinked, I guessed in confirmation.

  We exited the elevator to an empty hall. “This way.” The head guard led us down the corridor with the other seven guards trailing us. A couple of doors from the end, he stopped, put the key in the lock, and motioned for us to enter. Inside, a narrow hallway was lined with doors. He passed us, unlocking one of the doors, turning on the lights and ushering us inside.

  The room was empty, save a mirror on the wall, which I assumed to be a one-way glass. Video cameras mounted near the ceiling in each corner.

  “So,” the lead guard spun to face us, “you wish to see Ms. Scott about someone named Ivy?”

  “Yes,” I answered. “This is her mother, father, and brother.”

  “And Ivy is?”

  “A friend of Ms. Scott’s daughter.”

  “Ms. Scott’s daughter?”

  “Violet. Or Alena, I guess.”

  Janine stepped to my side. “Please, they have my daughter.”

  “Who has your daughter?” the guard inquired.

  “A coven of witches in Italy.”

  “Witches? In Italy? Assuming witches to be real, why would Miss Scott have any concern for witch business?”

  I cleared my throat. “Yes, assuming witches to be real, we believe Miss Scott can help us rescue Ivy from this coven’s compound.”

  “And you know where this compound is?”

  “Yes, I escaped from there a week ago.”

  “And you are?”

  “A friend, as I said.”

  “I’m Ivy’s father, this is her mother and brother.” Grady spoke for the first time.

  “I’m assuming you have proof of your relationships with Ivy?”

  I held up my wrist, where the brand had been. “I escaped Michael’s coven and had the brand removed.” Slipping my phone from my pocket, I scrolled through pictures of Camille and me in Iceland. “This is Ivy. Her real name is Camille.”