EMPIRE: The Rise of A Queen

Chapter 12

***

KENDRA

This past two weeks had passed by so fast, Olivia’s trial had started yesterday but I felt good about it. But then again so did Marcel and he was on the other side. Everyday was about reading up and knowing every single file and what they said so I could do something other than just sit there as the court was in session. Henry had for the first time since I started this job to actually like me. He liked the theories I came up with and how I looked at the different situations. So work was coming along and I finally felt at home there.

When I wasn’t at work I spent time in the Realm with the coven, mostly Maya, Nick and Edward. It felt like I was away more than I was at home at this point. But I didn’t care because being with the coven felt like home as well. I had learned so much and I could actually feel myself getting stronger and more powerful. Like being around my own ’kind’ was a boost for my magical core. So just as I thought life couldn’t get any better I saw Marcel.

”What are you.. Oh no.. I’m sorry. I was so into what I was doing that I lost track of time.” I said, watching the man sitting on my patio drenched in water from the skyfall that had started to subside.

”Lost track of time Kendra? I’ve been sitting here for two hours, that’s forgetting.” He stood up from the staircase he was sitting on and turned to look at me.

”I’m sorry Marcel! But the whole coven thing is new to me and you know that.”

”That’s not an excuse for ditching me. It was your idea to have a nice dinner at a restaurant before the trial started as we both should keep our contact to a minimum until it’s over.”

”I’m sorry I forgot, okay? But I need my coven Marcel, I’m not like you. I need them.”

”Okay, then you don’t need me. See you in court Lewis.”

”Marcel!”

He just walked away after that, not even looking my way as I screamed his name after him. My tears mixed with the rain on my face. How did we get here to this? It’s not that I didn’t want to spend my time with him but my life was more than just him and work. It was more than the life I had before moving here. I needed to get out of here. Now. Once I got back inside my house I said the now well known words, ’Bukas lawang kasunyata’ and the portal opened. The feeling of walking through it was a normal sensation compared to the first time I had walked through it with Maya. The sun in the Realm was bright and I welcomed the warmth on my face. I didn’t get far until the tears started flowing again and I broke down from the pain inside of me.

”Kendra?” A soft voice bounced between the trees in the clearing. I didn’t look up, not that I needed to see who the voice belonged to. It was a voice that had always put a smile on my face. Nick. ”What happened?” He had run up to me and was now on his knees next to me.

”Nothing, it’s nothing.” I tried to compose myself on the ground and dried my tears but new ones took their place.

”You’re not okay Kay.” He was the only one that used that nickname on me. ”You can talk to me, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me.” He put his arms around me in a hug that I felt myself melt into.

”Just got into a stupid fight with Marcel. It’s nothing.” I tried to convince myself more than him to be honest.

”What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?” Nick started to look at my arms and legs for possible bruises.

”No, Nick I’m okay. I just couldn’t stay there and something told me to go here, like I belonged here.” He chuckled at my words, like there was something I didn’t know.

”You always belong here, the Realm will always keep you safe. It has a sort of magic over it to make things better.” He pulled away from me but only far enough to look at my face.

”Better? How?” I asked and looked back at him for the first time since I got there.

There was a silence over us as I looked him in the eyes and I could swear that the wind swept by in just that moment to push us a little closer together. His eyes wandered from mine down to my lips, making me lick them unconsciously. I didn’t flinch or try to stop him as he leaned closer to me. As I closed my eyes I felt his lips hover just by my lips and a feeling in my stomach was angry that he stopped there. That feeling took control over me for a split second and I closed the last distance between us. The kiss sent a warm surge through my body that I couldn’t explain. It made me lean closer to his body and his arms wrapped around my body, helping me with my mission of closeness. Another gust of wind blew by making me lose my balance and I fell over him, making us both giggle and laugh at it. I was laying on top of him and when I looked back into his eyes the laughter stopped and our breathing got heavy once again. His hand found my face and stroked it before pulling my face down to his, just as our lips were about to meet again I pulled away. The memory of my first kiss with Marcel flashed before my eyes, I wasn’t this person. I don’t give up after the first fight, I don’t cheat.

”I’m sorry.. I can’t.” I said and got up from him, I didn’t let him say anything until I was back in the portal to my house. ”This was a mistake.” I said in a low voice, not sure he heard me as the portal started to close.

***

IN THE DARK REALM

The whiskey left a burning sensation as it poured down my throat, just the right amount of smokey flavour. I felt like celebrating but I didn’t want to jinx our success. There was so much at stake and I wasn’t about to fall on the finish line due to something as pitty as a jinx. My son had done a good job, I had to admit that. She was just a foolish girl and to think that she would be the foreseen end to our coven made me laugh. From the reports she wasn’t very good on the magic front, she was untrained and oblivious to the true power she possessed. A power that soon would belong to us, to me.

***

EDWARD

Nick was pacing the floor of my living room, not talking since he got here.

”Nick! Stop walking a whole in my floor!” With that he finally stopped in his tracks. ”What happened?”

”I kissed her.” He said bluntly, not looking at me.

”What? Who? Oh, Kendra?” My interests peaked at this, I had seen their connection right away but she had a boyfriend and Nick was a coward, to be honest. ”So you kissed her, then what?” I had waited for that moment since they met, I knew he liked her and he had told me as much just a day ago.

”She ran away.” He said in a low voice.

”You can’t be that bad?” I asked as a joke to lighten the mood, but failed.

”No Edward, she kissed me back and then all of a sudden she pulled away and said sorry before practically running away from me.” His arms were in the air as he spoke.

”She does still have a boyfriend right? Cause I think that might be what stopped her, she doesn’t seem like ’the cheating’ type.” It was true, Kendra was the most honest person I’ve met beside myself.

”They had gotten into a fight or something.” He mumbled and my suspicions were confirmed.

”So she was upset and what? Found comfort in your arms?” He glared at me but a part of his expression said that I was spot on with my guess. ”Who is he anyway?” I asked and sat down at my computer, ready to stalk the s**t out of the guy.

”Don’t Edward.”

”Hey, I’m being a good friend and looking into the guy that sleeps in the same bed as my friend. That’s all.” He made a face as I talked about them sharing a bed at night.

I started on the usual social media platforms and Kendra’s profiles and after a little while I found him. Marcel Walden, 26, lawyer for the district attorney. I click on his photos and look through them, there wasn’t much to be honest. Some pictures from a work party and two with him and Kendra, I take a closer look at the last one of the pair. Something was familiar about him.

”I’ve seen him before.”

”Where?”

”I’m not sure.. wait..” I walked over to the living room and searched through one of my parents old grimoire. After a few minutes I found what I was looking for and started to flip through the pages until I stopped and my suspicions were stirring right back at me. I had seen him before, in this book that helps keep track of the coven’s enemies. There on the page in front of us he was, with his family. Him, his mother, brother and his  father, the leader of their black magic coven. Blake.