The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 4) (18 page)

 “As a matter of fact I did, DI Hardcastle, get in here,” Emory’s voice boomed.

. Declan was here? I hadn’t seen him since our date and wasn’t sure he was going to want to see me after that debacle. My hands began to tremble so I stuck them in the pockets of my hoodie.

Declan walked out of one of the many doors leading into the Great Room. He was wearing jeans and work boots that had seen better days. His shirt hung unbuttoned over a t-shirt, the sleeves rolled up. His blonde hair appeared unkempt, though the style looked good on him, and he wore his ever present smile that he directed straight at me. I smiled back, and then looked away quickly feeling like some idiot school girl.

I mean what the hell, when did I turn into someone who blushed at a guy? If I could I would have smacked myself upside the head. After all this was over, I needed to sit down and straighten out my damn head.

“At last count I had twenty-five HVO members who will stand with us,” Declan said as he stood beside Emory.

“How do we know they can be trusted?” I asked.

“Gavin gave me a device to make sure they weren’t being controlled by anyone.” Declan nodded in Gavin’s direction.

  I thought about my Looking Glass and wondered if it was the same thing or something similar. Whatever it was, we needed all the help we could get. “We’ll need to be careful from here on out as to who we trust. A war is coming and this is just the first battle, are you all ready for it?”

As I watched everyone assent with firm nods, I couldn’t help but think of Edgar always so eager and willing to help. He was one of my best friends and I hated the idea that he was in danger. We had to get him back no matter what.

“What are we going to do about a Mapmaker?” I asked.

“Nightshade?” Gavin looked past me to him and I turned to see him nodding.

“I’ll handle it,” he said.

“You found us a Mapmaker?” I asked.

“No... I’ll do it,” he said.

“What?” Jess practically screeched and glared at Nightshade as if he had two heads.

 He took a deep breath and turned a grin on her. “I’m a Polymorph.”

“No, you can’t be. I know Gavin and Chloe are, but you’re a Guilder.” Her eyes were wide and she looked as if someone had just slapped her.

“Guilder or not, I’m a Polymorph,” Nightshade confirmed again.

 She scratched at her head, as if trying to digest the news. “Really?”

 “Really. Edgar was teaching me how to use my Mapmaker abilities. I think I can handle getting us around Storm Reach.”

“Edgar knew?” It was my turn to be shocked, though I suppose I shouldn’t be. Edgar was the only one who had figured out that I was a Polymorph before I had told anyone.

“Yeah, he knew since we were kids,” Nightshade admitted.

“Oh,” Jess lowered her head and I wasn’t sure if she was confused or upset.

“Are you good enough to get us around in that place?” Slade asked.

“I can handle it, once inside,” Nightshade said with confidence. “I’ll just need some time to orientate myself, and then I should be able to map our way.”

 “Storm Reach can be a real maze,” Delcan warned with a bit of skepticism. “I’ve been there a few times and even I get lost.”

 “Don’t worry about me. I’ll get us where we need to go.” Nightshade narrowed his eyes and turned from Declan to me.

For a moment my body warmed at his familiar glance, and then I realized what he wanted from me. He wanted my trust, and damn if I didn’t hesitate to give it. “Okay, Nightshade is our Mapmaker. Any other questions?”

“I know this might sound a bit— I don’t know— sane? But how are we going to deal with being in a dimension controlled by the First Kind and populated by criminals and HVO members who are most likely under mind control?” Declan asked, as if it was the most natural sane question in the world.

 Of course it was, but who believed that anything my friends and I did was sane? “We’re going to stick to the shadows as much as we can, but if we have to fight we keep it short and simple. We don’t need to draw a big crowd. This mission is all about stealth.”

“I understand you all want to get your friend back, but trying to retrieve the Mapmaker Legend, is that really wise?” Delcan asked.

 Everyone looked from Declan to me and I spit my answer out without hesitation. “You bet it is.”

Declan raised his hands as if in surrender. “I’m not looking for a fight; I’m just playing devil’s advocate.”

I softened my tone. “This is our best chance to take the fight to them and surprise them.”

“You really think getting the Mapmakers Legend from them will hurt their cause that much? They seem to think they have a good shot at the HVO Artifact as well.” Delcan asked.

“I’ve got a plan, and I wouldn’t put my friends at risk if it wasn’t important. And Edgar would agree, he’d want us to get the Mapmakers Legend.”

“Understood.” Delcan nodded, though he didn’t seem that convinced.

“Chloe?” Gavin gave me a glance from the corner of his eye and I knew he thought it was time for me to tell everyone the entire plan.

“Gavin?” I asked, not sure if the time was right.

“You have to tell them,” he said taking the choice away from me.

“Tell us what?” Jess asked.

I laid it all on the line, hoping for the best. “I’ve got a plan to try and take care of the First Kind once and for all.”

“Are you serious?” Slade piped in as the idea commanded his full attention.

“Yes.”

“What’s the plan?” Nightshade asked.

“It’s the failsafe, isn’t it?” Declan asked, though nodded as if confirming his own question. I nodded and he blew out a long breathe and sat on the arm of the couch.

“What’s that?” Slade asked.

I explained. “The HVO has a failsafe that when activated closes off Storm Reach from all other dimensions, effectively locking the First Kind away forever.”

“A true prison,” Jess said with a shiver.

“Yes, there would be no way out for them,” I said and glanced around to each one of them. “And no way out for anyone else who got stuck in the dimension.”

“So if we don’t get out in time, we’ll be stuck there too?” Nightshade asked.

“Yes.” The room grew silent as everyone realized what that could mean for us.

Slade was the first to speak up. “If we pull this off, we could stop them for good.”

 “The Old Kind would be safe,” Jess said as if just realizing it.

“Yes, the Old Kind who’ve turned against us and are busy fighting amongst themselves.” Nightshade chuckled.

“You don’t think it’s worth it?” I asked him.

“They don’t trust me, why should I do a damn thing for them?”

“What other recourse do we have? Do we simply stand by and let the First Kind devour every last one of us? Do we watch as our heritage is wiped away because the Council leaders are fools? But most of all,” —I paused, my heart pounding as I stared into Nightshade’s eyes— “do we let them get away with what they did to
us
?”

 His eyes searched mine and I could almost feel his struggle to remember. And I prayed and wished with all my thumping heart that he could tell easily, as he once did, what I was thinking... that they had robbed us of our love and that more than anything was worth fighting for. His eyes locked with mine and just for a moment I thought I recognized that familiar glint of his that preceded a wise crack that would tick me off simply because he knew me all too well. But it disappeared so quickly that I figured I imagined it, though I didn’t imagine his response. It came loud and clear.

“I’ll do it.”

Status: For my friends I will risk anything.

Gavin walked swiftly down the stairs. At the bottom was an old metal door with a wheel lock. He grabbed it with both hands and twisted, the metal creaked and the door edged opened.

 The room was massive. I had long ago realized that I was never going to know all the secrets of the Reliquary, though I wondered how I could have missed something this large and impressive.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“A map room.” Gavin extended his hand and it glowed a faint gold color. He pointed toward the floor and lines of energy poured from his fingers. Once it connected with the floor, lines of golden energy shot across in all directions. The room exploded with light as the lines crisscrossed the room, from floor, to walls and ceiling. Names and numbers popped up in spots all around us, like apparitions waiting for some command.

Gavin closed his eyes and lifted his hands level to his chest and as he did the lines on the floor floated upward and the room became a living representation of the universe. The lines of energy represented paths to different dimensions and portals. A living and breathing Map, the kind Edgar was so good at making. He would love this room.

I struggled to contain my emotions. I’d been good about not dwelling on how much danger Edgar was in or how he was holding up. But every moment that passed, every moment we delayed was another moment my friend could be made to suffer. Edgar was smart, probably the smartest person I knew, but even he couldn’t hold them off forever. Nightshade had bought us time by locking out Edgar’s mind so that they couldn’t use a Forget Me Not on him and have him under their command. But eventually they would break the lock or even worse, they would break Edgar.

I hoped and prayed we weren’t already too late.

“I discovered this place when I was looking for a likely area to work out the coordinates to access Storm Reach. I believe the Reliquary knew what I needed and directed me here.”

“You think it knew what you wanted?” I’d never thought of the Reliquary as anything more than a very cool secret place, but I was beginning to realize there was much more to it than that.

“This place contains a lot of secrets that one of these days may come in handy. With the Old Kind and First Kind after us, this ancient edifice is our only real defense. And I for one will take all the help we can get.”

I took advantage of the time I had alone with Gavin as we prepared to leave for Storm Reach to ask him something that had been on my mind. “What about Rosalita?” I hadn’t seen or heard from her in weeks and I knew she was up to something.

Gavin winced as if hearing a question he didn’t want to answer. “She figured you would want to speak with her, but she’s gone to ground. She did however give me a message for you.”

“What message?”

“She said she knows what you’re planning and she thinks you need to consider other options.”

“She does?” I asked annoyed. If she felt that way why hadn’t she told me herself?

“That was the message,” Gavin said playfully crossing his heart.

“Well, that’s just great, nothing else huh? She disappears and that’s all she leaves me... consider other options? Like maybe she should suggest some if she feels that way.” Damn if I wasn’t upset by her going off like that and leaving me nothing but a brief message. But then I should be used to adults in my family deserting me by now. I was pretty sure that she was my great-great-great—however many greats—grandmother. I thought, had hoped, that Rosalita would be different and stick around. It turned out that she’s just like the rest... not there when you need them the most.

“Chloe, there are some things you have to accept. Rosalita is doing what she needs to right now, just like you.”

“Is she related to me?” There I had finally asked the question that had haunted me ever since I had seen the old photo of my ancestor Bodie and her in the Cape May house. Now maybe I’d get the truth.

 Gavin lowered his hands and sighed deeply, “This is a conversation you two need to have.”

“Well, she isn’t around and you are. Is she like my great-grandmother or something?”

He nodded with reluctance. “Yes.”

 “Why the hell didn’t she just tell me?”

“Polymorphs can live very long lives. It sometimes means that we need to walk away from family and start over. She had to do that and it wasn’t easy for her. But you have to believe that she has your best interest at heart.”

“That’s what people keep telling me, though it certainly doesn’t seem that way to me.” I was more than frustrated; I was angry that she hadn’t told me herself. Gavin was right, she and I should be talking about this in person. Why hadn’t she told me? Why all the secrets? She was married to Bodie, she had to know more about the First Kind and what had happened back then.

 I thought back to Paladin Academy and my class on temporal mechanics and how time and space worked. Somehow Bodie and I were able to communicate across time using the Looking Glass she’d given me. Had she known what was going to happen all along? Did she know about the plan Bodie and I had worked out? Was that what she was referring too that I needed to reconsider? There were way too many questions and not enough answers.

“I know you’re upset but you need to concentrate on the mission.” Gavin had returned to working on the Map. The lines of energy swirled around the room at break neck speed.

“I know what I need to do.”

“Good, my final calculations are done. If you’re ready, we can open the portal now.”

“I’ll get the others.” I walked out of the Map Room and back up the stairs. Everyone was gathered in the Great Room, Jess and Slade standing close and talking quietly. Declan was sitting next to Emory his Silver Star in his hand as if he was ready for a fight. Nightshade stood by himself staring off into the distance, as if his mind was elsewhere. “It’s time.”

Slade and Jess both nodded and moved out of the room. Declan stood and Emory shook his hand and smiled.

“Good luck and come back in one piece.”

“Yes sir,” Declan replied and left the room.

Nightshade walked to the couch and lifted a bag and slipped the strap over his shoulder cinching it tight.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Mapmaker tools and some things I thought we might need,” he answered walking past me, out of the room.

 I turned to leave.

“Chloe?” Emory called softly.

I stopped and turned. “Yes?”

“Your father was very proud of you and so am I.”

I had to choke back tears with the mention of my father. “Thanks.”