The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 4) (27 page)

The pull from both was increasing ever so slowly, tormenting me with tugs that stretched my body to its limit. If I didn’t get away from it in time... I shivered at the thought.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you almost as much as I did your girlfriend.” Darker sneered and feigned an attack, but Nightshade stood his ground, his feet firm, his body tense, not taking the bait.

The rain pelting the metal catwalks was like a drumbeat giving rhythm to their motions. And the only illumination came from their weapons.

Darker twisted his wrist and activated a portal directly beneath Nightshade’s feet. He easily avoided it, jumped forward, and attacked. His blade came down in a slash toward Darker, but he was quick bringing his sword up to block it. The weapons hit and electricity and reams of energy shot in all directions.

Nightshade didn’t stop his assault, his hands moved with such speed and fury he became a blur of crimson motion. Darker did everything he could to block his attack, but he couldn’t match Nightshade’s speed. A few of the attacks slipped through Darker’s defenses and lines of blood were drawn across his arms.

Darker sidestepped the latest thrust and brought his knee up catching Nightshade in the stomach, doubling him over. He swung his Doorknob and the hilt of his blade came down at Nightshade’s exposed neck, but at the last minute Nightshade rolled forward and away from the shot.

He was up and in a fighting stance in no time. Darker let out a low grunt and ripped at his own shirt that was sliced and covered in his own blood. He tore it off casting it angrily to the ground. The pelting rain washed away most of the blood on his arms revealing thin wounds that Nightshade had successfully served on him.

“When I’m done with you, I’m going to kill your new girlfriend.” Darker jerked his thumb toward me and Nightshade followed his motion.

 His eyes betrayed him and I knew he still had no idea what Darker was talking about. I hadn’t destroyed the Forget Me Not that controlled him. My heart sank. I felt as if I failed him again.

“You still don’t remember do you?” Darker laughed aloud as he had recognized the same look on Nightshade’s face as I had.

“You can’t talk your way out of this Darker,” Nightshade said through clenched teeth.

“You poor fool, I’m going to kill you and you don’t even know what I’ve taken from you.”

 Nightshade’s eyes narrowed in anger or confusion, I wasn’t sure. Darker raced forward and so did Nightshade, their blades swinging as they slammed into one another.

The pull of the portals was turning unbearable for me. I struggled to move, to return motion to my body and suddenly I felt my fingers tingle and I almost cried out with relief. I decided it was now or never and reached out with my abilities. At first I got no response, and then a spark of energy began to run through my body. A moment later it began flowing. I focused everything on my Doorknob and the familiar blue glow surrounded it slowly, and then burst forth. I directed it, reaching out to feel the portal beside me. The strength of the portal was growing by the second and if I didn’t close it quickly I was going to be in trouble.

I shut my eyes and let my senses flow out; feeling every angle of the portal. I scrunched my brow; there was something else there as well. An anomaly and one I had seen before... oh damn.

I pushed with all my strength to swing the portal as the claws of a Gremlin slipped out at the edge. The door slammed shut, quick and hard, and for a brief moment I heard a howl of pain. Then it blinked out with the doorway. I took a deep breath and smiled. That was close.

The growling coming from beside me reminded me that there was another portal. Damn, Darker hadn’t wanted to take any chances. If the portals hadn’t ripped me apart, the Gremlins they attracted sure as hell would.

I didn’t wait; I went into a forward roll, a smart move since a whoosh of air shot behind me as the beast swiped at where I had just been.

I came out of the roll and was up on my feet and running. The catwalk shook from the size of the beast chasing after me. I grabbed the railing and used it to pull myself away.

Nightshade and Darker had moved further toward the collecting rods and were locked in a ferocious battle with neither having the upper hand. Nightshade was swinging his blade with ever increasing accuracy and pushing Darker back toward the edge of the catwalk.

I didn’t want to get in the middle of their battle but I didn’t have many options with the Gremlin on my tail and no place to go.

It was decided for me when the beast swiped at me from behind and caught the edge of my hoodie, whipping me around and sending me crashing into the metal catwalk.

It was on top of me quickly, all I could see was sharp teeth and drool. Honestly, I think I was more freaked out by the drool, it was disgusting on so many levels.

I flicked my wrist and my energy whip snapped out from my Doorknob and caught the jaw of the creature knocking it off me. I rolled to the opposite side and was up and cracking the whip at its feet. The beast howled and I got a look at the size of the monster. It was double my size and looked as if it might be able to bite my head off with one snap of its sharp teeth. This was going to be fun.

I twirled my whip around trying to distract the beast, but it only served to anger it. It crouched back on its haunches and roared at me. It shook its legs like a cat ready to pounce. Behind me was the railing and beyond that a fall into the abyss.

“Oh crap.”

Status: Payback!

The Gremlin leapt toward me and I activated a shield hoping that it would be strong enough to withstand the onslaught. The beast never reached it, from behind Nightshade’s Gremlin tackled it, the two rolled along the catwalk in a flurry of claws and teeth.

“Good boy.” I smiled and ran toward the other battle.

Nightshade and Darker were struggling near the edge of the catwalk. I brought my whip around and snapped it out, catching Darker’s legs and giving it a yank flinging him away from Nightshade.

He was up quickly, his lip busted and bleeding. He looked from Nightshade to me and sneered. “Two against one that doesn’t seem fair.”

“Keep talking, Darker, one of those comments will be your last,” Nightshade warned.

We circled around one another, Nightshade and I facing off against Caleb Darker.

“Is that so? How about we even the odds a bit?” Darker reached into his pants and pulled out a small orb.

My eyes narrowed and my senses told me immediately that it was a Forget Me Not, but not just any Forget Me Not.

Darker grinned. “Recognize it, Nightshade? You should.”

“I don’t care,” he replied.

Darker turned to me. “What about you, Masters, do you care?”

Of course I cared, that had to be the Forget Me Not they had used on Nightshade. Getting hold of it could restore all his memories, including the ones of us.

“Give it to me,” I said calmly.

“Oh, I don’t think we’ll make things that easy.” Darker spun around and tossed the orb into the air.

I watched it sail across the darkness toward the abyss beyond the catwalk. I didn’t think; I reacted, running and jumped as high as I could in an attempt to retrieve the orb. I had to catch that damn thing before it went over. I stretched my arm out until I thought every muscle would burst from the effort. My fingertips brushed the top and I stretched some more, my muscles screaming and grabbed hold, closing my hand around it, tucking it tightly in my palm.

I slammed into the railing of the catwalk and the breath shot out of my mouth in one long whoosh, as if someone had sucker punched me. My Doorknob fell from my hand rolling away from me and I tightened my grip around the Forget Me Not. I’d be damned if I’d let go of that thing. I gasped trying to breath and tilted forward, my balance lost, and tipped like a top right over the edge.

My hand shot out as I tumbled over and caught the railing, my body slamming against the outside of the catwalk. I dangled over the abyss where I was pretty sure I was about to drop to my death. My other hand still clutched the orb, while pain shot along my arm as I struggled to hold my weight. Damn, maybe it was time to go on a diet.

Nightshade and Darker were at it again. This time it was Darker who was pressing the attack, he had distracted Nightshade with his trick. Nightshade kept glancing in my direction and I wanted to hit him. He needed to concentrate on the fight. I was a big girl; I could handle myself, though my fingers slipping on the wet railing did not inspire confidence.

I swung my legs up trying to reach the edge of the catwalk, but it threatened my already loose grip. I slipped the orb into my hoodie pocket and snatched the edge of the catwalk with my free hand. I pulled myself closer and my other hand slipped from the railing. I yelped as my weight shifted, but quickly caught the edge with that hand as well. I was hanging by both hands now while never-ending darkness gnawed at me from below.

 The rain slammed into my face, making it hard to see beyond a few inches in front of me. I took a deep breath, gathered my strength and hefted myself up until I could pull my elbows over the edge, and then planted them firmly on the catwalk.

 I looked to see what was happening with Nightshade and saw that he was struggling to defend himself. Darker was moving in fast and furiously, slicing his arms as Nightshade failed to block one blow after another. And I couldn’t help but wonder if my drop had caused him to drop his guard.

Darker spun and his sword bent in a blaze of azure light and slammed into Nightshade’s chest, a line of blood sprayed out and twisted him into the air, flipping him over, and slamming him into the catwalk.

“NO!” I screamed as I struggled to pull myself up the rest of the way. Nightshade wasn’t moving and Darker was standing over him laughing. I used every bit of strength I had and yanked myself over the edge. I got to my feet but Darker was already moving toward me. I clutched my hand, realizing too late that I had dropped my Doorknob.

Darker reached me, swinging his energy blade. I ducked under the first slice and came up on the other side, swinging a right cross and hitting him square in the jaw. He stumbled to the side, and I pressed my advantage with a punch to the stomach. His eyes grew wide and I smiled and swung with an upper cut.

He moved just as it was about to connect with his jaw. He brought his own arm around and backhanded me across the cheek. It knocked me off balance and his hand snatched out and wrapped around my throat. His nails dug into my throat and I clawed at his hands trying to breathe. He dug his fingers in deeper. My throat closed and the last bit of breath began to slip away.

“You’re finally going to die, and I’m glad I’m the one who got to do it.” He spat and lifted me high above the catwalk.

 If I wasn’t being choked to death, I would have been impressed by his feat of strength.
Strength.
Something my dad always warned me to hold onto. With that thought, I swung my hands out and back, but my arms were too short to reach him. Blackness crept around the edges of my vision and I knew I was going to pass out. Thunder cracked so loud that I couldn’t help but think that Thor had hit the earth with his mighty hammer, a weapon I could use about now. Then lightning flashed, exploding light over the entire area.

And there across the catwalk was Nightshade, he had pulled himself to his feet, rain and blood running together down his naked chest. His eyes caught sight of me and he blinked, and then his brow scrunched as if... what? Was he dealing with the pain, though what pain?

“NOOOOOO!” Nightshade’s scream echoed in the darkness as he dashed across the distance, his Skeleton Key turning into a crimson blade.

Darker spun and twisted his Doorknob, creating an energy shield to block the attack.

Nightshade’s blade hit the shield and cleaved it in two. Darker’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. His hand released me abruptly and I fell to the catwalk gasping for air.

Nightshade didn’t stop. He kept swinging his sword, catching Darker across the chest. Darker struggled to activate his own weapon, raising his arm to attack. Nightshade’s hand shot out, not giving him a chance, grabbing Darker’s wrist and thrusting his arm up high as he drove his blade through Darker’s stomach. His eyes appeared as if they would pop from his head and he gulped and gurgled as Nightshade twisted the blade inside him.

“That’s for Lauren,” Nightshade said giving one more twist before pulling the sword out.

Darker stumbled back towards the edge of the catwalk, blood dripping from his mouth. “You little bastard.”

Nightshade glared at him. “This is for me.” He spun on his heel, his sword a blur of motion as it sliced across Darker’s throat. He dropped over the edge of the railing, his head falling one way, his body the other. “Good riddance.”

I took a deep breath now that I was finally able too. Nightshade had told me a long time ago that he would kill Darker when he had the chance. Now it was my turn, but could I really do the same to my mother? I patted my hoodie searching for my Dooknob and remembered I dropped it. I spied it lying on the catwalk and snatched it up and dropped it into my pocket. My fingers, brushed over the Forget Me Not. I pulled the small orb out and looked at it sitting so harmlessly in the palm of my hand.

“You caught it.” Nightshade stood in front of me soaked with rain and some blood. Rain pelted his hair dripping into his multi-colored eyes and he wore his crooked smile, wet as it was.

He never looked so good to me. I held it out to him. “For you.” I hoped beyond hope that maybe this would work.

He shook his head. “I don’t need it.”

My eyes rimmed with tears. I couldn’t have come this far and not have him remember. “Why not?” My voice cracked slightly.

“Because...”

His hand slid around my waist and he pulled me up against him. He stared at me and there was something different in his eyes, and then his mouth found mine and he kissed me. I threw my arms around his neck and leaned against him, wanting to get as close as possible, needing to feel that he was real that the kiss was real and it all wasn’t a dream.