The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (22 page)

“Yes.”

“That won’t do at all. You could very well be in danger due to your father’s negligence,” He grinned when I winced at the comment.

“And?” I asked knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.

“I talked with your grandmother and you’ll be staying with her until this is resolved,” he announced as if it was a triumphant victory.

“My grandparents are back? When did they get here?” I asked momentarily happy.

“No, you misunderstand, dear, not your father’s parents... your mother’s.”

“What?”

I would have thought the comment came from me but instead I turned to see Jessica sitting with her mouth agape and a very unhappy expression on her face.

“Is this some type of joke?” she asked.

“No, Miss Grimm, it isn’t. I’ve already spoken with your grandmother and she wants you to bring Miss Masters home with you.”

“Oh damn,” I muttered as Jessica fumed in the seat beside me.

Chapter 20

Status: Meet the family

“What?”

The look on Edgar’s face was a mixture of fear and awe when I told him where I’d be living. He was just as shocked as I had been when I was told that I would be staying at my grandmother’s house. I was glad he had chosen to stick around after school and wait for me to finish detention. It was no hardship on his part since it gave him extra time to practice his map making skills, but still he had waited.

He stood beside me as I pulled the last of my stuff out of my locker. I looked in the bottom and saw my training knob sitting there. I slid my hand over it and pushed it into my bag.

“Val is going to be crushed,” he said with a sigh.

“Sorry, but you’re going to have to tell her for me.”

“No worries, Slade and I can meet up with her and let her know. So you’ll have your phone right, we can text?”

“I have my phone, but I’m not really sure what my grandmother will be like or what’ll happen and...”

Edgar narrowed his brow. “What’s going on?”

“I need you to meet me tonight at ten at the Arrowhead.”

“What’re you planning?”

“I am not sitting around waiting for answers anymore. Can you meet me?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And bring your latest maps,” I said quietly and mumbled a goodbye as I hurried passed him and over to Jessica standing a short distance down the hall waiting for me.

At the end stood Mr. Jordan talking with two men dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. He gestured toward me and it made me wonder if he was talking about me and if the men were perhaps HVO members since something about them reminded me of Emory.

“You ready?” Jessica asked rolling her eyes.

“Sure.”

“Fine let’s go.”

She walked over to one of the many doors in the main hallway, a skeleton key in her hand. It began to glow, the power flowing around me. She slid the key into the lock and a surge of energy hit me as she turned the key and it clicked. She grabbed the knob and pulled the door open and stepped through. I waited a moment, took a much needed deep breath and followed.

“Gran, I’m here!” Jessica shouted as we stood in what appeared to be a living room and not some dank and dirty dungeon like I had imagined, though I suppose that’s how I was feeling... a confined prisoner. The room was large with exposed brick walls and a fireplace with several chairs facing it. The mantle contained a plethora of family photos that seemed ready to burst from the pure amount of them.

“I’ll be right down.” The voice floated down the stairs.

I looked out the single, large window and didn’t recognize the street. That was the first time it occurred to me I could truly be anywhere at the moment. I hadn’t even considered that my grandmother might live somewhere other than Cape May.

Jessica threw her book-bag on one of the chairs and stepped out of the room into the next... a kitchen. I just stood there clutching my bag completely unsure of what I should do next.

The sound of footfalls on stairs sent a chill down my spine. I watched as a woman descended the stairs and I blinked in confusion. Her long blonde hair floated freely around her face and her wide smile reminded me of another from a long time ago. Lines and wrinkles ran around her eyes and slight patches of grey rested at her temples but otherwise the woman before me looked just like... my mom.

“Hello, Chloe,” she said her smile never diminishing.

“Hi.” I didn’t smile or even react. I simply stared at her.

“Do you remember me?”

I gave it thought and there was something familiar about her besides her resembling my mom. It was like butterfly wings flitting in my mind. Flit close and then flit away, I couldn’t quite grasp it. She was my grandmother. I realized that I had spent time in this very house attending family parties and having dinners with her and my parents. But that seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Yes, I remember you,” I said with a twinge of sadness.

“I should have come to see you sooner,” She sighed lowering herself to one of the chairs by the fireplace.

I slid into the one opposite her and pulled my bag into my lap. “I guess once mom left.” —I shrugged— “what was the point, right?”

Jessica entered the room. “Gran, I’m going out.”

She had changed her clothes but not her attitude. She looked at me with the same disdain as ever.

“Where and with who?” Gran asked.

“Friends and around,” she replied and began texting on her phone.

“Jessica.” Gran’s voice changed slightly and Jessica immediately put away her phone and paid attention.

“I’m meeting James and we’re going to Sully’s.”

“Good. Make sure your home in time for dinner.”

Jessica moved swiftly, planting a kiss on Gran’s cheek, and then ran out the front door.

A small ripple of energy hit me and I realized that she had used a portal to leave.

Gran turned her attention to me. “I hear you and your cousin haven’t been getting along?”

“You could say that; she attacked me.”

“You and she always did argue even as children.”

“Then... that is my cousin Jess?” Memories from my childhood of playing and fighting with my cousin rushed into my mind. Combing one another’s hair and fighting over a baby doll until we pulled its head off and then laughing when we got in trouble over it.

“So you do remember her,” Gran said. “She didn’t think you did, I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t see one another for ten years.”

“It’s not like you were knocking down my door.”

“You certainly aren’t shy, I’ll give your father that.”

“Ms. Grimm, one bit of advice, don’t bad-mouth my dad... ever.” I tried as best as possible to keep control of my frustration but it had crept out.

She smiled and raised her hands in mock surrender. “I don’t want to argue. I’m glad you’re here. And what’s happened in the past is the past.”

“Good,” I said figuring we had struck some sort of truce.

“Please call me Gran like you once did.”

Like I once did.
I recalled the special times I had had with her especially running to her when I was young and launching myself into her arms. She would spin me around and we’d laugh but that was years ago when I had no doubt she loved me. Where had she been since my mom left me?

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I turned away unable to look at her face any longer. She reminded me too much of my mother. I glanced quickly around the room, my eyes catching on the collection of pictures on top of the mantle. One picture in particular had me looking twice. I remembered seeing it many times in my youth; it was of my parents on their wedding day. Without thinking I stood and walked over to it. I scanned all the pictures. My parents and even my own face stared back at me, one picture of me as recent as last year.

“Your father sends them to me.”

“He does?” I kept staring at them.

“Yes, he’s been doing it ever since your mom...” Her voice dropped below a whisper.

I spun to face her. “What happened to her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Of course you don’t,” I didn’t have to try for sarcasm; it dripped with my every word. “Conveniently no one does, do they?”

“If I knew I would tell you. Unfortunately, I don’t know any more about what happened on your parents’ mission than what your father told the council.” Her fingers brushed gently across a picture of my mom. “I haven’t heard from your mother since.”

I tried to find an ounce of forgiveness for her but where had she been since my mom disappeared? If anything, at least she could tell me more about my mom. “Why did my mom leave?

“I wish I knew. She loved you more than words could say and was one hell of a Guild member. We all miss her.”

“Maybe she should have stuck around.”

“She must have had a very good reason for disappearing, dear.”

“Right, I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for why she skipped out on us and hasn’t even bothered to call or try to contact me, her daughter, her only child,” I said the sarcasm back.

“She loved you, you must remember that.”

“I remember a happy family that she tore apart by leaving us.” I turned away from the pictures and plopped back down in the chair. I was annoyed. I hadn’t let thoughts of my mom bother me this much in some time. I didn’t like the painful memories they stirred up.

“Come on let’s head to the kitchen, I’ll fix you something to eat.”

She walked out of the room and I followed along, since I didn’t have much of a choice. I was stuck here like it or not.

The kitchen was large with a long table at one end and a big island with stools at the other. I pulled out one of the stools and sat as Mrs. Grimm, couldn’t bring myself to even think of her as Gran, began pulling things from the fridge and cabinets. She grabbed some vegetables and slid them in my direction and handed me a knife and a cutting board and without thinking I went to work dicing everything up for her.

We talked as we prepared the food, mostly about school and regular stuff. And for those few minutes life seemed normal and I hadn’t felt normal in a long while. I may not have seen her in over ten years but still she was my grandmother and I enjoyed the normalcy if only briefly. When the stir fry was finished we sat at the table, ate and reminisced about my parents. I was glad we kept it cordial and the memories humorous. I was surprised when I heard the front door open having completely forgotten about my cousin. She walked into the kitchen, stopped a moment to stare at us and then she walked over grabbed a bit of food from the bowl and nibbled on it.

“How was your night dear?” Gran asked her.

“It was fine. Sully wanted to go to the Diesel Factories but James and I stayed in and did some studying.” She snatched another bit of food eating it quickly.

‘Sounds lovely but obviously you didn’t eat, so sit down and have something. Chloe and I were talking.” She gestured to a chair beside me.

Jessica eyed me with her usual contempt and stepped back.

“No I’m fine, Gran, I better head to bed.” She turned to leave but Gran’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Jessica Grimm, it wasn’t a request, sit down
now
.”

Jessica spun around and sat without looking at me. “Can I have a plate please?”

I suppressed a laugh and handed Jess a plate. She reached for it with eyes blazing. For a minute I thought she was going to break it over my head, but she grabbed it and dumped a heaping spoonful of stir fry on it.

“I am aware that you two have been having issues with one another,” Gran said “Jessica informed me of what happened in the library and I want to say this... that all ends now. You’re family and don’t ever forget that. You’re cousins and you should never let anything come between you. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” We spoke in unison surprising each other.

“Good. Now that that’s settled let’s finish eating.”

Jess dug in and Gran got some cake from the fridge. She cut us each a generous slice and set the plates in front of us. We sat around the table talking and it felt so normal I nearly forgot how bad things were in my life. But for just a few moments I didn’t need to worry about Dad or about what was happening.

“Anyone for coffee?” Gran asked as she started to brew a pot for herself.

She stopped abruptly and froze. I was about to ask if everything was alright when the hair on my neck and arms stood on end.

A heat so strong rushed through me that I thought I was on fire and it scared the hell out of me. I turned to see Jessica who looked just as fearful and unsure. I stood and my knees grew weak.

My grandmother turned and looked from Jessica to me, sadness filled her aged eyes. “Girls remember what I told you... stick together no matter what happens. Do you understand me?”

I nodded unable to speak, the full weight of pure energy weighing me down.

I fought to get some control and was finally able to ask, “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know but I haven’t felt this kind of power in a very long time. And the last time I did it wasn’t friendly.”

A booming knock followed by another echoed from the front of the house.

Gran rushed over to us and grabbed mine and Jessica’s hands shoving them into each other. “Stay together and take care of one another. The power they’re using is blocking any exit out of here right now, I might be able to distract them enough to give you time to find an exit. When you find it leave.”

“But, Gran, what about you?” Jessica had finally regained her voice and it trembled with emotion.

I turned to see tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Your girls’ safety is the only thing that matters. Now do as I say, this is not something to argue over this is—”

The knock shook the entire house.

Gran turned but before she could rush off I grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to do this we can get out together.”

“They’re knocking, dear, because they know they’ve blocked all of our exits and we have no chance of escape. If I can cause enough of a ruckus I can change that.”

“I won’t let you do this, Gran,” I guess her putting her life on the line for me made me call her Gran or maybe it was my anger that someone was once again after my family and me. I was sick of it and I wanted to fight. I wanted to put an end to it all.