The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (29 page)

“Did you find my grandmother?” My voice trembled as I asked the question.

“Yes, she’s alive, though I don’t think they meant to leave her that way. We moved her to a secure facility and she is being cared for.”

I sighed relieved and happy to know that Gran had survived the attack.

“How did you find us here?” I was surprised that someone would look for me at Nightshade’s.

“Your friend Val. She’s been calling me nonstop wondering where you are. I finally asked her just who she thought you might be with.” He jerked his thumb at Nightshade. “His name came up.”

“Damn, I forgot to call her.” I swung my bag around and dug for my phone. When I scrolled through I saw that she had sent me over fifty texts. I didn’t know how I was going to explain all of this to her.

“You know I’ve got to bring you back,” Emory said as he finished tending Nightshade’s wound.

“Not happening.”

“Sorry, kid, it’s not optional. I have to bring all of you before the council.”

I jumped to my friends’ defense not wanting them to get in trouble because of me. “The others had nothing to do with this. It was all me. “

“Funny, they said the same thing.”

“I’m not going anywhere, for all I know the council is behind this.”

“Did I say I was giving you a choice in the matter?”

He grabbed my arm so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to react. He dragged me to the stairs. I tried to yank myself free but his grip was like steel, though he didn’t hurt me but I couldn’t budge it either. He forced me up the stairs and into the living room. The others sat on the couches, wearing sour expressions. Two men in trench coats stood on either side watching them like hawks.

Jess jumped up from her seat and rushed to me. “Where’s Jimmy, is he okay?” She grasped my arm and wrinkled her nose at Emory.

“He hurt his head but he’ll be fine. He’s downstairs resting.” I patted her hand and she took hold of it and remained by my side.

“You’ve got no right to hold us here,” Jess said to Emory with an attitude. That was more like the girl I was used too.

“I’m a Detective Inspector, girlie, I can hold you here as long as I like. A lot has happened in the last two days and I think you bunch might know a little something about it.” Emory plopped down in a chair and looked around at everyone.

Edgar as usual had his head buried in one of his maps and Slade was busy looking from me to Emory his eyes shifting uncomfortably.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine just a little shaken up.”

“Well, Chloe, since this seems to be your rodeo why don’t you explain to me what the hell is going on.” Emory leaned back in the chair and stretched out getting himself comfortable.

“You can’t do this, Emory.” Slade’s eyes stormed with anger.

“Like I told the girl, I can and I am, so don’t even bother bringing up your dad to me. He may be some big mucky muck with the council but I’m also pretty sure he has no idea that his son is involved in all of this.”

Slade lowered his eyes and glanced at me shrugging his shoulders as if to say I tried.

Emory turned his attention to me. “I’ve been told to bring you and your cousin here before the council and I’m inclined to do so but first I want to hear from you about what’s been going on. What I know so far is that I have a house of a Skeleton Key Guild member in shambles with all sorts of odd portal readings and a break in at Paladin Academy where someone released a gremlin. Have I missed anything?” He looked directly at me waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know what you mean.” I shrugged choosing to play innocent.

A phone tone suddenly echoed in the room.

Emory reached into his coat and pulled out his phone. He flicked it open. “Emory here... what?”

He jumped up snorting and pacing like a caged animal in a zoo. He said few words, mostly listened while keeping his eyes focused on me. My gut told me that someone was telling him about the fight in Center City, Philadelphia. I had a hunch that I wasn’t t going to be able to talk my way out of this one.

He slapped the phone closed with a loud snap and shoved it in his pocket. He didn’t speak, instead he continued to pace, not taking his eyes off me.

“Do you want to revise your earlier statement about not knowing anything, Chloe?”

“No.”

“This just got serious, kid. They found the body of a former Guild member in Philly... that’s murder. Where were you and Nightshade? His voice boomed shaking the room and making Edgar flinch. “Tell me what’s going on,
now
!”

“I have nothing to say,” I said calmly.

“You’re not leaving me any choice, kid,” Emory said waving his hands toward us. “Take them in.”

The two stoic guards reached into their coats no doubt reaching for their badges, potent weapons. I moved fast my hand shooting into my pocket and grasping my doorknob. My gut churned and I activated the knob, the energy building swiftly.

The guards realized I was making a move and one ran for me while the other grabbed Edgar and tossed him to the ground. I pulled out the knob and the energy surged forward slamming into the guard rushing at me. It sent him spiraling across the room and careening backwards over the couch.

“Get her!” Emory yelled and yanked his own badge out.

The room filled with all sorts of energy as everyone joined in the battle. Jess grabbed her key from her jeans pocket and it instantly glowed crimson.

“Stop!” Slade yelled throwing himself in front of a DI to prevent him from reaching me. Bands of energy flew like rapid darts from his badge and slammed Slade to the ground with such force that the whole room shook.

“Slade,” I screamed and released a torrential force at the DI. He threw up his badge imbued with its own power and deflected most of my attack, though it did push him back several feet.

I glanced down at Slade. He lay as still as a corpse on the ground a couple of feet in front of me. He was locked in shackles and that set my anger boiling over.

The hair on my neck stood straight and strange warmth spread over my body. At that very moment I felt fully, completely, in control for the first time. The power of the universe swirled around me and I understood how to transverse it. I knew my place in its vastness and I knew how to get around a DI’s badge. The blue glow of my abilities spread from my hand up my arm and across my body. I was furious and I wanted the person who hurt Slade to pay.

“Nobody hurts my boyfriend,” I said quietly and let myself become one with my powers plunging in like a person diving into a pool and being engulfed by the water. I felt the surge overtake me and I embraced it and focused it shooting it directly at the DI who had taken Slade down.

His badge trembled in his hand and his feet were knocked out from under him. His power felt minute to me. He stumbled to his feet and silver strands of energy coalesced into a set of glowing chains, he circled around me spinning them lazily above his head. I stood rooted to the spot; I was one with my abilities. I glanced down at my own hand and the crackle of blue light that spread from it. It wreathed and twirled forming a long whip that danced around my legs. He attempted to take advantage of my momentary lapse and rushed forward swinging the chains at me. I flicked my wrist snapping out the whip and catching his wrists. I stepped to the side and yanked the line tight and pulled him off balance. He stumbled forward and I gave another yank and sent him tumbling over. He scrambled to his feet, the chains still in his hand. I brought the whip high above my head and slashed down the end snapping his chains in an explosion of fury and light. The blast flipped him backwards and he landed with a thud on the ground.

I turned to find Jess on the ground in shackles glaring up at me her eyes wide with either admiration or fear I wasn’t sure which. I could only imagine how I must appear to her. And then her glance shifted and I turned knowing who I would face.

Emory stood before me his energy rippling around him and I knew he would be more of a challenge unlike the last one. I wondered if he would prove too strong for me. As soon as doubt crossed my mind fatigue swept over me and the warmth slid away along with my abilities.

Feeling weak, I stumbled where I stood. Emory stepped forward and silver bands of shackles slid from his hands and wrapped around my wrists and legs. I couldn’t move... I was captured just like the others.

Emory leaned in close and whispered, “It didn’t have to be this way, kid. I could have helped you.”

“Like you helped my dad?” I could see that my words hit their intended target and hurt and I was glad for the bull’s eye. I didn’t know who to trust anymore, so I didn’t intend to trust anyone.

A cracking sound shattered the relative quiet of the room and Emory’s eyes went blank and rolled up and back into his head as he fell forward. Standing behind him was Nightshade holding a metal serving tray while Edgar physically supported him.

“I got help,” Edgar said proudly.

“I’m out of it for a few minutes and you go full criminal on me, Masters?” Nightshade grinned as Edgar helped him sit. The bonds around my arms and feet slowly dissipated as did Jess and Slade’s. I sat up rubbing my wrists and looking around the room at the wreckage we had caused.

“Sorry about your house,” I offered and stood helping Jess to get up as well.

“You okay?” she asked her eyes lingering on me.

“Yeah, fine,” I assured her.

“Good.” Jess stepped around me to get to Nightshade and fussed with his head wound as if it hadn’t been tended correctly.

I turned and hurried to Slade. I ran my hands through his thick hair and leaned in close. He was breathing, his chest rising and falling and I never felt so relieved. I leaned in resting my forehead against his.

“Why do you always have to do the right thing?” I whispered “You shouldn’t have gotten in the way.”

“Someone has to keep you out of trouble,” he replied his eyes drifting open and he leaned up to kiss me, his lips warm and strong. And I needed to feel that from him right now... I needed to feel his strength.

“Don’t scare me like that.” I said my mouth drifting off his.

“I think maybe I need to scare you more often,” he teased and kissed me quick.

Nightshade’s voice cut through our intimate moment with scalpel like precision. “You two want to stop sucking face long enough to deal with our situation?” He pointed at the cops sprawled unconscious on the floor.

Why hadn’t I remembered that Slade and I weren’t alone? I had just made myself look like a twit. Great that’s all I needed was to give Nightshade more ammo. I scrambled off of Slade and stood up straightening my jacket as much in pretense so I could avoid looking at James.

Nightshade was half-sitting on a stool, Jess stood beside him her arm resting on his shoulder and her body pressed against his.

What was the matter with her? Didn’t she realize he was injured and didn’t need her hanging on him? I had to stop myself from going over and pushing her off him. She was such an idiot or was I the idiot for letting it bother me?

At that moment Slade came to stand beside me draping his arm around my shoulder. I almost wanted to shake him off me; I wasn’t comfortable with displays of affection in front of others. And I felt even more foolish for having done so in front of Nightshade.

“They’re all out cold. Doesn’t look like anyone is hurt too bad,” Edgar said after walking around and checking on each of them. “Now what do we do?”

They all turned to me as if I should have the answer. I wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if what I’d just done had been the right thing. I only knew that I couldn’t let the council stop me. They didn’t give a damn about Dad only finding their damn artifact. The only chance I had of finding him and keeping my family safe was to follow my instinct, at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

“Our next stop,” I said with more courage than I had a right too, “the Infinity Library. That’s where my dad was going so now that’s where we go.”

“And them?” Nightshade gestured toward the DI’s.

“Tie them up. We can’t have them following us.”

Nightshade nodded in agreement and he and Edgar went to grab rope from his garage. Slade arranged the men so that they sat with their backs to each other.

“Are you okay?” Jess asked walking over to me.

“Yeah, I’m fine why?” I could tell from the look on her face that she didn’t believe me.

“Chloe, I’ve only ever seen Gran use the level of power you used. It takes immense control to handle it and is extremely dangerous. You could burn up using that much power.”

She gave my arm a comforting squeeze and her eyes rimmed with tears. I don’t know how we went from being hated enemies back to family so quickly. But Jess and I had been through a lot in the last few days and I had no doubt that she was honestly worried about me. Well, maybe not the now me but—the me she remembered from when we were kids playing in Gran’s garden.

I smiled at her. “I’m fine just a little weak is all.”

“You have to be careful. It’s not like we have a whole lot of family left.” A tear streamed down her cheek and she turned away and rushed to help Nightshade and Edgar who were returning with the rope.

“Everything all right?” Slade asked.

“Yeah, all good,” I said in barely a whisper.

“This is dangerous, Chloe. I could always contact my dad; he would help us,” Slade said his body much too close to mine, making me want to step away, uncomfortable with what others would make of our closeness, not that they hadn’t already, but still it bothered me.

“No, we do this alone. We don’t know who to trust yet. We go to the council when we have the artifact in our hands. Then we have bargaining power.”

“You attacked DIs, Chloe, who knows if they’ll even listen to you after that. If we go to my dad now and tell him everything he might be able to do something.”

“You’re right, I attacked them... no one else. Go to your dad and get his help. Me? I’m going to rely on my friends to help me save my dad.” I stormed away. I didn’t know if I was mad at him or myself. I was doubtful of every choice I made, fearful for my friends and the mess I had gotten them into and frightened that no matter what I did, it would be too late to save my dad.