The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (32 page)

“Enough gawking we need to go,” Nightshade said and headed off.

I followed behind him matching his pace. If I didn’t, I’d be lost in about two seconds in this massive, chaotic place.

Jessica reached back and grabbed my hand. “It can overwhelm.”

I nodded relieved she was hanging on to me.

James moved quickly making his way easily through crowds of people, weaving in and out like a person familiar with the area.

With our fast pace talk was impossible, thinking wasn’t. And of course I did just that, freaking myself out recalling all that had gone on and making no sense of it.

Here I was on the run and who with? Two members of the Skeleton Key Guild, the very group that a few days ago I was sure I hated with every ounce of my being. Either I was a hypocrite or I had read the whole situation wrong. The Doorknob Society was not looking like the wonderful organization I had thought it to be. And some SKG members were actually willing to help me, not to mention that my mother had been a member. I was utterly confused about everything and I doubted I’d find any easy answers anytime soon.

Nightshade turned into a doorway that sat diagonal to the street, the sign hanging above read Mike’s Tavern. He pushed the door open and Jess and I followed him in. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and when they did I grew even more nervous.

A bar ran along the entire right-side wall and people, two and three deep, huddled around it drinking and laughing. To the left stood round bar tables mostly occupied by patrons that Nightshade would fit right in with, the lot of them wearing leather jackets and jeans. Pool tables sat at the back of the room where men had stopped playing and were now staring in our direction.

“James, Jessica!” A girl called out and hurried forward, I recognized her from the day I’d fought with Jess in the library she had been there egging us on to fight. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid and a black t-shirt with a skeleton key emblazoned on it hung loosely on her. She hugged Nightshade and smiled at Jessica and then turned to me and her lip curled. “What’s this trash doing here?”

“She’s with me, Darla,” Jess said before I could whip out one of my trademark comments that probably would have ended in some type of fight.

The girl looked ready for a brawl when she said to Jessica, “Why are you hanging out with DS slime?”

“This slime is a Grimm!” Jessica stepped forward towering over the girl. “You have a problem with her, then you have one with me, understood?”

“I didn’t know I’m sorry,” she apologized and stepped back raising her hands as if in surrender. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer.

I remembered how nervous Jess had made me when we first fought in the library and I did not envy Darla.

“Where’s Mongo?” Nightshade cut in and the girl smiled with relief and jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the pool tables in the back and then quickly made her exit.

“You two get a table I’ll be back,” Nightshade said.

“Wait a second I’m coming with you.” I grabbed James’ hand stopping him before he walked away. He glanced down at my hand holding his and then brought those damn intriguing colored eyes of his up to stare in mine. I turned hot all over and quickly let go of his hand... and he smirked.

“Mongo doesn’t do well with strangers. I’ll be back.”

He walked to the back of the tavern and Jess and I grabbed a secluded table off to the side in a corner.

I leaned in close to Jess, the noisy chaos of the bar making it difficult to hear. “Who’s Mongo?”

“Information peddler, if you’re looking for something Mongo is the guy you go too. If anyone’s been searching for us then Mongo will know about it and you can bet he’ll be selling the info a minute later.”

“I feel like a fly caught in a spider web.” I looked around the room and wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into this time.

“Don’t worry as long as we’re together we’ll be okay.”

Jess smiled and I knew it was an attempt to reassure me. She didn’t fool me, she was just as nervous about this plan as I was, and she just had more faith in Nightshade than I did.

“Thanks for sticking up for me.” I said with a quick smile.

“You may be a Masters but you’re also a Grimm, which means I’m the only one allowed to pick fights with you.”

She laughed and so did I for the first time in days. I couldn’t believe that this was the same cousin Jess I used to play with at the beach every summer when we were young. My mom would take us for ice cream and we would sit on benches on the boardwalk and watch all the sun worshippers coming and going. We had been inseparable until of course my mother had left. I had been thinking about my mom a lot lately, especially with all that had been going on. I wanted desperately to see her and talk with her.

“Jess, why do you think my mom left?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“I never understood it,” —she shook her head as if still puzzled over it— “Aunt Talia was always the cool one. Your dad wasn’t bad either; I liked him, though he wasn’t as cool as your mom. When I heard about her disappearance I didn’t believe it and then when you and Uncle Eli stopped coming around, I got mad. It was as if I not only lost my aunt, but you as well. I don’t know why she left but I do know that she loved you. I always envied that even when we were little. The way she would hug and squeeze you and fuss over you. Yup, there was no denying that your mom loved you.” She grabbed my hand and gave it a reissuing squeeze.

“I so wish I could talk with her. To ask her what happened that made her leave and to know that if what’s happening now is part of it all. Though what I’d want to understand the most was how she could just up and walk out on us without a backward glance.”

“You two need a moment?” Nightshade stood in front of the table.

I didn’t need his attitude right now and I didn’t feel like giving attitude “Well?”

I spoke with Mongo and it seems you’re a popular little lady. Everyone you can think of is looking for you, even a couple of unsavory characters that Mongo doesn’t like dealing with.” Nightshade slid onto the stool beside me and waved down a waitress. He ordered us all a round of drinks and leaned back smiling.

“So now what?” I asked.

“Mongo is putting the word out that you and I are looking to trade.”

“Wait, what?” I shook my head. “The plan was for me to be used as bait, not
you and me
.”

“The waitress approached and we all turned silent. Nightshade threw a few bills on the table when she dropped off our drinks. After she snatched up the money and walked off, the conversation resumed, though Nightshade took control of it.

“Did you really think that I’d let you face this alone, especially with all the crazies that are after you? I’m not letting you go anywhere to meet with anyone unless you’re with me. Trust me on this, Masters, and don’t bother to argue. It won’t do any good.”

The independent part of me wanted to ring his neck and another part of me wanted to do something else entirely. What was that all about?

Jess interrupted my crazy thought. “How long do you think it’ll take before you’re contacted?”

“I would imagine not too long. Mongo said that everyone and anyone are looking for Chloe. Not to mention that the HVO now has an interest in us after that little stunt at my place.” He glanced from Jess to me. “You both realize that we’re all going to have to appear before the council before this is all over. Our only chance of not getting expelled from the Academy is if we find that damn artifact and bring it before the full council.”

Jess leaned over to Nightshade whispering something to him. I caught only a few words, something about SKG and what it meant for them. I didn’t want to intrude on an obviously private conversation and besides I was too wrapped up in my worries about our current situation to even think or care about what happens when this was finally finished.

All I really wanted, all I wished for was to be at home eating take-out and watching TV with my dad. Instead I was in some tavern in the Diesel Factories surrounded by members of the Skeleton Key Guild. At least Jessica was related to me and we seemed to have found some common ground and had begun to rekindle the close friendship we once shared. It made me feel at least a little safer.

Nightshade was another story all together. He drove me nuts whenever we were around one another. Always questioning everything I did, not to mention that I barely knew anything about him or why he seemed so intent on helping, though he struck me as the type who would enjoy being part of a renegade group... no, he’d probably have to lead the renegade group.

It seemed that this whole thing had turned more personal for him ever since Hobart so bravely gave his life for us. Nightshade certainly was a mystery. I sometimes think that I shouldn’t trust him or anything he tells me. And yet he’s given me no reason not to trust him.

He did lead me to believe that he and Jess were a couple or was that how I saw it? And who was the girl he had looked so happy with in all those pictures? I bet he had girls stashed all over the place. He was good looking enough to have girls falling all over him.

But then so was Slade only minus the attitude and renegade nature. I wouldn’t be surprised if when he got done with his part of the plan that he made his way over here to the Factories and was outside right now keeping an eye out for trouble.

Michael Slade never failed to be there for me, look out for me and care for me. He didn’t lie or cause me grief like Nightshade did at times. The two couldn’t have been more opposite and I was glad that when all this was over Slade and I would finally talk. We needed to, probably should have done it before now. It was about time that we figured out just what we meant to each other. Nightshade often and sarcastically referred to him as my boyfriend, and I kind of liked the idea.

Ever since Mom and Dad had split I hadn’t given relationships much thought. If my parents who I had believed loved each other beyond ridiculous couldn’t make their relationship work then how the heck could I even consider getting involved with anyone. It scared the hell out of me and the few times I had gotten the courage to give it a try, it had turned out disastrous. But maybe, just maybe with Slade it could be different.

My parents
, everything revolved around my parents. They seemed to be the key to it all. They had made a significant discovery. But why had my mom left after finding it? Could she possibly have been trying to protect us? I needed so badly to talk with her. I had the feeling that she could make sense of it.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out checking my newest text. It was Val asking me if everything was okay and telling me she had gotten the message I had asked Edgar to give her. My fingers flew over the touch screen tapping out my response and sending it. I knew it was killing Val not to know what was going on. And I knew she was concerned about me. It’s funny that the two girls I had thought such pains were turning out to be my best friends. I had to smile imagining what the two would do when they met one another. But then again, Jessica would probably want to strangle Val.

I tensed as a rush of heat suddenly raced through me and I thought for a moment that I was on fire. And then it happened... the room turned dead silent. Not a sound was heard and I wondered for a moment if I had gone deaf. My stomach churned as an energy portal began to open. Only this time it felt familiar. I had sensed this is particular power before. The first time had been in Paris, then at Gran’s and again in Philly in Hobart’s alley.

I slipped my phone in my pocket and followed where Nightshade’s intent stare had settled...on the front door.

It blazed a fiery blue and swung open.

A dark figure emerged slowly from the portal along with wisps of black smoke that swirled around him clawing tenaciously as if begging to do his bidding. Once in the room, the portal door slammed closed behind him with a boom that trembled the building. He took in the entire room with one sweeping glance most of the Guilders turning away, trying to avoid eye contact with him. .He wore all black; shirt, pants, shoes and coat. His eyes were set deep in a gaunt face. Arched eyebrows gave way to a widow’s peak hairline, giving his face a skull-like appearance. His cold, dark eyes finally spotted us and I shivered clear down to my bones when his eyes settled on me. I was face to face with the man in black.

He never took his eyes off me as he walked over to our table. “Chloe Masters! Finally. I’ve been looking for you, but you’ve managed to stay one-step ahead of me,” he said in an oddly familiar voice that I couldn’t quite place.

“And you are?” I asked with as much bravado as possible since his appearance was enough to intimidate not to mention his voice that dripped with confident sarcasm. But I’d be damned if I’d let him detect even a small ounce of fear in me.

“My name is Caleb Darker, I believe we’ve met.”

His thin lips curled into a smile and I realized his voice was the one I had heard in my dreams. Not only was this man chasing me every waking moment and causing my family harm, he also invaded my nightmares or was he the cause of them?

“What do you want from me?”

“We understand you have the artifact your father recovered. We want it.”

“We?”

“Foolish, girl,” he berated. “I am not going to divulge our plans because you ask. The deal is simple, you give me the artifact and I let you live.”

He spoke so calmly, as if we were having a nice little chat that it sent a chill up my spine. This man was dangerous and concern for my dad’s safety grew. “What about my dad?”

“What about him?”

I lifted my chin a notch, squared my shoulders and stared into his cold blue eyes refusing to look away. “I’ll give you the artifact in exchange for my dad.”

“How cute. You think this is negotiable,”—his voice turned icy cold—“you’re very,
very
mistaken, my dear.”

Energy just didn’t build around him as he spoke, it multiplied rapidly and I realized that we had made a huge blunder. Doors popped up one after another on the tavern walls all glowing different colors. They swung open and waves of energy poured into the room. The silence that had permeated the room was shattered by primal screams as the first gremlin leapt in and attacked the person closest to him, the bartender. The man went down screaming and fighting, and then all hell broke loose.