The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (42 page)

I nodded, though I was already working on a plan to get out of it and Dad probably knew that.

He placed the last dish away and his smile faded. “I have to go to the council meeting tonight, are you going to be okay?”

It had been two weeks since I had opened the portals back at the Infinity Library. Dad and Mr. Miller had showed up as well as Edgar and about half of the mapmakers. They routed the last of the First Kind and recovered the artifact. I woke up the next day and hadn’t the heart to tell Dad who I had seen right before I passed out. I even wondered if I had actually seen my mom or if I had imagined it. Until I had it straight in my head, I didn’t intend to say anything.

According to Jeremiah, my massive surge of energy had to do with my proximity to the artifact. Somehow it had amplified my powers due to my intense emotional reaction. I really didn’t care how it worked. All I know was that I had been able to keep my friends safe. Slade was fine just bruised and Jessica only needed some stitches. James had been in bad shape and had been in the hospital for over a week. He had just gotten out yesterday but of course I hadn’t heard about it from him. Jessica had texted me.

“I’ll be fine Dad; I’m going to meet up with some friends.”

“Good, I shouldn’t be too late.”

“Take your time. You deserve it; you’ve been waiting for this.”

Tonight Dad would be officially reinstated into the Doorknob Society. I was invited but I just didn’t want to return to the library so soon. I was still too freaked out about what had happened. Not to mention that I already had a ceremony. Jeremiah had been witness to my exceptional use of powers and I had been declared for DS and made a member. One less thing to worry about I suppose, though my view of DS wasn’t as rosy as it had once been. No one had seen Mr. Jordan since the night of the battle and he was currently wanted by the HVO for questioning.

Dad gave me a quick kiss and grabbed the cupboard doorknob. It glowed blue and he stepped through into a portal closing the door behind him. I laughed as I watched the blue glow disappear. It seemed so natural now to see him create doorways, but then it was natural.

I grabbed my jacket, threw it on and took hold of the doorknob, activating it. I stepped out into the Cape Beanery. Edgar and Slade were already there at a table chatting.

“Hey, watch where you’re going.” Val laughed as she bumped into me holding two cups of coffee and we walked back to the table together. She slid one to each of them and pointed at me. “What do you want it’s on me?”

“You work here now, Val, it’s free.” I laughed as I slid onto the stool beside Slade.

“Free for staff only, so what’ll it be,” she said as she leaned against Edgar and he smiled his face turning red.

“The regular.”

“You got it.” Val tousled Edgar’s hair before she walked off to get my coffee.

“I didn’t think you would make it with your dad’s ceremony tonight,” Edgar said.

“I don’t think I can handle another ceremony.” I rolled my eyes and Slade slid his arm around me and pulled me close kissing my cheek.

“Is the hero of the Paladin Academy getting shy?” He laughed and gave me a playful squeeze. I turned and kissed him lightly on the lips and he smiled. “Who said I was shy?”

“Not me.”

I looked up to see Nightshade. His long black coat was buttoned up tightly and his hands were shoved into the pockets. He was pale and it was obvious he was still recovering from his injury. Jessica stood right next to him with her arm looped through his for support or perhaps to stake her territory.

I didn’t know if anything had happened between them since the night he had been wounded. The last two weeks had been a blur, being shuffled from one ceremony to another. Not only had I been made a member of DS I also had been applauded by the Mapmakers Union, Paladin Academy and the council. I was tired of being paraded around, especially since it hadn’t allowed me time to visit Nightshade. Jess had kept me updated on him. This was the first time I had seen him and the first time we had all been together since that night.

“How are you doing, James?” Edgar got two more stools from an empty table and shifted his stool, making room for the two of them.

Nightshade winced as he sat and his jaw clench as he tried to get comfortable. He was obviously in pain.

“Better,” he answered.

Jessica kept her hand on his arm as if she was afraid to let go of him or was it that she enjoyed touching him. I realized that my eyes lingered on her hand and I turned away, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.

“At least things can get back to normal now.” Jessica smiled.

“I don’t know about that,” Edgar said. “The council is still concerned about the First Kind. And since Elijah proved that the artifacts exist everyone is talking about finding the others.”

“Not to mention that Darker and Ms. True are still out there,” Nightshade said with bitter anger.

“They kicked True out of the Guild so if she shows up again, she won’t get help from any Guilders, traitor that she is,” Jess spat.

My thoughts wandered back to the blonde-haired woman who had helped True escape. I had recognized her face as soon as I had seen it and yet I couldn’t bring myself to believe it, let alone tell anyone that my mother was involved with the First Kind. It couldn’t be true; it just couldn’t.

“I heard a rumor that Mr. Miller is going to search for the Engineer artifact.” Slade said and went to take a drink of his coffee but stopped.

Everyone stared at him.

He pulled back a bit surprised by the reaction. “What?”

“Once the First Kind find out that Miller’s searching for another artifact, they’ll go after him.” Nightshade’s voice was weak but steady.

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Slade gripped his cup.

“So what’s the plan?” Jessica asked.

All eyes turned on me. I smiled, shook my head and thought...
here we go again
.

~~~~~~~~~

The Doorknob Society series continues with book two...
The Impossible Engineers
.

Available soon.

The Impossible Engineers

Chapter One

Status: Where were we again?

I shifted my weight onto my back heel and focused my energy into a shield. A blue sphere of light surrounded me, an explosion of light and fury bouncing off it in all directions as I blocked the blast that had been meant for me. I stepped back behind a large chest and scanned the room but couldn’t see any of my friends. I’d lost them when all hell had broken loose. I needed to round everybody up and get the hell out of Dodge but first I had to deal with my attacker.

I twisted my doorknob in my hand and ribbons of blue energy dripped from the ends of it like a cat-of-nine tails. I leaned my head back and concentrated on the noises around me listening to every creak in the room. The sound flashed in my ear. It was slight though obvious; someone was trying to creep up alongside me.

I reacted running toward the noise using a surprise attack to keep them off balance. I spotted my assailant, she was creeping along the far wall and her knob wasn’t even activated yet. I leapt into the air and brought my energy whip down in an arc wrapping it around her and knocking her to the floor.

I knelt by my captured foe and yanked her doorknob from her hand. She glared at me, her eyes wide. I smiled down and patted her on the top of the head and then turned back toward the room.

It was large and not well lit. Lights rested high on the walls and were spread so far apart that they only offered small sections of lit areas. I let out a deep breath annoyed I hadn’t thought to ask Edgar for his goggles, if I had them I would easily be able to find everyone in the dark.

A boom shook the room and a dazzling lightshow followed. I was up and running toward it as fast as I could move. It might be a trap but I had to make it to my friends or else I’d wind up on my own and that wasn’t in the plans for the mission.

As I approached I could see Faith on her knees, her shield was failing as her attacker slammed into it again and again. I decided to go for the direct approach and twisted my knob, creating a portal entry and throwing it toward her opponent’s feet. He noticed it too late and tumbled into the portal screaming out in anger and shock.

“Where are the others?” I knelt beside Faith my eyes scanning the dark hoping no one else was sneaking toward us.

Faith labored to breathe and speak. “No idea, I got separated when they attacked us.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t expect it to be so intense.”

“Fighting is always intense.” I stood up and grabbed Faith’s arm yanking her to her feet. “Come on we need to keep moving.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” The man stepped out of the darkness and my shoulder slumped at the sight of him.

“What did I miss?” I sighed as I asked the question.

“Lights,” Dad yelled and the room lit up so that everything was visible. Standing in a circle around us were four more attackers and the rest of my team was bound and sitting off to the side. I kicked at the floor and groaned. ‘Sorry, kiddo, your team is caught and so are you.”

“Can we run it again?” I pleaded with a smile.

“Sorry, I think four times is enough, everyone needs to get home including us.” Dad laughed and walked over to me rubbing my shoulder as he passed.

“Sorry,” Faith said avoiding my eyes and gazing at the floor instead.

I had been assigned my training team two months ago after all the craziness with the First Kind. Dad had been reinstated to the Doorknob Society and the first thing he did was amp up all battle training for new DS members. No one complained once word got out about the bloody battle at the Infinity Library.

I had gone from being an obscure nobody who hadn’t even declared, to a minor celebrity for my part in the whole affair. I, of course, hated every second of it, people trying to be my friend just because they thought I was popular. It was not my scene at all and most realized it fairly quickly since I remained who I had always been and continued hanging out with my regular friends.

“No worries, Faith, at least you defended yourself.” I grinned as the other two members of my team skulked out of the room.

‘How many did you get?” Faith asked.

“Two.” I pulled a piece of cloth from my pocket and cleaned off my Doorknob and slid it into the leather pouch that hung from my belt. I had taken to keeping it on me since it made it more easily accessible.

“Wow, that’s three times you got two and you caught one in the first session too.”

“Yeah, but we still got nabbed. We’re going to have to keep working on it.” We exited the training room into the hallway of the Doorknob Society Manor.

I’d first been brought here a little over two months ago when I was initiated into the DS. This place is flat out huge, with over twenty-five bedrooms and three kitchens. The training rooms are basement level as are the DS archives, which I had been meaning to visit but hadn’t had a chance yet.

“Any plans tonight?”

“I’m meeting my boyfriend at the Cape Beanery and we’re going to see a movie.” I smiled in spite of myself. Slade and I had been dating for a while now and I was still getting used to calling him my boyfriend.

“You’re dating Michael Slade right?” Faith asked.

We walked into the kitchen and I grabbed an apple from the dish on the island. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I needed some energy. “That’s right. How about you, do you have a boyfriend?” I bit into the apple and leaned against the counter.

“No, no boyfriend,” Faith said grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

I was surprised Faith didn’t have anyone. She was attractive with long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. She was athletic and had plenty of friends, but then again who was I to judge. Most people would have thought it unthinkable that two months ago Slade and I would be dating.

My phone buzzed and I pulled it from my pocket and tapped the screen. I had two texts one from Slade and one from Val. I read Val’s first, asking me what time I would be at the Beanery. I figured she must be working tonight and was looking forward to seeing a friendly face. Poor Val if she only knew that her friends were a bit strange due to their special abilities, though the news might cause her brain to overload. I sent back that I would be there by eight.

I clicked on Slade’s message and held my breath... the moment we had been waiting for had just arrived.

Mr. Miller back from searching 4 artifact.

“Chloe.” Dad rushed into the kitchen and from the look on his face it appeared that he had heard the news as well. He looked from me to my phone and stopped in his tracks. He turned to Faith. “Could you give us a moment please?”

“Of course, Mr. Masters.” Faith sent me a sympathetic look as if she assumed that I was in some sort of trouble, waved and left the room.

“I take it you know Levi is back.” He gestured to my phone still in my hand.

“Slade just texted me.”

“I just got word myself.”

“Did he find it?” I stepped forward chewing at my lip.

“No, he ran into some trouble with the First Kind. They’re searching for the artifact as well.” Dad slid his hand around the back of his neck and rubbed it.

“Is he alright?” Dad and Levi Miller were old friends and he had been one of the few people who had stood up for Dad when he had been booted from the DS.

“He’s hurt but he’ll be okay. Chloe, I don’t want you to get any ideas.”

And there it was... I knew he had wanted to talk to me about this ever since the battle at the Infinity Library.

“I don’t have any ideas, Dad.” I lied, though not quite since my thoughts were not actually formal ideas... yet.

“I don’t believe that for one minute. Let me handle this. I know you and your friends have your reasons for wanting to deal with this but you have to leave it to me.”

Dad was beyond right about that. Ms. True, a trusted member of the societies had betrayed me and Jessica, and almost got our grandmother killed. Caleb Darker, evil personified, had actually killed Nightshade’s girlfriend and then there was my mom who had disappeared, walked out on us, or whatever, ten years ago when I was six.