by MJ Fletcher
At one time I would have cringed at someone hugging me, let alone Val. But she had become one of my closest friends. She also was someone I could always talk too.
“Thank you,” I said to Declan as he stopped at the table.
“No problem, I had business in Cape May anyway. I should be back in about an hour or so, and I can return her to protected status.” Declan smiled pointing at Val.
“Protected status, you mean burly men following me everywhere?” Val tilted her head and stared down Declan who just chuckled and waved as he left the Beanery.
“Are you okay?” I asked her as I patted her arms.
“Yes,” she said as she let me go and sat across from me, “worried about you guys, but okay.”
Val wasn’t Old Kind, she was an ordinary human. She knew everything about us and more then once had been dragged into our problems. I wasn’t going to let that happen this time. That was why she had protected staus. I had people following her constantly.
“It’ll be over soon,” I assured her.
“The question is are you okay?”
I’d been texting with her as much I could to keep her up on everything that was going on. Val knew the stakes and had as much invested in the outcome as any of us. I knew she worried about Edgar, but here she was asking about my feelings. One of the many reasons I love Val.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Bullshit,” she shot back, “I’m not talking about all that crap with Tower and the First Kind. I mean about finding your sister.”
Val knew me better then most and cut right to what was bothering me.
“I don’t know, I mean I’ve never been a sister. Hell, I’ve never been great at relationships at all.”
“Not true.”
“Come on, Val, this is me we’re talking about here. I’m terrible at this stuff.”
“Wow.” Val leaned back and shook her head, a look of surprise on her face. “You really don’t see it do you?”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Chloe, maybe a few years ago you were bad at this stuff, but not anymore. Look at us. We’re friends and you’ve never let me down. You went to the ends of the world to save my boyfriend and you nearly gave your life for all of us at one time or another. You’re awesome at relationships.”
“You think?” I asked surprised at her reaction. But then again Val was never one to keep her mouth shut about how she felt.
“When you showed up a few years ago with your dad, yes, you were broken and had issues. But I’ve seen you become one of the most capable women I’ve ever met. Not to mention one of the best friends anyone could ask for. Your sister will be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks,” I said, honestly not knowing how else to respond. I might be good at relationships as Val insisted, but I still wasn’t great at receiving compliments.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to carve a statue of you or anything. It’s just that you shouldn’t doubt yourself, I believe in you. And I have no doubt that Erin will see you for who you are, you just have to let her get to know you.”
“You think?”
“I know,” she smiled.
“I hope so,” I said.
“Now onto the stuff I really want to know about.”
“What?”
“You and Nightshade. I’m getting update texts about everything but you two. Come on give me the dirt. What’s going on?” She leaned forward placing her elbows on the table and cupping her hands under her chin.
“When he isn’t driving me nuts,” —a smile spread across my face as I thought about him— “he is damn near perfect, though I would never, ever tell him that.”
“So you two are what then?”
“Well.” The last conversation I had with him rattled around in my memory and I bit my lip. “I believe I admitted we were in a relationship.”
Val beamed, her smile growing as she nodded her head giddily. “That is wonderful.”
“I guess, though it all makes me nervous.”
“After everything you two have been through to finally get together, if all you need to worry about is your relationship, I’d consider that a win.”
“I know you’re right, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and something bad to happen.”
“With our luck these last few years, I can understand that.”
“What does he have to say about all this?”
“We haven’t really discussed us.” I shrugged.
“Why?”
“We’re kind of dealing with some other stuff right now.” I chuckled.
“Right.” She scrunched her brow at that thought.
“We’ll get to it,” I said quietly, hoping that was true. My concerns teased at the back of my mind, making me wonder if either of us would live to see a time when all we worried about was our relationship.
“I know you will,” Val said.
“I better get a refill.” I lifted my now empty cup and headed for the counter.
“Grab me one and when you come back, tell me all the really good stuff,” Val said with a wink.
I stayed at the Beanery with Val for over an hour chatting about mundane and boring stuff and for a moment feeling like a normal person. I was able to forget all the bad things going on for a while and talk and laugh with my friend.
When Declan returned they had to leave and I wandered up and down the street, going over in my head how to best handle talking to my sister. Finally, I took a deep breath and walked back to the house and made my way up to my attic bedroom. It had been months since I’d been able to sleep there, and I was looking forward to it more than anything else. I took the steps two at a time and when I reached the final one, I found myself staring at Erin sitting on my bed waiting for me.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” Wow, I’m a startling conversationalist aren’t I? That was the best greeting I could come up with? Erin was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. Her slim lips and wide mouth reminded me of Mom’s and her big round eyes were like looking into Dad’s eyes. Which made me, all the more, not want to have this conversation.
“Mom’s dead, isn’t she?” Her eyes grew glassy as she spoke, though she didn’t cry.
“I’m sorry.” I moved across the room and wrapped my arms around my baby sister. She broke down sobbing and held onto me tightly. I’d never been overly emotional, but seeing my kid sister like this brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat. All that mattered to me was her hurt and pain. I understood it all too well and I didn’t want to see her suffer. I rocked her back and forth like our dad used to do to me when I was sick or scared.
“I’m going to take care of you,” I whispered close to her ear and held her tight. It didn’t matter what it took. I intended to keep her safe, even if it meant killing every single First Kind that I ran into.
This wasn’t about revenge or getting even. This was about protecting the people I loved. And I wasn’t about to lose another of them, especially when I hadn’t even gotten a chance to get to know her. We deserved time together, my sister and me, and I’d be damned if I’d let anybody take that away from me. It took a while, but eventually she stopped crying and simply held onto me as tight as she could. I shimmied up the bed, keeping her in my arms, and rested against the headboard.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
I didn’t want to tell her, but I figured Jess was right and went with the truth. I told her everything about what the First Kind had done to our family, about how our mom had been controlled by them, and what she had been made to do to our dad. I didn’t want to talk about when Mom had left me and Dad. I wanted to protect her even from that, but I also wanted her to know that not knowing why, had been the worst part. The least I could do for my sister was not leave that hanging over her head.
She listened intently, her eyes welling up as I spoke, never saying a word. I pushed on trying to remember details and things that might be important to her. I wanted
her to see the full picture, since I was well aware of what it was like to be left in the dark.
“So my father didn’t leave my mom and me?” she asked when I finally stopped talking.
“No, Dad didn’t even know about you, neither did I, until Mom told me.”
“It’s all so much,” she said biting at her lower lip.
I didn’t know what she was thinking. I could only imagine how many lies she had been told over the years, some by our own mother under the control of the Forget Me Not.
“I know it is and I want you to know I am here for you. So is Gran and Jess, we’re your family and we’re here for you... you’re not alone.”
“I wanted to meet you so badly, the big sister I had only ever heard about.”
“I’ve been looking for you ever since I learned about you.”
She clasped her hands together tightly. “They told me you hated Mom.”
“I did for a long time. I thought she had deserted us, but it was all a lie.”
“This is harder than I thought it would be.” She turned away, almost as if she couldn’t look at me.
“What do you mean?” Something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but she seemed more nervous than upset.
“I just—I mean—I’ve heard so much about you and your friends. It all doesn’t really line up right.” She looked at me and laughed lightly trying to break the tension.
“Who told you about us?”
“Mom at first, though in the last few months she was... different.” She rolled her eyes and pushed out a long breath.
“Who else?”
“Friends.” She unclasped her hands and pushed her hair behind her ears and ran her fingers over the back of her neck, squeezing it.
“What’s wrong?” My whole body tensed and I slid away from her on the bed. My hand slipped down to the pocket of my hoodie and rested on my Doorknob inside.
“Nothing,” she said shaking her head.
Her cheeks were burning bright red and I all I could think of was—wow—if I had lied that poorly, no wonder Dad had always been able to catch me.
“You’re lying.” Was my only reply, and I stepped back from the bed and took out my Doorknob.
“It’s just that I don’t know what to believe.” She stuttered as she spoke, her eyes falling on my Doorknob.
“Tell me what you did.”
“They said you hurt Mom and that it was all your fault.”
“Tell me who said that.”
“Faith,” she said and my blood ran cold.
This all had been too good to be true. I should have listened to that little voice inside my head. For once I wanted to believe that things just might break my way, but I should have known better.
A vibration of energy that I’d never felt before echoed around me. Someone was calling to me and I knew the signature of the dimension. I activated my Doorknob, opening my personal pocket dimension and reached in pulling out the Looking Glass. It was humming and I clicked the button on the handle.
Hawk’s face appeared in the mirror and he sighed when he saw me. “I’ve been trying to reach you, I’m hearing whispers all over about you.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“They’re coming for you.”
“Now?”
“Yes, it was a set up.”
“Damn it,” I yelled and stuffed the mirror back into the dimension and sealed it. I wasn’t about to let the First Kind get their hands on another Artifact. Erin was standing and shaking in front of me.
“Are you going to kill me?” She lifted her chin and looked me right in the eye. “I’ll fight you.”
“You’ve got attitude, kid, I’ll give you that. But whatever that bitch told you was a lie. I would never hurt you even after doing something as stupid as leading them to us. Now we’re all in danger.”
“Faith would never hurt me. She’s my friend.”
“Yeah, I thought that once too.” Faith and I were going to have to have it out at some point, but right now I needed to get us all the hell out of there. “Jess, Edgar, we need to move!” I yelled as loud as I could and within moments the sound of them racing through the house floated up to us.
Even with the defenses I had placed around the house and the guards, I didn’t trust it could withstand a full on assault. We were getting out of here before anything bad happened.
“You really didn’t hurt Mom?” Erin asked sounding confused,
I had a feeling she believed what I was telling her. But she was also fighting against the thought that everyone she cared about had been deceiving her all this time. Not an easy thing to stomach.
“No, I didn’t. Now we need to go.” I reached out to grab her arm, and she pulled away from me stepping back.
“No, I’m not going with you. I don’t know who is telling me the truth, but Faith is coming and I am going to ask her.”
“You have no idea how bad an idea that is.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Status: Time for a new plan.
“I don’t have time for this.” I stepped forward and Erin took another step back. I reached out and grabbed her elbow, yanking her toward me. She spun around loosening my grip and slipped away from me. She ran toward the steps and dashed down them, and I was after her in a heartbeat. She was swift and cleared the attic stairs in three hops and was already turning down to the next flight of stairs when I reached the landing.
“Jess get her!” I yelled as I came down the next set of stairs. She was moving too fast and had made it to the first floor. I was at the top of the stairs and saw her in the main hallway of the house running for the front door.
Jess came running from the kitchen, her blonde hair flying behind her as she chased after Erin. My hair stood on end as vibrations of power surged all around the house.
Erin grabbed the front door and swung it open and a concussive blast tore through everything, knocking me backwards on the stairs. Erin sailed through the air slamming into the side table in the foyer, and Jess was tossed into the living room from the tremendous force.
My ears were ringing, and then I realized it wasn’t my ears but my phone. I was lying on the stairs and grabbed the phone from my pocket. I saw Nigthshade’s name and clicked it.
“I need you,” I said my voice cracking.
“Masters,” —his voice took on an angry edge— “what’s wrong?”
“We were set up, hurry.” I clicked off the phone.
The sound of fighting echoed all around me and my head spun as I tried to stand. My back ached and I pushed myself off the stairs and struggled down to the main floor. Jess was up and moving toward me, her Skeleton Key out and glowing crimson.
“First Kind,” she said and I nodded in agreement.
I pulled out my Doorknob and glanced around. Erin wasn’t in the foyer. The table she had slammed into was broken, but she must have gotten up and out before I did.
“Edgar and Gran?” I asked Jess, wanting to know their location to try and figure out our next move.
“Gran got through a portal to the Boneyard and Edgar was out back a moment ago. What about Erin?”
“I think we have her to thank for our visitors,” I admitted reluctantly.
“Great, so she’s on their side?”
“I don’t think so. I think they have her confused. They used her to get to us and find the Artifact. If they get their hands on it,” —I tilted my hand showing Jess that I was wearing my mother’s ring— “we’re in trouble.”
“Plan?”
“Get Erin and Edgar and get the hell out of here. I’m not looking for a fight.” We stepped out onto the porch and over the body of one of the guards we had passed earlier.
“Too bad, I am.” Faith stood at the bottom of the porch smiling up at me, Erin beside her. Lined up behind her was a row of men and women all holding different devices powered up and ready to attack.
“I should have known it would be you.” I smirked as Jess stood shoulder to shoulder beside
me and we activated our abilities.
“It’s simple, give me the Artifact.” Faith placed her arm around Erin and squeezed her shoulder. “We know you have it.”
“She’s not your friend, Erin,” I said glancing around trying to find the best way to get my sister and get the hell out of there alive.
“Not true, I’ve been there for her unlike you, Chloe.”
“I didn’t even know she existed.”
“Regardless, Erin knows who she can really trust.” Faith hugged Erin tighter, and then slipped her fingers under her chin lifting her head to look right into her eyes “Don’t you?”
“Yes,” Erin replied quietly.
“You don’t want to fight in front of your sister do you, Chloe? Now give me the Artifact.”
“Not going to happen.”
“I was hoping you were going to say that.” Faith removed her arm from around Erin’s shoulders and raised her Doorknob, glowing azure. “Kill them both.”
“Wait, you said nothing would happen to them!” Erin stepped in front of her.
Faith tilted her head and lowered her voice to sound soothing, like a doctor talking to his patient. “She killed your mother, Erin, and she’s interfering in our plans. It has to be this way.”
“I don’t want her hurt.”
“It’s too late for that. Your sister chose her path.”
“I won’t let you hurt her.”
“Erin, get out of the way, we have to do this,” Faith warned.
“I told you, Erin, you can’t trust her,” I called out.
Faith sneered at me. “Don’t you say another word, bitch.”
“Why is it Faith that you can only have friends who you control with Forget Me Nots or you lie to? Maybe you really are just that pathetic.” The energy around us shifted slightly as I felt a new current activate behind the house. A small smile crossed my lips.
“I have wanted to kill you for a very long time, Chloe. But Tower always said we might need you in case we were shy a Grimm or a Masters. Now, thanks to you, we have your Uncle and your sister, so now I can finally have my way.” She flipped her hand and swung, backhanding Erin across the cheek and sending her sprawling to the street.
