The Skeleton Key Guild (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 5)

by MJ Fletcher

  “Chloe, I think I’m hit,” She struggled to say, a line of blood dripping from her mouth.

  I cradled her head. “It’s okay, you’re going to be fine.”

  “No, she isn’t and neither are you.” Miranda was standing a short distance away holding the Looking Glass. “Time to die.”

  Power swirled around her and I swung myself over Henna, trying to shelter her from the oncoming blast, but it never came. I opened my scrunched eyes and looked up to see Gavin standing in front of us. He was lit up like a livewire, each and every one of his abilities activated. He stood there letting every ounce of his power flow out of him, blocking Miranda’s onslaught.

  “What the hell are you?” Miranda yelled over the roar of power they tossed at each other.

  “A Polymorph, and you made the mistake of pissing me off badly.”

  “Chloe.” Henna grabbed my hand and pulled me close. “You have to stop Tower, go.” Her chest was covered in blood and she pushed me away with weak hands.

  “I can’t leave you.” I shook my head and looked over to see Nightshade still working on the locks, though very close to the last one.

  “Gavin is with me and that’s all I need.” She barely managed a faint smile.

  I nodded, reluctant to leave her but Gavin was there and he would take care of her. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  “Thank you for saving me. Now go save us all.”

  ”I will see you later,” I said, hoping my words would prove true and ran for Nightshade as he reached the last two shield locks. He was working at breakneck pace and I activated my Doorknob and Skeleton Key as I reached him.

  “We got a plan?” he asked.

  “Kill the bastard.”

  He smiled. “Works for me.”

  Edgar turned and tilted his head as he watched Gavin fight Miranda. He gazed at his creation and suddenly his griffin pulled off from its attack and flew at her screaming, its talons out. It slashed repeatedly at her and sent her running for cover.

  Gavin spun and skidded along the street as he landed beside Henna and reached out to grab hold of her. He lifted her head and pulled her close to him. “I’ve got you, babe, I’ve got you.”

  “You’ve had me ever since I walked into that damn loft of yours.” She lifted her hand and traced one finger along his jaw.

  “You’re going to be fine.” He looked over her wound and his eyes closed for a brief moment.

  “Even one of your Polymorph potions isn’t going to fix this.” She smiled at him and tears rolled down her cheeks “I’m sorry. We made a promise never to leave each other. But it looks like I’m the one who is going to break that promise.”

  “You can’t,” Gavin insisted through tears and leaned in close to kiss her lightly. “Please, Henna, you can’t leave me. I love you.”

  “And I love you. We would have made beautiful children together.”

  “They would have looked like you, the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Her weak smile faded and turned to a cough. Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth as she struggled to say, “Goodbye, my love.”

  Her lifeless hand dropped to her side. Gavin lifted her and hugged her tightly. He placed her on the ground and crossed her hands over her stomach, kissing her gently for the last time, and whispered, “I will see you again, my love. Now it’s time for revenge.”

  His body began to tremble as his powers turned nuclear once again. He was up and running through the battle, knocking people out of his way like annoying gnats as he kept his sights set on Miranda. A scream of pure agony tore from his lips as he raced toward her.

  I’d felt Gavin release his abilities before and it was impressive, now it was different. He didn’t hold back a single ounce. They rushed out of him like a tsunami about to destroy everything in its path. My own powers surged in his presence, each piece of my abilities calling out, wanting to be released and used to their fullest potential.

  “I have the Artifact of the HVO, you can’t stop me!” Miranda was accessing the power of the Looking Glass.

  My hair stood on end and my stomach roiled being this close to that much unchecked power.

  Gavin released all blocks on his powers, activating every ability he possessed. It was as if I was seeing him clearly for the first time. He was bright and shining like a brilliant star in the middle of vast darkness. He was a Polymorph like me and I finally understood how powerful we could be if we allowed ourselves to.

  “You think I’m scared of an Artifact? There is a reason Old Kind fear Polymorphs, Miranda, and you’re about to find out why that is.” Gavin spread his arms out and the power all around us swirled and raced toward him like a black hole sucking in everything around it.

  Miranda stumbled, trying to hold steady as the power of the Looking Glass ebbed toward Gavin. “What are you doing?” Miranda demanded. She didn’t wait for an answer, she let a bolt of energy rip from the surface of the mirror toward Gavin.

  Energy swirled about him creating a shield and deflecting the powerful blast. Miranda was an experienced HVO, but she’d never used an Artifact. Attempting to handle them, one needed to have absolute control or it would fry you in moments. Her hands were shaking and her lip trembled. She was concentrating on Gavin and not on the object in her hand that was more deadly.

  “I’m letting you beat yourself, Miranda.” Gavin smirked.

  “I am Miranda Tarwynn of the HVO and I hold an Artifact.” She raised it above her head, as if to prove her point and reams of energy rolled down over her arms.

  I shuddered at the release of power. She had opened the Looking Glass, but it needed a conduit and it was using Miranda. When Gavin called all the surrounding energy toward him, he had pushed the Artifact into overdrive.

  “Goodbye, Miranda.” Gavin swung out his Skeleton Key, opening a multitude of portals surrounding her.

  She tried to focus but the Looking Glass was in control now. Her body shook uncontrollably and she fell to her knees as the power overwhelmed her. I’d seen it happen to my mother as she tried to contain the power. Miranda didn’t have much longer.

  She raised her arms and the portals on either side of her exploded in shards and Gavin fell back as she released a mass of energy. Her eyes were pure white and power floated around her, then crashed off like tumultous waves hitting a beach. She had given in completely to the Artifact.

  If she didn’t release the power, it would burn her alive. But when she released it, she would wipe out everything around her, including us. This was not good.

  Gavin was on his feet, he glanced my way and winked and I wanted to run after him, but I was too late.

  “Miranda!” he screamed and ran at her, his Skeleton Key in his hand glowing a bright crimson. He aimed at her and shot a blast that sailed right over her shoulder.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “After all this, Gavin, you missed?”

  But he hadn’t missed. Behind her a portal door swung open. Gavin knew exactly what he was doing. He dove the last few feet, taking her by surprise. She had expected a fight not a tackle. He hit into her with all his powers and they both stumbled back. The dimension pulled on them and they fell through the portal, Miranda’s hand snatching the corner in a last effort to hold on.

  “No!” she bellowed and her nails began to splinter as she dug furiously at the edge to pull herself back through.

  Gavin’s hand reached from behind her, and I caught sight of him as they struggled over her grip with one hand and the Looking Glass with the other.

  “I win.” Gavin laughed as he yanked her hand away and they tumbled into the dimension, the portal slamming closed behind them.

  My heart broke as another of my mentors disappeared. I hoped he had a plan, but I had the distinct feeling Gavin only cared about saving the rest of us and not himself, now that Henna was gone.

  “I got it,” Nightshade called out as the sound of the last lock cracking echoed around me.

  The final barrier had fa
llen, and I finally had my chance to get to Tower. “Let’s kill this asshole.”

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Status: Confrontation time at last.

  “We need to make it to the Bridge and get my family out of here, then I take care of Tower,” I said as Nightshade and I rushed toward the building. The battle raged behind us and didn’t look as if he would end anytime soon.

  “You got it, boss lady.”

  The ground shook and I was thrown off my feet, crashing into Nightshade as we both tumbled over. I was up and had my Doorknob out and ready, behind us the shields that Nightshade had deactivated had been rebuilt. We were cut off from our friends. It was only the two of us.

  “Guess it’s you and me, babe.” Nightshade smiled his crooked grin.

  I leaned over and kissed him. “That’s okay with me, let’s go.”

  I slid my hand over his and we headed for the door leading into the building. A set of worn, wide metal stairs greeted us and led straight into a wall. A golden lever rested on each side of the bottom of the steps. Nightshade and I both grabbed a lever and yanked as we stepped forward. The creak of metal churning sounded throughout the building. When we stepped onto the stairs they grew and circled up around the structure dragging us along for the ride.

  “I hope this takes us where we need to go.” Nightshade winked and his hand squeezed his Skeleton Key tightly in his palm, prepared to fight.

  My breath suddenly caught in my throat. I was close to the end of this journey, I could sense it. The level of power forming at the top of the structure was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I used the calming technique Dad had taught me from one of his magic acts. I needed to be ready for anything. My first priority was to get Erin and Uncle Thomas to safety, after that I would deal with Tower.

  The stairs floated to a stop at the top of the building and we stepped off. The floor was dirty and covered in in ash, soot, and layers of dust. Newly minted footprints tracked in all directions, alerting us to the amount of activity going on up here.

  A clicking noise made me stop and lift my Doorknob to the ready position. Along the walls a series of small squares popped open and small cylinders popped out with flashing red lights atop each of them.

  “What the hell is that?”

  “I figured you would recognize an Impossible Engineer hologram projector, Miss Masters.” Mr. Tower walked out of the doorway at the far end of the room. He looked different. Gone was the bushy-eyed, annoying principal and in his place stood a man of supremacy and strength. His eyes gleamed with energy and his every move sent a shudder of portal power rolling in all directions.

  “Sorry, not big on gadgets.” I activated my Doorknob letting loose my whip. “Where is my sister?”

  “That’s darling, you still think you can win.”

  “Man, you are such a dick.” Nightshade edged away from me, creating his curved blade from his Skeleton Key.

  “Nightshade, you are such a disappointment. Caleb was right about you. We should have killed you when we had the chance. I take it this is where you two take on the evil bad guy and defeat him?”

  “Sounds about right,” I agreed.

  “That’s why I wanted this projected.” He waved at the Impossible Engineer cameras. “I want all Old Kind to see their leader defeated and know they have lost before I return the First Kind to power.”

  I stepped forward. “Not going to happen.”

  Mr. Tower raised his hand and a wave of power like the force of fierce hurricane winds washed off him. I flipped over and slammed into the wall with such might that my Doorknob popped out of my hand, and I slid to the floor with a groan.

  “That’s it,” Nightshade growled and raced forward.

  Mr. Tower flicked his other wrist, but Nightshade was better prepared than I had been and he pulled out a set of Impossible Engineer building blocks and tossed them in front of him. Within seconds they built themselves up into a wall in front of him and Tower’s wave of energy slammed into it.

  Nightshade grabbed the top of the wall and leapt over it, swinging his blade at Tower. The man didn’t flinch as the weapon approached him. He moved into an attack posture, his hands glowing crimson. A blast of power shot out faster than a speeding bullet and smashed into Nightshade’s blade, shattering it.

  “Now what?” Mr. Tower smiled at Nightshade standing in front of him weaponless. His Skeleton Key burned crimson, the shards of his blade like fallen leaves scattered around him.

  “This,” Nightshade reared back and punched Tower in the jaw. Mr. Tower stumbled and his eyes flared. He lifted his hand and backhanded Nightshade upending him.

  “No!” I was on my feet in a split second, racing toward them.

  Mr. Tower flicked his wrist and a series of shield walls appeared between him and I. He walked toward the door he had entered from earlier and stopped, his hand resting on the doorknob.

  I slid to the floor beside Nightshade, a lone streak of blood dripping from his mouth.

  “On the other side of this door are the last remains of the Masters and Grimm families. I intend to drain them and use every ounce of their life energy to return the First Kind. The Old Kind will be at an end once and for all. I wanted to make that clear to you before you die. We both have appointments to attend to, Miss Masters. Our destinies have been intertwined for some time now and this is where I finally break the cycle, and I am rid of you once and for all.” Mr. Tower raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

  Around the room and up and down the walls portals snapped open. The howling of Gremlins echoed from each of them, increasing in fury with each passing second.

  “Not man enough to finish me off yourself, Tower?” I lifted my chin daring him to stay and fight me. It stopped him for a moment, and then he turned with a smile.

  “Good bye, Chloe.” He opened the door and walked through, slamming it closed behind him.

  “This doesn’t sound good.” Nightshade coughed and pulled himself up as we both looked around the room. The portals were innumerable and the sounds of the approaching Gremlins ever increasing.

  “No, it doesn’t. We’re stuck on this side. How long to get through those locks?” I asked gesturing toward the shield walls Tower had placed between us.

  Nightshade wiped the blood from his mouth with the end of his shirt and hurried over to the locks, his hand hovering over them. I could feel him using his abilities, looking for a way around them.

  “At least a few minutes.”

  “You better hurry.”

  The first Gremlin leapt out of one of the portals and fixed its gaze on me. It growled and bared its massive teeth as it crept toward me. My hand slid into my pocket and I wrapped my fingers around the Skeleton Key I found there. I pulled it out and activated my Guild abilities, crimson and azure whips snapped in front of me giving the beast pause.

  “Come and get it.” I smiled and the animal raced forward. I spun twirling both whips around me and snaking them out at the last moment, cracking them across the monster and knocking it off its feet. The Gremlin howled in pain and scrambled backwards.

  “How’s it going?” I asked over my shoulder.

  “Working on it.” Nightshade had his Key out and was moving furiously to break down the barriers.

  “You might want to speed it up,” I said as one Gremlin after another slipped out of the portals and began to fill the room.

  I took my whips and flipped them over my head and brought them back down, shattering the floor in front of me and pushing back the approaching horde. It kept them back for a bit, but not long enough. To my right a Gremlin leapt and I pivoted cracking my crimson whip across its jaw. I brought my azure whip around, attempting to protect my back and felt it lash against something that let out a squeal of agony.

  I swung back into my defensive position in front of Nightshade and my stomach roiled so bad that I gagged. The room was so filled with Gremlins that I could no longer see the portals where they had entered.

  “We’v
e got a problem.”

  “What?” Nightshade glanced toward me and sighed, “Crap.”

  “How much time do you need?” I didn’t look back at him. I snapped the whips trying to keep the beasts at bay.

  “Too much.” Nightshade’s hand slid over my shoulder as he came to stand beside me. We stood shoulder to shoulder looking out over the teaming mass of monsters before us.

  “It can’t end this way,” I said angry for having come this far only to be taken down by Gremlins.

  “We’re together that’s all that matters,” Nightshade said.

  It was all I needed. I didn’t know how the hell we could get out of this one, but at least now—when it mattered most—we were together.

  “If we die...” I didn’t want to finish the thought. I had spent so much time trying to finish this fight that it never entered my mind that we could lose.

  “Then we die together.” He leaned over and kissed me.

  I let my eyes close and soak in the taste of him. We’d been fighting each other and so much else for so long that this last moment was more than needed.

  “I’m yours,” I whispered as we broke off the kiss.

  “I’ll always love you, Masters. Here, now and forever.”

  I dropped my resistance to using my abilities and I felt Nightshade do the same. The horde of monsters a few feet away was howling and screeching, clawing over one another and snarling at us in anticipation of their meal.

  “You ready?” Nightshade asked.

  My mind raced, thinking about how lucky I was to have this crazy bastard next to me and willing to die fighting by my side, or my friends who were fighting for us outside the locked barriers. I hoped they would be able to finish this, since we couldn’t.

  “Let’s meet death with a smile.” I grinned and we both ran forward with our abilities at full force and attacked the monsters.

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Status: Unavailable.

  The hologram of Chloe and Nightshade shuddered and quivered as they ran forward. The Gremlins screeched and growled, and then the projection blinked out of existence.