by Fletcher, MJ
“You mean like that?”
“Damn it, run,Val. I’ll hold them off.” I shoved her through the door and kicked it shut behind her. I spun around and had my Doorknob in my hand, the rush of power sending a shock of electricity up my arm.
The room crackled with energy as a portal formed in our kitchen/living room. I backed away from the door giving Val enough time to get a good head start. If I tried to run right away they might take a quick look and discover Val. I needed to let them see me and start a real chase, though that was dangerous as hell.
A crimson portal appeared across the room and the power signature was familiar, I cursed my luck and my cousin for being so prescient. The portal opened and it was hard to mistake the dreadlocked shadow that stepped out.
“Hello, Chloe.” DeAndre Morgan stared at me from across the room.
“DeAndre.” We assessed one another quickly as he stepped out gingerly, his Skeleton Key still in his hand.
“Quite a messy situation you’ve made.”
“I wasn’t the one who made it,” I replied and he started to circle around me, but stopped when I rolled my Doorknob around in my hand.
“You defied the Council and your own Society.”
“They are willing to negotiate with the First Kind.” My eyes flared with anger and for a moment he hesitated. Maybe he didn’t know everything that was going on since it sure seemed that he hadn’t known that. What had been said privately in the Council chambers had only been heard by a few—to everyone else—it must have seemed like we attacked the Council for no reason.
“If it’s a misunderstanding there are better ways to handle it.”
“No, DeAndre, I’ve done it everyone else’s way for too long. Now stop trying to buy time for your friends to get here and make your move.” I smiled and he winked, which I figured was the most acknowledge I would get from him that I was right about his plan.
“I don’t relish this fight,” DeAndre sighed and his key flared with crimson energy.
“Who said we were going to fight.” I smiled and spun on my heel and dashed to the window shoving my Doorknob out ahead of me and opening a portal that I dove headfirst through. I hit the ground rolling and popped right back up into a run and saw the townhouse right in front of me.
The door yanked open and Nightshade stepped out, his eyes flared at the sight of me and his hand lifted with his Skeleton Key aiming directly at me.
“Duck,” he ordered and I dropped to the ground. A blast of energy shot over my head and slammed into the portal that I’d left open. “What’d you do this time, Masters?”
I pulled myself up and dusted the dirt off my outfit as I walked up the stoop to his townhouse. He stood in the doorway blocking my entrance.
“What, you’re scared to let me in?”
“I just locked all portals around here for a mile so you have some time, but I think I’d like to know just what you’re bringing to my doorstep. I think I’ve earned the right.” My eyes shifted to his shoulders and I recalled the scars he bore across them and his back because of me. He was right; he earned my answers and a lot more.
“They think I attacked the Council.”
He threw his head back and laughed out loud. “This I have to hear, come on in.” He stepped back and swung his arm in a grand swiping gesture for me to enter.
I walked past him and looked around expecting Darla to be nearby. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
“Corner store, why you looking for round two?”
“No,” Though the idea of bashing her face in had been playing over in my head ever since I had seen her near Nightshade “I just need to talk with you.”
“Let’s hear it, Masters.” He slid into a chair and cocked his head, listening.
I told him about everything that had happened since I’d last seen him. The only thing I held back was my plan to trap the First Kind.
“They really think they can negotiate?”
He wasn’t really looking for an answer. There was more to his remark than that. His eyes had a far off look to them and his hand slid around the back of his neck and rubbed it roughly. My eyes lingered on his hand, and I couldn’t help but think about when I had been under the control of a Forget Me Not. Whenever I questioned or felt my own—real thoughts—creeping back to me, the base of my skull would go nuts with pain. Was that what was happening to Nightshade? Could I really trust him or was I being foolish and hopeful? I still wanted to believe that the Nightshade I knew, the one who had sacrificed himself for me time and again, was still buried in there somewhere.
But whenever he looked at me with his two different colored eyes, I didn’t see the same glint there that he once had. The glint that had always been ready to tease and torment me was gone. Maybe he was lost to me forever; he certainly seemed to have moved on with his life... with Darla. And after all this time I suppose I had as well. Maybe that’s why I had gone out with Declan. At least that’s what I tried to tell myself, though I wasn’t sure if I was swallowing the bullshit.
“The First Kind is stupid and desperate, what can I say?” I took a moment to glance out the large windows that looked out on the street. I didn’t have much time. I had to get this done now. I turned to Nightshade. “We’re still going after Edgar.”
“You mean now.”
“Yes, and I need to know if you’re going to help.”
“You still don’t trust me do you?”
“I trust you enough to ask for your help.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“I trust you.”
“Then why do you always look at me like that.” He waved at me annoyed and glared at me with frustration.
“Whenever you’re around me you look like I killed your puppy or something.”
“What do you remember about our friendship?” I asked the words burning my throat as I spoke.
“Bits and pieces mostly and lots of arguing.” He rubbed at his neck again. “And— I don’t know—there was more, but it is all so vague and distant. Why? What were we to one another?”
“We were friends.” Way to go Chloe, really brave of you to tell the truth. “That’s all.”
“What’s she doing here?” Darla demanded standing in the open door.
“Don’t worry about it.” Nightshade didn’t take his eyes off me as he answered her.
“I had to walk all the way home. Someone put a lockdown on the area.” Darla complained and tossed her bag on the couch and slid up next to Nightshade wrapping her arm possessively around his waist.
“I need a decision,” I said.
“I’ll do it.” He nodded at me. “For Edgar.”
“What are you doing?” Darla looked from Nightshade to me with a look of pure disdain.
“We need to move,” I advised. ”My lockdown is going to end shortly and then we’ll have company.”
Nightshade pushed Darla’s arm away and walked from the room. I smirked at the sight of her watching him walk out.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Masters, but don’t you think you did enough damage to him?” She sneered.
“He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”
“Right, unless you leave him for dead again.”
“Watch your mouth, Darla,” I warned.
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll kick your ass, again.”
“You’re welcome to try.” Darla’s hand moved for the Skeleton Key around her neck.
I was quicker. I gave a twist to my Doorknob snapping an energy whip across the floor with a crack that shook the house.
“You mind not destroying my house?” Nightshade said as he walked back into the room wearing his leather jacket and carrying a bag over his shoulder. “I’m ready.”
“You shouldn’t go with her. She’ll get you in trouble with the Guild.” Darla ran to him pleading, her fingers curled around his jacket and yanked him, close as if she was attempting to stop him from leaving.
“I’m going.” His hands wrap
ped around hers, dislodging her grip off his coat. She leaned forward and kissed him.
I turned away not able or wanting to watch the display of affection without wanting to launch myself at her and beat her senseless.
“Let’s do this.” Nightshade said looking to me.
I walked out of the townhouse not looking back at him and Darla. I heard him hurry up behind me. “We need to time this right.” I held my Doorknob out in front of me, power rolling off of it in waves. “Ten seconds till my lockdown ends.”
Nightshade stood beside me, his Skeleton Key in his hand glowing and ready for action.
I counted down the seconds in my head and as soon as I hit one I turned my Doorknob activating a portal and yanked open the door.
The hairs on my neck stood on end and my spine tingled as I felt multiple portals activate around us. Nightshade and I both rushed through my doorway and as I pulled it closed behind us, I glanced out at the street and saw what looked like hundreds of portals opening and Old Kind jumping out.
It was official now... the Old Kind was after me as well.
Chapter 25
Status: You don’t like the plan... too damn bad.
It took twenty portal hops before Nightshade and I felt safe enough to enter the Reliquary. The Old Kind would follow our trail until they reached that point, and then they’d sense the portal energy for the Reliquary but wouldn’t be able to access it. No one could get to the best secret clubhouse without a map or knowledge of how to enter.
“We were starting to worry.” Jess raced forward and wrapped her arms around me hugging me tightly.
“It’s okay, Cuz, we lost our trackers. How did you do?”
“I got word to Gran that we were okay. Slade actually ran into some Impossible Engineers,” Jess said quietly.
I assumed that meant it didn’t go well. “Is he alright?”
“About as good as he’s going to be,” she said.
I liked the sound of this less and less.
“So what’s the plan?” Nightshade asked as we walked from the entry room toward the Great Room.
“Smash and grab,” I explained. “Once we penetrate Storm Reach, we snatch Edgar and if we can get our hands on it, we grab the Mapmakers Legend.”
“That simple, huh?” Nightshade laughed.
“You got a better idea?”
“No, seems about right for our little group,” he agreed with another laugh.
The three of us walked into the room. Slade was sitting on the couch wrapping his hands in gauze. His knuckles were bruised and split open from what I imagined was a souvenir from the other Engineers he had run into. DI Emory and Gavin were sitting across from him and smiled when they saw us.
“Glad you two made it in one piece,” Gavin said and Emory nodded in agreement.
Emory leaned forward, wincing from the pain as his hand rested at his waist. “I hear you caused quite a scene at the Council.”
“They’re fools,” was my only response.
“Well, this certainly ups our timeline. With the Old Kind in complete disarray, the First Kind is more likely to make a move against one of the Societies.” Gavin rubbed his chin as he considered the problem.
“The Mapmakers broke from the Council and sided with us,” I said as I took a seat beside Slade.
“The Council has already announced that the truces are forfeited and all Mapmakers are considered enemies of the other Societies.” Emory shook his head slowly, as if in disbelief.
I wanted to do more than shake my head at the idiot decision, but what was done was done and we had a mission to go on. “Have you been able to reach out to any HVO who still might be on our side?”
“As a matter of fact I did, DI Hardcastle, get in here,” Emory’s voice boomed.
. Declan was here? I hadn’t seen him since our date and wasn’t sure he was going to want to see me after that debacle. My hands began to tremble so I stuck them in the pockets of my hoodie.
Declan walked out of one of the many doors leading into the Great Room. He was wearing jeans and work boots that had seen better days. His shirt hung unbuttoned over a t-shirt, the sleeves rolled up. His blonde hair appeared unkempt, though the style looked good on him, and he wore his ever present smile that he directed straight at me. I smiled back, and then looked away quickly feeling like some idiot school girl.
I mean what the hell, when did I turn into someone who blushed at a guy? If I could I would have smacked myself upside the head. After all this was over, I needed to sit down and straighten out my damn head.
“At last count I had twenty-five HVO members who will stand with us,” Declan said as he stood beside Emory.
“How do we know they can be trusted?” I asked.
“Gavin gave me a device to make sure they weren’t being controlled by anyone.” Declan nodded in Gavin’s direction.
I thought about my Looking Glass and wondered if it was the same thing or something similar. Whatever it was, we needed all the help we could get. “We’ll need to be careful from here on out as to who we trust. A war is coming and this is just the first battle, are you all ready for it?”
As I watched everyone assent with firm nods, I couldn’t help but think of Edgar always so eager and willing to help. He was one of my best friends and I hated the idea that he was in danger. We had to get him back no matter what.
“What are we going to do about a Mapmaker?” I asked.
“Nightshade?” Gavin looked past me to him and I turned to see him nodding.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
“You found us a Mapmaker?” I asked.
“No... I’ll do it,” he said.
“What?” Jess practically screeched and glared at Nightshade as if he had two heads.
He took a deep breath and turned a grin on her. “I’m a Polymorph.”
“No, you can’t be. I know Gavin and Chloe are, but you’re a Guilder.” Her eyes were wide and she looked as if someone had just slapped her.
“Guilder or not, I’m a Polymorph,” Nightshade confirmed again.
She scratched at her head, as if trying to digest the news. “Really?”
“Really. Edgar was teaching me how to use my Mapmaker abilities. I think I can handle getting us around Storm Reach.”
“Edgar knew?” It was my turn to be shocked, though I suppose I shouldn’t be. Edgar was the only one who had figured out that I was a Polymorph before I had told anyone.
“Yeah, he knew since we were kids,” Nightshade admitted.
“Oh,” Jess lowered her head and I wasn’t sure if she was confused or upset.
“Are you good enough to get us around in that place?” Slade asked.
“I can handle it, once inside,” Nightshade said with confidence. “I’ll just need some time to orientate myself, and then I should be able to map our way.”
“Storm Reach can be a real maze,” Delcan warned with a bit of skepticism. “I’ve been there a few times and even I get lost.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll get us where we need to go.” Nightshade narrowed his eyes and turned from Declan to me.
For a moment my body warmed at his familiar glance, and then I realized what he wanted from me. He wanted my trust, and damn if I didn’t hesitate to give it. “Okay, Nightshade is our Mapmaker. Any other questions?”
“I know this might sound a bit— I don’t know— sane? But how are we going to deal with being in a dimension controlled by the First Kind and populated by criminals and HVO members who are most likely under mind control?” Declan asked, as if it was the most natural sane question in the world.
Of course it was, but who believed that anything my friends and I did was sane? “We’re going to stick to the shadows as much as we can, but if we have to fight we keep it short and simple. We don’t need to draw a big crowd. This mission is all about stealth.”
“I understand you all want to get your friend back, but trying to retrieve the Mapmaker Legend, is that really wise?” Delcan ask
ed.
Everyone looked from Declan to me and I spit my answer out without hesitation. “You bet it is.”
Declan raised his hands as if in surrender. “I’m not looking for a fight; I’m just playing devil’s advocate.”
I softened my tone. “This is our best chance to take the fight to them and surprise them.”
“You really think getting the Mapmakers Legend from them will hurt their cause that much? They seem to think they have a good shot at the HVO Artifact as well.” Delcan asked.
“I’ve got a plan, and I wouldn’t put my friends at risk if it wasn’t important. And Edgar would agree, he’d want us to get the Mapmakers Legend.”
“Understood.” Delcan nodded, though he didn’t seem that convinced.
“Chloe?” Gavin gave me a glance from the corner of his eye and I knew he thought it was time for me to tell everyone the entire plan.
“Gavin?” I asked, not sure if the time was right.
“You have to tell them,” he said taking the choice away from me.
“Tell us what?” Jess asked.
I laid it all on the line, hoping for the best. “I’ve got a plan to try and take care of the First Kind once and for all.”
“Are you serious?” Slade piped in as the idea commanded his full attention.
“Yes.”
“What’s the plan?” Nightshade asked.
“It’s the failsafe, isn’t it?” Declan asked, though nodded as if confirming his own question. I nodded and he blew out a long breathe and sat on the arm of the couch.
“What’s that?” Slade asked.
I explained. “The HVO has a failsafe that when activated closes off Storm Reach from all other dimensions, effectively locking the First Kind away forever.”
“A true prison,” Jess said with a shiver.
“Yes, there would be no way out for them,” I said and glanced around to each one of them. “And no way out for anyone else who got stuck in the dimension.”
“So if we don’t get out in time, we’ll be stuck there too?” Nightshade asked.
“Yes.” The room grew silent as everyone realized what that could mean for us.
Slade was the first to speak up. “If we pull this off, we could stop them for good.”
