by MJ Fletcher
Slade’s hand slid down, wrapping around mine as we walked back into school. My mind raced with the possibility that we might finally be one step ahead of the First Kind.
Class went quickly and Slade and I met at my locker before walking home. The sun was shining; it was a beautiful day on the Jersey Shore. We took a detour and made our way down Beach Avenue passed the ocean. There were already sunbathers soaking up the rays and the boardwalk was filled with couples taking advantage of the gorgeous day just like us.
I smiled in spite of myself, thinking how odd it was that I was happily walking hand in hand with a guy like couples often do. A few months ago I probably would have made fun of people doing this very thing.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something,” Slade said.
“What’s that?” I watched the waves roll onto the sandy beach and thought how a few short hours ago I was walking along another beach with Emory. Sometimes even I forgot how amazing my life had become in the last year.
“The dance is coming up soon and I wanted to discuss our plans for it.”
“What?” I had completely forgotten about the dance or that Slade had apparently told every single, solitary person that we were going to it.
“I didn’t know if Jess and Nightshade were going and I thought you might want to go with them, but a few Impossible Engineers have invited us to join them. I wanted to know your preference so that I could confirm plans.”
I stopped in my tracks and glared at him. Had aliens abducted my real boyfriend and replaced him with someone who thought that I would actually want to go to a dance. “You never asked me to go to the dance?”
“Damn, I’m sorry, Chloe, I didn’t even realize that. I just figured that since we were together it was a given.”
“Well it isn’t?” I sighed happy that I had dodged this particular bullet.
“You’re right that was stupid of me. Will you go with me to the dance?”
Damn it. Didn’t he get that I don’t do dances? I was ready to tell him that there was no way in hell I was going. That is until I gazed into his eyes and saw how happy he looked.
“Yes, I’ll go,” I sighed angry with myself for giving in but resigned to do this for Slade. Regardless of what I had put him through he had stuck around and I figured if he had endured killer gremlins and crazy people trying to murder us, then the least I could do was endure a few hours of torture for him.
He smiled, leaned down, and kissed me gently. The spring breeze scented with salty water and beach washed over us as we stood hand-in-hand on the boardwalk. He tugged at my hand pulling me closer, then slipped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me.
“I want you to be mine,” he whispered in my ear.
“What?” I shuddered, his words the exact same ones that I’d heard my father say to mother repeatedly.
“Sorry, I know its quick I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me.” He leaned back and tilted his head, his smile fading when he saw how confused I was.
“My father used to say that to my mother.”
“With our kind —Old Kind— the most important thing we can say to one another is we belong to each other. Saying I want you to be mine is our kind’s way of saying I love you.”
It sounded archaic, belonging to each other. But there was a part of me that understood it. My mother and father had belonged to each other. It had been obvious to everyone and in everything they had done together. It’s also why I was still having trouble understanding why Mom had betrayed us.
I angled my eyes up to look into Slade’s face. His smile had returned and he waited. I didn’t want to disappoint him but I had to be honest with him. “I understand. I’m just not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I understand and I don’t want to rush you. I just wanted to let you know how I felt.”
“One step at a time, let’s see how the dance goes first since you might not feel the same way after you take me out in public.” I rolled my eyes and laughed and Slade leaned in and gave me a quick kiss.
“This is definitely going to be fun,” he said much too enthusiastically.
I managed to grin, my enthusiasm tepid next to his.
“So should I let the Engineers know we’ll be going with them?”
“No, I need to talk to Jess first. If she’s going then I want to sit with her.”
“I guess that includes Nightshade as well?”
Slade didn’t seem happy about the idea even if they had been getting along better lately, they still weren’t exactly buddies.
“I’m honestly not sure.” I thought about Faith’s arm sliding through Nightshade’s and it made my stomach turn. Jess was not going to be happy to hear about that so there was no telling what would happen. I pulled my phone out and fired off a quick text to Jess telling her we needed to chat.
“Well as long as we’re going I’m happy.” Slade kept his arm around my shoulder and we walked down the boardwalk toward Mission Way. “I was hoping you could come over for dinner soon?”
“Yeah, sure.” I didn’t like the thought of being on display at the dance or for Slade’s family but I suppose that’s part of being a couple and I needed to get used to it, though I seriously wondered if I could.
The yellow Victorian was visible as soon as we turned onto the street and we quickly made our way up the steps to the porch and inside. The house had been in my family for generations and I was glad that Dad and I were living here now. And, of course, that I had my attic bedroom that was by far the biggest room I had ever had in my life.
My phone sounded and by the ringtone I knew it was Jess. I waved Slade off and he scuttled into the kitchen to no doubt raid my fridge like he always did. Dad would not be happy about that since Slade had the uncanny habit of choosing to eat the very thing Dad had looked forward to having when he came home.
“Hi,” I answered Jess’s call still trying to figure out how I was going to tell her about Faith and Nightshade.
“Is everything okay?” Jess had an edge to her voice and I knew she was worried about me.
“Everything’s fine, I’m okay.”
“I heard someone attacked you at school. Are you sure you’re alright?”
I quickly relayed what had happened with the HVO member and how I had finally gotten a chance to talk with Emory and was on the verge of learning Henna’s location.
“That’s great. Did you need me to help?”
“I think Slade and I can handle it for now. I’m still waiting on the map from Edgar. But I also wanted to talk to you about the dance.”
“I’ve been meaning to warn you about that. Slade is telling everyone you two are going.”
“Too late. He just asked me to go,” I said with a quick turn to make sure Slade hadn’t finished in the kitchen and was lurking nearby.
“What did you say?” she nearly shouted.
“I said yes.”
“You did!” This time she did shout.
“Yes, he really wants to go and I felt bad saying no.”
“That’s nice of you. But don’t go agreeing to things just because of his puppy-dog eyes, Cuz.”
She was right but I really felt that I owed him this one. “What about you, are you going to the dance?” I didn’t know how to work in Faith and Nightshade, so I hoped she’d give me an opening.
“If you mean are Nightshade and I going to the dance, I’ve got no idea. I doubt he even wants to go.” The frustration in her voice was evident.
I took a deep breath and decided it was now or never. “I talked with him at lunch and he mentioned something about all of us going together. Faith was there and she made a cutesy reference to going with him if he wanted to.” I spoke so fast that I wasn’t sure she caught everything since I was met with complete silence when I finished. “Jess?” I checked to see if she was still there.”
“What did he say?” she asked hesitantly and I knew she feared hearing the answer.
“I don’t know he never got to answ
er, the fake HVO guy showed up.”
“This sucks. I can’t believe that little witch.”
“I’m sorry, Jess.” I could hear her fumbling around with the phone and I knew she was upset.
“No problem. I better go, I’m going to try to call him and see what’s going on. Call me if you find out anything about Henna.”
We hung up and I cursed under my breath. Faith was around because of me and now Jess was upset. This was one more thing I didn’t need right now. It was bad enough I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom being a traitor, or that the First Kind was after me, now I felt guilty about this as well.
The knock on the door caught me by such surprise that I jumped and slapped my hand to my chest, then felt foolish. I went to the door and opened it. Edgar was standing there with a big smile.
“Who wants to go to Rome?”
Chapter 9
Status: When in Rome...
“The thing to remember is that you’re going to make some pit stops once in Rome.” Edgar had the map spread out on my kitchen table. Slade and I watched him pull the golden energy from it and display our path through the city. “I have you entering here.” He pointed to one spot and then spun the 3D image and a line shot through showing us our next portal point. “But remember Rome is ancient. It has been used as a dimensional hotspot for over millennia. There are a lot of places to get lost, make sure you stay on the path I outlined.”
“You’re not coming?” I was a bit surprised. I figured if we got lost we could rely on Edgar to set us straight.
“I can’t. I have a meeting with the heads of the Mapmakers Union about the Legend.” His face was beaming. Edgar had wanted to get a look at the map Legend since the moment we had turned it over to his Order.
“That’s great, Edgar.” I smiled and nodded happy for him.
“When do we go?” Slade was munching on something he had confiscated from the fridge and I didn’t want to know what since I was sure I’d hear about it later from Dad.
“No time like the present,” I said.
“Now?” Slade said not looking as if he agreed.
“We need to stay ahead of the First Kind and this is our chance. We go now.” I pulled my doorknob out and could feel my power building up inside of me to access the portal energy I would need for the trip.
Edgar’s hand moved swiftly making final calculations. Gold energy spun above the map in quick succession until finally he lifted it like a glowing orb and tossed it into the air. It hovered for a moment until I opened my portal. The ball of energy absorbed into the doorway I had created and I could feel the world shift under me. A series of calculations and portals sprang into my mind and I saw clearly where it was we needed to go. I concentrated on the directions he had given me and I turned the knob, opening up a portal.
Slade and I stepped through the door and I found myself standing before the Trevi Fountain in Trevi Square in Rome. Water cascaded from the various sections of the beautiful fountain but what mostly caught my attention was the figure of Neptune, god of the sea, riding a shell-shaped chariot drawn by two seahorses. I smiled recalling the last time that I had been here and stared in awe at Neptune. I was younger and had fallen in love with the city. And of course I had to follow the legend and toss a coin backward over my shoulder into the fountain guaranteeing my return. And here I was... back again, though I wished under different circumstance.
Lights illuminated the waters of the fountain and I glanced up and realized it was night. I hadn’t thought about the time difference, though I figured it must be after eight o’clock local time.
“Where to now?” Slade stood beside me and waited for directions.
Even at this time of night the fountain was surrounded by tourists taking pictures and tossing coins. We walked around to the side of the fountain and tucked into the stone wall was an old wooden door with Latin writing inscribed above it. I looked up and down the cobblestone street and saw that no one was near so I stepped to the door and activated my doorknob, attaching it to the ancient door. It glowed with energy and I pushed it open and stepped through another portal.
We exited onto a narrow side street, old buildings on either side blocking any views. We moved down the twisting cobblestone street that eventually turned into a dead-end. We stood in a small alcove. An oak door that looked as if it hadn’t been used in a few hundred years was tucked under a portico. Its metal hinges were rusted and the doorknob was broken off leaving only a stump in its place. A cobweb-covered skeleton key hole lay beneath it.
I reached out for the knob and a twinge in my wrist stopped me. Something was warning me not to touch what was left of the knob. I eased my hand back and tilted my head staring at the door. Something was off, I wasn’t sure what it was but something about this door struck me as being wrong... possibly dangerous.
I examined the door more closely, noticing intricate masonry work around the frame. It took me a moment to realize that the complex design was actually Latin writing. I knew some Latin but none of it looked familiar. A small metal plate off to the side hung on an angle, one sturdy bolt holding it in place. A worn and cracked button sat in the middle of it. I reached out and got zapped by another twinge, though this time it came from the metal plate. There was no sense of danger about it. It actually felt more normal so I pushed the button and took a hasty step back half expecting the door to explode or do something crazy.
“What do you want?” A voice cracked over a speaker.
“This is Chloe Masters.”
“Who are you with?”
“An Engineer named Slade.”
“Not your goon? What order are you with?”
“The Doorknob Society, but the Society didn’t send me,” I said wanting to make it clear that I wasn’t working for anyone.
“How did you find this place?” The speaker garbled the voice so badly that I couldn’t tell whether it was a woman or man talking.
“A friend.” I wasn’t about to give up Emory to some disembodied voice that was gender neutral.
“Come in.” The door glowed silver for a moment and then slid open revealing another portal. I took a deep breath, nodded to Slade and we stepped through.
We found ourselves in an ordinary apartment building hallway. At the end of the corridor was a door that sat slightly ajar. I pushed it open and entered the room. Large expansive windows displayed a view of Rome that was breathtaking. The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end and I reacted, quickly turning, retrieving my doorknob and creating a shield.
Slade was partially in the room when bands of silver light slammed him into the wall. From across the room I saw the attacker standing and holding a silver star. A look of anger and fear was mixed on a very attractive face.
“Wait!” I yelled as I lowered my shield and let it dissipate. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
“What do you want with me?”
“I just want to ask you about work you did for the Council.” She looked in my direction and I could see fear growing steadily in her eyes. She didn’t trust me and I was afraid she was going to make a run for it or worse keep attacking. I took my doorknob and let all my power drain from it, then placed it on the table and raised my hands and stepped away.
“How do you know about my work for the council and what are a DS and an Engineer doing together?”
“This is Slade, he’s my boyfriend and I know about your work because of Lauren Harkness.” Her eyes went wide and rimmed with tears. Her reaction told me all I needed to know... I was speaking with Henna.
“You knew Lauren?”
“No, but I’m friends with her boyfriend Nightshade.” I took a deep breath as I said it not sure why it bothered me to call him a friend or was it boyfriend that bothered me? “Nightshade told me about you and I need to talk with you.”
“Why didn’t Nightshade come?”
I cursed myself for not having considered that. If I had come with Nightshade she would have felt more comfortable and I mig
ht have been able to gain her trust more easily. I decided honesty at this point was my best bet. “He still has a hard a time with what happened.”
“So do I.” She lowered her hand and released the silver strands of energy that pinned Slade against the wall. He fell with a thud to the floor and groaned as he rubbed his shoulder.
“You okay?” I looked in his direction and he nodded. I approached Henna slowly. She was leaning against a kitchen island, her head bowed.
“I thought you were First Kind coming for me.”
“Definitely not First Kind.” I laughed and she looked up and grinned. I hadn’t been mistaken. She was very pretty with caramel colored skin and large bright eyes. Her black hair was pin-straight and reached to her neck.
“I heard about you, though I wasn’t sure you were really Chloe Masters.”
My newfound celebrity did have some perks apparently. “I am Chloe Masters and we’re just here to talk... I promise.”
“I’m sorry but with everything going on and what happened when I worked for the council, I’m on edge.” She grabbed a cup from the island’s counter and I saw that her hand shook. “I was making coffee would you like some?”
“Sure.” I smiled and saw Slade still rubbing his sore shoulder as he walked toward us.
“Sorry I was so rough.” She smiled apologetically in his direction and poured two cups of coffee and offered them to us. We both took them gladly and I sipped the hot beverage. I sighed remembering another reason I loved Rome, they had great coffee.
“You wanted to know about my work with the Council?” Henna took a seat in her living room that overlooked the city, and Slade and I joined her.
“Yes, I do. Nightshade told me that you were part of Lauren’s team of researchers.”
“I was but there isn’t much I can tell you about what we were working on. It’s all been classified by the Council. I can only speak about it with sitting members.” She drank her coffee, grasping her cup, trying her best to keep her hands from shaking.
“I understand that. But it doesn’t matter since I already know what it was you found.” I figured honesty was working so far so I might as well keep it up.
