The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (21 page)

“Found what?”

“You must have a lot of questions but I can’t answer them now. I just have enough power to get out this message.
Help me
.”

I sat up in bed in a cold sweat in Val’s guest room and pushed the blankets off me. That wasn’t just a dream. Dad needed my help and I’d be damned if I was going to let him down.

Chapter 19

I grabbed a quick shower, dressed, ran out of Val’s house before anyone found out I had left and headed straight for school. I had no idea how I would help my dad, but I knew I’d find answers at the school. I made my way through the snow, a few inches but not enough to close schools, and light flurries were still falling. I barreled into the main hallway of the academy with minutes to spare before the homeroom bell rang. Students ran all over the place and in and out of doors. Edgar sat cross-legged on the floor near his locker surrounded by a bunch of other mapmakers when I grabbed his collar and yanked him away from them.

“Hey, what the heck?” he said shoving my hand away and straightening his goggles that had fallen around his mouth.

I quickly told him everything that had happened but chose to leave out my dreams, not sure if it would make me sound crazy. Something I didn’t want to risk if I was going to ask people for help.

“Wow, the rumors are true; someone is breaking the truce.”

“It looks that way.”

“So what are the HVO going to do? Call a council?”

“I don’t know what that is?”

“When there’s trouble between organizations they are all called to council to try and figure out what to do about it.”

“All Emory told me was that he would keep investigating and that he couldn’t say for certain that any one particular group was involved. And Mr. Jordan didn’t seem to think it was anyone’s fault but my dad’s.”

“Mr. Jordan,” —Edgar’s eyes widened in amazement— “the president of the Doorknob Society?”

“Yeah, he’s a real jerk.”

“Probably, but he’s also powerful.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Chloe, you don’t understand, this is big. Mr. Jordan has had a lock on the DS council ever since your grandfather resigned his seat. He’s in power because of what happened with your family. I don’t think he’s someone you want to mess with.”

“Right.” Mr. Jordan seemed to owe his whole life to my family’s misery and I wasn’t going to let that stand.

“What are you thinking?” Edgar bit his lip in worry.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to figure out something.”

“So they have you staying at Val’s?” Edgar tried to artfully change the subject.

“Yeah, I stayed last night but I would rather be home.”

“So what’s it like?” he asked his eyes lighting with interest.

“What do you think I was in the Wild West or something? Val’s place is just like anywhere else.”

“Hmmm, I thought maybe you could give me some insights,” he said tugging at his goggles that hung around his neck.

“Insights?” I raised a curious brow.

“Um... yeah... into you know...”

“Into what?”

Before Edgar could answer the door beside my locker glowed brightly and swung open. Mrs. Flint stuck her head out and looked from side to side stopping when her eyes caught mine.

“Miss Masters, please come with me.” She crooked her finger at me.

I gave Edgar another quick glare before leaving him and walking through the open door. A surge of power hit me as I crossed the threshold and found myself standing in the main office of the Paladin Academy.

“Take a seat, dear, we’ll be with you in just a moment,” Mrs. Flint said.

I sat in one of the many ornate wooden chairs covered in plush red velvet while Mrs. Flint took herself off down a short hallway.

The office looked more like a lobby at a fancy hotel with its shining mahogany walls and stunning artwork. A secretary sat at a lone desk typing away on one of the Impossible Engineers creations. It seemed to be a cross between a computer, typewriter and a grandfather clock all mixed together. I shuddered each time her fingers clacked on the keyboard. It sounded like a branch snapping under the weight of too much snow. A bell rang atop a pneumatic tube that looked attached to the side of her desk and a cylinder shot up from it. Without looking she reached out and flipped open the tube top, pulled out the cylinder, and removed its contents.

“They’ll see you now, Miss Masters,” the secretary announced without looking in my direction.

I was about to ask where I was supposed to go when she pointed to the hallway Mrs. Flint had walked down, all the while never taking her eyes off her machine.

I made the short walk down the hall which ended at a very old wooden door with a brass doorknob and doorplate. On the plate, beneath the knob was a skeleton key hole. Intricate scrollwork ran along the edges of the plate and inscribed in the middle were the names of all the societies. Of course the Impossible Engineers had a trademark symbol next to their name.

I grabbed the knob and a shot of energy flowed from it sending my whole body trembling. I instinctively knew that the knob wasn’t just old... it was ancient.

I turned it and walked into the principal’s office.

Where the office felt like a lobby this room felt like a study area, where you were expected to be quiet at all times. It was large with several floor to ceiling windows covered in heavy silk drapes. A good portion of the far-end wall was taken up by a large fireplace, a roaring fire burning brightly in it. Angled in the corner between the window and fireplace walls was a large desk with three leather chairs in front of it.

Mrs. Flint and Ms. True occupied two chairs and behind the desk sat Principal Tower.

His bald head glowed from the fire’s light while fringes of his gray hair shot out from the sides at odd angles. He was a big man in height and width, his snugly-buttoned vest, to his three-piece suit attesting to that. A chain was secured to the vest, the other end attached to his glasses that rested uneasily on his hook-nose.

His head remained bent reading papers that he held in his hand as I approached.

“Sit down Miss Masters,” he said.

It was not a request and so I sat in the empty chair, which had obviously been waiting for me.

Principal Tower flipped through the remaining pages and then placed them on the desk in front of him. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He raised his head and settled stern eyes on me. “Chloe, it seems you’ve been rather busy lately.”

“I guess.”

“The incident in the library and now Ms. True informs me of your discovery in her course.”

“She asked us to figure out what was different about the doorknob and I figured it out. I didn’t do anything wrong and as for the library...”

Principal Tower held up his hand and I shut up.

He leaned forward sliding his reading glasses into his vest pocket. “The library incident has been resolved and you will serve detention for it. As for the doorknob, you aren’t in trouble for that. I only wish to discuss it with you.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I believe you are aware that your mother was a member of the Skeleton Key Guild. And though you’ve shown some aptitude in other areas including DS it would seem you are rather adept with SKG abilities as well. Would you agree?”

His thick bushy eyebrows were a distraction. They resembled fat, crawly caterpillars every time he scrunched them. I shrugged as I tried to avoid his eyebrows and focused on his bright blue eyes. “I don’t know. That’s the first time I’ve ever done anything with a key.”

“Really, you’ve never had any experiences with a Skeleton Key?”

I thought back trying to recall all the strange things that had happened to me over the years. There had been appearing and disappearing doors, which never made any sense and the fight with the gremlin. I remembered running from the beast and the tug of energy that could only have come from all the objects around me in the Arrowhead. Then I recalled the Skeleton Keys on the shelves around me... they had been glowing.

Something warned me to keep it to myself, and so I said, “I don’t think so.”

“Are you sure?”

I had no problem sticking with the lie. “Yes.”

I think principals expect students to lie and so they always have that I-don’t-believe-you stare to them. And that’s exactly how Principal Tower looked at me and after a moment of what I can only assume was him waiting for me to crack and tell the truth he gave up.

“Very well, he said, but in light of what’s happened I’ve decided that you will serve your detention for the library incident with Ms. True.”

“Gregory, are you sure about this?” Mrs. Flint asked upset.

I wondered what bothered her and when I saw her clutching the arms of the chair so tightly that her knuckles had gone white, I knew something wasn’t right.

“Quite sure, Mrs. Flint,” Principal Tower said as if reprimanding her and then turned to me. “Chloe, Ms. True will take you back to her class. And please, no more disruptions.” He waved, dismissing us.

I stood and followed Ms. True to a door in the wall that began to glow as she turned the knob.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Chloe.” Mrs. Flint said a bit too anxiously.

I couldn’t help but wonder if her nervous reassurance was to convince me that everything was alright or herself.

I stepped through the doorway into another classroom, one I’d never been to before. Ms. True walked to the teacher’s desk and turned to face me leaning against it.

“I find it hard to believe that someone who can overcome an SKG trap has never had any experience with Skeleton Keys.”

Her sharp features reminded me of a bird of prey as it prepares to launch itself at its latest meal. And I wasn’t about to be anyone’s meal. “I suppose there is a first time for everything.”

“I suppose,” she said, though with not much convection. “Take a seat while we wait for the other student who has detention.”

I sat down in a chair closest to the door, just behind me, intending to make a fast getaway as soon as this was over and pulled my bag onto my lap. My books shifted in my backpack and I balanced them as best I could on my legs.

“So do I just sit here for the next forty-five minutes?”

“No, I have an exercise that you’ll be doing but we need to wait for the other student.”

I sat resigned to my punishment and spent the time wondering over the best way to deal with my ever-changing situation. Top priority was Dad. I was worried sick about him not to mention that my grandparents hadn’t checked in. Damn, my whole family seemed to be missing.

Energy began to pour off the door. Someone opened a portal to the room and was about to enter.

“So glad you could join us,” Ms. True said her sarcasm obvious.

“Sorry I’m late, Ms. True, it won’t happen again,” the girl apologized.

“I’m sure you won’t be late tomorrow when you serve another detention for today’s tardiness.”

“Yes, Ms. True.”

The girl took a seat to my right, and as soon as I saw her I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I was annoyed with myself for not having recognized her voice. Sitting across from me was Jessica Grimm.

“I believe you two know one another,” Ms. True said glancing back and forth between us.

The two of us had locked stares as soon as our eyes met.

“Yes,” we said in unison and both frowned as we did.

“Quite the little twins aren’t we?” Ms. True added.

“We’re nothing alike,” Jessica said adamantly.

“You got that right.” I smiled.

“I beg to differ,” Ms. True said, “besides you two are obviously related, you both having shown extraordinary ability at a young age.”

“
She’s
not even declared, how can you say that?” Jessica argued.

“You should know that better than anyone, Jessica,” Ms. True reprimanded. “Chloe may be less skilled then you, yet you had a difficult time defending yourself against her.”

“She got lucky,” Jessica said her face turning bright red.

“Perhaps, but we’ll see about that.” Ms. True walked to the door and opened it. “You two behave while I’m gone. I won’t be but a moment.” She closed the door and we were left alone.

We turned to one another and stared.

“We’re not related,” Jessica snapped breaking the silence.

“Good to know,” I said with a fake smile.

“The Grimm family cut all ties with the Masters.”

“Fine.”

It turned quiet again, the peaceful moment a reprieve to me, even if I did have to share it with a relative I hardly knew and who hated my guts.

“My Gran wants to meet you,” Jessica blurted out since apparently the silence did something to her brain and she couldn’t live with it a moment longer.

“Excuse me?”

“My Gran, she... um... said she wants to meet you.” Jessica cast an anxious glance around the room and at the door.

She probably wished for Ms. True to return and end this torture.

“She heard about our fight and wanted me to tell you to come by and see her.”

“Why?” I was genuinely surprised by the request.

Jessica’s face turned beet red again. “Because, dummy, she’s your grandmother.”

“Oh yeah, right.” I’d completely forgotten that my mom’s family might want to have something to do with me. I sat dumbfounded thinking about the fact that I had not only cousins but aunt, uncles and grandparents I knew nothing about.

“Found it,” Ms. True announced as she entered the room holding an old wooden box with metal clamps on each side. She strode up between us and swung the box open with a smile. “Now the fun begins.”

The door opened and we turned to see who entered without a knock or permission. It was Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Flint followed close behind wringing her hands.

“Miss Masters,” Jordan snapped.

I didn’t respond instead I looked to Ms. True. She had placed the device on her desk and walked up to Mr. Jordan who leaned over and whispered to her quietly. She nodded and gestured toward us as Mr. Jordan stepped forward with a large smug grin.

“Miss Masters, after last night’s events,” —he slid his hand across his sniveling nose as he spoke— “I learned you were staying with a neighbor, is that correct?”