The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (27 page)

“In a minute.”

Edgar sent me a nod and closed the door behind him.

I fell back onto the bed, pulled the pillow over my face and screamed into it. I was not looking forward to telling Jess and Slade that Nightshade and I would be going off alone. I knew Slade was going to be upset but I had no idea how Jess would react. I mean something had to be going on between her and Nightshade. After all, they had spent the night together.

I threw the pillow aside and turned over glancing around the room. It was messy, though not nearly as bad as mine. I hadn’t had a chance to look around last night; I was too tired and annoyed. Next to the bed was a small nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock, a leather wrist strap was sitting there as well. I reached out and grabbed it unsnapping the cover to the strap revealing a watch beneath. That was odd I was sure I had seen this before. I bolted up and swung my head around examining the room more closely. I recognized the watch. I had seen Nightshade wearing it at least a dozen times.

I wasn’t only sleeping in his house but his room and his... bed.

If this was his room how come he hadn’t let Jess sleep in here? I slid off the bed and walked around the room my hand gliding along his dresser and toying with the knobs on the drawers. He would never know if I peeked. Yeah right. He’s probably waiting outside the door ready to pounce and catch me digging through his stuff.

I stopped at the closet, circled my hand around the knob, and tugged it open. Sure enough there was his long overcoat and scarf, and hanging beside it was his leather jacket with a skeleton key painted on the back. On the shelf above was a shoebox that dangled near the edge, a photo peeking out. I gave a quick glance at the door and then reached up and grabbed the box, pulling it down.

It was filled with old pictures and other mementos. I sat on the bed and hurriedly shifted through them, nervous that he would burst through the door at any moment. I pulled a few photos out and flipped through them stopping when I saw one of Nightshade with a girl sitting next to him. They wore big smiles and were obviously having a blast together. His arm was draped around her and they looked genuinely happy. It was almost as if he was a different person. There was no sardonic smirk that I was accustomed to seeing on him in any of the photos. I found a group of pictures of him and the girl, I had to admit she was pretty and it was obvious that they were more than friends.

I almost fell off the bed when someone knocked on the door. The pictures lay scattered across the bed and I had to stick my hand out to steady myself.

“You decent?” Nightshade’s voice floated in and my breath caught in my throat. I looked at the strewn pictures and panicked.

“No I’m not!” It came out a mix of a yelp and a squeak and I could just imagine the evil grin he wore right about now.

I scrambled, grabbing the photos and shoving them back into the box. I shot off the bed and pushed the box back onto the shelf and shoved the closet door closed. I raced to the door and yanked it open.

Nightshade was standing in front of me dripping wet, a towel wrapped around his hips. His wet hair was slicked back and he gripped the towel with one hand and the other rested on the door jamb. I almost collided with him since my plans were to scoot right passed him and head down the hall

“Um sorry,” I said halting only inches from him

“No problem, I just need to grab some clothes.”

“I didn’t realize it was your room.” I stumbled over the words, trying to avoid his eyes.

“Yup, my room.”

I realized in trying to avoid his eyes, I was now staring at his naked chest.

“I could stand here all day if you like or I could get dressed.” He grinned.

I had completely forgotten that I blocked the way into his room. I stepped aside and he laughed and walked passed me closing the door behind him and leaving me standing in the hallway feeling like an idiot.

Way to go, Chloe, you really showed him
, I thought as I walked down the hall.

I grabbed some toast and a quick orange juice and then headed to the shower and got ready more slowly then I usually did. I was not looking forward to the coming conversation with Jess and Slade and wasn’t really sure how I was going to handle it.

I finally finished and made my way to the living room. I found everyone sitting around and chatting. Edgar was going over one of his maps and Nightshade and Jess were sitting together on the couch. Her legs were draped over his while he leaned back, his arms outstretched along the top of the couch. Slade and Jess were discussing our next best move while Nightshade looked on with a half-smile. He was anticipating and enjoying what was to come. The pleasure of it was written all over his face.

“Nightshade and I have a plan,” I blurted out without thinking. Everyone turned to me and I could see that Jess and Slade were already none-too-happy. Edgar buried his head in his map and pretended as if he wasn’t even there.

“Jimmy?” Jess turned to Nightshade with a questioning look.

His smile turned whole. “Let her talk.”

“Nightshade knows the Guilder on the list but doesn’t think he will talk to someone who isn’t in the SKG. So he and I will go alone.”

Slade’s head appeared as if on a swivel as it spun rapidly between James and me.

“Why alone?” he asked Nightshade pointedly.

“He won’t talk with others around.”

“So go by yourself.”

“This is her war, she needs to fight it.” Nightshade stared down Slade whose face was beginning to turn red.

“If she goes I go.” Slade’s jaw tightened and his fists clenched.

I chimed in. “I’m going, Slade, we need to find whatever it was that Dad discovered and right now this is our best shot.”

“Listen to your girlfriend.”

I turned to Nightshade, my eyes shooting daggers at him “Drop it Nightshade, we’re going alone. You don’t need to torment Slade.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He raised his hands in mock surrender.

Slade walked over to me. “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” I took his hand and we walked out of the room. I pushed open the arched doorway and we stepped out into the cold afternoon daylight.

With our hands still intertwined, he pulled me close to him. “I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I, but you have to trust me,” Was that a plea I heard on my lips. And did I really have to ask for his trust?

Slade lifted my hand to his mouth. His warm breath whispered across my fingers and made me shiver.

“I do trust you.”

He kissed my hand ever so lightly his lips a faint almost undetectable brush against my skin. My face flushed and my skin tingled. Guilt crept over me. I had been treating Slade badly and here he was yet again helping me, being there when I needed him and what was I doing? Questioning his trust.

“When this is all over, we need to talk.” I moved closer to him, placing my hand on his chest trying as best I could to somehow show that I cared.

He slipped his arm around me and eased me against him in a firm hug that had me feeling secure and intimate all at the same time. I rested my head on his chest and felt the faint beat of his heart.

“When you’re ready to talk... I’m here,” he whispered so close to my ear that his lips grazed the tip and I shuddered.

Now was not the time for this, so I stepped back from him and he let me go.

“Be careful with Nightshade,” he warned. “He’d sooner leave you on your own then stick his own neck out to save you. If you get in trouble run and find your way back to us. We’ll wait for you here. Nightshade’s parents are away and I doubt anyone would look for us here.”

I nodded, though I didn’t agree with Slade about Nightshade. A small voice in my head told me that Nightshade would never desert me if I was in trouble. Somewhere under that arrogant exterior, I had a feeling lurked something more.

“Make sure you come back safe to me.”

I grabbed his hand once again and smiled. “Count on it.”

We walked back inside the converted church still holding hands. As soon as we entered the living room Nightshade and Jess turned to us, Jess looking anxious and Nightshade’s eyes focused on our clasped hands. His eyes wandered up to mine and he smiled as if he knew exactly what had transpired between Slade and me.

“Everything good with the happy couple?” He winked at me.

“Great,” I replied not bothering to dispute that we were not officially a couple.

Slade squeezed my hand letting me know he was there for me and I did the same to him.

“Great, we’re ready then?” He eased Jess off him, stood and walked to the opposite wall. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of keys and flipped through them until he found a specific skeleton key.

My stomach rumbled as I felt him activate the vessel. It was different than when Jess had used her abilities. I could feel Nightshade’s confidence in his powers and he manipulated the energy expertly, creating a portal in seconds. He spun the key ring on his finger like an expert gunslinger did with a gun and slipped them back into his pocket.

“Let’s go.” He gestured toward the crimson portal that pulsed on the wall.

I turned and hugged Slade tightly. “I’ll be back.” Then I punched Edgar lightly in the shoulder as I passed him. Jess had walked over to stand beside Nightshade and I smiled at her. She returned my smile and I knew that somehow this mess had brought us somewhat closer and we were going to need to talk about that soon.

I turned to Nightshade. “I’m ready.”

“Good, see you all soon.” Nightshade leaned past me and kissed Jess on the cheek and she blushed bright red. Then he stepped through the portal and I followed behind him.

Chapter 26

Status: I meet a whack job.

We stepped out of the portal into an alleyway. The sounds of rushing cars and people talking buzzed like swarming bees in my ears after the relative quiet of Nightshade’s house. It was cold and the sun looked to be in about the same place so I assumed we were still somewhere on the east coast. Nightshade didn’t wait for me, he started down the alley. The crimson portal door slammed shut with such force that debris flew around us as if a mini tornado had hit.

“Where are we?” I asked as I caught up to him.

“Philly.”

We walked out of the alley and I after a quick glance I realized that we were in Center City. I should have guessed it would be a city, most Old Kind preferred to be in older cities and Philly had most others in the country beat in the age department. Many active portals can be found in older cities which made it a hotbed for the Old Kind. You’d be amazed at what can happen by making a wrong turn in a city like Rome.

“Now where?” I asked.

“This way.”

We made our way down the street until we reached Maggie’s Irish Pub on the corner. Nightshade yanked the door open and we walked in. The bright sunlight rushed through the room spotlighting the bartender. He raised his hand above his eyes to shield the light and get a look at us. James nodded to him and he nodded back and then he waved us along. We moved swiftly to the back of the room and stopped at a weathered old door that appeared as if it hadn’t been opened in decades.

The door creaked when Nightshade opened it as if protesting at being disturbed and for a moment I hesitated in following Nightshade down the stairs and into the waiting darkness. When the blackness swallowed him up, I held my breath and plunged in behind him thinking that I would see a light the further down I traveled. But all that greeted me was silence and more darkness.

A click echoed off the walls and suddenly everything was bathed in a red glow. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the change and saw Nightshade holding up his Skeleton Key, the crimson illumination serving as a perfect torchlight.

“No reason to stumble about in the dark.” He grinned and for once I agreed with him.

“How much farther?”

“Not too far.”

“Couldn’t we have just opened a portal closer to him?”

“Doesn’t work that way, Masters. There are dead spots everywhere and someone who doesn’t want to be found will use them to hide. What you need is someone who knows where to find them, someone like me.”

Leave it up to Nightshade to compliment himself.

“This is it.”

We stopped by a bunch of packing crates pushed up against a dingy old brick wall. Nightshade stretched his arm out passed me and rapped quickly on the wall three times. As I stood in the grimy cellar I considered the possibility that this could be all some sick joke he was playing on me but the thought insistently faded. I don’t know why but I knew James wouldn’t do that to me.

“Who is it?” A scratchy voice cackled through the wall.

“James Nightshade.”

The crates began to move and I realized they were opening like an ordinary door. When fully open, a man stood hunched over in the doorway regarding us with suspicious eyes.

After an anxious moment of silence he said, “You’ve certainly grown, James.” He turned to me, his eyes once again suspicious as they roamed over me. “Who’s your friend?”

“Chloe Masters.”

The man’s aging eyes grew wide and he leaned closer to get a better look at me. He sniffed the air around me, then licked his lips.

“I smell Grimm on you and thank God you look like your mother and not that crazy father of yours. Come on in, Guilders,” he said turning and disappearing into the dark.

I almost corrected him about me being a Guilder but one look from Nightshade and I kept my mouth shut. We followed him into a narrow dank and dark hallway that opened up onto a larger circular room. A tangle of pillows and blankets lay bundled to one side and what look like a mix of boxes and trash littered the entire area.

“How have you been, Hobart?” Nightshade asked ignoring the mess.

“Good, good, my boy, you know those buggers will never catch old Hobart.”

“I know Hobart. You hide well. I only came looking for you because Chloe here is in need of your help.”

Hobart spun around and rushed like a speeding bullet across the distance between us. I tried to step out of his path and stumbled over something. Nightshade moved faster than I ever could have imagined. His one arm wrapped around my waist preventing me from falling and his other arm shot up blocking Hobart from coming too close.