The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) (41 page)

I was getting exceedingly tired of life and death situations. I turned to the others and I knew I didn’t need to worry if they’d go with me, we would stand together and finish this.

“We ready?” Everyone nodded in unison, not one hesitated. “We can’t let anything stop us. If one of us falls, the others keep going no matter what. Our best chance is to get Jeremiah to that map, are we agreed?”

Everyone nodded once again. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and wrote two quick text messages to Dad and Edgar and sent them off. I was hoping they would get them and be ready when the time came. I slid my phone back in my jacket and turned to the others.

“Jeremiah, you stay in the middle, Nightshade and I will stay in the front. Slade, you and Jess are in the back. How far is the foyer?” I asked Jeremiah hoping he knew a quick way there.

“It is through the next three rooms and one corridor after that. A straight shoot if we can keep on the path.”

“Let’s do this.” I didn’t think; there wasn’t time. There was only time to act. I moved forward, Nightshade right beside me and the others falling in step behind us. We entered the room and were greeted by the chaos of battle. Mechanical librarians lay in pieces all around us and more continued to pour in from every door in the room, attacking the interlopers. The gremlins were making quick work of them tearing into their brass bodies and bashing them on the floor. I spotted Mr. Tower, blood running down from a gash on his forehead while struggling to fight off Caleb. I didn’t slow down—I kept going—knowing what I had to do and not letting anything stop me.

With our power activated, Nightshade and I swung our energies at anything that got in our way, dispensing any threat as if with a flick of our fingers. We sent gremlins flying in the air and crashing into walls. Men from the various groups toppled like falling blocks from our energy punches. We fought with confidence and determination, nothing was going to stop us, not even the more experienced and powerful foes. If it was one thing the last few days had taught me, it was that my friends and I were fighters.

I remembered a teacher at the Academy telling us that the average person with abilities never had to use them in battle. I had used mine more in the last week then the majority of people ever would in a lifetime and it had helped hone my skills.

We pushed through the three rooms, facing the final corridor and one last door before reaching the foyer beyond. I turned a glance on Nightshade; he was sweating, his breathing heavy. I probably looked as bad as he did, but he smiled at me and for some reason it made me feel beautiful. He gave me courage being there beside me and I was ready to fight to the death.

I glanced back at Jeremiah clutching the Legend to his chest while Slade and Jess kept close behind him, both looking as exhausted as Nightshade and I.

“Here we go,” I said with all the mettle I could muster and we rushed into the corridor. A gremlin jumped us but I saw him coming and raised a shield as he struck. His nails sparked off the blue glow as Nightshade swung a whip of energy from under my shield and took out the creature’s feet forcing him head first to the floor. A few more gremlins attempted to stop us but we dispatched them easily enough.

We reached the door at the end of the hallway and with a nod from Nightshade, and the others positioned and ready, I gripped the knob and swung it open. We both rushed into the foyer ready for a fight; instead we were met with silence.

Two large portals sat in the middle of the foyer open and pulsing from where the First Kind had entered and left open for escape. We spun around quickly surveying the area and saw no one else. I grabbed Jeremiah and rushed him forward to the map of the library.

He pulled out the Legend and as he lifted it toward the map on the wall it began glowing and floated out of his hand and attached itself to the map. The lines on the map swirled and came to life as every entrance and exit into the Infinity Library glowed brightly. Words floated across the map and Jeremiah stared in awe. Power dripped from the Legend feeding into each one of us as it turned the map into a living thing before our eyes.

“Very good.”

It was impossible not to recognize that voice.

“You brought me just what I wanted,” Ms. True said.

Slade rushed forward his hand lost in his satchel before pulling out a handful of small metal balls and tossing them in the air. They began to spin and form a circle around Ms. True. They spun so fast that she couldn’t walk passed them.

“Hurry up,” I urged Jeremiah as he traced his hands along the map energy lines floating behind each mark he made.

‘Enough games,
children
.” Ms. True threw her hands up and a blast of crimson energy ripped through Slade’s metal spheres sending them flying in all directions.

Slade gripped his wrench and swung it down on Ms. True, she side-stepped it easily and he stumbled beside her. She flicked her hand holding her Skeleton Key and shackles wrapped around Slade and lifted him in the air, bringing him down with a hard thud that shook the room.

“Slade!” I bolted forward and Ms. True’s smile stopped me. She was the perfect poster child for a wicked witch and her actions confirmed it. She kicked his unconscious form. That woman really needed to pay and I intended to see that she did.

“That’s it, little one, get angry, put up a fight,” True grinned, my anger bringing her satisfaction.

I tempered my emotions the best I could to deal with her when a wave of fiery red energy knocked into Ms. True’s side and sent her stumbling. She quickly raised a protective shield.

It was Jessica, Nightshade at her side using everything they had to attack True.

“You shouldn’t have hurt my grandmother you bitch!” Jessica yelled as she kept up the attack.

I spun back to Jeremiah and saw that he was half way down the map still checking entrances to the library. “Did you find one yet?”

“No, but I’m close.”

“Make it quick.” I turned back to see Ms. True struggling to counter the attack. I lifted my hand ready to add my own power to the assault when a familiar wave of energy washed over me, one I recognized all too well by now.

“Nightshade!” I shouted his name without thinking.

“I know,” he shouted back.

“How perceptive, you recognize my imprint.” Caleb Darker entered the room his hands brushing at his dust-covered, black coat. “So who dies first?”

Darker flicked his wrist at me, I brought both arms up creating a shield just before his energy smashed into me, pushing me back, though I remained on my feet. The others continued battling Ms. True. She had regained her footing and her anger had mounted. James shot a glance in my direction and then at Darker. I knew he wanted to attack him but he couldn’t leave Jess to fight True alone.

“Jeremiah, you need to hurry,” I urged, feeling my defenses weaken.

“I found a path!” Jeremiah bellowed as he touched the map and a stream of calculations and images floated off and swirled in the air.

If I could get the directions and open the portal we would be saved but I knew if I dropped my defenses it would be all over, Darker would kill me.

I heard Jess scream and turned to see her fall to the ground, a sliver of red energy snaking around her and leading back to True. I prayed she wasn’t dead and was relieved to see her chest rise and fall. But I didn’t know just how badly she was hurt. I needed to get to her, help her and I couldn’t let the standoff continue, we were dropping like flies.

I focused all my thoughts on my powers. I let them build, grow, spread inside me like a tsunami building momentum to devour everything in its path.

“Is this the best you can do, little girl?”

Darker stopped his assault momentarily to taunt me and that was a mistake. I let loose with all my pent-up energy, it raced across the space in a single heartbeat and swept Caleb off his feet and hurdled him with such force into the wall that it splintered the wood and left Darker crumbled on the floor. I dropped to my knees exhausted from expelling such sizeable energy.

Nightshade rushed to me, his hand swinging behind him shooting lines of energy at True. He hit her shields with such repeated force that they shattered. She quickly tried to create another; Nightshade was too fast for her, blasting her right off her feet. He dropped down beside me, his face as white as a ghost, his energy drained.

“I don’t have enough left in me to open a portal do you?” Nightshade asked breathless.

“I might.” I pushed myself up off the floor, trying not to fall over. I couldn’t believe we actually had a chance of beating them; we could possibly win this thing.

My skin tingled as a flood of energy overwhelmed the room. I looked up just in time to see Darker stand and let loose with a massive blast of power. I couldn’t believe how pretty the bolt of energy was that was about to kill me. It rushed at me so rapidly that even if I had the energy to raise my defenses, I doubted it would help.

“NOOO!” Nightshade screamed and dove right in front of me. It slammed into him sending his body spiraling in the air until he finally hit the floor, a trail of smoke pouring from his chest.

“James!” I ran to him, not caring about anything but him. I dropped down sliding on my knees to his burnt and broken body sprawled on the floor. I gently lifted his head, no blood dripped from it, but blood did trickle from his lips. He coughed and his whole body convulsed. I rested his head in my lap. The wound in his chest oozed blood. I tore off my hoodie and tried to stop the bleeding. Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do, stop the bleeding? “Please, James, don’t die on me. Who else is going to give me hell?”

“Masters, I’m sorry,” he whispered and his eyes closed.

“No, No, James.” I rested my hand to his cheek so afraid I would hurt him yet needing to touch him. I leaned close, his familiar scent mixed with the smell of blood. I pressed my mouth to his and kissed him. I didn’t care about anything at that moment but him and the thought of losing someone else I cared about was too much to bear. I wanted him here with me, this aggravating man who was as broken as I was. He probably understood me better than anyone else, though I loathed admitting it.

I tasted his blood in my mouth, the blood he needed to keep him alive and rage poured over me like I have never felt in my life. I looked across the room and saw Slade bound on the floor, Jess wasn’t far from him. Her eye was swollen and her breathing shallow. I looked down at James again and I began to shake with anger. I remembered how I had felt when I attacked the HVO and this didn’t even compare. I gently moved James’ head to rest on the floor and stood.

Energy surged through me building stronger and stronger until I thought for certain I would explode from the intensity. I turned around and Darker was standing beside Jeremiah his hand around his neck. He turned to me and smiled but it wasn’t until he taunted that my rage boiled completely over.

“You want another shot at me, little girl?” he smirked.

“Die!” I screamed as my hand shot up and energy poured out of me ramming viciously into Darker. He dropped Jeremiah bracing for the hit, stumbled and rolled and frantically scrambled to his feet, bringing up a shield along with him. As soon as he did I rushed forward and cleaved it in half with another blast of power.

“What are you doing?” he screamed, his face scrunched in anger.

“I’m going to kill you.” The blue glow that usually surrounded my hand now consumed my whole body. I walked toward him calmly and smashed each of his defenses shattering them as if they were nothing more than glass.

Something poked my back and I turned. Ms. True struggled to stand and labored even more to produce enough energy to attack me. With a dismissive wave of my hand, I sent an energy sweep at her, flipping her over backward.

“I’ll deal with
you
once I am done with him.” I turned back to Darker. He was on a dead-run to one of the open portals. My hand shot up trails of shackles shooting out from them and I aimed straight for Darker’s legs. They lassoed him like a steer and he dropped to the floor.

I turned back to True. Another round of First Kind was entering through the portal behind her. I didn’t hesitate, didn’t even give it thought, I formed an energy whip and snapped it against their shields, shattering one after another. I took several down in no time.

A figure stepped just to the edge of the portal, though didn’t enter the room and began shouting orders. I couldn’t see the person clearly but the voice seemed familiar.

“This ends now!” I yelled ready to finish off every single one of them that rushed at me. They were no match for my fury. I attacked with ferocity blasting them out of my way as I advanced on the portal. The one who had been giving orders had Ms. True and was helping her into the portal.

No way was she going to get away. I spun my whip and snapped it towards them, but the person swiftly blocked my attack. My energy dimmed, warning me that I didn’t have much time left. I sent tendrils of blue energy to connect with the map that Jeremiah had left floating. I quickly activated the map and used it to open two portals where reinforcements could enter.

I almost lost it when I saw that Darker had also been dragged into the portal. After all of this True and he were escaping.

I bolted for the portal but stumbled to a stop when the person who had come to their rescues turned and looked directly at me. I stared at the familiar face and for a moment I thought that perhaps I was dreaming... or was it a nightmare?

Every bit of energy whooshed out of my body as if someone had just sucker-punched me and as I dropped to the floor I called out, “Mom?”

Chapter 37

Status: My life is crazy.

“Chloe.”

It was good to hear Dad calling out to me in the house again. I rolled off my bed having taken some time to myself to think, or not, and hurried downstairs to see what he wanted.

“Yeah, Dad.” I found him in the kitchen clearing out the dishwasher. I was so glad he was home and okay and putting the dishes away. I smiled.

He grinned. “Your turn to empty next time.”