The League of Skull & Bones

by MJ Fletcher

  “I learned a very hard lesson, one I’m trying to pass onto you. You are going to be dealing with people whose only concern is their own best interest, never forget that.”

  “Ronan helped me,” I said quickly.

  “He is a member of the League. His loyalty will be to them and himself, and perhaps not in that order.”

  “You think he’ll only look out for himself and leave me in a lurch if a time came that I really needed his help?” I asked with a hint of anger creeping into my voice.

  “He could,” Merric said.

  “Like you did to me?” I put it out right there. Merric could have told me he had sold the Timelock to Nyla. Instead, he gave me the list and played his game, and now he was accusing Ronan of doing the same thing.

  “Good point, Jessica,” he said finishing his Absinthe. “I didn’t help you out like I could have.”

  “No, you didn’t, and now you’re telling me to beware of someone who did. Nice, Merric, maybe you should take a long hard look in the mirror before you go warning me about Ronan.”

  I wanted to wound him to get him to react and show some emotion instead of looking away or avoiding me. I felt safe around Merric, a conundrum for me, since for all I knew it could be due to his abilities. I wanted to know more about him even if that meant wounding him to find out. I knew I was being a bitch, but something about this man brought it out in me.

  “There is one difference,” Merric said as he pushed his empty glass away. “I’ve never presented myself as someone trying to help you. I didn’t make some grand gesture to get in your good graces. I could have given you nothing, yet I didn’t, and it obviously won me no favors with you.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “In the short time I’ve known you I’ve never asked you for anything. The real question is what does Ronan want from you?”

  “He wants me,” I blurted out angrily, though I didn’t know why.

  Merric’s eyes narrowed and he stood and stepped back away from the table, his mouth turning into a tight angry line. I’d gotten my reaction, but it wasn’t what I had expected.

  “Enjoy the Absinthe, I’ve got customers to attend too.”

  “Merric, wait,” I said not wanting him to leave.

  But it was too late, he had disappeared into the crowd, and I was left sitting alone at the table. And damn if I didn’t feel miserable and guilty. He had helped me and hadn’t asked for anything in return, and what did I do? I threw Ronan in his face. I had managed to confuse myself more than before I had walked in the door.

  “Way to go Jess,” I said under my breath as people around me cheered on the race.

  Chapter 18

  The road I was walking on moved and shifted under my feet. As soon I lifted my foot, the road would shoot forward to where my foot would come down next. Underneath the constantly moving cobblestones were massive gears that churned and stirred beneath me like some great sea monster slivering just beneath the surface.

  The road led to an equally odd building with a front door that was constantly deconstructing itself to only rebuild moments later in a slightly new form. This was an Impossible Engineer dimension for sure. I stopped at the door and raised my hand to knock, but before I could a small rectangular slot slid open and a metal sphere telescoped out. A bulbous glowing red eye looked me up and down.

  “State your name and business,” a mechanical voice croaked.

  “Jess Grimm to see Michael Slade,” I said.

  The eye rolled back inside the telescope section and a sound like an old typewriter echoed around me.

  “You are expected, please enter.”

  The telescoping eye shot back into the hole and it slammed closed as the door swung open, and I stepped inside.

  The foyer was large with four massive female columns that acted as support structures, holding up the rest of the building on their backs and shoulders. They looked ancient and tired, if a statue could be tired.

  “Jess!” Slade called out as he crossed the foyer to join me.

  He was wearing a grey robe that covered most of his body, but I could see that his left side had been partially rebuilt using mechanical parts. It wasn’t the first time one of my friends had to be repaired that way. But I was surprised by how much of his side had been replaced.

  “How are you?” I asked as I slipped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  “I’m good, better now that the Fixers are allowing me to work on rebuilding myself,” he said pointing to his new hand and arm with a mix of pride and a critical eye.

  “You’re okay with all that?”

  “Jess, most Engineers lose something to our contraptions at one time or another. I’ll be fine. What about you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I heard about Edgar. This woman is coming after people you care about. Are you going to be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. What I need to do is figure out what she’s up to before she has a chance to do any more damage.”

  “Sorry I won’t be of much help to you. They’ve sidelined me for the next few weeks while my new tech bonds to my body,” he said lifting his arm and moving it around, testing it out.

  “Have you heard from Monk at all regarding the list of items?”

  We walked up a set of stairs to the next floor and crossed over a hallway onto a veranda looking out over the Impossible Engineer dimension. A purple sky stretched out before us while in the distance the sound of metal churning could be heard everywhere.

  “Monk’s been researching it, and he is pretty sure of the types of devices that could be used with the Timelock and those components. What we need to find out is how many items she’s already acquired and that way we have a timetable to work with.”

  “Agreed. The problem is—how do I find that out?” I said.

  “What about Merric?”

  I was hoping he wouldn’t bring up Merric. I think I’d about used up any favors he was willing to offer me on my last visit. I’d been so stupid wanting to get a rise out of him, and all I had wound up doing was killing any chance of him helping me again.

  “I don’t think he’ll be helping me again,” I said.

  “Okay, well, what other options do we have?”

  What I needed was information and at the moment I was out of options, though there was one other option—Ronan. However, what Merric had said kept running through my head. What did Ronan want from me or had his offer really been out of the goodness of his heart?

  I needed to find out what the League knew about Nyla and if their leader LaReina Graves was helping her. The only way I was going to do that was to get close to them. It would mean lying to Ronan and getting closer to him to find out what I needed to know. I didn’t like that idea, but I didn’t have many choices.

  “There is one more option,” I said.

  “From the sound of your voice, I take it you have a plan?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  I quickly explained to him about the League and how I was planning on joining them to find out what I needed to know.

  “So you’re planning on joining up with the very group that might be helping this woman who is trying to kill us?”

  With Slade saying it out loud, I wondered if maybe I was a little crazy after all. I raked my fingers through my hair, pulling it back as I thought about how foolish of an idea it actually sounded.

  But again, what else was I to do. “I’m out of options on this one.”

  His voice turned low with worry. “I won’t be able to back you up.”

  “I know, but I’ll be fine,” I said patting his arm to reassure him.

  “Jess, the items on that list Merric gave you are strong on their own. If they are repurposed into something else, it makes me nervous what the device could be used for,” Slade said.

  Slade was one of the best Impossible Engineers around and if it worried him that meant I needed to be extremely careful.

  “It would take someone with tremendous skill
to do something like that, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes, it would take someone with years of training and exceptional talent. And that would mean it would have to be an Impossible Engineer,” he said with reluctance as if he didn’t want to think that one of his own could be involved.

  “Any ideas who it could be?”

  “Well, there are still Engineers who’ve been missing since the war. Some are wanted and they could be involved, but only a handful of them would have the ability to work those components into something.” He slipped his new mechanical hand into the folds of his robe and pulled out a folded piece of paper and smoothed it out with his good hand.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  Slade’s shoulders sagged and his voice quivered. “Names of Impossible Engineers that I think could be capable of building something with those components.”

  I held out my hand and Slade hesitated and, taking a deep breath, he slid it into my palm. I unfolded it and scanned over the names, and winced noticing one in particular. I understood now why Slade was upset. He’d given me his father’s name.

  Michael Slade Sr.

  Chapter 19

  “Are you sure about this?” I asked pointing to the list.

  “Every one of them has the skill needed,” Slade said without looking at me.

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  “He could build it, Jess,” he replied.

  “Do you think he would?”

  “If I learned anything during the war, it was that I didn’t know my father very well.”

  Slade’s father had sided with the enemy during the war, and they had fought over it with Slade exposing his dad. He’d been on the run ever since as one of the most wanted war criminals. We’d heard whispers of his whereabouts, but were never able to confirm them or find him. He was in hiding and—wherever that was—it was off the beaten path of the regular dimensions.

  “Okay, and what about the other names on the list?” I asked hopeful that I wouldn’t have to hunt down one of my best friend’s parents.

  “Most have the skill, though I’m not sure any of them would be the top choice for someone looking to build something so complex,” he said.

  “You think it’s your dad, don’t you?” I asked with a sigh.

  “Yes,” he said quietly.

  “I’ll do my best to find out,” I said.

  “Thanks Jess,” —Slade reached out and clasped my hand— “and be careful.”

  “I will,” I said.

  “I wish I could go with you.”

  “I wish you could too,” I said, though down deep it was a lie. I needed to do this alone. I didn’t want any of my old friends involved with it. I wanted them all safe and sound, and most of all, I didn’t want them to see what I would have to become in order to do it.

  I was going to have to join the League and that meant I was going to be among the most skilled killers in the world; lying and trying to fit in. I didn’t want anyone seeing me that way. Or perhaps it was because I was afraid it was what I truly had become, nothing more than a killer.

  “Are you going to be okay on your own?” Slade asked concern filling his every word.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said with a smile.

  I didn’t want to burden him with how alone I’d felt after everything he’d been through. I knew I needed to reconnect with my friends and Slade would be a good start. But it wasn’t fair to him, at the moment he had enough to deal with. I’d chosen to be on my own for this long I could handle it for a little longer. Lately, though, I had to admit I was starting to think that maybe I didn’t have to be alone. Ronan had certainly made it clear how he felt about me. I liked the thought, but it still made me nervous. I was scared to trust anyone. Especially with everything going on, then of course, there was Merric.

  I didn’t know why he kept popping into my head. He refused to help me when I needed it most. And as far as the list of items he had given me? It was no more than a piece to a very large puzzle. He could have told me it was Nyla, maybe then Slade wouldn’t have a new arm. Yet his warnings about Ronan and everything else kept rattling around in my head. I couldn’t help but feel torn when it came to him. Do I trust him? Don’t I trust him? Why do I even bother with him? I was torn in too many different directions when it came to him, and it worried me.

  I still had no idea what his abilities were or how they had affected me. I’d never felt a calm like that before and I sure wouldn’t mind feeling it again. It was almost as if no matter what happened Merric would be there to help and protect me. Not that I needed protection, but it felt good to think that someone else would handle the hard stuff, if only for a moment.

  In the end, maybe the reason I was alone was because I wanted to be. Or maybe it was because I was too scared to make the wrong choice.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, shaking me from my thoughts, and I slid my hand in and pulled it out. I tapped the screen, bringing it to life and checked my messages.

  “What is it?” Slade asked.

  “It’s the Guild, I’ve been told to report for reassignment.”

  “The League?” Slade asked.

  “I would imagine,” I said as I stood and bent over to kiss Slade on the forehead. “Get better, I’ll need my partner back at some point.

  “You got it,” he said with a smile.

  I twisted my wrist and activated the Artifact ever so slightly and created a portal. It shimmered crimson in front of me, and I waved to Slade and stepped through.

  Because I was crossing from an Impossible Engineer dimension, I couldn’t cross through directly and had to step through the In Between. A chill ran up my spine as I walked into the opaque nothingness. I never liked moving through the In Between, but as of late, it appeared even more alien than ever.

  Perhaps it was because it was considered the home of the Gremlins, the very monsters of my nightmares. I didn’t have much choice, though, if I wanted to get to the Guild dimensions quickly. I crossed a few feet and moved my hand, creating another portal.

  In the distance a beast howled, and my hands began to shake. I worked my fingers quickly, inputting the coordinates to the Guild dimension and pushing open the portal to step through just as another howl joined the first.

  I slammed the portal shut behind me as fast as I could and took a deep breath. My hands trembled slightly and I shoved them into my pockets to try and hide my edginess.

  I was standing in the foyer of the offices of the Skeleton Key Guild in the home dimension known as the Hollow.

  People were milling about, some talking in small groups while others rushed in and out of the ever opening and closing portals that would pop open around the room.

  The room was paneled in dark walnut and every few feet a different Skeleton Key hung on the wall. A round desk sat in the middle of the room with large oval screens on brass poles spaced evenly around it. At the base of each was an ornate typewriter with lines formed behind each of the devices. As people typed in information, a woman would appear on the screen to assist them.

  I crossed over and stepped into line, awaiting my turn. The people in front of me moved through quickly, each asking for either new assignments or information regarding something about the Guild. When the woman in front of me finished, I stepped up.

  The keyboard of the typewriter was raised with round black keys ringed with a thin layer of white porcelain, each with slight chips and cracks from their constant use. The keys themselves were onyx with inlaid white characters, some of which, only a member of the Old Kind would recognize.

  I punched at the keys and each time the type bar shot up, striking the paper as I typed in my name and a request for my new assignment. I hit the return key and the carriage bar shifted across the typewriter, ejecting the paper which fed into the base attached to the brass pole of the oval television screen.

  The screen flickered to life with lines scrambling and coalescing into the shape of a woman wearing cat’s eye shaped, black-trimmed glasses and her hai
r pulled up in a bun.

  “Jessica Grimm, requesting your reassignment coordinates, correct?” The voice was robotic and scathing like an old vacuum married to a bad actress.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Assignment marked as classified, you must meet with your new handler.”

  “What are you talking about? My handler is DeAndre Morgan,” I raised my voice annoyed, the people around me turning to see what was going on.

  “Not any longer, he’s been replaced. Please proceed to room twelve on floor three immediately to meet with your new case officer,” she said her voice now shaky and monotone.

  “This isn’t right,” I complained.

  “Thank you and have a nice day,” The woman squawked and the screen shifted and suddenly blinked into nothingness. I balled my hand into fists and stepped out of line, walking towards the stairs.

  Why the hell had DeAndre been replaced? What the hell was going on?

  Chapter 20

  The door to room twelve had the number stenciled on its frosted glass and nothing else. I didn’t bother knocking, instead I pulled it opened and entered the office.

  It was a medium-sized room with a small desk pushed beside the window. Wooden trays with labels marked in and out sat neatly next to a typewriter similar to the one downstairs. Sitting at the desk was Winslow, my grandmother’s new assistant. His gaunt figure sat slouched over the typewriter, punching away at the keys while his glasses rested on the tip of his nose. He didn’t look up as I entered, instead he kept working.

  “Have a seat, I’ll be with you in a moment,” he said.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and remained standing. The room was sparse, no pictures on the walls or anything that could possibly tell me something about this man.

  He hit the return key of the typewriter and the carriage moved to the side of the paper feeding out of the top and disappearing into the next device. He swiveled his chair around and leaned back, looking me up and down.

  “Why was DeAndre replaced?” I asked bluntly.