by MJ Fletcher
I stepped into the punch cutting the distance between us and caught it under my own arm. I snapped my head forward and headbutted her, the sound echoed throughout my head as our skulls slammed together.
She let out a gurgle and I brought in a quick punch to her gut and doubled her over. My knee shot up and connected with her jaw flipping her backwards and crashing to the ground.
The area around me vibrated and shook as the Bridge continued to lose its hold on the dimensions. I dove across the floor and grabbed my Doorknob.
Faith stood across from me. “It’s going to destroy everything.”
I raised my hands ready to finish our fight. Her Doorknob was in her hand once again.
“Yes it is.” I nodded in agreement as the cracks in the floor grew larger.
“It has to be stabilized.” She looked at me, her jaw muscles tightening, blood dripping from her face, her nose most likely broken from my headbutt.
“Agreed.”
“Together?” She lifted her chin.
“Together,” I confirmed, though I didn’t trust Faith, but I wasn’t going to let that get in the way of stopping a catastrophe.
I turned my Doorknob in my hand activating it. Blue lines of energy flowed from it down to the floor. Faith did the same and quickly lines of energy criss-crossed the floor covering the cracks and fissures that were so evident. We worked quickly, pulling the moorings of the Bridge back together and holding it in place.
The space shuddered and shook and we both were thrown off our feet. A spasm had hit the portal leading out onto the Bridge. I was up first and slapped my hand against the portal leading back onto the Bridge.
The current of power was astronomical and was tearing at every fiber of the Bridge. I placed my Doorknob on the floor and concentrated, trying my best to use my abilities to maintain the connection.
“What’s going on?” Faith shook her head as she stood.
“The Bridge and the portal, Mr. Tower is trying to open are not reacting well to one another.”
“It’s causing a fracture.” She looked down at my hands that were struggling to maintain the Bridge. “Why are you stopping it? If you let the Bridge dissolve it rids you of Tower and the First Kind.”
“Call me crazy, but I don’t want to blow a hole in the Universe to stop that madman.”
“Right,” Faith said as she rolled her Doorknob in her hand.
I tensed. If she took a shot at me now I was completely defenseless. But if I let go of the Bridge, I could lose my ability to maintain the connection.
“You kill me and you die too.” I gazed at her Doorknob and she stopped moving it.
“Going to play the hero again aren’t you? You’re willing to let yourself die all to stop the First Kind.” Faith shook her head incredulous at the very thought.
“Stopping the First Kind is secondary for me, it’s always been about something else. You have never gotten that.”
“Enlighten me,” she scoffed.
“My friends,” I said simply “I’ll die to protect them.”
“Why?”
“If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand.”
“I can go through right now and stop Jess and help Mr. Tower to bring over the First Kind.” She gestured toward the portal leading back onto the Bridge.
“Jess isn’t that easy to beat,” I chuckled “so why don’t you?” Something was off about Faith. She was talking to me instead of attacking.
“Don’t get any ideas, Chloe, I’m not being controlled by a Forget Me Not. I made my choices and stand by them.” She raised her chin defiantly.
“Then what?”
“Mr. Tower is talking about the Old Kind like we won’t be needed once the First Kind return, and I’m a Doorknob Society member.” She stared at me, almost daring me to challenge her on that point.
“He doesn’t care about DS or any other Society.” My hand began to tremble as the power around me swirled and shuddered. Something was happening on the Bridge, but I didn’t know what. I was having a hard time maintaining the connection that I needed to shut down the Artifacts or the Bridge or this was going to get bad very quickly.
“I know,” Faith said with a deep sigh “why did you have to ruin everything?”
“What?” I asked.
“I was going to be the best Society member of my generation. I scored higher than anyone in years. I was everyone’s favorite when I entered Paladin Academy, until you showed up.” Her voice was tinged with bitterness and anger.
“I never cared about any of that.”
“But I did!” She yelled.
Faith came at me, her Doorknob raised over her head. Energy surrounded her and she angled it down toward me. I reached out my thoughts, centering them completely on her Doorknob to try and stop her.
Suddenly, she slowed her hand wavering as her Doorknob was caught between us, both reaching out with our abilities to control it. Faith’s face contorted in rage, I rushed forward one hand on the ground, the other moving slowly toward her Doorknob.
“No,” she said through gritted teeth, “you can’t beat me. I’m better than you.”
“Let’s see about that.”
I yanked my Doorknob off the ground and the space around us shuddered violently. I moved quickly grabbing her hand and Doorknob and slamming both down on the ground.
She fought me for control, her abilities wrapping around me like a tight blanket. I could feel her power and strength and I knew mine was greater. I turned her hand and Doorknob and connected it to the Bridge.
Power flowed through both of us as they attached. Faith fought trying to break my hold over her and her power. She struggled yanking at her hand, trying to remove it from the floor.
“No, damn it!”
I needed to get back out on the Bridge, but if I left her like this she would be able to break free and cause me trouble yet again. A smile crossed my mind as an idea came to me.
“You never should have messed with me.” I grinned, turning my wrist as the crimson energy of the Skeleton Key Guild flowed around me. “Or the people I care about.”
“What?”
Faith stared at my hand as the clicking of locks echoed all around us. I used every ounce of my Guild abilities to throw one lock after another around Faith’s Doorknob locking her here in the In Between and to the Bridge.
“What are you doing?”
She swung at me and I stepped back letting go of her. She tore at her hand trying to release her Doorknob.
“It’s over Faith.”
“No, not like this, I’m going to beat you.”
“Wrong, you’re stuck here, forever.” I turned walking toward the portal.
“You can’t leave me here, this isn’t fair!”
“You lose Faith.”
“I hate you!” She roared.
“I don’t care enough to hate you anymore,” I said and walked through the portal, leaving Faith to her fate.
Chapter Fifty-four
Status: Crap, I don’t want to be an Artifact.
The power of the portal was intense like walking through a wind tunnel. I could sense Faith behind me in the In Between, but I could also see the Bridge. Uncle Thomas was swinging his glowing crimson fists at Tower who spun his energy spear blocking the attack.
Jess closed the distance between them quickly, her Skeleton Key forming into her katana blade. She leapt into the air and brought it down toward Mr. Tower.
It forced Tower to jump backward from the combined attack. His milk white eyes glared at the father daughter combination.
“You’re nearly as irritating as your cousin.”
“It runs in the family,” Jess said.
“Jessica?” Uncle Thomas’s voice shook as he spoke, his eyes darting over to his daughter.
“It’s me, Dad.”
“You’re just as beautiful as your mother.”
“Thanks. Now let’s kick this guy’s ass, Grimm style.”
“With pleasure,” Uncle Tho
mas said.
They both moved on Tower, flanking him to force him to defend two sides. He moved his energy staff in slow circles as he watched them intently.
“How touching. Father and daughter together again. Now I get to kill her in front of you just as I did your wife.” Tower laughed.
“This curse, Artifact, whatever you want to call it, is the Grimm family birthright. If you think you can take it from me… you’re welcome to try.” Uncle Thomas bellowed as he lunged at Tower, energy boiling from his every pore. If he kept up this level of power it would burn him up quickly.
Tower planted his feet and shifted his staff, blocking the attack. Jess didn’t waste any time, she leapt forward and sliced into Tower’s side.
A scream of anger ripped from his lungs and he threw his head back. A burst of pure energy blasted outward slamming into Jessica and knocking her end over end. Uncle Thomas held his ground, the power of the Artifact was more then enough to sustain him.
The two men faced off, anger etched in each of their faces. They traded blows each blocking the other as they tried to find an opening to exploit.
Uncle Thomas was good, but rusty. I could see his arms drooping as time wore on. Mr. Tower saw it as well, he moved in once again bringing his staff around for a blow to the head. Uncle Thomas brought his arm up to block the shot. At the last moment, Tower shifted his weight and swung the staff around slamming into Thomas’ chest. Energy exploded from the end of the staff slamming into Thomas’s Artifact enfused body.
“Dad!” Jess forced herself to her feet and ran toward where his body crumpled to his knees on the floor. She skidded up next to him and dropped down beside him.
“Sorry, kiddo, not as fast as I used to be,” he said.
Uncle Thomas grabbed Jess’s hands and squeezed them. He pulled her in close and rested his head against hers.
“Daddy,” she whispered and my heart broke. I had seen this before—no—I had lived it with my own father.
“I love you.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped her wrist. “This is our birthright.” His voice faltered and his body trembled.
Mr. Tower walked over to them and raised his staff to deliver another blow on what remained of my family. I pushed with all my strength to get through the last of the portal.
“Tower!” I yelled across the space.
A cold wind blew across the Bridge as I stepped out of the Portal. Jess was on her knees next to Uncle Thomas. He was kneeling on the ground holding his chest, blood dripping through his hand and down along him, forming a pool around the both of them. Damn it, I was too late.
“So glad you could join us, Ms. Masters.” Mr. Tower dropped his staff and raised one hand toward me.
I swung my Doorknob up to defend myself when I saw too late what he had in his hands... the box.
He flipped it open and a flash of light glinted off my family’s diamond ring. Mr. Tower’s lips were moving, though I couldn’t hear what he was saying. A noise like a thousand buzzing bees filled my ears. The ring glowed bright azure and all noise suddenly disappeared as I heard the click of a door opening.
Azure light burst from the ring and danced across the Bridge toward me. It was like a familiar dream coming at me, one that I had always known but forgotten upon waking. I didn’t run or even think too, a part of me wanted this, even needed it. This was my family legacy. This is what I had been bequeathed by my father, by Rosalita, and Bodie. I was the Doorknob Society Artifact, and there was no stopping it now or ever.
“Chloe!”
The scream sounded as if it had come from a distant shore, the voice familiar. I tried my best to ignore it, to let the power drown it out as I let the energy consume me. But that damn incessant voice wouldn’t shut up.
“Chloe!”
Why wouldn’t it leave me alone, I just wanted to let the power flow over me? It was warm and comforting and felt so right. It wasn’t like the power of the Looking Glass, this was a part of me. I knew without even thinking how to control and use this power. It was meant to be mine, to be a part of me.
“Chloe!”
I was moving forward drifting along without even thinking about it as I stepped onto the dais where Erin had been chained. Someone was beside me, but my mind was filled with images of portals and Doorknobs as I accessed a thousand memories of ancestors long since dead. I could sense everyone who had ever been attached to the Artifact. The person beside me was aggravated and I could sense it, but I wasn’t sure who it was or why the person was even there. For that matter I wasn’t even sure where I was.
“Chloe!”
My hands were placed in the half circle of the dais and like a magnet pulling metal towards it, they suctioned to it. The flow of my power shifted and my mind cleared as the dais attached to the bridge, grabbed hold of me like a divining rod, and focused the power of the Artifact.
“What the hell?” I said shaking my head to clear it.
Mr. Tower was beside me, a large smile on his face. A crimson shield surrounded him and standing outside of it was my cousin Jess. Her Skeleton Key formed into a katana sword slashing at the barrier. Her eyes were alight with anger and fear. I tried to pull my hands from the dais, but couldn’t move. The power of the Artifact was flowing through me, not allowing me to pull away.
“You are annoying me, Ms. Grimm.” Mr. Tower turned his attention to Jess and waved his hand. A torrent of power washed away his shields and slammed into her, tossing her across the bridge.
“You bastard!” I yanked at my hands, trying to will them to release the handle.
“The dais acts as a conduit for the Artifact—” he gestured toward me— “in this case you. Now as I need both the Doorknob Society Artifact and Skeleton Key Guild one...”
At the end of the Bridge which opened on nothingness, a portal was beginning to form. The flow of energy from me was directing it and slowly but surely it was opening. It could lead to only one place... Accadia.
“I’m afraid I need to ask a bit more of you, Ms. Masters.” He smiled and walked across the Bridge to Uncle Thomas.
“What are you doing?” My hands were trembling and I thought of my mom, consumed trying to contain two Artifacts at once. But this was different, I was a Doorknob Society member, this power felt right flowing through me. If I had time, I knew I could control it. I needed that now, the portal to Accadia was forming more quickly and once he added the Skeleton Key Guild Artifact, I was doomed and so were we all.
“Your foolish uncle here thought that by sacrificing himself, he could stop me from using the Skeleton Key Guild Artifact. When all I need to do is release it from him and allow it to find a new host.” His eyes focused on me.
“You giving me that power seems like a really bad idea to me.” I smirked trying to think of a way out of this. I didn’t believe if he released the power to me that I would be able to control it. I was having a hard enough time focusing with the Doorknob Society power. If I had both, I would burn up and I knew it.
“Brave words, but we both know I only need you to contain the power just long enough to open the portal to Accadia and release my brethren.” He knelt down and grabbed Uncle Thomas’ limp arm, lifting it so I could clearly see the tattoo of the Skeleton Key emblazoned on his forearm.
He spoke quietly once again and the hairs on my neck rose. The call of the Skeleton Key was all around me, and my senses reeled as I felt the power building to a crescendo. I held my breath, trying desperately to concentrate on the Doorknob Society power flowing through my veins. If I could just focus, there was a chance I could pull away from the dais and at least make a fight of this before I burned up trying to contain two Artifacts.
“Not happening,” I said under my breath.
“Too late, Ms. Masters, I win.” Mr. Tower yanked Uncle Thomas’s arm up and the tattoo dissolved in a rush of crimson energy that floated into the air and hovered there for a moment before drifting toward me like a cloud ready to rain down upon me.
“I don’t think so, a
sshole,” Jess shouted, the crimson energy hovered and stopped, wobbling in place. My cousin stood up, her Skeleton Key in hand glowing brightly.
“What are you doing?” Mr. Tower glared at her angrily.
“I’m Jessica Grimm of the Skeleton Key Guild and this curse belongs to me. It is my birthright!” She called out as she lifted her arm holding the Skelton Key and with her other hand tore her shirt sleeve down revealing her scarred forearm.
The power of the Guild Artifact was torn, hovering in the air directly between us. But Jess opened herself up letting all her Guild power flow and the Artifact sensed it like a moth drawn to an open flame. The energy of the Artifact shot forward, slamming into Jess with such force that it knocked her off her feet.
“Jess!” I screamed and with every ounce of will I had I tore my hands from the dais, a piece of which ripped off in my mechanical hand. Everything came together. Seeing my cousin in danger had focused me. This power was mine and I knew how to control it. I thought of Gavin letting himself free to use his Polymoprh powers and I did the same. I unlocked every ounce of ability that I’d always held back and combined it with the power of the Doorknob Society Artifact. Tower had made the mistake of his life giving it to me.
“No!” Mr. Tower rushed at me.
I didn’t think; I reacted. I threw my hands out in front of me directly at Tower. Azure lines of energy shot from them, slamming into him and doubling him over in agonizing screams.
He lifted his head and a look of pure hatred crossed his face. “I will not be defeated by some pathetic girl.”
A bolt of crimson energy slammed into his shoulder spinning him around. Jess was up and her hands glowed as brightly as mine.
“Make that girls. Damn but you gotta love it,” Jess said with a smug grin.
“No, this isn’t possible!” His eyes turned pure white, and he released a font of power that rushed at both of us.
We reacted simultaneously, creating shields and blocking the attack.
“Jess, destroy the portal.” I pointed to the still forming access to Accadia. “I’ll take care of Tower.”
“You got it.” She moved with speed across the Bridge.