by Fletcher, MJ
Before I knew it the first day of school was here and as far as I was concerned I was unprepared. I had learned as much as I could about my abilities and talked to Edgar whenever possible hoping to discover more, but every time I did Val was there interrupting us. I tried to talk with Judd about school but he would tell me to keep up the good work and then disappear to go surfing. Even Dad was too busy to talk with me in the days leading up to the start of school.
I found myself standing alone at the front door with my book-bag slung over my shoulder. Dad told me he didn’t want to cramp my style my first day so he had rushed off to prepare for a show and left me to get ready on my own. I’d grabbed a juice and some toast for breakfast and then I was ready to... at least I tried to convince myself that I was.
My hand hovered near the doorknob, anxiety running amuck inside me. I wasn’t yet allowed to use a doorknob to enter directly into the Paladin Academy only the declared students were allowed to do that. So I had to get to school the regular way... walk. But once I left the house and took that first step my life would never be the same. It excited and terrified me all at once.
I took a deep breath, grabbed the knob, and stepped out onto the porch. The sun was shining and the dew was still fresh on the bright green, neighborhood lawns. I made my way down the block and saw the local school bus stop across the street. Val stood on the edge of a group of kids and waved to me with an expression on her face that I can only describe as annoyed. I wasn’t sure if it was for me or her situation. I gave a short wave back and continued on my way.
As I turned the corner that would take me to the Academy entrance I nearly walked into Edgar. His head was down and as usual he was engrossed in one of his many maps.
“Hi Edgar.”
“Oh,” Edgar looked up and hurriedly shoved his parchment into his satchel. “I didn’t see you there.”
“How could you with your nose buried in another map,” I said nudging his shoulder with mine as we walked.
I was relieved to have run into him and not have to go it completely alone my first day. I noticed several people walking in the same direction as us and I realized they were fellow Paladin students. While most were dressed normally, they did have odd accents that set them apart. Some wore goggles like Edgar while others had different gears and gadgets attached to their clothes.
We quickly reached the red brick wall of the Paladin Academy that was visible to all. Only from the Portico could the true size and beauty of the tall building that dwarfed everything around it be seen. But here all you saw was a small gated entrance that led to what appeared to be a normal school.
Edgar and I approached the gate and I squinted trying to break the veil of illusion that encapsulated the school. It didn’t help. All I could see was the illusion, though my stomach did that queer thing it did whenever my powers were gearing up. My hands trembled being this close to something charged with such energy.
Edgar looked at me and smiled. “Ready?”
“Yes.” And with that we stepped through the gate into the Paladin Academy.
I stumbled for a moment and reached out searching for Edgar to steady myself. My hand latched onto his shoulder squeezing the leather jacket. I immediately bent my head to stop the bout of nausea that tormented my stomach. My hair tumbled done around my head while I took a much needed deep breath so that I wouldn’t upchuck what little I had for breakfast.
Overwhelming warmth washed over me and my skin tingled as my energy automatically activated, assumingly from crossing an unseen portal. But to where? Where was I really going?
“Excuse me.”
My breath caught in my throat. I knew that voice; I looked up. Edgar stood to the side of me, his teeth clenched. My hand, which I had thought gripped Edgar’s jacket, was stretched in the opposite direction. I turned slowly following the path of my arm and looked right into the two different color eyes of James Nightshade.
He glanced down at my hand with an amused expression. “Can I help you?”
I released my grip quickly. Walking through the portal I hadn’t even noticed Nightshade, I’d been too disoriented and reached out grabbing the nearest person, whom I had mistakenly thought was Edgar.
“Nightshade, always in the wrong place at the right time.” I grinned at him.
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize it was my fault that the big bad portal was too much for you.”
He rolled his eyes and walked off joining a group of students who eyed me with disdain. One was a stunning girl who somehow seemed familiar, though I couldn’t say why. Unfortunately, the sneer on her face as she looked me up and down before turning away when our eyes met detracted from her beauty.
I bit my tongue thinking sensibly—a first for me—that now wouldn’t be the best time to start trouble.
Edgar stepped closer and shrugged as if apologizing even though it wasn’t his fault. I wasn’t used to accessing portals yet or dealing with the energy that came with it. In a way I was much like a baby taking her first steps. No doubt I’d stumble but eventually I’d get the hang of it.
The Paladin Academy soared high into the blue morning sky. The style was of the Victorian era, so suitable to Cape May. Large arched windows ran across each level and students were entering numerous odd shaped and side doors that dotted its base. A massive lawn, sprinkled with aged oak trees, was overrun with laughing and chatting students who actually appeared to be happy about returning to school after summer break.
Edgar and I made our way through the packed yard and entered the main corridor of the Academy. I stopped in my tracks and stared in awe, the unusual architecture had left me curious as to the inside, which I have to admit astounded me.
The massive hallway soared so high with numerous levels open to the floors below that you would think it was a stairway to heaven. And if that wasn’t enough, I was captivated by the various doors in the walls and, of all places, the floors. Students and faculty entered and exited doors, some dressed as if ready to brave the arctic and others headed to the tropics. The room hummed with activity as people accessed it from not just all over the world but across dimensions. Energy hung thick in the air and my body reacted, my senses heightened, colors took on brighter hues and damned if I couldn’t feel the turn of the world beneath my feet.
“This is amazing.”
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Edgar said as he led me along the corridor and down a side hallway. Individual thin bronze doors covered the hall from floor to ceiling. I was dumbstruck when I realized they were our lockers. Each had intricate scrollwork with our names engraved on the front and a doorknob to open it instead of a combination lock.
“Here we are.” Edgar stopped in front of the one with my name swirling across it. “This one is yours.”
I reached out and grabbed the handle and a shock flew through me as it opened to my touch.
“How?”
“Each of the lockers at Paladin Academy is attuned to the owner. Though some students make a habit of trying to break into lockers, it’s something of a sport.”
The locker size was deceptive, the inside being much larger then it appeared. It contained several shelves stacked with books and had multiple hooks. I took my training knob from my bag and shoved it onto one of the shelves and swung the door closed.
“Ready?” Edgar asked his face lighting with a large grin.
I knew he was terribly excited about starting school. Me? I had other reasons for wanting to be here and so I forged ahead. “Let’s go.”
We stepped back into the main hall where students were making mad dashes to the various doors attempting to get to class before the bell rang. I moved toward the first free door that caught my eye and hesitated before reaching for the doorknob.
Please let this work.
The familiar tug to my stomach brought a smile to my face and it widened as the doorknob began to glow. I turned it while keeping my mind focused on getting to my homeroom. When I stepped through the door I was standing inside a classr
oom lined with desks. My smile turned to a broader grin, relieved that I hadn’t wound up in Antarctica. I quickly took a seat as the bell rang.
Edgar came in right behind me and sat at the desk across from me. A couple of other stragglers came in and hurriedly chose seats. I glanced around the room and caught sight of Slade sitting in the back. He was leaning back talking with the student behind him but noticed me and moved forward in his seat. He smiled that gorgeous grin of his and idiotically I waved at him and got annoyed with myself the moment I did.
That’s great Chloe stand around on your first day at a new school waving at the cute guy like a moron.
The teacher sat at a large desk in front of the room. She was a big woman and wore a pair of glasses with several magnifying lens attached that kept flipping up and down as she read the papers she held.
The sound of the bell ceased and we all sat waiting for her to start class but she just sat reading her papers as if we weren’t even in the room. She kept turning the pages and as she did the lenses on her glasses would maneuver up and down. It was so odd that it was fascinating.
I turned to Edgar wondering if this was normal and he shrugged so I assumed he was as clueless as me.
“Welcome to another year at the Paladin Academy,” the teacher finally said
I smiled to myself. Now maybe I’ll finally get some answers.
Chapter 10
Status: Time to learn something.
When I turned my attention on the teacher I was startled to see that she was standing in front of the class. My eyes had only been off her for a moment. How did she get from behind the desk so quickly? And were those big purple flowers on her dress moving?
“I’m Mrs. Flint your homeroom teacher for the year. If you have any issues or concerns, bring them to me.”
Her round face beamed with a smile and her glasses now appeared normal except for the gears on the side where the magnifying glasses had disappeared.
“I know first time students are nervous, but there’s no need to worry. We teach all of the disciplines and will help you to understand and control your unique abilities. Any of you that are undeclared will be studying all the disciplines but also apprenticing in each of the groups. I know this may seem a daunting task but there is no need for concern. The declared students are here to help you and can be an invaluable resource for you. Outside of the school you may find the various groups at odds with one another. Not so at the academy. Here we all live under a banner of truce... at all times.”
Someone should tell that to Nightshade, I thought to myself.
“I heard the truces were called off?” Slade called out.
“Michael Slade,” —Mrs. Flint shook her head adamantly— “you know that isn’t true. I am aware that there are many rumors but no truce has been broken.”
“What about the disappearances? They say the entire Gregor family is missing?” Edgar chimed in with a bit of information that I hadn’t heard before.
“The Honorable & Venerable Order of Detective Inspectors haven’t determined whether that is the case or not. I’m sure upon further investigation they’ll find the Gregors most likely vacationing in some isolated little spot and all the worry will have been for nothing. Now enough of this rumor mongering. This is a school and you’re here to learn. Respect it as such and behave accordingly.”
Mrs. Flint then launched into a long discussion of the rules and regulations and the appropriate and inappropriate uses of our abilities. Of course the newer students were more restricted while the older ones were given freer rein.
The Academy is set up very much like an art school where students of different ages and levels have classes together and only younger students are restricted from the most difficult classes. The various societies attend classes together and each is cross trained in the other disciplines until the student is ready to declare. Once you declare you mostly train with members of that group, but still carry a regular workload of mandatory classes.
Once Mrs. Flint finished going through the rules she announced that she would take us on a tour of the Paladin Academy. Following her directions we all stood and as we filed out of the room I recalled my first day in kindergarten and walking single file through a long hall that overwhelmed.
This time was different. I wasn’t five and I wasn’t scared... I was curious.
We passed numerous classrooms where we heard the teacher going over the same rules and regulations we’d just heard. There were a few classrooms where lessons were already in progress.
This truce thing got me thinking. With him not being a member of any Old Kind group, I wondered if or how the truce might affect my dad. I thought Slade might know something so I edged my way toward him. Luckily, Mrs. Flint had dragged along the whole class and not just the new students. I was able to scoot my way through until I finally fell in step beside Slade.
“So do you think what she said about the truce was true?” I whispered.
“You know how teachers are,” —he gave a low laugh— “always trying to protect us. From what I’ve heard the truce is in serious trouble.”
“All truces?” I’d read enough on the Old Kind over the summer to know that each group had called a truce with one another. The last time it had been broken was during World War II when all the groups openly fought with one another.
“My parents say it’s just between the Doorknob Society and Skeleton Key Guild. But if their truce has been broken then who knows how long before the other truces get broken.”
“How would it affect my dad?”
“He’s considered a renegade; he’d be safe under haven laws. Meaning in certain areas like the Diesel Factories and here at the Academy he’d be protected, other than that the DS doesn’t offer him its protection.”
“So he’s on his own then?” I didn’t care for that one bit.
“Yes, but he has been for a few years now. If the truce is broken they’ll be more interested in one another than in your dad. Maybe whoever that man in black is will back off now.”
I didn’t think that was very likely. The man in black seemed relentless, the type that didn’t forget or forgive. But you never know.
“What would happen if someone went after an Old Kind who was still under the truce?” I asked.
“Depending on how bad the offense, it could range from prison to expulsion from your order.”
Could that be what had happened to Dad? Had he been kicked out for attacking someone? The man in black?
“Thanks for the info.”
“No problem, so what happened this summer?”
Slade looked at me sideways but I refused to meet his gaze. I had an idea of what he wanted to talk about but I wasn’t interested in starting anything, not with so much uncertainty in my life. Plus I had seen what happened to supposedly happy couples, like my parents. It doesn’t end well.
“I was busy with work.”
“Funny I thought you were just avoiding me.”
“Then I’m doing a crappy job right now.” I laughed trying to avoid how awkward I was feeling.
“Well I’m around if you need any more information.” Slade leaned close and whispered. “And if you need to talk, I’m here.”
I tried to ignore the possibility of what a great boyfriend he’d make, being willing to listen to me and giving me hugs when I needed them not to mention that I thought he was probably a hell of a kisser. So I did what I do best, avoided going there and changed the subject. “You’re an engineer?”
“That’s me Michael Slade of the Impossible Engineers at your service.”
“Chloe Masters, undeclared.” I detested saying it but in the Academy what group you belonged to made a difference.
“Undeclared, that won’t last long. But if you get to train with the Engineers ask for me I can help tutor you,” he said with a playful wink.
“Can you now?” I had the sneaky suspicion that his tutoring had nothing to with school subjects. “I’ll remember that.” I slid back in lin
e thinking a bit of distance between Slade and I might be good. I made my way to Edgar. He was scanning the walls with his goggles. “What’re you doing?”
“Rumor has it that some legendary artifacts are hidden somewhere in the Academy walls. I configured my goggles to x-ray and I’m scanning for them.”
“Don’t you think that they’ve already thought of that?”
“I suppose but maybe they missed something.”
I perused the walls along with Edgar. They were adorned with old photos and paintings of alumni. Large sconces were placed at intervals along the walls and burned brightly throwing strange shadows across the carpeted floors.
“We are currently in the main wing of the Academy. Each group has a wing that it uses exclusively for training, bringing it to a total of six wings. In this wing you’ll find the gymnasium as well as our library.”
Mrs. Flint had been talking the whole time but I’d finally started paying attention again and caught that last part. A library could be just what I needed. It’s not like you can search for The Doorknob Society on the Internet, so I figured a good old-fashioned library would be a nice place to start probing for information on my mom. And perhaps find some evidence as to why my dad had been kicked out of the Doorknob Society, and maybe, with some luck, I’d discover something about the man in black.
Mrs. Flint kept us walking until finally at the end of one hallway we were greeted by two extremely tall oak doors. She grabbed hold of one of the ancient doorknobs and pushed open the doors in one sweeping motion. Light flooded the hallway and we stepped through into the vast library.
The room soared so high that you couldn’t see the ceiling, though I was pretty sure there was one. You certainly couldn’t have it raining on books. Two-story windows dotted the far wall and illuminated the entire room. Massive shelves dominated the other walls on the first floor and continued above to the ascending floors.
“The library was one of the first sections of the school to be built and has been expanding ever since. In here you will find almost every book ever written on the different groups,” Mrs. Flint said proudly.