by Fletcher, MJ
“Student ID confirmed. Welcome to the library, Chloe Masters, how may I help you today?” The image jumped and swayed for a moment and then steadied itself into the form of a woman who patiently waited with a smile for my reply.
“Uh, hi.”
“Hello, Ms. Masters, how may I be of help?”
“I need info on old gadgets,” I replied holding up the small piece of paper with the list of stolen items on it.
“Please feed the list into the tube,” she said as a wooden block flipped open on the shelf to reveal a pneumatic tube. The cylinder itself was about the size and shape you see at most bank drive up windows but its ends were intricate and detailed. The lid had finger impressions that made it easy to grasp and as I twisted the lid a small set of gears churned and squealed popping the tube open. I dropped the list in, closed the top and placed it back in its cradle. The wooden door snapped closed and I heard the whoosh of air as it was sucked into the tube system.
“I will have your results momentarily.” While I waited, the video image continued to smile at me, making me feel as though she was keeping an eye on me.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked in a chipper voice that for some reason reminded me of Val.
“Yeah, there is. Do you have any information on my family?”
“The library contains over four thousand references to the Masters family. Could you please be more specific?”
“Wow! Really?”
“Yes, and that is only in the library proper. In the restricted sections of the different guilds each contains numerous volumes with references to your family.”
“How about my parents?”
“Searching for Elijah and Talia Masters, there are three hundred and twelve references.”
Edgar had said the library contained detailed family information on all Old Kind but I was shocked by the volume of information. How could I go through it all on my own? I pushed my hair behind my ears as I considered how to narrow the search even further. And then I got an idea.
“What’s the most popular area searched?”
“The Trial and Expulsion of Elijah Masters from the Doorknob Society by Stanley Lieber.”
“That’s the one I want,” I said a little too loudly and was shushed by every person in a twenty foot vicinity. I smiled weakly and jumped a bit when the door of the pneumatic tube swung open. I grabbed the cylinder and opened it pulling out a sheet of paper that contained the aisle and reference number of the books regarding the stolen items and at the very bottom of the list in bold print was the location of the book about my father.
I stared at the title of the book and my mind raced with possibilities of what it might contain. Here were answers not only about my family but especially about my dad. The man, until a few months ago, I wouldn’t have thought could be kicked out of anything, let alone have a book written about it.
I was preoccupied as I walked through the library searching for the various books. I made sure to grab the ones for Detective Inspector Emory’s case first and then I finally made my way to the area where I would find the book about my dad. I stood in the aisles scanning the spines of the books. Until I spotted it on one of the higher shelves the lettering in gold script screaming my father’s name at me.
It took a moment to get my frozen limbs moving and my madly-beating heart to calm. I couldn’t help but be eager yet fearful knowing the book could change my life in so many ways. But I think the thing I feared the most was... would what I read change things between me and Dad? I was angry with Dad for disappearing on me and not telling me everything. We’d always been a team ever since Mom left and I didn’t want that to change.
I stood on my tiptoes and grasped the edge of the book pulling it toward me. It was thick and heavy and I had to yank hard to pull it free from the shelf. It fell toward me and I had no choice but to grab for it with both hands to keep hold of it and steady myself. That meant the other books went tumbling to the floor.
“Well what have we here?”
The voice floated toward me as I knelt to pick up the stack of fallen books. I glanced up, two girls stood at the end of the row staring at me. I recognized the taller of the two; she was the girl I kept seeing with Nightshade. She was beautiful with her long blonde hair perfectly styled and of course an outfit that matched precisely. And there was still something familiar about her that I just couldn’t place.
Both girls wore large, though not very friendly grins as they assessed me like cats anxious to play with a new toy.
“You’re the Masters girl aren’t you?” the blonde asked snidely.
“Yeah, I’m Chloe Masters.”
“Is it true you haven’t declared yet?” she smirked as she said it.
“What do you care?” I finished picking up my books and walked toward them standing right in front of the blonde girl.
“I declared for the Guild when I was eleven.”
“Good for you.”
“We don’t like undeclared students coming into the Guild and hanging around so if I were you I would declare before you got to the Skeleton Key Guild.”
“No worries there. I would rather not declare at all than be a Guilder.”
“What did you say?” she asked as she stepped toward me.
“You heard me, Barbie. Unless you want to mess up your pretty hair you better back away.” I was angry and sick-to-death of people from that stupid guild getting in my face.
The want-to-be Barbie leaned in close. “Little girl, you have no idea who you’re talking too.”
The energy in my body began to build and ripple through me and I didn’t try to stop it. The power overwhelmed and that’s when I knew I’d messed up. The power wasn’t only coming from me... it was also coming from her. This girl was much more experienced than me and from the way my hair stood on end, she was pretty damn powerful.
She flipped her hand toward me and in it was a glowing skeleton key charged and ready for action. Sure enough she pointed it at me. The vibrations springing from her key resonated through me and I started trembling. My own abilities interacted with the flow of her energy and I lost control. I jumped a level, I could feel it... it was instinctive. Besides, it was like everything I had experienced before this point had been child’s play and now I was ready for the grown up world.
“You actually think that your newbie powers are a match for me?” Her eyes glowed as brightly as the skeleton key.
I knew I was in trouble when her sidekick shuddered, turned and ran like the devil was chasing her. “I may not have declared, Barbie, but you’re not so tough.” Man when was I going to learn to just walk away? Not likely.
“Jessica, my name is Jessica,” she yelled and spun and slammed the skeleton key into the row of books on the shelf beside her.
I sensed the power shift to her advantage and then I heard a lock clicking and I knew I was in deep trouble. The rows of books around me disappeared replaced by numerous doors, each glowing more ominously than the next.
Jessica stood smiling at the end of the aisle. “How do you like me now?”
“You’re still a jerk.” I grinned, and yes the thought that I had just sealed my own doom did cross my mind.
Jessica let out an angry scream and spun the key. The doors would open soon and it wasn’t going to be good for me. That’s all I could think about and focus on as I waited to face a challenge that I wasn’t sure I was up to.
Nothing happened.
The doors shuddered and creaked but stayed closed. I felt every portal and bit of energy that surrounded me. It was almost as if I was plugged into it, connected and somehow affecting it.
“What are you doing?” Jessica yelled twisting the key again, frantically attempting to resume control and open the doors.
I stumbled back the blow so strong that I actually physically felt it even though I hadn’t suffered a physical blow. She was fighting to open the doors and I was fighting to keep them closed. I dug my feet in and stood strong thi
nking how badly I wanted to keep them shut. I closed my eyes and concentrated on one thought... closed doors.
Suddenly the feeling vanished and the energy drained from my body like a popped balloon. The last thing I remembered was opening my eyes for a moment and seeing Jessica sprawled on the ground. Then I collapsed beside her and slipped into darkness.
Chapter 16
Status: I need to relax
I didn’t recognize the dark hallway, but what did I expect this was a dream. Wasn’t it? Windows lined the one side and I looked out at the full moon. A door slamming had me turning and ducking into the shadows. A man came running into view. He was older than my dad and bald except for patches of grey above his ears and a white goatee. He was dressed in an expensive suit similar to the ones I’d seen at the corporate retreats where Dad had been hired to perform and where everyone smiled, laughed and enjoyed, not like this guy who didn’t seem at all happy. I sensed someone behind him but the shadows concealed the person so I couldn’t see who it was.
“She’s wrong about this, Caleb,” the man in the suit said.
“Perhaps,” Caleb responded.
“We should do something now while they don’t suspect anything.”
“It is too late for that. They already suspect. Why else do you think they sent him?”
He spat as if he cursed the person and it sent chills down my spine.
“We could kill him,” the suited man said as if taking a life meant nothing.
My breathe caught in my throat and strange as it was —but then this was a dream— I could feel the unseen man, Caleb considering this horrible option.
“No, she’s right we can use him,” Caleb said annoyed. “As long as she has the Overlords ear we must acquiesce to her.”
“Fine we do it her way for now. But when this is over I say we kill him,” the suited man said before he walked down the corridor and out of sight.
I watched him leave yet remained where I was continuing to sense the other one’s presence. I still couldn’t see him, though I caught Caleb’s movement in the shadows. He walked in circles and I tried my best to imagine what he looked like but nothing came to mind. I drew a complete blank.
Then he stopped much to near to me.
“Whoever you are, she knows you’ve been watching and she will find you.”
I jumped off the bed and nearly cracked my head on the wall in the nurse’s office. I plopped back down a bit dizzy, the voice still echoing in my head. I don’t know how but I knew that voice had been talking to me.
“So finally awake are we?” DI Emory sat across from me on a stool reading the newspaper. He folded it and placed it on the table beside him next to my stack of library books.
“What happened?” I asked rubbing my temples and realizing I had a massive headache.
“‘You battled an older and more experienced student and did quite well I must say.”
“Jessica?”
“Jessica, member in good standing of the Skeleton Key Guild. She passed out fighting you for control of the energy you both exerted. And she was not very happy about it.”
“She passed out too?” I wanted to make sure I heard him right.
“Yes, she did. She also said you picked a fight with her and bad-mouthed the Guild.”
“That’s not true, she started it,” I said hopping off the bed and wishing I hadn’t since it made my head hurt even worse.
“Regardless of who started it, you both had reprimands sent home and have detention.”
“Just great.” I sat back down slowly squeezing my eyes closed, trying to stop the pain.
“Here drink this.”
Emory handed me a soda bottle, I grabbed it and took a generous sip and my head started to feel better.
“It’s the caffeine. It helps after using that much power. Odd though, I’ve never seen someone undeclared attain that level of ability. But we can discuss that another time. Your friends are waiting for you and schools out so you better head home. I’ll see you Monday.”
I’d been so busy I had forgotten it was Friday and for the first time in a few weeks I had the weekend off at the Arrowhead.
Emory got up grabbing his paper and left. I took another swig of the soda and felt better. So I grabbed my books and shoved them in my bag and was happy to see Edgar and Slade waiting outside the nurse’s office for me.
“Are you okay?” Slade wrapped his arm around me and I did my best not to flinch. I still wasn’t comfortable with public displays of affection but I was warming to them from him.
“I’m fine.” I smiled as we walked. “Just some crazy Guilder with a grudge.”
“Did she hear about what you did in class, is that why she attacked you?” Edgar was adjusting his goggles as he asked and I was glad he didn’t get to see the frown the question brought to my face. I had almost forgotten about that damn skeleton key hole.
“I don’t know maybe, it was just luck that’s all. I don’t even know how I did that.”
“Well, it’s the talk of the school. So what happened anyway?” Edgar asked.
Most of the walk home consisted of me recounting what had happened and the two of them listening quietly.
“Jessica who?” Slade asked scratching the back of his neck.
“I don’t know I didn’t catch her last name.”
Slade appeared as if he had something on his mind but before I could ask what we reached my house.
“You should be careful, Chloe, Guilders tend not to forget easily.” Edgar said as we walked up the porch stairs.
“Great, that’s just what I needed to hear.” I rolled my eyes as I opened the door and we all piled into the kitchen. Edgar made a straight line for the coffee maker and Slade opened the fridge and rummaged through our leftover Chinese and pizza.
“Guilders are all bad news,” Slade said between mouthfuls of cold pizza. “Take Nightshade, he’s as dangerous as they come.”
I stopped myself when I realized I was about to say he wasn’t so bad. Why would I defend Nightshade when all he did was cause me grief?
“James isn’t all bad.” Edgar said as he searched for coffee mugs.
“Tell that to his last girlfriend.” Slade huffed.
“Those are just rumors and you know it,” Edgar argued.
“Regardless, I don’t trust him, he’s bad news,” Slade insisted.
Edgar poured coffee into each of our cups. “He’s helped me when I needed it.”
“Probably so he could get something from you.”
“No, because he’s my friend,” Edgar shot at Slade and he stepped back surprised.
“Sorry.” Slade shrugged and quickly focused on eating his pizza.
I was surprised Edgar had been so forceful and I’d never heard him defend Nightshade so vehemently. Maybe there was more to him than I realized.
We took our food and stuff and moved into the living room.
“So how was the HVO?” Edgar asked changing the subject.
“Good, Detective Inspector Emory has me looking into a case for him.”
“Really?” Edgar’s eyes grew big with interest.
He was always looking for information on the other societies; it was something of a hobby for him. I filled him in on the details about the theft and told him I had picked up some books from the library to research the stolen items.
“That’s so cool,” he said as he flipped through one of the books.
“Yup, a bunch of missing old junk is something you would think is cool, Edgar.” Slade slid onto the couch while eating his second slice of pizza and began hunting for the remote. He found it and clicked on the TV flipping through the channels looking for who knows what. “So where’s your dad?”
“On tour as usual.” Though I no longer believed it and I didn’t want to think about it right now. I’d have had enough happen today, I didn’t need to feel more miserable.
I grabbed the last of the pork fried rice and some chopsticks and sat down beside Slade who had settled on
some old detective show. Soon the three of us sat engrossed in Magnum PI in all its eighties glory, Tom Selleck running around in Hawaiian shirts and racing in his Ferrari.
The sound of the door opening and slamming closed interrupted the show and I craned my neck to take a peek in the hall to see who had come in. Val—I should have known it.
She entered the room and stood staring at us with her hands on her hips. “And why wasn’t I invited?”
“It’s not a party, Val, we’re just watching TV,” I said.
“Do I at least get coffee?” she said eyeing Edgar.
He stared at Val bewildered and she stared back until he finally said, “What?”
“Just get her a coffee,” Slade said.
Edgar dutifully went to the kitchen to pour her a cup. Val squeezed onto the couch between me and Slade and immediately began peppering him with questions about the show. She didn’t shut up until Edgar returned with her drink and she quietly sipped at the coffee.
I could feel Slade watching me but I ignored him. I certainly didn’t have time to think about him or what might be happening between us.
We sat watching Magnum and joking with each other most of the night. It turned out to be a marathon and I tucked away some old detective tricks for future reference, like the fact that apparently women enjoy fast red cars and mustaches.
Slade was the first to leave. He had to get up early to finish some project he was working on so he excused himself and headed out, giving me a sideways glance as he left and me doing my best to pretend not to notice. Edgar was reading one of my library books when what passed for his watch began chirping (I’m calling it a watch because it’s the closet description I can give to something that is worn on the wrist but appears more like a cross between a computer, a phonograph and a calculator.) and he realized he’d completely forgotten he had to finish some map work before tomorrow.
Val and I sat there watching the show with her asking me questions about the Academy every few minutes and me giving her one or two word answers until she finally gave up.