by Fletcher, MJ
I watched him walk out the door and then picked up my own cup and began to follow him when I realized he had never told me how much the hot chocolate had cost. I stopped at the cashier and flagged the barista down. She approached with a smile and I pointed to my cup.
“I just wanted to know how much for hot chocolate?”
“She smiled and lowered her voice. “Oh, he’s so cute I just couldn’t charge him.”
She walked off as I stood there with what I assumed was smoke pouring out of my ears. I collected my thoughts and stepped outside into the snow. Nightshade was standing near the door his coat collar pulled up and he turned to me with a smile.
“Ready?”
“She didn’t charge you?” I tried to use my most snide voice as I wanted to let him know he had been found out.
He didn’t miss a beat. “True, but I left a generous tip. You’re this way correct?” He turned and walked in the direction of my house, leaving me no time to launch an argument. Instead I found myself trying to catch up with him and wondering how he knew where I lived.
The streets were draped in pristine white; a frosty wind blew down the street whipping snowflakes around us. We walked beside one another the only sound the crunch of snow beneath our feet.
I glanced at Nightshade from the corner of my eye. His long, black scarf was flipped over his shoulder, the wind blowing the end behind him, making him appear an old fashioned aviator in flight. I realized I knew very little about him. So naturally I had to ask, “Do you live around here?”
“Not too far, I am over on Franklin in the old church.”
“Oh, cool,” I said picking up our pace as we turned onto Mission and catching sight of my house. “How long have you lived there?”
“Since I was born, a lot of the houses around here are Old Kind haunts. Like yours.” He gestured toward my house with its snow-covered roof and lawn. I noticed someone was sitting on the porch. I figured it was Dad or hoped it was.
“Hi, Chloe.”
Slade’s voice drifted down as we reached the porch steps. He got up from the wicker chair and stood above us at the top step. I always forget how big Slade is and he appeared even taller now looking down at us. His mouth was drawn in a tight line and his eyes narrowed as if annoyed.
“Everything okay?” he asked tilting his head toward Nightshade.
“Yeah, we ran into each other at the coffee shop and he walked me home. No big deal.” I tried to act as if nothing was going on but the tension was obvious.
“No need to worry, Slade, I’m not attempting to steal your girlfriend.”
“What? I’m not his girlfriend.” I turned on Nightshade my face turning red from anger and embarrassment. This was typical of him always acting the jerk and egging everyone on, and here I had fooled myself into thinking maybe he wasn’t always such an ass.
“It’s fine. I understand.” Nightshade sent me a smile that said he didn’t believe me.
“We’re not together, Slade is my friend” I said trying to make him understand.
“Of course he is, I totally understand.”
Then why did his words drip with sarcasm?
“You can be a real jerk you know that?” I poked Nightshade in the chest and he looked down at where I had touched him and then back at me with a grin.
“Maybe you should leave, Guilder,” Slade said walking down the steps to stand next to me.
“Right to the little lady’s defense... how noble.”
Slade stepped in front of me before I could say anything and got in Nightshade’s face.
“This isn’t school, Nightshade. So why don’t you get out of here.”
“Sure whatever you say, Slade.” James turned and walked away, waving a short goodbye. “Next time you can pay, Masters, that way your boyfriend won’t get the wrong idea.”
Slade clenched his teeth, his jaw tightening as he watched Nightshade disappear around the corner and then he turned on me. “What were you doing with him?”
“Excuse me? Did I miss the point where you could tell me who I can talk to?” I was already angry and Slade acting like he owned me was the final straw.
“It’s not that, I just—”
I cut him off before he could go any further. “Listen, Slade. I don’t need you protecting me or questioning me about where I’ve been or who I’m with. I’m a big girl. I do as I please and I take care of myself, so the next time you play the hero you had better think twice. Do we understand each other?”
“You shouldn’t be hanging out with him, he’s trouble.”
“Who I hang out with is my business.”
“He’s a Guilder, Chloe, they’re all bad news.”
“My mother was in the Guild, is she bad news?” I yelled. I hadn’t thought before I spoke. I was mad and upset with just about everything. And now Slade was questioning me like he had some right to.
His voice softened. “Chloe, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean? Did you mean all Guilders are bad or just that I shouldn’t be hanging out with Nightshade?”
“Nightshade is bad news; he’s gotten girls hurt before. You need to stay away from him.”
“I need to... really? Why? Slade, give me one good reason why.” I was seething and trying hard to contain my anger.
He reached out his hand grabbing mine and pulled me toward him. His strong arm circled my waist. The snow floated down around us as he tucked me closer. He looked down, I looked up and our lips met. It was a perfect first kiss, too long in coming but glad it was finally here and it didn’t disappoint. The snow continued to fall and the cold air rushed around us but I felt as if I was melting and it felt good... all of it, the kiss, his arms this moment. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. All my troubled thoughts drifted away and I was content.
When the kiss ended, far too soon for me, he kept hold of me and rested his brow to mine. The warmth of his lips still lingered on mine. And truth be told I wanted to feel them again.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I first met you.”
“I’m glad you did.” Ever since he had given me the locket I worried that I had blown my chance with him. I’ll be the first to admit I am terrible with relationships. I’m better at running away from them than anything else.
“I don’t care about Nightshade. It’s just that when I see you with him...” He let the words hang in the air.
“It was nothing. We just ran into one another.” We stepped back from each other his hand still holding mine.
“I’m sorry.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. “I don’t trust Guilders.”
“They’re not all bad.” I thought of my mother and hoped I was right.
“I know. I shouldn’t have said that with your mom having been one.”
“Wait, you knew my mom was in SKG?” I stepped back my hand sliding out of his. My stomach clenched at the thought that he knew and never told me.
“Yeah, of course everyone knows,” he said as if it didn’t matter.
My anger finally erupted. “Everyone knows, but nobody, especially those claiming to be my friends ever thought to mention it to me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you with it since you haven’t declared.”
“Right, because let’s keep the little half-breed in the dark, right? I bet you all had a good laugh over it, didn’t you?”
“Chloe, it wasn’t like that. I was trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from the truth? Real nice. And what about trust? Ever heard of it?” “ I stomped up a couple of the porch steps away from Slade.
“Chloe, that’s not what I meant I know how much you dislike the Guilders and I—”
I didn’t let him finish. “Guilders like Nightshade? Maybe you just didn’t want me talking to him. So far he’s the only one who’s been honest with me about my mother.”
“Chloe, I was only trying to help,” he said calmly as my anger grew.
I didn’t want him to go all puppy-dog on me I was mad and w
anted to argue. “Who asked for help? Not me!” I stormed up the stairs and went inside slamming the door behind me, leaving Slade alone in the falling snow, our kiss all but forgotten.
I was mad at Slade and just about everyone else around me. I was mad at my friends and my family for keeping things from me. And I desperately needed to talk to my dad. I needed him to explain and right now or I was going to drive myself crazy.
I threw my bag on the foyer table and was about to walk upstairs when I heard the familiar sound of my dad’s ringtone coming from my phone. I rushed to my bag, tore it open and dug through my stuff, finally grabbing my mobile from the bottom of the bag.
“Dad,” I said ready to pepper him with questions.
“Sweetheart, you need to listen carefully.”
Static on the phone made it difficult to hear as was Dad since it sounded like he whispered. But one thing I knew for sure, his tone was serious. It was the one he used when he told me I was going to the Paladin Academy and when my cat Pooker had to be put to sleep.
“What’s wrong?” I asked anxiously.
“Chloe, things have gone bad? You’re going to hear a lot of lies in the next few days. Don’t believe any of them and don’t trust anyone.”
“Dad, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, kiddo. People are after me and I’m afraid they might be after other members of the family too. You need to find Uncle Archie and tell him to do what he and I did when we were kids, he’ll understand.”
“Dad, what the hell is going on?” I asked my voice trembling with fear.
“Oh, no.”
“What is it?” I grew more nervous hearing loud noises in the background and what sounded like Dad almost out of breathe from running. “Dad?”
“They’re after me...” The phone went dead.
“Dad!”
Chapter 18
Status: A knock on the door and paranoia can make you crazy.
The knock on the door came about an hour after the phone call from Dad which had left me in a panic. I tried to call him back about a thousand times but no luck. The same with frantic calls to my grandparents, I got no answers. That made the whole situation that much worse. My fear spiraled by the minute and I didn’t know which way to turn... and then came the knock.
The incessant pounding yanked me out of my troubled thoughts and terrified me. Hadn’t Dad said he feared whoever was chasing him was also after family members? But he had also warned me to get in touch with Uncle Archie. Could that be him? Had he come to help me?
I raced to the door, my heart pounding, hoping I was right as I swung it open. Standing in the doorway was DI Emory, Mr. Miller and one of the people I did not want to see right now, Mr. Jordan.
“Hello, Chloe, can we come in?” Emory asked his tone low and soft.
“Um, sure.” I didn’t know what was going on but I was pretty sure this had something to do with my dad and I intended to find out what I could
“Chloe, you know Mr. Miller,” Levi nodded his head at me with a sad smile that made me more nervous. “And this is Mr. Jordan.”
“I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Masters,” he said his eyes narrowing as he glared at me. “She left quite an impression.”
“Right,” I met and held his nasty gaze annoyed that he was in my house and didn’t seem in a hurry to tell me what was going on. I brought them into the living room where we each took a seat and I turned to Emory and decided to cut to the chase. “What’s this about?”
“It’s your dad, he’s missing.”
Dad had warned me not to trust anyone and that’s what I intended to do. I wasn’t about to let them know that I had just spoken with my dad. “What are you talking about?”
“Yesterday there was an incident in Paris, a battle between several different people with abilities. By the time the HVO arrived it was too late. The fight nearly destroyed a city block. Eyewitness accounts show that your dad was one of the people involved.”
“Who was he fighting?”
Emory and Jordan looked at one another as if they debated answering and then Emory turned to me and said, “We’re not sure yet. The powers that had been detected varied, so we can’t pinpoint one group. We do know your father was able to escape.”
They were lying; I could sense it. Jordan was watching me like a hawk waiting for me to slip up and as for Emory. I wasn’t sure I could trust him not after learning about him being the one who had investigated Dad for Jordan.
“Do you know why your father was in Paris?” Emory asked.
“Not a clue.” Even if I did I know I wasn’t about to share it with them.
“Chloe, if you know anything about what your father is doing we need to know,” Emory urged.
“Sorry, but I can’t help you.”
“You had best speak up, girl, and tell us just what he’s been up to,” Mr. Jordan demanded.
Jordan was barely able to hide his contempt for me. His lip curled as he spat the words at me. I didn’t care since the feeling was mutual.
“Had I now,” —I shot back— “I thought the Doorknob Society didn’t care what my father did anymore?”
“I warned you that I wouldn’t put up with your family starting trouble once again,” Mr. Jordan reprimanded as if chastising an ill-behaved child. “I don’t know what your father is up to this time or what lies he’s spreading, but it stops now. The council has enough to deal with, without having some ex-DS member causing us trouble. I don’t care what problems he’s brought upon himself but I will not allow it to affect the Society.”
“Wow, you’re really all heart, aren’t you?” I glared at Mr. Jordan who eyed me as if I was some irritant he wanted to get rid of.
“This isn’t the time or place, Jordan,” Emory interjected in an effort to quell the heated exchange.
Was Emory on my side? I pushed my anger at the high and mighty President aside and turned to Emory. “How bad is this?”
“We found several portal signatures surrounding your father’s.”
“What does that mean?”
“In the old days when the societies were at war with one another they would have multiple people open doorways around another person effectively blocking them from leaving as their own portal couldn’t overcome the others. They’d be forced to enter one of the other portals to escape and would walk directly into whatever trap was waiting.” Mr. Miller said as if he was explaining some complicated piece of Impossible Engineers equipment.
“So who did it, the SKG?”
“There is no proof that the Skeleton Key Guild was involved,” Mr. Jordan snapped.
“Then who?” I turned asking him.
“You don’t get to ask questions. Now tell me where your father is!” Jordan dropped all pretense of decorum and looked down his nose at me. “Not that it matters he probably got himself killed and has left me to clean up his mess.”
“Jordan?” Mr. Miller tensed at the comment and balled his hands into fists.
“Why you sanctimonious windbag. You have the gall to come into my family’s house, tell me that my dad’s missing, not tell me why and then blame it on him. You slime bag!”
“How dare you speak to me that way,” Mr. Jordan said shooting up off the chair, his eyes wide with shock and anger.
“Oh, I dare, old man. You think I care if you’re the president of some stupid Society. I want to know what happened to my dad now!” I hopped to my feet and Levi and Emory did the same, the tension in the room palpable.
Mr. Miller attempted to calm me. “Now, Chloe, you have to understand.”
“No, Mr. Miller, I want answers now.”
“I should have expected as much from Elijah Masters’ daughter.”
That was it; I lost it. I launched myself at Jordan punching him square in the face as hard as I could. I sent him sailing backwards over the couch. His legs flailed in the air as he upended and crashed to the floor behind the sofa with a loud thud.
Mr. Miller raced around
the couch while DI Emory stood silently watching as I paced in front of the couch shaking my throbbing hand. Mr. Miller tried to help Jordan to his feet but he stumbled several times and appeared completely mystified as to what had happened. When he was finally able to stand without wobbling, I almost laughed. His slicked back black hair stood on end giving him a punk look while his face burned bright red and seemed to be getting redder.
“I want this little brat arrested for assault,” Jordan said jabbing a finger at me.
DI Emory looked from Jordan to me and then reached inside his coat for what I assumed were handcuffs but instead pulled out a pack of gum. He slowly unwrapped a piece and placed it in his mouth.
“I don’t think I’ll be arresting anyone today,” Emory said calmly balling up the wrapper and shoving it in his pocket.
“You saw it. She assaulted me.”
“What I did see, was you acting like a first class jackass. Now why don’t you take what little dignity you have left and head back to the DS. I’ll let you know when I have something to report.”
“Your superiors will hear about this, Emory,” Jordan snapped as he spun and walked out of the house.
“You think that was a good idea, Emory?” Mr. Miller asked.
“Yes, Levi, I do. I know Jordan is a powerful man and I’m sure I’ll hear about it from the council, but he was just plain wrong and I’ll stand by that.”
My two teachers weren’t that different from my friends and me when we talk and I realized these two men must be friends, and good ones at that.
“Chloe, I’m truly sorry about all of this, if you need anything let me know. I better go and try to calm down Jordan.” Levi smiled at me meekly before heading out the door.
I stared at the closed door for a moment and then collapsed on the couch. Now not only was my dad in trouble but I had nowhere to turn.
I felt the couch move as Emory sat down beside me.
“Is my dad in danger?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve had some disappearances lately but this is the first one where we have proof that something is going on.”
“But not proof of who is involved.”
“Exactly, the SKG is a likely suspect but there are other possibilities.”