by Fletcher, MJ
It was all I needed to respond, to let myself go, to not think about anything but the kiss. My arms wound around his neck, my body melted against his and I lost myself in the moment. Perhaps it was knowing he cared as much as he did about me, perhaps it was that the recent madness was almost over, or perhaps I realized that I enjoyed kissing him that made the kiss all the more fantastic.
We parted and smiled at one another and I felt good about my decision. Our hands slid into one another’s and we stood together ready to face anything that came our way.
“Mr. Slade, a moment please?” Tower waved him over and he winked at me before joining our principal.
“Did what I think just happen, happen?” Jess was by me in a flash smiling and giggling.
“Yes,” I admitted trying to keep my smile from growing.
She grabbed me hugging me. “I’m happy for you, cuz, Slade is a nice guy.”
“He really is, isn’t he,” I said as if she pointed out something that I hadn’t fully realized or had taken for granted. I watched him as he talked with Mr. Tower, diligently listening to his every word and what an imposing figure he struck even beside the tall Mr. Tower.
“Doubt I’ll be so lucky,” Jess sighed with a quick glance at Nightshade.
A twinge gripped my stomach. “Do you like Nightshade?”
“Pretty obvious, huh?” She turned to me with a weak smile.
“He told me about Lauren,” I blathered not sure what else to say and then wished I hadn’t. Jess’ eyes glossed over and she looked about to cry, though fought the tears.
“Lauren was my friend too, I loved her so much. She and James were so good together and he was so broken after he lost her. I hung around trying to cheer him up, help him mend. All I wound up doing was falling for him myself.”
“Wow.”
“I know, right, how stupid I am?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I just wish I could find out if he’s even interested in me. He never lets on what he’s thinking. Sometimes I think he’s interested and other times,” —she looked at the ground kicking at the mosaic with her shoe— “I just don’t know.”
“Tell me about it.” I glanced across the room at Nightshade leaning against the wall, his head back and eyes closed, resting or... lost in thought.
“Maybe you could talk to him?”
“What?” I turned so fast to Jess that I heard my neck snap, fortunately it eased the ache there, though did nothing to help with the pleading look in Jess’ big round eyes or the total desperation written on her face.
“You guys spent time together and he told you about Lauren. He hasn’t talked about her in months. He confided in you, maybe he’ll talk to you about me, please?”
“I don’t know,” I replied when what I really wanted to say was not a chance in hell of me ever talking to him about that. He ridiculed me enough about Slade. I didn’t need him tearing me a new one when I brought up his love life.
“Please,” she begged, grabbing my hand and squeezing tightly, as if I was her last ray of hope.
I felt terrible. Here was my cousin who only a few days ago I hated. Now she was pleading for my help after not only having helped me but putting her life in danger for me.
“Okay.” That was the second time that word slipped out of my mouth too easily and I wanted to kick myself. It seemed like the last few days had made me lose what little of my mind I still had left. Or was it that I worried I would disappoint those I cared for?
“Thank you.” Jess swung her arms around me and hugged me until I thought she’d squeeze the life out of me.
I hugged her back and couldn’t help but smile more out of sheer lunacy than anything since this was going to be the worst conversation in history. Jess stepped away and gave me a little shove toward James. All I could think of as I approached him was what a bad—really bad—idea this was and how I knew I would regret it.
“Hey,” I said trying to sound casual as I caught his attention.
Nightshade opened his eyes and nodded toward the council. “They come up with a plan?” “Not yet.”
“Then what’s up?”
“Nothing really.” I had no idea how to even talk to him about this and wished I could just back away and forget the whole thing.
“Oh, I thought you were coming over to tell me that you and your boyfriend were official now.”
He cast that sarcastic grin at me that never failed to push every one of my buttons. I don’t know how he managed to frustrate me like no one else could, but he did.
“That’s right we’re official.” I smiled wide and watched his jaw clench.
“Congrats.”
“That the best you’ve got, Nightshade, congrats? Where is your witty comeback?”
“Your choice, Masters.”
“That’s right, he’s my choice and he’s worth it. He’s a good guy and cares about me.” Why was I so irritated? Why did I let him irritate me?
“Good for you; I just have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you going to tell him about what happen between us in the closet?”
His words doused my irritation like water dumped on a fire. I was speechless, my mouth hanging open, though I closed it quickly enough and said, “What are you talking about nothing happened?”
He leaned in close to me. “You call that nothing?”
Damn if my body didn’t quiver and I gulped. “That’s right.”
“If you say so, Masters, it wasn’t that good anyway.” He shrugged and looked away.
My blood boiled at his snide remark, the heat rushing to flush my cheeks bright red with anger.
“The only reason I came over here was because my cousin is interested in you. But you know what? She needs to know that you’re a heartless, spiteful ass,” I spat without thinking.
“Does she now?” He turned his attention on Jessica.
A knot formed in my throat as he eyed every inch of her slowly. “Yeah, but she doesn’t need a jerk like you. I’ll let her know you’re not interested.” I turned to walk away.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.”
The words doused me again though it didn’t cool the hot knot in my throat. I gulped hard trying to swallow afraid I wouldn’t be able to breathe soon. Why did this guy drive me so crazy? I told myself it was because I didn’t want to see Jessica get hurt or was it?
“Don’t play with her, Nightshade, she deserves better than that.” I said over my shoulder I and hurried over to Jessica who was clasping her hands nervously waiting for me to return.
“Chloe,” Mr. Tower called to me before I reached Jess and I turned as he approached.
“Yes sir.”
“After talking with young Mr. Slade here, I wanted to know if you knew anything else about your father’s bridge device. If so then I think it would be possible to reach out of the council chambers and bring reinforcements to turn the tide in our favor.”
“Not too much, sir. I know my dad said he needed all the different groups to work on it together to operate it.”
“That makes sense for something that powerful. I very much look forward to talking with him about it when this is over.”
“Does that mean my dad will be reinstated?”
“After today’s events, yes, I would say he would.”
“Vat?” Jordan jumped up his hand under his bloody nose.
“Be quiet, Jordan, you’ve no say anymore. Once the full council is convened I intend to remove you and start proceedings to reinstate Elijah Masters.” Tower didn’t bother to look at Jordan, keeping his eyes on me the entire time.
“You can’t do that; it’s all his fault,” Jordan pleaded.
“I think we may find a good deal of this is your fault, Mr. Jordan.” Tower glowered.
“No!” Jordan wailed pitifully and ran straight for the doors.
Tower eyes went wide and my stomach sank. I didn’t know if I had another fight left in me.
“Jordan, you fool, do not open those doors!” Tower screamed but he was too late.
The door handles glowed and Jordan swung them wide open. Everything shifted as if someone had hit a fast forward button, speeding things up. The sounds of battle exploded around us as Jordan dashed out into the melee having broken the time lock and destroying any chance we had of surviving.
Chapter 36
Status: Fighting for my life
The council room shuddered as a blast of energy tore one of the doors off its hinges and sent it spiraling into the room. I ducked just as it sailed over my head and shattered against a far wall. I spun to one side, pulled my doorknob from my pocket, and let my powers flow freely.
Mr. Tower turned to the door, his hands raised, palms out, and glowing deep crimson. He let loose a torrent of energy that washed back the first onslaught.
“Chloe, protect the artifact,” he called out as he pressed forward keeping the attackers at bay.
Caleb led the approaching horde, which meant we didn’t have much time. I rushed back to the others, a plan already forming in my mind. They stood beside Jeremiah who was running his hands nervously through his hair.
“What’s the plan?” Nightshade asked Jeremiah.
“Sorry, we hadn’t gotten that far. Jordan really did a number on us.”
Nightshade turned to me as did the others. “Well, Masters?”
“I thought my plans sucked?”
“They do but you always have one, and right now we need a plan.”
My friends all looked at me waiting and willing to do whatever I asked. It’s strange holding people’s lives in your hands when they willing put them there.
I jumped right in as always. “We need a distraction. Slade, you said the Engineers maintain this place. Is there anything we can use?”
“I don’t know. We basically work on keeping the robotic librarians up to date.”
“Can you control them?” I asked.
“Yeah, I can program them to do pretty much anything,” Slade said.
I smiled and he sent me a wink, understanding without me saying a word and then ran toward a series of panels on the wall. He pulled down a small rectangular panel beside the larger ones and inside was an Impossible Engineer station. Michael began clacking away at the keyboard that resembled an old typewriter.
The other panels slid aside with a hiss and out stepped several mechanical librarians. They turned in unison and then rushed toward the sound of combat, twisting gears and whir of steam trailing after them.
“That should give us some time,” Slade said rejoining us. “I sent the command out to every librarian to defend the library.”
“How many are there?” Jess asked.
“About twelve hundred,” He announced like a proud parent.
“That should slow them down,” I said with pride for my guy. “Now we just need a way around this lockdown.”
“I might be able to help there,” Jeremiah chimed in as he held out the Legend.
“What did you have in mind?” I asked curious.
“This Legend can activate any map. I should be able to use it to find a way around the lockdown, then we could open a portal and bring in substantial reinforcements.”
“What do you need?” I was really hoping he would say nothing and just go whoosh and everything would be fine, but of course that didn’t happen.
“I need a map of the library, the one that hangs in the main foyer.” He shrugged as if he offered the only apology he could.
I was getting exceedingly tired of life and death situations. I turned to the others and I knew I didn’t need to worry if they’d go with me, we would stand together and finish this.
“We ready?” Everyone nodded in unison, not one hesitated. “We can’t let anything stop us. If one of us falls, the others keep going no matter what. Our best chance is to get Jeremiah to that map, are we agreed?”
Everyone nodded once again. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and wrote two quick text messages to Dad and Edgar and sent them off. I was hoping they would get them and be ready when the time came. I slid my phone back in my jacket and turned to the others.
“Jeremiah, you stay in the middle, Nightshade and I will stay in the front. Slade, you and Jess are in the back. How far is the foyer?” I asked Jeremiah hoping he knew a quick way there.
“It is through the next three rooms and one corridor after that. A straight shoot if we can keep on the path.”
“Let’s do this.” I didn’t think; there wasn’t time. There was only time to act. I moved forward, Nightshade right beside me and the others falling in step behind us. We entered the room and were greeted by the chaos of battle. Mechanical librarians lay in pieces all around us and more continued to pour in from every door in the room, attacking the interlopers. The gremlins were making quick work of them tearing into their brass bodies and bashing them on the floor. I spotted Mr. Tower, blood running down from a gash on his forehead while struggling to fight off Caleb. I didn’t slow down—I kept going—knowing what I had to do and not letting anything stop me.
With our power activated, Nightshade and I swung our energies at anything that got in our way, dispensing any threat as if with a flick of our fingers. We sent gremlins flying in the air and crashing into walls. Men from the various groups toppled like falling blocks from our energy punches. We fought with confidence and determination, nothing was going to stop us, not even the more experienced and powerful foes. If it was one thing the last few days had taught me, it was that my friends and I were fighters.
I remembered a teacher at the Academy telling us that the average person with abilities never had to use them in battle. I had used mine more in the last week then the majority of people ever would in a lifetime and it had helped hone my skills.
We pushed through the three rooms, facing the final corridor and one last door before reaching the foyer beyond. I turned a glance on Nightshade; he was sweating, his breathing heavy. I probably looked as bad as he did, but he smiled at me and for some reason it made me feel beautiful. He gave me courage being there beside me and I was ready to fight to the death.
I glanced back at Jeremiah clutching the Legend to his chest while Slade and Jess kept close behind him, both looking as exhausted as Nightshade and I.
“Here we go,” I said with all the mettle I could muster and we rushed into the corridor. A gremlin jumped us but I saw him coming and raised a shield as he struck. His nails sparked off the blue glow as Nightshade swung a whip of energy from under my shield and took out the creature’s feet forcing him head first to the floor. A few more gremlins attempted to stop us but we dispatched them easily enough.
We reached the door at the end of the hallway and with a nod from Nightshade, and the others positioned and ready, I gripped the knob and swung it open. We both rushed into the foyer ready for a fight; instead we were met with silence.
Two large portals sat in the middle of the foyer open and pulsing from where the First Kind had entered and left open for escape. We spun around quickly surveying the area and saw no one else. I grabbed Jeremiah and rushed him forward to the map of the library.
He pulled out the Legend and as he lifted it toward the map on the wall it began glowing and floated out of his hand and attached itself to the map. The lines on the map swirled and came to life as every entrance and exit into the Infinity Library glowed brightly. Words floated across the map and Jeremiah stared in awe. Power dripped from the Legend feeding into each one of us as it turned the map into a living thing before our eyes.
“Very good.”
It was impossible not to recognize that voice.
“You brought me just what I wanted,” Ms. True said.
Slade rushed forward his hand lost in his satchel before pulling out a handful of small metal balls and tossing them in the air. They began to spin and form a circle around Ms. True. They spun so fast that she couldn’t walk passed them.
“Hurry up,” I urged Jeremiah as he traced h
is hands along the map energy lines floating behind each mark he made.
‘Enough games, children.” Ms. True threw her hands up and a blast of crimson energy ripped through Slade’s metal spheres sending them flying in all directions.
Slade gripped his wrench and swung it down on Ms. True, she side-stepped it easily and he stumbled beside her. She flicked her hand holding her Skeleton Key and shackles wrapped around Slade and lifted him in the air, bringing him down with a hard thud that shook the room.
“Slade!” I bolted forward and Ms. True’s smile stopped me. She was the perfect poster child for a wicked witch and her actions confirmed it. She kicked his unconscious form. That woman really needed to pay and I intended to see that she did.
“That’s it, little one, get angry, put up a fight,” True grinned, my anger bringing her satisfaction.
I tempered my emotions the best I could to deal with her when a wave of fiery red energy knocked into Ms. True’s side and sent her stumbling. She quickly raised a protective shield.
It was Jessica, Nightshade at her side using everything they had to attack True.
“You shouldn’t have hurt my grandmother you bitch!” Jessica yelled as she kept up the attack.
I spun back to Jeremiah and saw that he was half way down the map still checking entrances to the library. “Did you find one yet?”
“No, but I’m close.”
“Make it quick.” I turned back to see Ms. True struggling to counter the attack. I lifted my hand ready to add my own power to the assault when a familiar wave of energy washed over me, one I recognized all too well by now.
“Nightshade!” I shouted his name without thinking.
“I know,” he shouted back.
“How perceptive, you recognize my imprint.” Caleb Darker entered the room his hands brushing at his dust-covered, black coat. “So who dies first?”
Darker flicked his wrist at me, I brought both arms up creating a shield just before his energy smashed into me, pushing me back, though I remained on my feet. The others continued battling Ms. True. She had regained her footing and her anger had mounted. James shot a glance in my direction and then at Darker. I knew he wanted to attack him but he couldn’t leave Jess to fight True alone.