The Mapmakers Union (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 3)

by MJ Fletcher

  “What was that all about?” Faith’s hands were buried in her coat pockets and she was biting her lower lip.

  “Nothing, it’s no big deal.” I reached back and started rubbing my neck, my frustration returning. I knew I was forgetting something, though I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

  “Come on, let’s go inside. We can hang out with my team. It will give us a chance to change your mind about joining us.” Faith eased my hand away from my neck and led me back into the Manor.

  Mary Hing waved us over and as I watched them huddled together laughing and talking I thought about my friends and how I used to enjoy hanging out with all of them. Edgar with his head perpetually stuck in a map while Jess and I joked around with Slade smiling and Nightshade scowling, and of course having to hide everything from Val. All that was gone now. Jess was off to be an apprentice, Slade wanted nothing to do with me, Edgar and Val were still around but I didn’t want to be their third wheel. And as for Nightshade, he was gone and I was finally coming to accept that... no, I was learning to live with it.

  Mary, Jackson, and Hitch made room for Faith and me to sit and I looked around at my new situation... and hated every minute of it.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Status: Family History and a headache don’t mix.

  “This is not my idea of relaxing.” I looked around the Paladin Academy Library as I tossed my book bag on the table which was covered with a gaggle of old books that Edgar had gathered together. His head was buried deep inside one of them and he didn’t even flinch as my bag crashed into one of his stacks knocking it over.

  I’d been spending my time between helping Edgar with research and practicing with Faith’s team. It was still cold out but winter had broken and spring was approaching. Jess had left for Paris after the holidays and I had to do something to keep myself busy.

  I walked around and picked up the books, taking a quick glance to see that some of the Impossible Engineer monitors that served as librarians were looking my way. I didn’t want to cause myself any grief so I quietly slid into the seat beside Edgar and slouched down waiting for him to awake from his learning coma.

  After a few minutes I got bored and started pushing the books around with my finger trying to align them perfectly. I shoved a little too hard and one of the volumes slid off revealing the one underneath.

  Tales of the Darkwatch.

  The Darkwatch was the group my ancestor Ichibod Masters had fought against over a hundred years ago. I knew a little about it but not much, my family wasn’t great at sharing its history. It was his map we were using to try and access the Tavern at the End of Time. I opened the book and began reading.

  After the Napoleonic wars tore apart the last great truces, there was a time of great strife amongst the Old Kind. Trust was in short order, so as we had always done, we turned to the Honorable and Venerable Order of Detective Inspectors. But the HVO asked a heavy price to police all the Societies. Each order had to send five of its own to the HVO to be trained to keep the peace. It was a desperate time and so all agreed to the stipulation and sent our brothers and sisters to the HVO. And hence was born the Darkwatch.

  The Old Kind who was trained by the HVO was not seen for months, when suddenly they appeared and they did as we had asked; they kept the peace. But there had been a hefty price paid, each of the Darkwatch members had little or no memory of their life before being sent to the HVO.

  It had seemed a small price to pay for the peace that followed but soon things took a more sinister turn. The Darkwatch enforced—not the law—but its own version of it. When a Council was convened to discuss the problem no member of the HVO appeared.

  A member of each Society was selected and sent to discover what had happened with the HVO. They returned with a horrifying tale of what was left of the HVO: they had been nearly destroyed by the Darkwatch.

  I leaned back in the seat and pulled the book in close mesmerized by the tale. It seems I’m not the only one who’s had to deal with crazed groups looking to destroy the Old Kind. For a few minutes I figured it wouldn’t hurt to rest and let myself think about something other than my own problems.

  Among those chosen by the Old Kind were Guy de Martin of the Skeleton Key Guild and Ichibod Masters of the Doorknob Society...

  And there he was... my ancestor. I’d heard about him since the first day I learned about the Old Kind. He wasn’t just famous; he was a legend. Even now he continued to help us to try and stop the First Kind through the use of his map. I read on wanting to know more about this man who I had only heard about in hushed whispers and rumors—my great-great grandfather —the man who save the Doorknob Society.

  “Ms. Masters.”

  I pulled myself away from the book and looked up to find Principal Tower standing over us. His grey eyebrows scrunched together questioningly.

  “Studying?”

  “Um, yup.” I pushed my elbows up off the edge of the chair. I had slouched halfway down in the seat like a sloth as I got lost in reading.

  “I’m glad to see you are taking your studies seriously. I take it you’ve been keeping yourself out of trouble?”

  “Oh, of course I have.” I smirked.

  “With truces called off, I would think you would take my warnings more seriously.”

  “I am very serious, sir.” His eyes narrowed and I knew I was pushing my luck. But something about the way he talked to me just rubbed me the wrong way.

  “You’ll be graduating soon and out in the real world. I hope you’ve learned enough here to be ready for that.”

  “I’ve learned plenty.”

  “I believe you have.” Mr. Tower’s fingers slid across the Skeleton Key that hung around his neck. I held his stare and didn’t blink. I knew he had seen me activate a Skeleton Key the last time we spoke, but I didn’t know what it would mean if he discovered that I was a Polymorph “You’d do well to stay close to DS. I wouldn’t want you running afoul of anymore Guild members.”

  “I can handle Guilders just fine, Mr. Tower.”

  “Yes, I suppose you can. I’ll let you return to your work.”

  “Huh, what? Mr. Tower?” Edgar finally looked up from the book he was reading and stared at Mr. Tower like he had three heads, then spun toward me with a look of utter amazement. “Chloe, when did you get here?”

  “Keep an eye on this one, will you, Ms. Masters?” Mr. Tower shook his head and walked off.

  “You are a rock star, Edgar.” I laughed and placed the book I’d been reading back on the table.

  “That’s a good one, all about the Darkwatch.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty interesting stuff.”

  “It also helped with some of the final coordinates I needed.”

  “Does that mean what I think it means?”

  “I just need to check my final calculations, and then we can travel to the Tavern at the End of Time.”

  “That’s great news,” I said more loudly then I meant to, the librarian monitors all spun and shushed me in unison. I put my hands up and shrugged my shoulders. “Sorry.”

  “This is going to draw a large amount of power. How are we going to cover that so no one notices?”

  “I’ve been working on that and I have an idea. We can’t use the Diesel Factories, we need something more covert.”

  ‘What’d you have in mind?”

  “You’re looking at it.” I smiled and waved around the room.

  “Are you kidding me? You want to open the portal in the school?”

  “Where else could we do it without anyone noticing? More power is used here every day than in most places, even the Infinity Library barely registers next to the Paladin Academy.”

  “How would we pull it off? I mean the teachers would feel the power surge.”

  “End of the year is coming up and they always do a big show for graduation. We’ll do it during one of the practices. We’ll use their show to mask our portal and since it’ll be during the day no one will even know we’re g
one until it’s too late to do anything about it. So the likely hood of the First Kind coming after us is small.”

  “Us?”

  “It’s just you and me rock star.”

  “Jess?”

  “She left for Paris already.” Plus getting her into the school without anyone noticing would be too hard.”

  “Slade?”

  “He isn’t coming.” I hadn’t talked to Slade since he closed the door in my face a few weeks ago. I’d seen him a few times in the hallway but we would just walk away from one another. He seemed to be spending all of his time with the Impossible Engineers.

  “Just us then?”

  “Well...” I’d been thinking about how dangerous the Tavern was supposed to be and I didn’t want to take any more unnecessary risks. “We could ask Faith to help.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Not you too? I know Jess doesn’t like Faith, but she did help us a lot with the Legend.”

  “I suppose, but if we tell her about this we have to tell her about everything, including the Reliquary.” I clenched my fists from the sudden onslaught of a headache. I was getting really tired of dealing with these constant headaches.

  “Are you okay?” Edgar placed his hand on my shoulder and steadied me. “Another headache?”

  “Yes.” I pinched the base of my nose, between my eyes, hoping it would help ease the pain.

  “You’ve been having those all the time lately, maybe you should go see someone?”

  “I don’t have time for that now; we’ve got too much going on.”

  “And you’re no good to us like this.”

  “Maybe you’re right, I’ll make a doctor’s appointment. I need to find out just what the hell is causing these headaches.”

  “You can’t go to some regular doctor you need to go to a fixer.” Edgar stood up and began shoving books into his satchel.

  “A fixer?”

  “Yeah.” He wrapped his arm around the last batch of books and dragged them off the table as he held the bag open letting them fall in. If I hadn’t known it was a bottomless bag to another dimension I would have wondered how he fit them all in it. “A fixer is one of the Old Kind who works on problems unique to us.”

  “It’s a headache, Edgar, it’s not like I am having problems with my abilities.”

  “I know but it has been coming up ever since we went to the Badlands and I don’t think you can rule that out as being part of the problem.” Edgar turned and prodded me to stand with him. “Let’s go.”

  “What right now?” Edgar was right it had been going on since the badlands and that was the first time I accessed my powers as a Polymorph. Maybe that had something to do with it.

  “Yes, if I leave it up to you, you’ll never go to the doctor.”

  I nearly laughed when he said it so matter–of-factly. He was right though; I would brush it off and continue to deal with what I considered to be more important matters.

  “Where are we going?” Edgar pushed me along as I bit at my lip worrying how I’d be able to talk to someone about being a Polymorph with him around. Not to mention Gavin had warned me enough times about keeping quiet about it. I doubted he would be very happy that I was going to a fixer to deal with my problem without first telling him.

  “My sister works for a fixer in the Diesel Factories, she can get us into see her.”

  “Edgar, I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

  “Nope, we’re going now.”

  “No, really I’m fine, I promise.”

  “Right.” Edgar stopped and turned to face me “I know I don’t always pay attention and everyone thinks I’m cracked or crazy. But you’re my friend, Chloe, and I already lost one friend who I couldn’t help. I don’t want to lose another.” His voice cracked as he spoke and I dropped my head in silence. How do I always make things worse, when all I want to do is help?

  “Edgar, I know you want to help, it’s just that I don’t know if I can talk to someone about my problem.”

  “Why not?”

  “Just because.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Because...”

  “Because why?”

  “Because I’m a Polymorph okay?”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Status: So...

  “A Polymorph?”

  “Yes, I’m a Polymorph,” I said trying to make it not sound like some dread disease.

  Edgar lifted his hand and scratched at his messy wreck of brown hair. “Yeah, so?”

  “Um, well I...” It was my turn to scratch my head as I regarded Edgar. “You mean you’re not surprised?”

  “That you’re a Polymorph?” He shook his head. “Not at all, I’ve known that for ages.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Yeah, I’ve known that you were a Polymorph for almost as long as we’ve known each other.” He shrugged his shoulders like it was the most obvious thing ever.

  “How?”

  “The first time we went to the Arrowhead and you fought that Gremlin. I could feel you activating all the devices, so I figured you were a Polymorph.”

  “You did?”

  “Well, of course, I thought it was obvious but not everyone else noticed so I didn’t mention it.”

  I stared at Edgar. He constantly surprised me and made me reevaluate what he was capable of. “You could have clued me in.” I laughed not sure what else to say.

  Edgar shrugged nonchalantly and began walking. “I figured that was why you and Nightshade were the way you were, both of you being Polymorphs and all.”

  “You knew about Nightshade too?” I ran to catch up with him, deciding he was not only the smartest of all of us but probably the most observant as well, which is something I never would have guessed in like a million years or probably ever.

  “Oh yeah, I knew Nightshade was a Polymorph since we were kids.”

  “He told you?”

  “No, I figured it out. Nightshade stood out in every subject taught. He even out did Slade in Impossible Engineering, which I think was the catalyst that got them started hating each other.” We stopped at a doorway and Edgar pulled out a map and quickly created an equation and floated it over the doorway. I reached out activating my doorknob and used his equation to open a portal.

  I swung the door open and we stepped through the glowing blue portal into the waiting room of an office that looked as if it belonged in some old black and white TV show. The dilapidated chairs looked more suited to torture than comfort. A small frosted glass window was closed and Edgar walked up and rapped on it.

  “Cher, you here?” The glass slid back and a young woman peered back at us. She was wearing black, cat’s eyes shaped glasses and her short brown hair had a familiar messy look to it that told me this most definitely was Edgar’s sister.

  “Edgar, what are you doing here I’m working?”

  “I know that’s why I’m here?”

  “Who’s this?” Cher leaned through the window and looked me up and down.

  “This is Chloe Masters.”

  “Is that so, I thought maybe you were Edgar’s mysterious girlfriend.”

  I glanced at Edgar who shifted nervously but didn’t look my way. “She needs to see the fixer.”

  “Okay, it’ll be a minute.” She slid the frosted glass closed.

  I turned to Edgar and smiled. “I take it the family hasn’t met Val yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “How’s that going?” Being Val’s friend and knowing her so well, I could just imagine how she was taking not being introduced to her boyfriend’s family.

  “Not well.”

  “You’re going to have to let them meet her.”

  “I know and I will, soon.”

  The glass slid open once again and Cher’s hand pointed toward the door beside it. “Come on in.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll wait here,” Edgar said and situated himself into one of the uncomfortable looking chairs.

  I stepped through
the open door and Cher pointed me down the hallway toward another door. I walked to it and reached out, my hand hovering over the knob. I checked the knob with my abilities to make sure it wasn’t booby trapped. I’d had too many problems lately to be completely trusting. It was a perfectly ordinary knob, so I turned it and walked in.

  “Come in and sit down, I’ll be with you in a moment.” An old woman sat reading a book, her finger gliding over the page keeping her place as she read. A set of Impossible Engineer glasses rested on her crooked nose, the lenses flipping back and forth as her eyes darted across the page. Her hair was white as snow and hung past her shoulders and she wore a tie dyed dress and no shoes. Her wrists were covered in bracelets and numerous baubles hung from them.

  I sat down opposite her and looked around the office. It was as drab as the waiting room, except that the stains on the walls in here looked slightly older. She was seated in a wheeled chair in front of a table that contained stacks of books. On the back wall of the room rested a row of filing cabinets that looked as if they hadn’t been opened in years.

  The old woman dropped the book with a bang on the table beside her and pushed her wheeled chair across the short distance between us. She grabbed my wrists and the lenses on her glasses flipped through a rapid progression as she looked me up and down. She twisted my wrists and forced my palms up, pushing her face down so close to inspect them that I felt her warm breath on my fingers. Not liking all the touching, I tried not to squirm.

  “So strong for one so young.” She spread my arms and looked over my chest and neck and then stopped, staring right in my face. The lenses expanded and her eyes appeared enormous, as if she peered through a fish bowl. “Now that’s odd.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve got a halo?”

  “Like an angel?” I raised an eyebrow now thoroughly convinced that this old woman was completely insane.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, girl, angel halo’s are completely different.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’ve got a halo around you and that only happens when someone has used their abilities to alter your perceptions. I haven’t seen one of these in decades and it’s very strong.”