The Mapmakers Union (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 3)

by MJ Fletcher

  Val let her have it landing one on her cheek that snapped her head backwards and sent her stumbling.

  “I’m the girl who you had kidnapped and I’m Chloe’s best friend. And nobody messes with my best friend, bitch.”

  “Why you—”

  Faith never got to finish, the next solid punch connected with her jaw and she let out a squeal of pain. It looked like all those years of Tae Kwan Do Val’s mom forced on her had paid off.

  Val moved in with a flurry of moves, each hitting their mark. Faith tried to defend herself but she forgot rule number one; she had never practiced without her Doorknob. Val was making a mess of her and finally finished her off with a perfectly placed punch to her nose. It exploded into a bloody mess as she fell over unconscious.

  “Val, stick to the plan,” Jess cried out while she battled with Hitch and Mary.

  I ran to her side, swinging my whip and snatching Mary’s feet out from under her. She hit the ground with a thud and I gave a quick look around for Nightshade and Edgar. I needed to get to them and fast. I spotted them, Nightshade was kneeling beside Edgar. I was relieved to see them together; it would make for an easier escape.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked Jess as I calculated a way through the battle to get to them.

  “Val is heading back through the portal and will get Gran and your dad to bring reinforcements.”

  “Good.” I spotted an opening. “I’m going for Edgar and Nightshade.”

  “It’s true then, he’s alive?” Jess’ voice cracked and it wasn’t from the blows of energy against her shield.

  “Nightshade’s alive,” I said a sense of pure joy racing through me at the sound of those words.

  “Go get him.” She let out a scream and leapt forward attacking Hitch with renewed determination. But then realizing that a friend you thought dead was alive had that effect on you, especially when you wanted to make sure he stayed that way. And I intended to do just that.

  I took off at top speed, my body rejuvenating from an adrenaline rush, though I had no doubt I’d feel it later.

  I ducked, twisted, and nearly crawled past the fight raging back and forth between Jackson and Slade and skidded to a halt in front of Nightshade.

  “None of this makes sense.” He didn’t look up; instead he flipped his Skeleton Key over in his hand and stared at it.

  “It’s the device they’re using on you; they did the same to me. It alters your perceptions.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Do you remember me at all?”

  “Yes, I know who you are and it is taking everything I have not to kill you where you stand.” His words dripped with such anger that I took a step back worried he might actually try and take me out.

  “Why?”

  “You killed Lauren.”

  “What?” My stomach roiled and I had to steady myself. I sure as hell hadn’t expected that. “No I didn’t, I didn’t even know your girlfriend.”

  “I remember, you were there, you attacked her.” He shook his head and I knew that his head had to be throbbing unmercifully as he tried to recall the truth. They’d chosen the perfect false memory to turn him against me.

  “Nightshade, I didn’t even know I was Old Kind when she was killed. It wasn’t me who did it.”

  The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps forced me to turn to see Mary only a few feet away. I barely had time to side step her attack, her energy blade slicing dangerously close to me. I hopped backward, reenergized my whip, and snapped it out at her. She dodged it and came in underneath aiming for my stomach. I pulled back but not far enough and her blade grazed me. Warm blood dripped from the not too deep wound and the damn thing stung like hell.

  “She’s tricking you,” Mary said to Nightshade who finally decided we were worth a look and I saw that anger had returned to his eyes. He got to his feet, his Skeleton Key burning crimson.

  “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” Slade walked toward us, behind him Hitch lay on the ground, his arm twisted at a painful angle.

  “Slade,” Nightshade spat. “I should have known you’d be with her.”

  “And I should have known you weren’t dead, I’m not that lucky.”

  “Slade, he’s being controlled by a Forget Me Not,” I cried out as I blocked Mary’s continued attack.

  “Good, that means I won’t feel bad when I kick his ass.” Slade grinned and threw a handful of ball bearings up in the air each one whirred and whizzed around racing straight for Nightshade.

  His Skeleton Key transformed into a curved blade and he spun it skillfully slicing each of the small objects into pieces. Slade charged swinging his wrench and slamming it into Nightshade’s weapon. Lines of electricity shot in all directions as the two energies battled for dominance.

  “You always were all about the muscle.” Nightshade spun away and brought his blade around in an arc striking Slade’s arm and leaving a thin cut.

  “Is that why you went after her Nightshade? Or was it that you couldn’t stand to see me happy?” Slade growled and rushed Nightshade again slamming his wrench over and over against his blade.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Nightshade backed off from the attack, though circled him.

  “Chloe. Why did you steal her from me?” Slade’s voice was filled with rage and Nightshade looked from him to me with total confusion.

  Nightshade shook his head. “Your tricks won’t work on me, Slade.”

  “It’s no trick, I loved her and you took her from me. I don’t care who’s controlling you, I still want to knock your head off.” Slade let out a primal scream and leapt at Nightshade and sent him stumbling. Slade pressed his advantage and with a good swing knocked him to the ground, Nightshade’s Skeleton key slipping from his hand.

  Slade dropped his wrench, went down on his knees, grabbed Nightshade by the front of his shirt, and punched him in the face. He pulled his fist back ready to take another shot when Nightshade grabbed Slade by the neck and snapped his head forward head-butting him. Slade fell back, though scrambled to his feet and Nightshade hopped to his feet and ran his hand along his mouth wiping away a trail of blood.

  He swung a quick punch into Slade’s side lifting him off the ground. Slade was no slouch; he came around with his own hook catching Nightshade hard in the chest. The two of them stood toe to toe exchanging blows like a pair of boxers on fight night.

  “You just couldn’t stand anyone else being happy could you?” Slade snaked out a jab that caught Nightshade above the eye and rocked him. He fell backwards and landed beside his Skeleton Key. Smiling he grabbed it and spun letting loose a bolt of crimson energy that flew and hit Slade directly in the chest, blasting him backwards.

  “No!” I yelled and dropped my own shield, purposely taking a hit from Mary so that she’d move in close enough, which gave me the perfect shot. I cracked my whip catching her around the neck and with a fierce tug spun her like a top. Her eyes rolled back in her head and I raced forward driving my elbow into her face and knocking her out cold.

  Nightshade was standing over Slade lying helpless on the ground. His Skeleton Key was aimed directly at Slade ready to deliver the fatal blow. I was too far away to reach them in time. I watched helplessly as the crimson energy built up to the point of no return.

  “Goodbye, Slade.” Nightshade grinned.

  Chapter Forty-one

  Status: The gangs all here.

  “Stop.” Edgar stumbled forward holding his injured ribs and I had never been happier to see him.

  “He deserves it, Edgar.” Nightshade said.

  “No, he doesn’t, Nightshade, you have to stop.”

  “They’ve tricked you and I’m going to get you out of here. I’m going to save you.”

  “You always protected me from the bullies and saved my ass several times. You were always there, I could always count on you; we’re best friends, Nightshade. And best friends don’t lie to each other.”

  Spittle flew from his m
outh as he yelled, “They killed Lauren.”

  “No, they didn’t. They’re our friends. Do you really think Jess helped to hurt Lauren?” Edgar pointed to Jess who was limping toward us having finished her battle with Hitch.

  “I could never hurt her or you.” Jess fought back tears as she looked at Nightshade.

  “Jess?” His hand gripping the Skeleton Key began to tremble.

  I didn’t want to say anything and interfere with what appeared to be working. Edgar and Jess seemed to actually be getting through to him.

  “Isn’t this lovely?”

  My blood ran cold at the sound of my mother’s voice. She strode onto the field, Ms. True and Caleb Darker on either side of her. “My, dear boy, you’ve found our little Mapmaker, how good of you.”

  Nightshade stared at my mother, his eyes starting to rapidly blink and I ran forward stepping between them to try and break whatever connection there was.

  “Stay the hell away from him,” I warned.

  “Chloe, I don’t need to be near him to control him.” My mother smiled with a sickening sweetness and lifted her hand from her pocket revealing the Forget Me Not. A wave of energy rushed off of it, and then sound and fury exploded behind me and I turned to see Nightshade his Skeleton Key blazing as he blasted Jess off her feet.

  I ran praying that Jess was all right but before a got a few feet red mist engulfed me and I collapsed and everything went dark.

  I woke lying on my back, the sounds of battle everywhere around me. Movement was creeping back into my limbs and I was able to crane my neck. I saw that Jess and Slade lay beside me on the ground a few feet away while my mother talked with True and Darker. My body ached but not nearly as badly as it should. I figured it must be the lingering effects of the Polymorph potions I’d used earlier. Nightshade stood further away with Faith’s team who appeared as if they had been in a UFC ring and hadn’t come out on the winning side. Edgar was with them bound and gagged.

  “We’re cut off from the crack, we need to fight our way through Impossible Engineers and DS,” Darker said annoyed as he paced back and forth.

  “How did they get here?” Mom asked.

  “How else, that little witch must have something to do with it.” He gestured in my direction and I was happy to know that Val had made it home and gotten word to my dad.

  “We best end this and get out of here,” Mom said and the others eagerly nodded in agreement.

  Ms. True pointed in our direction. “And them?”

  I closed my eyes not wanting them to know that I was listening to their conversation.

  “I think its time we ended my daughter’s threat once and for all, her interference has gone from annoying to problematic... we kill them.”

  “About damn time,” Darker laughed. “I’ll do it.”

  “No, I will.” My mother’s voice was ice cold; it held not an ounce of emotion. She intended to kill me and it didn’t bother her in the least.

  “Ma’am, may I do something first?” Nightshade asked seeking permission as if from a parent and his obedient demeanor was like a knife to my heart. “What’s that?”

  “Your daughter has something that belongs to me.”

  “Very well, but be quick.”

  I listened as his footsteps approached and when he reached me, he bent down, grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me up. I opened my eyes and purposely focused on his. He couldn’t seem to pull away and I didn’t want him to. I prayed that somewhere in there was my Nightshade and I had to reach him.

  “I love you, James,” I whispered and he pulled back as if I had slapped him. He grabbed his leather jacket that I was wearing and yanked it off of me.

  Swinging it around, he slid it on and smiled down at me. “I got what I wanted.”

  My heart sank as he walked away, and my last shred of hope went with him.

  Mom walked over to stand in front of me her Skeleton Key in her hand. I saw that Darker and True had moved over by Faith’s team. Nightshade had remained a few steps behind Mom as if he waited, wanting to watch what my mother would to do to me.

  “You should have listened to me, Chloe. I was only looking out for my children and now you have only yourself to blame for this.”

  “Those are your last words to me? Come on, Mom, you can do better than that.”

  She lifted her key and aimed it at, what I swore, was my heart. She had already broken it badly, now she was going to blast it to pieces. What a mom I had been blessed with. She actually had the audacity to smile. “At least you’re not whimpering. You make me proud, dear.”

  “You can thank Dad for my courage—unlike you—he loves me.” I turned away not wanting her face to be the last thing I saw before I died. I looked at Nightshade. He once loved me, still did, even if he didn’t remember and it would be his face I would see before I took my last breath. He was sliding his hands over his jacket feeling the leather, the same thing I had done when I had worn it and wanted to feel closer to him, and it made me smile. He slipped his hand inside, stopped a moment, and then pulled something out.

  His eyes grew wide as he stared down at the picture, and then at me. His hands trembled and the picture fell from his fingers and floated to the ground. It was the picture of him and me on the night of the year end school dance.

  “Chloe.” I couldn’t hear him but I saw him mouth my name. His hands continued to tremble and he balled them into fists. His eyes darted around the field and I wondered what he now thought of the destruction all around us. Had enough of his memory returned to see how wrong this was? He then watched a bound and gagged Edgar being dragged away and with a sharp turn of his head, his eyes returned to me and my mother standing over me ready to strike. “Stop,” he shouted.

  Nightshade struck like lightning sending an explosive bolt of crimson power from his Skeleton Key slamming into my mother’s back. It tossed her up in the air, and then sent her spinning.

  “Liars,” he screamed and spun around, another wave of power whipping out of his key and sending it speeding across the field at Mom’s little crew. I was on my feet and running to him before he finished the first attack.

  “My Doorknob?”

  “There.” He pointed to the ground a few paces away where my Doorknob and Jess and Slade’s devices rested. I sped to them and lifted my Doorknob activating it just in time to fend off a blast of energy from my mother who was back on her feet and favoring her side.

  Nightshade was a man possessed. He rushed forward attacking Faith and the others like a man determine to extract revenge no matter the cost.

  I concentrated on Mom. Her attack was focused and strong and I was hurting from the numerous hits I had taken. I didn’t know how long I could hold out against her. She didn’t speak; she struck endlessly like a serpent hungry for its prey. She feigned attacks, coming at me from odd angles. It took everything I had to watch and block, leaving me little chance to counterattack.

  I wasn’t going to be able to keep up this onslaught. I gave a quick glance to see if there was anyone who could help me and saw Nightshade in a full blown battle with True and Darker. He was holding his own, but his rage would only take him so far. Meanwhile Faith and her team had taken Edgar and were moving off towards one of the Mazes.

  “Edgar,” I screamed and it got Nightshade’s attention. He turned from his own fight and ripped off a bolt of energy that hit Edgar knocking him down. Not what I had in mind but it certainly slowed them down.

  “None of this will matter. You’re going to die along with all of your friends,” Mom sneered and stepped up her attack.

  I backed up and kept my shields active, trying to find a weak spot where I might be able to attack her that would actually make a difference. I made my way towards the middle of the field, Mom followed along watching me warily as she blasted away at me and the ground shuddered as the last of the hedges was blown to pieces and suddenly we were in the thick of the battle. People were fighting all around us. There was enough chaos that it enabled me to pu
t some distance between Mom and me.

  “You’re not getting away that easily, little girl,” she shouted and blasted a path between us, clearing everyone out of her way.

  “Get the hell away from her,” the deep voice boomed over the field.

  My dad was here. He stepped in front of me before I realized he was so close and I thought I caught a flash of emotion in my mom’s eyes but then they turned cold again.

  “Elijah,” Mom said sweetly, “You’ve come to protect our little girl from mommy?”

  “You’re not her mother; you surrendered that privilege when you deserted us.”

  Mom’s eyes narrowed and her mouth drew into a tight line

  My dad gave me a little shove. “Chloe, go help your friends, I’ll deal with this.”

  “What are you going to do?” Mom laughed as if Dad posed no threat to her at all. ”Convince me how wrong I am?”

  “No, I’m going to make sure you pay for destroying our family.” Power flowed from Dad’s Doorknob and he rushed toward the woman he loved and I wondered if he was prepared to kill her. I couldn’t watch my parents battle, one of them would kill the other and the thought tore at my heart. So I ran to the only person I wanted to be with at that moment and who could use my help... Nightshade.

  I had my whip ready and as I got closer to the battling trio, I aimed for True and caught her in the side; she shrieked and toppled to the ground. I snapped it back and it rebounded off Darker’s shield.

  Darker, judging the odds were no longer in his favor, darted into the crowd. Nightshade stepped forward to run after him, but I grabbed his arm and stepped in front of him. He looked down at me with those damn two different colored eyes and I smiled seeing the guy I loved in them. The battle and the heat of the moment and having him here in front of me when I had thought him dead these past months was too much. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him to me, hungry to kiss him.

  Nightshade backed away and held me at arm’s length. His eyes searched my face as if he was trying to physically pull the memories from somewhere deep inside him.