The Mapmakers Union (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 3) (4 page)

“Thanks, Val,” Faith said as Val dropped off a cup of coffee for her and refilled mine.

Faith was right about one thing, if the situation got any worse the Old Kind would declare open war on one another. And I bet that was exactly what the First Kind wanted. I should have been more careful the other night. Here I was trying to gather information to prevent further chaos and I probably helped them get closer to their objective... whatever that may be.

I needed to get to the Diesel Factories and check in. I shouldn’t have waited this long. I had foolishly allowed myself to be distracted. Maybe my friends were right; maybe I was playing things to tightly. If my actions set off a war, the First Kind could stroll in and take over with ease. I needed to get out of here and report on my mission.

“Chloe was just telling me how she has been busy with school work lately.” Faith waved at me and rolled her eyes toward Val.

“I know, she always has her head buried in a book,” Val confirmed with a smile, though refused to look straight at Faith.

Most of my friends still didn’t trust Faith enough to let her in on our little secret. I knew it was mostly Jess’s doing. I doubt she ever really got over the way Faith made it obvious that she was interested in Nightshade. I slid my fingers along the base of my neck and rubbed vigorously at the annoying itch and wondered if I was allergic to something. If it kept up I’d have to go have it checked out.

“I should probably get going.” I stood and grabbed my bag, throwing the strap over my shoulder and brushed passed Val who regarded me with a puzzled expression.

“Chloe, wait up,” Faith called after me and I heard her struggling to get her bag off the chair as I rushed out the front door.

I didn’t want her catching up to me, but it wasn’t as if I could open a portal and disappear. She would follow the residual signature and find out where I was going. I flipped my hoodie up and zipped it quickly against the biting cold. I reached down into my bag looking for my gloves and realized I had forgotten them.

“Hey, where are you rushing off too?” Faith caught up with me, looped her arm through mine, and squeezed me close to her.

“I needed some fresh air, that place is filled with too many painful memories for me.” I nodded toward the Beanery. It was partially true, but I wasn’t about to tell her that I was leaving to go and report at the Diesel Factories.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” She bumped her shoulder into mine as we walked.

“Don’t worry about it; you’re the least of my problems. It’s everyone else who wants me to talk, talk, and talk some more.” We crossed over onto Hughes Street and were surrounded by Victorian homes that ran down each side.

“Well, you helped me when all that stuff went down with my lunatic ex.”

 Faith’s ex-boyfriend Jasper had not only attacked her, but kidnapped and threatened Val. My head swam for a moment as I thought about Jasper, and I steadied myself against her as we walked. A wavering image, like a phantom of sorts, seemed to hover just out of reach and for some reason I felt it extremely important that I make out what it was, but as hard as I tried I couldn’t see it clearly enough.

“I’m here to return the favor whenever you need me. I know it must have been painful for you to see what happened to Nightshade.” Faith’s voice cracked and I had to remind myself that she had been interested in him as well and suffered in her own way.

“It was painful and it’s something that I don’t want to keep reliving.”

We turned onto Franklin and started walking toward Lafayette Street. A cold wind followed after us making me hug my arms tighter to my body. I wandered if I should confide in Faith about what happened with Nightshade, maybe even about what I had really been up too. I had grown used to having friends I could rely on and keeping secrets was tiring.

“You know you can always talk to me,” Faith said on cue.

I looked up thinking maybe now was the time. Then I saw the yellow façade of the old church, Nightshade’s home, rising above the surrounding buildings. I hadn’t been over here for months but the converted building looked the same as it had the last time I was here. Thoughts of telling Faith melted away as I remembered Nightshade standing shirtless in his front doorway smiling at me.

We stopped in front of the small black gate that surrounded the entryway to Nightshade’s home. I glanced at the old wooden door and then the windows and saw that there were lights on inside.

“Chloe,” Faith called out to me and I realized I had already walked through the gate and up toward the door. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, I’ll see you later.” I turned away from her and knocked on the door. I heard Faith retreat to leave me alone to meet... who? Who occupied Nightshade’s house now? The sound of movement behind the door caught my attention and I heard the knob turn. My heart leapt in my throat as the door swung open.

Status: Ghosts are a funny thing...

“Can I help you?” The woman’s voice was eloquent and beautiful just like her. She was tall and statuesque like Lauren Bacall, an actress out of some old black and white movie. She tilted her head and looked down at me, her eyes searching my face and when I looked in her eyes... I knew exactly who she was and why she was here.

“I knew your son,” I whispered and my bottom lip quivered.

“Come in dear.” She stepped aside and motioned for me to enter.

 I heard the door close behind me as walked into the living room. I had been here enough times to know where everything was. I looked down the hallway and saw that the door to Nightshade’s room was open and the light was on. My eyes lingered on it, as if any minute he would step out.

Nightshade’s mother walked past me into the kitchen area and filled a tea pot with water, then put it on the stove. She took out two mugs and sat them on the kitchen island. I walked over, pulled out a stool, and sat down keeping my eyes downcast, unable to look at her. I unzipped my hoodie and flipped the hood down. What was I thinking? Why did I come in here and what could I say to this woman? She had lost her son and here I was planning to tell her what? I loved your son but never gave him a chance and treated him terribly and still he gave his life for me.

“I’m sorry.” It was all I could think to say. I finally looked up; she stood across from me staring into what felt like my soul. She had Nightshade’s eyes or he had hers I suppose. They appeared glassy and puffy and I knew she had cried as much or more than I had in the last few months.

“Thank you,” she said in a whisper and smiled. The tea pot whistled and she turned, grabbed it, and poured steaming hot water into the cups, then offered me a tea bag.

 I dropped it in letting it steep like my mother had taught me. My mother who was responsible for Nightshade’s death, but was it really her fault? I was the one she was after. Nightshade was there to protect me and back me up as always. He never questioned my actions or decisions. He jumped right in joining me in every hair-brain scheme and rescuing me from most. In the end it was me who was at fault, and I guess that’s what I had been denying all this time.

“It was my fault he died,” I blurted out. I hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but I had kept it bottled up for so long that I couldn’t hold back any longer. My body trembled and I clutched the tea cup trying to keep my hands steady. “He was protecting me; he stayed in my place. I tried, I really did try to make him change places with me, but he wouldn’t listen. He never listened to me, he just always... he just always...”

I bit at my quivering lower lip trying to calm myself. I couldn’t look at her or say another word. I so wanted to tell someone what had happened... the truth of what had passed between Nightshade and me. But I couldn’t get it out; I didn’t have the courage.

“Did you know that James’ father had died?” Her voice was low; her tone even.

 I nodded, remembering he had mentioned that his father had passed but we had never really spoken about it.

“He was a lot like his father, head strong and always rushing in to save the day. My husband was on assignment, tasked with bringing down a splinter group from the Skeleton Key Guild. His team was ambushed and surrounded. My husband fought five men, keeping them at bay until every member of his team made it through that portal. When they dragged him through his wounds were so severe that he didn’t last more than a day. Nightshade men are honorable; they never back down and I would expect nothing less of my son. His death is not your fault, Chloe.”

I looked up and saw tears running down her cheeks. I couldn’t contain them anymore, tears burst out of me as if a damn had exploded. My body shook as I wept uncontrollably and Nightshade’s mother came around and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I closed my eyes and let her embrace me and when I took a deep breathe I could have sworn it was Nightshade’s scent that I smelled and I let out a sob of anger and sadness.

“I loved him.” The words ripped from my body like a physical wound.

“Come with me.” Mrs. Nightshade grabbed my hand and walked me down the hall to Nightshade’s room.

We walked in and I could see that she had been packing some of his things away. His long coat and scarf hung on the back of his closet door waiting for his return.

“Sit down.” She motioned toward the bed.

I sat down curling my legs under me. I’d slept in this room once when we were on the run. I had no idea at the time that it was Nightshade’s bedroom. He had stayed across the hall and I hadn’t figured it out until the next morning.

Mrs. Nightshade stepped into the closet and I heard the sound of boxes shifting. She came out and sat on the bed across from me holding a box that she placed gently on the bed between us. Her hand slid over it tracing the edges slowly.

“This is what they brought to me afterwards. When they finally sent an extraction team, they recovered James’ car and a few personal items.” She patted the box lovingly, as if some piece of him was in there.

“I didn’t know that.” Dad had never told me that they sent anyone in. Then again I wasn’t exactly in any condition to be aware of anything in the days that had followed his death.

“It was kept quiet, since they didn’t want to concern anyone any further with it and they were still trying to keep the truces, which now seems silly.” She sighed and I wasn’t surprised that she was aware of how badly relations with the Old Kind had gotten.

I stared at the box, my mind racing as to just what they may have recovered. It’s not as if we had brought a bunch of stuff with us. We had been too busy running crazy trying to rescue Val. I so wanted there to be something in the box that I could hold onto that would link Nightshade and me, something that would prove it all real. But it was a fool’s thought and why did I need it. I had those last few moments with him to forever hold in my heart and mind. Maybe it wasn’t enough; maybe I needed more or hungered for more. I missed him so much.

Mrs. Nightshade lifted the top off and placed it to the side. She reached in and pulled out James’ leather jacket. It seemed so out of place neatly folded instead of resting comfortably on him. She took out the keys to his Hudson Hornet and placed them beside the jacket and then pulled out a long silver chain with a round pendant that twirled in a circle hanging from it.

My breath caught as I recognized the symbol of the Polymorphs, the very thing that had made me realize—that like me—James was not only a Guilder but also a Polymorph.

“May I?” I reached out and Mrs. Nightshade handed it to me. I slid it along my palm letting it rest there and stared at the intricate symbol, my fingers tracing it gently.

“Here it is.” Mrs. Nightshade pulled out a cell phone and tapped its surface.

 I recognized Nightshade’s phone, though was surprised that it was what she had been looking for, I turned back to the necklace and squeezed it tightly. “We fought all the time. I can only remember a handful of times that we didn’t.” I chuckled at the memory.

“With great love comes great anger.” The phone dinged in her hand and I glanced over to see her smiling as she looked at it. “This is what I was looking for.”

“What?”

“Look for yourself.” She stretched her arm out handing me the phone.

 I reluctantly placed the necklace on the bed and took the phone from her. The screen displayed a picture of Jess and me sitting at the Beanery laughing. I didn’t recall him taking that picture, though we were obviously having fun. I slid my finger across the screen advancing the picture. The next picture was of Edgar and me near my locker in school and so were the next two. The last one was of me sitting alone, my head slightly turned with a faraway look in my eyes. I wasn’t even sure where or when it had been taken.

Why hadn’t he ever told me how he felt? Stupid question, Chloe. You never gave him the chance, not to mention that Slade was always around. Nightshade had been so much like me—broken—maybe that’s why he always understood me better than anyone, even Slade. He knew when I was lying or hiding something; he knew me like no one else. Yet I didn’t even know he cared about me, God I’m an idiot.

“He loved you too.”

“I told him I was his,” I whispered. In the language of the Old Kind when you told the person you were his or hers, it signified a declaration of love.

Mrs. Nightshade smiled and leaned over grabbing me in a hug and patting my back. “I’m glad he had you with him at the end, thank you.”

I took a deep breath and knew I was going to have to let go of all the anger I was holding onto. Nightshade was gone and no matter how much I wished otherwise, I had to move on.

 “I’ll grab our tea.”

Mrs. Nightshade exited the room and I sighed and looked around thinking about the life I might have had if I had given Nightshade a chance. I reached out, grabbed his leather jacket, lifted it up to my face, and closed my eyes inhaling. The familiar scent surrounded me and I shuddered as my memories hit me full force. I burrowed my face in the jacket and breathed deeply, and then I let it unfold and swung it around sliding my arms through it and slipping it on. The jacket was big on me but I wrapped my arms tightly around my sides hugging it against me.