“What did he want?” Val asked as we headed down the porch stairs and turned right toward the Cape Beanery.

“With Nightshade who knows.” I rolled my eyes wondering just what he could want from me.

We reached the Beanery in no time and the bells over the door jingled as we walked in. I spotted Nightshade sitting at a table. He wasn’t wearing his usually jacket, it being warmer than normal. But he had the same self-satisfied look on his face as he always did.

Val just couldn't help herself

I heard the click of a camera phone and turned to see Val snapping a shot of him. I gave her a look and a jab and she grinned.

“Well just because he’s annoying doesn’t mean he isn’t hot.”

I nearly laughed but did my best to keep a stern face. ”Let me see what he wants. Why don’t you grab us some coffees.”

“Okay,” she said clicking a few more shots as she walked to the counter.

I took a deep breath and walked over to Nightshade’s table.

The man even drinks coffee arrogantly.

“Brought backup I see.” He didn’t take his eyes off his cup.

“I figure with you, its better to be safe than sorry.”

“Is that so Masters?” He finally looked up, a half smile on his face.

“Yes, it is now what do you want?”

“What I can’t just call a friend?”

“We’re friends now are we?”

“What would you call us?”

“What do you want?” I repeated.  He had a way of making me trip over  my tongue and I wasn’t about to go down that road.

“I want your help with something.”

“The great and wonderful Nightshade wants my help with something? This is a banner day.” I slid into the seat opposite  him prepared to revel in this as long as possible.

“It’s about Edgar.”

“What’s wrong with Edgar?” I leaned forward in my seat trying not to sound anxious and failing miserably.

To be continued…

To read more Doorknob Society check it out on Kindle or Nook

I love my life and my friends but I also know that so much happened when I first learned about who and what I was that I can never go back to the life I had before. It may have been odd by most peoples standards, following my dad around the globe with his magic act, always being on the move and never really having time for friends.

it’s all different now, the Doorknob Society changed everything for me. I’ve met strange and wonderful people, some I would trust with my life and others i’m not sure if I can trust at all. But I wouldn’t change any of it.

Chloe Masters

Kindle Edition  Nook Edition

Illusions are part of Chloe’s everyday life, her father being a renowned magician but how do you make sense of traveling through dimensions with the touch of a doorknob? There’s much for her to learn at the Paladin Academy, a school for her kind. What her kind is she would like to know.

And who better to teach her then some of the characters that go there and belong to the various Societies. She makes a select group of friends and she soon learns just how much she doesn’t know about her family and about herself.

She turns to her new friends for help when her dad disappears but she also must ask for help from a student at the Academy who is anything but a friend. He’s irritating and some say dangerous but she has no choice, she must get James Nightshade to help her.

He agrees, but there’s a price to pay and she realizes too late how much it will cost her.

Book one of the five book Doorknob Society series.  Buy the Kindle Edition or Nook Edition

I mean where the hell did all this cold suddenly come from anyway? I cannot wait until I am allowed to just portal into Paladin Academy I don’t know why I need to walk everyday? Isn’t being part of a crazy secret group being able to use your abilities to make things easier?

Michael Slade of The Impossible Engineers

The Doorknob Society at its heart is the story of Chloe Masters, a strong and confident young woman trying to find her way in a new reality she doesn’t understand. But it does feature several male characters as well. Three of which we’ll highlight here.

Michael Slade, of The Impossible Engineers is one of the first Old Kind, Chloe encounters in The Doorknob Society. An upstanding and strong friend he does everything he can to help Chloe realize her goals. As an Impossible Engineer he is able to create unique and powerful devices that come in handy in bad situations.

Slade also makes and appearance in the DS short that will soon be published in Digital Webbing Presents on Comixology. He is also one of the main characters in the DS comic book series that is in the works. Which we will have more information on shortly.

James Nightshade, is a member of The Skeleton Key Guild and a major pain in the neck for Chloe. His motivations are unknown and he always seems to be working on his own agenda. His Guild also happens to be the main antagonist of DS, which makes for a very complicated relationship between Chloe and James.

Nightshade makes a cameo in the DWP short story and will also be a regular character in the comic book series.

James Nightshade of The Skeleton Key Guild

Edgar Magnus, of The Mapmakers Union is the youngest and one of the most talented of Chloe’s friends. the youngest person to ever declare for a society he has exemplary skills at crafting maps that can transverse dimensions and get you almost anywhere. His skill comes in handy more than a few times.

The pin ups are done by Wendell Cavalcanti who is the artist on The Doorknob Society comic book and the DWP short. We hope to have the colored versions up shortly for everyone to check out.

                “Why do you trust him?” I watched as Nightshade stormed out of the Cape Beanery then turned to Edgar.

He sat across from me sipping his coffee. He sat it down and smirked. “Come on, Chloe. I’ve known him a long time.” Eddie shrugged and glanced out the window at Nightshade fading in the distance. “He’s helped me out plenty of times.”

            “And I bet he always got something out of it too.” I laughed and tossed a sugar packet at Eddie who dodged it.

            “Maybe, but most times you can count on him, he’s loyal.”

            “Please give me one example?” I rolled my eyes and pointed at Eddie challenging him.

            “Okay.” Edgar leaned forward and I hunched closer and listened.

o0o

“This is our table.”

Owen Copperton stood in front of me. He looked about a foot taller than me, which I guess isn’t too hard since I’m only five foot in my bare feet. Though I didn’t think it was natural that his neck was as thick as a tree trunk. Mapmakers aren’t known for their athletic builds. My most distinguishing feature I’ve been told is my crazy hair which for the life of me I have no control over.

“Sorry, I’ll move.” I tried to look around the three Impossible Engineers that had surrounded me. It’s times like this I hate that all Engineers are built like footballers. I could only see between them a bit and from what I could see the cafeteria ofPaladinAcademywas nearly empty. I’d come here when school ended for a quiet place to study. I didn’t expect to run into Owen and his friends. He’d always disliked mapmakers and had been a thorn in my side since we were little.

“You mapmakers think you’re better than the rest of us. Why just because you scribble directions on paper?” He snatched the map I’d been working on from the table and held it up staring at it. “Looks like a bad schematic to me.” He chuckled and his Engineer friends joined in laughing.

“You’re holding it upside down.” His friends laughed even harder and oohed and aahed at my comment.

“You little ink stain!” He tossed the map aside and grabbed my shirt hefting me up off the chair. My collar tightened around my throat like a noose and I kicked my legs struggling to breath.

“Put him down.”

The voice was calm and if I hadn’t been gagging it might have surprised me. My attacker dropped me and turned.

“What business is it of yours Guilder?”

I looked up to see James Nightshade standing across from us. He was wearing his trademark leather jacket and his head was cocked to one side, his eyes targeted on Owen.

“I’m making it my business gear-head, leave him alone.”

I’ve known James since grade school and even though he’s in Skeleton Key Guild we’ve always been friendly. With his reputation around school I’m surprised the Engineers are still willing to confront him.

“Looks to me like your all alone Nightshade. What’re you going to do about it?”

“First,” —James raised his hand and casually counted with a flick of his fingers as he spoke —“I’m going to knock you on your ass, second I’m going to take out your friends one by one and then third ,for fun, I might get really pissed off, which means you don’t want to go to four.”

“Tough talk, Guilder but you can’t use your powers in here.” He slammed his fist into his open palm with a thud for emphasis.

“True,” —James grabbed the front of his leather jacket and pulled it off— “who says I need them?”

He threw the jacket at Owen who instinctively caught it and never saw the fist Nightshade threw right behind it. He connected with his jaw, a cracking sound echoed around the room and Owen fell to the ground moaning.

The man on his right tackled James in the midsection knocking him to the floor. They struggled, arms and legs punching and kicking. Nightshade shifted his weight and spun on top and brought his elbow down across the cheek of his opponent. He looked like he was going to make quick work of them when the third Engineer punched him in the back of the head and dropped him to the ground.

“Get him!” Owen got up, rubbing his jaw and pointing at James.

They dragged Nightshade to his feet. He was groggy but it was obvious he was in trouble since he fought against the men holding him. I gave an anxious glance around looking for any help but the room was empty except for us. I could run right now and go for help or just get away. But I knew that wasn’t an option.

“Let’s see how you like it, Nightshade,” Owen sneered and stepped in punching James in the gut, lifting him off the ground with the blow. “Not so tough now.”

“That’s all you got?” James laughed between coughs.

Owen’s face burned a deep shade of red and he swung his fist again and again into Nightshade’s midsection.

“You’re going…”

Owen never finished the sentence, his eyes rolled up and into the back of his head and he fell forward crashing to the ground. His friends stared at me in amazement.

 I stood in utter shock not believing that hitting him in the back of the head with a lunch tray had actually knocked him out. I was too stunned to notice when one of them let go of Nightshade and rushed at me hitting me square across the chin. My world went black and all I remember was how inviting the ground looked.

“You all right?” James tapped my cheek as he helped me to stand.

 I glanced around to see the three Engineers sprawled on the ground around us.

“I’m good.” I shook my head amazed that it was still attached to my neck.

“What’s going on in here?” Michael Slade of the Impossible Engineers walked into the cafeteria. He looked from the Engineers on the floor straight to Nightshade. “What’d you do?”

“Nothing, they tripped,” James sneered and pulled me along as we walked out of the room.

“This isn’t over.” Slade called out after us.

James looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Anytime, Slade, anytime.”

o0o

“And let me guess he wanted something in return for helping you out?” I ran my fingers through my hair and leaned back in my seat. I just couldn’t get my head around the idea that James Nightshade would do anything for anyone but himself.

“No, James is loyal to his friends.”

“That story tells me that you’re the one who’s loyal. You could have taken off instead you stayed and helped him.”

“It’s not like I had a choice.” Eddie sipped his coffee.

 I smiled to myself. That’s why I love Edgar he really didn’t think there was a choice between helping or running. “Is that why he and Slade hate each other?”

“No, that’s a much longer story.” Eddie laughed and I leaned in to listen.

“None of your business.” I tossed a throw pillow which he dodged effortlessly.

“Come on, tell me?”

“Fine.” I tugged on the zipper of my hoodie thinking back to a time before I knew about the Doorknob Society. “It all started inRome.”

0O0

I was fifteen and it would be a year before I found out anything about the Old Kind and my unique talents. Dad had gotten a contract to perform his magic act for two months and I was thrilled.Rome is by far one of my favorite cities, with its history and culture it’s a living, breathing place. And the citizens are as amazing as the city itself… at least some of them are.

I sat people watching, my hood pulled up over my long blonde hair blocking out the light, my lighter in my hands as I flipped the top open and closed. One of dad’s rules was to always have a lighter on you, he didn’t smoke and either did I. But being a magician a lighter was a practical tool to always have available. Plus it gave me something to play with to pass the time.

“Ciao!” Bruno yelled across the plaza and I waved to him. The sun was high in the afternoon sky and I was sitting on the edge of the Trevi fountain letting the mist of the water cool me off. Tourists mingled with locals on their lunches. I tossed my phone into my hoodie pocket and brushed my hair behind my ear.

“Chow, I wasn’t sure you’d make it.” I smiled not able to conceal my joy at his having enough time to meet. He reached out grabbing my hand and squeezed it as he sat down. He leaned over and I met him kissing him lightly on the lips. I pulled back after a moment feeling awkward doing something so personal in public.

“And I wasn’t sure you would be here?” He smirked and I rolled my eyes.

“Just cause I’m American doesn’t mean I run around with every cute Italian I meet.” I laughed.

“So you admit I’m cute.”

I shoved him and didn’t answer. Of course he was cute, his short black hair was brushed back and framed his face perfectly. Olive colored skin complimented his bright green eyes and he was always smiling and happy. In sharp contrast to me with my hood pulled up and lily white skin, the sun was not my friend.

“How much time do you have?”  I asked as he looped his arm through mine and pulled me close. His cheek was near mine and I did my best not to fidget and run away, this whole relationship thing was not something I was good at.

“Enough, Tesoro mio.”

My Italian wasn’t perfect but I blushed when he called me treasure. My hair fell forward and I reached up to push it away and felt him pull back. I glanced up and saw him staring passed me.

“What’s wrong?” I turned and saw three men approaching us their eyes locked on him. “Bruno?”

“We need to leave now.”

He grabbed my arm and yanked me up. I stumbled and clutched my satchel that almost crashed to the ground. Tossing it over my shoulder I got my feet under me as we ran around the corner of the Trevi fountain passing a door that looked a couple centuries old. My stomach turned and the hairs on my neck rose, I didn’t know what kind of trouble Bruno was in but I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it.

We reached the end of the block and Bruno spun around trying to decide which way to run. I glanced back to see the three men charging down the street. I was getting a little tired of this. I wrapped my hand around Bruno’s wrist and jerked him forward. I dragged him after me and tore down the street as fast as my feet would go. Reaching another intersection I didn’t wait to choose I turned left and ran.

“Where are we going?” Bruno shouted as we dashed passed a group of tourists.

The clicking of camera’s and shouts of bystanders we crashed into didn’t slow me. I knew in my gut this was not a good situation. I skidded to a halt, one of the men chasing us suddenly appearing at the end of the street.

“Damn.” He must have split off from the others and circled around to cut us off.

“Oh, no, what are we going to do?” Bruno’s head twisted back and forth looking for an escape.

“Dove sono i nostri soldi, Bruno?” The man sneered paying no attention to me.

I made out most of what he said and realized that they were looking for money from Bruno.

“I don’t have it.” Bruno’s voice cracked and the man shook his head and smiled.

I didn’t like that at all, I could hear the commotion behind us and I assumed the other two would be here shortly. My hand slid into my pocket and my fingers wrapped around my lighter, my fingertips brushing against bits of paper.

The man glanced in my direction looking me up and down like you might inspect a horse, my stomach turned at the look on his face.

“Forse mi prendo la bambina, invece?” My Italian isn’t great but that definitely sounded like it had something to do with me, which I didn’t like one bit.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I yanked my hand out of my pocket and a fireball exploded toward the man. He screamed dropping to the ground as I snatched Bruno’s hand and jumped over the man rolling on the ground.

“What was that?” Bruno stuttered out the question.

“Flash paper, my dad uses it in his act all the time.” Score one for dad always making me practice his act. I took a quick glance behind us and like I figured all three were after us once again. But this time they weren’t just focused on Bruno.

“Damn it.” I swore under my breath, why do I always seem to make situations worse. A side alley came up on our right and I pulled Bruno down it, jumping over a stray cat that hissed and spit as we went. The buildings on either side were so close you could stretch out your arms and touch them at the same time. The alley ended at an old wooden door with a brass doorknob. I grabbed the knob and twisted, nothing. The door was locked.

“It’s locked? We’re trapped!” Bruno’s voice trembled and didn’t make me feel any better about our situation. He spun around and started to run back down the alley leaving me stranded. He stopped before he got a few paces and started backing up.

“Per favore.” He mumbled and I knew the men were at the end of the alley and coming our way. I dropped down and searched the door handle for a keyhole I might be able to pick. Another skill dad had made me practice; if I made it out of this alive I needed to remember to thank him.

There was none, just the damn doorknob. My hand rested on it, the brass cool to the touch. Under layers of wear and age I could see scroll work had been carved into it. My stomach lurched and my legs began to quiver. I’d performed in front of large audiences with my dad and had never gotten scared. I was now and my body reacted. A wave of nausea overtook me and I thought I might lose my breakfast. My fingers gripped the knob tighter and my vision swam, everything taking on a blue shade. I forced myself to stand and glanced back at Bruno who was staring at me his face drained of color. I was about to walk to him when I heard a whisper behind me.

Turn me

It seemed such a reasonable request that I tried the doorknob once again. It clicked and turned, the door gliding open effortlessly. The alley was illuminated with light and for some reason I thought of dad and his magic act. How he would do his Disappearing Man trick and walk through a door on one side of the stage and exit on the other.

I reached out grabbing Bruno’s hand and pulled him toward me. This was our chance to escape, yet he was struggling to get away from me. I was a bit disoriented but I knew we needed to leave. I pulled him toward me and tripped falling backward through the doorway. The last thing I saw was the look of horror on the face of the men who had been following us as they ran terrified from the alley.

The world shifted and became insubstantial as we drifted through nothingness, the image of my father stayed with me and suddenly everything came into stark reality and Bruno and I crashed to the floor.

I struggled to my feet and dizzily glanced around. The auditorium where my dad performed his magic act was empty at midday and I was standing on the stage near one of my dad’s door props. Bruno was on his hands and knees wrenching uncontrollably, I rushed to him placing my hand on his back. He flinched and crawled away from me, pulling himself to his feet and spun to face me. All color was gone from him and he looked as if he hadn’t slept in a week.

“What kind of a freak are you? What did you do? That door leads into….” He stammered and his voice trailed off as he pointed at me, I didn’t know what he was talking about I was still trying to figure out how we got here.

“What?” I was shocked at his reaction and took a step toward him and he backed up.

“Stay away from me, I don’t know what you are freak. But don’t touch me.”

That was the second time he had called me freak and after I had saved us. “You little worm! I saved your butt is what I did.” I was angry and recovering a lot quicker from what had happened then him.

“Just stay away from me,” he said and rushed off the stage and out of the auditorium.

I watched him run off and walked to the edge of the stage sitting down in the dark and sighing. I had no idea what had happened or how we got here, but one thing was perfectly clear I was terrible at relationships.

0O0

“That was the first time I used my abilities, satisfied?” I dropped onto the couch beside Slade and he chuckled and draped his arm over my shoulder. He leaned in close and whispered to me.

“Yes, now about this boyfriend?” I laughed and grabbed the pillow beside me hitting him square in the face with it. See, still not good at relationships.