The Mapmakers Union (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

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.

Chapter Four
    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