The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 4) Read Free

learner.”
    The room around me came alive with power. The multitude of currents raced through me alerting my senses to everyone’s location in the room, though my focus remained on Darker. It was how I sensed Jasper moving before he ever reached me. I raised my hand and the floor boards beneath me tore from their foundation and created a barrier. Jasper didn’t have enough time to stop; he smashed hard into it and slipped to the ground with a thud.
    “Very good, child.” My mother’s voice seared my flesh like a red-hot branding iron and leaving yet another indelible mark. “Was that an Impossible Engineer ability?”
    “Yes, Talia, it was,” I said never again intending to call her Mom. She didn’t deserve the honor; not after the horrific things she’d done.
    She walked through where the door had been. Her long blonde hair fell softly around her pretty face, though her expression was cold and distant like one of those women in an old portrait that hung in a museum.
     “Talia? Not calling me Mom anymore?”
    “My mother died a long time ago; you’re just the bitch who killed my father.”
    “That’s no way to talk, young lady.” Power crackled around her.
    “Ivan, get Emory out of here,” Gavin ordered amping up his own power.
    The room was filling with so much energy that I could almost choke on it.
    “By all means, Ivan, run along. I’d much rather kill these Polymorphs,” Mom said.
    Darker circled around behind my mother, dropping his shields his power ebbed. If Mom hadn’t shown up, he would have been in real trouble. He would only need a short time to recoup, and then things would get nasty.
    Ivan hefted an unconscious Emory over his shoulder and hurried up the stairs behind us.
    “Where’s Edgar?” I stared at the woman who gave birth to me and felt only hatred.
    “Your little friend is my guest just like Nightshade was until you stole him from me.” She smiled all too sweetly and all I could see was the image of her torturing Nightshade to get to me. “By the way, how is he? Does he remember you at all?”
    Gavin moved closer and leaned in to whisper, “Chloe, we gain nothing from this fight.”
    He was right. Even if we won this go around, it wouldn’t get us closer to finding Edgar. As much as I wanted revenge for my father’s death, this wasn’t the time. I took a step back and Talia stepped forward.
    Her Skeleton Key illuminated the room as she directed a bolt of crimson energy straight at me. I flicked my wrist with little effort, my energy whip blocking the attack. But it was a ruse. She circled and was on me quickly, her hand at my throat like a vise. I brought my forearm up and tried to dislodge her but she held firm.
    Gavin tried to intervene, but Darker attacked and the two of them disappeared in a haze of crimson energy. While struggling for air, I could not believe the cold deadly look in my mother’s eyes, and a pain gripped my heart wondering if that was what my dad had seen when she had turned on him.
    I fought to dislodge her grip that was slowly squeezing the life from me, but damn if I could budge her hold. If I didn’t do something soon, it would be too late. I struggled to release my weapon, my limbs turning weak and after much effort and my sight turning foggy, I activated a portal. Mom’s eyes popped wide as she realized too late what I was doing. We both dropped like dead weight through the open portal.

Chapter 3
    Status: Family vacation anyone?
    My feet hit sand and Mom’s fingers were jolted off my throat as we sprawled to the ground. I pushed backward with my feet and elbows putting some distance between us and regaining my breath before I scrambled to stand. My hand went for my Doorknob and found nothing. I scanned the area and spotted it laying several feet away. I sent Mom a quick glance and saw that she was doing the same, searching for her Skeleton Key and spotting it just before she turned and met my eyes.
    “It seems we’re both at a