Free The Mapmakers Union (The Doorknob Society Saga Book 3) by MJ Fletcher

trophies, medals, awards, and photos of student teams.
    He walked to the display case and pointed at one of the pictures. “That is your mother.”
    I walked over to stand by his side and peered at the picture. It was framed in silver and showed a group of students holding up a trophy. Mom was on the right side, her hand wrapped around the trophy and a big smile on her face. Behind her loomed Mr. Tower looking exactly the same as he did now.
    “So what, she was a kid once like me. It doesn’t change what she is now.” Not that it didn’t hurt seeing her as a normal kid, not that much different than me. I almost laughed. I suspected no one considered me normal so maybe I was more like my mother than I wanted to admit. Bite your tongue . I was nothing like her.
    “When you first came here and activated the Skeleton Key trap that Ms. True had been demonstrating to your class, I assumed you would become a member of the Guild just like your mother. When you declared for DS, I was rather surprised.” He turned silent as if he was waiting for me to reply, but I kept my mouth shut. I could hear Gavin’s warning voice in my head reminding me that Old Kind were always suspicious of Polymorphs and I wasn’t going to give Mr. Tower anymore ammunition.
    “Guess I’m more like my dad after all.”
    “Perhaps.” He didn’t seem convinced. “What I am trying to tell you is that your mother was much like you when she was younger. She was bright and had many friends, even those among other Societies such as your father. But her path led her to where she is now.”
    “You think being friends with people other than her own Society made my mom a nutter?”
    “No, I am trying to impress on you that people always assume that their point of view is correct. Your mother, whatever her reason, feels that she is doing the right thing. Just as you do when you start fights and act out.”
    “Sorry, I don’t see the correlation between fighting with a twit like Darla and my mom trying to kill my friends and me.”
    “Be that as it may, I think it would be best if you and your friends left dealing with the dire situation to the more experienced and skillful Council.”
    “Yeah, cause you guys have done such a bang up job so far.”
    “Ms. Masters—” He paused a moment and energy surged like a coiling snake around him and I balled my hands into fists activating my own powers. “This is not a request, but a command from the head of the Council.”
    “Is that a threat?”
    “An order, you will do nothing regarding the First Kind without the permission of the Council. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Crystal.”
    “Very well, then we are done. You can show yourself out.” He waved me off like someone brushing away a gnat and I bit my tongue. I wanted to tell him off but it wouldn’t do me any good. It really didn’t matter since I intended to do whatever I wanted to anyway, no matter what he said.
    I reached the portal door he had left open and reached out to grab the handle. He’d left his Skeleton Key in the door and my fingers brushed against it. My abilities flared and the doorway pulsed with crimson energy before I yanked my hand away.
    I snatched hold of the Doorknob, twisted it and rushed through the portal. When I looked back I saw that Mr. Tower had been watching me, his eyes narrowed and followed my every move.
    He’d seen me activate the Skeleton Key.

Chapter Nine
    Status: I’m great at wrecking things.
    After my meeting with Mr. Tower I found Edgar and Slade and we left school and headed down Washington Street. We passed through the pedestrian Mall and cut across Beach Avenue to make our way towards my house on Mission Way. I peeked into the Cape Beanery to see if Val had started her shift and continued on when I didn’t see her behind the counter. When we turned onto Mission my eyes went to the peak of my house where the sun glinted off the window of my attic room. Somewhere up there I had stashed my DS Handbook