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

I rested my head on my knees and rocked back and forth.
    “I miss him too.” Edgar’s voice startled me and I lifted my head to see him standing at the foot of my bed. He was looking at the picture tucked in the mirror.
    “Sorry,” —I sat ups and crossed my legs— “I just have a hard time every now and then.”
    “Nightshade and I were in school together since we were little, before any of us declared. We all used to be friends.” Edgar slid onto the bed and sighed. “Until they broke everyone up and put us in our specific Societies. But Nightshade never stopped talking to me, even if he did come off as bossy, I didn’t mind. We were friends.”
    “He did like to tell people what to do,” I chuckled.
    “I was the youngest one in school and used to get picked on a lot. Nightshade would always put a stop to it, even if the kids were bigger than him. I remember this one time; three older kids took all my maps. Nightshade walked right up to them and didn’t say a word, he just punched one of them right in the nose.” Edgar laughed at the memory and I joined in. It made me happy to hear about a younger Nightshade, but it also made me sad at the same time. It was yet another thing I would never get to share with him, stories of when he and I were younger.
    “That sounds like him alright,” I said.
    “If you ever want to talk about it,” Edgar nodded.
     I returned his nod, understanding that he missed his friend as much as I did.
    Not wanting to dwell on Nightshade, I changed the subject. “I haven’t had any luck finding my handbook.”
     “I can help.”
    “Sure, you take the closet and I’ll try my desk.” I hopped off the bed and headed over to my desk that sat near the window facing the ocean. The waves crashing on the beach caught my attention and I took a moment to appreciate the view before pushing aside the paper I was working on for my Quantum Mechanics class. I pulled open the drawer and grabbed a handful of papers and right beneath them I spotted the edge of a book. I grabbed it and pulled it out.
    “Found it!”
     Edgar rushed over as I flipped through the pages to find what we were looking for. Sure enough there was the Tale of the Darkwatch and opposite the title was a map. I handed it over to Edgar.
    “This is it! This is the map we need to get to the Tavern at the End of Time.”

Chapter Ten
    Status: Things are getting complicated.
    “Do you really think this is a good idea?” Val was on a break chatting with me as I waited for Faith. She took a sip from her coffee. Her red felt Santa hat hanging off her curly hair like some animal trying to escape.
    The Cape Beanery was covered in tinsel and twinkling lights, a Christmas tree sat in the corner with numerous presents under it like Santa Claus had just been there. The shop was nearly empty on a Friday this close to the holidays, everyone out doing their last minute shopping.
    A fine layer of snow covered the street outside and people tramped along bundled against the cold and wind. Cape May streets acted like a wind tunnel with cold blasts of air pushing off the ocean and up through the streets like a sharp weapon.
    “Edgar was finally able to make a good copy of the map from the story, now all we need is the Legend.” It had taken Edgar a month to reconstruct the map from the Doorknob Society Handbook.
    “He told me the Mapmakers Union won’t let anyone in to see the map.” Val chewed worrisomely at her lower lip. She had disapproved of my plan from when she had first heard about it and she obviously hadn’t changed her mind.
    “That’s why we need to do it this way.” I smiled and leaned back in the chair taking another sip of my coffee.
    Val leaned forward. “Explain it to me again.”
     Even though I had detailed the plan to her numerous times, I figured she was once again looking for reassurance so I launched into it once more. “The Mapmakers Union is having a party at the Bronze Compass Club. Since it’s an open