The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) by MJ Fletcher Page B

Edgar. They were adorned with old photos and paintings of alumni. Large sconces were placed at intervals along the walls and burned brightly throwing strange shadows across the carpeted floors.
    “We are currently in the main wing of the Academy. Each group has a wing that it uses exclusively for training, bringing it to a total of six wings. In this wing you’ll find the gymnasium as well as our library.”
    Mrs. Flint had been talking the whole time but I’d finally started paying attention again and caught that last part. A library could be just what I needed. It’s not like you can search for The Doorknob Society on the Internet, so I figured a good old-fashioned library would be a nice place to start probing for information on my mom. And perhaps find some evidence as to why my dad had been kicked out of the Doorknob Society, and maybe, with some luck, I’d discover something about the man in black.
    Mrs. Flint kept us walking until finally at the end of one hallway we were greeted by two extremely tall oak doors. She grabbed hold of one of the ancient doorknobs and pushed open the doors in one sweeping motion. Light flooded the hallway and we stepped through into the vast library.
    The room soared so high that you couldn’t see the ceiling, though I was pretty sure there was one. You certainly couldn’t have it raining on books. Two-story windows dotted the far wall and illuminated the entire room. Massive shelves dominated the other walls on the first floor and continued above to the ascending floors.
    “The library was one of the first sections of the school to be built and has been expanding ever since. In here you will find almost every book ever written on the different groups,” Mrs. Flint said proudly.
    “Almost?” I wanted to bite my tongue as soon as I said it but as usual my mouth was quicker than my brain.
    Mrs. Flint squinted over the rim off her glasses at me and the class followed her gaze. Her ever-present smile had disappeared and she regarded me with a calculating expression. She sized me up and down in one quick glance and then pushed her glasses back up her nose. Her smile then quickly returned.
    “Well, dear, some of the earliest books written about the Old Kind have been lost to time. And while a concentrated effort has been made through the years to locate them we’ve yet to be successful.”
    Slade jumped in with his two cents. “You mean like the Chronicles?”
    His remark appeared to send a jolt of apprehension through the students and they began whispering amongst each other.
    “Quiet now, this is, after all, a library,” Ms. Flint ordered and then turned to Slade. “Yes, Mr. Slade, you are correct, the so-called Chronicles are among the volumes believed to be missing from the library. However we do have a few pages from those rare books on display. They are the only known surviving pieces.”
    “Are those documents about the Founders?” Slade continued his query.
    Mrs. Flint huffed in frustration. “Yes, they are.”
    “Do they say anything about the artifacts?”
    “Mr. Slade, I’m well aware that you are an engineer and like all engineers you are fascinated with moveable objects but the Chronicles say no more about the legendary artifacts of the founders then you’ve heard in bedtime tales. Now if we can continue the tour without further interruption.”
    Mrs. Flint turned and without another word on the subject continued the tour.
    I glanced around the library, knowing that I’d be returning, and anxious to do so, as soon as I could to begin my search.
    Several students gathered around Slade and continued to whisper.
    I stuck closer to Edgar as we made our way out of the library. “What was that about?” I asked nodding toward Slade.
    “Slade is like so many, eager to find the legendary artifacts of the Founders and eager for recognition.”
    “What artifacts?”
    “That’s part of the problem... no one is really sure. Supposedly the Founders gathered together