Chapter 33

Alan

       Grandpa wasn't so happy when he found out that Elizabeth and I decided to spy on our enemies, but I think it was mainly because we brought Tulip with us.

       At least, that was my interpretation, so Elizabeth and I were heading back to their hideout without Tulip this time. 

       We wanted to make sure we were always one step ahead of them, and the only way to do that was to spy on them to see what they knew and what they were planning. There was no way they were going to win this battle, let alone get Dirk back.

       Once we got to their hide out, we carefully and quietly made our way inside. So far, we didn't see anybody here.

       That was until we got to where they were gathered the first time we spied on them. We quickly hide behind some crates to listen in on their conversation.

       However, they weren't really talking. They were all just doing their own thing; whether it be eating, training with a weapon, or training with the abilities they had.

       While we were waiting for them to start talking, Elizabeth reached into her pocket and pulled out a listening device. I wished I was as smart as her.

       She was going to bug this place so we wouldn't have to keep sneaking back here.

       Elizabeth placed it on the side of one crate that was almost pressed against another so unless someone moved the crate, it was going to go completely unnoticed.

       I was starting to think we came at the wrong time and they weren't going to discuss anything, but that was until Cheryl showed up. Once she got everyone's attention, she said, "You wouldn't believe what I just found out."

       "Does it involve getting Dirk back?" Janelle asked. "Because we really need to start taking down the Protectors and we can't do it without them."

       "It does," Cheryl said. "I know exactly how to get him back. Remember how we were going to take Tulip and offer a trade? Tulip for Dirk? Well, we're still going to do that. Just with another Prince."

       "Who?" Janelle asked. "Because honestly, Tulip would be the most effective one. She's young and won't be able to defend herself as well as the other Princes."

       "Oh, trust me, there's one that's a lot more effect," Cheryl said. "I just had a meeting with Irene, the head of the sorcerers, and she's also Jerome's mom. And she's not too fond of Jerome right now, so she ended up giving me quite some valuable information that could take him down since he's the one getting in the way of taking down the Protectors."

       "Well, it should be easy since he should be a wreck right now," Janelle said.

       "He's not," Cheryl said. "Want to know why? Nolan is still alive."

       Oh, crap. That was the one thing we didn't want them knowing. She was right; Jerome was the one getting in the way for them to be able to take us down. Right now, he was our strongest member and if they used Nolan against him...

       We would be screwed.

       "No way," Janelle said. "That's not possible. Dirk put a spell on his sword so nothing would have been able to heal Nolan after he stabbed him."

       "Yeah, I know, and that's what I told Irene," Cheryl said. "So she told me the best news I have ever heard. There's a prophecy called the Two Souls, where a Protector and sorcerer are bound together. Together, they will be quite powerful, but if they're too far apart from each other, it will cause them immense pain."

       "Jerome and Nolan are the sorcerer and the Protector, aren't they?" Janelle asked.

       "Bingo," Cheryl said. "So our plan is quite simple. Kidnap Nolan, take him far away and once he starts being in pain, that means Jerome will too and that is when we'll make the offer; Nolan for Dirk."

       I gestured to Elizabeth for us too leave, and she nodded before carefully looking over to make sure they weren't facing in our direction. She then made the cue for us to leave and once we were out of the warehouse, I said, "We have to warn them, fast."

       We didn't waste any time getting back to the HQ. In fact, we ran the whole way there so when we got there, we were completely out of breath.

       Ryder was the one who noticed us and he walked over. "Are you two okay?"

       "Yeah," I said, still trying to catch my breath. "We... spied... they... know..."

       "I have no idea what you just said," Ryder said.

       "Where's... Nolan?" I asked.

       "He just left the HQ to head back to the penthouse," Ryder said. "Why? What's going on?"

       Elizabeth caught her breath before me, since he special ability was a high stamina. It never took her long to catch her breath after she was drained. "We spied on Dirk's team," Elizabeth said. "They know Nolan's alive, and they know he and Jerome are the Two Souls prophecy. They're going to kidnap him and use it to his advantage. He should be fine, right? Since he was heading home?"

       "No, he's walking there," Ryder said. "Jerome was already there, so he couldn't use a portal to get back. I'll get in my car and see if I could catch up with him, and I'll drop him off. In the meantime, tell Grandpa that they know about Nolan."

       "Got it," I said. "Just let me... die first."

       "I'll go tell him," Elizabeth said.

       Ryder left the HQ and Elizabeth went to go find Grandpa, and I flopped down on the floor to catch my breath. Why couldn't I have a high stamina instead of stupid night vision?

       Although, night vision was still pretty good, considering I used to use it all the time when my siblings and I went to play laser tag. I always won.

       Unless Nolan wasn't on my team. In that case, he won because he would cheat and use his special ability? Who does that?

       It didn't take long for Ryder to come back, and I was still laying on the floor. Not because I couldn't catch my breath, but because I was too lazy to get up. Ryder didn't even question it, since I did it all the time. "Nolan's already there," he said. "I didn't see him on the sidewalk."

       "Uh, that could be a bad thing," I said, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket to call Jerome. "He could have already been kidnapped."

       "So fast?" Ryder asked. "I doubt it. What are the chances that they would try right after they made the plan, knowing he would be by himself."

       I ignored him as Jerome answered his cell phone. "Hello?"

       "Hey, future brother-in-law," I said. "Is Nolan there?"

       "No, not yet," Jerome said. "Why?"

       That made me sit up. "Uh, because Dirk's team knows he's alive and you two are the Souls Prophecy. They made a plan to kidnap him and use him as an ultimatum to get Dirk back."

       "What?" Jerome asked. "How did they find out?"

       "Your mom. And I don't mean that as a joke. Your mom actually told Cheryl."

       "I knew I shouldn't have trusted her," Jerome said. "Don't worry, though. I doubt they would try right away, and he should be home soon."

       "Except Ryder drove by to pick him up and drive him the rest of the way there, but he didn't see him on the sidewalks so he assumed he was already at your place."

       "I'm going to call him," Jerome said before hanging up.

       I hung up as well. "He wasn't there."

       "He might have taken a different route," Ryder said.

       "Ryder, this is Nolan we're talking about," I said. "There's no way he would have taken a different route. He always takes the same route because he has to do stuff that's familiar to him. Anyway, Jerome's calling him."

       "I'm sure Nolan's fine," Ryder said as he pulled out his cell phone. "In the meantime, I'm going to track his phone."

       "That's not creepy."

       Ryder shrugged and looked at his phone. "There, it shows he's at a cafe. He probably wanted hot chocolate or something. I'll go there and pick him up."

       Shortly after Ryder left, a portal opened and Jerome stepped out. When he saw me, he walked over. "Nolan isn't answering his phone," Jerome said. "That's not like him at all."

       "Ryder tracked his phone, and it showed he's at a cafe," I said. "He went to go pick him up. Maybe his phone is on silent. He does forget to turn it off of silent at times."

       "Yeah, that's true," Jerome said.

       We waited for Ryder to come back and when he did, I knew something was wrong.

       Because Nolan wasn't with him, and he came back pretty fast so there was no way he had time to drop him off at Jerome's.

       "Please don't tell me..." I said.

       "I think they did take him," Ryder said, holding out a cell phone. Nolan's cell phone. "I found this in the alleyway beside the diner. We might have to give them Dirk."

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Le GaSp. :O

lol

Someone stop me. I keep buying Lindor chocolate BECAUSE IT'S TOO GOOD AND THE CHRISTMAS FLAVOURS ARE OUT NOW, AND I LOVE CHRISTMAS. And apparently so does my little brother BECAUSE HE WON'T STAY OUT OF MY ROOM. I came home from the store and made some hot chocolate, and he got mad because I wasn't going upstairs. He kept telling me to go to my room just so he could go in.