Chapter 3

       Whenever my siblings wanted to spar with me while we had nothing else to do, I tried my best to refuse to do so because every single time, I would lose. We only sparred with either a sword, or with no weapon at all, and those weren't really my strengths.

       Ever since I got to the age where we got to choose what weapon we wanted to start training with, I chose the one thing that wouldn't really need any close physical combat; the bow. I rarely ever trained with a sword, yet I somehow kept finding myself with Ryder, Alan, and Orchid.

       And losing every single time.

       I was lying on the floor in the training room as Ryder crouched down beside me. "Have you ever won just one spar with any of us?" he asked.

       "No," I said, propping myself on my elbows. "You want to know how I can win? Spar with a bow."

       "Yes, we can totally spar with bows and arrows," Ryder said. "And what would happen if we get hit by an arrow?"

       "There's this thing called using fake arrows," I said. "I'm not trained with a sword, so I don't know why I keep finding myself sparring with you guys."

       Ryder held out his hand and helped me stand up. "You know, your bow and arrow won't help every time, especially when who we're going after is quite fast."

       "Well, it has been working so far, so I think I'm going to stick with it," I said. 

       One of the main reasons why I chose a bow over a sword or any other weapon was because I couldn't even imagine killing someone up close. Having a sword would give me way too much power to do so and I didn't think I could handle it.

       So I chose a weapon I could use while fighting far away.

       I headed to the weapon stand and placed the sword I used for sparring back. Right as I did, my cell phone was was sitting on the table beside the weapon stand started buzzing. I picked it up and looked at the caller id. Jerome was calling.

       I walked to a far side of the training room where nobody else was before answering it. "Hello?"

       "Nolan, hi," Jerome said. "I know you might not be allowed to, but any chance you can come over? There's something important I have to tell you, and I don't think talking over the phone will help."

       "Does this have to do with that meeting you were invited to?" I asked.

       "It does," Jerome said. "I don't... The thing is..." He sighed. "Yeah, it's hard to explain over the phone."

       "I can come over," I said. "I'll leave now."

       "Alright, I'll see you then," Jerome said.

       After we hung up, I placed my cell phone in my back pocket. I started heading towards the exit of the HQ, but someone soon called my name. I stopped and turned around, seeing Mom walking over to me. "Where are you going?" she asked.

       "Just for a walk," I said, since there was some truth to it. At times, I really wished I was a better liar. Actually, I wished I was a better liar all the times, especially for being in such a powerful group.

       "By yourself?" Mom asked. "You don't do that often."

       "I know," I said. "It's just something I really want to do on my own right now. Besides, I somehow got talked into sparring with Ryder, Alan, and Orchid yet again and, of course, I lost so I'd rather not be around them since I'm a poor sport."

       Mom chuckled. "Understandable. Alright, go for your walk. Just don't be gone for too long. Normally I'm fine with my children going out on their own but a sorcerer and a vampire teamed up to kill someone, I'm a bit on edge."

       "Don't worry, I'll be fine," I said. "And my cell phone is with me, so I'll call if I ever need help." To reassure Mom even more, I gave her a hug. "Love you."

       "I love you too," Mom said.

       I headed out of the HQ before starting my walk to Jerome's place. I wanted to tell Mom the truth as to where I was going, but part of me knew I couldn't tell anyone. My parents may be my parents, but they were also part of the Protector Circle, and they grew up training in what was wrong and what was right in the Protector Circle, as well as what should be reported to the Tribunal.

       If one of their children broke one of the most strict rules, I knew they would have no other choice but to tell the Tribunal. Not only that, but it would just cause a lot of problems for Grandpa since he was the one who suggested us turning to Jerome for help in the first place.

       However, the other part of me felt like out of all people, Mom would be the one to keep a secret. Don't get me wrong, I loved both of my parents equally, but I connected with my mom a lot more than my dad. I was the only one out of the seven of us.

       Mom didn't mind. It was basically what we called the Prince arrogance that made my siblings connect with my dad more. My dad was one of the most arrogant person ever, but he made it charming, as did the rest of my siblings.

       I, on the other hand, wasn't arrogant at all.

       I had what I liked to call sass.

       I was a bit nervous walking the streets alone, but I was at Jerome's place before I knew it. I knocked on the door and like the last time I was here, he used his magic to open the door since he was sitting on the couch.

       I walked in and closed the door behind me. "I have something to tell you too, about the victim you examined," I said as I walked over to the living room and sat down on the chair.

       "Did you find out who did it?" Jerome asked.

       "Unfortunately not," I said. "It's weird, though. The killing took place in Miami, so you'd think that it was a vampire in Miami who would do it. But all the vampires in Miami are in the clan, and my siblings talked to the clan leader, April. She said it wasn't anyone in the clan, and she knows everything that's happening in it."

       "Well, I might have some idea as to who did it," Jerome said. "Or at least why. The meeting I went to was for supernaturals who don't have the... best reputations. A lot of them aren't so happy with the way things are running, with either leaders of other supernaturals or the Protectors. They want a change."

       "That doesn't sound good," I said.

       "That's because it isn't," Jerome said. "They want to break a lot of rules that they feel is holding them back; not to kill or harm humans, not to let humans know you exist, not to fight with other supernatural species. They want to start a war. An uprising."

       "Seriously?" I asked. "A lot of the rules is what's keeping everyone safe. Both humans and supernaturals."

       "Exactly what I told them," Jerome said. "They didn't agree with me, and I didn't dare say anything else disagreeing with them just in case they felt like I would expose them. Not that I could because I doubt I can just walk into the HQ and tell them. And that's why I'm telling you."

       I sighed. "And I don't even know what to do about it. If I tell anyone in the HQ, they're going to wonder how I found out. I can tell my Grandpa, but he said that asking for your help was a one time thing. If anyone else finds out I'm here talking to you about Protector and supernatural business..."

       "Don't say anything about it then," Jerome said. "At least not yet. I'm really going to hate saying this, but you might have to wait until something else happens. When it does, you can pretend that you just thought of how it might be an outcome of a possible uprising. That way, they'll keep that idea in the back of their minds and actually consider it."

       "That will work," I said. "I just hope nothing bad happens."

       "Something will," Jerome said. "I don't want to admit it, but the people in the group aren't to mess around with. And the worst part was I didn't know who any of them are except for two of them. There's no way I would be able to track them down if something happens."

       "Who are the two you did recognize?" I asked.

       "Dirk and Cheryl," Jerome said. "I don't get along with them at all, so I was surprised I was invited since Dirk was the one in charge of the meeting. Dirk's a sorcerer and Cheryl, his girlfriend, is a..."

       Jerome didn't even have to finish the sentence for me to know what Cheryl was. "You think they're the ones who killed that human?"

       "I think so," Jerome said. "A sorcerer and vampire couple who don't live in Miami. The only live nearby, but that wouldn't stop them from portalling to Miami and finding someone to kill."

       "That's why it wasn't anyone in the Miami clan," I said.

       "And I know them a bit too well," Jerome said. "Trust me, they're capable of doing a lot more than just killing one person.

       Knowing all of this information was going to be really hard when I couldn't do anything with it. Even if I did tell someone, I would be kicked out of the Protector Circle for going to a sorcerer for help. 

       We were never allowed to go to a supernatural, even if they had vital information we could use. And I couldn't even risk it anyway because if someone got kicked out of the Protector Circle, they were banned from communicating with all Protectors.

       Including their family.

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dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn.

lol i'm so done right now. i had school from 1-7 and my second class was so boring that i was listening to music while playing table hockey with my best friend, involving a gum wrapper and pencils.