Chapter 30

       No matter what I did in the Protector Circle, no matter how many times I tried to prove I wasn't as weak as everyone thought I was, I was never treated as a proper member of the Protector Circle. I was always sent on the easier missions and most of the time, if I was even sent on a mission.

       Which I wasn't right now.

       We had to expand our whole search of Dirk's team to all of Florida, and that was definitely going to take a lot of Protectors. I thought Martha would have even sent all of us out there so we could cover more ground faster.

       That wasn't the case.

       Martha decided to keep me back and only told me that I wasn't needed on the field. She didn't tell me why. She just told me I had to stay back.

       She probably hated me the most and was doing whatever it took to punish me just because I ignored all the rules she gave me when I came back to the Protector Circle.

       And how I broke the rule before I left about not dating a supernatural.

       And how I was always sneaking out of the HQ without permission.

       And how I hid out at Jerome's apartment whenever I was supposed to be doing my training evaluation.

       ...Okay, maybe I saw the reasons why she didn't want to send me on the message but I was still annoyed. The times where I actually wanted to help, I couldn't. I wasn't allowed to.

       Because Martha wasn't allowing me to go looking for Dirk's team's hideout, she wanted to do a training evaluation to see how I was doing with my bow and arrow.

       I was happy she finally didn't want to test me on other weapons and hand to hand combat, but unfortunately, I hadn't practice with my bow and arrow for a while since Jerome was helping me with my magic.

       I knew I was going to do horribly so I did what I always do.

       Hid out at Jerome's apartment.

       I was still feeling upset that Martha wasn't letting me go on the mission, I just wanted to be cuddled right now so Jerome and I were sitting on the couch with my lying down and having my head resting on his lap.

       "You know, we could always sneak around and try to find the hideout without Martha knowing," Jerome said. "We're the sorcerers here. We're the ones that can portal around the state."

       "Yeah, I tried telling Martha that when she told me I can't go," I said. "She didn't care. She just told me she doesn't want me looking for the hideout."

       "Then, like I said, we could sneak around," Jerome said. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

       I sighed. "I want to but I'm getting tired of ignoring Martha only to get in trouble in the end. She's never going to value me as a true Protector, even more now that I'm a sorcerer."

       "Hey, being a sorcerer is pretty amazing," Jerome said. "And being the first Protector to use magic is amazing. If she doesn't value you, then she's losing the best Protector out there."

       I snorted. "I wouldn't say I'm the best Protector. I'm not even close."

       "Nolan, don't put yourself down," Jerome said. "You wouldn't have been chosen to be part of the prophecy if you weren't one of the best Protectors. You've done so much for them that nobody else has been close to achieving. And you're a lot smarter than those numbskulls."

       I smiled softly even though I was still feeling a bit down. "You always know what to say to make me smile."

       "I know," Jerome said, gently sitting me up and pulling me closer to him. "That's because I'm amazing."

       "And conceited."

       "That too."

       I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips on Jerome's but we had to pull away after I heard a sudden BOOM coming from outside that sounded similar to the crack of thunder but I knew that wasn't what the sound was.

       The two of us got outside onto his balcony to see what happened. Everything look completely normal until the sound came again and following it was what looked like red lightning filling the sky.

       "Do you know what that is?" I asked.

       "Yeah, I do," Jerome said. "Someone's trying to take down the barrier around Miami."

       "What happens if someone does?" I asked.

       "All the demons and other supernaturals that don't care about hurting and killing humans will be allowed to come here," Jerome said. "Come on, we have to go warn Martha."

       Jerome created a portal and we both quickly stepped through to end up in the HQ. Martha was in the Op Centre, marking something down on the holographic map of Florida she had pulled out on the table in the middle of the Op Centre.

       "Martha, someone's trying to take down the magical barrier around Miami," Jerome said. "The one that keeps the evil supernatural creatures out."

       "Can't you stop whoever it is from taking it down?" Martha asked.

       Jerome shook his head. "I don't know how to. I learned how to create barriers but there's a specific place you need to be to control the barrier around Miami, whether it is to strengthen it or weaken it and I was never told where it was."

       "It's not Dirk doing it, is it?" I asked. "He's still locked up, right?"

       Martha went to the security cameras and nodded. "Yes, he's still there."

       "I'll head to the Sorcerer Circle HQ to inform them and hopefully get someone to tell me where I can go to stop whoever is doing this," Jerome said.

       I told him I was going to stay back and after he left, Martha sent out a message to all Protectors to get them to return to the HQ as soon as possible. She then pulled up the holographic map of Miami where a blue transparent semi-circle represented the barrier. It was slowly flickering, indicating it was getting weaker and weaker.

       "Is there anything I could do to help?" I asked Martha.

       "No," Martha said. "When the Protectors get back, I'm going to get them to get their weapons and head out into the city if the barrier fails to attack all demons and other creatures they see."

       "Should I get my bow and arrow just in case?" I asked.

       "You're not heading out there," Martha said. "You're not strong enough to face demons."

       "You don't know that," I said. "And if I wasn't, it's because you're not giving me the chance. You're always keeping me here in the HQ. I want to help."

       "I don't care," Martha said. "You're staying back and you're not going out into the field."

       A portal opened up and Jerome stepped out of it. "I can't get into the HQ or contact anyone in the Sorcerer Circle. All communication has been cut off for me. There's nothing I can do to stop whoever's doing this. The portal's coming down and when it does, there's going to be complete chaos."

      And I wouldn't be able to do anything to help.

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i missed jerlan so much <3 someone tell ollie to stop taking up all of my attention.

also you all know how petty and salty nolan can be. just wait for next chapter. he's going to be very petty and im going to love it.