Chapter 38

       I stared at the holographic map of Florida, trying to pinpoint exactly where Dirk might be. I really didn't want to spend all my time searching for him, especially when I told Martha it wasn't the best idea but I didn't know what else to do. Jerome's idea to strike a deal with Dirk to try to catch him could be dangerous. It was best not to get involved with him that way.

       So I had no choice but to try and figure out where Dirk could be.

       Jerome walked over to me while I was examining the map. "I'm guessing you looking at the map means you don't want to make a deal with Dirk."

       "It's dangerous, Jerome," I said. "Even if it's a deal that won't affect us too much, he's very manipulative. He'll be able to find his way out of the deal or turn it around so we're the ones who lose."

       "We caught him before," Jerome said. "We can catch him again, especially since he still doesn't know you're a sorcerer. We can use that against him."

       I sighed. "I know but... I don't want to take any risks. I'm already on Martha's bad side. Imagine what will happen if she finds out we struck a deal with him and came out as the losers. She wouldn't be too pleased."

       "Fair enough," Jerome said. "So what can we do to catch Dirk?"

       "I have no idea," I said. "I'm trying to figure out where he might be hiding but... He's a sorcerer. He could be anywhere and not just somewhere he in Florida. He could be in, I don't know, Greece for all we knew."

       "You're right there," Jerome said. "When the going gets tough for Dirk, he hides. He won't be somewhere we could easily find him."

       "Do you know him well enough to know any place he could be?" I asked. "I don't want to spend my time searching for him when we told Martha it's not the best idea."

       "So we're stuck," Jerome said.

       "Yeah, basically," I said. "We need to find him because he's the one orchestrating this rebellion against the Protectors. And he knows a powerful spell that can not only bring someone back to life but basically create some sort of zombie if he doesn't do it correctly."

       "And I won't be surprised if he purposefully messes up just to have that creature helping him," Jerome said. "If the Protectors haven't fought against anything like that before..."

       "Who's to say we'll win the fight?" I finished.

       "Do you think he'll kill more people or supernaturals to create those zombie-like creatures?" Jerome asked.

       "I don't know," I said. "I really don't. I hope not but I don't know him well enough to know if he'll do something like that or not."

       "Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him," Jerome said. "But that doesn't mean he'll for sure do it. He has killed people in the past. That's what started all of this."

       "But he hasn't done the spell yet," I said. "So what's he waiting for?"

       Jerome didn't reply. He didn't have an answer. I didn't either. We were stuck. We had no clue what to do about Dirk before he made this situation worse.

       "Maybe we need to learn more about this spell," I said. "There has to be a certain reason Dirk wants to use it, apart from the fact that he could bring someone back to life or make some sort of zombie."

       "Yeah, let's head back to my apartment and check out that spell book," Jerome said. He created a portal and we both headed through it, showing up at his apartment. 

       Jerome grabbed his spell book before the two of us sat on the couch to look through he. He immediately went to the spell Dirk was so obsessed with to see if there was anything.

       However, as soon as we got to the page, Jerome sighed. "There was a reason I didn't recognize the pattern when Dirk was following this. I don't normally look through some of my spell books because it's in some old dialect."

       "You mean Latin?" I asked.

       "Is that what it is?" Jerome asked. 

       "Yeah, it is," I said. "And you're in luck because you have a boyfriend who just so happens to understand Latin."

       "Wait, really?" Jerome asked.

       "Yes," I said. "That's why I've read this spell book so many times. I figured it would be good practice. I learned it when I was young and would hide somewhere instead of train."

       "So what exactly does this spell say?" Jerome asked.

       "Well, it gives the basic description of what this spell is," I said. "How it can bring someone back, but in a dangerous way if not executed properly. And..." I read the page over and over again, trying to make sense of what was written on it.

       "And what?" Jerome asked.

       "And it can even be used to control someone," I said.

       "So... If Dirk brings someone back with this spell, he can control them?" Jerome asked.

       I shook my head. "Not exactly."

       "Not exactly?" Jerome asked. "What does that mean?"

       "If he kills a certain person, it's not them he would be able to control," I said. "It's someone else."

       "I don't get it," Jerome said. "You're going to have to just spit it out."

       "Yeah," I said. "Our souls are bound together. You know what happens with the prophecy. If one of us dies, the other will cause a bunch of chaos. And if Dirk brings one of us back, he'll be able to control the other."

       "W-wait," Jerome said. "So Dirk's whole plan from the start... Is to kill one of us?" 

       "It could be," I said. 

       "But why didn't he try anything yet?" Jerome asked.

       I tried figuring out the reason why Dirk hadn't done anything to me and Jerome if it were his goal to control one of us.

       Then it hit me.

       "Dirk knew that the Protectors wouldn't be able to solve the murders alone," I said. "That we would have to go to a sorcerer for help. And the prophecy said the Protector and the sorcerer will find their way together. Fate would have brought us to you when we ask a sorcerer for help."

       "He wanted us to meet," Jerome said. "So everyone would find out who's part of the prophecy. That's why he has been targeting the Protectors. Hoping it would bring us together."

       "And now that we are..."

       "It won't be long before Dirk goes through with his plan."

_________________

oof dirk is evil

obviously lmao

idk what else to say in the author's note so hi my name is laeti and i love food and jerlan is otp