Chapter 9

       I was feeling a lot better than I was the past couple weeks. In fact, I was probably feeling the best I had ever been all my life. I was normally a very irritated person and hated pretty much everything and everyone, but now... I was really happy.

       "You know, you might want to tune down your happiness just a bit," Orchid said as she walked up to me in the Op Centre while I was looking at a holographic map of the city. After every single kill, we placed a marker on the map and for some reason, it felt like it was being done in a specific pattern so I was trying to figure it out.

       "Why?" I asked.

       "Because you're almost too happy," Orchid said. "You're basically glowing, so it probably won't be long until someone finds out exactly why you're so happy."

       "Because I can be?" I said in an obvious tone. "It's not a crime to be happy."

       "I never said it was," Orchid said. "What I did say is you're basically glowing and I bought you anything if his name is brought up, you'll face will turn as red as a tomato."

       "Okay, so maybe I'm a bit too happy, but you can't blame me?" I asked. "All my life everyone keeps asking me the same questions. When are you getting your first girlfriend? When are you finally going to have a crush on someone? When are you ever going to talk about girls like everyone else?"

       "Not everyone asks those things," Orchid said.

       "Yeah, they do," I said. "In fact, a few weeks ago before you found out that I'm... You asked me when I'm finally going to get a girlfriend, even though not a single one of us have ever dated someone."

       Orchid sighed. "I'm sorry, Nolan."

       "It's fine," I said. "I got used to it. Now if you'll excuse me, I should really get back to trying to find the pattern to the kills."

       "I'll help," Orchid said. "And don't worry, I'll try not to say his name so you don't blush like crazy."

       I just rolled my eyes before Orchid and I both looked at the map. I thought it would be easy to find out the pattern since I was normally so good at puzzles, but for some reason, my mind was a complete blank.

       Maybe there wasn't a pattern and I was just hoping there was so I wouldn't feel completely useless with all the innocent humans dying.

       A loud alarm suddenly rang three times, which meant the one thing I always regretted:

       A visit from members of the Tribunal.

       While the Tribunal was what kept the Protector Circle together, they were way too strict and harsh for my liking. Most of the time, I stayed in my room or found some sort of mission to attend to whenever they visited the HQ, which wasn't often.

       In fact, the only came here if something was wrong.

       Orchid and I turned away from the map and watch as Grandpa led three members of the Tribunal to the Op Centre. The only one I recognized was Martha Goth. She was the head of the Tribunal, so whatever was going on was worse than I thought.

       Now I was tempted to ignore looking at the map and go hide in my room.

       "What do you think they're here for?" Orchid asked me in a quiet voice.

       "I have no idea, but it does not give me a good feeling," I said.

       "Same here," Orchid said.

       Grandpa went on the platform on the far wall of the Op Centre and presses a button, causing the HQ to flash green and signal a meeting in this room. It didn't take everyone long to show up, all knowing the meetings were very important and Grandpa didn't like it when anyone was late.

       Except for me, because he loved me and most of the time, I was late because I was sleeping and it was a never a good idea to wake me from my sleep.

       Once everyone was gathered in the Op Centre, Grandpa began talking. "So, you may be wondering why we have members of the Tribunal here," he said. "They will be staying here until we come to the end of a very serious problem we're encountering in the HQ."

       Grandpa stepped back and Martha stepped forward. "One of the most important rules of being a Protector is being broken because someone in this room is in contact with a supernatural," she said. "But not just any supernatural. It's Jerome Roy, one of the most powerful sorcerers."

       I tried my best not to look away because if anyone was watching, that would make me look suspicious. And I was also trying my best to just have a blank expression.

       This was hard.

       "The reason why the rule was created in the first place is so we won't show favouritism between supernaturals," Martha said. "If a Protector seems to favour one, others will feel like we're failing our job, which is to keep both humans and supernaturals safe."

       Part of me felt like that actually wasn't the reason why the rule was created. Maybe if all Protectors favoured one, I would see why. But if only one Protector favoured someone who just so happened to be a supernatural, others shouldn't be made and feel like they weren't important.

       Too bad questioning the rule would only make me, once again, look guilty.

       "So, whoever is in contact with Jerome Roy, I suggest you stop now while you can," Martha said. "If you don't, trust me, we will find out who you are and your duty as a Protector will come to an end. In the meantime, everyone here will be working twice as hard to find out the supernaturals in charge of all these killings. You're all dismissed."

       Everyone, even Grandpa, Martha, and the other members of the Tribunal, left the Op Centre. Orchid and I were the only two left and once everyone was gone, I gripped the edges of the table the map was displayed on as I sighed. 

       "Nolan..." Orchid said slowly.

       "I can't stay away from him," I said. "You already saw what happened when I do."

       "I know," Orchid said. "I was just going to tell you to be careful, and that I'm going to be here for you. I'm going to make sure nobody suspects it's you. But you and Jerome should also find out exactly why you two were so weak and sick when you were staying apart from each other."

       "We will," I said. "Hopefully. With Martha and the others here, it's going to be hard sneaking out of the HQ all the time to see him."

       "Not if I go along with you," Orchid said. "All the know is one person is in contact with Jerome. If you and I leave the HQ together, it will just seem like normal siblings going for a walk somewhere."

       I smiled slightly. "Thanks, for being here for me. I'm glad I told you."

       "I'm glad you told me too," Orchid said. "And honestly, I'm glad you're following your heart because in the end, any other Protector feeling the same way you do could do the same eventually."

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ORCHID AND NOLAN ARE STILL MY FAVOURITE PAIR OF SIBLINGS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH