Chapter 3

Honestly, we don't do this in the Shadow World. Instead, you will see kids playing with the skulls of their ancestors.

She gave me a startled look as she turned to face me.

"What?" I asked with a smile.

"You don't know what football is?"

"Football? Is that what this is called?"

"Yes, it is called "football."

"But the football dad watched last night was played by foot, but this one is by hand and they even wear helmets, which is weird."

Denise snickered. She took a breath and turned her gaze back to the field. "Okay Inez, this is American football, also called gridiron football, and it also has rules." Her focus briefly returned to me before vanishing again and returning to the field.

"Which are?" I asked. Likewise, I averted my eyes from her and turned to the field to watch the game. I concentrated on Chase, who had the ball in his hands and was being pursued by other players wearing a different uniform.

"If they kick a field goal, then the other team gets a possession. If they score a touchdown, they win. If they tie the score by kicking a field goal, then the next team that scores wins. If the team with the first possession turns the ball over without scoring any points, then the first team to score wins. Get it now?"

"I guess so, but this team they are playing against is really strong."

"I know, but the Chase team is stronger, they win all the time, and they have made this school proud."

As we concentrated on how the other team attempted to take the ball away from Chase's team, I exclaimed, "Wow." They kept pushing themselves onto the ball and they were really strong. One of the other team players rashly used his helmet to fight for the ball, and one of Chase's teammates was hurt by the steel in the helmet.

His shoulder was bleeding as he collapsed to the ground. The crowds stopped applauding, and there was silence instead. The trainers were summoned, and they carried the injured boy into the hall.

Despite not wanting to, my good eyesight and focus allowed me to see the blood on the floor. I didn't feel good about it.

Not again.

Once more, and quickly this time, my fangs were bursting their way out.

I turned to face Denise. The crowd stood to cheer for Chase's team as they prepared to resume the game, and I had my hands over my mouth. When Denise wasn't looking at me, I ran as quickly as I could to get away from the blood that was capturing my attention.

***

The room was a huge, dark space. Artificial beams of light cut through the darkness, causing pools of white to collect on the black floor tiles. A vast screen surrounded by hundreds of smaller monitors dominated the opposite wall.

"I think it's a good idea for the Sivan family to mingle among the humans." The head of the council said as he talked from the high table.

A member got to their feet. "The Silas brothers won't even know they are here in the human world. We wipe off all their information from the internet."

"Good choice." The head said, as he nodded. "What did the prophecy say about our chosen one?" he asked.

After a brief period of silence, the second person in the chorus stood up. "Inez will try to change everything we have built; she will change the rules."

The head takes a big gulp, clearing his throat in the process. "Continue," he commanded.

"She'll develop feelings for a human boy, which is against our policies. The human boy will also turn out to be a calamity for her, leading her to act foolishly and make bad choices that could lead to the end of the world." As she settled in, the second member added.

The head of the council sighed. "I shall pay a visit to Sivan's home." He stood up and he went out of the meeting room.

I entered the house and said, "Mom, I'm home." I was surprised to see how full the room was.

Except when it's time to eat or there is a crucial meeting, my family doesn't always stay in the same room. Separated from one another, my parents were seated. A stranger's face was seated next to Arden. I stepped a little forward and they all had their eyes on me.

Why are they looking at me? Who is this man sitting next to my brother?