Hellfire on the Other Side Book 2

Chapter 1

Clara laid down on the couch, using Claytin's lap as a pillow as she read one of her books. Claytin was watching a drama. "I don't understand what you like about these dramas. They are so stupid," she said putting her book down. It had been a few months and she had finally gotten over the death of Frollo. "Clara, you have been living a drama," Claytin laughed. "Yeah, well that's exactly why I don't need to watch them," she laughed. "By that logic, I shouldn't be watching comedies," says Shane, walking into the house. He is accompanied by Zelda and Klunk. "Clara, Claytin, I'd like you to meet Zelda and Klunk." Zelda waves at them. "I'm the daughter of Rapunzel," she says. Klunk looks around in sheer confusion. Shane nudges him. "Dude, introduce yourself," he says. "Oh! Klunk, son of Kronk. Nice place you got here," says Klunk. Clara sat up, "Hey." Claytin turned the TV off. "Been a few weeks since you last visited, how's Char?" he asked. Shane sits on the couch. "Everything's going good with her," he says. "She actually has no problem with me leaving so often." "That's good," Claytin said. Clara got up and grabbed a piece of paper from a drawer and passed it to Shane. "Give this to Em and D next to you see them. A list of new villains. Not just villain kids. Hero kids too. Cinderella's triplets recently tried something. I was in the right place and the right time. Taking my father's job has both sucked and been good in ways." "Alright. Will do," says Shane. Clara sat back down. "So, what have you been up to?" "Just taking care of some HVK business," says Shane. "Oh, come on, Shane! Don't treat it like it's nothing," says Zelda. "Tell him what he's really been up to, Klunk." "Okay, so, get this. Shane rescued an entire family from a crumbling building. Then he prevented a war. And after that, he solved a hundred-year economic crisis. It was pretty awesome," says Klunk. "Emily been keeping you busy huh? I'm proud of you Shane, and I don't say that often," Clara laughed.

The front door opened and Adrianna and Ash walked in not paying attention. Adrianna and Ash had become good friends over the past months and Adri often used her magic to visit or bring Ash to Paris. "So when are you going to tell Verity about you and Gabriel?" Adrianna asked Ash. "He is two years older than me, I don't know how she'd react. I am hardly getting used to this dimension and she is kinda overprotective. You know how she is when I don't tell her when I come to Paris," Ash said. "Uh girls," Claytin said. They turned and saw Shane and the others. Ash gave an awkward smile, "Hi...." "Hey, Ash. It's been a while," says Shane. Zelda and Klunk simply wave hello. "You should visit soon," Ash said before running upstairs. Adrianna gave Shane a quick hug. "Hello." She quickly followed Ash.

"It's good to see Ash this way," says Shane. "Hard to believe that she used to be a scared little slave girl." "You can say that again, especially after she and Gabriel got together a month ago," Clara said. "Two months Clara," Claytin laughed. "Wait really?" "Ash thought you'd tell Shane and then he'd tell Verity." "I keep a lot of secrets from Shane! It took me two months before I told him about me taking my father's job!" "Trust me, I know." Zelda laughs. "You all just love keeping secrets, don't you?" she says. "Actually, I hate it," says Zelda. "But at least these secrets are good. Definitely a nice change of pace." Clara nodded. "Oh! While your here Shane, guess who I saw last I was out of Paris." Claytin groaned and got up, going to the kitchen. "What?!" Clara called after him. "I am not listening to your under reaction again!" Clara rolled her eyes. Shane chuckles. "Who?" "Markus, Garrett, Dawn, and Anna. I know where they've been staying. And no, they didn't see me," Clara said. "And she followed them!" Claytin called from the kitchen, "She wants to get kidnapped!" "Okay, that's overdramatic!" "Ah, those four hooligans," says Shane. "Hard to believe that they haven't been causing trouble." "Uh, who are those people?" Klunk asks. "The four responsible for the takeover that happened here. They are the ones who forced me to lead it. Markus, son of Maleficent, Garrett son of Gaston, Dawn daughter of Drizella and Anna daughter of Anastasia," Clara explained. "Shane, can you please tell her that following the four people that tortured her for six months was stupid? Please," Claytin said coming back into the living room and sitting down next to Clara. "Nothing happened, you overreact about the past," Clara said laying her head on his shoulder. "Claytin, it's obvious that they don't have any plans of getting to Clara," says Shane. "Ease up, man." "I am on Claytin's side with this one," a familiar voice said. Delia leaned against one of the walls. "How did you get in?" Clara asked. "You leave the windows open. I turn into a raven. Emily wants me to watch you. It's really not that hard," she said shrugging. "Why does your girlfriend send you to watch me when there are others you can watch to recruit?" "Ask her, I think she just wants to make sure you don't go back to being a villain because of your father's job. Which I have told her is silly. And besides, we all know who she is sending after you if that were to happen." Delia points to Shane. "Hey, Delia!" says Klunk. "Why would Emily send Shane after Clara?" Zelda asks Delia. "Because otherwise, we'd most likely do to her what we do with other villains if we catch them. Then we'd probably lose Shane from the HVK's. Also, she doesn't really listen to many other people so if she were to become a villain again, he'd be our best shot at making her a hero again," Delia explained. "I am not going to deny that but I am also not saying it's true," Clara laughed getting up and grabbing a beer. "Exactly," says Shane. "I mean, I was the one who convinced her to-" He stops himself once he looks at Clara. "Anyway, I should be able to get her to be a hero again. No sweat." "Yeah but we all know that I am not becoming a villain again right? The only way that's happening is if either somebody I care about life's at stake if I don't become a villain again, or if somehow they break me," Clara said. "Good thing she doesn't have any more villain parents to kill..." Claytin whispered to Shane. "Preach, brother," says Shane. "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat around here?" says Klunk. "Klunk, you just had two bowls of soup and a plate of cookies thirty minutes ago," says Zelda. "Hey! How else do you expect me to maintain this muscle if I don't say?" says Klunk. "He's got a point there, Zelda. Dude's gotta keep his bulk. It's all he's really good for," says Shane. "My mom is coming with some food in a few minutes," Clara said, "Which reminds me..." "Don't you dare Clara!" Claytin said giving her a look. "Shane, you need to come back next Saturday, apparently Claytin's mother is not dead like he told us. Apparently, she is quite alive and coming to visit!" Claytin groaned. "I really wished you would keep your mouth shut sometimes." "Oh! How come you never told me about your mother, Claytin?" says Shane. "Because I specifically said she was dead." "Making him a hypocrite after all the times he told me not to lie," Clara said crossing her arms. "I'm out." Delia turned into a raven and flew off. "And he probably would never had told me if I didn't get the mail before he did, finding his mother's letter, and then I found a bunch more, hidden. She had been contacting him for a couple months now asking for his address which I happily mailed back to her," Clara said. "Sweet! Can't wait to meet her!" says Shane. "Yeah no, no one is meeting her. When she gets here next week, I am telling her to leave," Claytin said standing up. "Oh no no no! When I told you not to get mixed up with my family business, you did before we even married. Now, we are the same family, I am meeting your mother," Clara pushing him back on the couch with her finger. "And the tables have turned, Claytin," says Shane. "They have a weird relationship," says Zelda. "Well, at least they manage," Shane replies. "I don't have a good relationship with my mother Clara, I don't want to see her," Claytin said. "Right, because I had such a good one with mine, look at my parentage." "Point taken, but if she does come, Adri is not meeting her and my dad does not find out."