Hellfire on the Other Side Book 3

Chapter 5

   Delia was traveling to Corona with a few guards. She and Emily had found a weird pocket watch with some kind of magic, they didn't know what kind of magic being as they couldn't open it. The pocket watch had the symbol of Corona on it so Emily decided to give it to Rapunzel. Delia was going to meet with Zelda to give it to her. They were trying to keep it on the down-low and Emily didn't like mixing her Queen life and her HA life so that's why they weren't meeting in the HA hideout. 

   What Delia didn't know was Clara was watching. She was in a tree watching and waiting for a good time to jump down and attack. Jocelyn gave her this mission that morning. M.G. wanted that pocket watch for some reason and asked Jocelyn to give Clara to mission to steal it. Jocelyn agreed and here Clara was. When she believed the timing was right, Clara grabbed her dagger and jumped down, starting to attack. Delia didn't stay long before turning into a raven and flying off to get backup. She must have had forgotten her coin. Clara moved faster with her fighting, she didn't want to face Delia or any of her other friends. 

   Delia flew to Corona which was in sight before getting to the castle and turning into her human form. She had to find Zelda and Klunk. She wasn't much of a fighter and she was just happy that Em insisted n her bringing the guards so they could distract Clara while Delia got backup from other HA's. She was disappointed in herself for accidentally forgetting her coin at home. 

   Zelda and Klunk sit on the balcony atop the castle tower. After months of pining, they'd finally gotten together officially. "I'm really glad that your parents finally accepted me dating you," says Klunk. "Me too. And it only took nine months," says Zelda. Delia saw then and flew up to the balcony before turning back to her human form. "Oh! Hey, Delia! What brings you here?" says Zelda. "The pocket watch carrying magic thingy, Em and I told you about it," Delia answered, "But we have a complication bringing it. I need your guy's help..." "Okay," says Zelda. "What do you need us to do?" "It's Clara, the few guards that Em sent with me are keeping her busy and trying to keep her away from the watch, but she attacked. I don't know how she found out about the watch or me coming to bring it but I don't know how long the guards can keep her busy..." Delia explained quickly. Klunk cracks his knuckles. "Me and a few of my pals can take her. We've been beaten up so many times that our bodies are nearly impossible to hurt," he says, getting up from his chair. "I just need you and Zelda. The point is to keep her away from the pocket watch and capture her, if possible without hurting her. We might be able to reason with her, we need to try that. Come on, we have to hurry." "Alright," says Zelda. "I'll have to boost castle security before we go." She flips a switch in her room, causing an alarm to go off, alerting the castle guards to a nearby threat. Delia turned back into her raven form, ready to go. "So what's the plan?" Klunk asks. Delia turned back into her human form, "I'm waiting for you. I can fly, you two can't." Zelda smiles. "We don't need to fly," she says. She throws her long, golden hair up and around a hook above the balcony. She secures the hair and uses it to climb down the tower. Like mother, like daughter. Klunk stares in awe. "That's my girl," he says. "I'll meet you down there." He enters Zelda's room and goes down the slide made specifically for him. Delia turned back into her raven form and flew down. Then she led them out to the forest where Clara had attacked. 

   When they got there, Clara had the pocket watch and the other guards were knocked out. Delia snatched the watch from Clara's hand before turning back into her human form. "Give it back Delia!" Clara growled grasping onto her dagger tighter. "How did you knock them all out?" "Four guards against me with my dagger is actually, really easy. Now give me the watch!"  "Why do you even want it?" asks Zelda. "Because I need it," Clara said, "Now give it!" Delia shook her head, "Clara, what is going on?! Why now? You chose the worst time to go villain!" "Your best friend needs you now more than ever, and you betray him? How could you be so heartless?" Zelda exclaims. "Don't bring him into this! He had nothing to do with why I did this!" Clara yelled, Zelda hit a nerve, "I know I betrayed him! I betrayed my own husband for crying out loud! But I did what I did and I can't take it back now! I tried to hide my identity, I tried to keep everyone from knowing but I failed! This is what I am!" "It doesn't have to be Clara! You seemed so happy!" Delia exclaimed. "Because I was! I was happy but I was a villain for thirteen years! It's not something I can run from! I tried! I ran for two years and I just can't keep running from it anymore. It's my fate and destiny or whatever..." Zelda tenses up. "That is not true! The Clara I see right now is not the same Clara that refused to let Shane die when he was corrupted! If this is who you truly are, then you wouldn't have been so stubborn about not joining Shane. He even gave you a chance to think, and you still refused! So don't you dare say that being a villian is your fate!" "You think I didn't consider it? I did and sure, I chose to stay a hero but I was just putting off the inevitable! Some are meant to be heroes and some are meant to be villains. And I guess I am just meant to be a villain." "Clara..." Delia started. "Just, give me the watch. I don't want to fight or hurt any of you. I really, really don't." "Then surrender," says Klunk. "Or we'll have no choice but to fight." "I am not going to surrender, I can't," Clara said rolling her eyes. She knew Jocelyn was watching somewhere and if she surrendered or told them why she was doing, Lyle was in danger. "Clara, you don't have to do this," Delia said. Zelda starts to ponder. Why would Clara say that she can't surrender? Maybe Shane is right. Maybe there is someone else hidden in the picture. Regardless, she was ready to fight. "Clara, please. None of us want to fight you. Please just, tell us what's going on!" Delia begged. Clara's free hand went to her scar and she traced it with her finger before sighing, "I need that watch, I'm not leaving without it." "Clara!" Clara snapped again and she started yelling, "What's the point?! There is nothing left for me to lose! I looked my best friend in the eye and betrayed him! I put him at sword point! I have left my family for months! I've lost everything! The moment my identity came out I lost everything!" Clara was fighting back tears now. She wanted to go home and she wanted to stop this. She didn't want to get that watch but if she failed this mission, or any of her missions, she couldn't guarantee Jocelyn would leave Lyle alone. "I'm sorry, Clara," says Zelda. "But you leave us no choice." She takes out a frying pan from her hidden satchel. "For the record, Shane hasn't lost hope. He refuses to believe that you've switched back to villainy." "Then tell him to give up," Clara said, "Because I made this choice." "Clara, if you do this, you really are losing a lot of the HAs, if not all of us. Even if Shane holds onto hope," Delia said, "You haven't lost anyone yet." Clara sighed, "Then I lose the HAs." "So be it," says Zelda. Clara tightened her grip on her dagger, "Last chance, give me the watch D!" Delia looked at the watch, "I can't. I don't know why you want it so badly but I'm not giving it to you." "Then you have to kill me." Delia looked to Zelda, "It doesn't look like she is going to strike first, what do you want to do?" she asked in German so Clara wouldn't understand. "Looks like we'll just have to go for it," Zelda answers in German. "Klunk might have to restrain her if this plan is to work." "Ok, I am getting tired of watching get ready," Clara heard Jocelyn say in her head, slightly shocking her causing her to flinch a bit.  "You wanna start?" Zelda asks Delia. Clara felt something in her pocket. "I gave you a summoners charm. If you want to fight, go for it but you in the right amount of distance to use the charm. Just press the button and the pocket watch will appear in your hand. I am only doing this because I've got other things to do than to watch you all day. So whatever you do, make it quick!" Jocelyn explained to Clara. Not wanting to fight her friends, Clara dressed the summoner charm and felt the pocket watch in her hand. Delia was about to answer Zelda when Clara spoke, "Look, this has been fun and all but I gotta go. I've got better things to do than to fight you guys, plus like I said before, I really don't want to. But some words of advice, next time you try to keep something away from a villain, make sure they don't have a summoners charm, or a smoke bomb." Clara took out a smoke bomb before lighting it. When the smoke exploded, she hurried off, with the pocket watch, and went to open the tunnels before leaving.