Hellfire On The Other Side

Chapter 19

   Clara ran faster, her legs burning. Her mind was racing, fear prickling in her stomach. If Iven found her father before she found him, she was doomed. Along with Claytin and Adrianna. Her head whipped around, scanning the crowd. He had to be around somewhere.  She went to a bar she knew he went to but he wasn't there. She snuck out through the back, maybe he'd be in the alleyway smoking like usual. "Where are you?!" Clara muttered in french angrily. Suddenly she felt her waist be grabbed from behind her. She tried to scream but a hand covered her mouth. "Looking for someone?" A familiar, cold voice whispered into her ear. Clara's dagger was plucked out of her hand and tossed to the side. Her mouth was uncovered but when she was about to scream, she was pulled closer by her waist. Her hair was moved to the side and her head tilted by force. "I see you left my gift..." another cold whisper. "Get off of me!" Clara growled giving a struggle but she was just pulled closer. "But you got rid of the others..." a hand went down the back of her dress and caressed her back. "I said get off of me, father!" Clara said trying to shove him away. "You a stupid child! You are a Frollo! You are MY daughter! You are mine to control! You will remember that!" Frollo said, grabbing her chin roughly. "You can't control me! Not anymore!" Clara said stiffly. A cold evil chuckle hit her hear as his grasp got tighter on her. "You are wrong Clara. Do you think it would be so easy to get rid of me, you are mine!" "I am not afraid of you!" Clara said angrily. "Not afraid? You really think you aren't afraid of me? I have trained you to fear me. Don't forget who gave you that." He pressed his thumb into the branded cross on the back of her neck. Clara hissed in pain as he pressed harder. "You afraid yet?" "I will never be afraid of you again!" Clara said through gritted teeth. Frollo pressed harder and she gave a yell in pain. Her knees buckled and she fell to her knees, Frollo still pressing his finger into her neck. Clara swung her arm behind her, hitting her father's leg. He stumbled slightly backward. Clara got up and slapped him across the face. She wiped her face and noticed her nails were bloody. Frollo's cheek was bleeding from three scratch marks. She grabbed her dagger from the ground. "Why were you back here?!" Clara demanded, putting her free hand lightly on the back of her sore neck. Her bloody hand was grasping the dagger. Frollo gave a cruel smug smile, "I got a message, to come here to get information. Information about you." "Iven..." Clara muttered. She started backing up. "Clara! Do you think you will make it far if you run?! I will always get you!" Frollo said. "Go back to your own side of Paris father. Once Shane finds out what you did, you better pray to God we go merciful on you!" Clara turned and ran into the crowd. Iven would be on his way to get to Frollo. She needed to stop him without getting close. Good thing she knew a guy who could summon someone. 

   Clara took out her phone texting Shane, 'Need you right now. I'm near the stage in an empty spot. Can you come? Quickly.' Shane appears behind Clara, wearing his mask. Clara turned to him. She had blood still on her face along with on her dagger handle and hand. Her other hand was resting on the back of her neck. "I've never been happier to see you." Shane's eyes widen. "Clara, what the heck happened?" he asks. "I need to cut my nails," Clara said. "But that's beside the point. I didn't find Iven. I found, my father. Basically, I have way too much confidence in his opinion. He didn't like me talking back. I told you, I only know violence as discipline. And it hurts when someone presses against a branding, badly. But I need someone to get Iven here before he gets to him. I didn't even know Iven had a phone until my father said he sent him a message to meet him in that stupid alleyway, nothing good happens in alleyways. I'm rambling, can you get him here?" Clara explained, talking fast. "Sure thing. Just tell me where he is," says Shane. "And take a breather." "I don't know where he is, I just know where he is heading," Clara said taking a breath but her hands were shaking. She was angry and afraid. Shane holds Clara tightly. "Where's he going?" "An alleyway next to a bar called um... oh I don't know, five blocks that way," Clara said pointing a direction. "But my father would be there too unless he left." "Shoot. Then I'd better be careful," says Shane. "Don't be stupid, he'll be expecting you to show. I may have threatened him that once you found out what he did..." Clara trailed off. "We just need to intercept Iven." Shane takes off his mask. "Yeah. He could be planning something dangerous," says Shane. Clara crossed her arms, "We need to do something quickly before he gets to my father. If that happens, well, we either stop him before he says where I have been staying or I find a new place. I don't want to do that." Shane nods and takes Clara's hand. "If I focus hard enough, maybe I can take us to his location, and hide us in his shadow. I've done this before, but never with another person, so if something goes wrong, I'm sorry." "Just don't get me killed," Clara said rollling her eyes before clutching her dagger a bit harder.