Chapter 12

Roux nods, "Yes, that's where Violet said she'd be, most likely." he says quickly with excitement,

Adam folds the map and puts it into his pocket and they hurry out into the street. They walk down the street and find the huge crowd as everyone begins cheering and clapping for the new mayor.

The two walk into the crowd and find Violet and Lydia towards the front and pull them to the back quickly.

"H-hey Adam!?"

"Come on!" Adam says and finally let's go of Isabella's hand,

"What's wrong?" she asks,

"You're not going to believe what Adam has found." Roux says,

The girls glance at each other and look at them. "We, well Adam was in the library and reading about the Watchdog Elements and has discovered something incredible with the map."

"A talltale?"

"What'd you find?" Isabella asks,

Adam is the only one who seems to notice the urgency in her voice.

"It was amaz-"

"We-ell, maybe this should be more private." Adam says cutting Roux off,

"Oh come on, no one's going to notice, they're too focused on the new mayor." Isabella says pointing at the man on the stage,

Violet points to her and nods in agreement.

"No, Adam is right, this is private information." Roux says,

Isabella looks at the mayor and back. "I can't just see the map?"

"Lydia?" Violet asks,

She looks at the clock beside the new mayor and groans, "Screw it."

She kicks Violet back to the ground just as before an arrow sinks into the mayor's back and everyone begins yelling.

Several people in the crowd, at least half the humungous crowd pull weapons and begin cutting down people all around them.

"Lydia what are you doing?!" Roux shouts as he leans back,

Adam rips her off him and throws her back. "Lydia?! The heck has gotten into you?!"

She glares at them, "Give me the map Adam, now!"

"No."

One person armed with a mace runs up to her side. "Last chance Adam, now."

Adam pulls his sword, Roux hesitantly pulls his. Sheila stands over the mayor as she jumps into the scrambling crowd.

"We need to go!" Roux says as Violet gets to her feet,

Roux hands her his sword and pulls the two knives, one from his boot, the other from Adam's.

"Back off Lydia."

"Adam lives, but barely." Isabella says,

The two charge at them. Violet clashes her sword against the spy's and headbutts him. He stumbles back and she swings at his legs.

Isabella jumps back as Adam swings at her, she jumps forward again, swinging the black sword against Roux's daggers, she ducks and kicks Adam in the groin, almost all in one fluid motion.

Roux swings at her stomach, she kicks his arm away and grabs the other, she jumps into the air and kicks him hard in the side while yanking on his arm, dislocating it.

He yells out and drops Adam's dagger. Violet rips the sword out of the spy's chest and swings at Isabella.

She ducks down and throws herself back into Violet and they both fall to the ground. She punches her hard in the cheek twice and rolls off to her feet. Adam advances trying to stab her. She knocks it away, as she does he let's go and in the same motion spins around and elbows her in the spine.

She yells and stumbles forward, she drops and rolls away awkwardly as Roux had attempted to slam his fist into her head.

He swings too hard as she gets to her feet and stomps down where Violet's leg is, but she manages to pull her leg away first.

She kicks out, Isabella jumps and drop kicks Roux as he turns around. She falls onto her back and rolls to her feet.

Adam kicks her to her back and holds her down, his sword pressing against her throat.

"What are you doing Lydia?!"

"Lydia?!" Fynn laughs mockingly,

Adam looks up and sees him as he swings, he spins off her, but Fynn has guessed, moved forward and kicks him in the throat.

Adam gasps and stumbles backward, falling to his back, gasping for air. Roux and Violet run to his side.

"I thought you'd snapped out of it, guess that was a lie huh?" Violet spits,

"I'm a pretty good actress aren't I? You fell for it the entire time." Isabella laughs, grinning evilly,

"You lied to us all that time?"

Adam coughs and gets to his feet, Roux steadies him, slipping a grey clay ball into his hand.

"Awe, did I hurt your feelings Violet? Ready to hand over the map Adam?"

Fynn looks at Isabella. "He has the finished map. Oh and one more thing."

Isabella touches her stomach hoping to by her time. A white wave of energy washes over her revealing Isabella's true form. Long black hair, she has tan skin and brown eyes. She wears a white button up shirt and blue pants and black boots.

They stare in confusion and shock. Sheila is pulls her sword and jumps off. Roux hears her grunt and looks up.

"Adam! Blank mind Violet!"

Adam looks up and almost immediately crushes the ball, they are all engulfed in smoke and vanish, Sheila falls into the smoke and stabs the ground.

"Damn it!" she shouts angrily,

They fall through the air and land on the dirt road on each other. They grunt and groan in pain. Roux rolls off slowly, whining sharply at his arm.

"Roux?" Violet groans and crawls over to him,

"I-I'm fine, You alright?"

She nods, they look at Adam who stares at the ground, still in shock. "Adam?"

"I-if she's not Lydia.....is Lydia dead?" he whines looking at them,

Violet's eyes grow teary, "I-I..."

She walks over and drops to his side and hugs him, "I'm so sorry Adam....she lied to us from the start. The Lydia we know is....probably gone." she says softly, almost whines,

Roux hangs his head sighs, "Fynn was there, and Sheila....I'm sure Sylvia was there as well. And the army hidden among the citizens. We can't go back to New Haven, it's lost." He mutters to them,

The pit in Adam's stomach only grows. How could she do this? How long were they being fooled for? If he was in love with Isabella, does that mean she's in love with him? What if it effects him the next time they meet?

"Adam, Violet, can you help me?"

They look over at Roux, "Lydia, or whoever that was, she dislocated my arm."

Adam walks over with Violet and relocate his arm, he crys sharply, biting on a stick and sighs at the relief of pain.

"Are you okay?"

He nods, "Y-yes, thank you....Adam, we shouldn't stay here too long."

He nods, "Yeah."

They turn and start down road. Anguish and agony swirl around inside Adam. He wants to hate that woman, but he can't, he isn't sure if it was her that he was in love with, or the character Lydia.

Regardless he still feels that horrific pain, so he must have been in love with that woman as well, to some degree.

"This means that was all fake, when we were attacked the first time by Fynn, he kept her alive so she could be healed by the Shadow Walkers." Violet says,

"I wonder if they know." Roux says,

He looks over at Adam, "H-hey, where are we?" he asks bumping him softly,

He doesn't answer. Violet and Roux eye each other and look at him. "As close to the mark on the map as possible." He mutters,

"We're going to find the Watchdogs?" Roux asks,

"Adam, I'm not sure this is the best place to go-"

"They wanted the map for a reason, we have to get there before them. I'm not letting her get there first." He says softly,

Violet and Roux look at each other and mentally agree to go along with it.