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T heo followed Lyle and a few guards alongside Oliver and Jacques through the dark streets. Flurries swirled silently around them, and as they neared the edge of town, there were no more glimmers of life. There were only statues with burned out candles at their feet and notes tied to them with ribbons. Every building was boarded up with so much snow on the roof they began to sag.

"You doing okay, Theo?" Oliver asked as he walked at his side. "It's difficult to be out in this part of town."

"It is," he said with a sigh. "I just want to hurry and get this done so Sebastian isn't too worried."

"He was crushed without you," Jacques agreed, nodding. "We're all glad you came back."

"Ward," Lyle interrupted coldly as he held up the lantern and gestured ahead. "Come with me so I can show you where the statues are. Oliver, have everyone get the ropes ready. Theo will push, we'll lasso and pull."

Theo followed in an awkward silence and then he heard a grunt. He turned around to see the other guards attacking Oliver and Jacques in a fist fight.

"Hey!" Theo called and rushed back towards them. "What are you—"

Before Theo could finish, something hard struck his head and the world went black.