“Very good, Sire,” said Lumiere.
“Oh, and find Chad Charming; tell him to be ready to leave with me in the morning.” It would be best to have someone who knew the lay of the land. No matter that his and Chad’s friendship had cooled slightly since the villain kids had enrolled at Auradon Prep.
Ben turned back to his computer, and reread the good fairies’ words. If the purple dragon was in Charmington, he would make sure to bring a piece of it to Neverland so they could solve the mystery of the creature’s identity once and for all.
If it could be said that the Isle of the Lost had a jewel in its crown, then Maleficent’s former home, the Bargain Castle, would be it. The old place didn’t look half as good these days, however, with its peeling paint, bolted doors, and shuttered windows. Mal wasn’t sure what she thought she would find in there, but after using a stick to pry off the panels that had nailed the door shut, discovering that the whole place was completely ransacked was a surprise. When Maleficent ruled the island, her boar-like henchmen at her command, and goblins to do her bidding, no one would even dream of knocking on their door before a decent hour. But now…
Mal picked her way through the destruction. The slimy contents of their fridge were spilled on the floor, and her mother’s former throne looked as if it had been raided for its upholstery, with bits and pieces of foam and feathers sticking out of the huge holes that had been ripped and torn or clawed from its seat.
The queen was dead (well, she was a lizard). But there wasn’t a new queen either. The Isle had fallen further into chaos and disrepair. While its citizens feared Maleficent, she had brought a semblance of order to their hardscrabble lives, and now that she was gone, it was total anarchy.
Mal made her way to her room, wondering what she would find, and a bit anxious about the small but real treasures she had kept there. When her mother had shipped her off to Auradon, there was no expectation that she would actually stay there, and so Mal had left most of her things back home. She opened the door, expecting to see it similarly looted and plundered.
But her room was just like she had left it. Purple velvet curtains, bureau with all her little sparkly doodads, her many sketchbooks and canvases stacked neatly on the bookshelves. “Huh,” she said. Why was her stuff left untouched?
Mal grabbed a backpack from her closet and began stuffing it with the things she wanted to bring back to Auradon: her journals and sketchbooks, a necklace with a dragon-claw charm that her mother had given her on her sixteenth birthday (in fact, it was the first—and only—gift she’d ever received from Maleficent that she’d felt like keeping). When Mal was eight her mother had gifted her with an apple core; at ten, with fingernail shavings. Maleficent explained they were part of spells, but since there was no magic on the island, it just seemed like an excuse to give her daughter trash.
“Hello?” a voice called from the main room, and Mal heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. “Is anyone in here?”
“Who is it?” Mal asked, stepping out of her room warily.
“Mal! You’re really back!” The girl who stood in the middle of the living room was tall and rangy, wearing black from head to toe, with a tight jacket and leather pants.
“Mad Maddy?” Mal said, excited to see an old friend. When they were little Mad Maddy and Mal were practically twins since they had the same color hair. But when they got older Maddy liked to change it to a different shade every week. Right now it was bright aqua green to match her eyes.
“It’s just Maddy now,” she said, with a witchy giggle. “But just as mad as ever. I saw that the door was open and I thought it might be you. Everyone’s saying you guys are back; news travels fast on the Isle.”
“I bet,” said Mal. “Do you know who did this?” she asked, motioning to the gutted living room.
Maddy took a look around. “Goblins mostly, but almost everyone came here after the Coronation. I saw Ginny Gothel wearing one of your mother’s capes the other day.”
“Ugh!” said Mal. Ginny really was more rotten than she had remembered. “Well, at least no one touched my room; isn’t that odd?”
Maddy took a seat on the broken sofa, which looked as if it had been used as a trampoline for a school of goblins, and put her booted feet up on the smashed coffee table. “Of course not, why would they?”
“What do you mean?”
Her old friend pulled at her green hair, twirling it around her finger. “We all saw what you did, after all.”
“What I did?”
“To your mother. You turned her into a lizard. You beat Maleficent,” said Maddy, as if the words were more than obvious.
“Is that what everyone thinks around here? That I wanted that to happen?” asked Mal. She’d only wanted Maleficent to stop attacking her friends, to leave the good people of Auradon alone, and she’d had no idea that by doing so her mother would be greatly reduced in size and power.
“Well, didn’t you?” said Maddy, sorting through the rubble to see if she could scavenge anything worthwhile. “It’s what happened, isn’t it? We all saw it.”
So that was why her room had remained untouched. The Isle no longer feared Maleficent. Now they bowed to a new ruler. They feared Mal.
“It’s not what you think,” said Mal.
“Doesn’t matter,” said Maddy with a shrug. “It’s what everyone thinks.”
“Well, they’re wrong.” Mal kicked an overturned chair.
Maddy startled. “Wait, what? You mean it really wasn’t you? You didn’t do it?”
“No, I mean, I guess I did, but it was her fault she had so little love in her heart, which is why she turned into a lizard,” explained Mal, blushing to use the word love in front of Maddy. They’d both grown up thinking love was for fools, morons, and imbeciles, after all.
“Hmm,” said Maddy, studying Mal closely.
“What?” asked Mal.
“Nothing,” said Maddy. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”
They still had ample time before the meeting, so when Carlos mentioned that he was hungry, Evie suggested they walk back into town to the Slop Shop to get something to eat. After refusing to tell them any more about what they knew about Cruella’s whereabouts, Harry and Jace had run off, giggling mysteriously to themselves, and she was glad to be rid of their company.
“You think they were telling us the truth? That they don’t know where my mother is?” asked Carlos.
“Who knows, between those two I’ll be surprised if they remember their names,” said Evie, once again cursing herself for forgetting to change into comfortable footwear.
“Where do you think they are, then?” asked Carlos, playing with the zipper on his jacket. “Our parents, I mean.”
“My guess is they’ll be at the meeting later,” said Evie. “Don’t you think?”
“What are we going to do when they tell us what their evil plan is?” said Carlos. “I’m not sure I can stand up to Cruella the same way Mal stood up to Maleficent, you know?”
“We’ll figure it out when it comes down to that,” said Evie. “Don’t worry, I’m not looking forward to seeing my mother either. I know she’ll hate the way I’m doing my hair now.”
When they reached the goblin-run café, they noticed Mal in the window, laughing with a girl Evie didn’t recognize. The two of them were giggling together while sharing one of the Slop specials—stale bread pudding topped with rancid banana syrup, a popular dessert on the Isle of the Lost, where extracts from rotten fruit were their only source of sugar.
“Who’s that girl?” Evie asked.
“Oh, that’s Mad Maddy,” said Carlos. “She and Mal used to be tight.”
“I don’t remember her from Dragon Hall,” said Evie.
“Yeah, she transferred to an all-witches school on the other side of the island in ninth grade,” said Carlos. “Witches. Even if you can’t practice magic on the island, they still think they should teach their kids about it.”
He led them to the coun
ter and ordered snacks. The goblin grunted and shoved two steaming-hot cakes on paper plates their way.
“Ah,” said Carlos, making a face as he bit into a hard, sour scone. “Just like I remembered.” He spit it out. “Although I think I’ll pass. I don’t think I can eat this anymore.”
Evie nodded, and put hers back on its plate, untouched.
“Oh, hey, guys, come and join us,” Mal called from her table.
Evie took a seat next to Mal while Carlos pulled up a chair next to Maddy. Mal was digging into her pudding. “Want some?”
Carlos nodded. He found a clean spoon and took a bite. “I forgot how much I used to like these things,” he said, and took another heaping spoonful.
“You did?” Evie blanched.
“You didn’t?” said Maddy, looking her over with a sardonic smile. “Wasn’t this an intrinsic part of your childhood?”
Evie returned the girl’s up-and-down gaze. “Not mine,” she said coolly. “My mother and I hardly came into town. Actually, make that never.”
“Sorry, don’t you guys know each other?” Mal asked, to make up for the awkward silence that ensued. “Maddy, this is my friend Evie, and Evie, this is Maddy. We grew up together.”
“Yeah, Carlos told me,” Evie said.
“We liked to hex our dolls together,” said Maddy. She smiled sweetly at Carlos. “Hey, Mal, remember when we covered Hell Hall in fake spiders?” she asked. “Or were they real?”
“They were real and real dead,” said Mal, laughing at the memory. “It took forever to collect so many!”
Carlos squirmed in his seat. “Yeah, that was fun, not really,” he muttered.
“Carlos screamed so loud when he saw them, I thought he would wake up Cruella,” Maddy cackled, and put up her hand for a high five, which Mal slapped with gusto.
Mal and Maddy were still laughing over their past exploits, which Evie found highly annoying. They hadn’t returned to the island to gossip with old prank-mates. Plus, they shouldn’t be making fun of Carlos. Evie realized she wasn’t looking at Auradon Mal. This was Dragon-Hall Mal, the sneering, scary girl who used to stomp through the island with a scowl and a can of spray paint. Evie cleared her throat to get their attention. “So, Maddy, do you guys have any idea where my mom is? Or Carlos’s? We just went home and they were nowhere to be found.”
Maddy crumpled her napkin and pushed her bowl away just as a goblin came by and grumpily reminded them that there was no lingering at the tables.
“You really don’t know?” she asked coyly.
“No, we really don’t,” said Evie, who had had it with this girl’s snickering innuendo. Maddy was acting as if she knew a wicked secret and wouldn’t share.
“Do you know anything?” Mal asked Maddy.
Maddy shrugged. “No one knows anything about anything.” She continued to eat her pudding, a sly smile on her face.
Evie didn’t like the girl, but even if she did, she knew Maddy was lying. She knew something about where Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil had gone, that was for sure. Was she in cahoots with them and this Anti-Heroes club? Evie wouldn’t put it past her.
It was almost time to head over to the Anti-Heroes meeting, and Evie felt herself break out in a cold sweat, imagining what was in store for them. Evil Schemes was only a class taught at Dragon Hall, but Cruella de Vil, Evil Queen, and Jafar could spin an evil scheme in their sleep. They lived and breathed for malice and revenge. Who knew what kind of terrible surprise their parents had cooked up for their return?
Chad Charming wasn’t particularly happy to have been woken up at dawn on a Sunday, and was still complaining about it as Ben drove them down the Auradon Coast Highway that morning in the royal convertible. The handsome prince groused that he had been up late from Castlecoming festivities the night before, and what was so important that they had to leave this early?
“Really, old man, why on earth are we going to Charmington? Mom’s going to freak when we get there; you know she likes to have everything sparkling clean for a royal visit,” said Chad.
“I told you, I have an early meeting with the grand duke about the upcoming ball,” said Ben, who wasn’t about to tell Chad about the dragon menace just yet. “And you know the fastest way to get there.”
“Fine,” said Chad, leaning back in the passenger seat. “Keep on this lane and then exit at Belle’s Harbor, then we can take the back roads until you get to the Stately Chateau.”
Ben did as directed, glad that Charmington Cove wasn’t stuck in the past like Camelot, and he could actually drive his own car without the burden of the full royal entourage. If he could have taken his motorbike, he would have, but the sporty coupe was fun to drive too. Plus, he’d been meaning to talk to Chad about something.
“Hey, Chad,” he said. “What’s up between you and Jay lately? Have you been giving him a hard time?”
Chad snorted. “Those villain kids are getting big heads, don’t you think? Strutting around Auradon like they own it. Someone’s got to put them in their place.”
“Their place is in Auradon now,” said Ben angrily. “Look, man, they’re just trying to fit in. Give it a rest, will you?”
Chad squirmed in his seat but he nodded and said he would.
Ben relaxed his hold on the steering wheel, satisfied. As pompous a prince as Chad was, he wasn’t a complete jester.
They arrived at Charming Castle by noon. Chad hollered for his parents, but was told they were out running errands for the upcoming ball and wouldn’t be back till late.
While Chad went up to his room to get some more sleep, Ben met with the grand duke, who was in charge while the royals were away. The duke was polishing his monocle in his receiving room when Ben was announced. He bowed to Ben and offered him a seat on one of the tufted red velvet chairs across the large inlaid table.
“You got my message last night?” Ben asked. “I’m sorry for the rush.”
“Oh yes, Sire,” said the grand duke, his mustache quivering. “As you requested, I sent messengers throughout our kingdom to see if anyone else had encountered such a creature. My men are very thorough, and they understand this is just as high a priority as Operation Glass Slipper. According to your note, we are looking for any sign of a purple dragon, am I correct?” He cupped his mouth and whispered, “Like Maleficent?”
“Unconfirmed for now,” said Ben. “As far as we know, she remains safely locked away in the library.”
The grand duke looked relieved. “When she was turned into a lizard, she did seem quite harmless—cute even, if I can say so, Sire. I hear lizards make good pets.”
Ben was noncommittal and the grand duke remembered the pressing business he had to communicate to Ben. He pulled up a few scrolls. “I received this just before you arrived. Other than the report that Merlin received of a creature spotted off Charmington Cove, it appears there hasn’t been any fire damage or livestock stolen, nothing of that sort. However, there was another incident this morning down by Cinderellasburg.”
“What kind of incident?”
“A creature was spotted in a chicken coop early this morning,” said the grand duke. “However, the farmer reports that the animal did not resemble a dragon. More like a purple snake.”
Snake. Dragon. Lizard. It was all part of the reptilian family, Ben thought. “It could still be related to what I’m looking for; let’s check it out.”
Ben left Chad back at the castle, snoring away, and the grand duke and a team of his footmen accompanied him to the pretty little village that Cinderella had once called home. The farmer and his wife were expecting them, standing nervously in front of their homestead. They bowed and curtsied when they saw Ben.
“I understand you saw a strange-looking snake on your farm this morning?” he asked.
“Yes, Sire, it came out of nowhere and took three eggs from the coop!” the farmer’s wife told them. “Largest snake I’ve ever seen, for sure, and very purple. I screamed my head off.”
“Great fa
ngs too,” said the farmer, shivering. “We’re lucky it didn’t take a sheep…or a cow.”
“Would it be possible to see the coop?” Ben asked.
“Of course, Sire,” the farmer said. “This way.” The couple led them around the house to where a tidy-looking chicken coop stood in the middle of their backyard. Several fat fluffy chickens were pecking seeds on the ground.
The farmer opened the door to the coop and Ben knelt down to look inside. It smelled like straw and feathers, and something not entirely pleasant.
“What are you looking for?” the grand duke asked, lifting his monocle. “I can send the footmen to search.”
“No need,” said Ben as he had spotted something glittering in the nearest nest. He picked it up with his fingertips, careful not to crush it since it was very delicate. “I think I’ve found what I was looking for.”
“What is it?” asked the grand duke.
Ben stood up and held it up to the light. It was a glittering scale. Purple. The exact shade of the dragon he had seen in Camelot. He put it carefully in his handkerchief and slid it into his pocket.
“Thank you, you’ve been very helpful,” he told the couple. “My staff will send you a dozen eggs for your trouble.”
“Thank you kindly, Sire,” said the farmer, tipping his hat.
“Yes, very good, very good indeed, thank you for your quick response,” said the grand duke. “And do let us know if you see it again.”
Ben turned to leave, but the farmer’s wife stopped him. “Please, Sire, there’s a rumor going around that Maleficent isn’t as securely imprisoned as we think. That she’s been attacking Auradon again. Might she have something to do with the snake I saw today?”
“Where did you hear that?” he asked, worried.
“My cousin lives in Camelot Heights, said there’s a purple dragon over in their parts causing havoc and making a mess of everything.”
“Ah.”
“Is it Maleficent?”
In answer, Ben pulled up his phone and showed her the feed from the dozens of security cameras installed around the room that showed the tiny lizard napping on a rock. “What do you think?”
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