And now we get into the crux of this story and get the ball rolling!

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 3

Maleficent Bertha Junior. That's what it said on her diploma. That's the terrible name her mother had bestowed on her at birth. And that was why the only people who knew her full name were herself and Maleficent. And Fairy Godmother, apparently.

Mal rolled the diploma back up as she made her way back to her dorm room, taking a moment to relish graduation before she and the rest of her crew hit the town to celebrate. Fairy Godmother let the kids keep their rooms for the past year and for this summer, since here in Auradon they would always be safe.

Besides, a few more villains' kids had started attending Auradon Prep since Ben had let Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos move in. Mal waved to Anastasia Tremaine's son and hugged Madame Medusa's daughter, happy for a bit of devious company during her last summer at Auradon Prep. Seemed like a lot of the Isle kids really wanted redemption, or freedom—Mal suspected a bit of both.

Much as Mal would have loved a graduation meal with Ben, she respected his parents' decision to just have a family dinner. Besides, they'd been closer than ever for the past year, with Ben showing Mal his favorite movies (his all time favorite being the one with the panda that knew martial arts), his favorite places in Auradon (including a theme park with impersonators of the princesses and villains and a replica of Sleeping Beauty's castle), his favorite foods (chocolate!).

And of course, Mal showed Ben a few spells (her favorite being the night she accidentally made the rug in her room fly them all over town), and she realized—she had a penchant for baking! And loved it. Mostly because sweets didn't exist on the Isle—at least, not particularly edible ones. Whenever she had a new recipe up her sleeve, Ben was always the first to test it out, usually with positive feedback.

She loved the slight lisp when Ben pronounced a few words, and she loved when he touched her with a kindness and gentleness she'd never known. Mal couldn't believe that, over a year later, he still made her heart beat faster when he stopped by her room to pick her up for dates or walk her to class.

Mal sent Ben a text telling him to enjoy dinner, and she opened the door to hers and Evie's room, her roommate still not back to change yet (probably out flirting with Doug, Mal reasoned).

Mal unrolled the diploma, still unable to believe it. Not only did she graduate high school, she'd graduated from Auradon Prep with Honors. Who cared if her diploma blared her full name? She had the robe, the cap, and the pictures to prove it, too.

This time, she believed it enough not to pinch herself.

But, as Mal shed her robe and hung it up, her heart stopped a moment as the scurrying back lizard was no longer in her glass habitat.

No. She'd sealed the lid tight, made sure her mother couldn't escape, tried her hardest to put a barrier spell on it…

Who? Or what?

Maleficent could have been gone anytime between when Mal and Evie left for the graduation ceremony until now. Three hours on the run, burrowed anywhere.

Mal had to hope for the best, and tore through the pink room, graduation robe, cap, and diploma forgotten. True, it wasn't like Maleficent could do much in her current form, but Mal could almost feel her mother's tainted spirit—tasted of rotting eggs, bad breath, and black fire. Dormant for now. Subdued, quietly lingering at the back of Mal's throat.

It meant something terrible was on the horizon.

It was the same sensation she'd gotten her first night at Auradon, when that wax figure of Maleficent seemed to speak to her. It was the same feeling she'd gotten at Ben's coronation, when Jane had seized her mother's wand and Mal took it seconds afterward.

Again, again, she couldn't have gotten far, she had to be in this room! But no matter how many tiny crevices she checked, no matter how many times she scoured the prissy pink room over and over, Mal had to bring herself to accept it.

Maleficent had escaped.

"Mother?" Mal called out in a cracked, tiny voice, the same one she'd used as a child when there were shadows and spiders lurking in the darkness her mother so loved—the darkness she had tried to love but couldn't. Even then, she'd known she'd never get the response she wanted—Maleficent wouldn't come into her room and sing her a sweet lullaby and tell her the world could be a bright place. And yet Mal would hope in the darkness, remembering to later toughen up; she had evil to spread and she couldn't show any signs of weakness.

The door opening made Mal jump up and wipe the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Evie took in the decimated room, from the strewn clothes and overturned sheets, and smirked. "Couldn't find anything to wear tonight?" she joked, approaching Mal's bed.

But Mal didn't take that tone lightly, and immediately snapped at her friend. "No, Evie, my mother is missing." It was like she knew guilt would strike Evie's face as soon as she said it.

Evie bit her lip. "I just opened the cage a smidge," she confessed. "It looked like she couldn't breathe!"

Sneering, Mal scooted away from her friend. "For someone so smart, how could you be so stupid?" she accused, knowing she was hurting Evie. Good. Let her feel terrible; let her take in the weight of this dire situation. "You know barrier spells only work when everything is in pristine condition! One crack, and everything falls apart!"

"Mal, I'm sorry!" Mal could feel every ounce of desperation pouring out of Evie. "We'll find her, okay? She can't be far; she's the size of a lizard!"

Mal heard Evie fumbling through her purse, pulling out her mirror quickly. Aha. Maybe the situation could be rectified within the hour.

"Magic mirror in my hand, show me where Maleficent now stands!" Evie commanded, and Mal moved closer to observe.

A clouded fog, then… nothing.

Evie tried again.

The mirror remained clouded, unsure.

"That's impossible," Mal murmured, heart sinking lower.

Evie finally turned to her. "We have to round the guys up and get Fairy Godmother's help," she declared, suddenly standing.

"But we don't know where my mother could be!" Mal said, following Evie. "She could be as close as the courtyard or as far as the other side of the kingdom."

Evie braced her hands on Mal's shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Now Mal. If you were an all-powerful dark fairy looking to regain back what you wanted, what would you first need?" she asked, a hint of a smirk starting to form.

Mal sighed, grateful that Evie didn't lash back out at her outburst. "The source of my power," she answered. "My staff."

After being reduced down to the size of a lizard, Maleficent could no longer grasp her staff, and it was now kept safely in the Museum of Cultural History since Ben's coronation, replacing the look-alike the wax figurine of the Evil Mistress held.

The staff could possibly bring Maleficent to full size; even Mal wasn't sure just how powerful the thing was. Ergo, the Museum was as good a place as any to start looking.

Carlos and Jay met with Mal and Evie just as Mal had sent them emergency texts, needing their help. After all, who better to find evil than her devious friends?

Mal called Fairy Godmother as the four of them dashed toward the Museum, hoping they were there in time.

Everything at the Museum seemed clean, however. The lone night guard reported no sign of a lizard or the forces of Evil being unleashed.

Mal blinked, confused. She'd been so sure, as had the rest of her crew. "But why would Maleficent escape of she wasn't coming after her staff?" she asked.

Fairy Godmother shrugged, leading them through the clean halls. "Perhaps she's waiting for the right time to strike," she explained. "Maybe she thought she could sneak into the Museum during the graduation ceremony, but didn't move quickly enough. No matter." They were in the room that held her wand, and after a fingerprint test, she brandished the powerful object. Even if she only held it in her hands for a few brief moments, its powerful Light magic made Mal move closer, as if it had all the answers.

"We'll put up a protection spell for the staff in the meantime." Fairy Godmother then led the group down to the wax figurines of history's greatest villains.

"Where's lover boy?" Carlos asked Mal, still bouncing Dude around in his arms.

Mal sighed. "I didn't want to worry him right now. For all we know, this is all just a false alarm."

"If Evie's mirror can't find your missing evil mother, I'd say that definitely wasn't a false alarm," Jay pointed out.

Lo and behold, the staff in wax Maleficent's hand was indeed the real deal. In its presence, Mal realized just how much dark magic the emerald orb possessed. Immediately she could feel herself drawn to it, almost like it belonged to her. Or rather, that it needed an owner. Mal took a step closer to the staff, hand almost poised to reach out. If only she could touch it, could stop the calling in her head.

Darkness cannot be contained, Darkness must be embraced, we can control it, we can hold it, we need it to survive.

"Mal?" Carlos nudged Mal, taking her out of her thoughts. "I don't think your mother's there right now." He took her a few steps back, allowing Fairy Godmother to step forward. "Besides, Fairy Godmother's going to post up more guards after she does this protection spell."

"That's… Well, should we tell people that Maleficent's escaped?" Mal asked, concerned.

Evie tried her mirror again. "Nothing!" she cried, frustrated.

Fairy Godmother cast her spell, so that she would be the only one to move the staff from its current position.

… Why did this make Mal feel queasy?

Power is never dormant, Darkness must always occupy, you are Darkness.

I… am…?

Quickly Mal turned her back to the staff, shivering. Evie explained to Fairy Godmother that her mirror couldn't seem to find Maleficent, and Fairy Godmother paled.

"As I feared…" she murmured, pocketing her wand for now. "While we rounded up villains to send to the Isle, Maleficent shrouded herself in a protection spell so none of us could detect her."

"But a double agent—a reformed villain—betrayed her and she was the last to arrive on the Isle, definitely against her will," Mal finished. When her friends raised eyebrows, she only shrugged. "What? Mother used to lament about this all the time."

"Well, it seems that since returning to Auradon, that spell has remained in tact," Fairy Godmother continued. "That is why your mirror cannot detect her—Maleficent is indeed a powerful being."

"So we should conduct a search party, right?" Jay suggested.

"For a lizard?" Carlos laughed.

"It sounds ridiculous, but you know what my mother is capable of—we all know the story," Mal reasoned, moving further from the exhibit. "But I don't want to be the cause of a panic. Can't we just keep this on the down low?"

Evie placed a hand on Mal's shoulder. "Mal… you always used to brag about how much more evil your mother was from any other villain. And you're not taking this more seriously?"

"I just… I don't want to make anyone worry. What harm could my mother possibly do in her current form without anyone to confide in or any access to her magic staff?"

Mal didn't know if it was the tone of her voice or her parted stance, but with that she'd silenced everyone. For now.

So while I love Mal and Ben, my favorite character is definitely Carlos. He's so adorable! And I finally started Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz (AKA my favorite author). I highly recommend it if you haven't picked it up already.

Comments? Concerns? Leave them in the reviews section! I love reading your thoughts.

Next chapter: Can Darkness call to someone in their subconscious? Or is it all just part of Mal's growing up?

Till then!

~Eliza