Ben looked at the wreath of dried red roses on the pristine white door of one Ms. Cruella De Vil's room in the assisted living facility that she had been staying at. He raised his hand and rapped on the door quickly but firmly. A few minutes later Cruella opened up, she looked much different than she had when she first arrived. Her doctors had said her progress was excellent now that she had regular meals and proper medication as well as therapy sessions.
"Well, if it isn't the little prince." Cruella said mockingly. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Good day, Cruella. May I come in?" Ben asked, unphased. The woman stepped aside to let Ben enter, he took a seat at the table.

"By all means have a seat." she said cooly to the boy, had Carlos been that presumptuous she would have made sure he couldn't sit for a week.

Ben ignored the woman and waited till she sat down across from him at the little table. "I wanted to talk to you about Carlos. Do you know where he is?"

Cruella laughed, it was still not a pleasant sound, "I don't know for sure."

"Do you know who took him?"

"I have a good idea." she answered nonchalantly and lit a cigarette.

"Who?" Ben asked trying not to sound too eager.

"So you can run after him and send me back to that blasted isle? I think not, little prince."

Ben took a breath, "You have my word, that we will not send you back until after the trial."

Cruella smiled wickedly, she gently caressed Ben's cheek "So young, as smooth as baby." she gave the boy a quick smack, not really a slap, but more than a tap that had to have stung judging by the pink handprint blossoming on Ben's cheek, it was clearly a warning. To his credit, Ben didn't even flinch. "Nirmolak." Cruella whispered, the color in Ben's face drained and the handprint stood out even more on his face. "Now get out."

Ben wasted no time in leaving.

/

"Are you sure Ben?" Evie asked as she paced her room nervously.

"That's what Cruella said."

"I can't believe he survived those three weeks from when he disappeared to when we saw him in the mirror." Mal just shook her head in disbelief, "I thought Nirmolak was banished long before the isle was even created."

"He was." Ben confirmed, "I don't understand how he plays into this, Cruella was not interested in assisting us, I was lucky to get that much out of her."

Mal thought for a moment, "So Nirmolak was banished long before the isle was created, how come he wasn't brought back and put on the isle too?"

"We couldn't find him."

/

"Carlos!" Nirmolak called, Carlos rolled his eyes and went to the cabin with Abra, "I need to go away again for a couple of days." the man said as he grabbed ahold of the ring on the collar on Carlos's neck. He chanted a few words that Carlos couldn't understand and the collar glowed and warmed up for a moment before returning to its normal state. Carlos tentatively reached his hand up and felt his neck, he'd grown so used to its presence that he barely ever noticed it anymore.

"What did you do?" He asked, more curious than anything.

"Since I can't trust you not to go into the woods I added a spell that limits you to the immediate area around the cabin, you won't be able to go beyond its limits."

"You can trust me!" Carlos tried to argue, but his father raised an eyebrow and Carlos looked away guiltily "I won't do it again." he muttered.

"No, you won't, I made sure of that."

"So its like an invisible leash?"

Nirmolak chuckled, "I suppose one could think of it that way. It should, hopefully, keep you out of trouble. There's enough food, I'll be back in 2 days at the most, I'll mail that letter of yours as well. Try not to burn the place down." Nirmolak said as he affectionately patted his son's cheek.

"Ha Ha." Carlos dryly responded.

And with that Nirmolak walked outside closed his eyes and allowed himself to become for a brief moment a statue of dust before the wind picked up the particles and he traveled away leaving Carlos standing in the doorway alone with nothing but a pack of wolves (some of which were still not very friendly towards him) for company.

Please let me know what you think. Reviews make me so happy. You want to make me happy don't you?