Chapter Twenty-Five
Sacrifice and Siren's Songs
Mal took comfort in the familiar hiss of her spray can as she added a new flourish to the design on her wall. It was coming along quite nicely if she did say so herself. The focus of it helped ground her while her world continued to wobble precariously about, like a carousel on uneven flooring.
She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and felt her lips tip up at the edges. First thing she'd done when she'd arrived was stop in and see Dizzy to fix her hair. The pink-violet color and hime cut had further centered Mal and made her feel more like herself again. It had been a tremendous relief.
"Blonde," she muttered to herself. "What was I thinking?" Dizzy had not only concurred but been horrified by Mal's bleach job. Fortunately Evie's fashion protégé had known just what to do.
As Mal went to make another sweep across the cement wall she heard the tiniest shuffle of footsteps on metal. Mal's mind went immediately to Uma's threats and she whirled on the spot, her spray can held up to blind the intruder and she stuttered to a halt at the sight before her.
"B-Ben?" She gave him a double blink, as astonished by his presence in her loft as she was by the distressed navy leather jacket, dark denim pants and scuffed leather boots he wore. The longer she stared the more Ben began to fidget and she slowly recognized some of Evie's signature flair like the Auradon crest peeking out from beneath the jacket on his faded, ripped shirt. Tastefully ripped. She took a moment to appreciate Evie's style if not her sense in letting Ben wander so deep into Enchanted territory.
"What are you doing here?" Mal hissed. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to get robbed blind?" She felt her adrenaline kick as she thought of the miles and people he had to traverse, and felt a confusing mix of fear and…delight? at his presence.
"Oh, uh, no," Ben's face fell when Mal didn't squeal with joy and rush into his arms. Admittedly, it was an absurd image, even in his own mind, but he'd hoped she'd be at least a little pleased to see him, but instead she was snapping and standoffish and he felt his stomach drop. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. "Evie and the guys brought me." His smile was more of a grimace. "I didn't know where you lived. They had to show me."
"I'll get to them in a minute," Mal all but growled, her heart still pumping faster than usual at the thought of Ben getting attacked on her turf and being completely oblivious until it was too late. "You shouldn't be here."
"I came for you, Mal." He strode closer to her, moving faster and stealthier than usual, throwing her off guard. Something about being on the Other Side both slightly unnerved him and also gave him a sense of ease. He doubted anyone would notice the change in his stride on the streets here.
"Ben. What?" Mal jerked back the tiniest bit at his sudden proximity.
"I came to apologize, Mal," he continued. "I know things at school and in the community are crazy right now. Change isn't easy. It's slow and frustrating and it takes time. Sometimes more time than we'd like. But we need you there to help, Mal." He took a deep breath. "I need you there. I love you." He slipped his gloved hand into his pocket and fished out the tiny, warm object there. He presented it to Mal, watching her eyes widen at the edges, her gaze fixed on the royal ring in his hand. "Don't you love me?"
Mal reached out for the ring, keeping her fingers from trembling with sheer willpower. At the last moment she cupped his hand with one of hers and had the other curl his fingers back over the object and its shining, hopeful light.
"Go home, Ben." She kept her voice soft so that he wouldn't hear it break. It's for the good of Auradon, she reminded herself. She looked him in the eyes, blue eyes that shone with heartbreak and bewilderment. It's what's best for him. I'll only ruin everything. I can't be what he wants.
She let her fingers slip away from his and took two halting steps back, feeling that small distance like a cavern opening up between them.
"I can't do this." She ignored the voice in her heart that whispered, 'won't.'
He took a step toward her, desperation written across his face. "Mal, I –"
Mal held her hands up, tensing at his approach and he came to an immediate halt. Jaw clenching he took one last long look at her and turned to leave, his posture rigid as he strode across the room with long, ground-eating strides.
She felt every one of those footsteps in her heart.
"You know, this place doesn't really have a lot of flavors," Bree started, tentatively. "We could try somewhere else…?"
"Nah, this is fine," Zed assured her. "I've always wanted to come here." He gazed around the frozen yogurt shop's outdoor seating with an excited gleam in his eye. He couldn't help it. He was starting to remember things, and this was one of the places he'd forgotten about. True, it had formerly been a Humans Only place, and perhaps that had stirred the desire more, but he'd also never had the creamy desert before and was now all but bouncing in his seat to try it. He looked eagerly at the small menu card that listed its flavors – all varying types of vanilla: vanilla, double vanilla, vanilla bean, nonfat vanilla… Something shifted uncomfortably inside him, but he shook it off as he caught part of the conversation going on around him.
"I don't know," Bree was answering Bonzo's question as to whether Mal was really quitting school to remain on the Other Side. "Evie said she was really upset."
"Who isn't?" Eliza muttered, taking in their surroundings with a glare, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. At Bree's puzzled look Eliza swept her hand out to encompass the area. "These proposed 'Monster Laws' are going to set everything back at least twenty years. I mean, we're still not even allowed to dine inside this yogurt shop."
Bree studied the area, noting what Eliza had seen right off the bat, that while Others were now allowed to dine here that they'd all been regulated to the outdoor seating. Her face fell.
"Elizka, gre nootik grauht," Bonzo admonished his friend gently.
"I never said it was Bree's fault." Eliza scowled. "I'm saying it's –" She paused as a young woman in a pale blue outfit and cheerful smile stopped by to take their orders. She wrote everything down carefully on a notepad that she tucked back into her white apron pocket and moved back inside to fill their order.
"She seemed pleasant enough," Zed pointed out. "It's not all Humans, Eliza."
"I know that, Zed," Eliza all but growled out between her teeth. "I know not all Humans are Other-phobic, but it's still here, still shoved in our faces at every turn in other ways, and now with these antiquated laws being stirred up again… We won't just be moved back to Zombie-only school, Zed, we'll be exiled back to the Other Side. Most likely permanently."
"What! No." Bree's gaze shot from Eliza to Bonzo to Zed's, shock running through her. "They won't – wouldn't – they couldn't possibly –"
"Look what happened after Homecoming, Bree," Eliza pointed out. "And that was just the three of us." She indicated her friends. "And it wasn't even our fault. It was Humans. And yet we still got banned from almost everything."
Zed shuddered, having heard snippets of being at the Center that night. "Let's never have to go through that again." Bonzo placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and murmured encouragingly to him. Zed let out an unamused laugh. "Yeah, can't say I'm not glad the place is gone, either."
He'd been there of course. More than once. Just yesterday he'd taken a detour to the place to see what was left of it – the heap of cement, chunks of timber, and shattered glass. He'd only been able to stare in horrified awe that he'd been under some of that, that he'd been found at all. It was a miracle he was alive, let alone with just a knock on the head and a few scattered memories to show for it.
The longer he'd stared at the place, at the destruction, the more something had pulled at him, set his heartbeat running and adrenaline pumping as if he were on the tourney field anticipating a pass. It had unnerved him, the pull of the place. All he could remember was horrible things – things that plagued his nightmares with pain and screams, and yet something about it…
He blinked himself back to the present as their waitress returned with the waxed cardboard cups of frozen yogurt in varying shades of white and deposited them on the table in front of them.
Eliza let out a long-suffering sigh at the uniformity of it all, muttering under her breath about variety and different tastes, but Bonzo scooped his up readily enough and dug in with a delighted grin. Bonzo's sheer enthusiasm made Bree smile as she reached for her own cup. Zed stared at his. Eliza was the first to notice.
"Zed? You alright?"
Zed shook himself, reaching for his share of the vanilla-flavored froyo. "Yeah, fine." But he still eyed his cup with a small frown. He dug his spoon in. It was weird. This was the first time he, Bonzo and Eliza had ever had the stuff, but he could have sworn that wasn't true… Shaking it off he took a taste of his icy treat, smiling as Bonzo exclaimed over his own in pleasure, remarking that it tasted like frozen joy.
As the cold flavor hit his own tongue Zed froze.
"Zedka?" Bonzo asked, his brows furrowing in concern over his friend's reaction to the dessert. Eliza and Bree turned to look at him.
"Zed?" Eliza ventured. Zed sat absolutely still in his chair but something about it set her nerves on edge.
Bree's shoulders rose a bit as she tensed in the silence, unsure what was happening. "Do you not like –"
Zed's cup slipped out of his hand, clattering onto its side on the table and splattering frozen yogurt across the shiny surface.
Eliza's hand shot out to her friend's arm, grasping it in alarm as he went pale. "Zed? Zed, what is it?"
"Zedka?" Bonzo asked from Zed's other side, mirroring Eliza's movements.
Slowly, Zed slid the spoon out of his mouth, swallowing harshly as he continued to stare straight ahead. His three friends looked wildly around but couldn't spot anything that had caused the reaction.
"Zed? What's wrong? Do you feel sick?" Eliza's tone was as firm and in control outwardly as her heart was fluttering in growing panic internally. She leaned in closer when she heard her friend start mumbling something just under his breath. "What?"
"Addison," he breathed, and the trio looked around, expecting to see her but she was nowhere to be found.
Eliza looked at her friend with growing concern and confusion. "What – Zed, she's not here. Why would you–"
"Sweet berry lip balm," Bree breathed, her eyes going huge behind her glasses. "Zed, do you…?" She trailed off as he shifted his gaze toward her, locking his eyes with hers. There was a startled moment before Bree began beaming.
"Gra? Gra gre ik?" Bonzo asked, his gaze darting between Zed and Bree.
Zed looked at his concerned friend, a little wild-eyed. "I re-remember," he managed.
"Zermumnik gra?"
"Addison," Zed repeated, louder with a growing excitement. "Addie – I remember. I – oh gods…" He swayed a little and Bonzo grabbed ahold of him firmly, keeping his friend upright in his seat before he could plant his face in his own spilled dessert. Eliza was already on her feet, grasping the back of Zed's neck gently but resolutely and shoving his head between his knees with firm instructions to breathe.
"Hey, everything alright?" A new voice teased at the edges of Zed's hearing where everything had gone a little tinny. He glanced up to see Wyatt looking down at him with a frown.
"Zed remembers Addie," Bree answered, her voice quiet.
Wyatt's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Well, that's good, right?
Wynter's face appeared at Wyatt's shoulder as he motioned for his sister to break away from the pack and join them. "Why does he look like he's going to be sick?"
"Emotional trauma," Eliza stated flatly as she studied her childhood friend with a slight frown and a small crease between her brows. "If Zed remembers his cheerleader…" She paused as if ascertaining that she wanted to continue down this road before moving forward. "Do you remember that morning, Zed?" When he cringed in answer she heaved a heavy sigh and turned to Bree. "Better call Evie and get her to get the rest of them on speakerphone. Whatever drama they have going on needs to be put on hold for the next half hour or so."
Bree nodded before scrolling through her contacts for Evie's number before hitting the green call button. She hit the one for speakerphone and they all waited, tense, for Evie to pick up. Zed felt a brief flash of amusement at the picture Bree had of Evie for her contacts – the blue-haired girl was posing coquettishly as she blew a kiss to her favorite heart-shaped handbag. The princess really did love her accessories.
"Bree?" Evie's voice sounded over the speakerphone as she picked up. "I'm so sorry but now's really not a good time –"
"It's Addie," Bree cut in and the other end of the line went silent. "Well, that is – it's about Addie. And Zed. Zed's here," she continued, flustered. "And he remembers. He remembered Addie. He remembers her…and," she glanced at Zed who nodded though he still looked like he might be sick. "He remembers that morning."
Stunned silence sounded from the other end of the line before there was a quiet, "Hold on." Three seconds later there was a bit of a hollow sound as Evie's voice was joined by Carlos and Jay's. "I've got the boy's here," Evie explained. "Ben's talking to Mal right now… I'll fill them in when they've finished."
"Alright, Zombie," Willa said, having waved on the rest of her packmates. "You have the floor."
Zed gave her a shaky smile in return. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling comfort at having Eliza standing so fiercely next to him on one side and Bonzo's concerned presence on the other. Zed rubbed his forehead as he tried to put the jumbled memories into order.
"I was there," he started, a bit haltingly. "At the Center. I got there just after she had finished explaining herself to the Guard on duty. She was waiting to be taken…in back." He swallowed, hard, and Eliza shifted closer. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she kept insisting that she needed it. To protect me. To protect all of us – from her."
He blinked a few times, gathering himself and the memories, steeling himself for the rest. "I remember the band going on – there was that click as it locked into place. I felt this dread in my stomach; she didn't understand. Not like us," he murmured, rubbing at his own band absently, missing the looks a few of their assembled group gave to their own.
"Then there was this moment. This absolute stillness, and suddenly…Addie was screaming." He shuddered, his elbows braced on his knees as he gripped his head, seeing only the wash of memories. "Everything went bright – we were surrounded by this white and blue light. Addie was screaming my name… I reached out for her, grabbed her wrist, and this…feeling like an electric shock went up my arm. I was cringing against the pain but I wouldn't let go…I wasn't about to let her go. Not when she was screaming like that." Zed didn't feel it when Bonzo gripped his shoulder in a comforting gesture, his heart going out to his friend.
"Addie turned to me – her eyes bright, filled with all this fear and pain. There was nothing but sound. The wind was just howling around us. Then it felt like I was slammed into a wall and I lost my grip on her…There was more pain, like I couldn't breathe and then...nothing." He shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "Not until I woke up in the hospital."
Silence reigned for a long few moments as everyone took time to absorb Zed's story.
"Dalmatians," Carlos's curse sounded over the line. "No wonder you forgot. I'd probably try to forget on purpose if it were me."
"That might be it," Willa said next as she studied the Zombie teen in front of her with a considering expression.
"It's my theory too," Eliza murmured though she rubbed Zed's shoulder in a rare show of physical affection.
"I never wanted to forget Addison," Zed's voice was vehement in his assertion.
"Not you, Zed. Addison." She looked to Willa who nodded. "She might be trying her hardest to forget."
"So," Bree swallowed back the tears that threatened. "Addie can come back? If she remembers?"
"If she wants to come back," Jay's voice muttered over the phone and Evie gave him a gasp of admonishment.
"I have to find her." Zed stood suddenly, swaying on his feet. Bonzo automatically reached out to steady his impulsive friend. "I need to see her, talk to her. I can try to reach her."
"You can barely stand, Zed," Eliza pointed out with a scowl that was all concern.
"Zedka, greree renuik." Bonzo advised.
"I can't relax," Zed argued. "She needs us. She –"
"Probably thinks she killed you," Willa cut in and there were several quiet gasps as they turned to gape at her. Willa folded her arms over her chest but she surveyed them all with a calm, cool demeanor. "She doesn't want to remember," she pointed out. "Between your story and what I know and have heard about her…my best guess is that your Addison thinks her magic got you killed and it sent her off the deep end."
"Literally, if she's hanging out with pirates," Wyatt murmured.
"If she saw you now," Willa continued, ignoring her brother. "She'd either think she was hallucinating or that you were some kind of ghost of a memory she's trying desperately to forget." She paused, gauging her next words. "She might not…react well."
"She'd probably run," Evie filled in. "Or hurt Zed again by accident."
"And none of us want that, Zed," Eliza picked up, quietly but firmly. "For either of you."
"So, what?" Zed asked, anger and a dash of helplessness lacing his tone. "We just let her go on thinking she murdered me?" Eliza cringed but Zed didn't relent. "I'm fine."
"You just got these memories back," Wyatt pointed out. "It's only been an hour, tops."
"We'll think of something," Bree insisted. "We're not giving up, Zed. I'll never give up on Addie."
"I'll call Jane," Carlos's voice added. "We'll see if her mom has any ideas."
"Oh!" Wynter gasped and looked to Willa. "We can ask the Elders." She all but bounced on her toes when Willa nodded in agreement.
"I need to call Bucky," Bree said, her shoulders slightly hunched as if expecting a reprimand for her suggestion. "He should know what's going on." When no one argued Bree took that as a good-ahead.
"We'll tell Mal and Ben," Evie concluded, "and see what other ideas we can pool together." There was the sound of something metallic banging in the background, and Jay and Carlos's voice calling out to Ben in greeting.
There was a faint, "How'd it go?" from one of the boys before Evie's followed up with a "Ben! Wait!" There was a rustling sound over the line before Evie's hurried, "I'm sorry. I need to go," and the call was disconnected.
Eliza was already shaking her head at the now silent object. "Drama," was her succinct commentary before she turned back to one of her closest friends. "Until we figure out what to do, Zed, you're grounded. No haring off to search for Addison, do you hear me? You're banned from Uma's ship until further notice. Don't even think about setting a single toe onto the dock or the surrounding beach either."
Zed scowled at her in return, the facial expression not sitting well on the normally optimistic Zombie, but when the others backed up Eliza's command, saying it was necessary for the moment, Zed stormed off instead of arguing.
Eliza heaved a great sigh before looking at Bree and the three werewolves as Bonzo scrambled after his friend, concern etched on every line of his face as he called out for his friend to wait. "Don't worry, I'll have Bonzo physically sit on him if necessary," Eliza promised before moving to follow after her two friends at a much more sedate pace.
Bree glanced at the trio beside her with slight unease. She'd never been alone with them before and didn't know what to say. She gave a quick double blink at Wynter's sigh.
"I hope somebody loves me like that one day." She watched Zed leave with a wistful expression.
"You want someone crazy?" Willa asked without amusement.
"Crazy in love," Wynter corrected.
"This isn't a love song, Wynter," Willa countered. "Things don't just magically work out in the end. That girl is going to need a lot of therapy when this is over."
Wynter shrugged, unconcerned. "They'll be okay."
Willa slid her an incredulous look. "You can't be certain of that."
"Maybe," Wynter agreed. "But I can hope. And hope is one of the strongest things there is."
When Willa didn't argue back but instead looked at her younger friend with a thoughtful expression, Bree glanced over at Wyatt to see him looking after Eliza with a hint of a wistful expression of his own. Sensing her curious gaze, Wyatt turned to flash Bree a grin that gave her a glimpse of his longer canines. Bree smiled back nervously and with a bit of misgiving. When he winked at her she decided it was time to excuse herself so she could give Bucky a call. Addison's older cousin was about to have an uncomfortable night of his own.
Mal closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch Ben leave and to conceal the fact that her eyes were welling with tears. At the slam of her front door she felt the hot, unbidden tears roll down her cheeks. She reminded herself that she'd done what was best for Ben, for all of Auradon, including herself. She ignored the bitter taste that sat on the back of her tongue that called her a liar.
"He seems to be upset."
Mal jumped at the pondering voice intruding upon her silent recriminations. She hastily wiped at her tears with the back of her hand before turning to blink at the unwelcome presence of the silver-haired siren sitting so casually on Mal's window ledge.
"Yeah," Mal responded though she wasn't sure the other girl had actually asked a question. "What are you doing here, Addison?"
Addison's head tilted to the side in open curiosity as she studied the pink-violet-haired girl standing alone in the center of the room. "You are crying."
Again, it was more a statement than a question but Mal felt obliged to answer all the same. "Yes," she whispered, compelled to honesty as she in turn watched the other girl with deepening sorrow and regret.
"Why?"
"Because I'm doing the right thing."
The siren blinked, studying Mal so intently that Mal felt she was seeing into her very soul. "No."
"No?" Mal asked, bewildered.
"It is because you are sad," she answered and Mal felt it spear through her like an arrow. Addison's bright blue gaze watched her for another long moment before she turned toward the open window, her gaze fixating on the night sky. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "I think I am sad, too, but I do not know why." Her brows furrowed, her mouth pulling into a thin line, her voice small and unsure. "I do not remember this place…I think I am lost."
Mal felt her heart stutter in her chest. She took a step forward, her hand reaching out without conscious thought. Her voice was quiet but earnest in its entreaty. "Addison – Addie. I'm right here, okay? I'll help you find what you've lost."
Addison's lips lifted into a bright smile as she looked back at Mal. "Such pretty lies. You are a pretty liar." Her head tilted slightly in question. "How can you help me find what I do not know I have lost?" Her gaze moved past Mal to look toward where Ben had left. Her lips curled even higher. "Be careful," she sing-songed. "Or you will lose it too."
Anguish sparked anew inside her chest and Mal's gaze fell. "I've already lost it."
"No," Addison whispered, her voice insistent and without mercy. "You are throwing it away."
There was a quiet chime that filled the silence between them. Hardly daring to take her eyes off Addison lest she slip away again, Mal reached for her phone sitting on her scarred coffee table. One glance at it showed a succinct but pointed message about Zed's memories finally having been jarred into place, the events of that terrible morning so many weeks ago, and the theory behind Addison's memories, or lack thereof.
Mal felt twin burning feelings of sympathy and a sudden, irrational anger toward the younger girl sitting at her windowsill, swinging her legs slightly and poking at Mal about her relationship with Ben.
How dare this girl warn Mal about throwing away her relationship with Ben when she had all but catapulted her own into the depths of the sea! How dare she call Mal a liar when Addison was lying to herself to the point where she was denying who she even was!
Ignoring the part inside her that told her to proceed with caution, Mal let her own bottled up feelings bubble up and out, seeking the nearest target.
"That's rich, coming from you, siren."
Addison turned from gazing out the window with a faint smile to face Mal's burning anger with a puzzled frown. Mal pushed on, relentless. It was time to wake this girl up, ready or not. Past time. Everyone had stressed and searched for her for months when all she was doing was hiding from herself. It was time to face the truth.
"Why did you take Zoey, Addison?"
"She is a very sweet girl," she answered, her brows furrowed in confusion, not even realizing she'd recognized that name.
"No. Why?" Mal pushed on, inexorable. "She's someone's little sister."
"We were just playing a game–"
"It was because of her older brother. Zoey's older brother, wasn't it?"
Blue eyes fluttered briefly. "Stop."
Mal saw her opening and pushed. "You can't forget but you're trying."
"Stop it." Her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
"Forgetting doesn't make the pain go away, Addie."
"Stop talking." Blue eyes flashed in warning.
"It's still there; the weight of it on your heart."
"I do not like this game." Slim, shaking hands slipped under her white hair, silvered by the moonlight streaming in, to cover her ears. "I do not want to play anymore."
"It's Zed, Addison and he's –"
"Stop it!" Addison gave a cry of pain as she grasped her head in a vice-like grip as if her thoughts and memories were causing her actual physical pain. Mal felt her heart stutter as a blast of wind – of magic – shoved itself away from Addison's curled up form on the windowsill and Mal was knocked off her feet.
Dazed, her ears ringing, Mal rolled over with a small groan. "Okay, that could have gone better," she muttered to herself before shifting to her hands and knees and shaking her whirling head. Pushing her hair out of her face her eyes darted about the room, taking in the damaged window where Addison had been perched, not surprised to see the siren had vanished. Taking inventory of her rattled bones Mal shoved herself to her feet and looked about the room, her flimsy furniture having been knocked over in the blast.
"Brilliant. And it's the maid's decade off, too."
"Mal!" Evie's frightened voice called, followed by the pounding of several pairs of feet up her battered stairs. Each pound of feet seemed to reverberate within the pounding of her temples. She gritted her teeth, rubbing at her aching head. With the crash of her door opening Mal heard Evie calling her name again.
"In here," Mal answered wearily.
Three sets of feet came to a sudden halt at the edge of her living room as they took stock of the damage.
"What in Agrabah's sands happened in here?" Jay asked, breaking the echoing silence.
"One very emotionally unstable siren," Mal bit out.
"Addie did this?" Evie gasped, looking about her with wide eyes.
"To be fair, I kind of pushed her."
"What, like out the window?" Carlos asked, edging close to said broken window, his boots crunching across the already shattered glass.
"Of course not out the window," Mal snapped back. "Though it was tempting," she muttered. She looked at her trio of friends with a sense of misgiving. It took her all of half a second to realize what was missing. "Where's Ben?"
Jay and Carlos exchanged harried looks. "After you and Ben had your, uh, talk," Jay began, shoving his hands into his back pockets in a nervous gesture. "Ben kind of, well, stormed off."
"We were talking about the whole thing with Zed," Carlos explained. "Bree had phoned Evie and Zed explained everything. We had just been discussing what to do when Ben came down. He turned the corner at the end of your stairs without saying much of anything."
"He said you weren't coming back," Evie said, her eyes on Mal, her hands clenched together before her.
"He's right," Mal answered. Her eyes narrowed as she studied her three friends. "There's more." It wasn't a question.
"Now, Mal," Evie began, holding her hands out in a placating gesture. She kept her voice even and soothing. "Don't get upset, but…"
"I'm already upset. I'm past upset. What 'but'? What happened?" Mal felt her heart racing with every shallow breath she took. She knew. Somehow she already knew.
"We lost him in the crowd," Jay admitted, his shoulders shrinking toward his neck as if to try and make himself a smaller target for Mal's imminent wrath. "He slipped right through the cracks." He shook his head. "We tried to give him some pointers about blending in before we got here, but the guy took to it like water."
"Don't talk about people and water to me right now," Mal muttered, her headache intensifying. She felt her magic inside surge with her panic and her helpless need to do something. Possibly bite someone's head off. "And?" She dared to ask.
"We thought we found him," Carlos continued. "But…it wasn't Ben."
"And who was it?" Mal all but asked growled.
"It was Harry, Mal," Evie finished for the boys, her tone that of one trying to soothe a wild, wounded creature. "They grabbed him off the street. Uma has him now." She pursed her lips together for a brief moment. "I'm so sorry, M. You know we –"
"It's not your fault." Mal heaved a heavy sigh. "It's mine. I should have escorted him back to the barrier myself, but…" Her hands clenched into tight fists, batting down another fresh surge of magic. She breathed out slowly then looked at her friends. "What does Uma want?"
She knew Uma had proposed a deal. Like mother, like daughter, with Uma and Ursula there was always a catch.
"You're to meet Uma at her ship at noon tomorrow with Eliza," Carlos told her. When Mal shot him a puzzled look he continued. "She's heard about the rumors; she knows Eliza can hack into bands."
"Apparently not all rumors as Eliza hacked into Z-bands not M-bands," Mal pointed out.
Carlos shrugged. "It's the same basic program. It probably wouldn't be much different to her."
Mal scrubbed at her face, rubbing away all traces of her tears and smudging some of the dirt there from Addison's emotional outburst. "Okay," she began, her mind already scrambling. "Jay, Carlos, you two go get Eliza. Tell her what's going on. Convince her to come along." She gave them a narrow glance. "But, skies above, whatever you do keep it quiet. The last thing we need is anyone finding out. We don't need the Royal Guards or Guard Patrol descending en masse and destroying everything they find because of my mistake."
She let out a low growl of anger that made her friends glance warily at each other. "How could Uma be so stupid? Does she want Others accused and attacked because of an idiotic childhood grudge match?"
"To be fair, we were the ones who petitioned to keep Uma and her wharf rats from receiving the go-ahead to cross the barrier," Carlos pointed out, his voice quiet.
Mal inhaled deeply and they all tensed, waiting for her to explode, but Mal simply exhaled all at once, her anger vanishing along with it to be replaced with bitter regret. "Yeah, you're right. This one is on me."
"You didn't do it alone, M." Evie slid into place beside her friend and laid a warm hand on her shoulder. "We were right there with you." She glanced at the boys who nodded. "We're in this together, from start to finish."
Mal gave her friends a wobbly smile of gratitude. "Because we're rotten," she began.
"To the core," Evie, Carlos and Jay finished for her with grim smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes. They'd made this mess. It was time to clean it up. And face the consequences.
It was Carlos who spoke first, glancing at Mal's shattered window. "So, what're we going to do about Addison?"
Mal raked her hands through her hair, ready to pull it out. "One crises at a time, de Vil."
"What?" Eliza asked, stunned. "Why me?"
"Uma thinks you can hack the bands." Carlos explained, a tad awkwardly as Eliza continued to stare. "She wants you to set her and her pirates free."
Jay and Carlos had managed to track Eliza down, having found her with Zed, Bonzo, and Lonnie in the library where Zed had retreated for some peace and quiet under the guise of trying to catch up on all his course and homework. Though, admittedly, he was more staring at his open books without seeing them than anything as his mind continued to spin in circles after all his recent re-discoveries.
Eliza and Bonzo had been content to let him sit there in idle as they provided silent support by his side. Eliza had even gone so far as to get ahold of Lonnie and invite her to meet them at the library to work on their project for their advanced politics class. The two girls had got on infamously, touching on many similar viewpoints in equality and had been genuinely enjoying the group project.
"Oh no." Eliza was now shaking her head, enjoying her evening a lot less now that Carlos and Jay had arrived to ask for her help with Uma. "Absolutely not." She snapped her computer closed and stuffed it into her well-worn shoulder bag. "Been there, done that, paid the consequences." Next to her, Bonzo turned pale at the reminder.
Zed cringed. "Yeah, their methods for rehabilitation were no fun. Let's not do that again." Everyone turned to look at him and he blinked. "Oh. New memory?"
"More like old, but yes," Eliza confirmed.
"Of all the things to remember," Jay muttered with a shake of his head.
"Yeah, no kidding," Carlos said beside him.
Zed shuddered at the recollection. "Agreed."
"Zedka, ze gri ra grag?" Bonzo asked, concern on his face.
Zed smiled back at his friend. "Thanks, buddy, but I don't need a hug." Bonzo nodded but exchanged a quick look with Eliza, both of them silently agreeing to keep a close eye on their friend now that everything seemed to be hitting him at once. As much as they'd like to forget the event at the Center they wondered what it was like to be hit with it, unbidden, after truly not knowing it had happened.
There was a brief moment of quiet in which Lonnie suddenly pushed her chair back to stand. "I'll be right back," she told them. "I need to grab a few things."
"Things?" Jay asked, bewildered. "What things?"
"We're going after Ben." Lonnie's face said this wasn't an argument. "And we're going up against pirates. We need to be ready."
"Yeah, okay," Jay relented. "But keep it quiet. We don't want anyone else finding out."
"I'm coming," a new voice sounded from between the stacks and they all started at the sound except Eliza who rolled her eyes. Wyatt stepped out from the shadows and gave them all a look that said there was no use arguing. "I already overheard everything. I'm going."
Jay raked a hand through his hair and groaned out a sound of exasperation. "This was supposed to be quiet, stealthy."
"He's probably the stealthiest of all present," Eliza pointed out with a neutral face. When Wyatt grinned at her she gave him a deadpan look back. "That wasn't a compliment."
"Right." His grin widened.
It was Carlos's turn to roll his eyes. Lonnie bit her lip to stifle a laugh, hiding it well behind a quiet cough before reiterating that she'd be back soon and moving toward the library doors. "Anyone else hiding nearby?" Carlos asked of the air.
"Just me," Wyatt reassured them. He pointed to his ears. "I'd know."
"My, what big ears you have," Eliza muttered under her breath and Wyatt winked at her. She studiously ignored him by turning back to Jay. "I'm not going. No way. I'm not risking getting all of Zombie-kind in trouble over a few teenage pirates with a grudge to settle." She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her chair with a stubborn set to her jaw. "Not happening."
"This is for Ben," Jay pointed out. "You know, the heir to the throne of our kingdom?"
"I know very well who Mr. Fancy Pants is, thanks."
Wyatt snorted at the comment, clearing his throat when Eliza fixed him with a look though he swore there was a tiny smile fighting to show at the corners of her lips.
"I know you're worried about Zombie-kind," Carlos tried when Jay looked like he would argue. "But it's more than that. Ben went to the Other Side to talk to Mal and –"
"I'm not getting involved in a couple's brawl."
"It's not a brawl, exactly."
"A disagreement, then."
"Fine, a disagreement, but still, it's beyond that too. This concerns all of us, Eliza." He held his arms wide, indicating not only her and her friends but Wyatt and himself and Jay too. "Everyone on the Other Side. What do you think they'll do when they find out that some Others have kidnapped the heir to the throne?"
"They won't go in quietly, that's for sure," Jay said.
"And?" Eliza asked, settled into her chair like she was the judge of a courtroom inviting a new lawyer to state his case. Her expression remained just as inscrutable.
"The fallout could be disastrous. For everyone," Carlos continued. "You have to see that."
"I see it being an inconvenience for the wharf being shut down and some teenage renegades being tracked down and paying for their decidedly stupid idea, one in which I am quite content to be as uninvolved with as possible. I'm not putting myself or my friends in harm's way again."
With Carlos's frustration mounting, Wyatt saw that the other boy couldn't see behind Eliza's stubborn refusal to the fear that lived there. He shifted closer until he caught her eye. "Is Ben not a friend?"
"More acquaintance than anything." Eliza's jaw was set into stubborn lines despite her even tone.
Wyatt made sure to keep his voice just as even. "And Mal?"
"A worthy adversary."
Zed groaned at his friend's mulish stance, rubbing his face with his hand, but Wyatt's eyes gleamed in amusement before sobering. "And Addison?"
They all watched carefully as Eliza tensed. "What about her?"
"She's with said royalty-kidnapping renegades," he pointed out. "You were there, Eliza. We saw her."
"I'm very aware of that, yes," Eliza snapped but she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"If news of this gets out, and the Guards go in and they find her with them…what do you think they'll do, Eliza?"
"She'll finally get the help she desperately needs," Eliza bit back. "Miss Cheer Boots needs some heavy therapy." She studiously avoided Zed's eyes though she saw him go stiff at her words and felt guilt thread through her.
"Obviously," Wyatt agreed, throwing Eliza off-balance. "She's a little cracked in the head right now. And if the Guards show up and try to corner her – which they will – she's going to defend herself." He was now holding Eliza's gaze and knew he had her full attention. "Evie and Doug hypothesized that she's operating on pure instinct, something I know you concur with." Eliza nodded and he felt assurance sweep through him. "And what will someone running on nothing but instinct do when they're cornered and see the people coming after her as a threat?"
Eliza remained stubbornly quiet for a moment before relenting with a sigh, her shoulder's dropping ever so slightly to concede the point. "She's going to react; likely attack and hurt someone to defend herself."
"And it won't just be the Guards who could get caught up in it."
Eliza fiddled with a loose thread on her bag. "Mr. King-to-Be and Dragon Girl and whoever all else is there could, too. And with no control someone could end up worse than just hurt. The damage could be irreparable and we'd have to find a new cheerleader for our group." She took in a deep breath and let it out with a huff. She glanced briefly at Zed. "You'd never forgive me." She dropped her eyes to the table before Zed could respond. "And I'd never forgive myself."
There was a long silence as everyone waited.
"Fine." Eliza relented, and Jay and Carlos shifted back on their heels in silent relief. "I'll get involved. But I'm not releasing a bunch of unfettered Enchanteds out into the world." Determination filled her eyes. "I refuse."
"Well, you might have to release one," Jay said with all the hesitancy of approaching a feral cat with its back raised. "Uma'll probably want a demonstration to prove you can do it."
Eliza scowled at this questioning of her skills. "Of course I can do it."
Jay held up his hands in defense. "I'm not doubting you. I'm saying Uma doesn't trust a single one of us to hold up our end of the bargain."
"The feeling's mutual," Carlos muttered and they all agreed.
"So I'm going to have to actually hack into someone's band?" Eliza looked less than pleased. "It better not be –"
"It won't be Uma's," Carlos rushed to reassure her. "At least, not at first. Mal can easily negotiate for another one of the wharf rats."
"Like who?"
Jay shrugged. "Maybe Gil?"
"Again, who?"
"One of Gaston's many sons," Carlos explained. He looked thoughtful. "Gil's never shown any signs of magic, and his parentage seems magic-free. He'd be a good candidate."
"Would Uma go for that though?" Jay asked.
Carlos's expression didn't bring Eliza much comfort. "Maybe, but she'd probably go for her first mate instead."
"And that would be?" Eliza asked.
"You met him, sort of," Jay said. "Short dark hair, red coat. Fake hook in his hand."
"Captain Hook's son." Eliza's tone was deadpan. "Are you serious?"
Jay shrugged both shoulders this time. "It's a possibility." Eliza scowled.
"It's just a theory," Carlos reminded her.
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she snapped back. She gave a growl of frustration. "Fine. Let's get this over with. But you guys owe me. Hell Fairy, too. And Princess Hearts a Lot. And Cheery McCheerstein, once I get my hands on her."
"Thanks, Eliza." Carlos smiled to try and bolster Eliza's comfort but she just stared back with eyes that said she would not be appeased. "Guess we should head out." He looked around. "Anyone seen Lonnie yet?"
"No, but we'll meet her out front," Jay answered. "She can't be far –"
Wyatt made a quiet noise just as Doug materialized from around the corner. "Hey, guys," he greeted, looking around the startled group in a mix of curiosity and concern. "Everything alright?"
"Peachy," Eliza ground out. He glanced at Wyatt who shrugged and grinned so Doug let it slide. Eliza was usually always a little testy, even on her good days.
"Alright," he agreed amicably. "Hey, have you guys seen Evie? I can't find her anywhere and she's not answering my calls."
"Uh…" Jay stalled, thinking as fast as he could.
"She's with Mal," Carlos inserted with a look at Jay. "Girl Talk, you know? Mal's, uh, having a hard day."
"Oh." Doug blinked at the two boys in front of him. "Okay. If you see her then can you tell her I'll meet her at the barrier at eight o'clock?"
Jay stared at the shorter boy. "For…?"
Doug gave Jay a look as if trying to figure out if the tourney player was pulling his leg. "Cotillion? Ben's King-in-Waiting Ceremony? Tomorrow night?"
Jay gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, no, we know. Just messing with you."
Doug studied him quietly, watching Jay shift uncomfortably and decided it might be better not to ask. "Right. Okay, see you tomorrow night then?"
"Yeah, totally. See you there."
They all watched as Doug slipped his phone out of his pocket to glance at the screen, looking like he was checking his messages for a response from Evie before shaking his head and leaving through the library doors. He glanced back only once with a disconcerted expression but continued out the door and into the night.
"Wow." Eliza's voice spoke into the awkward silence left behind.
"What?" Jay asked, immediately on the defensive.
Eliza just shook her head at the taller boy in what could only be interpreted as pity as Lonnie slipped through the door and paused at their table. Not only did she have a rather sizable duffel bag slung over her shoulder that clinked when she shifted it, but she'd changed into dark, loose pants and a navy blue sleeveless top. She looked like a woman on a mission.
Carlos blinked at her as she unzipped the bag with a careful look around to show the swords inside. "How'd you get those past the metal detectors?"
Eliza's lips curled into a smile, her eyes gleaming. "Now, see, she I would absolutely pick to help me in my hostile takeover of the world."
"Aww," Lonnie beamed, all smiles. "Thanks, Eliza."
Carlos shook his head. "Right." He glanced at his wrist and examined his watch. "Cotillion. We don't have much time if we're to fix all this before someone notices Ben missing. Let's go."
They all stood, Lonnie slinging the duffel back over her shoulder, and Eliza slipping the strap of her messenger bag over hers. She looked between Carlos and Jay. "I assume Mal has a plan."
Carlos gave a short bark of a laugh. "Mal always has a plan."
"Always scheming, that one," Wyatt agreed.
"Another potential general for my army," Eliza quipped as they passed through the library doors and out into the cool night air. "Though I suppose we'd likely be rivals trying to accomplish the same goals."
"No doubt."
Eliza paused on the wide cement stairs outside the library as she saw Zed and Bonzo following. "Oh no. Not you two, too."
"Eliza," Zed began, exasperated. "We're –"
"Not coming, Zed." She folded her arms over her chest as Jay, Carlos and Lonnie indicated that they were moving on ahead to give the friends some space. "I mean it."
"If Addison is –"
"She'll be there, Zed."
"Exactly. Which is why I need –"
"To stay here and cover for us while we're gone." Eliza finished for him, unrelenting. "You can get ready for Cotillion with Bonzo and meet Bree at the docks."
Zed led out a sound of exasperation mixed with frustration. "I want –"
"You can't. You're grounded, remember?" She turned to Bonzo. "Make sure he stays here."
"Gra," Bonzo agreed and Zed whirled on his friend.
"You too?"
"Zedka –"
"Rescuing Ben is the priority, Zed." Eliza was firm but she fought to keep her tone gentle, knowing her friend was hurting and near desperate. She couldn't say she didn't feel the same way, if not exactly in the same manner. "Addie is safe," she reminded him. "As safe as she can be," she amended at the pointed look he gave her. She struggled to keep her voice soft, empathetic. "She thinks you're dead, Zed. She thinks she killed you. On top of everything else. And if she sees you she's going to react. And we can't say it won't be defensively. She's already trying desperately to protect herself. And if she lashes out because you're there and someone gets hurt…if you get hurt again, what do you think that will do to her?"
Zed stood on the steps, his hands balled into fists at his sides, his jaw clenching and unclenching. But he saw her logic. Understood it. Even if he didn't like it. Even if he hated it.
"Hey." Eliza reached out, her cool fingers grasping onto Zed's wrist, squeezing with a gentleness that only her friends and family knew she possessed. "I want her back too, Zed. She's my friend. We're going to figure this out." She gave him a brave attempt at a smile. "We're not sidelining you for good, got it? It just can't be tonight. It can't be right now. But it will be soon, I promise you that. And you need to be ready for it."
She glanced over at Bonzo who gave her a warm, encouraging smile. "I need you two to find Willa, tell her what's going on. Willa knows how to keep a secret." She didn't have to look to know Wyatt was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps, patient as ever. "And she'll want to know where her brother is." She gave her friends a faint, weary smile. "She won't be pleased he's gone off without her again."
Bonzo chuckled. "Gra, gag re nik za."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Eliza told them. "Be ready for this fancy party thing everyone's too overly thrilled over." She rolled her eyes but she wasn't quite fooling them.
She gave them both a hard stare. "And stay out of trouble."
Zed closed his eyes, breathed in deep and let it go slowly. Only then did he look at his childhood friend with a rueful smile. "No promises."
Eliza nodded. "Guess that's all I can hope for. Get some sleep." Her lips lifted in a half-hearted smile. "If you can. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day." She turned and hurried down the stairs as fast as she could, Wyatt keeping an even pace at her side as they moved to catch up with the trio who had already vanished into the shadows.
Zed watched her go with a weird feeling balling up in the pit of his stomach. Some kind of mix of anxiety and anticipation about the thought of tomorrow, like some sense of premonition or déjà vu making itself known.
"Zedka? Gre gra zanik?"
"I don't know," Zed answered honestly. He looked his friend in the eye, one of the few people he could do so with. "I think we'll all be alright eventually. At least, I hope so."
"Za," Bonzo agreed, his face solemn. He patted his friend on the shoulder and they both moved to head toward home, their thoughts on their friends and what tomorrow – and the future – would bring.