Chapter Eight: Betrayals and Alliances

Ben and Audrey walked through the alleys, back to the cave as the sun begin to rise. Sleepy islanders wandered out, ready for another day imprisoned and miserable.

But the two were laughing as they walked arm-in-arm, caught up in memories of Auradon and wacky teachers.

"I'm telling you, the Evil Queen's was way better, it went on for days," Ben insisted.

But Audrey shook her head. "Like it mattered. It was undone by True Love's Kiss."

"'Works every time,'" Ben sighed, quoting his mother.

Audrey's smile fell as they reached the cliffs. The horizon was bright with the sun and the waves beyond the barrier had never looked so inviting. "I really thought that's what you and Mal had."

Ben pulled back, face falling.

"Do you want to talk about it? I'll…I'll listen better this time."

"Audrey, I'm not coming back. I can't." Though they were inches apart, it felt like miles. "I see your face every time you get a great grade or get paid for a new order. You're…making a life in Auradon. And I can't spoil that for you."

But Audrey shook her head. "If you're staying, I'm staying too."

"No," Ben shot back. He gave her a small smile. "C'mon, Audrey, you're an Auradon girl. If you came back here, you'd have to go back to just being a pink princess who wouldn't be allowed to be this amazing person you are now. But me? I'm…I belong here. I'll always be the boy from the Isle."

Audrey couldn't meet his eyes.

Ben closed the gap and took her hands. "You're going to do great over there. And I will be okay over here."

"You've always looked out for me," Audrey murmured, blinking back tears. "Ever since we were kids, and I was the princess, you were my prince."

Ben chuckled despite the looming day. "We ruled this Isle."

"And if we'd stayed here maybe…" Audrey met his eyes, her own filled with deep sadness.

"But we didn't. You've changed and grown, and you don't need a prince. You never did, Audrey."

She nodded, a single tear falling. "I'm really going to miss you."

Ben reached forward and hugged her tight. "I'll always be a part of you, this place, our past. You can always find me here. And I will always be rooting for you.

"You can find me in this space between."

Carlos ducked Jay arms as he chased him down the halls. The field trip had been a roaring success and each of the students now had an authentic Sherwood arrow to put up on their wall and stealing resume. Now Carlos had only a few hours to crash before Cotillion, get ready, then find Jane.

His stomach was in knots just thinking about it.

"Dude, wait." Jay reached forward and stopped Carlos. "Why is our door open?"

"Freshmen," Carlos grumbled. If this was a prank, he was going to have Jay put their head in his mom's old fur coats.

Jay went first, creeping into the room. He looked around…then promptly burst out laughing.

"What?" Carlos asked, dashing in after him. That's when he saw Chad, clambering off the floor having been startled off his seat by Jay, and Jane, rubbing her eyes and curled up on a desk chair.

His chair. Not that it mattered.

"Jane? What are…" Carlos glanced at his desk and saw his newly finished 3D printer running. "What are you guys doing?"

Chad slid in front of the printer while Jane quickly stood. They looked so…different. Chad's powder blue blazer was stretched over his new broad shoulders and his hair was meticulously combed. Jane wore a gingham purple dress and less makeup than she had in months. Her cheeks had never been pinker.

"Jane told me about your printer," Chad insisted, smiling easily. "Had to see it for myself."

Jay tried to look around him, but he slid again. "What are you guys making?"

"Nothing too interesting," Jane forced out, her voice squeaking.

"You're still a really bad liar, Jane," Jay laughed, flopping onto his bed. "You're printer, man. You deal with them. Just let me know if I need to stuff 'em in a locker."

Carlos looked from Chad's smile to Jane's wide eyes. He stormed forward, and shoved Chad away. Lucky for him, the boy was still very tired, so he moved easily.

The printer dinged and the door swung open, revealing a fake wand. And not just any wand, but Merryweather's wand.

"What in Auradon are you two up to?" Carlos hissed, pulling the wand out. It was brown with blue carvings, all leading to the narrow tip. "This…you could get in a lot of trouble for this!"

He meant to yell at both of them, but he was facing Jane.

"Carlos-"

"Why did you print this? I have a right to know, it's my printer!"

Her wide eyes suddenly narrowed. Carlos watched her resolve steel, and she grabbed the wand from his hands before he could react. A good wand in the hands of a good-looking girl.

This had to be a trick. There was no way this was real.

"I can't tell you." Her voice was steel. "But we need this. And…you just have to trust me."

"Trust you?" Carlos repeated. He laughed dryly and shook his head. "You broke into my room, used my printer, and now you're holding a good wand and you look so-"

Jane crossed her arms, glaring. "So what? Good?"

"Well. Yeah." He'd almost forgotten what she could be, what she had been before Auradon.

Jane opened her mouth to retort then shut it again. Finally, she just shook her head. "I can't tell you, Carlos. I just can't."

Her genuine sorrow hit him harder than her anger had. He did not stop her as she left with Chad, the wand in her hands. All he knew was his heart felt cracked deeper than ever before. He was normally so smart. Had he gotten this, gotten Jane, wrong?

"Jay. Who was that?"

Jane forced her emotions deeper as she and Chad burst out of the school and into the grim dawn. No one was awake yet, but they would be soon. They had to get back to the Isle.

But Jane couldn't find it in her to rush. Carlos…he'd looked so betrayed. Jane felt awful about not telling him the truth, but Lonnie's warning was ringing in her ears. Would Carlos ever forgive her?

No, of course he wouldn't. Jane felt her heart squeeze at the thought. Carlos was a villain and villains didn't forgive. They held grudges, they got revenge. And if she'd even had a chance with him before, she'd definitely didn't have one now.

Chad led them down the sidewalk when a grumbling pirate stepped into their path.

"Not now, Harry," Chad snapped. Jane slid Merryweather's wand into the sheath on her thigh hidden by her skirt before he noticed it.

"Where's Evie?" Harry asked, not even bothering with his maniacal laugh or crazy grin.

"Why do you need to know?" Chad demanded.

Harry just crossed his arms. "That little pink guppy is going to sew me something or I'll expose her."

"Expose her for what?"

"Something!" Harry exclaimed. "Something…some awful dark secret."

"Yes, because Audrey has so many of those," Chad remarked with an eyeroll. "Go bother another seamstress."

He pushed the pirate out of the way and him and Jane continued to the parking lot. They clambered into the car and Chad gunned the engine.

Jane didn't start breathing easy until they were on the magic bridge.

She stopped breathing easy when a hand clamped on her shoulder.

Jane screamed so loud, Chad nearly swerved the car into the sea.

"What?!"

"Hand!"

Chad whirled around to see Gil in the back seat, tossing a blanket off his head and grinning like an idiot at them. "Hey guys!"

"Gil. What. The. Hades?!" Chad shouted. He glanced at the road and saw the dome coming up.

"We don't have time to turn around," Jane groaned, looking at her watch. She glanced at Gil, glaring. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to Chad again about training for Dueling Squad. I thought if I asked you when you were alone, you'd actually here me out."

"So you broke into a car?" Jane demanded.

"Now is a very bad time," Chad growled as the car drove through the barrier.

Gil gaped at the windows and alleys they were driving through. "Why are we on the Isle?"

Jane glanced at Chad who shrugged. "Mal's been captured."

"Captured?"

"Yes, and we're going to save her. And you…" she glanced back at Gil and rolled her eyes, "you are just going to make it more difficult."

"No, I won't!" Gil insisted, smiling again. "I'll prove I can handle a fight, a real fight. I'll help you guys doing the saving or whatever."

"But you're a villain," Jane said.

Gil just shrugged. "My Dad prefers to call it a gray area. Besides, extra fighters are always good, right? What do you say, Chad?"

Chad was clenching the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. He roared into the parking garage they'd left the car in last time, where he could see Ben and Audrey waiting. He cut the engine then spun around to glare at Gil.

"Two things. One, you do everything we say. Understood?" Gil nodded eagerly. "Two. Unless you have miraculously become an amazing swordsmen, you will stay in the back and make sure no one sees you."

Gil nodded again and Chad sighed in defeat.

"Well," Jane said, shrugging. "We better get going then."

When the three stumbled out of the car. Ben's eyes widened when he saw Gil.

"What is he-?"

Chad just held up his hand. "Don't. Ask."

Audrey led the group to the tunnel through the cliffs. The one that led to meditation gardens where Lonnie was waiting.

And Mal.

"Let's go!" she called to the group. And, together, they headed to the fight.