Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Disney characters. Or the historical ones.
Note: Fair warning - this is deeper than Disney but doesn't follow Melissa's series very well either. I am going to take the main elements of the plot and fuse them closer with some fairy tale elements of the original stories. Grittier, more dangerous, and a bit of swearing. Enjoy.
ON WITH THE STORY
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Cold Embrace of Iron, a Dragon's Tale of Love
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Living in a place that did not allow magic was uncomfortable. Quite a few beings were made of or by magic and Mal, especially, always felt suffocated by the suppression of magic.
Tsss-THUNK! Tss-THUNK!
"Fucking found you, you thrice-cursed rat! Stop throwing rocks at the barrier or else!"
Tss-THUNK!
"Or else what Princess Blueberry? Gonna throw perfume at me? Maybe spear me through with your lipstick? Ha!"
Evie's eyes narrowed as she took a good look through the night air and saw piercing emerald green eyes. "Mal. Should have known it was you. Please stop. You're giving me a headache."
Mal sneered and threw one last rock at the magical barrier making it ripple and ring out like a gong in the night. "Poor poor little human witch. Can't handle a little noise in the magicless void." Turning on her seat atop a boulder at the edge of the island the half fairy, half dragon bared her teeth at her unwanted visitor. "Try having a headache and the cold comfort of iron chains biting into your skin since you were old enough to walk!" Mal thrust her hands out, the iron bracelets clanking on her wrists from the quick movement showing raw skin beneath.
Evie scowled unimpressed. "Boo hoo. Big, bad dragon is pouting about how much life sucks. Newsflash, Runt, it sucks for all of us. So maybe keep your brooding to your own head instead of trying to share it with everyone else." That was a perfect exit line if Evie had ever delivered one but instead of turning on her heel and heading for home, she got closer to the perched teen and nudged her. "Move over."
Mal sneered at the other girl, half tempted to snap her teeth in the general direction of Evie's hand when it touched her but ultimately she just shifted over.
The two girls sat silently staring out across the water towards the mainland. Sparkling lights and sweet smelling winds assaulted their senses reminding them of everything they have never had but their parents could never forget.
"I thought princesses didn't leave their towers after midnight," Mal mused softly more to provoke the taller girl than to make any real conversation. "Something about beauty sleep or pumpkins or some such drivel."
Evie scoffed and brought her knees closer to her chest. "Only those who aren't beautiful." Side-eyeing Mal, a mischievous smile stretched Evie's naturally pink lips. "But since you are so worried about it, are you offering to be my dragon guard?"
"Ha!" Mal scoffed. "You don't want me to be your dragon."
When Mal didn't elaborate Evie shifted and looked at her. Glowing green eyes staring back at her startled Evie enough she gave a small gasp. "Why not?" The question was a little more breathless than she would have liked but she wanted to know.
Mal blinked slowly with both dragon eyelids. "No one steals my treasure."
The implication was not lost on her and Evie felt her cheeks flush so much she got hot in the cool night air. "Oh."
Neither girl said anything else for a while, eyes now back on the horizon beyond the barrier.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Evie quietly asked, longing coloring her voice a wistful hue.
Mal softly snorted. "If we did I can guarantee we wouldn't fit in out there." She paused and looked at Evie out of the corner of her eye. "Well, maybe you could, Princess," she allowed.
Now it was Evie's turn to scoff. "I wouldn't want to if it meant not being me." She smiled widely out at the water. "Rotten to the core."
"Well said," Mal nodded approvingly.
The night faded into that pre-dawn stillness by the time either girl moved, not saying goodbye, just melting into the remaining shadows to flee any sort of kindness the sun might reveal between them.
A week passes and Mal stays away from the barrier, making trouble in other ways and Evie gets her beauty sleep with full knowledge that Mal was doing her a favor. This prompted a return favor through rather unusual means.
*Tink* *Tink*
Evie lobbed pebble after pebble at the tower window, trying to get Mal's attention without waking her mother.
A growled "Ouch!" meant she had successfully achieved waking the purple haired girl. "Do you want to be eaten, Princess?" Sharp glowing green eyes peered down at her but Evie just smiled and threw the last rock up at Mal. "Hey!" She dodged.
"I'm returning a favor," Evie ignored Mal's grumbled curses as she bent down and picked up a box to hold it up. "Catch."
Mal was intrigued so she leaned out her window and held out her arms.
Evie steadied herself on the rock she had climbed on then threw the box as hard as she could towards Mal.
"Oof! What's in this thing? More rocks?" Mal hauled the box in with a bit of effort, setting it down before going back to the window only to find Evie already leaving. "Hey!" Mal hissed as loudly as she dared. "Princess!"
Evie just hopped further down to the grounds around the dilapidated castle waving cheekily as she left for town.
For some reason it irritated Mal that the blue-haired girl hadn't stuck around to explain what she woke her up for. Withdrawing from the window Mal turned and nudged the box with her bare foot.
"If this is a prank I am so gonna eat that girl," Mal promised herself.
The ribbon tying the box closed came off with a couple tugs. Gingerly Mal leaned back even as she reached forward to open the lid, expecting a nasty surprise to pop out as soon as she lifted the lid. To her relief there was nothing inside that launched itself at her. Taking a delicate sniff and peering inside from an acceptable distance Mal didn't smell or see anything offensive to prevent her from pulling the box into her lap and reaching in.
She brushed aside the sawdust shavings encasing the biggest object to reveal a broad swath of leather. Supple beneath her fingers Mal hummed as she ran her hand over as much of the leather as she could, finally pulling it completely free and holding it up to see it properly.
"Wow..." Mal breathed.
The leather turned out to be a full-sleeved jacket with shiny zippers winking in the moonlight like teeth. Mal wasted no time sliding her bare arms into the jacket sleeves and shrugging the rest around her shoulders. A pleasant coolness slithering along her arms made Mal shiver.
"Silk. She put silk on the inside."
Like a blanket the jacket enveloped Mal in a soothing warmth while still being cool to the touch. And the smell was enchanting to her nose – leather and rose water.
Mal opened her eyes which had slid closed to savor the sensation of her new outfit and dove eagerly back into the box to see what else Evie had made for her. Sifting through the sawdust her fingers bumped a hard, round tin and when she brought it out to look at it there was a label in elegant script.
"'For Whiny Dragons Whose Wrists Hurt'...!" Mal read the label out loud, voice getting more offended as she went. "Brat." But still she opened the tin and to her delight found a cream she could rub into her raw skin and protect it from her iron bangles.
Replacing the lid on the tin Mal got to her feet and brought it to her vanity. Pulling out the top left drawer she reached to the back and flicked a switch. The bottom of the drawer popped up. Removing the false bottom she set the tin inside and pulled out a thin coiled chain with a blood red jewel in the shape of a heart at the end.
Mal had stolen the trinket from her mother's chest of keepsakes long ago. And she suspects the only reason she was allowed to keep the necklace was because it was the first selfish evil thing she had ever done. There was no more magic to give the jewel heart an inner glow but it seemed like a prize fit for a princess.
When Jay had complimented Mal on procuring a rad new jacket she just smirked and went about her business being an outstanding villain kid terrorizing the citizens of the Isle. But secreted in one of the many pockets of her jacket was the necklace, waiting for the perfect opportunity to be given to Evie.
Problem was, Mal didn't normally hang out with the other girl and rarely wandered into the Evil Queen's territory. Evie would know something was up if Mal started coming around so the half-dragon needed to be clever and sly in her delivery. After all she didn't want the Isle's only princess to think Mal was going soft or persuaded to be nice by pretty brown eyes and thoughtful gifts.
No, she was a fierce villain aiming to be completely rotten and eventually rule the Isle as the Biggest Bad.
"Arrgh! Why is this so fucking hard!" Mal threw an apple core into some random person's bag as she strolled through the market place.
Jay's eyes were constantly scanning for valuable objects he could pilfer for his dad's shop and his fingers kept twitching but he took a moment to glance at Mal. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Mal scowled as she kicked a supporting pole for the fish monger's tent and watched as the whole canopy collapsed on the irate merchant and his customers.
The chaos failed to bring a smile to her face like it usually would. Instead she turned away and sought out other avenues of mischief to see if that would bring her the satisfaction she craved.
"Clearly," Jay deadpanned as his fingers gently lifted a coin purse from one of Mal's victims before jogging over to catch up with her. "Seriously. What's eating you?" A decidedly intense look came to his face as he observed Mal's bad mood and the way she constantly unconsciously trailed her fingers over the pocket on her chest. "Is this about that witch's girl, the one who dresses real fancy and believes she's a princes?"
"She is," Mal snapped. "And...No!"
"HA! That was the worst lie I have ever heard you tell," Jay laughed. "Ooof!"
The harsh grind of brick through his ratty shirt was a minor inconvenience compared to the dangerous girl in his face.
"I don't care if you know I'm lying or not, Rat. When I tell you the sky is yellow and water red you would do best to believe me."
Holding up his palms Jay kept his face neutral to avoid aggravating her further. "Okay, okay. Your bitchiness is just due to all the sunlight we got today."
Mal snorted and pushed Jay a little harder before completely backing up and stalking away.
Shaking off the brick dust the thief followed, resuming his work and leaving Mal to her silence and chaotic antics. That is, until he spotted someone over by the milliner's stall.
"Hey, dragon lady," he sidled up to Mal to whisper to her. "Don't look now but I spy a walking blueberry near the scarves."
Mal looked up so quick she almost clocked him in the cheek. Mal was so absorbed with watching Evie that she didn't notice Jay had already sauntered over and started talking to the girl. At first Mal's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but when Jay got Evie to laugh hard enough she closed her eyes and he flicked his wrist to point at Mal then gestured toward Evie, she lost her ire.
"Oh that sneaky rat," Mal grinned as she caught on to the plan.
Stealthily she made her way towards the duo always with Evie's back facing her. There was a heart-pounding point where the blue-haired girl had turned to rifle through the fabrics on the table. Luckily Mal had ducked swiftly enough to avoid being seen. When she took a cautious glance around the fruit stand she saw Evie's attention had returned to Jay.
She was holding up various colored scarves to his face and talking rapidly. This was her chance!
With a speed born of practice fleeing angry victims of her pranks, Mal dashed forward and slipped the heart jewel into Evie's skirt pocket then purposefully bumped into Jay.
"You're late," she growled, not looking at the startled girl still holding the scarves. "We said 11, not 1, genius. Now we've missed the shipment docking."
Jay at first looked confused but he caught on when Mal poked him hard in the chest. "R-right! Sorry Mal," he relaxed and grinned boyishly, hands shoved in his pockets. "I was just sidetracked and saw the princess here. She promised to make me a cool vest if I do her a favor later. Pretty good deal if you ask me."
The news resurrected that irritating prickly feeling from before. "Yeah, yeah. Hopefully she can make you look less ugly." Her grip on his bicep might have been harder than she usually gave but she didn't give a damn as she pulled. "Speaking of ugly, we have an appointment with the pirates so get a move on," she snapped completely ignoring Evie.
Jay winced and reflexively tried to pull away from Mal's grip. "Okay, okay. Got it." Throwing a glance over his shoulder at Evie while he walked behind Mal, Jay smirked. "Catch you later, Princess. I want that vest."
Evie wiggled her fingers as a goodbye. "Just as long as you fulfill your end of the deal. Bye Mal," she added.
"*Grunt*" Mal kept walking until she and Jay had slipped far enough out of sight that she could stop and push Jay against a nearby wall. "What were you two talking about?"
"Whoa there, hot pants. I was just giving you an opportunity. She brought up the need for a favor," Jay explained, hands held up in surrender.
"What favor?"
Jay shrugged. "She didn't say but the vest will come in handy for my work. She promised hidden pockets."
The prickles came back through Mal's skin and she shrugged violently to try to get rid of it. "Whatever. Come on, we have pirates to play with."
Jay grinned and jogged after her. "Wanna bet I can snatch Harry's hook without him knowing?"
Snorting, Mal smirked. "Bet you lunch he notices within five minutes of monologing."
Jay spit on his hand and held it out. "Deal."
May returned the gesture with her own wet hand. "Deal."
The next time Mal saw Evie she was leading a short skinny boy by the hand through the bustle of the docks. Unconsciously the half-fae slowed down and moved behind some fish barrels, narrowed eyes following the pair.
'What is she doing here? And who is that?' Her eyes took on a sinister glow as the boy stopped Evie at a stand where a hawker called out and pointed to something on the table.
Evie nodded after a moment, turning to the seller and began haggling. She watched as Evie worked the deal and triumphantly gathered the red cloth and the white fabric into her purse. The boy smiled broadly, running a hand through his black and white streaked hair.
Mal was vaguely aware she knew the kid but her full attention was caught on the sharp glint of red at Evie's chest.
'She's wearing it,' a giddy whisper in her brain echoed between her ears. The heart-shaped jewel was nestled right at her neckline playing hide-and-seek with the collar of her jacket. Another part of her, kept at bay by the iron and magicless barrier, rumbled in pleasure that her Treasure had been claimed.
"Hey! There she is!" A mob of sailors led by a young boy brandishing a hook in one hand stomped down the pier toward her.
"Shit!" Mal forgot she had been at the docks to thieve from the newest shipment of goods. Quick thinking made her shove the fish barrels over so the slimy contents created a slippery walkway for her pursuers, then she dashed towards Evie and the boy.
"Head's up, Blue!"
Evie startled and reflexively caught the pouch tossed at her by the girl running toward her. "Wha!? Mal!?"
"Whoa!" The boy stumbled under the wight of a bag thrust at him, crashing against the stall nearby, rattling wares and drawing the ire of the owner.
"Run!" Mal called, snatching Evie's hand and jerking her into a flat out sprint.
"Oh crap!" The boy actually kept pace with the two girls even under the weight of his burden, not collapsing until Mal had forced them into a hidden back alley near Dr. Facilier's shop.
Red faced and sweating, Evie glared death at the original thief. "What in the 9 Hells are you thinking!? I go to the docks often for goods and now I am unofficially banned because you decided stealing from Harry and Uma's crew was a good idea!"
Mal kept grinning through sharp breaths, unperturbed by Evie's ire, eye firmly on the necklace bouncing with every rude gesture and turn of Evie's body. "Won't take more than a week, Princess. Then they will forget all about your daring plunge into the world of thievery."
She stomped her foot and threw the pouch back at Mal's chest which the girl promptly put inside a hidden inner pocket. "You are insufferable!" She declared, opening her purse and pulling out a hand mirror safely tucked amongst the fabric she had purchased earlier. "Ugh, my hair a is a mess." The harsh panting breaths of the boy laying prone on the ground nearby pulled Evie out of her preening. "Carlos, you okay?"
"Yeah," came a squeaking reply and a limp hand flopping up off the ground for a moment. "I'm okay...I think."
Mal risked a glance out of the mouth of the alley to make sure they weren't followed. "Good, we lost 'em." She strode over to Carlos and crouched down to take the bag from him. "Thanks," she grinned and proceeded to walk out of the alley.
"Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are just gonna take and go? After I did you a favor!?" Carlos got up on wobbly feet, then broke into a canter trying to catch up to the purple-haired girl before she could get too far outside of the alley.
"Yeah," Mal shrugged and kept walking.
"Hold up. Come on, at least tell me what I risked life and limb for."
"You do owe us at least that," Evie called out, still fixing her hair at the mouth of the alley.
Mal stopped and faced them, petulantly about to tell them they can go take a hike, when Evie snapped her purse shut after dropping her mirror inside and gave Mal an eyebrow raise.
The duo faced off, Evie not perturbed by Mal's glowing eyes. She smugly smiled when the shorter girl gave a sigh and whined. "Fine!"
Stomping back to the alley, she pulled open the bag and let the other two peer inside.
"...Apples...I risked my life for apples!?" Carlos threw his hands up then folded them across his chest as his back landed against the brick wall. "What a crock," he mumbled and pouted.
Evie, on the other hand, was salivating. "Mmmm, apples. I love apples." Without thought she reached in and pulled out a plump juicy fruit and brought it to her nose. Inhaling deeply Evie detected the inherent sweetness of the apple buried under the tang of sea salt and gunpowder. Her sigh became a shiver-inducing moan when her teeth sank into the crisp flesh.
Mal was mesmerized, eyes not leaving those red lips, her mouth unconsciously open and tasting the apple with Evie through the air. The pleasure the princess expressed when she bit into the treat sent a throbbing heat through Mal's groin, bringing a growl to the half-dragon's lips.
"Hey," she rumbled slightly breathless. "Stop eating my stash."
Amber eyes opened and Evie's tongue slipped out to lick up any lingering juices on her lips. "Consider it payment for helping you."
Mal snarled and stepped closer to the taller girl invading her personal space but not touching her. "Deal. But from now on, you are part of my crew. And we make trouble on the Island."
Taking another bite, using the time to think through the pros and cons of accepting Mal's terms, Evie swallowed then smiled wickedly. "Deal. Carlos comes with," she added.
Mal eyeballed the young boy who cast his dark gaze away from her glowing one and scoffed. "Fine." Reaching into the her bag, she pulled out another apple and tossed it to Carlos. "Cool?"
He caught the fruit and flitted his eyes between Evie, who smiled encouragingly, and Mal, who just scowled. "...Cool."
Mal's grin was sharp. "Excellent. I'll find you both for the next job. Later."
Off she went, slinging the bag of apples over her shoulder. When she reached her hide-away-from-home Mal dumped the apples on the wobbly table and pulled out her real prize.
"Good thing she forgot she had this in her hand." A small brown pouch rested innocently in her grasp. Upending it, a palm-sized mirror slid out, face flashing oddly in the dim sunlight filtering through the dirty windows. "Otherwise it would have been harder to surprise her."
It wasn't hard to sneak onto the mansion grounds. Scraggly shrubs and bare trees provided just enough cover in the dark that Mal swiftly scampered up to the stone building and began analyzing the best way to get in.
Intel said that Evie's room was on the far left side, second floor. Mal mentally reminded herself to grab Carlos a shiny toy the next time she went solo-raiding as thanks.
There was a tree positioned near Evie's window, just out of reach with wire thin branches vainly stretching into the air.
"Good enough," Mal mumbled to herself and she climbed as high as she dared to assess her next move. Five feet seemed deceptively small on a normal occasion but as Mal looked at the decrepit wall for hand or footholds to cling to, five feet suddenly became as insurmountable as ten. "Shit. Well, here goes!"
Rocking back and forth as fast as she could, Mal launched into the air, slamming into the wall.
"Oof! Whoa!" She started sliding down and her right cheek felt tingly from impacting the stone wall but Mal dug her fingers into crevices and scrambled her feet to find big enough ones. "Nng. *Grunt* This would be so much easier with wings," she grumbled to herself after she stopped falling.
"But much less entertaining," a voice from above said.
Jerking her head up, Mal caught Evie's laughing smile even as she felt her holds slip under the sudden pressure of her surprise. "Shit!"
She didn't fall far because Evie had leaned out the window and grabbed onto the purple leather of Mal's jacket holding fast. "*Grunt* You're *huff* heavier than you look."
Clamping her hands on Evie's wrists, the half fairy used the leverage to lift herself into the window landing with an expulsion of air on top of her rescuer. "*Huff* Yeah, well, you're softer than you look, Blue."
Evie decided to take offense to that and pushed Mal away. "Get off, Bony!"
Laying on her back Mal smirked, "Now is that anyway to treat a guest?"
Evie sniffed and got up, patting her nightgown down. "More like a thief in the night."
Rolling to her hands and knees, Mal got up and took a look around. "Fancy." She went to the vanity first, laying her hands on the weathered wood, and peered at all the bottles and powders. "So this is where you brew your potions."
"Among other things," Evie admitted from her bed where she now sat.
"Where's the mirror?" Mal stared at the wooden board attached to the back of the vanity that once held a large piece of glass.
"Mother shattered it," the older girl explained softly. "When I was a kid. She said it had lied to her. We don't keep large mirrors here ever since...well, you know." What Evie didn't share were the cuts on her feet and hands carried over as scars into her adolescence from when her Mother demanded she clean up the mess of glass shards.
"Yeah, I know," Mal bitterly said, backing away from the vanity. There were thin ribbons of scar tissue that adorned her back always out of sight, remnants of a childhood paying for evil's loss to the light. The thought of failure always brought back the fear of her Mother's temper.
"I had to barter for the hand mirror we have," Evie leaned forward to reach for the small trinket face down on her nightstand. 'Always keep your mirror nearby, Genevieve. You never know when you might need it,' her Mother's voice whispered in her memories.
The cracked and foggy surface of the glass reflected a glimpse of Mal's raised eyebrow. "Looks like you could use a new one."
Sighing, the seated girl withdrew, laying the mirror back in its place. "Probably, but I don't think I could find another let alone afford it if I did." A large yawn broke out of Evie just then. "Sorry," her manners kicked in as she covered her mouth belatedly and blushed.
"Hope I'm not boring you, Blue." Mal stepped up to the bed and pushed the other girl in the shoulder, nonchalantly climbing in beside Evie. "Or maybe you're telling me in Draconian that you trust me," she teased whispering across the pillows.
Evie turned to face her unexpected, but not unwelcome, bedmate and asked, "What do you mean?"
"When dragons yawn they are telling you to be calm. It's a sign they aren't going to hurt you and don't mind that you're around." Mal felt a little thrill in her belly when Evie yawned again and blinked slowly at her. Those were two pieces of her draconic language that meant something when used separately and meant something completely different when used in combination.
"I imagine it is hard for a human to tell the difference between a simple yawn and 'I'm going to eat you now' when a dragon opens its mouth," Evie sleepily quipped drawing a short laugh from Mal.
They lapsed into silence, filled only with soft breaths and the rustle of sheets. Evie fought for a bit longer to stay away but it was a losing battle. The last thing she saw was a pair of luminous green eyes, half-lidded and looking solely at her.
"Pretty..." she mumbled then was out.
Mal waited for a time, letting Evie fall into the rhythm of sleep, then she brushed her fingers over an exposed cheek, mesmerized by the feeling of silky skin and defining bone. "Beautiful treasure," she breathed. Her chosen deserved the trinket pressing against her hip just as she had deserved the jeweled heart. Basking in the comfort of Evie's bed and company, Mal had to forcefully pull herself away, out of the bed and to the window. "Sweet dreams, Princess."
She was gone in the next breath but on Evie's table winked an ornate mirror with a crystal clear face and a sparkle of magic trapped beneath the glass.
The exchange of gifts did not end there and even extended out to include Carlos and Jay. New jackets and vests, stolen hats and boots, food to share; all four kids benefited from teaming up and expanding their territory of influence.
There were only two other gangs that would cause trouble with them: the Pirates and the Mercenaries. Mal's gang was named the Mystics because of the innate magic clinging to all four of them but she didn't pay any attention to labels outside of her pursuit to be the Biggest Bad on the Isle. Evie paid attention, though, and made sure she had the means to negate some at the attacks favored by the other two gangs.
It was touch-and-go at the beginning of their start. Mal and Jay didn't trust anybody, not even each other, and Carlos was too timid to offer any real challenge when arguments popped up. Evie, however, forced all of them to stay in one room for a week to work out differences when Uma's gang ripped into them hard enough to leave scars.
It worked.
Granted they nearly killed each other by the time the week was up but now Jay would cover Carlos when he saw he needed it and Mal would take the brunt of any physical attacks because she healed the fastest out of all of them. And Evie continued to be the beautiful face of the Mystics, gathering intel and making deals.
"Thanks Freddie," Evie said as she pocketed the tea leaves after handing over some hard earned coin.
Freddie grinned swiftly palming the money and tilting her head in acknowledgment. "Of course. Any thing for my favorite seamstress. I love my new jacket." The tattooed girl twirled behind the counter to show off how well her new accessory fit.
"I can always count on you to get me my teas," Evie complimented. "Consider this a favor."
A wry smile pulled a chuckle from them both. "Deal," Freddie allowed, a sheen of almost magic glinting behind her eyes. "So, moving on to juicier topics, I heard something through the grapevines. It sounds like Auradon is going to crown the heir-apparent and he has his eyes on the Isle for something."
A concerned frown slashed over Evie's face before it smoothed out again as she leaned in. "And what is that something?"
Freddie shrugged. "No one knows. Even Dad and his crowd can only speculate. The consensus seems to be that it's about us – the villain kids.
Amber eyes narrowed at that information, Evie's thoughts analyzing all the possibilities and none of them were particularly good.
Freddie leaned her elbows on the counter, brow furrowed at the direction of own thoughts. "If...if something happens, Evie, I'm with your gang," the voodooist whispered fiddling with the bangles on her wrists, filling the shop with a metallic chime.
Evie's hand slid over one of Freddie's, stilling the fidgeting. "We know," she said as kindly as she could in the face of the other girl's well hidden fear. "I'll let Mal know...and Uma, too, since I know you also deal with her gang."
Freddie froze at that. It wasn't considered good for one's health to be a provider for rival gangs but Evie's unwavering eyes and firm touch brought a weird sense of relief to her muscles. "Nah, I got that covered later today. Wouldn't want to start something between you guys at a time like this."
Evie smiled coquettishly and withdrew. "Oh I don't know about that. Harry has always been so easy to unarm with a little wink and a smile."
Throwing her head back with a laugh, braided hair swaying, Freddie waved goodbye as Evie exited her dad's shop.
Once in the alley, Evie stopped to assess her next move. The information about Auradon needed to be dispersed among all the VK. Not a single kid could count on their parents to tell them anything before it was too late. The last time a big event hit the Isle more than one kid found themselves in a bad place even though their parents escaped relatively unscathed. That had been when the Isle citizens sought to escape en masse and the Auradon Navy had bombarded the island with fire and metal projectiles.
Evie had just been old enough to remember that day. She and a couple other kids who followed her when she ran further inland to the caves had been the lucky ones.
"I'll have to get to Fan Li," she muttered under her breath.
The Mercenary gang was...unpleasant to deal with. Unlike the more sociable Pirates, the Mercs were loners and temperamental ones at that. Only Fan Li had some sense of calm about her and Evie hoped she could catch her alone when she next ventured in to town to trade for goods.
For now, Mal needed to be told. A smile came unbidden at the thought of her friend and leader. The dragonling had been in a foul mood earlier that morning because someone decided it was a bright idea to sneak into her room with a stink bomb and set it off at dawn. Evie giggled as she walked to the Hideout.
'It is so much fun to rile her up,' she thought wickedly.
"So we don't know what's coming," Jay repeated. "Just that something is coming."
"That's what she said, Rat," Mal snarled from her spot in the corner where the other three had banished her when she had started pushing stuff off the table into their laps or to shatter on the floor. Evie had not been amused when a stray splat of porridge had hit her cheek.
"Then, what can we do about it?" the thief gestured with both hands, shrugging.
"At least we know," Carlos piped up, mouth full of food quickly swallowed and replaced with more. Evie frowned and pushed her bowl towards him.
"Yes, we know. So we can be a bit more vigilant about movement on the horizon. I know Uma and her gang will find out tonight but the Mercs need to be warned."
Carlos gulped loudly at that. "How? If we go anywhere near their side of the Isle they won't stop hunting us 'til we're dog food."
Jay frowned and leaned onto the table with his elbows. "Why would we even go out of our way?"
Mal stayed silent for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Because this isn't just the usual Isle pissing match. This could be an attack from outside and all of us VKs have the right to know and prepare." Evie's chest unclenched when Mal verbally backed her up. "But we aren't going out of our territory into theirs. Carlos is right, that would be stupid." Mal's dragon eyes pierced Evie. "So how are we getting the message across?"
"Simple. If you spot Fan Li in the market, come get me as quickly as you can. She's the one to talk to."
"Fan Li? Oh! You mean the cutie with the bird on her shoulder," Jay smiled. "I could talk to her if I spot her, E. Maybe see if she wants to go to the docks together some night." He wiggled his eyebrows and put his arms behind his head to show off his biceps, insinuating so much nonsense Evie, Mal, and Carlos laughed out loud.
"You wouldn't get two words out before your arm would be ripped off, snake charmer," Mal crowed.
"Sorry J. It's best if I talk to her. I'm less likely to get destroyed," Evie bit her lip to try and stop her giggles.
Jay pouted and put a gasping Carlos into a headlock viciously rubbing a noogie into the crown of his head before letting go when the younger boy howled for mercy. "Hmph. Fine. I'll keep an eye out."
Carlos scowled rubbing his head gently to try and soothe the burn. "Yeah, me too," he agreed.
Rolling her eyes Mal left her corner and sat down to finish her own lunch. "Whatever you want, Princess."
Evie hid a smirk behind her cup of tea.
Two days later Carlos skidded to a halt in front of Evie, red faced and out of breath. "F-hah-N-huff Li. Hah. Docks. Huff."
"Thank Carlos!" Evie called over her shoulder as she sprinted out the door and through the alleys, over a couple rooftop shortcuts to reach the docks as fast as she could.
She arrived to a very odd sight.
Mal was standing, arms crossed, in front of a girl about their age with an eagle on her shoulder, ink black hair cut short and sticking out of her fur cap. Fan Li looked unimpressed with the half-fae and mirrored her pose in a tacit challenge. Uma, having been notified by one of her boys, was swiftly arriving from the pier to join in the odd stand off.
"What's going on Mal?" she demanded as soon as she got within hearing distance.
Mal grit her teeth and spat out, "None of your business, Fish Bait."
Fan Li said nothing even while her eagle puffed up and flapped its wings in agitation.
"Sorry I'm late!" Evie interrupted coming to a stop from her sprint, shaking her hair behind her shoulders and focusing on calming her heart. "Thanks Mal. Fan Li, I wanted to speak with you."
The huntress' narrow gaze slid from her two rival leaders to the slightly flushed girl with the sly smile. "What do you want, Evie?"
The sly smile blossomed into one a bit less charming and a lot more relieved. "A moment to talk. That's all." Evie kept her answers short because she knew Fan Li would not tolerate more of her time taken up than necessary.
Reaching up to brush down her companion's feathers while she thought through Evie's request, Fan Li noted how Mal had stepped closer to the witchling's side placing herself in a position to attack or intercept should Uma or any of the gathering pirates try anything funny. "Speak."
Evie nodded and shared the information about Auradon as succinctly as possible. When she finished, Evie added some extra information she had gleaned from listening in at the market. "Whatever is going to happen, the merchants are all excited because it has been confirmed they will all be receiving extra shipments of goods from Auradon to barter out."
"I haven't heard that," Uma challenged, not surprised about the original news.
Mal snarled. "You don't hear everything, and don't spend nearly as much time in the market as Evie."
Meeting Mal head on, beads clicking wildly in her braids, Uma sneered back. "And yet everything comes through port, which I rule," she spat. "Your little wannabe Princess - *COUGH*!"
"Finish that sentence and I will tear your head off your body," Mal squeezed her hand tighter around Uma's throat eyes blazing green and slitted with menace.
Uma clamped a hand on Mal's throat in retaliation. "Try it and I take you with me," she grimly promised.
Fan Li had no interest in Mal and Uma's usual interactions so she simply nodded at Evie then faded back into the gathering crowds to get what she came for and leave.
Evie barely saw the huntress leave, so focused on diffusing the growing tension since Jay and Carlos weren't here to back them up should a fight occur. "I don't know how Auradon will deliver shipment, Uma, but don't ignore our intel system either. Besides," she placed a hand on both girls' outstretched arms and gently applied downward pressure. "You have other things to worry about if the merchants find a new way to do business."
A growl and look of frustration filtered out of Uma and she abruptly released Mal while ripping herself away from the grip on her own throat. Angry red splotches darkened both leaders' necks. "Fine, Starfish. Another day, Mal."
"Count on it," came the response.
Grabbing Mal's hand, Evie led the way out of the docks and back to their Hideout.
"Sit down," she ordered as soon as they got in, staring at her defiant leader until Mal huffed and plopped down on a rickety chair at the table. Evie, satisfied with Mal's compliance, went to her stash of lotions and cremes. "I'll need more willow bark soon," she called out, getting a grunt in reply. She rose from her crouch and unscrewed the lid of the tin in her hand. "Head back."
Mal didn't fight it this time and simply held back a wince when the move caused a twinge of discomfort. The shock of cold creme being gently applied made her hiss.
"Oh don't be a baby," Evie chided staying gentle but making sure the creme got rubbed in properly so the bruises already developing would heal faster.
"Not a baby." Mal reached out and pulled Evie even closer so her face hovered over Mal's upturned one. "I am a fiercesome dragon protecting her treasure."
Her heart skipped a beat at the blunt declaration, stilling her hands on Mal's shoulders and causing her to gasp lightly in surprise. "Is that why you keep leaving gifts?" Of all the things she could have said, watching Mal turn shy at the mention of her habit to give Evie wonderfully thoughtful gifts brought Evie back some of her confidence. "Does that make you more of a raven then a dragon?" she teased, scratching her nails gently on Mal's neck.
"It's all your fault," Mal mumbled into Evie's chest where she had hid her blush. "You keep biting back and flashing your sharp smiles. I couldn't resist."
"Neither could I," Evie confessed. "No matter what my mother believed or tried to make me do, I watched you and thought I would gladly give up all the princes in the world if I could just be a part of your life."
Mal pulled tighter to draw Evie further into her embrace, head still lowered to hide her ecstatic smile. Evie felt the grin on her skin anyway and giggled. "So you are my dragon now? And I am the princess you are guarding?"
A rumble and muffled, "Yep" met her questions.
Nodding, the taller girl wrapped her arms around Mal's head and returned the hug. "Alright then. Fair warning: you'll never get rid of me now."
"I'm counting on it."
To be continued.