The lanterns and candles in the room flickered with a soft, warm light as Evie breathed life into them. One by one their haloed radius pushed more and more of the shadows out of the room. Ginny huffed and flicked a finger against one of the lanterns hanging next to the doorway. Uma hung back in the doorway, unintentionally boxing Jane between them in the threshold. She fidgeted, hesitating a beat before edging Ginny forward with a curt "Excuse me."
"There's this new invention called electricity. Could give it a try," Ginny said her head tilting towards one of the lanterns.
Evie glanced at her, suppressing a laugh, "Sure. You find the electrician that'll work on our hidden occult room filled with dangerous items and not freak out."
Uma's amused snorted set off Ginny's quick grimace.
"Fair enough."
"What do you need us for, Princess?" Uma asked.
"I'm hoping some fresh eyes will help find the link I'm missing."
She tapped the book she'd been reading last night, "I was looking into the petrification curse. I was hoping for a way to reverse the effects."
"It would be great to get the great fairy back right now," Ginny said, sitting on the edge of the table.
"And everyone else affected."
"Yeah, yeah," Ginny waved her hand, "But none of them helps us in a fight."
"Us?"
"What? You taught we came back to get drunk at your wedding? I did notice that by the way," She pointed to Evie's finger, "Congrats. I'm pissed I didn't get an invitation."
"It happened yesterday," Uma supplied.
"What? During which part? When the armour was trying to kill you or when you were stealing from the god?" Ginny snickered. She'd gotten the abridged version of events from the past days along with the others who'd just arrived.
Jane gasped, taking Evie's hand in hers, "Evie! Mal asked you?"
Evie could only get the beginnings of a nod in before Jane was hugging her.
"That's wonderful. Mom's going to be trilled–" She cut herself off so hard the words choked in her mouth.
Evie placed her hands on Jane's shoulders, "She will be thrilled. We'll tell her right after we save her."
"Right," Jane's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Uma coughed. "I don't think I need to remind anyone that's a captured king out there, somewhere."
"Right. I was thinking about the spells used with the sceptre. They might be a clue uncovering the identity of the person behind the mask."
Uma and Ginny looked intrigued by this, both their expressions sharpening.
"How?" Jane asked.
"I've been thinking about the spells they used. This is just a hunch, but everything they've been using the staff for has been fae magic."
"Maleficent is a fae, that would make sense that's what her staff would produce," Uma said.
"Yes, but the caster influences the magic too. But the thing that's tripping me up is the stone curse. The laws of magic are absolute. Curse magic should be undone by a stronger variety of magic."
"True love," Jane said.
"Exactly."
"Maybe they just found the one thing none of our parents could figure out, how to beat true love," Ginny said.
"Just looking at the people in this room, our mothers know magic as old as time itself. And not only that. Ursula could bind a person in the kind of contracts that would make most lawyers would give up their practice. Gothel was a master manipulator. FG seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of anything you could ask her. If there was a way to beat true love someone would have found it long before now."
"What are you saying, Princess?" Uma asked.
"I'm saying this isn't a curse."
Ginny, who'd been dividing her attention between the content of the room and the conversation turned towards Evie with that. Jane's jaw dropped. Uma frown morphed into a smile then a laugh.
"That's a good one. Not a curse. What else could it be?"
"A protection spell, corrupted and pushed an extreme."
Uma was going to speak but she stopped herself without saying anything, pressing a finger to her lip.
"Why wouldn't true love still work?"
"Love magic is the antithesis of a curse. But if the root of this spell isn't meant to harm."
"Then true love's kiss wouldn't undo it."
"Exactly. But while curses only have one way to be undone. Something like a protection spell, we just need to find fight string of magic to reverse it."
"You're saying it's a simple spell we need to undo this the stone spell," Uma said.
"If we can figure out the spell they're using to turn people to stone that leads us to a counter incantation. This is just my guess, but if I'm right, we can save everyone."
Jane dropped into a chair, tears in her eyes. She covered her face, holding back a sob. Uma and Ginny would look uneasy by the sudden display.
"I thought it was my fault," She said, wiping her eyes, "I thought I didn't love her enough."
Evie, with a hand on her shoulder, pulled her to her feet again, "You know that's not true. We're going save your mom, save everyone with the very same things she thought us."
Jane nodded giving a brave smile.
"E?"
Mal's voice pulled Evie's attention to the doorway.
She crossed the distance between them, kissing her cheek. "Hey, you're up."
"Dizzy came to check on me."
"She should have let you sleep," Evie huffed.
Mal smiled, taking one of Evie's hands in hers, squeezing it gently.
"I was half awake already. And now isn't the time for me be to sleeping in. Have you are doing down here?"
"Your fiancée was just impressing us with her theories," Ginny said, a smirk creeping up her face.
"Ginny."
"Hello, Mal."
"I saw your lackies upstairs. Didn't think you'd be the kind to come back."
"Oh, I just figured if someone is stupid enough to try and kill me, might give them a sporting chance. Or else it isn't fun. I also thought you would appreciate the help. Didn't realize you'd ask your other ex for help too." She looked over at Uma.
Uma frowned looking at Ginny, "When did you two have a thing?"
"She's not… and you're not…" Mal fumed, turning to head up the stairs, "We made breakfast." At the top of the stairway, she shoved Dizzy aside where she was waiting at the landing, a shit-eating grin fixed in place, "You're enjoying this too much."
"I think I'm enjoying this just the right amount."
Gil and the twins were in the kitchen, sitting at the table, eyeing each other quietly as they ate.
"You both look… buff," Gil said, trying to start a conversation.
Gaston the third's face lit up, "Thank you. You… don't."
"Top-heavy muscle mass works against a sailor," Gil said instantly.
"You don't sail anything," Gaston junior said.
"I'm going too. One day. With Uma and Harry."
"You could have done that already. If you just come here." Gaston junior put down his plate of eggs so he could properly look his look little brother in eyes.
"And leave the kids on the Isle to the bullies you left behind."
"They weren't our mates. We have our friends here," Gaston the third said, glancing over to Ginny with a quick nod.
"You taught them how to assholes pretty well before you left."
"If you don't like what they're doing you could have taken charge."
"I don't want to lead your leftovers."
"That's your choice," Gaston junior shrugged and went back to his meal.
There was a beat, then, "How's dad?" Gaston the third asked.
"He's dad," Gil mumbled. Harry had slowly crept up behind Gil during this conversation. He was right behind Gil now, listening quietly. One leg was angled out just enough to nudge Gil's shoe under the chair, "Haven't talked with him in a while. I live with Uma and Harry now. We made our own place."
"Have you seen our mom?"
"Yeah, actually. Harry and I ran into her down by the docks a couple of weeks back. I think she's seeing one of Hook's crew now."
"Nice woman," Harry added, "Gave us some half-decent tomatoes, even though she didn't have nearly enough to share."
"At least she hasn't gone back to dad," Gaston the third said and both brothers nodded, "And your mom, she good?"
Gil's expression dipped. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder. Uma moved next to him too. "Oh, um, mum… a few months back there was a big turf war between the rust heights and the shed quay. Mum was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Took a couple stabs, bled out in an alley before I even heard she was on that side of town."
"Oh…"
"Sorry, Gil. She was always kind to us when she lived with dad. We're sorry she's gone."
"It's all good. We gave her a nice funeral. Burned her, then spread her ashes in the sea."
"I think she would have liked that," Gaston junior said.
"I think so too," Gil nodded. He'd stopped eating at this point, just pushing his food around the plate. Harry nudged the hand with the fork gently.
"You're not going to let free food to waste," He said.
"Right," He took another bite, "Besides. It could have been worse. She could have gone back with dad." The look shared between the brothers left no doubt that they thought being killed in a gang fight was the better option to being their father's mistress.
But, because in their world, life didn't give them the chance to decompress from even the tensest situations that's exactly what happened here. Belle came into the room in a rush.
"Everyone, there's news."
"About Ben?" Evie asked.
Belle shook her head, "This is from the lead Audrey supplied. Facial recognition of the individual who spoke with her came back. There's a name and address." She handed over the information.
"Cedrick Baker, last known address… this is outside of Grimmsville." Evie said.
Mal frowned, looking at the phone screen displaying the information, "Wait, this is him?" He pointed to the picture.
Belle nodded, "Supposedly."
"Why do I feel like I know him… son of a bitch!"
"What?" Ginny asked, trying to see too, "Is he really from the Isle?"
"He was at Sixth Circle the day before it was attacked. He was asking about my pieces. I talked to him!"
"That's confirmation he's involved," Evie said, returning the phone to Belle, "We have to go to this address."
Gil raised a hand, "Um, I thought we were looking for the king."
"This is going to best lead to Ben," Mal said.
Evie paused, "No, he might have a point. Grimmsville is hours away. If something happens while we're gone-"
"Then I can teleport us back. And I've been to Grimmsville, I can take us there too."
"I'd rather you not do that." Evie said. "We can't risk a repeat of yesterday."
"I agree with the princess," Uma said, "The three of us working together barely stopped one spell from the scepter yesterday. As much as I hate to say it, you are the best chance we have at stopping them. We don't know when or how we're going to end in a fight again. You need to be at the top of your game."
"We do have more than enough people here to split up," Harry suggested.
Mal thought about it for a moment, "Okay, let's gather everyone and make our plan."
It didn't take long to rouse the few people still sleeping or lingering in other corners of the house. After they explained the situation Jane was the first to speak.
"I want to stay here to continue the research on the stone spell. If Evie's right, the sooner we unlock how to reverse it, the soon we can get my mom back. And the wand."
"I won't say no to having two relics against the staff," Mal nodded.
"I don't know the intricacies of magic," Belle spoke up, "But I'd like to think I'm a proficient researcher. I'd like to help you."
Jane nodded and smiled.
"Someone's going to need to stay behind to protect them," Jay said.
"We can do it," Rick said, patting one of the twin's shoulders.
"Alrighty, I'll volunteer for the Grimmsville team. I've spent time that way, I'm familiar with the area," Freddie said.
"I'm going with her," Celia said, not missing a beat.
"Me too," Dizzy said.
"Dizzy," Evie started, "I'd rather you go somewhere safe. Celia you too."
"While everyone else risks their lives?" Celia scoffed, "I'm not sitting this out. Especially not if Freddie is going."
"We can help. I'm not the little girl that first came from the Isle."
"Dizzy," Mal said, her tone clearly ringing with a warning.
"If anything going to Grimmsville is the safest option," Dizzy said, "Thus far all the attacks have been in Auradon City. They went after Mal at work so we have to believe they have your home address too, so they could attack here. Chances they have a staging area here in the city and that's most likely where this Cedrick is right now. Best case this address is empty and we're on a clue finding mission." She didn't break eye contact with either Evie or Mal.
Mal sighed, turning to Evie, arching a brow.
"I hate when she uses logic against us," Evie said, meeting Mal's gaze.
"This is your fault you know, she's your protégée,"
"Don't pin this on me. She learned manipulation from you,"
"I can go with the ladies, for some extra muscle protection," Harry said, "Not that I think ole Freddie needs it."
"I'll go with them too," Carlos said.
"No offence there bud, but I think the firecracker could throw a harder punch than you could," Harry said with a bit of smirk, nodding at Dizzy.
"Not as muscle. If there's a computer there I can hack it. That would be a good place to mine for information," Carlos explained.
"And what are the rest of us doing then?" Ginny asked.
"Remember that school you skipped out on?" Mal said to her, "What do you say holding a stakeout there."
"We know VKs are one of their targets and fairy godmother's wand is another. As far as they know both of those things are at Auradon Prep," Evie said. "They didn't know the wand was locked away behind a magic seal and it hasn't been televised that the school was evacuated. That makes it the perfect place to lie in wait."
"I'm into this," Uma said with a smirk, "Let's give them a taste what it's like to play with real VKs."
There are so many characters now. So many relationships and dynamics to play with.
Nardragon- Until the next page.