Chapter 3: Books and Journals

(A/N) Another quick update! I am on a roll~* Decided to update early so that everyone can get a feel for the story, and because next week I'm going to be pretty busy. I also have no self-control and since the chapter was finished I had to share it.

Hayden was the first to wake up. He let out a yawn, sleep filled eyes opened blearily. It took him a moment to register the girl in his arms and he almost thought he was dreaming. But she was warm and alive in his arms, her gentle breaths stirring her dark hair that had fallen over her face. Hayden smiled as he reached out and tucked the strands behind her ear, letting his fingers trail down her jaw.

A frown settled on his face when he noticed the blackout curtain billowing lightly. Something was outside. Carefully, so as not to wake Evie, Hayden reluctantly parted from her embrace and got to his feet, tiptoeing over to the curtain. He peered out through a gap, noticing a giant, reptilian-like, yellow eye looking inside the crevice.

The Hydra had found them.

Hayden shook his head, letting out an irritated sigh. He cast the slumbering girl on the bean bag a brief glance before slipping under the curtain and out of the rabbit hole.

The beast at the other side reared back, it's massive form taking up the majority of the tunnels space, its sides squeezed against the walls. The Hydra was a large, dragon-like creature, with light purple skin and razor-sharp spikes that trailed from the tip of its heads down to the end of its single tail. Each of its three mouths were filled with rows of pointed teeth, sharpened to a deadly point. It moved almost like a snake, slithering and graceful.

Hayden crossed his arms and leaned against the entrance to the rabbit hole, completely unbothered by the ferocious beast before him. He watched the three-headed creature disdainfully, unimpressed with having been interrupted.

"Go find someone else to chew on," Hayden gritted out lowly, amber eyes flashing threateningly in the darkness.

The Hydra's heads all narrowed their eyes, displeased at being denied. With a low hiss, the Hydra turned, crawling down the tunnel and disappeared into the darkness.

There were plenty of monsters down here to fear - many of which even Hayden had to watch out for - but the Hydra was not one of them. It was his father's pet after all. And it knew better than to try and harm him.

With the beast gone, Hayden made his way back into the crevice. He lay back down on the bean bag, content when Evie instinctively curled up against him, subconsciously seeking the missing warmth of his body. Hayden wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes but he couldn't bring himself to sleep, not when he knew that the time he had with Evie in his arms was fading. Only The Fates knew how long it would be until he got a chance like this again. As soon as she woke up, all she would see was an enemy.

Evie woke up with a yawn and stretched her body out, arms going high in the air. Unfortunately for her companion, so unused to sharing sleeping quarters was Evie that she forgot that Hayden was beside her and accidentally smacked him in the face.

Hayden flinched, letting out a yelp as his eyes snapped open. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Evie gasped, flinging herself off the bean bag and tumbling to the ground. It took her a few moments to recover from her surprise and remember where she was and who she was with. Evie placed a hand to her rapidly beating heart, letting out a ragged breath.

"My bad, I forgot you were there."

"Thanks," Hayden mumbled, rubbing his nose.

"Is it morning yet?" Evie asked, rising to her feet.

"It is. We should be safe to leave now." Evie heard Hayden rattling about in the dark before a bright light blinded her. Evie shielded her eyes, wincing. "And here's a flashlight for you. They usually keep a few tucked away in these places."

Evie nodded and gratefully took it, clutching it tightly in her fingers. Hayden led her out the rabbit hole and through the tunnels.

"Why do you choose to stay down here?" Evie asked in wonder, curious why anyone would willingly choose to live in such a terrible place.

"It's home," Hayden said simply, though there wasn't much heart in his words.

"It's hellish, that's what it is," Evie shivered, thinking about her fitful night. "I know up top isn't paradise but its much better than down here. You don't have monsters waiting around every corner to eat you."

"The cities pretty though," Hayden remarked. "And much safer than the tunnels - usually."

"I'll take your word for it."

It didn't take too long before Evie spotted the familiar chalk drawings she had seen at the start of the tunnel systems. Daylight poured into the tunnel through the entrance and Evie practically ran the last length, eager to be out in the fresh air and sunshine.

"Thank gods," Evie murmured, closing her eyes and savouring the feel of the wind in her hair.

"Well, looks like this is where we part ways - for now," Hayden said, coming up to stand beside Evie. "It's been quite the adventurous evening, I must be."

"I guess so," Evie replied, passing him the flashlight. "Your Ghouls will have gotten Dizzy and Zevon out safely, right?"

Hayden put a hand to his heart. "I give you my word, and a God always keeps their word. Do yourself a favour though and don't attempt to come back here. No matter how long you search you won't be able to find my base. And believe me, you have no idea how close you came to having your life thread snipped."

"Got it," Evie replied tartly with a roll of her eyes. She was still rather bitter about the whole thing and didn't need Hayden pouring salts on her wounds. With her head held high, Evie turned around and started walking away.

"I mean it, Evie. Don't come back," Hayden called out from behind her, standing at the bottom of the Gates of Tarturus. "The world would be a much poorer place if you weren't in it."

Startled by his words, Evie turned around to look at Hayden, but the demigod had vanished.

That night, no dreams of sunlight and flowers came to Evie. Instead, darkness coiled around her like a serpent's grasp, suffocating her with its intensity. Evie found herself trapped in her nightmare, the dream of darkness and bleakness enveloping her.

She was drowning, her limbs weighed down by some unseen force. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did she wished she hadn't. She was in a river of death, an eerie, ghostly grey river filled with wailing spirits reaching out for her, tugging and pulling at her, stopping her from swimming to the surface. Evie cried out, acidic water scorching her throat and filling her lungs.

Evie tried to shake off the wispy phantoms, bubbles racing from her mouth as she cried out for help. Just as her vision blurred and her panic became overwhelming, something warm grabbed her by the wrist and yanked hard. Evie felt herself being ripped through the water. She gasped, spluttering and coughing as she broke the surface. Strong arms slipped under hers and pulled her to shore.

"It's alright, Evie. You're alright, I got you," a soothing voice whispered.

Evie felt someone kneel down beside her and then gather her up in their arms, holding her tightly to their chest. They were so warm and so much more pleasant than the biting cold of the river. Evie opened her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face when she saw who was holding her.

"You again."

"Me," the boy from her dreams smiled back. "Enjoy your swim?"

Evie smile faded and she shook her head. The boy nodded grimly and pulled her closer, his fingers finding their way into her hair to run through it comfortingly. His touch was warm and tender and Evie felt her heart flutter at the gesture.

"Don't worry, Evie. It's not a river I'll ever let you go in again."

It was a sweet promise, one he made everytime he pulled her from the waters. But every time she dreamed of this place, she found herself in the river again, frozen, pained and drowning. He couldn't stop it. Sometimes she would tell him this, and he would smile knowingly like she was missing the real meaning of his words.

"I hate this place," Evie whispered, burying her face into the boy's chest, unable to look around.

She knew what she would see, an enormous, nightmarish cavern with the river of death flowing through it. There were stalagmites and stalactites piercing out from the ceiling and floor like teeth of a great, fanged monster. On one end of the cavern, there was a gigantic skull carved into the wall, it's eyes ablaze with firey flames. This strange underground world was dark and cold and it filled Evie with nothing but fear.

In this dream, she wore a dark blue gown, so dark it was almost black. Glittering sparkles were sprinkled all over it and twinkled like stars with every movement. Her hair fell around her in wet tresses and she could feel the cold weight of a tiara on her head - if she could have seen it she would have seen the crystal lilies that adored it.

Evie felt the boy's grip around her tighten and didn't see the way he swallowed hard, displeased by her words. He continued to stroke her hair, keeping her in his warm embrace.

"You know this place isn't as bad as you think it is," the boy remarked gently.

"It's dark and it's gloomy," Evie muttered. "And I'm pretty sure that it's dead people in that river."

"It's... an acquired taste," the boy said with a tight laugh.

"I'd rather not acquire a taste for it," Evie mumbled, shaking her head against his chest.

"You won't have to, not if I have my way," the boy whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss upon her temple.

Evie felt those words where more for himself than her. With a frown, Evie pulled away from his chest to look at his face. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Evie awoke with a start, gasping and sweating. She peered around in the darkness, her unease fading as she took in the familiar sight of her room. She smoothed her hands over her thick quality and duvets, the silky touch comforting her.

That nightmare was becoming more frequent over the past few weeks, ever since Mal and the others left.

Quickly, before she could forget it, Evie scrambled about in the cabinet by her bed, snatching up her dream journal. Each night she had her dreams she would scribble down every detail - no matter how small - on to its pages in messy caligraphy.

River.

A boy.

Death.

Cold.

Warm.

Then nothing. Her mind went blank, the memories falling from her mind like sand through a sieve. All she knew was that she had a nightmare, something frightening and dark and that she had not been alone.

Evie sighed, running a hand through her hair which was damp with sweat. Absentmindedly, she flipped back to older pages, looking at the various scrawls. Her writing in her dream journal was not her normal elegant style, with curvy letters and pretty swirls. It was a barely legible ambush of words, written desperately before the memories could be lost to her, as they always did. Evie wasn't sure if that was how dreams were meant to be, something that was always to be forgotten.

"Ocean. Fields. White," Evie read the words from an older page, ones from the more pleasant dream. She flipped the page again. "Grass. Plants. Boy." She turned another page. "Pain. Panic. Boy. Cold." And another. "Lilies. Water. Boy."

Lilies? Evie frowned, unable to stop herself from looking over to the other side of the room where the lily she had been given was pressed inside a book on her bookshelf.

With quick fingers, Evie began flipping through the pages, scanning over the words and mumbling them out loud. Lilies seemed to be a dominant factor in her dreams, always there in some form - in the fields, on her clothes, in her hair or on a crown.

Evie shook her head, placing the dream journal back in her cabinet.

Dreams were such strange things.

It was a week after the VK's failed attempt to uncover The Ghouls hideout that Hayden made his move against them. Evie and Freddie Facilier had come to their home base at Bargain Castle, only to find that it had been ransacked. The place was in disarray and giant, elongated skulls had been spray painted all over the walls.

"Well, it's not like we didn't see this coming," Freddie said dryly, placing a hand on her hip.

"Who was meant to be on watch duty last night?" Evie asked as she tiptoed into the room, careful to avoid the broken glass, splintered wood and garbage.

Only a few days ago they had heard rumours that Uma's home base, the pirate ship The Lost Revenge, had been heavily damaged and vandalised by The Ghouls. Evie had felt it best to have someone constantly on guard, keeping an eye on the VK's base in case of attack.

Freddie made her way into one of the other rooms and cringed. "Um. My guess is that it was Zevon."

"Are you sure?" Evie asked, looking around for the spreadsheet that would tell them. "I'm sure it was Maddy."

"Nope, I'm pretty sure it was Zevon."

There was something in the way that Freddie said that that caused Evie to frown and make her way into the other room. Her hand flew up to her mouth and she closed her eyes, cringing. Tied to a chair with thick ropes, gagged, and covered in glue, feathers and oose, was Zevon. The poor boy looked like a terribly plucked chicken. The miserable look on his face turned to one of eagerness upon seeing his teammates, and he tried struggling to get free from his bonds, his words muffled behind the gag tied around his mouth.

Freddie shook her head and made her way over to him, gingerly removing the gag.

"Great job defending the base," Freddie said cheerfully.

"There were too many of them! What was I supposed to do?" Zevon snapped angrily.

"You weren't supposed to engage with them! You were meant to sound the alarm and all the nearby VKs would have come to your aid," Evie said with a sigh as she helped Freddie untie the knots of Zevon's restraints. "What happened?"

"I was hiding out on the rooftop across the street, keeping watch, just like you said. Everything was fine until I was ambushed by Hayden and his creepy Ghouls," Zevon explained, finally able to stand. "They dragged me in here, tied me to the chair and covered me in, well, this!"

"Gotta admit, I like their style," Freddie said with a smirk, earning her a look of disapproval from Evie. "It's a nice look on you, Zevon. An improvement, really."

Zevon gave Freddie a bitter look. "Funny."

"We can't let this go," Evie muttered, crossing her arms. "We can't just let them come in here, trash our base and attack our teammates!"

"I'm all for revenge but how?" Zevon asked, sounding irritable. "What can we do to get back at them? We don't know where their base is or any of their homes. We don't even know how to find them - they find us."

"I think the better question is, is there a point in doing anything?" Freddie asked.

Zevon frowned at her, bewildered. "What?"

"Well, it's been a while now since Mal, Jay and Carlos left for Auradon. They have to be close to bringing down the barrier. Will all this really matter in the long run?" Freddie looked at Evie. "He's a demigod. We're just witches. Do we really want to make enemies with someone like that? As soon as that barriers down the other side only knows what kinda powers he'll have."

"Um, excuse me, I'm not a witch. I'm a mad scientist," Zevon cut in with a huff.

Freddie rolled her eyes. "I'm all for making enemies and getting back at people but I'm not stupid. I know the importance of picking your fights and enemies."

Zevon pouted and flopped down onto the chair again, looking unhappy at the talks of not getting revenge. Despite his resentment towards The Ghouls though, he knew Freddie was making a perfectly reasonable argument. This wasn't just some run of the mills' villain they were dealing with, it was divinity. They had to be careful and not rush head first into this.

"What if... they don't come back though?"

Freddie and Evie looked at Zevon, both startled that he had said the words no one had dared say. It was something a lot of the VKs had began to treacherously ponder over the last few weeks. Why was it taking so long for Mal and the others to free them? Why was there no updates to their progress? What if they had decided to switch sides and stay in Auradon? No one had completely committed to the thoughts, brushing them off as ridiculous. Yet still, the nagging doubts lingered, each day strengthening them.

"Don't be silly," Evie said with a wave of her hand. "Of course, they'll be back. They'll bring down the barrier and we'll all be free."

"Sure," Freddie said unconvincingly.

Evie's loyalty to her friends made her want to snap at Freddie and Zevon for doubting them. But she could understand their concerns. It wasn't just that they were restless, eager to get off the Isle, it was their own safety they were concerned about. There would be dire consequences should Mal, Jay and Carlos turn their backs on evil, consquences that all the VKs remaining on the Isle would suffer in their stead. After all, they would be members of the same faction which had been home to the traitors. No one would trust them anymore. They could be viewed as traitors in the making, goodies waiting for the chance to abandon evil too.

"So what's the plan?" Zevon asked with a sigh, sagging in the chair.

"Freddie's right. We need to be careful about who we clash swords with," Evie sighed. "But we also have to protect our turf. Most of the VKs rely on it to survive."

Besides protection and prominence, one of the main reasons children on the Isle tried to acquire territory, was for resources. If someone was a member of a faction then they were able to steal from different shops in that group's territory, giving them goods for their parent's shops or for themselves. Until the barrier was brought down, this was the only way many of the villains kept afloat. If the Ghouls were able to steal the VK territory then there were many VKs who would struggle to keep bread on their tables. It was about more than pride, it was about survival.

"And we don't know how long it'll be until Mal, Jay and Carlos are able to free us," Evie admitted. "To pull off something of that scale - bringing down the barrier - that'll take time and patience. They need to get it right the first time, otherwise, they'll end up right back here and no one will ever get given the chance to leave here again."

"Which means we're going to have to retaliate, huh?" Freddie winced.

Freddie relied heavily on the VK territory in order to stock her father's shop - her unrewarding task. Even though she was extremely wary of irking a demigod, she also had to survive. Without her father's shop, they would not be able to afford any food and would have to resort to stealing everything - which was not always easy.

"Afraid so. I'm going to go to Margaret Gesner's Library tomorrow, see if there's anything I can find out about demigods. Maybe there's some kind of protection spells against them?" Evie told them. It wasn't much of a plan but it was a start.

"What good will protection spells do us if magic doesn't work?" Zevon asked.

"Not for now, for when the barrier gets brought down and we have access to our magic," Freddie explained. "I can ask my dad if his spirits have ever told him anything about demigods or had any dealings with them."

"I'll ask my mum too then. She was an advisor to the Emperor after all, and for a time an Empress herself," Zevon added helpfully.

"Awesome," Evie said with a smile. "Right, let's get this place cleaned up. Preferably before Maleficent gets home, sees the mess and kills us for it."

The VKs frantically got to work.

Evie thought her idea to go to the library to learn more about demigods had been a good idea. Apparently, someone else had thought so too and had beaten her to the punchline. Every book about demigods, that was catalogued as being owned by the library, was missing and reported as stolen. Other books that mentioned demigods had torn out pages and scratched out sections, leaving nothing useful about them behind.

It was looking like another one of her plans had been thwarted. Evie wondered if this had been Hayden's doing or if perhaps another demigod had taken the liberty of destroying any information that could be used against their kind.

Evie flopped her head on the desk, wincing when she heard the librarian hush her. Evie glanced up, looking at the monstrous librarian. Margaret Gesner was an unusual creature and somewhat resembled a grey octopus. She wore a smart, black dress and a pair of glasses that she always held in her hands. Behind the receptionist desk, she looked small and harmless, but it was when she rose up to deal with noisy readers that her true terrifying nature was revealed. At her full height, she could barely fit in the library.

Evie mouthed her a soft sorry - something that she normally would never do as it was a taboo word on the Isle - and this seemed to appease the elderly women, even if she still gave Evie a red-eyed glare. Margaret was from a world where manners were expected, and she was well known for tossing out anyone who didn't show her the proper respect.

Evie swallowed and very cautiously, lay her head back down on the desk. All around her laid piles of books, mainly focusing on Greek Gods and legends. Sadly, she had yet to find a book called 'how to slay a demigod 101'.

"Whatcha reading?"

Evie jumped up and slammed the book shut, her fingers spread over the book's title in an attempt to hide it. With a glare set firmly on her face, Evie glanced up to find Hayden sitting on the table, staring down at her with a sly smile on his face. His amber eyes shone at her through wisps of blue hair, glistening with amusement.

"I didn't realise you were into Greek mythology," Hayden replied casually, lifting up the book 'Greek Myths & Legends.' "What inspired that interest?"

"It's for a class project," Evie replied quietly, snatching the book from his hand. "Trust me, if I had a choice I wouldn't be looking this stuff up."

"Oh really?" Hayden asked, crossing his arms. "What class gave you a project on Greek Gods and demigods? Concidentially, when you're at war with one?"

"Are we at war? I hadn't noticed." Evie began gathering her books. "What are you doing here anyway? Do they not have a library in The Undercity?"

"We do and it's much better than this sorry excuse for a library. But why would I go there when you're here?" Hayden asked softly, a gentle smile on his face.

Evie let out a harsh laugh and rose to her feet. She placed her hands firmly on the desk and leaned over it, bringing her face close to Hayden's. She did not miss the way Hayden's eyes flickered to her lips for a heartbeat. "Listen here, Romeo. Save your games for someone who cares."

Evie flipped her hair, purposely so that it would flick Hayden in the face. She grabbed her books and strutted away, wanting to put as much distance between her and Hayden as she could. Hayden didn't seem to approve of this idea and chased after her, gently taking her wrist to pull her around to face him.

"You know, I could always help you with your... class project. I'm quite knowledgeable on the subject."

"That's a kind offer but that would mean spending time with you and no top grade is worth that," Evie replied, pulling her wrist free from his grasp.

Rather than taking offence at her insult, Hayden's eyes lit up gleefully, enjoying the banter.

"Well, if you ever change your mind."

"Not likely," Evie replied sweetly.

A dark shadow fell over the pair. Evie and Hayden slowly turned around to see what was blocking the light, their eyes widening in fear when they found the beastly librarian looming over them, her tentacles lashing out around her. Ever so creepily, the librarian leaned forward, glaring at them through red eyes. She looked at them in utter disdain, like they were pesky little insects in her home.

"I said," the monster whispered darkly, her voice seething with rage. "Be. Quiet!"

Slimy tentacles whipped around Hayden and Evie's waist and before they could utter an apology the librarian had launched them into the air, out the open ceiling window and sent them spiralling straight towards the pond outside.

The librarian didn't care if you were a witch, King, Queen or God. No one was allowed to speak in the library. Ever.

"Oh. My. God!" Evie shrieked as she surfaced the pond's waters, having to stand on the tips of her toes to reach the bottom.

The water was a shock to her system as it was unbearably cold. Evie's disbelieving eyes scanned the murky waters, cringing at the sludge and muck surrounding her. The pond was icky and disgusting and she was in it! Why, of all the librarians in the world, did they have to get stuck with the giant, hypersensitive to sound, monster one?

Hayden spluttered to the surface beside her, but unlike her, he found the whole thing amusing. He laughed, shoving aside his soaked bangs from his face. Evie glared at the boy, contemplating whether or not she could get away with drowning him here and ending this silly business once and for all. Ever since she had met him all she had experienced was problem after problem.

With a snarl, Evie splashed him with water before stomping her way out the pond. She refused to think about what a state she must look like! Her hair would be dangling limply in a wet, tangled mess, her makeup would be running down her face and her clothes would be crumpled and covered in all manners of grossness. If her mother caught her looking like this she would string her up from the nearest tree!

"I know what you're thinking and no, that was not my fault," Hayden called out after her as he exited the pond.

Evie spun around and stomped her foot. "Yes, it was, Hayden!"

Hayden shook his head then ran his hands down his arms, a light steam radiating from them. It took Evie a moment to realise he was using his insane body temperature to dry his clothes. With a hand ran through his hair, his hair became dry too.

"Show off," Evie mumbled, earning her a smirk from Hayden.

Hayden pulled off his jacket and before Evie could protest he had it wrapped around her. Evie was caught off guard by the gesture and could only stare dumbly at him as he secured it around her. His jacket was still very warm from having been in contact with him.

"To keep you warm," Hayden said with a wink.

Hayden trailed his hands down Evie's arms then took her hands in his gloved ones. He rubbed her hands together in his, warming them up. It reminded her of what her mother used to do for her on cold, winter mornings when they went shopping.

"You're hands are so cold."

"You know what they, cold hands warm heart," Evie replied, struggling to find her voice.

"My hands are always warm, so what does that say about my heart?" Hayden asked with an impish grin.

He had set himself up for a perfect, verbal hit but Evie couldn't find the spite inside her to take the open shot. His chivalrous act had thrown her off. Suspiciously, she narrowed her eyes, unsure what game he was playing.

"Stop it," Evie whispered.

"Stop what?" Hayden asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"This game, whatever clever little game you think you're playing."

Being flirty was one thing - something she was well known for doing - but what Hayden was doing was going beyond that. Helping her and her friends get out the tunnels, saving her from being crushed by the cave-in, keeping her warm in his embrace when she was cold and now giving her his jacket? They were enemies. He should not be doing things like that. Evie could see what would happen if it continued. A little kindness here, some sweetness there and add a charming and handsome face into the mix and there you had one dangerous brew. She refused to let him enchant her.

"I'm not playing a game, not like what you're suggesting," Hayden retorted, sounding appalled at the idea. "Truthfully, I think if you give us a chance, you and I could be good friends."

"Good friends?" Evie scoffed then laughed darkly, her eyes hardening. "Oh, I'm sure. I mean, it's not like you and your Ghouls invaded the VKs territory, trashed our base, feathered one of our members, and threatened to kill me and two of my friends!"

Did he think she would forget all the sins he had committed against her and the VKs? It didn't matter what tiny crumbs of decency and sweetness he gave her, she wouldn't let him fool her. Hayden may be handsome, charming and considerate, but she refused to see them as genuine. They were nothing but weapons to win the battle. She would not let him steal her heart, because that had to be the game he was playing.

"I never threatened to kill you."

"You did! In the cave!"

"I wasn't going to kill you-"

"Even if you were going to spare me you were still going to hurt my friends!" Evie growled. "I'm done playing games with you. You wanted a war and I said I'd give you want. I think its about time I followed up with that promise."

Her words were an empty threat, at least until she figured out how to deal with Hayden should he get his powers back. She didn't know how powerful a demigod was, nor did she know exactly what powers Hayden would have, but she couldn't take any chances. She had to find out everything she could about Hayden and what he was capable of before could launch a counter attack.

Thanks to someone's sabotage, her library couldn't help her. But there was still one other library she could check - The Undercity's library. There was a chance that all the demigod information had been destroyed there too, but Evie was banking on the demigods having neglected to do so. All the demigods seemed to favour living down there (she had never come across any up top) and no one from above ever travelled down there. They might have decided it was pointless to dispose of the information, thinking it safe. It was risky but it was her only shot. Not one of the VKs parents had any helpful information on demigods, other than don't mess with them.

Which, although wise advice, was advice she regretful was going to ignore.

The main issue with searching in The Undercity Library was getting to it. Her last attempt at navigating the tunnels had ended in disaster, and this time she might not get lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it) and bump into some willing to escort her out. The only reason Hayden had done so the last time was so he could hold a favour over her head - something that constantly weighed on the back of her mind, dreading when he would call it in. After thinking over it a few days Evie had devised a plan. She just needed a little help from her fellow VKs.

Evie brought Freddie and Zevon to The Curl Up And Dye, so they could discuss her plan and work out the details. It was also an excuse for her to get her hair done as the pond water had done a terrible number on it. Dizzy happily hummed away to herself as she set to work on Evie's hair. Beside them, Freddie lounged on a chair, spinning around it to amuse herself. Zevon was sitting by a table across the room, tinkering away with some gadgets.

"I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson the first time you failed to get to The Undercity," Zevon muttered, shaking his head. "Now you want to go back? We nearly died! Twice!"

"I can't let Hayden get away with crossing us!" Evie said in exasperation. "It won't be long now before he starts stealing our territory and then what will we do? We'll have nowhere to go. The VKs who rely on the territory for their stock will be out of goods and food. We need to do something!"

"I agree but I'm still not keen on messing with a demigod. We don't know anything about him," Freddie added, crossing her arms. "Our parents didn't know anything and you couldn't find anything useful at the library."

"That's why I need to check The Undercity Library, to see if there's any information there. It's our last shot."

"Bad idea, Evie," Zevon said, and Freddie nodded her head in agreement. "How do you plan on getting there? Your intel proved faulty last time and nearly lead us to a three-headed, dragon monster!"

"I have an idea," Evie said, wincing when Dizzy pulled on her hair a little too much.

"Which I'm assuming has something to do with this tracking device you're getting me to fix right now?" Zevon guessed.

"I thought you were a chemist, not an engineer?" Freddie asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I am but I know a little about engineering. A mad scientist has to be able to build their own machines, my mother always said. Otherwise, people are quick to guess what you're up," Zevon explained with a shrug. "I've got your tracking devices working, anyway. Where did you get these?"

"Carlos made them," Evie answered. "It was so I could keep track of my pet parrot, Othello. Never actually got to use them as he escaped before they were finished."

"Can't say I blame him for escaping," Freddie mumbled.

Evie swatted Freddie's arm playfully and both girls started giggling.

"Who are you going to attach the device to? One of the Ghouls or Hayden?" Zevon asked.

"I don't think you'd be able to get close enough to them to do that," Freddie said. "And without getting noticed."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Zevon muttered. "Hayden seemed more than happy to get up close and personal with Evie. Getting a tracker on him would be the easiest part."

Freddie gave Evie a questioning look. "Oh, really?"

"It's a game, Zevon," Evie said with a scowl. "He's just messing with me. Trying to anyway."

Zevon scoffed, unconvinced.

"But no, I'm not putting it on any of them," Evie admitted. She paused for a moment, biting her lip as she braced herself for the reaction to her next words. This was the part of the plan she was most unsure of and she knew Zevon was not going to like it one bit. "I'm putting it on Cerberus."

Zevon's tools clattered to the floor. He looked at Evie in alarm, his mouth agape and eyes wide. "You have gotta be kidding me? You're going to stick a tracking device on Cerberus? That thing nearly bit my head off! And just how are you going to do that? Wait until Hayden's taking her out for a walk and say 'excuse me, do you mind if I stick a tracker on your hellhound?'"

"Not quite," Evie replied. "I may not have found anything useful on demigods, but I did find out an interesting tidbit about Cerberus. Music is his weakness. If you play the right tune on the right instrument it can put her to sleep or lure her to us. And I have the right tunes. I just need a lyre."

Evie bent over to the vanity table in front of her and picked up a dusty, battered, old tome and waved it in the air. She had discovered the book by accident while in the library, and luckily for her, it had been one of the books she had been carrying before being prematurely ejected from the library. It was a scholarly text on Greek mythological creatures, and although it too had had all demigod related knowledge ripped out, there had been in-depth details on Cerberus, including the music used to control her.

"Freddie, do you think you could get me a hold of one of those?"

"I should have one kicking about in my dad's stock room," Freddie nodded. "Though I have to ask, do you even know how to play the lyre?"

"She won't need to," Dizzy finally spoke up, finishing the last curl on Evie's head. She placed the curling irons' down, running her fingers through Evie's hair to separate the curls. "I know how to play it."

"Seriously?" Evie asked, perking up.

Dizzy nodded her head. "My grandmother insisted. She thinks ladies should be accomplished in the musical arts. She forces me, my mother, and my aunt, to practice every single day. I can play all kinds of instruments. Piano, violin, lyre - take your pick."

"When will we put the plan in action?" Zevon asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Evie said. "We can't waste any time."

(A/N) I reeeeally wanted to have more in this chapter but it's over 6,700 words long so I've had to cut it off here. Thank you, everyone,, who reviewed and read this! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter: The Undercity.

Reviews:

Thunderfiredragon: We very well just might get to see Cerberus in all her glory if Hayden gets his way ;) That would have been such a cute thing to happen! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the review!

Momobear1L: I certainly will be continuing with the story. I've got about another 6 chapters mapped out so far. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

TwinsConspiracy: So glad you liked it! We will be seeing Uma and her crew in future chapters :D