Chapter 6 - Fate and Unofficial Dates

The spell to summon The Fates would only work on an autumn night, forcing Evie to wait until September finally ended. During those two weeks, the faction dynamics on The Isle began to shift drastically, and not in the topsiders favour. Hayden and his Ghouls had managed to commandeer turf from two rival gangs, Ginny Gothel's and Hamlet Westergaard's.

It seemed Hayden was done messing around with them.

The VK's were beginning to get restless, and with rumours hinting that Hayden was gunning for Gaston the 3rd's territory which bordered with the VKs, they were becoming more insistent on action being taken. Knowing that Hayden was putting his master plan into action - whatever it may be - put Evie on edge and made her all the more anxious to perform the spell.

Finally, autumn arrived. It was a bitterly cold day, with rain pattering softly against the window and golden leaves dancing along the breeze, that Evie began her preparations for the spell.

She decided to carry out the spell in the tallest tower in her castle, in a room that her mother would never wander to. It was in the section of the castle that they avoided as it had fallen into disrepair - like much of their once glorious home. It was simply too big for two people to take care of without aid.

Evie cleaned up the room as best she could, ridding it of the cobwebs, dust and grime that had accumulated over years of neglect. She set up a table with four chairs, covering it with a freshly ironed tablecloth and decorating it with a slightly rusted, but heavily polished, golden candelabra. The day prior she had gone to the marketplace and picked up the freshest, ripest fruit that she could find as an offering, as well as some ingredients to make cakes, biscuits and tea. She was not convinced that her offerings were worthy of divinity, but it was the best that she could do with what she had. She hoped that there were points for effort.

"Here goes nothing," Evie muttered, lighting up the candles around the room.

Evie walked over to the table where her notebook laid open, her copy of the spell waiting to be read. According to the spell's details, Evie reasoned that she should be able to perform it, even with the barrier restricting her magic. By activating the spell the enchanter was provoking The Fates magic, not their own - this allowed anyone to call on them, whether they have magical abilities or not. The Fates were a neutral force (so was their magic) and the barrier only prevented evil's magic from working. The Fates neutral stance should allow them to get through the barrier - if they choose to answer her call.

Evie took in a deep breath and began chanting the spell.

On this solemn autumn date,

I open up the magic gates

And ask a favour of The Fates

To let me see what awaits.

Lend thy powers to my possession

I seek thy wisdom and discretion

Let no man know of thy confession.

I call upon The Ancient Fates.

For a few moments, nothing happened, and Evie felt herself deflate with every passing second. She began to doubt her theory, feeling silly for even having attempted it. But then the windows slammed open, a gust of wind bursting into the room and extinguishing all the candles. The room was plunged into darkness until someone clicked their fingers. Magically, the candles all flickered to life, their flames now a neon blue, casting ghostly, dark shadows around the room.

The Fates had arrived.

Evie blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the new light. She found The Fates seated at her table, looking at her expectedly. For a moment, Evie was flabbergasted and silent, too struck with surprise that the spell had worked.

"Um, hi," Evie said lamely, tucking her hair behind her ear. Oh poison apples, how did one great something like The Fates? Did she curtsy? Shake their hands? Or would that be considered rude to touch them, perhaps even prohibited? They were divinity after all. "I'm-"

"Evie," Lachesis, the tallest of The Fates, said.

Evie knew who she was as the spellbook had drawings of each of The Fates and their names were written eloquently below them. She had studied it extensively the last two weeks, so there would be no awkward slip-ups. She didn't think mixing up The Fates names would win her any favours.

"Daughter of The Evil Queen," Clotho added.

"We know," the three Fates said in harmony.

"We know everything, as you know," Atropos - who currently had the only eye that the sisters shared - said with a wink.

Evie sank into the remaining seat at the roundtable, sitting between Atropos and Lachesis, with Clotho across from her. Admittedly, she was a little awed at their appearance. This was the first time she had any experience with real magic. It was enchanting and made her yearn to feel the fizzle of magic at her fingertips.

"And before you ask, yes, we'd like some of that tea you brewed for us," Atropos said with a grin.

Evie reached for the teapot and began pouring out the teas, giving each of The Fates the sugars, milk and cream that they asked for. She then lifted the lid on the dessert plate, revealing several biscuits and cupcakes that she had baked this morning. Clotho and Atropos gasped with delight and tucked in, while Lachesis stuck her nose up at them and drank her tea. After they had settled, Evie took in a deep breath and braved forward, ready to ask her questions.

"Thank you for answering my summons. I was looking for advice if you can give it. It's about-"

"Demigods. We know," The Fates cut in curtly.

"Like my sister said we know everything, including why those who seek us out do so," Clotho said. "We know that you're taking the precautionary path when dealing with Hayden."

"Smart girl," Atropos quipped.

"And want to know exactly what he's capable of if the barrier gets broken," Lachesis finished.

"Are you able to tell me anything?" Evie asked hesitantly.

Evie knew that they could but it was a matter of whether they would. The Fates were powerful and blessed with a great deal of knowledge, and although they were neutral, perhaps they wouldn't want to do anything that could anger Gods and demigods? They may even be more reluctant to help her as they had close ties to the Underworld.

They each had important roles to play, roles that affected The Underworld - even if it wasn't their domain. Every person's life was represented by a string, a string which was controlled by these three women. Clotho created The Strings of Life, while Lachesis measured the length of the thread, dictating how long a person would live. Atropos's role was the most morbid of the three, for it was her job to cut the thread, ending the person's life with a pair of razor-sharp scissors.

"We can," Clotho said with a smile.

"And... we will," Atropos said.

"You're not worried that Hayden will be mad if he finds out?" Evie asked.

"Pfft," Lachesis snorted, "that brat thinks he's all that, thinks we don't know what he and his father say about us when our backs are turned. He needs to realise he isn't as powerful as he thinks he is."

"Well, not yet anyway," Atropos said off-handedly.

"You hesitate to retaliate against Hayden as you're worried about the consequences should the barrier fall. And fall it shall-" Lachesis slapped Clotho across the head for revealing too much, giving her a stern look before crossing her arms.

"How many times do I have to tell you! We're not supposed to reveal the future!" Lachesis snapped grumpily.

"I'm only telling her a little," Clotho smiled innocently, measuring out a small amount with her fingers.

Lachesis shook her head, unimpressed. Clotho smiled and turned back to Evie, taking a sip of her tea before continuing.

"However, Hayden is a demigod and until he proves himself worthy a demigod - powerless and mortal - he will stay."

"Hayden doesn't have any powers?" Evie gasped.

This entire time she had been so wary of making an enemy of him, and in reality, she had nothing to fear. He was harmless. Completely powerless. The news sent a swell of excitement through her, because now she could put an end to Hayden and his meddling. The VK's turf would be safe, none of them would be without the resources that they needed, and when the barrier was brought down they wouldn't have provoked the wrath of some all-powerful demigod.

"Not unless he earns him," Atropos cautioned.

Evie bit her lip, her excitement bubbling down.

Still, this was good news. If Hayden didn't earn his powers the VKs were safe. But then Evie remembered Hayden's enigmatic schemes and she would hazard a guess that his plans may be tied to that interesting, little fact. Maybe Hayden was plotting 'bigger things' in order to get his divinity. If he did, then they would be in trouble - If. She would just have to make sure that didn't happen. Whatever evil plan he had she would thwart, no matter how contrary a villain stopping another villain's evil plot seemed. It was for her own benefit, as well as her teams.

"You want to foil Hayden's plans?" Atropos said, taking a long sip of her tea.

Evie glanced to the smallest Fate, momentarily startled that she had known what she was thinking. But then again, Atropos was The Fate of The Future, of course, she knew what Evie was planning.

"Don't suppose you could tell me what he's up to?" Evie said with a charming smile and a flutter of her long lashes.

Clotho smiled slyly and shook her head. Lachesis gave her a bland look. Atropos seemed amused but didn't answer.

"I thought not," Evie said with a sigh. It had been worth a shot. What was the saying? The Gods loved a trier?

Although it would have been immensely helpful to know Hayden's plans, Evie now knew what she needed. Hayden didn't have an advantage over them, they held it over him. She just had to make sure he never got the chance to become a God for if he did then they were in trouble. Once Mal and the others brought down the barrier that would be one of their first priorities, making sure Hayden remained locked away, where he could never become immortal.

Evie smiled to herself, pleased with the turn of events. She looked very much like the cat that had eaten the canary as she sipped her tea, an invisible weight that had been pushing her down now gone from her shoulders, letting her sit taller. Preventing Hayden from reaching divinity was a much easier task than taking on a wrathful God seeking vengeance.

"We didn't just come here to tell you that, my dear," Clotho said gently. Evie glanced at her, quirking an eyebrow. What else was there to say? "An... acquaintance of ours requested a favour. He wanted to know if you remember?"

"Remember what?" Evie frowned.

The Fates looked at each other and as one slowly rose from their chairs. Clotho approached her, a knowing smile on her lips. She took Evie's hand and with her other placed something within her grasp.

"Remember what you've forgotten. You dream of it so often."

"The answers may closer than you think," Atropos said.

"But here's a clue, just for you," Clotho said with a wink.

Another breeze whooshed through the room. Evie shielded her eyes with her free hand and when the wind ceased blowing, she found The Fates had vanished and the flames returned to their normal, auburn glow. Evie raised her hand.

Clotho had given her a white lily.

There may be no stars on The Isle but the town at night wasn't too bad of a substitute. Granted, Evie had no comparison having never seen a twilight sky, but she imagined it would be something like this. Hundreds of white lights shining in the darkness, stretching off for into the distance.

Evie sat atop one of the taller buildings in the center of town, her legs dangling off the edge. She liked to come here to think and get away from the castle and faction business. In her hand, she twirled the lily that The Fates had given her, their clue to the mystery that plagued her. It was just like the one she had been given at the night market. Just like the ones in her dream. Just like the one that Hayden had held in his hand in the Undercity garden.

After Hayden's declaration of affections for her, and seeing all those beautiful flowers down below, Evie knew that she could safely assume he was the mysterious flower gifter.

She wasn't quite sure what to do with that information. Especially now that she knew for certain that they played an important role in her dreams. And if The Fates had brought up her dreams then they truly had to mean something. She had so many pieces of a puzzle, but no picture of what she was trying to piece together. It was an irritable mystery, one she had never asked for and had never truly known was there.

Whatever the mystery was she knew deep down that its revelation would complex things with Hayden. Perhaps it would also explain his rather out of the blue affections for her? They had never interacted before she took over as the VK leader, yet with her, from the beginning, he was softer, not like how he was with Zevon, Dizzy or any of the other villain children that he interacted with. From what she had heard, when dealing with the other rival gangs he was wicked and harsh, never holding back. Why then, with her, was he different? He didn't know her so where had that softness come from?

Now that she knew Hayden wasn't a threat once the barrier was brought down - provided he didn't do anything that the heavens found noteworthy - she knew she couldn't put off retaliating any longer. The last few days she had been scheming away, setting the gears into motion. There were only a few things more that she had to do on her checklist.

"Hello, Evie."

Speaking off...

"What brings you up top, Hayden?" Evie asked lightly, not surprised that he had shown up. He did seem to have a habit of bumping into her in the oddest of places.

"Maybe I came to see you. It's been unbearably long since I last saw you," Hayden said as he sat down on the edge of the building, right beside her. "You look beautiful."

"What does this mean?" Evie asked, ignoring his comment. She didn't look at him as she showed him the lily. Hayden gently took it from her grasp and spun it between his fingers.

"Lilies mean devotion," Hayden explained, snapping the stem in half.

"They're also associated with death," Evie added. "You're the one who sent me the lily in the night market. Aren't you?"

The two things she couldn't figure out was why she dreamed of them or what The Fates had meant by giving her one and asking her did she remember. She didn't know what she had forgotten. But it was clear those answers lied with Hayden, everything seemed to point towards him.

Hayden reached over and ever so gently turned her head towards him with the tips of his fingers under her chin. He then tucked the flower's head behind her ear, letting his fingers lightly trail through her hair as he pulled away. His ungloved fingers tickled her with their warmth, but his touch was too brief to burn.

"I was," Hayden shrugged. "Pretty girls deserve pretty flowers."

Evie rolled her eyes and looked away from him, returning her gaze to the city lights. They sat in silence for a while and eventually Hayden lay down on his back, his legs still dangling over the edge of the building. Evie glanced at him, and after a while, copied his position.

"Why lilies?"

"They're lovely flowers, interesting meaning and you know, as you said they are associated with death. It seemed fitting."

"Is that the only reasons?"

Hayden turned his head to look at her, a curious look in his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Evie replied innocently.

She wasn't quite sure how to play her cards yet. She knew her dreams meant something and that the key to what they meant Hayden held. But did she let him know she knew something was going on, even if she had no idea what it was?

"Where did you get it from? I've never seen flowers like this here."

Evie knew it most likely came from The Undercity garden that she had stumbled upon, but she didn't want Hayden to know that she had seen him there.

"No, you wouldn't have. All the plants here are pitiful," Hayden muttered, the bitterness in his voice surprising Evie. "I grew the lilies myself. "

"You grew it?" Evie asked.

"Why does that surprise you?" Hayden asked, tilting his head.

"You don't seem like the gardening type."

"To be fair, you hardly know me outside of being enemies." Hayden shrugged, a wistful look in his eyes. "My mother is the Goddess of Springtime and fertility and my grandmother is the Goddess of the harvest. They taught me everything I know about growing plants and flowers. It's difficult to do on The Isle, as the soils so infertile. But my mother showed me a few tricks that she uses in her time in the Underworld."

All those beautiful flowers in the garden she had found had most likely been grown by Hayden. Her heart skipped a beat in awe, but her mind whispered sinisterly that it was a weakness. One that could be explored. It would a shame if something were to happen to the garden. But the thought of ruining something so precious and bright that had impossibly blossomed in a world of darkness didn't sit well with Evie. She dared admit it even churned her stomach. It just seemed... cruel. Too cruel and such a waste.

"Persephone and Demeter, right? That's you're mother and grandmother," Evie stated, vaguely recalling the names that she had seen while troweling through the Greek mythology sections of the libraries.

Hayden nodded, humming a short agreement.

"What did they do to be sent to The Isle? I don't recall them featuring a part in your dad's villain story. I don't recall reading about them doing anything evil."

"They aren't... here," Hayden admitted hesitantly, after a beat. "They're out there free somewhere."

There was something in Hayden's voice, a little vulnerability and a little scorn that tweaked at Evie's heart. She decided to show a little pity - no matter how frowned upon it was to show your enemies such a merciful emotion - and change the topic.

"Well... your lilies are lovely," Evie said softly, so softly she hoped he wouldn't hear. Of course, he did, the proud smile tugging at his lips confirming it.

They fell into a silence after that, lying side by side, quietly watching the cloudy sky. Occasionally the clouds would part, revealing a glimmer of the barrier high above.

"You want to know my least favourite thing about living on The Isle?" Hayden broke the silence, glaring up at the night sky. "How it denies us the very heavens and stories they share. It boils my blood. What about you, Evie? What do you despise most about living here?"

"You," Evie said bluntly, maybe a little teasingly.

Hayden laughed, giving her a whimsical glare. "Besides me."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many things to choose from."

Evie pondered it for a moment, quietly humming.

"The danger," Evie finally replied, her voice becoming oddly quiet.

It could have been the tranquillity of the night, the exhaustion of seldom being able to express her feelings, or Hayden's own personal revelations, that lulled her into confessing such a vulnerable thought. Either way, once the words were out, Evie found she didn't regret them. She could hear the chiding tsk of her mother, her eyes filled with disappointment, as she scolded Evie for telling any enemy something as intimate as that. It was a weakness, she would say, something that should never be shared with an enemy - and that was what Hayden was.

"What do you mean?" Hayden asked, tilting his head.

"Constantly being surrounded by the most vicious villains in the world. It gets tiring having to watch your back every day, knowing people could be manipulating and tricking you."

It was tiring having to be mean and cruel every day too, but that was what was expected of you. No one could afford to be compassionate, it was something that would instantly be taken advantage of. To survive on The Isle you had to have a heart of stone, you had to make it known that you were the baddest of them all, someone who should not - and could not - be messed with.

For most it was a reflex, yet for Evie, it was a conscious effort. She supposed being locked away in a castle for a decade with only her mother for company hadn't allowed for her ruthless side to flourish as it had for the other children. She had lived a sheltered life until her banishment had been lifted. The other children had no choice but to learn cruelty if they wanted to survive amongst the older villains, it had sharpened their wicked wit and malicious minds.

"I'm afraid that's pack and parcel with being a villain, Evie," Hayden replied gently. "You'll never be short of enemies wanting to stab you in the back."

Evie nodded, grimly aware of the fact.

There were plenty of perks to being a villain, as her mother constantly reminded her. One day, they would finally get everything they wanted; a beautiful castle filled with mirrors, walk-in wardrobes with every gown they could imagine, boxes over-flowing with jewellery, and a handsome prince to dote on her. Her mother promised her all this and more, promised her that their life would be as it should. But those perks meant they had to win first. And so far, Evie had never heard a story where the villain won - not in their universe. It was a fact that filled her with doubt, made her question if it was really all worth it - if perhaps there was a better way to get what she wanted.

"But I do get where you're coming from," Hayden continued. "You'll get used to it, one day, I think."

"Maybe I don't want to get used to it," Evie mumbled, more to herself.

She knew she could - if she truly wanted to. She could steel her heart and play their games of cat and mouse, trying to stay three steps ahead of the rest and outmanoeuvring everyone like pieces of chess on a board. She could be like her mother - a master manipulator who made her enemies quiver in their boots - but deep down, she didn't want to.

She wanted to do other things, even if some considered them mundane and boring. She wanted to sit in her room and design or sew together a new outfit. She wanted to mess about with her mother's potions, mix things together and tweak them to see what would happen. She wanted to explore far-off lands, to see the places she had only ever read about in weathered, old books. She wanted, wanted, wanted, so much more than her mother had planned.

But that wasn't the way it was, was it? Fate had handed her this card. It was her role to be the daughter of one of the most infamous women the world had seen. It was her destiny to be a villain, her blood dictated it, didn't it? What other choice did she have?

None.

Not here on The Isle.

Hayden reached out then, his hand finding hers, his fingers lightly brushing over hers for a moment. Evie glanced over to him, startled by the gesture. She recognised it for what it was, a small attempt at comfort. In the cold night, his warm touch was almost welcomed.

"Things will get better for you in the future, Evie. That, I give you my word on," Hayden whispered, eyes glimmering with a strange determination. "It's just going to be a hard journey to get there. But it'll be worth it."

For a second, the serenity in his eyes made her believe him. But then she remembered who it was she was talking to. Hayden, her enemy who was trying to steal her gang's turf. The future would be better for her, would it? He couldn't be talking about her, he could only mean himself. The only way her future would be better was if she took action, and that started with dealing with Hayden, the current thorn in her side who threatened her team's safety and security.

Evie steeled and chided herself. She could not let herself grow comfortable around this boy, even if his charming smile and easygoingness made it so easy to do.

Remember who he is Evie. Remember what he's done.

"You're right, it will be better. And I'm going to make sure that happens," Evie replied, the softness in her voice turning to ice. She rose to her feet, staring down at Hayden was cold determination.

Hayden sensed the change in her demeanour and sighed, realising the tender moment they were sharing was gone, as fleeting as a shooting star. He too got to his feet, dusting off his quarter-length trousers and jacket. When he met her sharp gaze there was a grin on his face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I want to make another deal with you, Hayden."

"Oh?" Hayden's eyes twinkled with curiosity. He crossed his arms and took a challenging step forward, bringing them only inches apart. Evie tried to ignore the softness in his gaze as he stared down at her. "And what deal would that be?"

"You want the VK territory? Well, I'll give it to you. But, you have to beat us in a fight. Upsiders vs The Ghouls. If my team wins, you leave the uplands alone. And if you win, we hand over our territory. You'll have the largest area of any of the up top gangs."

If Hayden had control over the VK's territory, it gave him easy access to all the other territories as most of them were close to or boarded with the VKs. It would make taking over The Isle all the easier. It was a tempting offer, one Evie hoped Hayden wouldn't pass up on. If he won it was a shortcut to his goal, a step closer to whatever his master plan was.

Take the bait, Evie silently pleaded. Take it.

"That's a rather bold offer," Hayden commented warily.

"I'm tired of games," Evie said honestly. "I want this war between you and me settled."

She wanted an end to all the trouble. No more VK tags getting vandalised, members being attacked, their base getting trashed or threats to their turf being made - at least, not from Hayden and his unruly Ghouls. If she dealt with Hayden now it was one less headache, one less enemy.

"Alright then, Evie. But I have a condition," Hayden said. "If you win then I'll leave the upland territory alone but only... until you change your mind about it."

"Excuse me?" Evie blinked, bewildered. "Until I change my mind? What, you think I'm suddenly going to want you to take over the up top?"

Hayden smiled and nodded his head, looking so disgustingly sure of himself.

"Fine, whatever," Evie said, laughing at the absurdity of it. She would never want Hayden to take over the up top. She would never be on his side. His silly little condition meant nothing to her. It was redundant. "Three days from now, your Ghouls will meet my team at Diablo Square at three o'clock. If anybody's a no-show, they lose by default. Do we have a deal?"

"Hmmm," Hayden tapped his chin, mockingly pondering over it. "Let me think. I win, I get all the VK territory, lessening my workload-"

"Going once," Evie sang sweetly.

"You win I only need to hold off my plans to change your mind-"

"Going twice-"

"Alright, alright," Hayden laughed, done teasing. "You got yourself a deal, Evie."

Hayden struck out his hand and Evie took it, shaking it firmly and ignoring the burning sensation of it. Before Evie could pull away, Hayden brought her hand up to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles. Evie ignored the way it made her heart flutter and narrowed her eyes, a smirk on her lips.

"I hope you're ready, Hayden, cause you ain't seen nothing yet."

(A/N) This chapter was meant to be twice as long and we were going to see Evie's battle prep + the battle + the aftermath. I decided to leave that till the next chapter as longer chapters take ages to write and are tedious to edit. Lots of HaydenxEvie fluff/bonding in this chapter though... before all hell breaks loose. But they are starting to bond, or rather, Evie's growing softer. It's not all hostility and in the next chapter, even though they're going to be fighting, there will be some more bonding and fluff and we'll finally learn a part of the secret of the dreams + the lilies.

We also learned a bit about Hayden's personal life (he likes gardening!) and we learned that Evie's pretty conflicted about being a villain (possibly redemption still on the table for Evie? What about Hayden?). We'll learn more about why Hayden's mother + grandmother aren't on The Isle and why he's still there (it's an important plot point later on).

References:

"She wanted, wanted, wanted so much more than her mother had planned," is a subtle reference to Belle in Beauty and The Beast, when she sings the lines 'I want so much more than they have planned' from Belle's Reprise.

Evie interrupting Hayden's playful thinking over her deal and saying 'going once... going twice' is a callback to Hercules. Those lines are said twice, once by Hades and the other by Hercules when they're making deals with one another. (Really wish I'd added that in chapter 3 when Hayden and Evie make their deal. Might add it in once I finish the story and edit some stuff.)

The last line 'you ain't seen nothing yet' is from Descendants 1 song Rotten to The Core. It's one of my fav lines that I love to slip into my Descendant stories. And another reference to this song is 'baddest of them all'.

"It just seemed... cruel," is a light reference to Mal when Evie finds her making a potion to cure Ben's love spell.

Diablo Square, I made up, but it's a reference to Maleficent's pet crow Diablo.

Reviews:

1661ar: My hearts always gonna belong to HarryxEvie, I'm too in love with the potential those two have for an epic romance. But I gotta admit, I'm really enjoying exploring HaydenxEvie as a ship, as Hayden's dad gives him such a rich mythology to delve into. I'm usually firmly a one ship lass and will never pair my otps with anyone else, but I think HaydenxEvie will be my rare expectation. They're just too fun to write and explore :3 (I've got my fingers crossed that others will start writing about them too XD) Thank you so much for your lovely review!

Momobear1: Thank you for the review! :D As heart aching as Hayden is, Evie refuses to let him enchant her so easy ^_- (If I was Evie on the other hand, I would have swooned at first sight lol) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thunderfiredragon: Oh my stars, your sister's so lucky! The puppy must be the cutest thing! :D I'm gonna go back into previous chapters (at some point) and add in a list of references at the bottom, that way everyone knows what they were. I loooove adding easter eggs into my Descendant stories, it's quite fun and following Disney's tradition of doing that :3 There's some fluff and more fluff coming! Thank you for your review! xx

Thank you to everyone who fav, followed and/or reviewed! xx

Next Chapter Spoiler:

"Alright, Hayden. Here's the deal. I'll let you go... if you answer my questions."

"And if I don't?" Hayden asked with a slow blink.

"Then I'll tie you to a tree in the haunted forest and leave you to rot," Evie threatened sweetly.

"A convincing argument," Hayden said with a grin. "What's your question? Though if you ever want to ask me anything, for future reference, you don't have to tie me up. Not that I'm complaining."