Chapter 7 - War and Interrogations
(A/N) Early update!
There were many places on The Isle that Evie had never seen, her time locked away in her castle preventing it. Goblin Wharf was one of those places. She had only been to the docks briefly, and none of those occasions had been with good intentions. She had only come here on VK missions to prank the pirate gangs that favoured the docks, particularly Uma and her crew - Mal's most hated rival. Under normal circumstances, if Evie - or any VK - were to set foot in this place, pirates would descend upon them like a swarm of wasps, sharp swords aimed at their throats.
But this was not normal circumstances.
It was with a sense of dread that Evie found herself walking along the wooden planks of Goblin Wharf, straight into enemy territory. Pirates working or lounging on the docks eyed her suspiciously. Evie ignored their stares and whispers, keeping her head tall as she strutted towards The Lost Revenge - Uma's base and one of her most prized possessions. No one would hurt her, not since they knew she was coming and had been given permission by Uma. Days prior Evie had sent a letter and a white flag, asking for a temporary truce so that they could discuss a certain, troublesome mutual enemy of theirs.
Zevon and Dizzy had warned Evie against going, convinced Uma would take the chance to spring a trap on her. But Evie knew well enough from Mal that once Uma made a deal, she always kept it. She never went back on her word. As a precaution though, Evie had insisted that she come on her own, ensuring that no other VKs would be hurt. It was a major risk that Evie was taking. In order for her plan to win against The Ghouls to work, Evie needed Uma's help.
Out of all the gangs that VKs fought on The Isle, it was Uma's pirates that they loathed fighting most. After the VKs they were the second largest faction on The Isle. They were quick, vicious and never held back. Their expert sword fighting skills gave them a sharp edge, one that had lead to many defeats of other gangs, including on occasions the VKs - that was how Mal had lost a section of coastline (leaving them landlocked) much to the fairy's eternal fury.
If there was anyone that Evie wanted on her side against Hayden, then it was Uma and her crew. With them, she knew that they had a greater chance of winning. Whether or not Uma would agree to help them though was another matter.
"And the princess with her fake crown finally arrives," a snide voice quipped.
Evie glanced up at The Lost Revenge, finding Uma standing at the railings of her ship, looking down at her with an unpleasant smile on her face. She gestured for Evie to head up the ramp that would lead her onto the ship. Evie smiled and made her way onto the ship, following Uma inside and through several corridors until they came to the Captain's cabin. At that moment, Evie felt like a little mermaid swimming straight into the Kraken's den.
"Take a seat, make yourself at home," Uma said flatly as she sat at her desk.
Evie sat down on the seat across from her, crossing her legs and clasping her hands - prim and proper as a princess should.
"I'm here to talk about Hayden," Evie said, getting straight to business.
"I know. You're certainly not here so we can paint each other's nails and gossip," Uma remarked dryly.
Evie glanced at Uma's nails, looking for inspiration for a mean-spirited retort. But upon seeing Uma's perfectly done nails, her lips quirked into a genuine smile and her eyes lit up with excitement. Evie completely forgot herself and who she was dealing with, letting her enthusiasm for makeup get the better of her.
"With nails like those, I don't think you need help doing them. Is that Evil Sparkle Nail Polish?"
Uma nodded unsurely, narrowing her eyes as Evie took her hand and looked them over. They were perfectly manicured and painted purple with glitter shining through. Uma had even gone the extra mile and had small, coiling tentacles painted on. It complimented her outfit beautifully! Enemies or not, Evie had to admit style when she saw it.
"Those are wicked," Evie said earnestly, smiling as she examined the design. "Did you do these yourself?"
"Yipe," Uma said warily, taking her hand back.
"Anyway," Evie said, shaking her head and feeling a little embarrassed at getting carried away. "I know you know that Hayden's taken over Gothel and Westergaard's turf-"
"And as of yesterday CJ's territory too," Uma added with a scowl.
"He's also made moves against you and your crew, as well as mine. Hayden is a problem. If we don't do something soon he's going to take over the entire Isle, which he said is his plan."
"If 'we' don't do something soon?" Uma snorted, giving Evie an amused look. "What makes you think I'm stupid enough to do anything against Hayden?"
"What do you mean stupid? If we do nothing then he's going to take over our turf and then were will be?" Evie challenged.
Uma was slowly confirming a suspicion that Evie had held for a while now. She had found it very strange that there was no news of reprisal against The Ghouls by Uma and her crew. It was odd. Uma wasn't known for sitting back and letting people walk all over her. If someone so much as stepped on her toe the offender was chucked overboard into shark-infested waters. If Uma didn't get them then one of her loyal crew members certainly would - they loved and respected Uma too much not too.
So why then, hadn't Uma acted out against Hayden? The only reason that Evie could come up with was that she knew something that other's like Ginny and Hamlet had not known. Something like the VKs plan to bring down the barrier? How that was possible though, Evie didn't know. The only ones who knew of the plan were the main VKs - Zevon, Freddie, Dizzy and herself.
"Then why haven't you done anything either?" Uma asked. "I'd hazard a guess to say its the same reason as me. Witches, dragons, genies and sea monsters are one thing, but demigods are a completely different ball game. Unlike some other foolish souls, you and I don't run head first into a battle without a plan of action. I don't want to make enemies with divinity, not this early in the game."
"But he doesn't have any powers here on The Isle. What does it matter if you pick a fight with him?"
Uma leaned back in her seat, a sly grin on her face.
"Unlike Hamlet and Ginny, I know that there's a chance we might be getting off The Isle."
"Oh, is that so?" Evie asked innocently.
Uma grinned darkly.
"I used to be Mal's best friend, I spent plenty of time with her mother breathing down our necks. I know Maleficent well enough to know that she wouldn't allow her daughter to go to Auradon without trying to take advantage of it. Mal, Jay and Carlos are going to attempt to bring down the barrier, aren't they?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Evie replied evenly.
Uma laughed, shaking her head. "Keep your VK secrets, I don't care. I know I'm right. And I know that I don't want to anger a demigod."
Evie held back a sigh, not pleased with the way things were turning out. She needed Uma on her side, but to do that she was going to have to give Uma the confirmation she was looking for. It wasn't ideal, but it seemed Uma was already ahead of the game in that regards.
"Alright then, let's say in theory-" in theory being as a good an admittance "-thatthe barrier will be broken. What if I told you Hayden won't have any powers to use against us?"
"I'd say you've been brushing up on your Greek mythology," Uma replied. "No demigod is born with powers, they have to earn them through feats of great heroism... or villainy."
"How do you know that?" Evie asked, crossing her arms. "All the information on demigods was wiped out in the libraries."
"Oh? Then how do you know?" Uma said with a questioning look. "You tell me your secrets and I'll tell you mine."
Letting Uma - or anyone - know about the spell to summon The Fates wasn't something Evie wanted to do. It was possible Uma already knew about it, as she seemed knowledgeable in Greek mythology, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Instead, Evie shrugged her shoulders.
"Didn't think so," Uma smirked.
"Regardless of how we got our information, what matters is that we deal with Hayden. We can stop him now and when - if - the barrier falls, all we need to do is make sure Hayden stays locked up where he can't earn his divinity. We can reactive the barrier, leave him cooped up in there with all the heroes."
"You really think you can stop Hayden from earing his divinity?" Uma questioned sceptically. "Let me tell you something about Hayden, he's a lot like his dad. He doesn't give up. He won't stop until he gets what he wants."
"So you'll do nothing?"
"Pretty much," Uma shrugged.
"Wow," Evie let out a breath of disbelief. "You know, I never took you as the type to be afraid."
"What did you just say?" Uma whispered dangerously, her eyes gleaming threateningly.
"You heard me," Evie retorted. "You can sit around here and do nothing but I'm not going to let Hayden push me and my friends around - not anymore. I've been avoiding doing anything for too long. I wanted to find out what I was dealing with before I crossed him but the more I think about it the more I realize that I've just been delaying the inevitable. On The Isle or off it, Hayden's going to be a threat. He said he has 'bigger things at play'. I don't know what that is but it can't be good for any of us."
Uma frowned and rose to her feet. She paced behind her desk, looking deep in thought.
"How much do you wanna bet those bigger things are plans to take over the world?"
"And to acquire his divinity," Evie added. "Do you think you can take on a God by yourself?"
"Can you?" Uma asked, quirked an eyebrow.
Evie shook her head. "No, I don't. That's why I came to you. I want us to work together to beat him. The last few days I've been getting as many of the villain children to help me fight against him. One big brawl to end it. It's happening tomorrow at three o'clock at Diablo Square. Upsiders vs The Ghouls. If we win then he'll leave all the upland territory alone."
"He agreed to that?" Uma scoffed.
"I don't think he was paying as much attention to the details of that deal as he should have been," Evie said with a smile. "Look, if you don't come fine. It's your choice. But once we're gone he's going to come for you. You're the next biggest faction and definitely one of the strongest. I know we don't get along and I know you don't like me, but if we can put aside our differences for now, then we can deal with the bigger threat."
Evie and Uma had never had any one on one interactions, whenever they were in the same place it was during battles between their gangs, and it was always Mal who confronted the sea witches daughter. Still, despite not having many personal interactions, there was an undercurrent of tension between the two girls. Evie was Mal's best friend, whereas Uma was Mal's ex-best friend. Quite often, Uma's crews liked to bring up that fact, poisonous quips poised on their tongues how Mal would one day turn on Evie too, just like she had done to Uma.
"I don't think I can do this without you, Uma," Evie admitted, and it took a great deal of pride swallowing to do so. "But I'm sure as hell going to try."
Without another word, Evie left.
"Of all the people to come up with such a stupid idea as giving up all the VK territory, I never thought it'd be you, Evie."
Evie winced as Freddie continued to scold her. Most of the VKs had been pleased that they were finally taking action against Hayden, but some - Freddie being the main contender - were displeased by the high stakes. The ones who were committed to the battle wholeheartedly didn't seem to mind, confident that they could beat The Ghouls anywhere any place. Evie understood Freddie and the other's reservations, they stood to lose everything if this went wrong. It was such a dangerous gamble.
"Only if we lose," Evie replied quietly, tying her hair up into a high, messy ponytail. "Ugh, why did it have to rain today? My hairs going to get all frizzy!"
The VKs - Evie, Freddie, Zevon and the other less known ones - stood at one side of Diablo Square, armed with sling-shots (rocks, smoke bombs and paint bombs as ammo), paint-ball guns, swords, quarterstaffs and their fists. Some of their team were perched on windowsills and trashcans, eagerly whispering to one another about their excitement at getting to fight. It had been a while since they had geared up for such a large fight, usually, it was restricted to small squabbles here and there.
"Are you sure this is what you want to do? Like, I don't think we can back out of it now, but still, if you could would you?" Freddie asked Evie as she leant back against a wall.
"Of course I want to do this. We need to-"
"-deal with, Hayden, I know," Freddie cut in. "But Zevon seemed convinced that there was something going on between you and Hayden. At least, on Hayden's side anyway."
"There is nothing going on," Evie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, really?" Freddie drawled. "Then how come I spotted you and him all cosy up on the rooftops a few days ago?"
Evie almost choked in surprise, her eyes growing large. "Wow, wow, wow! No, I was not cosying up with Hayden on the rooftops! How did you even see me up there?"
"A friend on the other side told me," Freddie laughed when Evie gave her an unimpressed pout. "You seem to forget that my house is on the same street as your hideaway spot. I saw you. I was about to come to help you when I saw Hayden approaching but you seemed to have everything handled. Don't worry! I didn't hear anything!"
"Freddie," Evie sighed, running a hand down her neck. "It's not what you think. He found me, and that's when I offered him the challenge."
Freddie nodded her head, but the look on her face told Evie that she wasn't convinced.
"It's just that... well, you always had a thing for princes."
"Hayden isn't a prince," Evie snorted.
"He's technically Prince of The Underworld," Freddie pointed out. "And let's be honest, he is pretty easy on the eye."
Before Evie could get anymore flustered or defensive, Hayden arrived.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Evie thought with a sigh.
"Are we all ready to rumble?" Hayden's voice called out, echoing around the square.
Everyone turned around, seeing Hayden and a small army of Ghouls standing at the other side, their shadows stretching menacingly across the square. Evie's eyes widened when she saw just how many of them there were. Evie had brought all twenty of the VKs, yet Hayden had at least thirty Ghouls with him. Just how many people were on his team? No one had seen more than eight members with him whenever he came up top to cause mischief! It seemed the devious rascal that he was, he had been holding out on them, saving a few aces up his sleeves.
"Ready, Evie?" Hayden called out, giving her a cheeky wink.
Freddie quirked a questing brow at Evie, but Evie's full attention was on Hayden.
"Born ready," Evie replied with a smirk.
Hayden grinned, turning around as one of his Ghouls handed him a large, black sword that was intricately decorated with skulls and bones. Evie blinked, startled by the sinister-looking sword, gleaming in the streetlights. It had to be Hade's sword. It looked impossibly heavy, yet Hayden held it in his grip with ease, swinging it a few times experimentally.
"Um, Evie," Zevon whispered beside her, passing her one of their cutlass swords, "you might need this."
Evie glanced at her sword, thinking it pitiful and small compared to Hayden's. It was going to shatter with one hit!
"Oh well, you know what they say about boys and big swords," Evie quipped, earning her a snort from Freddie and a confused look from Zevon. "It's on! VKs, show them who's the baddest of them all!"
The VKs let out their battle cries before leaping from their perches and charging across the square. The Ghouls smirked and darted forward, each one pairing themselves up with another VK. Unfortunately, with so many more Ghouls, some VKs found themselves fending off two or more foes at once. Some from each team stayed out of the battlefield, hiding behind trashcans and walls where they could safely launch projectiles via their slingshots and paintball guns.
Evie pushed her way through the battling crowds, avoiding fists, swords and flying debris. She knew exactly who she was going for. Hayden was waiting for in the center of the chaos, a grin on his face. He gave her a mock bow before pointing his sword at her.
"Ladies first," Hayden drawled.
"My pleasure," Evie gritted out, swinging her sword into his.
The metal clashed loudly, but it was drowned out by the shouts and ruckus of the fights around them. Evie kept on the advance, striking Hayden's sword harshly and trying to disarm him. If she could take Hayden down then it would end the fight. Ultimately, it never mattered how many pawns or knights you took out, what mattered, in the end, was taking down the King.
Hayden blocked all her moves, much to Evie's growing frustration. He held his sword easily, his movements flowing almost like a dance. When he finally pushed her into the defensive, it became clear just how well acquainted with his sword that he was. His movements were graceful and fast and he had clearly spent a lot of time practising.
"Where did you learn how to sword fight?" Hayden asked, parring her attempt at trying to go on the advance.
"Mal," Evie replied, barely blocking his next attack.
Mal had learned to fence from Uma when they had been friends, and it was something she had taught Evie to help her in their fights against the sword favouring pirates. At this point, Evie wished she had paid more attention to the lessons. Sword fighting was not one of her strong points, and right now it was as clear as day.
"You need a new teacher," Hayden said regretfully.
As if to prove the point, Hayden thrust his sword forward and sent Evie's blade spinning through the air. Evie gasped but before she could make a move to get it Hayden had darted forward, ready to grab her and immobilise her. Evie spun out of his reach, pushing him aside and diving into the fights around her, trying to find her sword. A quick glance behind her confirmed that Hayden was pushing his way through the clashes, not caring to go after anyone but her. He didn't get close to her, as two VKs who were looking out for their leader, swung their sword and quarterstaff towards his head, forcing him to defend himself and giving Evie a chance to get her sword.
Once Evie had her sword back in hand, and with Hayden preoccupied by two VKs, it gave her a moment to catch her breath and assess the fight. To her elation, the VKs were overpowering The Ghouls, many of Hayden's allies being tied up and dragged into one of the nearby abandoned shops that they had commandeered for their temporary prison. If things kept up like this, they would be victorious in no time!
Unfortunately, Hayden had also realized this too. With a vicious snarl, he disarmed the VK fighting him with a sword then shoved him to the ground, knocking him out. The other VK attempted to whack his head again with his staff, only to have it severed by Hayden's sword before the boy was kicked in the stomach, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. Hayden brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.
Evie felt her excitement evaporate when she saw more Ghouls coming from two of the lanes. They were going to be overwhelmed!
Oh no, you don't, Evie thought determinedly.
"CJ NOW!" Evie shouted.
A large, rope net, weighed down by cannon balls, descended from the rooftops, crashing down on one of the waves of Ghouls. They cried out, the heavy weight of the net forcing them to their knees.
High on the rooftops, Evie saw CJ Hook's head appear. The pirate gave her a salute her, an evil grin on her face. CJ and her gang - The Lost Pirates - were among the few factions Evie had managed to convince to join her cause against Hayden. They were a small group, with only four members excluding CJ, but they were fierce and skilled. After having their own territory snatched up by The Ghouls, they were more than eager to get revenge.
The net didn't capture all The Ghouls, but it certainly helped. VK's began lunching colourful smoke bombs towards the new invaders, filling the square with a rainbow of different smokes that merged together like a giant, smokey cloud. It was becoming harder to breathe and make sense of what was happening all around them. Evie found herself more and more disorientated, the vibrant colours hiding her foes and allies from view.
That was when Hayden struck.
He leapt out from a red cloud and before Evie could react he had once against disarmed her, the force of his blow against her sword sending her to the ground. Hayden had his sword pointed at her throat, a victorious grin on his face.
"I told you, Evie, I can't be beaten," Hayden said softly. "Now, do you yield?"
Evie gritted her teeth, looking up at the demigod with eyes burning with rage, dispair flooding her heart.
She had failed the VKs, she had failed her friends! Mal had trusted her with taking care of the team, of making sure everyone was provided for and had the safety of their turf. Now every VK who had looked up to her and trusted her would suffer. All because of her rashness and silly chance!
Pride would not allow her to take it quietly, and a nasty curse settled on her lips. But before she could speak someone else spoke out, astonishing both of them.
"Better question is do you yield, you snivelling little semi-demi mini god?"
Hayden turned around at the sound of the new voice, furious at their insult. Never in her life did Evie think she would be so thankful to see Uma than she did now. Uma, leader of the sea three, was standing behind Hayden, a grin on her face and a sword in her hand, pointed at Hayden.
"Don't you know it's rude to hit a lady?"
"I'm surprised to see you here," Hayden replied with a glare, his voice cold and sharp. "I thought you'd know better than to challenge me, cousin."
Cousin? Evie blinked, taken aback. That's how she knew about demigods. She's related to one!
Evie wasn't quite sure what that meant for Uma. If she was a demigod too then why had she ever hesitated to retaliate against Hayden? She was on the same boat as him, surely? Even if she didn't have powers now she could still achieve them as Hayden planned to. Or perhaps there was something Evie was missing about this?
"You're not a God, Hayden," Uma replied with a shrug. "So, you're not that scary."
"Yet," Hayden said with a smirk.
Hayden didn't notice Evie slowly rise to her feet during his exchange with Uma, nor did he see her fingers grabbing hold of her fallen sword. Uma saw her and gave her a subtle nod. Without words, Evie knew what to do.
"Not ever," Evie hissed.
Hayden barely turned before both Uma and Evie rose their swords as one and smashed them down towards the startled demigod. Hayden barely managed to angle his sword at an awkward position, catching both girl's blades. Sweat trickled down his cheeks as he strained under their combined strengths pushing down on him.
"This was supposed to be between The Ghouls and The VKs, Evie!" Hayden gritted out, his eyes glowing brightly. She had never heard him so angry before, not directed at her.
"If you had paid any attention, you'd know that I said The Upsiders vs The Ghouls! Not just The VKs!" Evie replied, grunting as she applied more pressure to their blades lock.
Hayden rolled his eyes, scoffing.
"You'd think a demigod would know better," Uma quipped with an evil smirk. "You're getting neglectful in your old age. I'm sure your dad will be so disappointed when he finds out."
Around the three leaders, the smoke began to clear.
Hayden's scowl only deepened when he saw how badly his Ghouls were losing. More of Evie's reinforcements had arrived; Ginny Gothel's Witches, Hamlet and his gang the Guards, Uma's crew, and Captain Silver's Son Sandy and his flock of pirates. They had all be victim to Hayden and his Ghouls reign of terror for the past few months; being insulted, suffering their pranks, having turf stolen and members attacked. It hadn't taken much to persuade many of them to join the fight, they all desired to see Hayden and his Ghoulish followers fall.
"Face it, Hayden, you've lost," Evie said.
Hayden looked around them with unease. More and more of his enemies were surrounding the trio, most of The Ghouls having been defeated. He was surrounded, even if he managed to overpower Uma and Evie he would be done for. There was no way he could take them all on, not powerless. His grip on his sword tightened, and Evie's eyes widened when she saw smoke resonating from his gloved hands, his fury at the turn of events heating up his skin and sizzling the leather cladding his hands. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"I suppose there's no way for me to talk myself out of this one, is there?" Hayden said with a mirthless chuckle. "Alright, Ladies. I know when I'm beaten. I yield."
The girl's released their pressure and Hayden dropped his sword to the ground with a defeating clatter, holding his hands up in surrender. The remaining Ghouls saw this and followed his lead, dropping their weapons and raising their hands. The Upsiders let out a triumphant cheer, patting each other on the back as they grinned.
"Question is, what to do with you?" Uma said, crossing her arms and looking evily at her cousin, a malicious glint in her eyes.
"FEATHER HIM!"
Everyone turned around to see Zevon pushing his way through the crowds, excitement on his face as he pointed at Hayden. Poor Zevon hadn't fared well in the battle. He was covered head to toe in paint and seeing as the VK's had been the only ones using paint, it either meant their aim was terribly off or they really did not like Zevon - but then again, Zevon had never the been the luckiest or best at dodging. His clothes were badly shredded and falling off his body, revealing several burices and fresh cuts on his skin.
"We should feather him like a chicken! That's what we should do!" Zevon shouted - almost with maniacal delight - his eyes alight with the promise of revenge. It seemed Zevon was still quite bitter about the feathering.
"If anyone's deciding what happens to Hayden it's going to be Evie," Uma cut in, surprising everyone - especially Evie. "This is your territory after all. I trust you'll give him ample payback for all the trouble he's given us."
Evie nodded, unable to help the smile that graced her face.
If it hadn't been for Uma's intervention, this battle would have turned out very differently - and not in the VKs (or ultimately anyones) favour. For Uma to then concede Hayden's punishment to her was even more magnanimous.
Uma smiled back, giving Evie a quick nod before her and her crew left, everyone else following swiftly after, leaving only the VKs in the square. Evie glanced around at the mess they had made. Trash and make-shift projectiles were scattered everywhere, the buildings and ground were stained with paint and several windows had been smashed. They did not want to be here when any adults who lived nearby came out for a wander.
"Let's get going VKs," Evie said, leading the way back to the base.
"And just what, pray tell, are you going to do with me, Evie?"
Evie tried her best to ignore Hayden's teasing drawl, it edged far too close to salacious. It didn't help that she currently had him tied to a chair in the VK's base or that she had to him all to herself. After they had helped bring Hayden here, Evie had sent the other VKs away home, to give them time to recover and clean up from the battle.
Hayden did raise a good question though. What was she going to do with him?
Uma would have keelhauled him. Jay would have beaten him up and then shoved him in a dumpster and locked him in there until the waste disposal people found him. Mal would have served some ironic justice and feathered him like he had done to their fellow VK, beat him up and then threw him a dumpster.
Evie though, she wasn't quite sure what to do. Delivering punishments was something she had never done - that had always been Jay and Mal's roles. She had pulled plenty of pranks during her time as a VK, but not on someone who was utterly defenceless. It just felt... cowardly.
Despite her reservations, she couldn't just let him go. Her deal may prevent him from going after the Upsider's territory, but he still deserved punishment for all the trouble he and his Ghouls had done. If anyone found out that Evie had let him off the hook without so much as a slap across the wrist they would have her head!
With a sigh, Evie dragged another chair across the room, planting it in front of Hayden. She sat down on it and crossed her arms, looking him over tiredly. Since she had him at her mercy, she supposed now was as good a time as any to find answers to her questions.
"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 Dark Forest and leave you there to rot," Evie threatened sweetly. "Or until a wolf comes along and gobbles you up. The Undercity isn't the only place with monsters."
"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. It's just that there are easier ways to get me talking."
Evie rolled her eyes before meeting his gaze.
"What do you have to do with the dreams I'm having?"
The smile on Hayden's face dropped. For once, he seemed genuinely startled - she had caught him off guard. He straightened his posture as best he could within his restraints, no longer looking quite so nonchalant.
"I know you have something to do with them," Evie continued, more certain of it than ever now that she had seen his reaction. "What do they mean? Are you making me have them?"
"How can I? I don't have any powers."
"But you do know about them?"
"Possibly."
Evie sighed and stood up, making her way around to the back of his chair. After everything that had been happening of late, all the stress, plotting and fragile alliances, Evie had had more than enough of vague answers and riddles. She gripped onto the back of Hayden's chair and yanked it back, earning her a gasp from Hayden. The chair scraped loudly against the wooden floorboards as she dragged Hayden across the room, to the edge of the staircase. Evie stood on the top step, her grip the only thing keeping Hayden from a very nasty fall.
Evie's patience had officially gone out the window.
"Careful," Evie whispered into his ear as she jerked back his chair, causing him to yelp as it almost lost balance. "It would be a shame if you lost balance and fell down the stairs."
"Beauty of an angel and the temperament of a devil," Hayden blew his neon hair from his face, throwing Evie a smirk over his shoulder. "Alright, fine. I know about your dreams."
"Well?"
"I know about them... because I have them too."
Of all the answers Hayden could have given her, that one had never crossed her mind. Evie blinked, confusion causing a frown to form on her face.
"That's not possible," Evie whispered.
"It is. You dream of fields of lilies and a river of death. And in every one there's always a boy who pulls your from the river, holds you close, and lies in the grass with you."
Although she couldn't remember, Hayden's words struck a chord with her. Fleetingly, Evie got a vague recollection of the dreams. She could feel someone warm holding her hand, touching her cheek and brushing their lips against her forehead. She remembered the feeling of flowers under her fingers, their sweet scent tickling her nose and their brightness blinding her. She recalled the feeling of terror shaking her body, bringing tears to her eyes as sickly water filled her lungs, burning her throat.
And just like that, they were gone again, just flimsy strands of memories that made no sense and hurt to recall. Even then, Evie could clearly remember seeing mentions of lilies, rivers and a mysterious boy in her dream journals.
"I don't know," Evie murmured. "I can never remember."
With a sigh, Evie shook her head, trying to clear it.
"If what you said was true, then that means you remember the dreams? Why do you remember and I don't? What even are they? Some kind of magic?"
"I never used to remember them," Hayden confessed, his voice soft. "Whenever I woke up they faded away so quickly, like ice melting under a flame. I tried writing down any little snippet I could to help me remember, but it never helped. It just left me more and more frustrated. I knew I shouldn't be able to have dreams, not here on The Isle. They had to mean something."
Evie released her grip from the chair and made her way to stand in front of Hayden, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. She could see the irritation and struggles Hayden had felt with the dreams on his face, as well as in his voice. She felt a surge of sympathy for him, as she too had gone through the same thing.
Having dreams when it should not be possible was unsettling, and as a student of witchcraft she too had grown up knowing of the secrets and potential messages that dreams conveyed. It made her anxious, knowing that the dreams could be a warning or trying to tell her something important, and yet no matter how hard she tried she couldn't recall them.
"Yet now you remember them. How did you manage that?" Evie asked.
"I remembered what they meant. That's the only way you'll be able to remember them, if you figure what they're trying to tell you."
"I've been trying to figure that out since I was ten, why don't you just tell me and spare me any more frustrations?"
"It won't work if I tell you because you have to remember them," Hayden gave her a sympathetic smile. "Me telling you what happened isn't remembering. If it would help I swear I would tell you everything, Evie."
Evie pouted, causing Hayden to chuckle.
"I know how irritating and confusing this all is. Believe me, I've gone through the same thing that you have. There's something you've forgotten and the dreams want you to remember."
"Is that why you gave me a lily? To help me remember?" Evie asked, tilting her head.
Hayden smiled cheekily. "That might be the other reason."
Evie lowered herself to the floor, leaning her back against the wall. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. There was so much to take in and yet there was still so much to learn. These dreams that had haunted her meant something and for whatever reason Hayden was sharing the same dreams.
"Do you know what's causing the dreams?"
"I have my suspicions," Hayden admitted carefully. "But I'd rather keep them to myself for now. Just until you remember what the dreams mean. If I told you who I thought it was before then you would probably kill me on the spot."
"That isn't making me feel any better," Evie replied dryly, quirking an eyebrow.
"It'll make sense later," Hayden shrugged, laughing a little. "Let's just say, it's someone not on The Isle."
If it was someone not on The Isle then that meant it couldn't be a villainous force, which was a breath of relief. It relaxed Evie a little knowing that some unknown evil wasn't out there trying to manipulate her for whatever reason. It would have to be someone good or neutral for their powers to be able to bypass the barrier to influence their dreams. Evie wondered if this person was the same one The Fates had mentioned, the mysterious man who had asked The Fates to see if she remembered. There was a high chance that it was.
For every answer, there's another question, Evie thought miserably.
"I'm guessing what I have to remember has something to do with you, seeing as you're in my dreams?" Evie guessed, unsure of how to feel about that.
"I can't say," Hayden said. "But... I think I might have a way to help you remember."
"And what's that?" Evie asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I have something back in The Undercity that'll help you. Something similar helped me remember."
"Is that hint that you want me to let you go now?" Evie asked, a bit amused.
"Well if you're offering?" Hayden said with a grin, then with a wink he added, "or you could keep me indefinitely. I won't complain."
"I'm not into self-torturing," Evie said sweetly. "Fine, I'll let you go. But I can't let you go without some kind of revenge, you understand, I'm sure."
Hayden narrowed his eyes, watching her as she made her way over to one of the tables. His nerves did not settle as she pulled on a pair of white gloves and brought a basin of water over to the stairs. In her hand was a bottle, and when he read the label, his mouth dropped open and his stomach twisted.
"Evie... let's talk about this first!"
"Let's be honest, Hayden, I could do a lot worse. But since you answered my questions, I'll let you off easily," Evie replied casually as she unscrewed the lid with deliberate slowness.
"This isn't letting me off easily!" Hayden hissed, struggling to free himself from his bonds. "Evie! Wait! I swear I'll make you regret this if you do this!"
"Admittedly, I really do love your blue hair," Evie said, putting the bottle down to run her fingers through his hair. "But it's so last season. A new look will do you some good."
"You are not dying my hair pink!" Hayden yelled, his amber eyes glowing brightly.
"I'm not," Evie gasped, putting a hand to her heart. She was enjoying this far too much. Maybe a little torture wasn't as bad as she thought - she could easily get used to this. "I'm dying it magenta, which is much deeper than pink."
Afterwards, Evie left Hayden tied to a chair with his hair filled with pink soap. She didn't release him herself, she was too smart for that. Instead, she released The Ghouls who had been left tied up at the shop in Diablo Square and told them where to find their leader, reminding them to tell Hayden that he wasn't allowed to mess with any upland territory, including hers - no matter how annoyed he might be feeling.
Evie didn't see Hayden for a few weeks after that, she figured he was still a little annoyed about her punishment. One night though, he finally made his presence known.
She had returned home to the castle late one night and was startled to find her curtains billowing in the window that she was sure she had left closed. She had gone to close it only to find something sitting on her windowsill, waiting for her. The item sat on a velvet cushion, a piece of parchment lying beside it with the words 'to help you remember' written on it in calligraphy. Evie picked up the item.
It was a pomegranate.
(A/N) I... cannot bring myself to write Harry in the same scene as Evie. If anyone reads my other Descendant stories you'll know I'm a hevie shippers and I just... can't do it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'd love to hear your theories and thoughts! Honestly, they really do inspire me! Heck, this whole story is inspired by a single review I got in another comment :D
How are Uma and Hayden cousins? For anyone wondering, it actually would be canon in the Disney Universe. Ursula and Triton (Ariel's father) are actually siblings. It's never shown in The Little Mermaid movie (it was actually a deleted concept and there is a deleted scene where Ariel calls Ursula her aunt), however, in other media they brought back the idea and established it, such as in The Little Mermaid Disney musical as well as the Disney book 'Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch (Villains)' which gives Ursula a backstory. Spoiler alert, Triton wasn't a very good big brother. In Greek mythology, Triton is the son of Poseidon, which means he would also be Ursula's father and Uma's grandfather. Poseidon is the God of The Sea and also Hades brother (Hayden's father), which is where Hayden gets his relation to Uma. Hercules in Disneyland (the actor) was asked by a fan if Hercules and Ariel are cousins due to Poseidon being Ariel's grandfather and Hercules uncle and he confirmed it (there's a video of it on youtube). I just settled with calling them cousins cause it was hurting my head trying to figure out what exactly they would be to each other (they're like second cousins, something removed... or something. If anyone works it out let me know.) This as pointed out by the lovely BriEva on Ao3.
For anyone worried about Hayden's luscious blue hair, have no fear, he will get it dyed back to its natural blue. I'd like to think he learned his lesson and won't mess with Evie buuuuut he we'll have to see.
References:
"-Princess and her fake crown," is a reference to the lines in What's My Name in Descendants 2 "don't need to wear no fake crown."
"Are we all ready to rumble?" is a reference to Hercules, when Hades says 'let's get ready to rumble' just before Hercules fights the Hydra.
"You little semi-demi mini-god," is a reference to Moana, said by Tamatoe in the song Shiny.
I have a feeling I've missed a few, but oh well.
Reviews:
Momobear1: Thanks for your review! :D They are too cute, aren't they! 3 I'm honestly so excited about getting to the more romantic parts, which are getting cloooooser~*
Thunderfiredragon: I'm so glad you think the rhyming is on point, I was really nervous about it. It took me aggges trying to write it lol. I'm afraid I've got loooots more Hayden Evie cuteness in future chapters, like omg... I'm so excited about writing it, especially as it'll be in the upcoming chapters as the games about to change drastically in the next chapter. Oh, I couldn't have Persephone on the Isle, or her mother. It'll be explained why that is in future chapters, big plot point! Quite heartbreaking actually :p Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I always get really excited when I see them and I really appreciate the details and length of them! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx