Carlos never liked going to the piers. Too many people around. The entire place stank of fish, fresh and rotten. The pirates always went on and on about fresh salty air from the ocean. Carlos had yet to smell it. Speaking of pirates, the piers belonged to Uma and her ship rats. Which meant he wasn't welcome here unless a ship from the mainland arrived. A fragile agreement had been made that the one pier was neutral ground on delivery days only. But the rest were off limits at best.
While he definitely understood why his mother was here, he didn't understand why the Isle didn't get any more attention than an urchin begging for food. Weren't heroes supposed to be heroic? Care about that kind of shit? That was what made them different from everyone on the Isle right? So far, Carlos wasn't convinced there was much of a difference between them and the mainlanders.
Which was just another reason not to trust this summons. There had to be a catch. Why would the people who banished the villains decide to bring four of their kids to Auradon? Especially his pack. Mal was an obvious bad choice. Not only was she the daughter of Maleficent—he shuddered and inched closer to Evie—but she had magic. While on the Isle she couldn't do much, the barrier neutralizing most of it, but there was no telling how powerful she would be on the mainland. Bringing someone like her outside the barrier was beyond stupid.
Then there was Evie. Despite being the one with the best manners and constantly applying makeup, she was dangerous. And smart. A combination that the heroes should be scared of. She could create potions and balms that people were willing to pay for and poisons people would do almost anything to avoid. More importantly, she could manipulate others. Most of the time people never realized she'd planted the idea in the first place and once she had sunk her claws in there was no getting them out.
Jay was logically the safest choice, but that was because Jafar might as well have forgotten he existed. Yes, he was one of the strongest on the Isle, but he wasn't as powerful as Mal or as crafty as Evie. But the heroes didn't know that. For all they knew, Jafar had taught Jay to be exactly like him. A cruel and ruthless villain, more than happy to stab his opponents or supposed allies in the back. And smart enough to know when to do so. Of the villains on the Isle, he'd had some of the greatest ambitions.
As for Carlos himself…well…anyone related to Cruella should be feared just because they shared her blood. Insanity. Cruelty. There was no need for magic. She was almost more terrifying because she didn't have magic. The barrier didn't do anything to control her. Even Maleficent and Grimhilde weren't as powerful as they'd been on the mainland. Cruella…She was almost stronger here.
A passerby knocked into him, and he ducked away, rolling a coin from a pocket over his knuckles and into his palm. The man kept walking and Carlos offered the coin to Evie who slipped it into her own pocket with a small smile. The smile faded too soon, and Carlos stared at the end of the pier where a ship was coming in to dock. It was just outside the wall of the barrier only a couple of feet out, men disembarking while others threw ropes to them to tie the ship to the pier. None of them stepped onto the pier.
The ships used something that somehow opened a space in the barrier just enough for the crew to shove the supplies through. When he'd woken up, Carlos had thought maybe that was their answer. Only to realize that if it was that simple to steal whatever opened the barrier, Maleficent or the Evil Queen or Ursula would've already escaped. A few people had tried to force their way out, but the mainlanders were always better armed and could close the barrier in less than a second. He'd seen someone actually lose an arm as the barrier closed on it. If it was a trap and they closed the barrier on them…He shuddered.
Besides, whatever they used to open the barrier only worked once. Once the barrier closed, that was it. The barrier only opened once per trip. A mainlander had accidently gotten stuck on the wrong side of the barrier once. His companions could only watch as the islanders swarmed him. If they could've saved him, they would have.
A man almost as tall as his mother disembarked and made his way over to the barrier to look in at them. Carlos shrank back behind Evie. There was a curl to the man's lip and a tightness around his eyes that warned of anger. Disgust. What was it that he saw when he looked at them? Did he see a pack? A bunch of rabid animals? Villains in training? Did he even see them as people?
"You have the passports?" the man demanded.
Mal's eyes flashed as she lifted her chin. "Yeah, we have your stupid passports." Grabbing the bag with her few clothes and slinging the one with her art supplies over her shoulder, Mal strode towards the barrier. Jay followed her, his bag and Carlos's hung over his shoulders. Neither of them had anything to bring except some clothes. And the quilt Evie had made. The thought of leaving it behind made his heart twist.
Of them, Evie had the most to bring, three bags in total: clothes, makeup, some books, and her sewing kit that also contained the ingredients she used for potions. Of those, Carlos only trusted himself to help with the books while she carried the rest. Once they reached the barrier, Mal pressed the papers against the barrier and the man squinted at them. Then he glanced at a sheet of paper and then back at them. Most likely comparing them to some kind of description if Carlos had to guess. It was smart. Otherwise, anyone could try to leave.
"Maleficent's daughter. Grimhilde's daughter. Cruella's son. Jafar's son."
"That's us," Mal confirmed. When he made no move to open the barrier, Mal arched an eyebrow. "So, are you actually going to let us out or is this a social visit?"
Jay smirked as the man went red, jaw working. Personally, Carlos wished she wouldn't antagonize the person in charge of getting them to Auradon. It was way too easy for "accidents" to happen when there was no one to hold you accountable. No way the crew was going to tell if the villain kids were intentionally thrown overboard. Worse, none of them knew how to swim. Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to swim all the way back. And if they managed that miracle, they wouldn't be able to open the barrier. They'd drown only feet from safety…
Something warm rested against his back, jarring him from his thoughts and he lifted his gaze to meet Evie's.
Gathering himself, the man said, "You and your belongings will be searched. Any weapons or contraband will be confiscated or disposed of. You will then be brought aboard, introduced to the captain, and shown to your cabin. You will stay out of the way as we prepare to sail. Is that understood?"
"Of course," Evie nodded, offering him her brightest smile and a flutter of her lashes. Mal shot her a look but didn't disagree. Carlos was more interested in the look the man gave her. Disgust. Actual pure disgust in the twist of his lips and straightening of his spine. No one looked at Evie like that. Not even the pirates. Just because they belonged to different gangs didn't mean they didn't admire the princess.
For a split moment, Evie's expression faltered, smile drooping, eyes skittering to the side, before she collected herself. At her side, her fingers twitched towards the compact tucked into her jacket pocket, always within easy reach.
"Come on already," Jay prompted, drawing the attention away from Evie who immediately pulled out her mirror and double checked her makeup.
With a low mutter, the man opened the barrier just enough for them to squeeze through. Mal went first, followed by Evie, then Carlos, and finally Jay. As soon as they were through, the barrier closed, and they were ordered to set their bags down and stand with their arms out to be searched. After they were searched, their bags became the focus, and they had a chance to look around.
Awed, Carlos took another couple steps forward. Outside. They…they were outside the barrier. He was outside the barrier. Eyes wide, he stared at the planks beneath his feet. This was the furthest he'd ever gone. This was further than anyone had been in decades.
The barrier itself was clear, but the occasional swirls of gold gave away its presence. But there always seemed to be a shadow covering the Isle. A cloudy dome muting everything outside. He knew it was probably his imagination, but the sun never felt this warm on the Isle. The air never so clean. The sky never that blue. Untainted. Tears threatened to blur his vision. Was this what being free was? Unable to speak, he turned to the others.
Each of them stood frozen in place. Mal's face was turned to the sky, eyes closed as a slight breeze played with her hair. Bright red lips parted, Evie watched the waves roll in from the endless horizon. Jay looked everywhere. But his attention wasn't on finding danger; Carlos could see the amazement in his dark, almost black eyes.
"Move."
The harsh voice shattered the beauty and his gaze darted to where the man who seemed to be in charge of working with them stood on the gangplank. Without hesitation, Carlos returned to Jay's side, arms tightening around Evie's books. Shaking herself as if trying to wake up, Mal glared at their guide before following him onto the ship. The rest of them trailed after her.
Unfamiliar eyes lingered on them. Strange voices murmured. On instinct, he pressed closer to Jay. It was the safest place available. Chin high, standing at her full height, Mal's footsteps rang out in challenge. The daughter of Maleficent was present, and she owned the space.
An older man with streaks of gray in his blond hair moved to greet them. Sharp eyes assessed them. Mal met his gaze, head tilted, weight on one leg, eyebrow raised, while Evie presented her most charming smile with the supposed posture of royalty. Jay simply stood hands in pockets while Carlos used every trick he knew to appear smaller. Hunched shoulders. Slouching. Head lowered. Angled partially behind Jay.
Several seconds that felt like hours passed before the man nodded to himself and said, "I am Captain Alcott and I'm in charge of The Gentle." Carlos blinked. Was he serious? "This," he gestured to the first man, "is Lieutenant Chadwick. Crown Prince Benjamin has tasked us with bringing you to Auradon."
"For some reason," Lieutenant Chadwick not so quietly muttered. Carlos decided he hated the name Chadwick.
Captain Alcott's expression froze, as if trying to not react, before continuing, "While aboard my ship you will be expected to follow certain rules. You will not interfere with the crews' tasks. You will remain in the designated areas and not wander. If I or Lieutenant Chadwick give you an order you will listen. It will be given for good reason and there may not be time to explain things."
Already Carlos could tell Mal had decided this wasn't worth her attention and Jay was focused on the crew around them. That left himself and Evie to learn and remember what to do to stay safe. To avoid attention.
They were expected to: only take their allotted rations, not interact with the crew, not touch anything that did not belong to them, and not get involved in or start any form of violence. All of those were manageable. They could survive this. He glanced at Mal and Jay.
Maybe.