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Chapter 6: Blue Fire
Chloe's face was pale and she was shivering uncontrollably. She wasn't cold or anything, no, these were shivers of pure unadulterated fear.
She had spent months looking forward to this week, meticulously going over all the things she wanted to do with her friends and the people she looked up to. Now, everything had been turned on its head. Almost everyone she knew at Auradon Prep had been turned to stone, or frozen or something, and she was forced to go on the run alongside the small number of her friends that were still unharmed.
Chloe and Celia had ran back to Freddie's dorm to gather necessary supplies. As per CJ's instructions, they had changed into more fitting clothing, with Chloe donning her favorite blue jacket and the sparkly army boots gifted to her by her mother, while Celia put on her preferred Isle get-up. They had packed further necessities, like cell phones, a first aid kit and some food, and had gathered all their weaponry. Chloe only really needed her sword, while Celia went through both her own and Freddie's belongings in search of anything that might come in handy. In the end, she had gathered Freddie's complete tarot card collection, as well as her sister's own sword and a small totem on a string that could service as something to help her focus her magic.
It took a tremendous amount of effort for both girls to keep their emotions under control. Chloe's hands kept trembling uncontrollably, and she found that she could not stay focused for longer than a few seconds. Celia was quieter and more vulnerable than Chloe had ever seen her, which was not that much of a surprise, given that her beloved older sister had been frozen. Tears kept dripping down Celia's cheeks as they were packing and Chloe could hear faint, individual sobs from time to time. The helplessness Chloe felt, since there was nothing she could do to make Celia feel better, was inarguably one of the worst feelings she had ever experienced.
After gathering their things, the girls had hastily made their way to the edge of the Auradon Prep grounds, where they had agreed to meet up with their friends. The sky was still gloomy and overcast, and an occasional raindrop even fell from above from time to time.
Chloe and Celia did not utter a word as they passed by numerous frozen people on their way out, some of whom they knew as classmates or teachers.
They were among the last to reach the rendezvous.
Carlos, similarly to Celia, had changed into his Isle get-up. A black-white-and-red leather jacket with matching leather pants that hid his prosthetic leg from sight. He carried a larger backpack with him, along with a contraption that resembled a mix between a crossbow and a super soaker.
Chad had obviously not brought along his personal armor or any suitable outdoor clothing for his trip back to Auradon Prep, and was instead now wearing a spare S.A.S. uniform, a grey hoodie and simple runners. Similarly to Chloe, he was also carrying a sword in a scabbard around his waist.
Royce had donned traditional Auradonian armor, which Chloe had seen him wear often in pictures alongside Archer and the other Righteous Sons. He had brought along his favorite bow and two quivers filled to the brim with long arrows with bright green fletching.
Dillon also carried a bow and quiver, most likely taken from the archery clubhouse. He was clad in a rain coat, dirty cargo pants and heavy hiking boots. He furthermore lugged along an enormous bag that appeared to be filled with all manner of items, and which he struggled to hold aloft.
"Where's CJ?" Royce hissed, holding his bow at the ready as soon as Chloe and Celia ran up.
"I don't know!" Celia squealed, looking back towards the school in fear.
"Did you see anyone before you ran over here?" Carlos asked.
Both girls shook their heads.
"Hmm… For a second, back there, I thought I heard voices…" Carlos pondered, biting his lip as he uncomfortably shifted around.
"Should we go back to look for CJ?" Chloe offered.
Royce shook his head. "Not yet. We agreed on this rendezvous. CJ is capable enough… We'll give her a few more minutes before we go out and look for her…"
The others silently agreed, and so they kept waiting.
A loud cracking sound and a bright flash rudely startled the group, who all instantly kneeled down. Celia had even let out a shriek and held her hands over her ears.
"That was another one of those flashes!" Royce snapped, hastily knocking an arrow. "Right? Just like before… Just like when everyone was frozen…"
Carlos nodded. "It came from the school… From the direction of the courtyard…"
Everyone kept quiet and listened. Chloe thought that she could hear someone yelling off in the distance, but it could very well have been her imagination.
"What if CJ's in trouble?" Chad whispered, occasionally poking up his head to investigate. "We should go look for her…"
Royce bit his lip. With CJ momentarily absent, the group had wordlessly decided that he was in charge, so to speak. Chloe noticed an uncertain and somewhat annoyed expression on his face. She wanted to speak up, but wasn't sure if it was really her place to contradict or reprimand Royce, since he was so much more experienced than her in these types of situations.
"We wait…" Royce eventually stated. "That flash has to mean that whoever performed the spell is back there in Auradon Prep… If we investigate, there is a beyond likely chance that at least one of us will get spotted… I am not willing to take that risk…"
"But CJ!" Carlos urged.
"Again, she can fend for herself!" Royce snapped.
Carlos and Chad apparently both wanted to keep arguing, when hasty footsteps suddenly grabbed everyone's attention.
CJ was running in their direction, panting loudly and with a panicked expression on her face.
"CJ, what-" Royce began.
"Go! Go! Quickly!" CJ snapped as soon as she reached the group. She grabbed Celia under her armpits and lifted her up before pushing her along.
Chloe exchanged a quick look with her brother, but then they both hastily chased after CJ. Whatever was the matter, they should probably first get somewhere safe.
They ran for what had to be nearly an hour. They quickly left the Auradon Prep grounds far behind, and CJ took them off the main roads and into the thick woods that marked the very outskirts of Auradon City and its surroundings. Not a word was said. Dillon did start huffing and puffing relatively quickly, and the large assortment of items he had stuffed inside his bag clinked and clanged with every step.
Chloe kept looking back over her shoulder, semi-convinced that she would see someone or something on their tail. Her heart was beating rapidly, and not just from the exertion.
"CJ! Hold up a minute!" Royce finally called out after CJ had made them pass through a shallow river. "What happened back there!"
CJ did not stop running right away. She whipped her head around, seemingly looking at the tree tops. Her face was red and she loudly wheezed with every breath. "Not yet… More cover…" She panted before resuming her sprint.
It was only after several more minutes that CJ finally halted. The group had made their way deep into the forest surrounding Auradon City. There wasn't a building or road in sight. Hell, there probably wasn't even anything resembling a path around for miles.
Everyone dropped to the moss-covered ground, panting loudly. Chloe's head hurt, and several twigs and leaves had gotten caught in her long hair. Celia and Dillon immediately reached into her bags for some water and Carlos had taken out a beeping device that had to be some sort of GPS.
It stayed silent for a little while as everyone recuperated.
"Chad…" Royce eventually spoke up. "Come with me… Secure a perimeter… Let's make sure we weren't followed and that no one's watching us…"
Chad looked a bit surprised that Royce requested that he accompany him, but got up nonetheless.
"Be careful." Chloe told him in a pleading tone.
He gave her a reassuring nod before following Royce. The two tracked back, their footsteps and the sound of snapping twigs died away.
Celia cuddled up closer to her, putting her head on her shoulder. Chloe reached out and clasped her hand tightly, slowly regaining control of her breathing .
"CJ?" Carlos began as he put down his little blinking device. "Care to explain? We saw another one of those lightning flashes back at Auradon Prep… Did you see anyone?"
"How far away from the school are we? A-And how close to Beast Castle?" CJ replied, declining to answer his questions.
"We, ehm…" Carlos blinked a few times. "Well, we veered off course a little since we were running so blindly, but we're almost half-way as the crow flies. Still, I'm not sure how long a walk from here to there would take… There's no paths or roads."
"That should be far enough…" CJ mumbled, mostly to herself. "And you're all unharmed, right? No injuries or anything?" She asked the younger kids.
They all shook their heads.
"Good…" She then too finally dropped to the ground and exhaled loudly.
"Are you gonna answer my questions, or no?" Carlos reminded her with a hint of annoyance.
"Let's, ehm… Let's wait until Chad and Royce come back, okay? I don't wanna have to explain this shit twice…" CJ muttered.
Chloe kept looking at her. CJ looked crestfallen and stressed, biting her fingernails as she sat there cross-legged on the forest floor. It really messed with Chloe's mind to see her idol, whom she had only ever seen as tough and uncompromising, in such a vulnerable state.
"C-CJ…" Chloe hesitantly said.
CJ looked up at her, surprised. "Yes?"
"I-It's going to be alright, right? I mean, you guys won us the war… We can fix this, right?"
A tender and almost condescending expression appeared on CJ's face. Chloe blushed slightly, realizing that the question had made her sound childish and inexperienced.
"Well, we are on the side of good…" CJ replied. "And I believe there has yet to be a conflict where good did not come out on top here in Auradon… So…"
Chloe felt somewhat reassured, but she also could not stop thinking about the way all the frozen people had just stood there, petrified and wide-eyed, back in Auradon Prep. Chloe shook her head, her curls bouncing around, trying to shake the images of Archer and Dizzy and Freddie and all the others…
A branch snapped, and both Chloe and CJ put their hands on their swords.
"Nothing." Royce announced as he appeared from behind a large tree, with Chad in tow. "I don't think we were followed, or that we are being watched."
The two young men plopped down next to a fallen log, leaning back against it and exhaling loudly.
"CJ…" Carlos repeated. "Now would you care to enlighten us?"
Both Royce and Chad immediately turned to CJ, who had started blushing slightly. She sighed before standing up, towering over the rest of their little group.
"Okay, guys…" She began. "This, ehm… Warning, this is not gonna be fun to hear… Please hold your questions til later, alright? I wanna get this out in one go…"
And so, she began speaking. Chloe and the others hung onto her every word. CJ detailed how she had seen Levi and his cronies approach Archer in the courtyard, and how they had unfrozen him and detailed their entire evil scheme as a means of bragging and enjoying his helplessness. When she explained what the villains were planning, not sparing any details, she had to constantly shush both Royce and Carlos, who kept interrupting her with loud exclamations or immediate follow-up questions.
Chloe felt her heart sink lower and lower into her stomach the longer CJ went on. Panic was eating at her. Here she was, a freshman, suddenly pulled into a life-or-death situation where the fate of all of Auradon could very well hang in the balance.
"And that's when they realized I wasn't there, frozen alongside Archer, so they refroze him and went out to look for me… Levi wanted, like, everyone accounted for… I can't be sure, but they might have found out that we are all not among the frozen students back at Auradon Prep, or they will soon… In any case, they will probably start hunting us…"
Dillon let out a whimper. Celia's eyes were wide as saucers. Carlos had lowered his head. Royce was pacing back and forth, running his hand through his hair.
"Just to sum up…" Royce muttered. "Levi and his band, five total, have stolen Zeus's lightning bolt, Maleficent's scepter, the White Rabbit's pocket watch, Raya's sword, the Huntsman's axe and Magnifico's book of evil… They have frozen everyone, and I mean everyone, so no one will get in their way as they try to release Chernabog, who, in turn will help them rule over Auradon…"
"That's the gist of it." CJ sighed.
"Marvelous…" Royce kicked a stray rock.
Chloe had to try her absolute best not to burst into tears. Her mind was taking a while processing what all this meant. First and foremost, she was in mortal danger. Second, the kingdom she knew and loved was in mortal danger. Third, everyone she knew was in mortal danger!
Looking around, Chloe could see identical stressed out expressions on everyone's faces. Celia, staring blankly ahead, was blindly shuffling her tarot cards. Chad, probably not knowing what else to do, had taken out his sword and was sharpening it almost robotically.
Chloe wanted to speak up. She had a million questions, but her throat was dry and not even the slightest sound escaped. In the back of her mind, there was a part of her that hoped, somewhat in vain, that Levi had been lying or exaggerating. Surely, not everyone in the world had been frozen, right? Her thoughts quickly went to her parents. If Levi had not been bluffing, then it meant that they were now standing somewhere over in Cinderellasberg, unmoving. That particular image caused a single tear to drip down her cheek.
"So, it really is all up to us…" Carlos eventually said in a hollow voice. "We have to somehow bring everyone back…"
"How?" Dillon squeaked. "What can we do?"
"We stick to the plan." Royce snapped. "We wanted to head for Beast Castle and find Mal, right? Well, I say we still do so…"
"But, Royce…" Carlos argued. "If Levi was telling the truth, then that means Mal is frozen as well… And Ben… And everyone else who could possibly help us…"
"We don't know that for certain!" Royce pointed a finger. "Archer always told me that there's no use dwelling on uncertainties… The fact of the matter is that we don't know for certain if Ben and Mal are frozen… Yet… I believe our best chance of fixing this is still to check up on her… If we come up empty-handed, we'll have to find another way… But, guys, we have to keep going… Like, there's no other option…"
Chloe looked up at him. He seemed scared and somewhat doubtful, but at the same time also determined. She could not help but respect him for trying to pick up the pieces when things were this dire.
"You're right." Carlos replied with a sigh. "I mean, we have to try. There's no other way… And, if there's a chance that Mal's still okay… Then…" He didn't need to finish his sentence.
"How are we supposed to stand against a band of villains who are wielding some of the most powerful relics in the kingdom!?" Chad's tone was desperate.
"It's not about the weapon. It's about who wields it." Royce retorted.
"Well, the wielders are evil maniacs! That doesn't exactly soothe my nerves!" Chad gestured wildly. "Again… How are we meant to combat them!?"
"We have weapons of our own." CJ spoke up. She unsheathed her sword. Chloe was again taken aback by its magnificence. "I don't know exactly what this sword can do, but I know I can go toe to toe with most of our opponents…"
"I don't doubt that." Carlos joined her by her side, his gaze locked on her sword as well. "Gordon and Johnny, well, they're probably capable fighters and possess some powerful weapons, but they can probably be beaten without too much difficulty if we work together. Mabel and her pocket watch… I'm gonna be honest I have no idea what that thing can do…"
"Me neither." Royce shook his head.
"Mabel said she hadn't even figured it out herself." CJ said in a somewhat hopeful tone. "Let's hope it remains that way… That leaves Levi and Nera…"
"Those two worry me." Royce groaned. "That Nera… She's always been a weirdo…"
"The green-haired girl?" Celia inquired. "She looked mean! She gave off a bad aura…"
"Yeah, and now she's got Maleficent's freaking scepter!" Royce ranted. "And she's apparently powerful enough to turn everyone in the world to stone… We have to look beyond ordinary means to combat her. We need magic on our side…" He eyed Celia with a hint of both intrigue and exasperation. "A lot more magic…"
A blush spread on Celia's cheeks as she rebelliously looked back at Royce.
Chloe interjected before Celia could start mouthing off. "A-And Levi? Y-You know him, right? How dangerous is he?"
A grim frown appeared on Royce's face. "Levi, back in our military days, was a skilled fighter… He's fast and ruthless, and now he has his flying sword and Zeus's freaking lightning bolt… That's gonna be a challenge…"
"Maybe if I can take him one-on-one and can somehow disarm him…" CJ pondered.
"Let's not make rash decisions." Carlos warned. "Also, CJ, as prolific as you are when it comes to swords and such, I think we should try to work together as much as possible… You know, the Auradon way…"
"How are any of us supposed to take on magical enemies!?" Chad panicked. "All I've got is a sword… A normal one… Same for Chloe… Royce, all you and Dillon got are bows and arrows… And Carlos, what is that thing you brought along anyway? It looks like you're about to go play laser tag…"
Carlos held out the strange, rifle-like contraption he had taken with him. "This, well… It's my own design… It's still a prototype, however, so I'm unsure how well it'll work… But, well, in theory, it should be able to fire off magical projectiles."
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"What? You made a magic gun?" Royce asked in an incredulous tone.
"It's not really a gun…" Carlos stammered, weighing the rifle as a blush appeared on his face as well. "Okay, well… It's sort of a gun… But it doesn't fire any, like, tangible bullets… It fires pure, magical energy. In theory, again, because it hasn't been fully tested yet, any individual should be able to wield this rifle and effectively use it against any magic user…"
"Carlos, you gift from the gods! You really had this in your back pocket the whole time!?" Royce clapped his hand in a sarcastically awestruck fashion as he examined the rifle. "How does it work?"
"Well…" Carlos nudged his head. "I sort of asked Jane to, ehm, borrow her mother's wand, and then I managed to tap into it, extract just a teensy bit of its properties and imbue these onto a specially designed container…" He patted a rectangular attachment of the rifle that sort of resembled a magazine. "I've tested it out at it does work to an extent, but I'm still not certain about how long one charge can last or how much pressure it can take… But, yeah… Magic gun…"
"Why on Earth did you design a magic gun?" Chad questioned.
"The idea actually came to me during the war." Carlos began to explain. "I just remember most of us feeling so helpless against Solomon and Uma and such… In a lot of cases, swords and spears just wouldn't do the trick anymore, so I wanted to see if I could think of something that could, you know, level the playing field a little… Weapons like these could give ordinary people a chance against magically adept maniacs… Even with all the villains out of the way for the past year, I sort of expected things to, I don't know, spiral out of control eventually, so I never stopped working on it..."
"Well, I for one am extremely grateful you did." Royce conjured up a small smile laced with disbelief as he patted Carlos on the shoulder. "So, we got CJ's sword and Carlos's rifle… I also feel like I should mention that I have brought along these…" He showed off the bright green arrows in his quiver. "Special mistletoe arrows… A gift from Merida. Mistletoe has special properties that allows it to bypass certain magics… I'm not sure how much good they'll do against Maleficent's scepter or Zeus's lightning bolt, but they could still give us some sort of edge…"
"At this point, I'll even take a mistletoe-tipped nail clipper." CJ said. "So, you know, good job for bringing 'em…"
Royce did not answer. He averted his eyes when CJ looked at him and bit his lip.
"Don't forget Celia!" Chloe then spoke up. "She's got magic! A-And she's getting better every day!"
Celia stared back at her somewhat accusingly. "I-I mean, yeah… But I've never used my magic to, you know, attack someone… The best I can do is bump someone in the head with a tarot card…"
"How many of those you got?" Royce inquired.
Celia showed off her collection – a thick stack of over a hundred cards.
"Well, how about you try to control more than one… I bet you could do some damage or at the least cause a distraction… Still, no offense, Celia, we need more magic and magic users, especially since none of us really have any idea about what we're up against…" Royce went on.
"I might have something else…" CJ spoke up as she reached into her backpack. She took out two old, leatherbound books.
"Yay, books…" Chad muttered.
"Not just any books…" CJ spat. "Archer confiscated these back in Camelot. They are all about dark magic and such… I thought, maybe, we could find something useful about the freezing spell or any way to fight the villains in general…"
"I'd say it's worth a shot. How about you give them to me? Maybe I can study them whenever we grab some rest." Carlos held out his hand, and CJ passed the books over to him.
"I-I can also help… M-Maybe…" Dillon stammered, even raising his hand. "I have been studying magics in electives taught by Yen Sid and Merryweather…"
"Good kid." Royce nodded approvingly and patted Dillon on the head.
Chloe just sat back. Hearing her friends discuss the ways in which they planned on keeping the fight going warmed her heart and reignited her courage somewhat, but she also could not help but feel somewhat useless… CJ and Royce were taking charge, Carlos and Dillon were using their brains and Celia had her magic. That left her and Chad as the only ones without any real skill our purpose in their fight against evil. Sure, she could handle a sword pretty well, but, as Chad and Carlos had emphasized, there was a point where ordinary weapons just wouldn't cut it anymore…
"Alright, so we got a semblance of a plan…" Carlos sighed. "If everyone is rested, how about we keep going towards Beast Castle? It shouldn't take that long, provided we don't run into any villains or unexpected roadblocks…"
Everyone murmured in agreement as they packed up their things and headed off.
Chad and Carlos walked at the head of the group, with the latter using his GPS device to guide them in the right direction. Celia and Dillon followed right behind, with Chloe lingering a little further back and CJ and Royce making up the rear.
"Royce!" Chloe heard CJ hiss in a pervasive tone. She kept walking, not wanting to make them think she was listening in on their conversation, which she was.
"What?" Royce replied in a similar fashion.
"I need to talk to you!" CJ went on. "Look, I know we've had our differences…"
"Is this really the right time to bring this shit up?" Royce interjected, sounding annoyed.
"If we want to work together, then yes!" Chloe could practically hear CJ's nostrils flare. "Look, the seven of us might be Auradon's last hope, and we can't accomplish anything if we are at each other's throats… Look, I know that, if you had to pick six people to go fight evil with, I would not be among them… Frankly speaking, you would also not be on my list… But we have to work this out! In case you hadn't noticed, the two of us are the only ones really up to the task of taking charge… Carlos has got brains, but he's never been a fighter… Celia, Chloe and Dillon are still just kids… And Chad, well, Chad is an idiot… So, like it or not, we need to start working together… And that means you stop being a prat and actually start looking at me when I talk to you…"
"Can you not identify with my position at least a little?" Royce complained.
"Not now." CJ retorted. "Royce, this is not a difficult matter! Either you agree we bury the hatchet, if not forever, then at least temporarily, or we stay at each other's throats and probably screw everything up for everyone!"
Royce exhaled deeply. "You insufferable little brat… I hate it when you even make the slightest bit of sense… You know what? Fine! Until we bring everyone back, I'll be on my best freaking behavior… Don't act for a second like I don't want to bring everyone back at all costs, because I do! I'll work together with you, for now… Just, you know, don't get too used to it…"
CJ did not respond.
Chloe unwillingly started blushing. She had hoped that, after showing CJ her S.A.S. prowess, she would come to see her as more of an equal – someone she could rely on. Instead, she still referred to her as 'just a kid'.
Everyone largely stayed silent for the duration of their walk towards Beast Castle, safe for Carlos giving directions and the occasional inquiry from someone else regarding how long they still had to go.
When they did eventually arrive, the large and imposing building looked empty at first glance. The group hid behind some bushes at the edge of the property, carefully scanning for any people, be they friendly or enemies.
"Okay… CJ and Chad, you two come with me… We'll scout the premises… If everything is safe, I'll sound a whistle, and the rest of you can come in. Understood?" Royce suggested in an authoritative tone.
The rest nodded.
And so, Chloe stayed behind with Celia, Carlos and Dillon, watching as the other three sneakily made their way over to the back entrance of Beast Castle.
"I hope Mal is alright…" Celia whispered, playing with a little trinket hanging from one of her necklaces.
The unbearable tension stretched into numerous minutes. Chloe relentlessly tapped her fingernails against the hilt of her sword, trying her best not to blink as she kept an eye on Beast Castle.
A sharp whistle sounded through the air.
"Thank heavens." Carlos muttered as he slowly crawled out of their little hiding place, the others following him.
As they entered the pristine entrance hall of Beast Castle, the first thing that confronted them was the familiar face of Lumière, the loyal maître d' of the royal family, standing still and stiff by the doorway.
CJ, Chad and Royce had identical downcast expressions on their faces as they led the group up the stairs towards Ben's study.
Chloe had expected it, but that didn't make seeing Ben and Mal stand frozen and unmoving in the center of the room any easier. Mal had an angry expression on her face, and had threateningly raised a hand, but her eyes were a dull grey instead of their usual, menacing green. Ben stood behind her, looking apprehensive.
Carlos's legs gave out on him, and he plopped down on the nearest seat before burying his face in his hands. The others, feeling equally helpless, just stood around. Chad approached Chloe and pulled her into a hug, which she gratefully accepted.
Despite everything that had thus far pointed to the contrary, Chloe had tried to convince herself that, maybe, Mal had still been alright, and that she would have gone on to help their group in overthrowing the villains, using all her magical might and leadership qualities. Instead, they would leave this place with nothing.
"What do we do now?" Celia asked in a soft voice as she studied Mal.
"I say we spend the night here." Royce mumbled, looking around the room. "There's plenty of room and directions for us to flee in if push comes to shove… It'll also give us some time to rest and come up with a new plan… Who knows? Carlos, Dillon, maybe you two can find something useful in those books CJ brought… Or, does anyone have a better idea?"
Everyone shook their head.
"What if the villains come looking though?" Carlos inquired, still not looking at Mal.
"One of us will stand on guard at all times. I'll take first watch. The rest of you can relax, but don't get too comfortable… Be ready to pack up and leave at a moment's notice." Royce stated before leaving the room. Chloe noticed, from the way his shoulders sagged, that he too was having a hard time dealing with all this.
Chloe took another look at Mal. The way she was standing looked extremely menacing, like she was about to attack someone.
"Guys, look at Mal…" She said.
"Chloe, I really don't want to…" Carlos sighed.
"No, I get that… But, look at the way she's standing…" Chloe pointed out. "With her hand raised and all…"
Celia joined her at her side. "It's like she's about to toss a fireball at someone…"
"She does look even more agitated than usual." Chad conceded, examining Mal more closely. "What do you guys think got her so worked up?"
Chloe considered the question, and could only come up with one viable answer. "What if the villains came here?"
The others looked at her.
"What if Levi and his bunch were here before they went to Auradon Prep to check up on Archer and such? Like, it's sort of logical, right? Remember when they confronted us in the arena and Levi specifically asked where Ben and Mal were?" She went on.
"Hey, that makes sense…" Carlos pondered. "Maybe they were originally planning on unleashing that freezing spell back in Auradon Prep, when all of us were present…"
"Only then they found out Ben and Mal weren't there…" CJ added.
"So they switched things up…" Chloe concluded. "They probably feared Mal. I mean, she's crazy powerful… If she had been able to see those lightning strikes coming, she could have definitely been able protect herself, right? That's why they had to make sure she was incapacitated before dealing with anything else…"
"Logical… Smart…" Carlos muttered, though his mood had not improved at all with this revelation. "We should have warned them… About Levi and his cronies… Then she would have burned them to a crisp the second they set foot over the doorstep…"
"Come on, Carlos… You're way too smart to blame yourself for this…" Chad patted him on the shoulder, a gesture which very much impressed Chloe.
"I don't know about you guys, but I don't wanna stay in this room for any longer than I have to." CJ snapped. "No offense to the frozen people, but they freak me out… Does anyone have any objections to finding another room to stay the night in?"
Everyone muttered in agreement.
Under ordinary circumstances, Chloe would have been beyond psyched to spend the night at the famous Beast Castle. Even with everything going on, she could not help but occasionally be blown away by the splendor of some of the furniture, paintings and wall decorations. She kept this to herself, since it seemed like a very inappropriate time to go about praising home décor.
While Royce kept watch near the front entrance, the others made themselves at home in the most spacious spare bedroom. Even so, they had to drag a few mattresses from elsewhere, since the room did not fit six people. They were careful not to make too much noise or turn on any lights, even when it got dark, in fear of attracting unwanted attention.
Very little was said.
The kitchens were stuffed with food, but Royce forbid them from using the furnace or ovens, again in fear that someone might spot or even smell what they were doing. And so, all they were left with were ordinary sandwiches for lunch and dinner.
The sun had barely set when both Chloe and Celia decided to hit the hay. The day's events had exhausted them, both physically and emotionally. They crawled into the same bed and cuddled up closely next to one another.
"Chloe…" Celia whispered after a while, right before Chloe felt like dozing off.
"Yeah?" She whispered back.
"Even with everything that's going on…" Celia muttered. "I'm glad you're still here, with me…"
Chloe couldn't help but smile. She could only barely make out Celia's face in the near pitch black darkness. "Same here, Ceel." She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her friend's forehead, earning a slight giggle.
Despite all the misery and danger, and not knowing anything about what might be waiting for her tomorrow or the days after that, Chloe finally felt a slight pinch of hope again.