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A few days later, Evie called Laila's phone. It wasn't the first time it had happened, nor was it the last, and yet Laila found that her heart began to beat faster in her chest and her palms became a little sweaty, and she took a deep breath before answering in an attempt to contain her bubbling excitement.
She cleared her throat. "Hey, what's up?"
"Hey!" Evie said happily. "Got many plans today?"
"Well," Laila said, putting her phone on speaker. She raised her foot against the side of her bed and began to lace up her hiking boots. "I'm just about to go for a hike with Ingrid and her friend. It's actually a pretty decent day here in Arendelle. You got plans?"
Evie said, "Just a chill day today—might do some sewing. After Cotillion last night, I'm exhausted."
"Oh, yeah, of course," Laila said. She had totally forgotten that last night Mal had been introduced as a new Lady of the Court. She wished she could have gone. "How was that, by the way?"
"Good—a little hectic, though..."
"Oh?"
Laila moved across her bedroom, picking up her backpack and starting to pack it in preparation for the day trip with Ingrid and Saxa. As she packed, Evie talked.
"The other night, after we talked, I found..." Laila heard muffled sounds for a few seconds, like Evie was moving or adjusting her position. Evie sighed. "I found a note from Mal, saying that she went back to the Isle."
Laila stopped packing, covering her mouth. "Oh, my God."
"Yeah," Evie said. "So, we went back to the Isle to get her, but Uma—daughter of Ursula—had practically taken over the Isle whilst we were gone, right, and then she kidnapped Ben!"
