Wicked Dawn | 'Till The Night Falls Book 1 (Disney Descendants)

Chapter 6: Dragonflight

"We're here," Evie breathed.

The Isle of the Lost loomed before them. Storm clouds were building overhead and lightning flashed over the blackened city. Even the bridge, which was crystal white, seemed out of place. On one half was the spotless cut stone and on the other was the black rock and graffiti. Though they both belonged to the same kingdom, their lifestyles were blatantly different.

"This is the Isle?" Doug gasped from her right. He was slowly turning in circles, trying to digest what he was seeing before they'd even entered the city. "It's..."

"Hideous?" Evie helped. She watched him and was silently proud of her work. Gone were the fancy clothes and spotless tennis shoes. Instead of his typical blue and gold band uniform, he was dressed in black jeans (with several rips near the knees) and a dark blue shirt with a black leather jacket. He also wore his baseball cap (backward because he thought that made him look more like a VK somehow, though how he managed to get it over his long hair was still a mystery to Evie) and his glasses (which he'd refused to give up though Evie had repeatedly warned him that they'd get broken, stolen, or, more likely, both).

"Well, I was going to say attractively unappealing," Doug responded, wrinkling his nose at the foul odor of rotten fish coming from the direction of the harbor. "But I like your word for it better."

Evie grimaced as she gazed out at the wreck she'd once called home. Even from where she stood, she could see the looming structure of her mother's castle. She shuddered. How long would it take for the news to spread that she was home? And there was no way Evil Queen could meet Doug. She'd incinerate him for not being a prince and then obliterate whatever was left for being a dwarf.

Evie clutched her heart pendant tighter. Doug noticed this and moved closer to hold her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Is that your castle?" he questioned, following her gaze. It took Evie a moment to realize what he was asking and doing.

"Yes," she answered. "Though I'm not sure you could really call it a castle. The cottage is a hundred times nicer." She took a deep breath. "Now, Doug, you remember what I told you?"

"Sure," he nodded. "No talking. No 'please' and 'thank you' and certainly, certainly no smiling whatsoever." He immediately frowned deeply and glared at her over the tops of his lenses.

Evie giggled. Wrinkles! Her mother's shrill pushed its way into her mind. She winced. She still couldn't believe she was going back after all this time. And it wasn't like the other times with the others. This time the fate of Auradon rested squarely on her shoulders.

And she really really didn't want to mess it up.

She could just hear the villains' voices in her head as the four of them dove for the limousine that first day.

"Bring home the gold!"

"Bring home a puppy!"

"Bring home a prince!"

A prince. Evie shuddered. No, she hadn't found a prince. And she'd tried. She really had. But, other than Ben, the only prince had been Chad. And they had been entirely incompatible. She'd never imagined herself as one to fall for a band geek--let alone the son of her mother's enemies. How would she ever be able to tell Evil Queen? The answer was simple. She wouldn't. If it meant choosing between her mother and keeping Doug safe, the choice was obvious. But still...she couldn't help the feeling that one way or another, her two worlds were about to collide. And things were about to get messy.

"Evie?" Doug waved a hand in front of her face. "You all right?"

She blinked, snapping out of her trance. "Yes. Yes, of course. You ready for this?" She took in his appearance once more. It was hard to imagine him as ever being an Auradon kid now. Even for her.