Tower of Thorns

Chapter 3

Third POV

Ben sat in his office, completely unaware of the outside world. He had a stack of papers that he had to go over before he could retire for the night.

"Debra," Ben called out.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Debra said through the phone.

"Can you ask Lumiere to call me regarding Cotillion?"

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you."

Ben got back to his stack of papers when Evie knocked on the door. Ben called for her to come in.

"Mal's gone back to the Isle," Evie said. She walked over to Ben and handed him the note.

Ben quickly read over the note and asked, "why? Why would she go back to the Isle?"

Before Evie could answer his question, Evelina burst into the room. "Mila's missing," she said.

"What? What do you mean she's missing?" Ben asked.

"I went back after dinner to check on her and her room was empty. I checked the cliffside and she wasn't there either. So I went back to her room and found this on her desk." Evelina handed Ben the note and his ring.

Ben scanned Mila's note.

'Dear Ben,

I'm sorry that you have to hear it like this. I wish we could've talked about this. I wanted to bring it up at dinner but you never showed. I'm going to find my brother. Every day I feel like something is missing and I think my brother holds the answers. Please understand, this is not your fault. It's just something I need to do. I want to ask you not to follow me and to not tell my mother.

Sincerely,

Mila'

"This is my fault," Ben said. "I knew the kind of pressure she was under and I kept blowing her off. I have to go there and apologize. I have to go there and beg her - them - to come back."

"Ben, you'll never find them," Evie said, being the voice of reason. "You need to know the Isle and how it works, and... You have to take me with you."

"Yea. Uh... Are you sure?"

"Yeah. She's my best friend and Mila's the future Queen. Both of them belong here, with us. And we'll bring the boys, too, because there is safety in numbers and none of us is really too popular over there right now."

"Thank you."

"But let's get two things straight. You have to promise me that I won't get stuck there again."

"I promise."

"And there's no way you're going looking like that."

"I'm coming too," Evelina said. "Mila is my best friend."

Evie and Ben nodded and the three of them left the office. Evie quickly made Isle-inspired outfits for both of them. Evelina was sporting a dark green dress, a pair of black-see-through leggings, a magenta purple leather jacket, and a pair of black heels. Ben was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a royal blue, designed jacket, and a ripped yellow shirt, along with a dark blue beanie.

Mila's POV

We made it to the Isle. Mal hid her bike and she went to a secret hideout. I followed her up but we didn't stay long. Pretty quickly we went down a few different streets. We finally reached our destination, Lady Tremain's Curl up and Dye. I noticed that a few streets over were the tower Mom and I used to live in. While Mal was distracted I snuck back home.

There was a back entrance that Mom never used. She told me to only use it if there was an intruder in the house. After finding the hide-a-key I climbed up the stairs and opened the hatch in the ceiling to climb on the floor. I quickly went to my mother's room in hopes of finding out something about my brother. I searched everything. Her drawers, her dresser, even under the floors. I walked back into the living room when a glint under the stairs caught my eye. I ripped the step apart and found an old baby photo but it wasn't of me. The baby had black hair and piercing blue eyes. On the back was a name, Hunter. I searched around and found the source of the glint, a deep blue sapphire necklace.

I put the necklace in the pocket of my jacket along with the photo. I boarded the stair and went back to my mother's room. I had to think like her. I had to think of a place that I would know is off-limits but still private enough for Mom to look at. I searched the bathroom but there was nothing useful. Then I searched my room. I stepped on a floorboard and it sounded different. I found a knife from the kitchen and popped the board up. Sitting in between the floor joists sat a box. I opened the box to find a picture of Mom when she was younger. She was wearing a white dress and there was a small bump on her stomach. I turned the picture over to read, 'Talida Gothel and Hades'. I put the photo in my pocket with the other ones and put the box in my backpack. I reboarded the floor and left the tower.

I tried to find my way back to the hideout but I got turned around. All the allies looked the same. Smog flowed from the pipes and suddenly I found myself alone.

"Hello!" I called out. "Who's there?!"

"Such a long way for a princess to travel," a Scottish accent sounded through the fog.

"Bugger off, Hook before I make you," a different male voice said from behind me.

The smog cleared and I came face to face with a boy wearing a tattered red jacket, black pants, and a white tank top. He wore a pirate hat and held a fake hook on his left hand. I turned around to see a boy with jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes. He wore black jeans, a grey shirt, and a black and blue leather jacket. The two boys glared at each other until the one in red, Hook, gave a little bow before disappearing into the fog.

"Thank you," I said, turning towards the boy in black.

"You shouldn't be in this part of the Isle," he said, not looking at me.

"I got lost. I was looking for Mal."

"Lost? The Isle isn't big enough to get lost," he scoffed.

I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging the photos and necklace closer to my body. "I... I don't spend much time outdoors."

"You should get home. The Isle isn't safe after dark."

"I'm trying. Do you know where I can find Hades?"

"What business do you have with him?"

"I think he might be my father."

"Come with me."

The two of us walked in and around different alleyways until we reached a cavern of sorts. Loud dogs started barking but the boy kept walking forward. I looked back at my surroundings before moving the gate aside and walking into the tunnel.