Elicia's Ice-A Descendants Novel BOOK 1

Mist. (Not The Percy Jackson Kind. Sorta.)

I'll give Merida this. Her ships go fast.

And it's not just the magic, either. Fergus can be seen waving his fists at the sails, yelling at them like it'll help. It'd be enough for me to laugh if Maira wasn't sending me dirty looks every time I came above deck. 

It's not all good, though. No matter where I go, it seems my dad is stalking me. He seems to be determined to make sure I'm nowhere within five feet of Carlos. 

I'm leaning on the front of the ship, watching the horizon impatiently for Auradon to appear, when someone taps me on the back and I turn around.

"Hi Sera."

"Hey, Icy. How ya doin'?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't say yer fine, Icy. I know yer not."

"I'm fine, Sera. Really." 

She gives me a look that clearly says she knows I'm lying. "Icy, what's wrong with ya? Yer dad is here, yer probably freakin' out!"

"Oh, I'm freaking out all right." I tell her. "My dad just came back after what, seventeen years now? And he's determined to keep my boyfriend away from me, and Maira hates me for some reason, and we're on our way back to Auradon where Ben and Dude and Arson is still missing, and Gil betrayed us, and we have no idea if Mal and everybody are still okay wherever they are, and---" I force myself to stop talking and swallow. "I'm fine."

"That, Icy, is the very definition of not fine." Sera scolds. 

"Fine!" I snap. "So I'm not okay, but Auradon---"

"Can wait for one more minute. Holdin' in yer..." She shudders. "Feelings. Blegh. Will not make it come faster. Plus, I'm bored. Talk to me, Icy." She smiles, leaning against the boat. 

I stare at her. "You're telling me you're not the least bit worried about Arson?"

Her gaze turns hard. "No. I'm more worried for whoever's face is guarding him, and that he has a good dentist." She rubs her right fist and I can't help but laugh. She grins. 

"Well, look a' that! I got ya to laugh, Icy. I must be doin' somethin' right."

"Sera, you---"

"OI!" Maira yells from up high. "If you two are done, look at that!" She points. 

I roll my eyes and look where she's pointing, expecting to see the Loch Ness Monster of something of the sort. But it's a hazy shape that looks achingly familiar. 

"Auradope!" Krissy yells. 

"AURADON!" Anna shouts back. Krissy slips next to me and whispers, "Auradope."

I smile and muss her hair, which is done in pigtails today. She giggles and runs off with what looks like my wallet. There's no money in there anyway, so I let her take it. 

Kalia leaps off the boat holding a rope connected up high to skim her hand through the water. When she comes back up she shakes her head. "It's Auradon, all right. But we need to stop. They have patrols everywhere."

Merida goes pale and snaps her fingers quickly. The ship stops out of nowhere, even the sails winding themselves up and tucking away. Maira slides down a rope next to her mom. 

"Now what?" She asks. 

Carlos comes up from below deck and stands next to me. Hades doesn't seem to be anywhere for the moment at least. "Ellie, can you make mist from your ice powers?" Carlos asks. 

Maira gives me a frigid glare. 

"Um, I'm not sure. I think I can."

"I have a far better solution." Hades comes up from below deck and Carlos jumps away from me like he's been shocked. "My daughter can still help, but she's the only one."