Left Behind - Descendants (♡Jay)

Chapter 27

Dizzy, Chad, Squeaky and Squirmy stayed inside Evie's home while Mal, Ben, Carlos, Evie, Jay, Harry, Myra, Lunch and Dude went on their way to the castle. And for the first time since their groups had joined there was no fighting. No angry glares or hurtful remarks. All seven of them (nine if you count Lunch and Dude) were walking side by side, talking and messing around with one another. Despite the danger of the big task lying before them, the group found the spirit to laugh. 
     Uma, Mal and Ben walked up front, followed by Evie and Carlos. Closing the group was Myra, walking with Jay on her left and Harry on her right. The blonde girl had locked her arms with both of the boys, Lunch found this very interesting and kept walking from side to side, trying to see if maybe he could walk from one to the other. 
     Uma's voice was audible over all the others, sounding done with everything. "All right. Let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already." This made Mal and Myra laugh. "What do you say girls, time to wrap this up?" Mal and Uma fist bumped, but Myra didn't seem very happy about the statement. Instead her stomach twisted, sadness taking over. This would be it, a few more hours and she would be back on the Isle. Only this time without Uma, Harry or Gil. They would be aloud to stay off, just like all the other children. She would be the only one still left in there, with Hades. 
     There was a small tug on her left arm, getting her to look over. Jay had noticed the change in her mood and tried to get her attention. He looked at her with a saddened expression. "We can still fix this." He whispered soft enough that Harry didn't hear him. 
     But Myra shook her head no, faking a smile at him. "I'm okay with going back." After her words, Myra pulled her arms loose from Jay and Harry and joined Evie's side. 
    "But... I'm not..." Jay mumbled, looking at the back of the girl who now was talking with Evie. No one had heard him mumble, but when he looked away he saw Harry quickly averting his gaze from him. 
     "You know someday," Ben spoke up, loud enough for everyone to hear. "you're gonna have to tell me how you guys got teamed up." The King lay his arm over Mal's shoulders, looking from side to side to look everyone in the eyes. 
     "Actually," Evie started, pride was in her voice for her best friend. "Mal promised to let all the kids off the Isle once this is over." 
     Ben removed his arm from Mal's shoulders. "Mal?" He questioned the young woman. Who's smile had disappeared completely.
     "I have to tell you something." The purple haired girl said, the joy that had been in her voice gone. The group stopped walking, their smiles also faded from their lips as they noticed the seriousness in Mal's voice. Only Mal didn't seem how to start. "Um..."
     "It's okay," Myra spoke up reassuringly. She knew Mal was trying to tell the others about who her father was. "You can tell us." 
     A sad sigh came from Mal as she turned to face everyone. "I lied to you." Myra frowned, maybe this wasn't about her father after all. Especially since Evie looked the most confused of all and Mal had said Evie knew about Hades. 
     After another short pause, Mal sucked in a deep breath. "The kids won't be coming off the Isle."
     Myra tensed up, that was not what she had been expecting.
     "What do you mean?" Jay questioned. He had come standing beside Myra, his hand placed on her back.
     "The program is shut down." Mal explained. "And the barrier... will be closed for good."
     An angry growl could be heard from Harry before Ben chimed in, helping out his fiance. But his voice was filled with regret. "For Auradon's safety." 
     "Hold up." Uma said, looking down at the ground as she processed what she just had been told. The dark skinned girl walked closer to Mal, before looking up at her. Mal had expected a death glare, but instead her eyes only held betrayal. "So we're saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie." There was no real question in the sentence, only a statement. "I knew it was a mistake to trust you." Uma's words still weren't angry, only hurt and disappointed. "You're always out for yourself." Uma fell silent, just like Mal had nothing she could say in return.
     "And yu, King Benny..." Harry spoke up, spot and a lingering anger in his voice as he walked closer to the guy. Ben glanced down, guilt still in his posture. Harry came standing uncomfortably close to him, but the anger faded out of Harry once he spoke again. The same sadness and disappointment in his voice, only this time also mixed with slight fear. "You're probably just gonna throw us all back inside." Again there was no response. Clearly the royal couple hadn't thought about that, or maybe they had, but didn't have the heart to tell them. 
     Myra couldn't take the sadness of her friends. It didn't matter for her if the Barrier never opened again, but her mind immediately went to the children. All of the children on the Isle, hoping they would be chosen next for the VK project. The project that didn't exist anymore. And for the first time, Myra spoke up. "53." 
     This did get the attention of the people around her. "53?" Carlos questioned, the only one who found his voice. 
     "53 children are staying in your 'save houses'. All lost, all alone and scared." Anger started to flare up in her voice as Myra walked closer to Mal. "But hey! Why would you know that, right? And why should you care? You have your perfect new life!" Mal opened her mouth to respond, but Myra scoffed and continued. "Uma's right, you only care about yourself."
     "Look," Ben started. "Let's all just calm down. Mal is-"
     "You're not any better." Myra spat at him. "I thought you were finally going to take responsibility for the people of the Isle. But no, it's easier to turn a blind eye on us." A sad sigh escaped her lips. "Nothing ever changes..."
     "You know what?" Celia spoke up when Ben also fell silent. The girl walking closer to Mal, arms crossed. "I actually thought you were brave." Tears welled up in Celia's eyes and her voice broke. "You're nothing but a chicken. Too scared to tell me I was never gonna see my dad again."
     "Celia..." Mal started, but she didn't get to finish. In a fit of anger, Celia forcefully took Hades's Ember from Mal's hand and walked to a birdbath a few feed away.
     "Celia, no!" Mal and Myra yelled at the same time, but it was too late. Sparks flew up as Celia threw the stone into the water. The girl continued walking away from the others while Mal rushed to the birdbath and grabbed the stone out of it. 
     "Regain your might and ignite!" Mal yelled at the stone, but nothing happened. "No..." Desperate, she tried again. "Regain your might and ignite!" With horror in her eyes Mal looked up at Uma, Harry stood on her right side and Myra on her left. Mal held the stone out to Uma, who took her shell in her hand, but they didn't glow as they had done before. 
     Uma dropped the shell again. She exchanged a worried look with Myra, who also stared in horror at the Ember. She had been supposed to prevent this from happening. Hades told her to.     
     "Well, that's it." Myra said to herself, burying her face in her hands. "I'm dead.
     "You are dead?" Mal said in disbelieve. "What about Auradon!"
     Myra dropped her hands from her face. "Ow, I'm sorry. I forgot you also just lost the most valuable object from the person who owns your soul! I was responsible for this thing!" Too late Myra realized what she had said and how loud. There fell a short silence as everyone stared at Myra. Shock and confusion written all over the faces of Carlos, Evie and Ben. 
     Myra shook her head, grabbing the now useless Ember from Mal's hand. "I'm out." She stated, walking away. Quickly followed by Uma and Harry who send one last death glare at the group behind them
     "Wait, Mee." Jay spoke up, jogging after them. The boy took Myra's hand in his. 
     "What!" The girl turned around, eyes spitting the same angry fire that laced that one word at him. 
     Taken aback by the sharpness Jay looked at her with shock and sadness, his grip on her hand loosening. When he didn't say anything Uma placed her hands on Myra's shoulders. "Com'n, Cousin. Let's find Gil and get outta here." 
     Myra's expression had softened more the longer Jay held her hand and her eyes were locked with his. Still it barely took half a minute for her to respond. "Yeah. Let's go." Uma put slight pressure on Myra's shoulders to turn her around. The blond's hand went to her silver ring that hung around her neck. She didn't want to leave Jay, but staying wasn't an option anymore. 
     With one last desperate attempt to stop them, Mal called both Uma and Myra's names, but the three didn't react and continued walking on their way to the school where they thought Gil would be.