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A whirling red cloud shot out of the skull, and the pirates cowered, fearing the worst. But the red mist only turned into a butterfly and dissipated.
“Phew,” said Gil.
“Don’t touch anything else!” barked Uma. “Leave it all alone!”
“Look,” Harry said. “I found it.”
“The treasure chest!” Uma cried. “Open it.”
Harry set the treasure chest on the ground gently. All of them gathered around it, Harry and Uma, Gil, and the rest of the pirates. They’d come far and risked much to find this little chest. All of them were eager to see its contents.
“Ready?” Harry asked.
“Ready,” said Uma. “Show me my mother’s necklace.”
Harry pried the lid of the treasure chest and it opened with a great creak.
And that’s when all the skeletons appeared.
Ben didn’t argue against Mal’s urgent assessment of the situation. Whatever it was, it had to be dire if Mal wanted them to hurry like that. “You guys go,” urged Jane. “I’ll keep an eye on things over here and make sure my mom doesn’t meddle again.”
“Thanks, Jane,” said Carlos. “You saved us.”
“It was the least I could do,” she said, flushing pink. “Now go, run. Go do what you need to do.”
Ben commandeered the royal racer, the fastest car in all of Auradon, and they all crowded into it, which was kind of a problem since it was built for two and the backseat was designed for carting either dogs or picnic baskets, and certainly not three friend-size bodies.
“You guys all right back there?” he asked, taking the wheel with Mal in the passenger seat.
“Sort of,” said Evie, who had the advantage of being small and flexible, while the boys contorted themselves to fit in the space.
“Not really!” said Carlos. “Please hurry!”
“That’s my neck!” said Jay, who had pretzelled himself behind the driver’s seat.
Ben drove them back to the marina, and Mal filled him in as promised on the loss of the trident and the Uma situation. “Everyone on the Isle is really looking for this?”
“That’s what Evie’s mirror showed,” said Mal. “And if anyone could find it, it’s Uma. Knowing her, she won’t give up until she’s got it.”
“Why does she want it so badly?” Ben wondered aloud.
“I don’t know, probably because she thinks she can finish the job I was supposed to do, with Fairy Godmother’s wand I mean. You know, get rid of the dome and free all the villains,” said Mal. “She’s probably even taken over my old territory by now.”
“Your old territory?” asked Ben, amused. “What were you, some kind of boss lady?”
“Not some kind,” interrupted Jay. “THE boss lady of the Isle.”
“Shush,” said Mal, a bit embarrassed about her past as one of the most feared villains on the island. “That was before.”
But Ben looked at her admiringly. “Of course you were the best lady boss. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
She had to admit it had been fun, terrorizing the citizens of the Isle of the Lost, Jay and the rest of the thugs by her side. “Let’s just say everyone avoided getting on my bad side,” Mal said proudly, feeling just a tiny bit nostalgic about the old days.
“Or else!” said Jay, raising his fist and hitting the roof with his head. “Oof!”
When they arrived at the harbor, the royal speedboat was just as they’d left it, as if waiting for their return. Ben jumped off the deck and onto the speedboat’s helm, helping Mal and Evie aboard. The boys followed right behind.
Jay bowed and motioned toward the wheel. “Your Highness,” he said jokingly, but with a hint of seriousness as well.
