AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s right,” said Hades, a strange look on his face. Uma thought she caught something that almost looked like regret there. But regret for what?
“Ugh! I can just picture it. Mal and her little minions, strutting around thinking they’re so great, as if they own the place, when all they did was abandon it!” said Uma, who could never stand the way Mal and her friends acted like the Isle was their territory. The Isle of the Lost was her turf. She ached to reveal herself to Mal an
d show them exactly who was the real lady of this island. But she had to stay focused on the plan. If she showed her hand too quickly, she might lose her advantage. She had to be patient. And she had to have Hades on her side.
“Okay, so?” said Hades, who was now looking through his record collection to find something to play on his ancient record player.
Uma raised an eyebrow at the albums Hades picked up. They never got anything good on the Isle, only Auradon castoffs that no one on the island really wanted. Sebastian the Crab’s Greatest Hits. Genie Sings the Blues. Eugene Fitzherbert and His Polka Band.
She shook her head impatiently. “So we need to get to Mal. If we can get to Mal, I can get hold of the remote control that opens the barrier. Click—open and out.”
“Sounds simple enough,” said Hades.
“Except I can’t get that close. She knows I’ll cause trouble for her, so if she sees me, she’ll run the other way. I need her to come to me, where she won’t be able to escape.”
Hades barked a laugh and gave up searching for a decent record. He grabbed a copy of his own band’s last album instead. “She’s a smart one to avoid you, then.”
“Obviously,” said Uma. “But we can’t give up just yet. You said you still have your ember, right?”
“Yeah, but I hate to break it to you, kid, it doesn’t glow anymore. It’s useless.” Hades flopped down on one of the broken recliners in his cave and opened an expired canned coffee drink from the Slop Shop. He took a big gulp and grimaced. “Black as my soul indeed.”
Uma shook her head. “Do you see all these cracks in the tunnel?” she asked, pointing to the fissures on the cave wall and ceiling.
“Yeah? So what?”
She leaned over so she was almost in his face. “I think these cracks might let in a little magic. We’re so far beneath the island that Fairy Godmother’s spell is weaker down here.”
Hades perked up. “A little magic? Is that so?” He put away his coffee.
“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there? Bring it out,” she ordered. “Let’s see if it still works.”
Hades sighed and got up to fetch the ember. “I usually keep it in my sock drawer…” he said. “Hmm. When was the last time I had it? Ah, here we go.” He strode over to his desk and grabbed it from where it had been holding down a stack of papers.
“It’s dead; I was using it as a paperweight,” he said, showing it to Uma. In his hand was a gray rock. It was just a hunk of coal, nothing more. No spark.
“Try it,” Uma urged.
He waved a hand above it. Nothing happened. He waved his hand once more. Still nothing. “I told you, it’s useless.…”
“THERE!” yelled Uma.
A minuscule, almost imperceptible spark of blue light shone in the center of the gray stone. It was barely there, but still—it was definitely glowing.
Uma hooted. “I told you!”
Hades gazed at his ember with what looked like love. It wasn’t enough magic to get them out of there, but it was magic. He wasn’t powerless after all.
“You need Mal to come to you, right?” he asked thoughtfully.
“Right.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of Mal.”
“Perfect. And, Hades? Don’t fail me. Or I’ll feed you to my mother,” Uma threatened with a toss of her turquoise braids.
“That would improve her stew, if you ask me,” said Hades. “Now scram!”
r. Facilier would’ve been proud to know that, at that very moment, his daughter Celia was cutting class and sneaking around the Isle of the Lost instead of sitting through another boring lecture about the history of evil. After failing to sell Evie on another fortune reading, Celia had snuck out of Dragon Hall through the basement, which led to an underground tunnel system that snaked all around the island. It was an easy way to get around without being seen.
