Return to the Isle of the Lost - Melissa de la Cruz Page 0,69
through that,” said Carlos, motioning to a cavern at the base of the mountain after consulting the map. “There’s no way back, so we’ll have to keep going forward.”
“Great, another dark tunnel,” said Evie, who had just about had her fill of the underground catacombs.
“But I think this one leads us back home, to Auradon,” said Carlos hopefully. “If the map is right…”
“Let’s go,” said Mal, who’d found her voice. She held the small purple egg in her fist, unwilling to put it away in her pack just yet.
“Flashlight’s dead, so we’ll have to feel our way in the dark,” said Jay, tossing the torch into a bubbling green puddle with a sigh.
“Then we’ll do this the only way we can,” said Mal. “Together.” The four of them held hands and entered the foreboding cavern.
They’d traveled for a while when the path before them began to shine, and when they rounded the corner, they saw abandoned wheelbarrows and uncut rocks with diamonds still embedded in their core.
“Looks like a dwarf mine,” said Evie. She’d seen them in Doug’s ZapChats.
“Abandoned,” said Jay, picking up one of the shiny rocks.
“Wonder why?” said Carlos. “Looks like they left in a hurry.”
“Who knows,” said Mal. “Let’s keep going.”
They kept walking, until Mal suddenly stopped.
“What?” asked Carlos.
“I heard something…like footsteps. Can you hear it?” she asked.
Jay listened, absentmindedly pocketing one of the gems on the floor. “Yeah.”
“There’s someone else here,” said Mal.
Evie looked over her shoulder. “Following us?”
“Maybe,” said Mal. “Be ready.”
“You don’t think it’s them…?” said Carlos, who really had no desire to see his mother right now.
“Who else?” said Mal. “Yen Sid said they’re lost down here. Maybe they saw us and now they want to get their talismans back.”
“Dad!” Jay called into the darkness behind them. “Are you there?” His voice echoed around the cavern. Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad.
No answer, so they kept walking, but the feeling that someone or a group of someones was in the tunnel with them remained. And their hearts dropped when they noticed a few things in the mine—a tube of red lipstick, a fluff of black-and-white fur, and a discarded velvet money pouch. The villains were somewhere close by, and Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were ready to hear Cruella de Vil’s sneer or smell Evil Queen’s perfume or feel Jafar tap them on the shoulder at any moment. They tried to pretend it didn’t bother them a bit, trying to act tough, even as they inadvertently huddled closer together.
“Aieee!” Carlos cried as he bumped into Jay, who yelped as he collided with Evie, who screamed as she fell on Mal.
“It’s just us!” said Mal. “Everyone calm down!”
They kept moving, until they heard the footsteps again, louder this time, along with voices. But they must have been coming from the other way—ahead of them rather than behind.
“Who’s there!” called Mal while the three others huddled behind her.
“The mine starts down here,” they heard someone grumble. “Are we sure this is necessary?”
“Let’s just see how deep it goes, and where it leads. It couldn’t hurt,” said another.
A sudden beam of light flooded the mine shaft, and they blinked, blinded. But even without seeing who it was, Mal knew that voice immediately.
“Ben!” she cried, running toward the group heading down the mine shaft.
“Mal? Is that you?” asked Ben, shining his flashlight her way.
“It is! It’s all of us!” she said, appearing out of the darkness.
“You’re all right!” he said, beaming as he scooped her up in his arms.
Mal closed her eyes and hugged him back tightly. There was nothing like almost rescuing an entire kingdom—and almost plunging to your death along the way—to make a person appreciate a good hug.
“What are you doing down here? Where did you come from?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you everything,” he said, at the same time as she said, “I have so much to tell you!”
They laughed as Carlos, Jay, and Evie joined them, a little dirty and smudged, but whole. Ben didn’t let go of Mal as he shook the boys’ hands and slapped them on the back before giving Evie a quick hug. The five of them grinned at each other.
The old man behind Ben cleared his throat. “Uh, right,” Ben said, blushing as he backed away from Mal. “This is Merlin, and you know Grumpy.”
The wizard nodded in greeting and the dwarf grunted. “Do you know my son, Gordon? He’s at Auradon Prep with you all,” said Grumpy.
“We know Doug,” said Evie, smiling.
Grumpy huffed. “Everyone knows Doug. Just like his