Choosing Love

Chapter Eighteen

Mal sighed as she got ready for class. Lately, she'd been feeling sluggish and lethargic, though she wasn't sure as to why. She wasn't using any more magic than she normally did...well she did cast the 'No Rest for the Wicked' spell a few days ago.

It was probably the only time she'd been thankful to find Maleficent's spell book still in the drawer of her bedside table, the same place she put it all those months ago when she had been searching for the antidote to the love potion she thought she'd put on Ben. She had thought she had donated it to the Museum like Evie had done with her mother's mirror.

It had honestly surprised Mal when Evie had done that but it was the first thing the Evil Queen's daughter had done after Ben's coronation. Maybe Evie had thought it would get people's minds off of her actions at the coronation? Not that it had worked of course.

"Come on boy," Mal sighed, shaking her head as she brought herself back into the present and looking over at Estelle. She was going to drop him off at James' dorm and then finally make her way over to class. Or at least she would if not for the fact that, at that moment, it felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over Mal's head.

Realistically, she knew no one had. She was alone in her dorm room and Estelle couldn't turn into a human. Unfortunately though, logic had no place in her brain at that moment.

You see, the cold was not pleasant for cold blooded creatures...such as dragons. Add in the fact that Mal was also the daughter of Hades and she was already ill-equipped to handle the cold. It only got worse after her impromptu trip into the Cove back when she was nine, the cold causing violent chills to run down her spine. They made it so she could barely move at times.

I haven't had a chill in ages, not since we got to Auradon, Mal thought as she doubled over, her eyes forcing themselves shut as shivers wracked her body, her arms prickled with goosebumps as she fought to keep herself standing. She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to let her teeth chatter. She didn't feel the heat that came from the vents in her dorm, she didn't feel the slight warmth her dress provided...all she felt was cold.

Gingerly crawling back into her bed, Mal pulled the covers up and curled into a ball as if to preserve as much warmth as possible. She had a meeting with Natalie later that day anyway, she'd need her strength to put up with whatever diatribe the blonde went on today.

She sighed softly as she curled into a tighter ball, the chills continuing to run rampant over her body. Had this been the Isle, Uma, Harry, and Jay would have been on the bed in the clubhouse with her; pressing in as tightly as they could to give her enough warmth to make it through the day. If one of them had to leave, it was only to run to her dad's restaurant to get a lukewarm drink—and it was usually Jay who was the one to go as Uma and Harry were firmly glued to her side.

Not that Jay wasn't just as glued and usually only spent about fifteen minutes away. If they made a request at her dad's restaurant and said it was for her, the staff got it done right away. They knew her as Lord Hades' errand rat but that was still enough for them to fear angering Lord Hades if they made her wait too long. Most of the time, though, her dad was working in the kitchen and would see to getting it made himself.

Tea would hit the spot right now, Mal thought as a small whimper escaped her lips. Or coffee. Hell I'd drink fire if it meant the chills would stop.

A small lick on her hand brought Mal out of her thoughts and back to the present. Estelle had hopped up onto the bed and was acting almost as her Uma—pressing his body as close to her as possible even as Mal continued to remain curled up in her ball.

"Okay, five minutes boy and then we'll tough it out. We're from the Isle, they don't make us weak there after all," Mal whispered and wrapped her arms around Estelle the way a small Auradon child might hug a plush toy. However, as the five minutes came and went, Mal found she was in no mood to leave the small pocket of warmth she'd created for herself. Nor was she eager to leave it after an hour went by either.