HOOKED ↝ DESCENDANTS

[4]

The day following the VKs' encounter with Hades at the gates to the Isle of the Lost, word was still everywhere about whatever the former god's next move might be, and whether or not they were in danger of whatever wrath he may still be able to unleash on the people of Auradon. However, for Rosalie and her friends, the show must go on, and Jane's birthday party was no exception. 

Everywhere Rosalie looked, pink streamers and balloons decorated the shores of the Enchanted Lake, their classmates bustling in an out to wish the young girl a happy birthday, and visit with their friends near the various snack tables. While normally, Jane would've been ecstatic to have had such an event thrown in her honor, her eyes kept wandering around the lake, searching for the group who had yet to show up, along with the one person she truly wanted to spend her day with.

"So, looks like Carlos forgot about your birthday, huh?" Chad asked the worried girl, causing Rosalie's eyebrows to furrow at the prince in annoyance, and Krissy sighed in disbelief, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, maybe not, maybe he just took the wrong trail or something." Jane assured him, as well as herself. "Or, you know what? They probably don't celebrate birthdays on the Isle, maybe it's like a cultural thing."

"You're right," Chad mused, pretending to think for a moment. "Or maybe he just forgot. You never know." he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, come on, Chad," Rosalie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't be such a jerk. Carlos will be here." she assured Jane. "He wouldn't miss this day for the world."

"Hey, Chad, look!" Jane exclaimed, pointing up to where students were gathered near the snack tables at the top of the hill. "There's people taking selfies!"

"Selfies?" Chad asked, looking up at the others before running after them up the hill. "Wait wait wait wait wait, wait for me! Wait for me!"

The girls laughed as he sprinted after the others, Krissy turning to where Ansel stood silently with his head buried in his phone, a tiny smile gracing his face as he studied the screen. She elbowed her twin in the ribs, bringing the boy back to the reality in front of him as he looked back up at the three of them.

"Haven't seen you that deep in thought since Olaf told you his theory about water." Krissy teased, gesturing towards the phone. "Texting your mystery girlfriend again?"

"No," Ansel replied a little too quickly, swiftly shoving his phone into the pocket of his jeans. "I already told you, I don't have a girlfriend."

"You are such a liar." Jane retorted. "You've been all weird and smiley lately, but it's only when you're looking at your phone. It's good to see you so happy, Ans, but you can tell us."

"I don't have a girlfriend," he insisted with a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Dad just sent me a funny picture of Sven, is all."

"Whatever you say," Rosalie teased.

"By the way," Jane said, switching the subject. "Did you guys hear about the robbery from the museum last night? My mom won't talk about it, but she seems really worried. Do you guys think it has something to do with Hades almost getting through the barrier?"

"How can it?" Krissy asked. "He's still locked up there where he belongs. If anyone was able to break into the museum, it had to be..." she lowered her voice, looking around to make sure nobody else was listening. "...Uma, right?"

Rosalie shuddered at the mention of Uma and her pirates, thinking back to her trip to the Isle of the Lost all those months before. She still couldn't get the laughter of Harry Hook from her mind, even though he remained on the Isle with the rest of their crew, with only their leader's whereabouts unknown. If Uma did have anything to do with the museum robbery, she couldn't be sure, though she seemed like the most likely candidate.

"Maybe not," Ansel said, his voice suddenly tightening as he caught sight of something at the top of the hill. "Guys, what's-?"

Ansel was cut off as someone began to sing, a sweet tune of happy birthday even though there was a menacing undertone to the voice. The song drifted from the top of the hill down to where the four teenagers were standing, pulling their attention to where the students were gathered above. Rosalie watched in horror as a light pink fog began to emerge, everyone on the hill falling into a cursed sleep as it began to spread, except for two figures in the center.

Audrey stood proudly on the rocks as she continued to sing happy birthday to Jane, her once-pale pink hair now a brilliant magenta, with layers of blue and purple, a glowing green staff in hand that Rosalie knew to have once belonged to Maleficent. Rosalie herself had seen Mal donate it to the museum after Maleficent's attempt to attack Ben's coronation, and she also had heard it to be one of the stolen items from the museum the night before. Along with it had been the queen's jeweled crown, which now sat nestled atop Audrey's head, as if it had been made just for her. Behind her stood Chad, a look of fear written on the boy's face, though he tried his best to hide it.

"What's she doing?" Krissy asked as they began to back up, the fog slowly beginning to spread down the hill towards where they stood.

"That's the scepter and the crown." Jane said, her voice horror stricken. "But why would Audrey steal them?"

"And what's she planning to do with them?" Rosalie asked then, stumbling slightly as her foot reached the edge of the platform, though she managed to catch herself by grabbing onto one of the columns before she fell into the Enchanted Lake behind her.

"Quickly," Jane blurted, "Into the lake. It should keep us from falling under the spell."

"She's right," Rosalie agreed, "Everybody jump!" 

Rosalie, Jane, Krissy, and Ansel all jumped into the Enchanted Lake, swimming as fast as they could away from the fog as Audrey began to laugh, her cackle spreading through the air of what had been a beautiful day only moments prior. As the fog began to reach them, Rosalie held her breath, plunging into the water below in an attempt to escape the sleeping curse.

When she was no longer able to hold her breath, Rosalie emerged from the water, coughing and spluttering as her lungs burned with the need for air. The fog had dissipated, and Audrey and Chad were nowhere to be found, but the rest of their classmates still lay sleeping on the rocks, under the effects of her curse.

"I don't think Carlos forgot Jane's birthday." Ansel said after a moment, and Rosalie shook her head in agreement.

Carlos wouldn't have missed her party for the world. Wherever he and the rest of their friends were, they were in trouble.