Choosing Home

Chapter Nine

Jane paced the stone patio by the Enchanted Lake. Ben had just called to cancel and to let her know that Audrey had Maleficent's scepter. Jane didn't need to be told what that implied—that it might be a good idea to cancel her party.

"What is it?" Carlos had asked upon seeing the look on her face.

"We need to get everyone out of here," Jane told him. "That was Ben on the phone."

"Everything okay?"

Jane shook her head. "Carlos..."

"I'll get them out of here," Carlos promised, giving Jane a gentle kiss on the cheek before running off, pulling Gil away from Macaria as he did so. That had been about ten minutes ago and people were still milling around the Enchanted Lake. Oh sure, they had managed to get Macaria and her brothers to leave but that was about it.

And granted that might have been only because of the fact that Carlos had told her that Mal had told him that Hadie was being kept safe on Olympus. Knowing Mal, the only reason she would have sent Hadie to Olympus would have been if there was a threat Mal couldn't handle on her own.

"What is he doing here?" Jane heard one of her guests whisper and her eyes flickered to the entrance where two familiar figures were making their way to her. Jane's blood ran cold.

Audrey and Freddy were there. At her party. And she hadn't cleared out nearly enough guests to feel comfortable in case anyone tried anything.

Great.

"Did anyone save me any guacamole?" Audrey asked, stopping one of the male party attendants as Freddy smirked, looking around at the female guests. "No? It's like someone forgot to invite me."

"Audrey, you had an invitation," Carlos spoke up as Jane made her way toward him, the black and white haired boy making sure to keep himself between Freddy, Audrey, and Jane. "And where's Mal? I thought she was going to be here?"

I'm not exactly going to let Audrey know that Mal and the others went to the Isle after all, Carlos thought as Audrey took a blue frosted cupcake from another attendant and threw it over her shoulder.

"Oh I don't think Mal will be joining us," Freddy said with a smirk.

"Yeah, she's not exactly feeling herself," Audrey added and cackled as the remaining party goers stood in shock, mouths open as if horrified at what they heard. Audrey smirked as she made her way over to another party guest.

"Does that make you sad?" Audrey asked, making her voice small and high pitched, almost as if she was talking to a baby. "Does it just ruin everything?"

Freddy shook his head. "Honestly you Boreadon lot are just mindless drones, ready to follow a witch to ruin."

"After all, how could you forget that I was supposed to be your Queen?!" Audrey exclaimed.

"Mal's supposed to be Queen!" Alexandria shot back. "If you were supposed to be Queen, Audrey, Ben would have stayed in the contract! Not to mention the fact that you're still in line for your own throne, as you constantly like to remind all of us!"

Freddy looked over at Alexandria and smirked. "Well well, it certainly is amazing how lovely they make the women in Boreadon. Almost makes up for the whole imprisoning us on an Isle thing."

"Make it quick Fred," Audrey said, sounding almost bored with the whole thing as she examined her nails. "I'd rather not have this take all day."

"Of course your highness," Freddy nodded and stalked over to Alexandria, pinning her to a nearby tree.