Choosing Home

Chapter Sixteen

Freddy smirked at the red-haired brat as she struggled in Audrey's grasp. That was what he wanted after all. The more she struggled, the more likely it was that Uma would hear her. And where Uma was, Mal was never far behind.

"Let go of me Freddy!" Celia shouted, twisting to try to get herself out of Audrey's grasp. But the former cheerleader seemed to have a stronger grip than she'd anticipated. "When Uma gets here, she's going to kick your butt right back to the Isle!"

"Oh just keep screaming little one," Freddy said with a smirk. "We have use for your voice box."

Celia glared at him and clamped her mouth shut. There was no way Uma was going to get hurt because of her. She may have been an under fifteen and she might not have been a full time member of Uma's crew but she knew enough about Freddy to know there were two people on the Isle he hated with a passion.

Mal...and Uma. And Mal was now the future Queen. She'd have protection out the wahzoo, or at least she should.

"Aww, why so shy now?" Freddy taunted. "You were so talkative before."

"Never give captors what they want," Celia growled.

Freddy shook his head. "Just like Uma, you don't seem to recognize your betters. For one thing, you should be bowing before your Queen rather than struggling to get out of her grasp."

"Why? This crazy lady's not Mal! A true VK doesn't bow to anyone but Mal!"

"Oh honestly," Freddy said, rolling his eyes. "I'm a VK and yet I bow to the rightful Queen of Auradon."

"If that's true Freddy, and let's be real nothing you ever say is true, then you're not a VK! You're a traitor!" Celia snapped. "Mal is King Ben's fiancee, she's the rightful Queen of Auradon! The fact that this bat stole the crown doesn't change that!"

"Oh if we didn't need you, you little brat, I'd see if Fred—."

"Finish that sentence Audrey and you'll be drowning before you can blink!" Uma's voice shouted in the distance. Not bothering to question how she could hear them, both Audrey and Freddy turned to look at the small group standing on the quad.

"Freddy, let go of my sister unless you want to burn in your precious Hellfire!" Uma shouted as Mal scanned the roof as if looking for an opening. "Audrey, I hope you know your blood type because you're going to need some when I'm done with you!"

"What's the plan Mal?" Macaria asked as the sky darkened, a faint rumbling of thunder heard in the distance.

"Any chance you've got enough experience with thunderbolts to knock out Audrey?" Mal asked.

Macaria shook her head. "The roof's too small, there's a chance I could hit Celia and I know that's the last thing we all want."

Mal nodded. "Okay. And I promised mom I wouldn't dragon up and fight a big bad entity this go around."

"Technically you just promised you wouldn't do that if you were at the next event Auradon threw," Uma pointed out.

Mal chuckled and quickly dragoned up. Ben barely had time to admire her dragon form before Mal took flight, Hades' ember secured firmly in her talons. However, she was going up against Audrey who was armed with Maleficent's scepter.

And she wasn't afraid to use it.

"Get down!" Harry shouted as a bolt of pink lighting shot through the sky. He quickly pulled Uma to the ground as Jay did the same for Macaria, Ben ducking despite the fact that they were safely on the quad and Audrey was on the roof of the school.