Wicked Dawn | 'Till The Night Falls Book 1 (Disney Descendants)

Chapter 17: Magic Cards and Battle Strategies

"I can't get a hold of anyone," Evie groaned, flopping down in one of her chairs and scanning frantically through her contacts list. "Everyone must be out of range. Maybe the barrier is blocking the signal?"

Mal watched her friends' reactions as they all piled into Evie's living room. Ben and Doug were first through the door, Ben looking stressed and Doug panicked. Jay and Carlos followed, Jay keeping watch while Carlos hastily did something with his phone...probably trying to send another message to Jane. He'd attempted about twenty times in the past five minutes. To Mal's knowledge, none had gotten through the barrier. She spotted Dizzy, Celia, and the twins stick their heads into the room curiously before Evie noticed them and gently ushered them back to their rooms and told them to stay there.

"We need a plan," Mal decided as Jay cautiously closed the door and the six of them gathered around the room, some moving to take a seat on the couches or chairs, others electing to lean near the windows. "For now at least, we have to assume that we are the only ones here and that the others are not close enough to help."

"Well, what can we do?" Carlos questioned, finally giving up on his phone and stuffing it back into his pocket. "We don't have Maleficent's scepter or any idea where Morgana is going, or how we're supposed to be able to stop her."

"So, then maybe we should think about what we do have," Ben suggested. "We have the Dragonfires. We have friends. And we're all still here, right?" Everyone nodded. "Well, let's start with that. Mal?" He opened the floor to her as he took a seat next to Jay.

Mal took the moment. "Thank you," she said. "Okay, guys," she went on. "I know this is all a bit overwhelming for everyone. But we've been through worse, haven't we? We saved Auradon from my mother, we convinced Uma to help us. We can stop Morgana too. We just have to be smart and think this through. Evie? Any ideas?"

The bluenette looked up in surprise. "Me?"

Mal nodded and stepped back, gesturing for her to come up. Evie hesitated for a moment. "Erm...well...this isn't really my...kind of thing...but...what if we could somehow find where Morgana is planning to strike? Maybe we could then attack from...two fronts?" She glanced back at Mal for help.

The violette nodded in agreement.

"All right, so how are we going to find Morgana?" Doug questioned quietly.

Mal shrugged, already skimming her spell book once more. "It says the chosen one will have the ability to sense danger," she read. "So that should make it easy enough. Evie can do that, right Evie? You can use your magic to find Morgana, can't you?"

Evie frowned, glancing up from her dazed stupor. "Chosen what now? I'm confused. Would someone please explain what Mal's talking about? No, I can't use my powers like that. Mal, what's this all about?"

Mal hesitated. The others looked at her expectantly. You have to tell her, their frowns said. Tell her or one of us will. And it won't be any easier coming from us. She took a deep breath. "Here," she said, standing up from the window sill and handing the spellbook to Evie who stared at her in surprise. "I think you'd better read this."

Evie took it from her, frowning, obviously confused. She read it, and, as she did, Doug inched closer to rest a hand on her shoulder. Evie tensed noticeably as she reached the part about the prophecy. There was silence for a moment. And then she looked up at them with a blank expression, closing the book with a snap. "It's not me."

Mal blinked. Not her? But it had to be her! The prophecy...her parents...everything fit! "But...Evie..."

She fixed her with a steely glare that instantly sent chills running up and down Mal's spine. "Mal. It's. Not. Me."