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

Chapter 22: The Secret of the Stone

"Mal," Carlos began warily, tensing as the mind-bent purplette moved toward them. "Mal, wait. It's me! It's Carlos! Mal, think about what you are doing! This isn't you! We're supposed to be stopping the villains, not helping them!" Mal took another step toward them. Carlos put out an arm, signaling Doug to back off a bit. "Mal, listen to me! Is this really what you want to do? Is...hurting people...the answer to anything? Mal, look what you did to Evie! You don't do that! You said it yourself. Taking over the world doesn't make you happy! And neither will killing me."

He felt Doug's gaze shoot towards him but he pushed it away. He'd already riddled most of it out for himself. A hero and a villain. It wasn't Mal. Evie was sure it wasn't her. Jay was under Queenie's spell so, logically, it couldn't be him. That left him. Cruella De Vil's son. The youngest, and smallest, of all the VKs. He was ready to accept his fate. If he was destined to somehow defeat Morgana, then he would do his best, or die trying.

Queenie's eyes lingered on him for a moment. "My dear boy, who said anything about killing you?"

Carlos reeled at this. Not him? How could it not be him? Who did that leave? It isn't a VK? His mind was so caught up in trying to unravel all the information that he almost didn't see where Mal was going to strike next. His eyes widened and he gasped. "Doug! Move!" He lunged backward, knocking the boy onto the ground. Carlos threw his arms over his head, feeling the heat of a spell rush past them, missing by mere inches, and hearing the tremendous crash as it smashed into the wall.

What is going on? He heard his mind screaming as he lay there, feeling Doug quivering beside him. Why is Queenie doing this? Why attack Doug? He's got to be the least threatening of all of us! He had no time to process all these thoughts, however, as he heard a loud hiss and knew what was coming next. Even as he lifted his gaze in horror, he inhaled the pungent purple fumes. Ice-cold dread flooded through him as he grabbed Doug and drug him to his feet.

"Oh no..." the dwarf gasped as the two of them stood before the large reptile that was forming before their eyes. "Please tell me she's not doing what I think she's doing."

"Man," Carlos groaned, already tensing to run. "I wish I could."

Mal, the dragon, lunged at them with an earth-shaking roar.

"Oh Dalmatians. RUN!" Carlos screamed, grabbing Doug's arm and yanking him after him. The two abandoned Evie's side, though it was clear the villains were not at all interested in her. Carlos in the lead, the two boys raced behind a series of thick columns. Forcing Doug down beside him, Carlos took shelter as Mal came leaping around the bend after them, teeth flashing hungrily.

"Why is she chasing us?" Doug yelled, squeezing his eyes shut as fire exploded around the columns.

The heat radiated off of Carlos' skin as he waited, heart-racing, for the fiery breath to extinguish. "I don't know!" he shouted back. "But I suspect it has something to do with the Dragonstone...and something called the NeoMerlin. Do you have any idea what that is?"

"No! I...I mean...y-yes! Well...a little!"

The fire ended and the roar got louder.

"Er...hold that thought..." Carlos stopped him. "Time to go!" Grabbing his friend by the arm, Carlos jumped up and darted to the right, just as Mal came crashing around the poles, knocking over several large items of furniture and other various things. Her tail smashed into the wall and punctured a hole right through it.

The two boys retreated towards the fireplace. Carlos scanned the clearing, searching desperately for a way out. "We have to get out of here!" he gasped, eyeing a window as a potential escape route.