Choosing Family

Chapter Eleven

Four weeks had gone by since Lord Hades had used Mal's middle name and the incident had been living in Mal's head ever since. She replayed it over and over again, even when she didn't want to; as if looking at all possible angles for something she was missing.

Why had Lord Hades even cared? He wasn't the type of villain to worry about what others did, or about the welfare of a child. After all, if the stories Gaston Jr had spread around the kids of the Isle were true, Lord Hades was one of the few villains to target a baby. Probably the first one really, considering he was a God.

Hmm, maybe that's why Maleficent doesn't like him, Mal thought as she dropped off the order at the restaurant. After all, she prides herself on being an original. Another villain going after a baby, especially a God, would make it seem like she couldn't come up with her own ideas.

Mal quickly made her way out of the restaurant without saying a word despite being a little hungry, not wanting Lord Hades the chance to lie to her again. Even if his food was good and the bruise on her arm had healed to the point that it was unnoticeable if her sleeve slid up again, Mal didn't want to take that chance.

Instead Mal started making her way back to Maleficent's. It was horrible but Maleficent was always horrible. She was always cruel. She was always consistent.

Consistency wasn't something often found on the Isle so when you found it, you tried to make the best of it.

Lord Hades had been consistent. He was honest...until he wasn't with the deal involving Mal's middle name.

Something though caught Mal's eye as she walked past the window of the restaurant and she paused, though she couldn't tell you why. Lord Hades was getting the front of house ready for the lunch rush, though Mal didn't understand why. Hardly anyone ate in the restaurant, preferring to eat on their own turf.

Why hasn't he tried to escape yet? Mal thought as she watched through the front window. After all, he's a God. Wouldn't that be enough to counter the barrier that's mainly Fairy magic? I mean, the only other fairy powerful enough to trap a God would be the Blue Fairy but Maleficent always said she was more of a neutral party; preferring to not get involved on either side.

That was probably the nicest thing Maleficent had ever said about another fairy and she hadn't actually said it to Mal. Mal just happened to be in the room while Maleficent had been plotting. One of the goblins had made the foolish suggestion of Maleficent reaching out to the other fairy folk in Auradon or the Moors for help.

That goblin hadn't been seen from since.

Mal tilted her head as she studied the God of the Dead, who was still seemingly unaware that she was watching him. She wasn't going to lie, there was something familiar about him. Obviously, she knew him since they had a partnership but that wasn't what she meant.

She couldn't help but feel safe when she was around Lord Hades, like no matter what happened he'd be there. It was stupid since she'd only really known him for a few weeks but the feeling was there.

And maybe it was just a trick of the light but did Lord Hades' chin look like Mal's?

Shaking her head, Mal started making her way back to Maleficent's; the incident from a couple of weeks ago playing in the back of her mind. Why had Lord Hades known her middle name? It wasn't like it was a guess either—'Bertha' wasn't that common of a middle name. Mal knew Lord Hades had said Maleficent had told him but that just didn't make sense.

Maleficent hated Lord Hades with all her power; honestly Mal thought that Maleficent might have hated Hades more than she hated Leah, Stephen and Phillip. Oh sure, she acted like she hated Aurora but Mal knew Maleficent still had a soft spot in her heart for her 'Beastie'.