Escape from the Isle of the Lost Page 5

  She swam around, looking for the source. But all she could see was gray rock, furry with algae and coral. She swam the length of the rock, where the sound was loudest. There. She found a crack, just the smallest crevice. She swam closer. If she could squeeze herself through it, she would be able to get back inside the island. Underground, of course, but still—back on the Isle of the Lost!

  Well, she considered, if she could make herself large, she could probably also make herself small. With that, Uma transformed into a tiny squid and slipped through the crack.

  When she was back to her human self, she looked around, realizing she was standing on her own two feet once more. It was good to be on dry land again. She was in a tunnel of some sort, an abandoned mine shaft. There were tracks leading deeper underground, where the music was even louder.

  Uma followed the tracks all the way down.

  All of a sudden, the music was interrupted by the voice of a news anchor from Auradon News Network. “There’s been a formal announcement from the palace. As part of her itinerary around the kingdom, the future Lady Mal will be going on an official visit to the Isle of the Lost.”

  Lady Mal.

  Hmpf.

  Uma kept walking, her rage growing stronger within her, a plan forming in her head. And then she snuck into his little cave, where the god of the Underworld preferred to spend his days now that he was a prisoner on the Isle of the Lost.

  Hades was playing air guitar, pretending he was performing in front of thousands of screaming souls. Or fans. Whatever you wanted to call them.

  Uma tapped him on the shoulder and cleared her throat.

  Hades jumped and almost hit his head on the cave ceiling. “Oh! You! What are you doing here? And what’s your name again?”

  “Uma!”

  “Uma? Why did I think it was Shrimpy?” he asked, confused.

  She frowned at the reviled nickname. No one called her Shrimpy. No one. It made her furious at Mal all over again.

  “Hades. You still have that ember of yours, right?”

  he night after the Senior Quest, Lonnie suggested that she and Jay go see one of the professional R.O.A.R. games at the Auradon Arena. Her home team, the Great Wall, was fighting against the Summerland Sevens.

  Once they arrived at the stadium, they made their way to a private suite that belonged to Coach Yao, one of the Great Wall’s team owners, where a full buffet was laid out. It was complete with burbling chocolate fountains and towering ice sculptures in the likeness of the Great Wall’s best player, Lonnie’s brother, Li’l Shang. Li’l Shang used to coach R.O.A.R. at Auradon Prep, but had turned pro a few weeks ago.

  “Great seats,” said Jay, as they filled their plates with an array of delicacies.

  “Thanks,” said Lonnie with a wink. “I know the owner.”

  Today’s game was tournament-style, which meant pairs of fencers squared off, and whichever team won the most matches won the tournament. The arena showed several matches at the same time. The Summerland Sevens had taken an early lead, with Happy’s eldest son, Hap, scoring the most points by the break. The ferocious dwarf had defeated one of the best imperial players. The Summerland Sevens had the advantage of being physically much smaller than the Great Wall team, which meant there were fewer places to hit them at swordpoint.

  But Li’l Shang was up next, against Doug’s brother Derek. Derek was a hulk of a dwarf, with rippling muscles underneath his R.O.A.R. uniform. He came out swinging, slashing his sword to and fro and racking up points quickly. But Li’l Shang came rushing back, and soon didn’t let Derek score another point.

  Jay and Lonnie stood and cheered. Jay was so excited he threw his popcorn everywhere. He admired both teams’ grit and finesse. Watching Li’l Shang take a flying leap off the edge of the arena to win the match point was positively thrilling.

  The players came to the owner’s suite after the game, and Li’l Shang grinned when he saw his younger sister and his protégé. “I hoped you guys would be here! What’s been going on? How’s Auradon Prep?”

  “Great! We lost the Kingdom Cup, but we came really close,” said Jay, referring to the championship R.O.A.R. game the Auradon Prep team had played several weeks before. “How’s life on the pro circuit?”

  “Can’t complain,” said Li’l Shang. “We travel by first-class carriage all the way. Thousands of fans screaming in packed arenas.” He pulled open his R.O.A.R. jacket to show Jay a T-shirt with his face on it, SHANG LIFE written in huge letters on the front. “Look! I’m famous!”

  Jay laughed. “Dude, you made it!”

  “Been trying to get my sister here to join the team, but she says she still hasn’t made up her mind whether to go pro or go to college.” Li’l Shang rubbed Lonnie’s head. “Suit yourself, sis.”

  Li’l Shang and Lonnie introduced Jay to Coach Yao, who had been a soldier in Mulan’s army, along with his partners, Ling and Chien-Po.

  “Jay, son of Jafar, of course! I’ve heard you’re one of the best at R.O.A.R.!” he said, shaking Jay’s hand. “Ever think of going straight to the pros?”

  “Skipping college?” asked Jay.

  Yao nodded. “You could be playing in this arena in a few months!”

  “You’ll have to sign him first,” Lonnie reminded him.

  “Right, right,” said Coach Yao. “And see your moves. We’ll be at Auradon Prep next Saturday. We’ll check you out.”

  “Next Saturday?” asked Jay with a frown.

  “Is there a problem?”

  Jay scratched his head. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I have…a conflict.” He never remembered important dates, but he knew this one.

  “Oh,” said Coach Yao.

  Lonnie frowned. “You do?”

  “Yeah, I’m supposed to go back to the Isle of the Lost with Mal, Evie, and Carlos. We’re going to try to get more kids to apply to Auradon Prep,” he told them sheepishly.

  “Do you have to?” asked Lonnie. She took Jay aside. “I mean, if you want to be considered for a pro team, this is the only day they’ll come to Auradon Prep. It’s kind of a big deal.”

  Jay thought about it. If he missed the recruiting session, Coach Yao wouldn’t see him play, and Jay would be passing up the chance to play professionally. He looked around at the arena. He could just imagine it thundering with a thousand fans calling his name. He could do this. He was one of the best. His future was open.

  But he couldn’t let his friends down. Time with his friends was precious, and it would be even rarer after graduation. They had to stick together. Plus, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to play professionally; there was still college to consider.

  “I don’t know,” said Jay. “I don’t really know what I want to do yet.”

  Lonnie nodded. “I understand. You’ll figure it out.” They went back to the party.

  “Jay?” asked Coach Yao. “Shall we put you down on our list? Will we see you next Saturday?”

  “No, you won’t. I’m so sorry, but I have other commitments,” said Jay.

  “No problem. There’s always next year,” Coach Yao said. “You’ve got a lot of time to decide.”

  Jay smiled. The coach was right. He was no longer trapped on the Isle of the Lost. In a few weeks, he had visiting day to look forward to at Sherwood Forest University; the itinerary included a lot of merrymaking. He had all the time in the world right now, and he wanted to spend a good chunk of it with the friends who helped him become the person he was today.

  he week flew by, and finally it was time for Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos to head back to the Isle of the Lost. Mal and Evie had packed so heavily for their short trip that Ben had to help Lumiere and Cogsworth carry their trunks to the royal limousine.

  “You know you’re only going for the weekend, right?” he asked, grunting under the weight of one particularly large case. “You’re only there for two nights.”

  “Two nights! Oh my! Thank you for reminding me! I almost forgot my second alternate evening gown!” said Evie, who flew b
ack into her room.

  Mal smiled. “I’m sorry. Most of it is Evie’s.”

  Carlos and Jay walked right behind them, each boy holding one small backpack. “I travel light,” said Jay.

  “No baggage,” quipped Carlos with a grin. “At least not anymore.”

  Mal threw her arms around Ben. “Thanks for doing this. Letting us go back to talk to the kids, I mean.”

  “Yeah, man, we’re so pumped that more kids like us are going to be able to go to Auradon Prep!” said Carlos, bumping fists with Jay.

  “I am too,” said Ben. He really was glad, although he was still a bit worried about where the new VKs would stay over the summer.

  Evie rushed back, wheeling another trunk.

  “Wait, these things have wheels?” asked Ben as Lumiere and Cogsworth staggered beside him.

  “Yes, if you set them down the right way,” said Evie. “How do you think I travel?” She chuckled.

  They walked out of the school’s front doors and loaded their bags into the car. Evie and the boys said their good-byes to Ben and settled into their seats.

  Mal lingered, a wistful smile on her face. “I wonder if there’ll be a day when we can bring every villain kid over to Auradon.”

  “There will be. We just need to take it one step at a time. It’s too risky right now, especially with Uma still out there.”

  “Uma,” said Mal with a grimace.

  “You take care,” he said.

  “I will. You too. Are you okay?” she asked, putting a hand on his cheek.

  “A little nervous about the NAFFA trade meeting. No one can seem to agree lately! I have so many competing proposals to sort out.”

  “I know you’ll make it work. Say hi to the dwarfs,” she said, getting into the car.

  Evie popped her head out. “Give them my love!”

  “I will,” said Ben, waving them off. He stood watching by the entrance until the royal limousine disappeared out of sight.

  • • •

  Just as Ben had predicted, every kingdom represented at the trade council argued that their goods were the most valuable.

  “They’re diamonds,” said Grumpy. “We need to be able to charge top Auradon dollar!”

  “Diamonds they might be, but our magic potions from Camelot are far more valuable,” argued Merlin.

  “Everyone will look withered without our age-defying lotions,” Eugene Fitzherbert reminded them. “The sun-drop golden flowers only grow in Corona.”

  “We might not have magic flowers or magic potions or diamonds in the bayou,” said Princess Tiana. “But we have the best food, and we should be compensated fairly.”

  Ben listened to every kingdom’s representative make their case, and then he spoke his piece: “Just as Auradon Prep has become open to taking more students from the Isle of the Lost, Auradon must remain open to trade between all our united kingdoms. Diamonds, potions, lotions, and beignets are equally important. Surely we can find a solution that would satisfy everyone here.”

  The meeting continued, and eventually, all parties were satisfied by the trade agreement. Grumpy didn’t even look that grumpy in the end. Ben began to put his papers back into his folder and a few delegates began to leave the room when Aquata, Ariel’s oldest sister, who was representing Atlantica, came up to Ben, rolling her bathtub-like contraption forward. “Can I ask you something?” she said, looking worried and splashing a little.

  “Of course, anything for a princess of the sea,” said Ben with a charming smile.

  “We hear from our people that Uma has been seen underwater. She’s out there, free to wreak havoc and do whatever she wants.”

  Ben brushed his hair off his forehead and nodded. “We are aware and have stepped up security. Genie mentioned seeing something near the Isle of the Lost that looked like it could have been a giant octopus. I’ll make sure to send more reinforcements to your area if she’s seen there,” he said, trying to sound reassuring.

  “Thank you,” said Aquata, sounding a tad relieved. “It’s just, her mother…her mother almost destroyed my family.”

  Ben nodded. “I’ll make sure everywhere on Auradon is safe, even underwater.”

  “We’re not safe, not anywhere, as long as there’s a villain out there,” said Aquata, shuddering. “I heard you were going to let more of those people from the Isle come to Auradon. I hope that’s just a terrible rumor. Do say it isn’t true!”

  “Actually, it is true,” said Ben. “We’d like to give more people a chance, especially the children, who are innocent. Everyone deserves a chance to be good, don’t you think?”

  Aquata frowned, and her cheeks flushed. It was clear she did not agree. “I hope you know what you’re doing, for all of our sakes.”

  Ben kept a diplomatic smile on his face. “My main priority, always, is the safety of everyone in Auradon. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Aquata splashed away in a huff, but Ben let it go. He knew it was an almost impossible task, to bring the people of the Isle and the people of Auradon together to live peacefully once more, but he had to keep trying. He had to unite his kingdom somehow. That’s what a king was meant to do.

  ma and Hades faced each other. She crossed her arms, and Hades crossed his. He glared at her. She glared back. It was like they were looking into a mirror; they were both blue-haired villains with a score to settle against their enemies.

  “Did I hear you right? Did you ask me if I still have my ember?” said Hades.

  “Yes, or are you deaf from all this loud music?” said Uma. “Your ember. Do you have it or not?”

  “Why do you ask?” he said imperiously.

  “It could be useful,” she said, leaning against the wall of his cave as if she didn’t care a whit whether he still had it or not.

  Hades frowned. His blue hair stuck up from his forehead like a rock star’s, but he had lines around his eyes. Like Uma’s mother, Ursula, he’d been on the Isle of the Lost for more than two decades. Uma thought that Hades’s life on the Isle of the Lost was probably not all that different from his former life in the Underworld—there was no sunlight down here either.

  “Aren’t you tired of living underground?” she asked. “In this damp and dreary cave?”

  “Is it any better up there?” he scoffed. “On Auradon?”

  “You fool! You know it is! I was there! The place is a fairy-tale land!” she told him. “And we should be part of that fairy tale.”

  Hades yawned. “I’m more of a myth guy.”

  “Whatever you are, you’re not content here. How could you be?” said Uma. “You used to be a god! Don’t you guys live on nectar and honey?”

  Hades sniffed. “We do have delicate constitutions. Not that you’d know anything about that, being an octopus.”

  “Sea witch,” corrected Uma.

  Hades looked suspicious. “By the way, how did you get in here?”

  “There was a crack in the tunnel. A tiny one.”

  “And you fit through it?”

  Uma waggled her eyebrows. “I have my ways.”

  Hades nodded. “Shape-shifter. I get it. So why are you here? Why aren’t you out there with your pirates?”

  Uma studied her fingernails, affecting insouciance. “I don’t want to let anyone know I’m around until my plan is in motion.”

  “You’ve got a plan?”

  “I do,” she said with a crafty smile.

  Hades picked up his real guitar and began to pluck a few discordant notes. “Fine. Tell me.”

  “We should team up, you and I. Together we could bring down the stupid barrier that holds everyone here. Then we could all be free!”

  Hades listened. Then he smiled. Then he grinned. “Bring down the barrier, huh?”

  “Yes. And I would finally beat Mal.” That’s all Uma wanted: to show Mal that she could beat her, that Mal didn’t get to win every time. So Mal had won the trident, and Ben’s heart, but Uma would have this. She would show her old friend, her forever rival, that
Uma would have her revenge. Mal would never forget her name, or who freed the Isle of the Lost: UMA.

  “Think about it. Once the barrier is down, you could go anywhere and do anything you wanted!” said Uma.

  “You don’t say?” said Hades. He played a chord and let it echo around the cave.

  “I do say,” said Uma. “How long have you been here? Twenty years? And how long were you in the Underworld? They don’t remember you up on Olympus anymore. Hades? He’s over. He’s nothing. That’s what they say.”

  “Is that so?” He waggled his eyebrows in frustration.

  “I’m afraid so,” said Uma with a faux-sad frown. “No one remembers you. All they talk about is Hercules. I’ve met his kid, Herkie. He’s huge as a bull and even more famous than his father.”

  Hades threw off his guitar and paced the rocky cave floor. Soon he would overturn the lamp and kick the television set. His bad temper was as predictable as the weather.

  “And Zeus, well, he’s just having a ball up there on Mount Olympus. Every once in a while he throws down his lightning bolts just to remind everyone who’s in charge,” said Uma. At this point she was completely spitballing. She had no clue what they were doing on Mount Olympus. But Hades didn’t have to know that.

  “But I’m the boss!” cried Hades. “ME!”

  “Then help me. Show them,” said Uma. “Show them who’s boss!”

  “I will!” he said, his eyes lighting up. But Uma thought she saw something else flickering there, until he went on, “I’ll go back to ruling the world and causing destruction. We must take down the barrier and escape from the Isle of the Lost!”

  “Now you’re talking,” said Uma. She held out her hand. “You know, you’re not too bad for a has-been.”

  Hades cackled. “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

  ades paced on the beach and considered his situation. He was not without options. He had to try something. He couldn’t just rot on this island forever. Come on, were they kidding? He was the lord of the Underworld, the god of the dead! In Olympus, they would be laughing if they saw him looking like some washed-up little minion. Yesterday he’d been offered the most disgusting stew, made by some deluded she-octopus at some little shack. And yet he had forced himself to choke it down, because he was hungry. He had no choice. But he vowed he would not spend one more day on this gods-forsaken rock.