Please enjoy a sneak peek for the next chapter!
She downed what was possibly her fifth glass of champagne and upon lowering her head from the corner of her eye, she saw Carlos at the ballroom’s entrance. Evie stiffened upon his arrival. The joy she felt was gone, the heat turned to ice, and she could see her night turning into what happens when she mixes too many unstable chemicals together. They hadn’t really spoken since the incident, she refused to give him the time of day and now here he was. She wasn’t stupid, she made sure to let him know he was welcome to join. They were all familiar with the story of what happened when powerful people were left off the guest list.
It was still strange, from all the years she’d known him, Carlos de Vil wasn’t one for festivities. He’d typically hang around close by in hopes of any trouble that he could start. But he never joined in. He began to approach her and she copied his movements, she refused to let him start anything and ruin the one time she’s had any real fun in this kingdom.
“What are you doing here?” She asked once she reached the archway of the ballroom doors, the bright light of the museum hallways sobered her up compared to the candle-light they were using in the other room.
He tilted his head, not smiling but clearly happy that he was getting on her nerves, “I was invited, last I checked.”
“I repeat, what are you doing here?”
He finally took his eyes off her and swept them through the wave of people from his place by the door. “Mal wouldn’t be anywhere around here, would she?”
Evie checked to see what he was staring at, but found nothing of interest, “She’d better be, I need her for this whole thing to work.”
He looked back at her again, his eyebrows creasing in curiosity, “Why— you know what, I don’t care.” He started and ended just as quickly. “Has she been acting… weird lately?”
Evie took a minute before responding matter-of-factly, “We’re all acting weird, she let them dye her hair in the most atrocious platinum color I’ve ever seen.” She’d never look at Mal the same way again, “Though it’d look better if she’d straightened her hair.” She muttered loudly.
“I’m thinking more along the lines of her leaving at random times and showing up hours later.” Was he serious? Mal did that even when they lived on the Isle. She learned not to ask questions a long time ago, but Carlos wasn’t very observant with things- or people- that didn’t call his attention. He barely spent the nights with them before, and even if he had, he had zero interest in what Mal did on her own time. Evie just assumed it was angry painting where no one could see her. That or practicing spells that could never work away from their judging eyes incase of failure.
“She’s probably with Ben trying to keep up appearances. We need him on our good side otherwise it’s bye-bye Auradon.” But that didn’t mean she had to help Carlos get to that conclusion. But if Mal was too busy dealing with whatever plot Carlos was stirring, she’d have less time to deal with Evie. Huh, suddenly she had a whole new objective tonight.
“Would that really be so bad?” He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Oh, so you want to go back and face the wrath of our collective enemies who’ll end up believing we’re (word for impostors, fakes, hazbins?)? Mal might be annoying but she’s right, our reputations will be dust if we go back without any (word for help or advantage, something in their back pocket)”
Carlos trained his eyes on her once more. Carlos bore his eyes into hers, staring at her deeply as though long enough and he’d be able to dig up whatever she was thinking. “What do you know?” He asked.
“What?” She asked, puzzled.
“You’re her roommate, you see her more than the rest of us, what do you know about what she’s been up to?”
“Carlos…” She reached out to grip his upper arm. If it looked condecending— good, that was her intention, “I think you’ve been bored too long. You should find a new hobby that isn’t tied to conspiracies.” It was not a good look on him, he never cared what any of them did before. Why now and with Mal? She droped her arm, “Maybe go back to pulling wings off flies like when you were a baby.” She didn’t actually know what he was like as a baby— but Horace and Jasper were loud gossips.
Unaffected, he was still persistent, “You know something.”
“I know you’re wasting my time and ruining my party with questions you could easily be interrogating Mal for instead of me. And even if I did know, I probably wouldn’t tell you, because this?” She gestures all over him, from his almost-snarling pout, to his tense shoulders, and his right hand itching to pull out a hidden blade. She had no idea if his hunch had any real merit to it, but either way she had to hand it to Mal, “This has to be the most satisfying thing I’ve ever seen. You’re stumped. You hate not knowing. She left you in the dark,” she laughed at her own joke, “I’ll probably kiss Mal the next time I see her.”
“Keep her secrets, witch.”
“Only my own, devil boy.”
