CHAPTER 18
"Morning. Got the beach towels," Carlos says as he walks into the kitchen.
"Morning," Jay says back as Evie starts tossing him apples.
"Hey. I really think she's gonna like the cake, you guys," Carlos says as he walks over to it.
"Oh, yeah!" Mandy says in agreement.
"Oh, no. Okay. Who got into Jane's cake?" Carlos yells.
Mal walks outside with her gift for Jane, after changing clothes. Mandy follows her, knowing she needed to talk to her sister. Audrey then appears from a cloud of pink smoke.
"I was hoping you were home," Audrey says as she sees Mal.
"Is this a joke? What are you doing with the crown and the scepter?" Mandy questions her as she looks at Audrey in shock.
"Well, I wanted them, so I took them. And you, of all people should understand that, Mal," Audrey answers her before breathing in the power of the scepter.
"Wait, Audrey, stop! Don't use that," Mal says as she sets the gift down.
"I thought you liked spells," Audrey says causing Mal and Mandy to look at her in shock. Audrey then brings the scepter back close to her.
"Okay, Audrey, you're better..." Mandy starts.
"Quiet!" Audrey yells.
"It's not a toy. It's dangerous," Mal tries.
"I want to be dangerous," Audrey says angrily as she turns back to Mal and Mandy. "My life was perfect until you stole it. And then Auradon turned its back on me. Well, it's time for a little payback." Audrey walks away from the sisters.
"Audrey, wait!" Mal calls out. Audrey then zaps Mal with the scepter.
"You think Ben will love you now, you old hag?" Audrey asks her, seeing as Mal had been changed into an old hag. "You'll pay the price of what you did and so will all of Auradon." Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Celia run outside. "So long, suckers!" Audrey disappears in a cloud of pink smoke. Jay reaches over to help Mal.
"Whoa! You might wanna think of a spell for that," Jay says realizing she had been changed.
"There's no spell that can reverse the curse of the scepter," Mandy says sadly.
"Well, that's a shame," Carlos says.
"Forget about me. Audrey's out for revenge. And all of Auradon is in danger," Mal explains.
"What should we do?" Evie asks her.
"The only thing more powerful than the scepter is Hades' ember," Mandy answers her.
"Oh! Like he's just gonna hand it over, if we went back to the Isle," Jay says sarcastically.
"And no one knows where his lair is," Evie adds.
"I do. I'm his errand rat. I've got the key at my dad's," Celia explains.
"You are coming," Mal tells Celia.
"But I just got here," Celia complains.
"Mal?" Dizzy asks as she and Felicia walk out with the twins. Felicia and Dizzy let out a scream.
"Dizzy, Felicia, stay here to take care of the twins. We'll be right back and everything will be just fine. Go inside," Evie explains before they go back inside. "Guys, go get your stuff."
"How bad is it?" Mal asks Mandy and Evie.
"You age beautifully," Mandy says after she and Evie share a look.
"Now, let's just get you into something fabulous," Evie says with a smile.
"Okay," Mal says.
"Come on," Evie says a she and Mandy walk off with Mal following slowly. Mandy and Evie go back to help Mal. "Okay. Oh, yeah, there we go. Okay. Almost there."