Descendants Junior Novel (2 page)

“Mom...” Mal said, annoyed at how her mom always had to one-up her.

The henchman trotted off to return the lollipop to the mother of the baby.

“It’s the deets, Mal, that make the difference between mean and
truly evil
,” said Maleficent. She smiled and waved to the grateful mother. She looked back at Mal.
“When I was your age, I was cursing entire kingdoms.” She gestured grandly.

Mal mouthed along:
“Cursing entire kingdoms!”
She rolled her eyes.

“Walk with me,” said Maleficent, putting her hand on her daughter’s shoulder and guiding her forward. “See, I’m just trying to teach you the thing that really
counts: how to be me.”

“I know that,” said Mal, nodding, “and I’ll do better.”

“Oh! There’s news,” said Maleficent, whipping around. “I buried the lede!” She pointed at Mal and her friends. “You four have been chosen to go to a
different
school. In Auradon.”

At these words, Evie, Jay, and Carlos made to bolt, only to be snatched up by Maleficent’s henchmen.

Mal gawked at her mom, eyes widening.

Her friends stopped struggling against their captors.

“What?”
said Mal. “Mom, you have to be joking.”

“Nope!” said Maleficent. “You’ll be joining the bastion of privilege and exclusivity of…Auradon Prep.” The words left a sour-apple taste in her mouth.

“Mom! I’m not going to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses!” said Mal.

“And perfect princes!” said Evie dreamily as she stepped beside Mal.

Mal glared at her.

Evie’s smile vanished. “Ugh!” she said, feigning a look of disgust.

“I don’t do uniforms,” said Jay. “Unless it’s leather. You feelin’ me?” He grinned and tried to high-five a terrified Carlos, who stepped toward
Maleficent.

“I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon,” Carlos said. “Mom said they’re rabid pack animals who eat boys who don’t behave.” He gulped,
unblinking.

Jay snuck up to Carlos and barked in his ear.

Carlos jumped back and Jay laughed.

“Yeah, Mom, we’re not going,” said Mal matter-of-factly. “You are not going to start to see me doing curtsies and book reports.”

“You’re thinking small, punkin’,” said Maleficent. “It’s all about
world domination
!” She licked her lips. Then she turned to her henchmen.
“Knuckleheads!” She turned on her heel, sweeping her cloak, and took off down the empty street, flanked by her devoted thugs. “Mal!” she sang over her shoulder, beckoning
her daughter forth.

Mal and her friends exchanged glances and followed Maleficent.

W
ORLD DOMINATION?
OF COURSE. IT’S ALL MOM EVER TALKS ABOUT.

THAT…AND REVENGE. TYPICAL EVIL OLD MOM. WELL, HERE WE GO!

Maleficent’s tenement apartment sat directly above Bargain Castle.

It was dark, dusty, and dirty—just to Maleficent’s liking. The colored windowpanes were mismatched and blocked out the sun. Lights in green crystals swayed from the high ceiling. The
whole foul place smelled of sulfur. Maleficent, filing her nails, was seated in her tall green throne chair with her feet propped up. Mal and her three friends and their three parents sat around
the apartment, waiting for Maleficent to explain why she had summoned all of them.

The villains had seen better days. Cruella, with her wild black-and-white hair, wore a ratty, nearly bald black-and-white dog-fur coat, which sported a bejeweled stuffed toy Dalmatian head next
to her neck. She stroked it lovingly as if it were alive. Jafar, with his trademark mustache and goatee, was rocking a potbelly, a comb-over, and puffy Sansabelt pants. Evil Queen, a former beauty,
pulled at her cosmetically altered face and stared into a mirror. Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos feared their parents nonetheless.

“You will go,” Maleficent commanded the teens. “You will find the Fairy Godmother and you will bring me back her magic wand.” She blew on her nails. “Easy
peasy.”

“What’s in it for us?” asked Mal.

“Matching thrones,” said Maleficent. “Hers and hers crowns.”

Carlos gestured to his friends. “Um, I—I think she meant
us
.”

Ignoring him, Maleficent tossed her nail file over her shoulder, stood, and beckoned Mal to her. “It’s all about you and me, baby,” she said, leaning in close to Mal. “Do
you enjoy watching innocent people suffer?”

“Well, yeah! I mean, who doesn’t?” said Mal.

“Well, then get me that wand! And you and I can see all that and so much more!” said Maleficent. “And with that wand and my scepter”—she held up her
arms—
“I will be able to bend both good and evil to my will!”

Evil Queen lowered her mirror. “
Our
will,” she said.

Cruella pointed at Evil Queen and nodded.

“
Our
will,
our
will,” Maleficent said, trying to save face. She looked at Mal. “And if you refuse, you’re grounded for the rest of your life,
missy,” she said firmly.

“What?”
cried Mal, distressed. “Mom!”

Maleficent stared into her daughter’s eyes. Mal stared right back at her. The stare intensified. It was a test of power and focus. Mal and her mom did this every so often. Maleficent
always won. Mal tore away her gaze. “Fine, whatever,” Mal said.

“I won,” said Maleficent.

“Malef, relax,” said Evil Queen. “You’re going to pop a vein and that is a look no one can rock.”

Cruella cackled.

“Did her face just move?” Maleficent asked Cruella, pointing at Evil Queen.

Cruella used her thumb and forefinger to indicate “a little bit.”

“Someone alert the media!” said Maleficent.

“Hilarious,” said Evil Queen sarcastically. “Evie! My little Evil-ette in training.”

Evie ran over and sat obediently across the table from her mother.

“You just find yourself a prince with a big castle and a mother-in-law wing,” said Evil Queen.

“And lots and lots of mirrors,” said Evie and her mom in unison.

Evie beamed and clasped her hands.

“No laughing,” her mother told her. “Wrinkles.”

Evie’s smile vanished and she pouted.

Maleficent looked at them and sighed.

“Well, they’re not taking my Carlos,” said Cruella, caressing her son’s head. “I’d miss him too much.”

“Really, Mom?” asked Carlos.

“Yes!” Cruella said. “Who would touch up my roots? Fluff my fur and scrape my bunions off my feet?” She kicked up a leg and Carlos caught her foot in his hand.

He looked miserable. “Maybe a new school wouldn’t be the worst thing....”

“Carlos, they have dogs in Auradon!” said Cruella, stroking his cheek.

Carlos looked petrified and shook his head. “Oh, no! I’m not going!”

“Ugh,” said Maleficent.

“Jay’s not going, either!” said Jafar. “I need him to stock the shelves in my store.” He looked at his son. “What did you score?” he asked him.

Jay laughed and pulled a variety of stolen trinkets—one of the last items being an old lamp—from his vest, sleeve cuffs, and boots and handed them over to Jafar.

“A lamp!” Jafar grabbed it and rubbed it furiously.

“Dad, I already tried,” said Jay, shaking his head.

“Well, Evie’s not going anywhere until we get rid of this unibrow.” Evil Queen eyed Evie, extracted a pair of tweezers, and approached her daughter’s eyebrows.

“Will it hurt?” asked Evie.

“Beauty is pain, darling, beauty is pain,” said Evil Queen as she plucked.

Maleficent addressed the room. “Am I here? Was I speaking? What is
wrong
with you all? People used to cower at the mention of our names! For twenty years,
I
have searched
for a way off this island.”

Evie began to pluck her mother’s eyebrows.

“Ouch!” said Evil Queen.

“For twenty years,” continued Maleficent, “they have robbed us of our
revenge
.”

“Ouch!” said Evil Queen as Evie kept plucking.

“Revenge on Snow White and her horrible little men,” Maleficent told Evil Queen.

“Ouch...” said Evil Queen at Maleficent’s words.

Maleficent turned to Jafar. “Revenge on Aladdin and his bloated Genie!”

Jafar shook his fists.

Maleficent rounded on Cruella. “Revenge on every squeaky Dalmatian that escaped
your
clutches.”

“Oh, but they didn’t get Baby,” said Cruella, stroking the stuffed toy dog head on her vest. “They didn’t get the...” She wheezed maniacally. “They
didn’t get the Baby!”

Jafar locked eyes with Maleficent. “I am with you!”

Maleficent returned the stare. “Who
are
you?” she asked him.

“Jafar? The grand tsar of Agrabah?” he said.

“And I,
Maleficent
, the most evilest of them all...” she said. “I will finally have my revenge on Sleeping Beauty and her relentless prince.” She turned to her
friends. “Villains! Our day has come.” She turned to Evil Queen and nodded at Evie. “E.Q., give her the magic mirror.”

Evil Queen studied her brows in the shards of glass that used to be her magic mirror. “One minute,
s’il vous plaît
,” said Evil Queen, angling her face and
studying her reflection.

“Now!”
said Maleficent.

“Oh, for badness’ sake!” said Evil Queen. “World domination can wait another thirty seconds!” She handed her mirror to Evie.

“
This
is your magic mirror?” asked Evie, sounding disappointed.

“Well,” said Evil Queen, “it ain’t what it used to be. Then again, neither are we!” She gestured to Maleficent, Cruella, and Jafar, and they laughed. “It will
help you find things.”

Evie’s face lit up. “Like a prince!” she said.

“Like my waistline,” said Evil Queen.

“
Like the magic wand!
Hello!” said Maleficent. She looked thoughtful. “I need my book. My spell book. Ah! The safe!” She tried to open the old refrigerator in
her kitchen. “I can’t open it,” she said. “Someone help me! I need to get in! It’s broken! I can’t get in!”

Everyone looked on as she banged the refrigerator until, finally, Evil Queen pulled its handle and the door opened. Maleficent reached in and retrieved the book.

“Ah! My spell book!” she said. “Come, come, darling,” she said to Mal. She lovingly stroked the book’s brown leathery cover, which featured a gold embossed dragon.
“There she is! It doesn’t work here, but it will in Auradon.” She looked at Evil Queen. “Remember when we were spreading evil and ruining lives?” asked Maleficent.

“Like it was yesterday,” said Evil Queen.

The two women started to get teary-eyed.

Maleficent spun to Mal. “And now, you will be making your own memories....” She offered the spell book to Mal, but before Mal could take it, she snatched it away. “By doing
exactly as I tell you,” she said, shoving the spell book into Mal’s arms.

“Door,” Maleficent said to Evil Queen, gesturing to the door.

A horn sounded from the street.

“Let’s get this party started!” said Jay.

“Carlos! Come!” said Cruella.

Evie checked herself out in her mirror.

“Who is the fairest of them all?” Evil Queen asked her.

“Me,” said Evie.

“Ugh!” said Evil Queen.

“You,” said Evie.

“Yes!” said Evil Queen. “Let’s go.”

Jafar pulled Jay aside for a private exchange. “Now recite our mantra.”

“There’s no team in ‘I,’” said Jay.

Jafar smiled. “Run along. You’re making me tear up!”

As everyone filed out of the room, Maleficent threw open the doors and led Mal onto the balcony. They looked over the busy isle streets strung with lights and gazed across the sea. Auradon Prep
could be seen nestled in the majestic green mountains. Mal couldn’t believe that she’d be there, and so soon.

“The future of the free world rests on your shoulders,” said Maleficent. She set a hand on Mal’s shoulder. “Don’t blow it.” She winked and disappeared
inside.

Mal lingered on the balcony, not taking her eyes off Auradon. She was afraid but also excited. She wondered if there was someone on the isle looking back at her.

“Mal!” her mother sang, beckoning her.

Mal headed back inside, but not before giving the tiny dot that was Auradon Prep one last look.

From below, the horn honked again, a reminder that it was time to depart.