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I’ve really started to hate the Isle. Feeling like a shell of my old self, I wander the Isle almost aimlessly, trying to focus on keeping myself under control. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I can’t hurt anyone. That’s why I abandoned my crew in the first place. I don’t want to ever hurt them.
As I turn the corner once again, I can’t help but lean against the wall, groaning under my breath before leaning my head against the hard surface, my body screaming in excruciating pain, begging me to give it something that I’ll never listen to.
I’ve been wandering around for a week. I know I can’t go to the hideout or home to the castle. No one who knows me can know what happened. I just need to be in the shadows for as long as possible.
But I don’t know how much longer I can last. The cravings are getting to the point that I can hardly control them. Maybe I can find some relief in a way that won’t hurt anyone.
I finally pull my head up, gazing around and noticing a red tint over my eyes. Suddenly, it’s like something inside me breaks, and I can’t take it anymore.
I push myself off the wall, scanning around the alleyway, as I can no longer hold myself back. The only thought on my mind is my craving for blood.
I let out a small growl as I stalk forward, my body feeling numb as I try to distance myself from the feeling. I don’t want any emotions tied to this moment. But I don’t see anyone around me, making my stomach growl, and the hunger only gets worse.
My body doesn’t stop moving as I search for anyone around. So, the first person I spot, my mind flees before I rush forward. I can’t even fight it at this point, but I’m so numb that I can hardly tell what’s going on.
Once I reach the person, I manage to sneak up on them from behind. I’m able to pin them to the wall, rushing forward to get close to the back of their neck. But right as I open my mouth to sink onto his neck, I get yanked back. I quickly gasp, my anger bubbling as I fight against whoever has their grip on me.
I let out a subconscious growl, jerking and squirming in the grip. I’m forced against the wall myself, and I struggle to fight the strange yet overwhelming feeling gnawing at my body.
But through the fog of my vision and brain, I finally recognize the familiar face holding me down. How did my crew find me? I know this isn’t a coincidence. It isn’t possible to be.
But despite recognizing Jay in front of me, I still can’t fight the hunger eating at my stomach. I can’t make out what he’s saying as I try to fight against the grip on my shoulders. It takes a few more tries, but he loosens his grip before I finally launch onto the boy.
Without thinking, my lips attach to his neck, feeling around for his pulse point before finding it, sinking my teeth in before the taste fills my mouth, quickly hijacking all control in my body.
The next few minutes are a complete haze in my mind, but as my mind returns to me, I finally manage to pull away. My eyes widen in complete terror, my back hitting the wall as I notice the hazy gaze in Jay’s eyes.
I watch as he stumbles back a little, trying to find his footing. My mind is more present than it has been in weeks. I watch Mal and Carlos run to either side of Jay to place their hands on his shoulders. Did they come out and find me? Did they do this on purpose?
“How are you here? Why are you here?” I whisper as Carlos checks on Jay while Mal just stares at me.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you! Why did you run!” Mal exclaims, her tone as firm as always. Before, I knew better than to challenge her, but now I’ve forced myself to give them space. I no longer feel as connected to the crew. I’m still terrified that I’m going to end up hurting them.
But it looks like I’ve already hurt them. I can’t believe that I just did that.
“Because I didn't want to hurt you guys. And now look what I did!” I cry out, feeling everything picking up, so my body is almost buzzing. For days, all I could think about is how terrified I am to hurt my crew. And seeing the obvious bite marks on Jay’s neck, I realize that now, I have.
But at least I feel more in control of myself now. The hazy, starving feeling is gone, replaced by a paralyzing sense of terror. I want to take off running away from my crew, but they’ve cornered me.
“Okay, you really think we’ve just let you run off without us? We’ve seen you; we just haven’t had the chance to get you until now. But just to let you know, there’s no way we’ll let you go. You’re coming back with us,” Mal states, making me sigh in defeat, still pressing my back against the wall.
“But I don’t want to hurt you guys,” I whisper, making Mal shake her head before reaching out to take my hands, slightly squeezing.
“You’re not going to hurt any of us ever. I can surely promise you that,” Mal assures, making me shake my head before yanking my hands away.
“I just bit Jay! I’ve already hurt you guys!” I exclaim, feeling tears stream down my face. The moment that I completely lost control and bit him, replaying in my mind was like a nightmare. I know I couldn’t control it, but it still feels like my fault.
Jay just chuckles, rubbing his neck from where I bit him. “First off, it didn’t even hurt that much. I thought it would hurt so much more. But second, you know we planned that, right? Like how else would we get you secluded?” Jay explains, making me stare at him in complete shock.
“But why would you want that!” I respond, making Jay shrug again.
“You’re part of the crew. There’s no way in the world we’re just going to leave you behind,” Jay proclaims. Well, that does make me feel a little better. Even though I’m a monster now, they still want to have my back.
“But I’m a monster now…” I whisper, but Mal immediately shakes her head, gripping my arm.
“First, we’re all villains, so we’re already monsters. Second, you seem to forget that I’m literally a dark fairy who’s also a part dragon. Jay’s even half-genie, and you’re still a witch no matter what, so if you’re trying to claim you're a monster because you’re not human, think again,” Mal explains, her voice serious as she refuses to release my arm.
“But you’re not affected by them like I am,” I retort, making Mal roll her eyes as she pulls me towards the hideout with the boys trailing on either side.
“Seriously, don’t even try to play that card. I have uncontrolled power surges as my body can’t produce magic because of the barrier. My eyes glow green when I get upset, and I have a severe allergy to silver. Jay’s got gold cuffs that he was born with that cause him pain more often than not, so you’re not the only one with struggles, Evie. You’re not alone, okay?” Mal assures, making me gaze between her and Jay.
“I completely forgot about that,” I whisper, making Mal softly chuckle.
“Well, they most definitely exist. So you’re staying with us no matter what, got it? You’re part of the crew. That’s not going to change,” Mal assures once again. As much as I can’t believe it, I am thankful that they still want to support me.
“Fine, sure, but at least you don’t have to worry about these cravings that I have to,” I respond because I still think I have it the worst. I can’t even control them when it gets too bad.
“Well, we do now. We’ll figure it out. But to clarify, we’re not letting your cravings get to the point they did today. Carlos’s already started to research vampires, and we’ll take it from there,” Mal states, making my eyes widen.
“How did you know I’m a vampire?” I respond, making Mal roll her eyes.
“Like I said, we’ve been watching you for the whole week. You’ve just made it difficult for us to get to you,” Mal reveals, making me nervously chuckle. I didn’t even realize that they were keeping an eye on me.
“Well, like I said. I was adamant about staying away from practically everyone,” I respond.
“Well, don’t be afraid to come to us next time. I mean it, Evie. Now, come on, let’s just get back to the hideout,” Mal states, making me nod in agreement as Mal finally releases her grip before we keep walking.
But as we walk through the alleyways of the Isle, I gaze over to see something in the darkness, which makes me freeze. After a small dark chuckle, the figures come into the light. Uma gives us a sickening smirk, her boys right behind her.
Without thinking, I take a step forward, knowing that if I have to step in, I will. I know that ever since I turned, I’ve been significantly stronger than before, and I'm probably even able to challenge Jay if I try hard enough.
I know I need to protect my crew no matter what, even after I abandoned them for over a week. I can't let them down again; I've already done enough of that recently.
“What do you want, Uma!” Mal exclaims, gently tugging me back, and Jay gets ready to fight, but I know it might not be enough this time. Gazing behind the pirates, I can tell they have a backup.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t all the core four all together again. What a treat!” Uma starts, her mischievous smirk written on her face. Carlos starts gripping my arm desperately. But I gently push him away, knowing I might need to step in.
“Leave us alone, Uma. We’re busy,” Mal brushes off, trying to make it clear that now’s not the time to mess with us, but not wanting to expose any weakness.
“Busy doing what?” Uma responds with a sly smirk as I notice the pirates starting to surround us in the darkness, but I’m sure it’s difficult for the rest of my crew to see.
I start pulling Mal and Carlos back, knowing we need to get out of here before they can surround us. But while Carlos follows, Mal just pushes back, instead taking a few steps forward.
“Mal!” I growl, trying to leave little room for argument. I know Mal’s our leader, but I need to keep the crew safe. Now’s not the time to fight.
But Mal ignores me right as I see one of the pirates come around us; I can see their figure in the dark. But Mal doesn’t seem to notice, making fear hit me again. I’m so close to stepping in and stopping her.
“None of your business! Now let us through,” Mal tries to walk forward, Jay gently pushing Carlos and me forward, but Mal freezes when she spots the pirates as they start coming into the light surrounding us.
“Mmm, no can do. Sorry, Mal, but after your last bright idea, we’re not going just to let you get away with it,” Uma states, stepping in front of us. I can feel how quick my crew’s heartbeats are, all three pounding in my ears, making me more panicked.
Mal lets out a low sneer, her hands balling into fists. “Uma, now’s not the time! We already have another issue we’re trying to deal with now. Can we just hold this off?” Mal finally begs, making Uma smirk even more.
“Given that you caught us off guard, I don’t think we’ll let you off so easily. Boys!” Uma exclaims before Harry and Gil jump forward, but before either of them can get close, I rush forward, practically hissing as my body heats up.
“Back off!” I snap, making Gil stumble back, but Harry rolls his eyes before continuing to stalk forward. But I don’t back down, keeping myself between Harry and my crew.
“Make me!” Harry snarls, his eyes going wide. I just give him a smirk, stepping forward, watching Harry’s face contort in confusion.
“Trust me, not you or the rest of the pirates need to mess with me now. Our crew got so much more intimidating, and you don’t want to know how!” I snap, making Harry softly chuckle, finally getting in my face.
“Oh, then how so, love? I still think you’re all bark and no bite,” Harry sneers, making me quietly scoff.
“Don’t test me,” I continue to challenge, ready to push Harry back if I have to. Harry lets out a low chuckle, trying to get close to me, but I let out a hiss, watching as his eyes flicker from his anger to shock for a second, making me smirk before stepping back.
I fall back into step with the rest of my crew. Harry walks over to his captain, scowling in confusion. “What’s gotten into her?” he whispers, making me just roll my eyes.
Mal yanks me back before whispering in my ear. “Evie, I know you want to help, but just let me handle this, okay? Let me handle this,” Mal states, making me sigh in desperation.
“But I know I can help. I’m stronger now, Mal. Let me help!” I beg, but Mal firmly shakes her head.
“You’ve already had to go through enough the last week. Let Jay and me handle this. I mean it!” Mal orders, making me finally sigh in defeat as I watch both Mal and Uma unleash their swords. I already know this isn’t going to go well.
I stay quiet, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping a sharp eye on Carlos, as I know I need to protect him. I step back over to him, blocking him from the fight brewing.
“So, what do you even want? Why are you even here?” Mal remarks as she prepares her sword. Uma steps forward, trying to get ready for a fight.
“After your last little prank on our ship, you took my shell necklace! I want it back!” Uma snarls, making Mal just scoff. My eyes widen a little. I remember we pranked Uma’s ship only a few days before I turned. But I was with Jay as we were trying to ransack supplies. I wasn’t with Mal when she was tagging Uma’s room with spray paint.
But why would she steal Uma’s shell necklace, of all things? Uma’s shell necklace means so much to her, like my red heart necklace. That’s too far, but I’m sure it isn’t for Mal. She isn’t afraid to steal anything.
“Hmm, let me think about it,” Mal teases in response, holding up her sword, ready to attack her enemy at a moment's notice.
Uma’s eyes darken even more, and she smirks as she circles the purple-haired girl. She’s clearly not in the mood to mess around. “Give it back; I mean it!” Uma exclaims, making Mal laugh even more, not backing down in the slightest.
As Mal lunges forward at the other pirate, she goes straight into a sword fight. Right when the girls' swords clash, Carlos winces beside me. I even watch as Jay pulls out his own sword as Harry approaches, as he’s also itching for a fight.
Harry and Jay then start breaking into the middle of their own fight, which both Carlos and I are stuck in. My agitation only increases as the metal clashes together, the sound rattling in my ears.
Okay, that’s it! Now’s not the time for us to mess with the pirates. Like Mal already said, we need to get back to the hideout. It doesn’t help that I still feel uneasy after what happened earlier. But I have to threaten the pirates a little to get my point across.
I glance over at Gil, noticing that he doesn’t know what’s going on now that he and Harry failed at grabbing us. He’s just leaving it up to Uma and Harry to do the rest of the hard work. While I have to be careful with the rest of the pirates around, at this point, I’m about to do anything to make the pirates leave.
“Stay here,” I whisper to Carlos, who grips my hand tighter, refusing to let go.
“Don’t leave,” Carlos begs, staring at me with unease and desperation.
“I know what to do. Let me handle this; stay here,” I urge before pulling away and storming over to Gil, reaching out to grab the pirate by the collar and yanking him back.
Without a second thought, my mouth goes straight to Gil’s neck. He lets out a small whine, making me softly smirk. His eyes meet mine for a second. His eyes widen in fear, quickly trying to get out of my grip, but it’s too strong. I let my fangs gaze over his neck, but not too close to puncture the soft flesh. However, with hunger now much more manageable, I keep it under control.
“I suggest you get your crew out of here before you regret it. Like I told Harry, I’m not one to be messed with anymore,” I whisper, feeling a strange tingly feeling throughout my body, right below the surface of my skin.
Gil’s eyes widen in fear, his body going rigid, and I can feel his heart racing. “Uma!” Gil suddenly yells over the sword fighting. Both Uma and Harry freeze, stopping their fighting before staring at their crew member. Mal and Jay both stop as well, making me sigh in relief.
Not wanting Uma and Harry to get suspicious, I pull out my knife to hold it up to his neck, being careful not to hurt him but enough to get my point across. “I thought Mal already made it clear now’s not the time to mess with us. I’ll release him if we agree to do this fight another time,” I finally order, watching as Uma sighs in defeat before putting her sword down, but while Harry steps forward.
I let out a hiss, and Harry stumbles back immediately. Harry retreats back to his captain, quickly hiding behind her. I just softly smirk, proud that I can intimidate the pirates for once.
“Fine. But only because you’re insisting. But this isn’t over. I’m making it clear now,” Uma states, making me chuckle, approaching the teal-haired pirate.
“Deal. What do you say, Mal?” I gaze at the purple-haired daughter of Maleficent, knowing she needs the final say. Surprisingly, she doesn’t seem as mad as I imagine her being now.
“Fine. Two days from now, as dawn breaks. The market, got it?” Mal states, making Uma nod, motioning for her pirates to stand down.
“Got it. But no one hears about this little moment between us, got it? Save it for the actual battle,” Uma orders as the other pirates slip into the shadows except for Harry and Gil, who checking on each other from the side.
“Well, I think both sides need that tonight. See you then, Uma,” I speak up, but keeping an eye on Mal from the side, feeling proud that she hasn’t spoken up yet.
“Agreed,” Mal states before walking over to my side. “Look, I’m not going to go into it too much tonight, but it means a lot that you’re standing down. This stays between us. You have my word.”
Uma gives a small nod before tipping her pirate hat. “I don’t fight fights that aren’t fair. I can tell something’s going on, so get yourselves together and be prepared. Come on,” Uma exclaims before walking back into the shadows with Harry and Gil following behind her.
After the pirates are gone, Mal sighs in relief before turning to me. “While that was crazy, I’ll say I’m proud of you for standing up for us. I had no clue Uma would just show up,” Mal admits as we walk back to the hideout.
“Me neither, but I’m glad she finally stood down. That shows strength, I think,” I clench my fists. “But I’m glad it’s over now. I still feel really off,” I quietly admit, making Mal chuckle, falling into step beside me.
“Yeah, I figured. We have a lot to talk about,” Mal pats me on the back. “At least I’m not the only one whose eyes glow now,” she remarks, making me scowl in confusion.
“What?” I respond, making Mal chuckle even more, squeezing my shoulder.
“Let’s just get back to the hideout. I think we have a long road ahead of us.” I slowly gaze down, starting to feel worse. “But like I said before, we’re going to get through it together. I mean it because we’re a crew, which means we will stick together. You’re stuck with us, Evie, no matter what,” Mal finally assures, giving me a wicked smirk.
“Good. Because I kinda like having you guys around,” I respond, gazing between Mal, Carlos, and Jay, feeling almost thankful for them always having my back.
“Well, good, because we kinda enjoy having you around too,” Jay responds from over my shoulder, making me laugh a little before finally spotting the hideout stairs ahead.
While there’s definitely still a lot of fear inside, I’m starting to get hope that maybe life isn’t going to be so hard now after all. Maybe I don’t have to hide forever. Maybe my crew’s right. I can always trust that they’ll have my back, just like I’ll always have theirs; after all, now that I have turned, maybe I’m starting to get stronger. Maybe I can finally find the chance to stand up for myself. To prove myself to my crew.