Mal’s and Jay’s squabbling voices carried throughout the marketplace, and Evie couldn’t help but overhear. She was at the bazaar for her first-ever shopping trip. Since nothing had befallen Evie for having left the castle and gone to school, Evil Queen was more convinced than ever that Maleficent had forgotten about their banishment, or at least didn’t care that they had returned. Evil Queen was so excited to be back in the village, she was running from storefront to storefront, saying hello to everyone and filling her cart with all sorts of age-defying elixirs and new beauty regimens.
Evie squinted at their faces. Mal was scowling and Jay looked annoyed, as per usual. Was she imagining it, or did she hear them say something about a hole in the magical barrier? The memory of that burst of light that had shot out of Carlos’s invention the night of the party came to her quickly.
“Are you guys talking about a hole in the dome?” she asked, coming up to the two of them.
Mal looked up suspiciously, but when she saw Evie her voice turned thick as honey. “Why, Evie! You’re just the person I’ve been looking for,” she said.
“She is?” Jay asked, confused.
“Yes, she is,” Mal said definitively. “Now, what were you saying about the dome?”
Evie wondered if she should tell them what she knew. She knew she couldn’t trust Mal, and she had an inkling that Jay was behind her missing poison-heart necklace. She hadn’t seen it since the party and suspected he’d lifted it when he’d taken her cloak that evening.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Tell us,” urged Jay, crossing his arms.
“Why should I?” Evie sniffed. Mal had trapped her in a closet! And Jay wasn’t any better, really—the little thief.
“Because,” Jay said. Then he was stumped. “Um. Because if you don’t, Mal will curse you?” he added, even though he didn’t sound convinced himself.
“If you haven’t noticed, there’s no magic on this island,” Evie said huffily.
“Not yet,” said Mal. “But there may be one day.” She took Evie’s arm in hers and whispered, “Look, I know we didn’t start off on the right foot, but I think we should let bygones be bygones. It’s a small island, and we shouldn’t be enemies.”
“Really?”
“Totally,” said Mal with her sweetest smile.
Evie knew Mal wasn’t being sincere, but she was intrigued enough to play along with it.
She was about to tell her what she knew about the dome when Evil Queen burst out of Bits and Bobs, wearing a jet-black velour sweat suit with QUEEN embroidered across her derriere. “Evie! I got some new eye shadow for you! Oh!” she said, when she saw Evie wasn’t alone. “If it isn’t Mal!” she added nervously. “How are you, dear? How’s your mother? Is she here? Is she still mad at me?”
“Uh…” Mal blinked.
Evie wished her mother would stop talking, but of course that was a fruitless wish. Her mother continued to babble on nervously. “Tell your mother to come around and see me sometime. I’d be happy to give her a makeover! I’ve seen her photos in the paper. She’s looking a bit green lately. She needs a stronger foundation,” Evil Queen said.
“I’ll uh, let her know,” Mal said.
“You do that, sweetheart! And if I may say so, your purple hair is fabulous! It really brings out your cheekbones!” Evil Queen gushed.
“Thank you? I guess?” said Mal, who looked distinctly uncomfortable.
Jay laughed. “Take the compliment, Mal. Sorry, Evil Queen, Mal isn’t used to compliments. You know Maleficent has no interest in beauty unless it can be used to glamour someone into doing her will.”
“Right. Let’s go, Evie,” said her mother.
“Oh, can Evie hang out with us?” asked Mal with a syrupy smile. “We were just about to grab a few unhealthy snacks from the Slop Shop.”
Evie was torn. On the one hand, she knew she should stay away from Mal if she wanted to be safe, but on the other, she never got to hang out with kids her age.
Evil Queen nodded. “Sure! I’ll see you at home, sweetie.” As she left, she mouthed, “Reapply your lip gloss!”.
When her mother had disappeared into the crowd, Evie picked up the conversation where they had left off. “You guys want to know about the hole in the dome, or not?”
Mal and Jay exchanged glances. “Of course we do,” they chorused.
Evie shrugged. “Well, something happened the night of the party that may have to do with the dome.”
“Is that right?” asked Mal with a raised eyebrow.
“You need to talk to Carlos,” said Evie. “He knows what happened.” She shivered from the memory, at the bright light that had emanated from that little machine. For a second there, she had worried that they had broken the universe somehow. She still remembered the vibrant, sharp feeling of electricity in the air. It had felt like…magic.
“Carlos? Why? What does he have to do with anything?” Mal demanded as they passed a tent selling colorful scarves, and Jay practiced his parkour by running across the walls and rooftops.
“Because he was the one that did it,” said Evie.
“Did what?”
“Punched a hole in the dome.”
Jay barked a laugh and dropped down next to them. “Yeah, right—as if that little guy can punch anything. Come on, Mal. We’ve got work to do.” He began to turn away.
Evie stared at Mal. Mal stared at Evie.
“I’m not lying,” she said to Mal.