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Mal woke up with the rising sun. On the tattered mattress in the corner of the hideout, Evie was draped over Mal like a warm blanket. Mal closed her eyes and inhaled Evie’s morning breath, wishing she could like here until Evie woke up, stroke her hair, and kiss her awake.
Instead, she shoved Evie off, and went out to the balcony. There, she could see most of the eastern half of her territory, from the spray-painted warehouse to the back of Lady Tremaine’s Curl Up And Die. A few strays picked their way through the piles of rags in the streets, but otherwise, it was quiet. No one would be making any moves today. A new shipment of food from the mainland had been dropped off in Uma’s territory. All the major gangs would be making a play for it, and the strays would be waiting to pick up scraps.
As the sun crept into the sky, Mal mentally went over her plan. Uma had numbers on her side, and her crew would be out in full force. Mal’s plan required stealth—she knew Mad Maudie’s gang would be attacking at twilight. While everyone was distracted, she and Evie would sneak in disguised as pirates and take what they needed.
She still wasn’t sure if taking Evie was the right call. Evie had so obviously tried to attach herself to Mal like a pretty little blue barnacle. Constantly following Mal around, telling her how pretty she was, offering to give her makeovers, trying to hold her hand in public or cuddle up after sex. It made Mal look weak. And worse, it was like Evie was constantly wearing a neon sign that said “Want to get to Mal? Please kill me!” She tried her best to shut Evie down, but somehow, it only seemed to make her cling harder. It didn’t help that every time Mal pulled her hand away from Evie’s or brushed off her compliments, she felt sick. Some evil villainess she was, caring so much about her minion’s feelings.
Sometimes, when she saw Harry and Uma together, she felt faint with envy. It was easy for Uma to claim the rattlesnake-ruthless Harry as hers. He would be safe, no matter what. Evie could hold her own in a fight, but she was soft-hearted, and everyone knew it.
“Mal?”
Evie stood up, blanket wrapped around her body.
“You didn’t stay,” she said. Mal could avoid her big brown eyes, but couldn’t escape her wounded voice.
“Why would I?” she said, and kept her eyes fixed on the rising sun. It would hurt, but it was better for Evie in the long run, she reminded herself.
“Oh,” Evie said, softly.
“Get your disguise,” she said shortly. “We’re leaving soon.”
…
Clearly ecstatic that Mal had picked her to go on the mission, Evie had thrown herself into developing the disguises with ferocious intensity. Between the outfits made from black and brown fabric, the hats they could pull over their faces, and the eyeliner, they were barely recognizable.
“Don’t wander off,” Mal whispered as they snuck into the pirates’ camp.
“I wouldn’t,” Evie said, looking put out. “Why’d you ask me to come if you don’t think I can do it?”
“Just focus,” said Mal, waving Evie’s complaints away with one hand.
The boxes were piled in the center, guarded by several bored-looking pirates. Most of the heavy hitters were out fighting Maudie, which meant Evie—who had the less recognizable voice—easily convinced them that they needed to bring as much food as possible to Uma right away. She even convinced them to show her where the best stuff was.
That’s when things went wrong. As Mal was stuffing a slightly dented jar of peanut butter into her sack, she heard a yelp. It was quiet, quickly stifled, and anyone else might have thought maybe it was an animal, or someone fighting far away, and ignored it. But Mal knew immediately that it was Evie. She dropped the jar and ran towards the noise.
Harry Hook had Evie by the throat, pressed against the wall of Ursula’s restaurant.
“Let her go,” Mal growled.
Harry laughed. “Or what?” he said.
Mal lunged at him wildly, too terrified to think about skill or strategy. Harry laughed and parried her easily, slashing a large gash into the right side of Mal’s torso. She gasped and staggered back, ready to attack again. But before she could, two pirates emerged from the shadows and grabbed her by the arms. She struggled against them with all her might, unable to look away from Evie’s terrified eyes.
Harry ran a finger down her cheek. “I don’t think I’ll kill you,” he said conversationally. “Not today. First, I’ll give you something to remember me by.” He tore open the back of Evie’s pirate outfit.
Mal fought against her captors harder, kicking, scratching, biting, anything. Anything to get Evie away from Harry. Even if she had to kill him, even if she had to die, she’d do anything, if she could just get free.
Harry examined Evie’s back for a moment, like an artist considering a canvas. Then, he delicately placed his hook just under Evie’s left shoulder blade and pulled it down, cutting a straight line into her back. Someone wailed like a dying thing, and Mal couldn’t tell who it was, her or Evie.
Slowly, with painstaking care, Harry carved the letter H into Evie’s back. Mal watched the entire time. This was her fault. She didn’t have the right to look away.
…
When Harry had his fill of violence, the pirates deposited them just outside the border between Mal and Uma’s territory. Mal stumbled forward, wincing from the pain in her side, but caught herself before she hit the ground. She went straight for Evie, wrapping her arm around the other girl, and helped her towards the hideout. Evie, seemingly struck dumb by the pain, said nothing, only leaned into Mal.
She wanted to say something, like, “are you okay,” or “I’m sorry,” but her throat, thick with unshed tears, wouldn’t let the words out. She would not cry. She would not. Not even over this.
As soon as she got back to the hideout, she laid Evie down on the floor as gently as she could. After rummaging through the kitchen frantically, she found a cloth, got it wet, sat on the floor, and began cleaning Evie’s wounds.
“Thanks,” Evie murmured into the floor.
“Don’t,” Mal bit out. “This is my fault.”
“Don’t mind,” said Evie. “Just glad you care.”
“Of course I do,” said Mal.
“Wasn’t sure,” said Evie.
Mal took Evie’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m just trying to protect you. That’s all. And I didn’t. Harry must’ve known how much I need you. He wouldn’t have done this otherwise.”
There was silence. Mal wondered if Evie had passed out on the rough wood floor.
“Really?” she said softly.
“Yes, really,” said Mal.
“Everything you said,” Evie said, trailing off.
“I was lying. I’m good at it. I love you,” Mal said tersely.
Evie let out a small, happy sigh and curled up into Mal’s lap.
“Hold still, okay? You’ll get infected,” said Mal, focusing on Evie’s wounds, and not on Evie’s devastating happiness.
“‘m glad this happened,” she said. “I know you care.”
Mal bit the inside of her cheek, hard, until the pain drowned out her guilt. “Don’t say stuff like that. I care, okay? I care, I care, I care. And I’ll make sure you know it. I promise.” She ran a hand through Evie’s hair. Evie leaned into it.
“I love you,” she said. “I love you.”
Unable to hold them back anymore, Mal felt tears running down her cheeks. “I love you too.”