“Right,” said Evie, sounding doubtful.

“Evie!” Mal said. “What’s the matter? This is the plan.”

“But let’s not go so soon, okay? Can’t we have a little fun at least?” she wheedled, until Mal had to agree. “I promised Doug we’d dance the Heigh-Ho Slide.”

“Does he know about our plan?” Mal asked. She hadn’t forbidden the group to tell anyone, but had assumed they wouldn’t.

“No, I didn’t tell him. I don’t want him to have to lie for me.” Evie straightened her tiara and took a deep breath. “Plus, I don’t want him to worry. As far as he’ll know, I’ll be leaving the dance with a bad stomachache and then I’ll be in my room with the flu all weekend like we agreed.”

“I’m sorry we have to go so soon,” said Mal. “I know how much you love dances. You really do look like—”

“The Fairest?” asked Evie with a cheeky grin.

“Let’s just say every princess at that dance is definitely safe from a huntsman tonight,” said Mal.

“Okay, let’s do this,” said Evie. They linked arms and headed out the door.

The ballroom was festooned with so many balloons that it was hard to see the top of the ceiling. Gold bunting and blue ribbons hung everywhere.

“It’s perfect.” Evie sighed.

“That is a whole lot of balloons,” Mal said.

“You think? I was worried it wouldn’t be enough,” said Evie. “I doubled the order.”

They waved to Lonnie, who was manning the turntables up at the DJ booth. The Auradon tourney team trooped in, handsome in their formal wear, and Jay and Carlos found them, exuberant and smiling. They were the stars of the evening, surrounded by a group of admiring friends and teammates, while Chad skulked by the punch. Evie left to dance with Doug, and Jay and Carlos headed for the buffet tables. Mal picked at her food and checked the clock. She was impatient to get going and was relieved when it was finally time to gather up her team.

She elbowed Jay, and he reluctantly put down the plate of desserts he was holding.

“Let’s go,” she said. “I’ll grab Evie, you get Carlos, and we’ll meet you at the car.”

Mal felt her stomach flip as they set their plan in motion. Sure, she had faced down Maleficent and won once before. But who knew what kind of darkness awaited them this time? Alas, there was only one way to find out.

Carlos had never thought of himself as much of a dancer, but during the celebration after Maleficent’s defeat, when all of Auradon had danced on the school steps, he’d enjoyed shaking a leg with the group. Who knew he had it in him? And he was enjoying dancing with Jane, who looked pretty with her hair back to its original color and neat style instead of the long, glossy mane Mal’s spell had created. Carlos thought Jane’s normal hair suited her better. Some people didn’t really need makeovers, just more confidence.

He was spinning her around when Jay tapped on his shoulder. “Uh, I’m headed out,” Jay said. “I’m not feeling too well. What about you?”

Carlos was about to say he felt great when he remembered the plan. “Right! I, uh, I’m not feeling well either. Sorry, Jane.” He clutched his middle and pretended to double up in pain.

“Oh!” she said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I think I just have to lie down now,” he said. “Thanks for the dance.”

“No, thank you!” said Jane, a little wistfully.

Carlos crouch-walked out of the ballroom with Jay, who also made a show of looking ill. When they were outside the building, they straightened up and broke into a run toward the parking lot. They could still hear the music wafting from the dance as they made their way noiselessly across campus. They stopped uneasily when the ground rolled beneath them with a little tremor, but it faded away and they kept going.

Jay placed a chauffeur’s cap on his head and Carlos stuck in a fake earpiece. Since they were both already wearing black suits, Evie decided that was all they needed to complete the disguise as driver and bodyguard to the royal princesses. Now all they could hope for was that no one who saw them would know that Audrey and Lonnie were still at the dance.

They found the limousine, which had Auradon flags on each side of the hood. Jay removed the keys from his pocket and unlocked the car doors. He got in on the driver’s side and Carlos climbed into the passenger seat.

“Bridge remote?” asked Jay.

“Check,” said Carlos. “Found it in the glove compartment.”

There was a rustle of skirts from behind them, and the girls appeared out of the darkness. Mal had spelled their hair so that from far away, she and Evie really looked like Audrey and Lonnie. Actually, the disguise was so good that Carlos almost had a little panic attack thinking the real princesses were headed their way.

Mal opened the back door and they climbed in. “Hurry,” she said. “We need to get there before midnight.”

“Your chariot awaits, my ladies,” joked Jay, who revved up the engine.

“Um, Jay? Where did you learn to drive?” Evie asked, peeking out from the partition that separated the front of the car from the back.

“Street rats!” Jay cursed, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. “I was hoping you’d forget that I don’t, technically, know how.”

“Oh, for fur’s sake,” said Carlos. “Switch places.”

“Carlos, you know how to drive?” asked Mal, impressed. “How?”

“I taught myself,” Carlos said. “My mom has a car, remember? She would make me drive her to the Queen of Hearts’s salon all the time.” He placed the chauffeur’s cap on his head and handed Jay the earpiece.

“Thank goodness!” said Evie.

“I don’t think goodness had anything to do with it, actually,” said Carlos with a smile. He eased the long car out of the parking lot. “Hey, if there’s any candy back there, you guys have to share.”

Mal threw him a huge lollipop that bonked him on the head, and they were off.

They had only traveled a few feet and hadn’t even left the school grounds when a flood of light covered the darkened driveway, and the limousine had to stop in its tracks. Mal squinted against the light to try to see who was blocking their way.