After saying goodbye to Ben, Mal burst out the library doors and crossed campus, weaving her way through a crowd of students rushing out of their classes, and headed to study hall. Evie deployed the emergency-text option sparingly, so Mal knew it was serious. When she finally arrived back at their room, she found Evie sitting on the bed with Arabella, who was sniffling and wiping her eyes.

“Mal! Thank goblins you’re here,” said Evie.

Thank goblins? Things must really be serious if Evie was slipping back into Isle-speak. Mal took a seat across from Arabella and tried to look comforting.

“Tell Mal what you told me,” Evie said to her friend.

Mal thought that maybe Arabella, who was new to Auradon Prep, had some kind of first-year problem. The villain kids all had questions when they’d first arrived too: Was it okay to eat as much food as you could from the refectory? (Jay) Could you take as many classes as you could fit into your schedule—or even take two classes at the same time, if you worked really fast? (Carlos, of course.) Evie had wanted to know if they had to wear uniforms (they didn’t), while Mal’s only question was where she could acquire purple spray paint (the art studio). Although it had to be more serious than that, since Evie’d texted SOS.

“I have a big problem.” Arabella gulped and wiped her eyes. She was shaking. Hmmm. Definitely not the usual freshman drama, thought Mal.

Evie soothed. “Big problems are Mal’s specialty.”

“Okay,” said Arabella. She took a deep breath. “Remember when I went to my grandfather’s reception at the Seaside Festival yesterday?”

Mal nodded.

“So, um, I did something stupid at the party. I took something that wasn’t mine,” said Arabella, still sniffling. “When he wasn’t looking, I swiped my grandfather’s trident. I just wanted to see if I had enough power in me to use it, like my cousins. I just wanted to prove that I’m one of the king’s heirs too, that I could raise the waves like he did. I figured I’d return it right after.”

“Okay, so you took his trident…” Mal tapped her chin with her fingers; she could tell where this story was going already. The girl had gotten into some kind of mischief, obviously, but nothing too hard to untangle or fix.

“But…” said Evie, prompting.

“But it didn’t work out that way,” said Arabella, miserable. “I didn’t just call up some waves. The trident was so powerful that I called up that huge storm. I lost hold of it, and it flew up into the sky—and when it fell, I couldn’t find it. It washed away somewhere!”

“So it’s gone?” asked Mal, shocked. That she hadn’t foreseen, although she was relieved to discover that the Dragon’s Egg hadn’t been the reason behind the storm after all. Even though the talisman was gone forever, she was glad it hadn’t caused any more destruction as the result of her delay in taking it to Fairy Godmother.

“It’s gone.” Arabella nodded.

“Does King Triton know?” Mal asked. She could only imagine the sea king’s rage when he found out. Mal knew all about what happened when powerful beings were bereft of their magical instruments.

Arabella shook her head determinedly. “No. I didn’t tell him. I didn’t tell anyone. I was too scared.”

Mal nodded. “I can imagine.” The sea king’s anger could make the very seas boil with rage.

“But isn’t he going to find out soon? I mean, it is his trident.”

“I told him I put it back in the case, which he’s going to return to the museum tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“So I only have until tomorrow night to get it back,” said Arabella. “Before Grandfather finds out it’s missing.”

“And you haven’t told anybody?”

Arabella shook her head. “My mom would kill me…and so would all my aunts, of course. I saw it shoot into the air, but no one seemed to notice because of the storm.”

“They probably thought it was just lightning,” said Evie.

“So what exactly do you need us to do?” asked Mal.

“Help me find it?” Arabella said weakly.

“We have to help her,” said Evie.

Mal considered it. Arabella should probably tell her family what happened as soon as possible, but Mal understood wanting to take care of something on your own, or with the help of your friends. Speaking of friends in need, Ben was on his way to Northern Wei, and Mal didn’t want to bother him while he was on such an important trip. But she could still rely on the rest of the gang.

“Evie, let’s get the boys,” said Mal.

Arabella’s face lit up with hope. “So you guys will help?”

Mal nodded. “Of course we’ll help. Any friend of Evie’s is a friend of ours.”