Page 76 of Apprentice to the Villain

She shook her head, skipping up the pebbled path she used to walk every day. “The disguise was merely precautionary. The truth is, I could probably saunter through the village just as I usually am without much notice at all.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“What?” she said as they arrived in front of the door.

“Not noticing you.”

What a delightfully awful thing to say. Was this man trying to kill her?

She yanked open the door and moved inside without looking at him. The door was unlocked, but the cottage seemed for themost part intact. Edna had kept an eye on things. “In any case, I remembered that my mother had a painting of two little girls playing together. I suspect this corner of the frame is from that portrait, and I’m hoping that if we find it, it’ll give us a clue as to where this friend resides.”

He grunted, and when she angled her neck back to look at him, he had a strange glint in his eyes. “Very well. We’ll have to search the house.”

She gave him a wary look, dropping her heels by the door and pulling the scratchy wig from her head. “Yes, I suppose we will…”

Her eyes widened, for suddenly The Villain looked well and truly evil as he said, “Shall we check your childhood bedroom first?” Oh, he was attempting revenge for all the fun they’d made of his pillows.

“No! I can look there; there’s no need for you to— Sir! Trystan!” she screamed as he barreled past her up the stairs.

“It’s only fair, Sage,” he called as he ran. “No need to be embarrassed.”

“I only have one pillow! Why would I be embarrassed?” she screeched, scrambling after him.

He rounded the corner and somehow guessed the first door correctly—because of course he did.

She huffed, out of breath behind him, pulling the tight pins to unravel her hair. The locks glided down her back, cluster by cluster, and when she glanced up, her boss didn’t look amused at all anymore. He looked dangerous.

And they were in her bedroom.

Chapter 45

The Villain

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It was like a repeating jingle in his mind. This was his punishment for trying to be playful—it somehow caused a heavy tension in the room. After everything that had happened, he should have known better than to allow himself and Sage to be alone together in a room with a bed. He had to leave. But when he turned, he saw a sketch sitting on the desk: it was of a man with a high collar and large, dark eyes. It was poorly done, but even Trystan could tell who it was.

“You drew me?” He lifted a brow, a satisfied half smile curling his lips.

She sneered at him, and her face flushed his favorite color as she ripped it from his hands. “Yes, but I forgot to add the horns.”

He grimaced. “Well played.” Then he did a full sweep of the small…not-very-tidy space. Though it was incredibly difficult to see in just the moonlight. “It’s a bit dark—is there a candle?”

She jumped, rushing for the drawer as she pulled the final pin out of her hair. “Yes, of course! I’m so sorry; that was so inconsiderate of me. Are you well?” She fumbled with a match and quickly lit several candles sitting on her windowsill and small side table.

He opened his mouth to ask her why she was apologizing, but then he realized. It had been dark, nearly pitch-black, and hehadn’t even thought about it. Not once. When was the last time that happened?Ten years ago. What was different about him now?

“I’m fine,” he said, even though he really wasn’t. He pulled a gold handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed it down his face before tucking it back into place. “Where shall we look first?” He pulled open a drawer of the cabinet off in the corner.

“Don’t!” she screeched.

But it was too late. He’d opened it and reached in, finding…something silky, with ivory lace. He panicked and chucked it out the open window.

She slammed the drawer shut with her hip, glaring at him. “My undergarments are not going to detonate.”

“One can never be too careful.” He ducked, chuckling, when she lobbed a pillow at him.

Fun—he was having fun with her. That’s what this giddy, elated feeling within his chest was. He kind of hated it almost as much as he was enjoying it, because he knew it had to end eventually.