Page 108 of Accomplice to the Villain

Trystan gaped, staring baldly. “Is that the magic wand?”

Clare nodded, her expression suddenly shuttered, like she’d remembered something terrible. Maybe the fact that Trystan was her brother. “We heard a few guards earlier talking about a set of stairs at the base of the tree. It’s attached to the tree manor. I think it’s best if we make our departure before Fowler gets any more unhinged ideas.”

Trystan tugged on his shoes and took the wand from Tatianna’s outstretched hand, tucking it away into his boot and placing Kingsley atop his shoulder. “Lead the way.”

Together, they moved out of the lovers’ suite, but they halted when they spotted the guard posted just down the hall. Tatianna quickly threw some sort of powder to where the guard stood. They all poked their heads out to watch the man fall until his head cracked against the floor.

Everyone winced, even Trystan.

“Where did you get that?” he asked Tatianna, impressed.

“Lord Fowler’s study had many intriguing items in it,” Tatianna answered cryptically.

“This way,” Clare declared. “It’s off the library.” They made it down the suspiciously quiet corridor before finding a loose panel. Trystan kicked it in to discover a small circular door with rounds and rounds of stairs going down countless floors. Trystan gaped. “That’s too many stairs.”

Sage slapped a palm against her forehead. “You have just as many in the manor!”

“Yes,” Trystan agreed. “But I had the sense to have a magical lift installed.”

An indignant huff escaped Sage’s lips as she began her descent. “You do not have a magical lift.”

“Of course I do. I can’t expect everyone in the office to climb that many flights each day. Stuart in accounting has a bad knee, and Marv has asthma. I’m not nearly that unreasonable—though it’s certainly a goal to aspire to.”

Tatianna pinched his arm, running a finger across her neck, apparently signaling for him to stop, though it was far later than was helpful.

“There’s been a lift this whole time and I didn’t know?” Sage slapped his arm with both hands. “What’s wrong with you! Why didn’t you tell me? Are the stairs some kind of psychological torture?”

Her reaction was odd. He was almost positive he’d told her about the lift on the day of her orientation. He’d showed her the heads first, to get her acclimated, to which she’d just giggled nervously and said something complimentary about his decorating, and then he’d gotten distracted by the way she smiled at him and noticed a beauty mark on her collarbone and—

And that’sit.He hadn’t ever gotten to the lift part. He’d been too distracted by her blasted collarbone freckle.

“I—” He halted, realizing her ire was safer than the truth. “Yes. I thought it would be humorous to not share the information with you. Mwa-ha-ha-ha.” He attempted his most sinister laugh, but that was one facet of villainy he’d never gotten quite right. It came out as stiff as a marionette puppet.

“Oh, Trystan.” Tatianna rubbed a hand against her temple, putting herself between Sage and him before his apprentice could grow violent with her dagger once more.

Step by winding step, they made their way down, and after about an hour, they finally reached the bottom. Shoving aside a large branch, Trystan busted through the opening out into the early dawn air and froze.

For standing on the other side with an insidious smile…

Was Lord Fowler.

Chapter 58

Evie

Evie was still far too frustrated about the lift to care about Lord Fowler. She was tired, she was not wearing any underwear, and worst of all—

She was hungry.

There may be a murder yet.She sent the thought to her dagger. It leaped at her thigh in what Evie interpreted to be excitement, and she cooed at it. “Be calm. You can’t get violent yet,” she whispered and looked up to find everyone watching her with a confounded air.

“Are you speaking to your undergarments, Ms. Sage?”

“Shut it, Fowler,” Trystan seethed.

“No. I’m not wearing any undergarments,” she stated.

“Sage!” Trystan pressed, his dark eyes wild when she caught them.