Page 139 of Accomplice to the Villain

A third clang, and Becky knew there would not be a fourth as the grate flew off and out came the male guvre, his scales glittering the rainbow sheen of Rennedawn, of Fate.

Becky expected the animal to take to the skies at its newfound freedom, but instead he clomped over to them, his serpentlike body slithering with each step. Becky stumbled back, hand extended in front of Lyssa as the guards charged the animal with spears and weapons at the ready.

Lyssa spotted them before Becky could block the scene from her view. “No! You can’t do that!” the little girl cried, sprinting toward the guvre like her life depended on it. Becky chased after her at the same speed.

But she was too late. The guvre opened his mouth, letting loose a breath of purple mist—mist that was heading right for Lyssa.

“No!” Becky screamed, helpless as the mist enveloped Lyssa, surrounding her as she yelped in fear. It would kill her. And Becky would never forgive herself. The rest of her life would be haunted by all the ways she could’ve prevented this.

And just as she felt deep in her soul that her heart was breaking, something incredible happened. The animal stopped and calmed, and the mist parted, revealing an unharmed Lyssa, and…she glowed.

A silvery white.

Like a star.

Becky watched, a hand raised to block the brightness from burning her eyes. Her mouth had dried out, and the drops of water that began to fall from the sky did nothing to help it. “Lyssa,” Becky whispered, reaching for her carefully.

The guvre leaned down, bumping Lyssa’s head with his own and lowering a wing, motioning for her to get on.

“NO!” Becky called, going to grab her. “No, Lyssa, you can’t go with him! Don’t.” Without another thought, Becky clambered over the wing, following Lyssa up the guvre’s back. “We must get down, now!” she yelled.

Lyssa shook her head, still glowing, gripping a spike on the guvre’s back. “He needs someone.” The guvre sighed in contentment, and the guards slowly began to lower their weapons.

The guvre’s large, iridescent-scaled head leaned over and looked Becky right in the eye. “Don’t,” Becky begged, recognizing that look. It was a look she’d seen in herself when she ran away from home.

The daring gumption of someone about to take flight.

“Hold on!” Becky screamed as they shot into the air, Lyssa holding tight to the spikes, squealing rather than screaming.

The screaming came from Becky.

The guvre swooped away from the manor and into the cloudy sky, toward gods knew where.

All Becky knew was that wherever the guvre was going…Becky and Lyssa were going, too.

Chapter 71

Evie

It took every ounce of professionalism and willpower she had not to sprint through each room of the house until she found Trystan’s childhood bedroom. There was no guarantee his mother had kept it the same anyhow, especially with the shrewd way she was watching them from her armchair when they entered the room. Like she’d already known Trystan would be a disappointment, like she had been anticipating it.

It made Evie hate her.

“How fortunate.” Amara’s words curled and twisted like a toxic smoke over the room, and Evie had to resist choking. “The Villain and The Wicked Woman, come to visit me. Tell me.” She gestured for the lot of them to take seats. Trays of sandwiches and fruits were laid out in a delicious-looking display. “To what do I owe such an honor?”

“I should think you’d find no honor in visits from me, Mother,” Trystan muttered, inspecting a sandwich, turning it upside down.

“What are you doing?” Amara snapped.

“Wondering what kind of poison you used,” Trystan said casually, leaning back in a careless pose. Morphing into a different person. A truly hateful one.

“I don’t make it a habit of poisoning guests, believe it or not.”

“Just your children, then,” Tatianna quipped, placing herself between Trystan and Amara. “Hello, Amara. Still have that stick up your butt?”

“Tatianna. Charming as always.” Amara rolled her eyes disdainfully. “A wonder you let such a catch go, Clarissa.”

“Amara,” Arthur rasped. “You promised.”