Page 15 of Accomplice to the Villain

“Worse!”

Tatianna frowned, running a hand down her pink silk skirt. “Ew. A ghoul?”

“No, Ms. Tatianna.” Marv took a deep breath. “It’s King Benedict!”

They were all alert now, Kingsley included, though there was a vague distractedness to his expression Evie reminded herself to look into later.

“What about him, Marv?” The Villain barked.

Marv paled.

“He’s knocking on the front door.”

Chapter 7

The Villain

“Knocking” had been an understatement.

The king and his Valiant Guard were using a catapult to launch large stones past the thorny grove and into the manor’s front entrance. Trystan had a catapult of his own, and if one more person screamed, he was going to start launching the rest of the finance department.

He might do it anyway just for some amusement.

Another stone flew, and then another. “Launch!” Trystan shouted, sweeping his arm down as a pair of Malevolent Guards pulled the lever and let Trystan’s favorite weapons oddity fly. Detonating pumpkins—imbued with the same dark gardening magic that had made the formidable thorny grove. Innocuous, until the tip of the pumpkin was lifted; then it became a rather efficient bomb.

The pumpkins smashed into the flying rocks, creating a flash of red-and-yellow sparks that rivaled fireworks.

“Keeley!” he yelled, sweeping out the office side doors onto the parapet overlooking the front of the manor. The captain of his guard was leveling her gaze outward, assessing. “Launch ten more!”

“We only have three left!”

Trystan’s head whipped around. “That cannot be! We were just given ten barrels of them. What happened to the rest?”

Keeley held up a hand, an undetonated pumpkin in the other, not tearing her golden gaze from what was ahead. “I don’t know! I went down to fetch them, and they were gone.”

He shook his head, frustrated that he didn’t have time to investigate. “How many knights?” Peering over the edge, he lifted his spyglass to see farther. The king sat atop his horse, his fur cape draped around him in regal waves, his crown gleaming so brightly in the sun Trystan had to squint. By his count there were only…six Valiant Guards. “Are the rest hiding beyond the trees?”

Keeley shook her head, her thick braid moving with her. “No, sir. We sent out ravens, even some of the pixies. This is all he brought along.”

“It has to be a trap.” Sage’s voice at his side made him jolt. He glared down angrily at her dark curls. “What?” she asked, her nose scrunching in a way that forced his fool heart to do flip-flops.

“I told you to stay put, little tornado,” he gritted out, though he was unsurprised, of course, that Sage hadn’t obeyed orders.

She leaned over the parapet, using her hand to shade her eyes against the sun. “I’m The Villain’s apprentice. If I’m to learn my trade, I need to observe you in action, Evil Overlord.” It was a reasonable assessment—which pissed him off.

And strangely made his insides warm. Which…pissed him off more.

Another rock came soaring, and Trystan wrapped both hands around Sage’s arms and bodily lifted her away from the edge. The entire manor rattled with the impact. Sage squealed until her feet met the ground again.

“Villain! Do we have your attention?” Benedict’s words echoed, a magical speaking trumpet carrying his voice over the distance. “Or shall we continue?”

Damn it.“Sage, I need my—” But his own magical speaking trumpet was already in his hands, and Sage’s self-satisfied smile made him want to kiss her senseless. Or run as far away from her as he could. He coughed, not looking at her any longer. “Thank you.”

Her light hum told him that she didn’t require his thanks. She knew he needed her, and that seemed to be enough.

Evie Sage is meant to be your downfall, and you her undoing.

He shook away the tainted future hehadto prevent and focused in on the one thing in the world that had never failed him. Villainy. “Is the alternative to your attack having a conversation with you, Benedict?” Trystan called dryly. “Because in that case, the rocks are preferable.”