Page 127 of Adversary to the Villain
Griffin Sage sniffed, not looking at his daughter like the coward he was. But it wasn’t necessary, because at that moment Winnifred appeared beside King Benedict and dumped the contents of her water pitcher into his lap, drawing everyone’s attention.
Benedict stood up with a cry of outrage. “How dare you, you witch!”
“Enchantress,” Winnifred corrected quietly.
“Apologize to His Majesty for such a careless accident,” Griffin Sage ordered, but Winnifred didn’t cower or cry. She just stared blankly.
“I cannot,” Winnifred started. “For I am not sorry.” Her face lit up when she added, “And it wasn’t an accident.” She informed them of this with no sarcasm.
She was just sharing the truth of her mind.
How unusual.
And dangerous.
“Leave the girl be,” Trystan rumbled, walking to the other side of the table, standing between Winnifred and the two large men looking like they wanted to throw her overboard. “We won’t be negotiating. If this was a ridiculous attempt to rattle me, you’ve failed.”
Benedict shrugged, stepping back until he was flanked by his Valiant Guards. “Did you ever think, Trystan, that you’re not the one I intended to rattle?”
Benedict made to leave the table, walking past all of them, and on his way…
He looked right at Alexander.
Chapter 64
Lyssa
Lyssa Sage always had a story to tell.
Evie often told her that once Lyssa had begun talking at the ripe age of eleven months, she never stopped. Everything was an adventure, everything another way to entertain. She loved the emotions people went through when consuming a story. The tears, the laughter, the swooning, the fear.
Well, she didn’t love the fear.
When the three of them walked into the kitchens, Gideon busied himself with the cauldron brew and Keeley took one of the honey-covered buns Edwin was pulling out of the oven. “Careful, Captain Keeley!” Edwin urged. “They’re hot.”
“Forgive me.” Keeley gave him a bashful smile. “It’s been so long since you’ve made honey buns I forgot myself.” She glanced about the room nervously. “Edwin, have you seen Moira—I mean, um—Fate?”
Edwin gestured toward the door. “She left in a hurry. Said she had to get something. I’m sure she’ll be back in a blink.”
Keeley didn’t seem to believe that, but nodded in understanding, turning her attention to the newcomer walking in.
Joseph the Scholar entered the room, ducking his head through the corridor, and Edwin began nervously fiddling with his glasses. “Did I hear you made honey buns? My favorite.” Joseph smiled fondly, and Lyssa watched Edwin’s cheeks go from his normal blue to indigo. “Did you make these for me?”
“I merely had the ingredients.” Edwin dropped the pan on the stove and turned his attention back to stirring the cauldron brew. “Was there something you needed, Joseph? The kids wanted to speak with me.”
“Kids? I’m captain of The Villain’s guard!” Keeley protested.
“And I’m an adult…technically,” Gideon added.
“I never want to get old. Everyone acts so weird,” Lyssa declared.
Ms. Erring and Blade came into the room next, holding the baby guvres. “What happened to your hair, Gushiken?” Gideon asked, eyebrows high.
“I…napped…too hard.” Blade cleared his throat, and Ms. Erring turned very slowly to stare at him.
“See? That’s weird.” Lyssa felt vindicated. “Edwin, have you seen this handkerchief before?”
Edwin took the cloth in his large hand, staring at it closely. “No, it’s hardly big enough to cover my thumb.” He chuckled, and Lyssa realized how ridiculous this was. As if that scrap of cloth could be at all useful to an ogre, except perhaps as a blanket for a pet mouse.
