Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1) (55)

Gods, that sounded ridiculous.

“This is the best day of my life.” Sage’s nose scrunched, and she chuckled as she began her little bounce of excitement, like her laughter was going to launch her into the sun. “Why do you need to ‘light the night’?” She mimicked his voice.

Placing one hand on his hip and another against his forehead, Trystan felt exhausted. “I find myself fearful of the dark, particularly when I’m alone or in my bedchamber…or both.”

Sage’s jaw seemed to find the floor again, shocked into silence. Concerning.

Trystan bristled. “Is that a problem?”

“No. Of course it’s not,” she said, amusement dwindling into softness. “How long have you been afraid of the dark?”

“I am not afraid of the dark, Sage. I am The Villain—the dark fears me.” He let his chest puff out to prove his point, which only made her giggle again.

“My apologies, sir,” she said contritely. “How long have you been afraid of the dark…particularly in your bedchamber?” The last part, she deepened her voice again to sound like his.

“Since I was a child,” he admitted but didn’t mention how it had worsened over the years or why. She must have sensed it, though, because she reached out a hand and placed it on his. He stiffened at the touch, the way he always did with human contact, his head whipping down to look at her small hand laying over his.

“I’m afraid of ladybugs,” she said, nodding seriously.

Trystan gawked openly, looking to the ceiling, wondering how on earth he’d gotten here. Apologizing to an employee—badly, he might add—because somehow the conversation had been diverted to insects.

When he didn’t say anything, she added, “The spots scare me.”

“Of course they do,” he said defeatedly. “Sage, I was attempting an apology?”

“Oh, right! Sorry, go on!” She looked embarrassed as she took a step back and gestured her hands forward for him to go on.

Sighing, he continued. “You have done nothing that would indicate to me you are incapable or unworthy of my trust. I overreacted to the letter, and it was very unfair of me—”

She interrupted quickly. “The letter wasn’t—”

“I know,” Trystan said, holding up a hand to stop her. “Blade told me.”

Sage’s mouth pulled down in a frown. “Sir… You didn’t… That is to say, is Blade…?”

“Still breathing.”

“See, the way I’ve seen you torture the men you drag through here, that somehow doesn’t make me feel better,” she said blandly.

“He’s alive, unharmed, and still has a job here.” Trystan didn’t want to continue speaking of his previous mercy, as it made him feel ill. He quickly added, “As do you. If you would like to start over again.”

The already uplifted corners of her mouth pulled up higher, lighting her entire face. It made his rigid limbs feel softer, like she was liquifying his bones. Stepping toward him, Sage held out her hand.

Hesitating just a moment, The Villain clasped Sage’s hand in his.

“My name is Evangelina Sage. A pleasure to meet you. Shall I call you ‘sir’? Or ‘Evil Overlord’?”

Shaking his head, he pulled a grin, and Sage’s eyes darted to his left cheek, looking pleased. The woman was unnaturally obsessed with his dimple. “I will allow either, if you go get me one of those fried things from the kitchen. And a chalice of sugary cauldron brew.”

“Sold!” she screeched, nearly tripping over her own feet to get to the door.

“Sage?” Trystan called, immediately regretting it when she turned, looking at him expectantly. “I just want to understand…why is it that you want my trust in the first place?”

She leaned a hand against her cheek, and one eyebrow rose thoughtfully. “I want to know you, that’s all.”

That’s all? Like that sentence alone wasn’t enough to knock him completely off his axis. Sage disappeared through the doors, and Trystan leaned against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, arms resting on his knees.

I want to know you.

Trystan felt unfettered fear as he sat there, because for the first time in a decade, the idea of that didn’t sound so very bad.

And yet, he somehow knew in his bones she was going to be the death of him eventually.





Chapter 24


Evie


Things were far too quiet.

The last week and a half of work had settled back into its average, steady rhythm. The boss dragging bedraggled men through here by their ears, still for reasons unknown to her. Two imports of weapons and other stolen goods were passed from Roselia to the manor without a single hitch.

Their office informant was slipping.

Evie was enjoying a vanilla drop, standing at the kitchen window she loved so much, which she hadn’t many opportunities to visit as of late. It didn’t hurt that Edwin had just made a fresh batch of fairy cakes, all iced to perfection. She was enjoying catching up until Becky ruined it.

“Must be nice, to act completely unprofessional and be welcomed back like nothing happened.”

Evie’s eyes rolled back in her head. She looked at Becky, who was standing in the doorway, arms crossed.