“The guvres are doing a thing,” Blade said, giving The Villain a pointed look. “Seemed like they needed some privacy.”
“What sort of thing?” Clare asked.
“An, um—well, they’re reacquainting themselves with each other,” Blade said, waving his hand in a small circle.
“Oh,” Sage said matter-of-factly. “They’re fornicating.”
A strangled sound left Trystan’s mouth as he swung his gaze to Evie’s, his eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline. Her lips were curved into a soft, knowing smile…
Think about it. And die, his mind threatened.
“Fantastic,” Trystan said sarcastically, looking away from Sage. “And you need me there for that…why?”
“I thought you could use your magic to keep the office from crumbling. They’re very…um…enthusiastic.”
His eyes squeezed shut. “I’ll be right there.”
Blade nodded at all three of them, grinning again before disappearing behind the ruined doorway.
Trystan started to follow but stopped short. Without turning around, he said, “Is my assistant still going to be standing when I return?”
“She’s safe with us,” Tatianna assured.
He nodded and kept moving. But when Sage’s screams began again, he wasn’t entirely sure he could keep his power from eviscerating someone until she stopped. He just hoped it wasn’t a guvre. Or Blade.
The dragon trainer chose that moment to give Trystan an encouraging thumbs-up, which was followed by another one of Sage’s screams.
Actually, he did hope it was Blade.
Chapter 51
Evie
“No more.”
“Just one more try,” Evie pleaded. They’d been at this for what felt like hours, but she was growing tantalizingly close to being able to stand while the dagger was within inches of her. A vast improvement, considering when she first started this exercise, she was nothing more than a fetal ball on the ground, nearly swallowing her own tongue.
“We can try it again tomorrow. You need rest,” Tatianna insisted. The daylight was beginning to fade, and the boss still hadn’t returned.
“Yes, I suppose.” Evie smiled sadly. “I better get home. My sister will need dinner, and I want to check on my father.”
“Oh! That reminds me!” Tatianna sprang into action, pulling out jars and tonics from her small cabinet compartments. “I found a new type of pain potion for him in one of my old books! I’ll mix it up for you before you leave. Now, sit and rest for a moment.”
Tatianna turned a knob and ignited the small stove she kept in the corner, the smell of medicinal herbs crowding the tight space.
And Evie smiled lightly, dabbing the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. She was close now to overcoming the pain well enough to use the dagger for its purpose, as a weapon.
Massaging a crick out of her neck, Evie smiled as Clare sat down beside her. The woman was wringing her hands lightly while toeing the ground with her foot.
“I’m sorry you have to go through all of this.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Evie said sincerely. “Bad things happen to good people sometimes.”
Clare nodded, staying silent for a few moments before speaking again. “I’m very stubborn.”
“And not very good at segues, either, apparently,” Evie quipped.
Clare nodded and smiled. “Precisely.” Her laugh sounded like the little bells Evie imagined fairies must sound like when she was younger. “I’m also sorry if I was less than cordial when we first met. I’m not good with new people.”
“Oh.” Ever so eloquent, Evie.
“I was so ashamed. That I had unwittingly helped King Benedict.” Clare looked up and around to Tatianna, who was intensely focused on her task. “I don’t approve of how Trystan conducts his business or his little vendetta. But I hate the king.”
The words made Evie feel a sort of kinship with the woman. She understood complicated family dynamics better than most. “How could you have known?”
“I didn’t realize the man was a Valiant Guard until after he’d signed my purchase log. I didn’t think twice about it. I was distracted that day.” Clare rubbed her eyes. “One of my regulars—the sweetest man—his wife left him. The blue was her favorite, so he always went out of his way to get it. He was overcome when he came in for his regular order, and the knight followed right after.”
“Almost done,” Tatianna called over just as something began to burn. “Shit. Okay, not quite yet.”