“The boss’s who?” Blade asked, eyebrows raised. Wrapping a muscled arm around Tatianna’s shoulders, Blade leaned in close. “Share with the class—I love gossip.”
“I didn’t come along on this little excursion to be interrogated, only entertained.”
Evie raised her hand in the air. “I’m pretty entertained.” She lowered her hand when she caught the look Tatianna was skewering them with.
They walked into the courtyard, and the excitement was pulsating off Blade in waves. “Wait till you see the progress Fluffy and I have made. Leaps and bounds over everything else we’ve been trying for months.”
Both women stopped short in the entryway, exchanging a look of startled confusion. “Did you say…Fluffy?” Evie asked.
Blade chuckled to himself. “I know, but believe me when I say— Boss!”
Evie’s heart thundered, and she became achingly aware of a formidable presence hovering behind her. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a low voice far too close to her ear. “Are you cutting out in the middle of the workday, you ingrates?” There was no anger behind his voice, just wary exhaustion.
Evie turned to see him standing right behind her, his expression grim, dark circles under his eyes. “Blade has something he wanted us to see.” Pausing, Evie raised a hand and rubbed a finger lightly over one of the dark patches. She and The Villain must have been equally shocked by her boldness because neither of them moved. “Have you been sleeping?”
Tatianna raised a brow, smirking, and Blade seemed to find something very interesting about his shoes.
“Sleep is hardly a concern,” The Villain said, eventually grabbing her hand and pushing it back to her side. She might’ve imagined his fingers lingered on hers a second longer than necessary.
Evie propped a hand on her hip. “You’re not a machine, sir. You can still be your evil, brooding self with a good night’s rest.”
“I don’t know. I think the tired look gives him a menacing edge.” Blade nodded, patting The Villain on the shoulder, then quickly pulling his hand back to his side when he saw the eviscerating look he got as a result.
“I think it just makes him look sleepy,” Tatianna said flatly, angling her head for a better view.
“Can we possibly desist with discussing my nocturnal habits so you three can start explaining why my supposedly respectable employees are away from their posts?” He raised a brow, crossing his arms as he waited for an explanation.
Blade opened his mouth but froze when wind whipped against the back gate. Turning his head, a wide grin split his lips. “Hear that?”
“The weather?” The Villain asked sardonically.
The wind whipped against the door, harsher this time. The rattling caused Tatianna and her to jump—and for The Villain to grab Evie and yank her behind him.
“What in the deadlands was that?” he growled.
Blade strutted to the back gate, sweeping one arm out as though introducing King Benedict. “That, my dear friends, was Fluffy.”
Chapter 25
The Villain
The Villain’s pulse pounded in his ears when he felt Sage’s keen eyes on him. Clearing his throat, he slowly turned to her, but she was already walking past him, arm in arm with Tatianna.
The healer called out with an astonished expression, “Why would you name the poor animal that?”
Blade’s gaze darted to his, and Trystan narrowed his eyes on the man. He better not share— “Oh, it was just the silliest thing I could think of! A bit of revenge for all the trouble he’s caused me.”
And…the perfect example of the exact wrong thing to say. Excellent. He almost wished the man had just admitted Trystan had suggested the name, given the way Sage’s shoulders stiffened.
She released Tatianna’s arm and marched into the courtyard, the healer right at her heels. “How dare you name that poor creature out of spite, Blade Gushiken!” The dragon trainer looked guilty at the reprimand.
Trystan followed behind them, feeling like a unicorn’s ass.
The back courtyard was one of his favorite areas in the manor. The large space was covered in stone, with clumps of grass and plants coming up through the cracks. The stone archways had suffered since the creature had begun to grow, throwing daily fits as he knocked his chained neck into everything around him.
Unlike now, as he realized the creature seemed eerily calm.
Too calm. “Where is his chain?” The Villain asked, trying to keep himself level with the fire-breathing beast—who was staring right into Sage’s eyes, nostrils flaring. Trystan felt his power move over him like a dark cloud, changing his vision so that all he could see were vulnerable kill spots on the dragon’s scaled skin.