Assistant to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 15
Overview
Evie arrives at work early and shares a flirtatious, emotionally charged sunrise moment with The Villain before starting her day. While retrieving a book from Blade's quarters, she discovers a letter of employment signed by King Benedict hidden under his desk, suggesting Blade may be the traitor—or at least connected to the king. Before she can process this, someone grabs her from behind and tells her not to scream.
Summary
Evie arrives at the manor well before dawn, having spent her weekend at the village library fruitlessly searching for information on magical ink and explosives. The library's only book on magic proved useless, and its final chapters on controlling magic before it controls you triggered painful memories of her mother, Nura Sage, whose uncontrolled magic destroyed Evie's childhood sense of safety. With her sister Lyssa at a friend's house and her father in good spirits, Evie decides to use the early morning for herself—but her wandering leads her straight to work.
Arriving at the manor around 5:30 a.m., Evie discovers The Villain on the grand balcony watching the sunrise, as he apparently does every morning. She tries to leave without disturbing him, but he detects her. Their exchange is playful and charged: Trystan appears unusually disheveled with a loose shirt, tousled hair, and stubble, and he tells Evie he has never felt "more turned around" than since meeting her—before his dimple appears and he sends her to fetch his cauldron brew.
After delivering his drink, Evie takes her own breakfast in the kitchen, enjoying one of Edwin's new fried-dough confections. She's interrupted by the sounds of the dragon acting up in the back courtyard. She brings Blade a cup of brew and learns the dragon—massive, with purple and green scales—was spooked by a mouse. Blade admits the dragon still can't fly and can only sneeze enough fire to light candles, though he maintains confidence in the creature's progress.
Blade asks Evie to retrieve a book from his quarters. She climbs the spiral staircase to his small room and finds the book, titled Training Magical Beasts: For Novices, which contradicts Blade's claims of elite beast-handling experience. While there, Evie notices a gold paperweight under Blade's desk with a slip of parchment beneath it. The parchment is a letter requesting employment signed by King Benedict—implying Blade may be working for the king. Before Evie can react, a hand closes over her mouth and a voice pleads with her not to scream.
Who Appears
- Evie SageThe Villain's assistant; researches magical ink, discovers a damning letter in Blade's room implicating him with the king.
- Trystan (The Villain)Evie's boss; shares a flirtatious, emotionally revealing sunrise exchange with Evie before sending her for his brew.
- BladeDragon caretaker whose quarters hide a letter of employment from King Benedict; asks Evie to fetch his training book.
- Nura SageEvie's mother, mentioned in memory; her uncontrolled magic destroyed Evie's childhood sense of safety.
- EdwinKitchen worker who created a new fried-dough confection Evie enjoys that morning.