Page 130 of Accomplice to the Villain

One of the crew members began playing a jaunty tune on his harmonica, and two more followed with strange instruments Evie did not recognize. It was a playful and light melody that made her want to twirl in circles.

Folding her hands behind her back, she gave the boss a sly glance. “Well, if you’re so determined to celebrate my birthday, where is my present?”

He leaned away from her, sensing the danger in her question. But somehow it didn’t stop him from settling into a resigned, amused twinkle in his dark eyes. “Anything within my power.”

“Dance with me,” she whispered, like they were conspiring, like they were in one of their morning meetings planning a way for him to mess with Benedict, something specifically malicious.

The night air was pleasant, the breeze combing through her hair, and she smiled fondly at how content she suddenly felt. A few of the crew members were skipping along to the music, whistling, some already lost in their cups. Evie held up a hand expectantly, pouting ever so slightly.

Her boss hated pouting, she knew. She had once seen him nearly rip the lips right off a Valiant Guard during a torture session. Something about the vulnerability of it, Evie wagered to guess. Or perhaps it was just outward displays of emotion in general that discomfited him. No exceptions.

Except for Evie, of course, considering she had been in the middle of a mental breakdown when they met. He hadn’t hated her hysterics then.

In fact, he had hired her.

She pouted harder and with a blinking upward glance.

He held his ground for approximately—Evie had begun to count—1, 2, 3, 4…

“Little tornado,” he grumbled, taking her hand and tugging her toward the makeshift dance floor. “Chaos demon. Siren.”

“Add accomplice to that,” she said cheekily, smiling wide at his eye twitch. “Two promotions within the month. Happy birthday to me.” She laughed, her hand settling on his shoulder, and then his came to rest lightly on her hip. The touch was a perfectly gentlemanly one, but it made her whole body shiver. His fingers tightened against her waist, holding her like she was a lifeline, and her body heated in response, wanting more, wanting him. Everything in her was softening. “I’m just teasing. I know it was a slip of the tongue.”

He spun her then, and when she returned to his arms, their faces were much closer, her lips hovering just below his, his lids growing heavy as he stared. “Evie, I—”

She felt her cheeks burn bright. “Yes?”

His dark gaze was burning her from the inside out. “It wasn’t a slip… Happy birthday.”

She smiled, squeezing his hand. The one around her waist moved to her lower back, tugging subtly closer as she whispered back, “Thank you, Trystan.”

They spun in another circle and another.

A warm glow stayed around him like a beacon of safety…or a clear arrow pointing to her doom. Destiny had seemed to decide he was the latter. But Evie was so tired of people making decisions for her,abouther.

You want to ruin my life, Destiny?

Get in line. I’ll call your number when the rest of my family has finished.

She laughed at her own joke and stepped on Trystan’s toes as a result. He hissed, pulling her tighter against him, and took a stronger lead as he swept her around the boat in smooth turns. “There. You are publicly humiliating me in front of a crew I’ve known since I was six,andyou got to stomp on my toes. I’d say my present ranks at the very top.”

He didn’t stop dancing. Neither did she.

“I do not know. Lyssa’s card last year was hard to beat, plus Tatianna figured it out yesterday and snuck a bottle of wine into my pack.” She ticked each item off on her fingers. “Oh, and Marv packed me a ton of Edwin’s cookies for the road.”

“I do not want to be put up against Marv,” he replied with the smallest hint of offense.

Evie nodded sympathetically. “I wouldn’t, either, if I were you. He’s kicking your ass.”

In a whirlwind, she was spun, the black iridescent glitter skirt blurring in her vision, and then she gasped as she was dipped low. Trystan caught her, his face hovering over hers. Trapped in her sphere as she was trapped in his, an invisible force tugging the two of them closer and closer until—

A whistle broke them apart. She laughed, and he blushed. For a split second, they were not Villain nor Assistant nor Apprentice nor Accomplice. They were Trystan and Evie, exactly as they could’ve been in a different life, with rules that were fair and lives that were without pain, without struggles for power.

For another split second, Evie wanted that life. And in the next, she did not.

Who they were now was what she wanted; who they were now made her breaths easier, her steps lighter, her heart inflating until it felt too big.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, searching for something in her expression that Evie was not sure of.