Page 151 of Accomplice to the Villain

“How did you know that?” Tatianna asked warily, not looking at Clare, but the two were standing close enough that their arms were touching.

“It’s the enchantress magic,” Winnie explained, seeming to grow even smaller when the attention turned on her. “It tells me things about people sometimes. Like an intuition.”

Evie took two steps toward the barrier, grumbling, “That was alarmingly specific for intuition.”

“It depends on how open the person is, usually.” Winnie shrugged. “The more closed off, the less I can gauge. You, for example.” She pointed to Tatianna. “You grew up in a home with two loving parents, but you’re constantly petrified you’re disappointing them.”

Tatianna clutched invisible pearls. “Ew. Don’t do that.”

Winnie looked at Trystan. “You’re repressed.”

Evie wheezed into the inside of her elbow.

“You both are, actually, in different ways,” Winnie whispered. “You are closed off to feeling, and you hide yours behind smiles, Ms. Sage.”

“Thank you, Winnie!” Evie threw her a thumbs-up.

Winnie blinked. “You’re welcome.” Winnie didn’t seem to have a taste for sarcasm, and that was okay. Kingsley rolled his eyes, and somehow the girl caught the motion.

“And you.” Winnie turned fully on Alexander, suspicion in her gaze. “You are not all that you appear.”

No.

She’ll ruin everything.

“Well,clearlyhe is not all that he appears. He’s a human prince in a frog body. Any one of us could’ve said that.” Trystan straightened his shirt, staring upward, body tense.

“Repressed” was kind.

“Yeeeees,” Winnie responded, drawing the word out, but she was still giving Alexander suspicious sidelong glances. “That must be it.”

Alexander snapped his long tongue at her in rebuke, and she stumbled away, tripping over a log, and the wand stretched, light shooting from it. Suddenly, the glowing barrier opened, revealing lush green forest beyond. Winnie’s lips parted. “Oh. I actually did it.”

Evie began shoving everyone back into the carriage, and Alexander made sure to settle as far from Winnie as possible. There was only one more obstacle between them and the enchantress. And that was getting through the watchmen at Lily Pad Castle.

Homewas Alexander’s echo the whole bumpy ride, until he heard a familiar voice call down to Arthur.

“Good morning, core healer!” a male voice yelled from outside the wagon. They all fell silent, listening intently.

“Good day to you, Sir Allen! I was hoping to be in to see the king and queen.” Arthur was smooth, no hitch in his delivery.

“No can do, milord. Between you and me, they are preparing for the…execution.”

“That is precisely why I need to meet with them, Sir Allen. You see…when executing one with magical origin, there can sometimes be a smell.”

“A smell?”

Winnie looked like an owl as she blinked. “No, there can’t—”

Four hands—well, three hands and one webbed foot—covered her mouth.

“Yes,” Arthur continued. “A horrid smell, one that lingers, and I’m afraid without my assistance, it might migrate into the walls, the furniture.”

“Dear gods. Is it truly that bad?”

“I’m afraid so,” Arthur said gravely.

“I’ll let them know you’re here, then. Sounds horrid.” The clanking of metal could be heard as the gate lifted, and Alexander couldn’t help himself. Peeking out of a small hole in the fabric, he looked at the place that had once been his home. The vines covering the golden gates, the small ponds sprouting water flowers, the children of the court laughing and playing. It was a utopia.