Page 85 of Accomplice to the Villain

Roland called from a distance, “Rebecka, say yes or our grandmother will never forgive you.”

Blade looked at her pointedly. “We don’t want to disappoint your grandmother.”

Becky nodded, tugging him to his feet and shocking him by leaning up on her toes and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “No, we can’t have that, can we.”

“You have to put weights in my shoes,” Blade said absently.

“What?” Rebecka looked down, then back up at him. “Why?”

“I’m going to float away,” he said, touching the spot on his cheek her lips had brushed.

She shoved him with another laugh, which made the shove more than worth it.

The moment was one of the most—if notthemost—perfect moments of Blade’s life.

Until a familiar piercing scream shattered the spell.

That cast a slight pall over it.

The two separated to bring their hands up to their ears. Blade recognized it almost immediately.

“Gods, is that—”

Roland ran to them, his face pinched and angry. “Rebecka, let me explain before anything else is said.”

Several Malevolent Guards stormed from the manor, Marv among them, holding a strange-looking plant: long-stemmed and…screaming.

Rebecka gaped at it. “Is that—” She brought a hand to her lips. “Is that the memory plant?” The memory plant that had absorbed Nura Sage’s screams as she transformed into a star. The same plant that Rebecka’s mother had intended to use to suck Becky’s magic out from under her skin to give over to Benedict in exchange for a cure for the Mystic Illness.

“We found it in your brother’s bedchamber, Ms. Erring,” Marv said, sounding apologetic as he delivered the news, and the other guards grabbed Roland by both arms to restrain him.

“Bex, I swear it isn’t what it appears!” Roland yelled, thrashing so hard his glasses fell from his face.

Blade’s heart clenched unpleasantly in his chest when Becky knelt to pick them up and put them back atop her older brother’s nose. “You told me I could trust you.” A tear ran down her cheek, and that alone was grounds for him to flay the skin from her brother’s bones. “You came to take my magic from me?”

Roland shook his head. “No, Rebecka, you don’t understand—let me explain. Please.” The guards began to drag him away, leaving the screaming plant behind, Becky just staring at it.

“Wait!” she called. The guards halted, and Roland exhaled, relieved. She continued without looking at her brother. “Make sure the cell is clean.”

“No, Rebecka!” Roland yelled as the Malevolent Guards dragged her brother away.

Blade had his arms around her before her knees could hit the ground.

Her body shook with heaving sobs. “I shouldn’t have trusted him,” she said, gripping Blade’s shoulders like a lifeline.

That feeling in his chest returned, and this time, it didn’t go away.

Chapter 46

Evie

Evie wasn’t certain if she should be flattered or mortified at the speed with which the party guests filtered out of the room.

At the prospect of a night alone with The Wicked Woman.

A night alone withher.

Her boss, on the other hand, hadn’t moved an inch. Just stared at her so expressionlessly that a bystander could’ve mistaken him for a statue. In her peripherals, she could see Tatianna dragging Clare from the room, muttering something about finding Kingsley before Trystan lost what was left of his sanity.