Chapter 17
Evie
“Where is my sister?” Evie yelled, panic climbing up her throat as she shoved past Gideon, who’d found her in one of the high towers from which ravens were dispatched.
Now she was tearing down the hallway, the dim candlelight flickering with another boom of thunder. “Lyssa!” she screamed, her eyes burning, her limbs shaking with the need to move, to do something. “Where is she?”
Gideon surged around the corner, hair mussed, eyes wide, chest moving rapidly. “You’re sure she’s missing? Perhaps she ran off when the lights went out because she was frightened.”
Pain speared through her, the dark mist falling from her fingers in wisps of smoke, surrounding her legs.
Part of it came up to pat her back in comfort, but she merely gawked at it before shaking her head and giving Gideon a look of pure misery. “Lyssa isn’t afraid of the dark.”
Gideon blew out a breath and walked straight through the black mist, not paying it any mind when he folded Evie into a hug. “We’ll find her, Eve. It will be all right; you’re not doing this by yourself anymore, I promise you.”
Her eyes burned, and she returned the hug, feeling the warmth that only came from a brother. “Thank you, Gideon. I’m sorry for snapping at you— Well, I’m not sorry, actually, but I’m glad you’re here.”
Gideon pushed her away with a chuckle and a clearing of his throat. “Oh, sis. I promise you that I always deserve it. Okay, that’s enough of that. Did you look up in the offices yet?”
“And in our chambers.” Evie sniffed, rubbing her eyes, trying to clear her racing thoughts enough to be rational. She was no good to Lyssa if she couldn’t keep her head on straight.
Or at least a touch less crooked. “Someone took her—I can feel it. She’s scared somewhere, and I wasn’t even there! I was—”
“You were sending a letter by raven after nearly taking a walk over the literal edge. It wasn’t a grievous offense,” Trystan said, dryly interrupting their conversation with a grim set to his mouth.
“I checked on Marv. He remains chained to a chair in Tatianna’s quarters. Roland attested that he hadn’t moved.”
Gideon’s eyebrows flew to his forehead. “What is Roland doing in there with Marv?”
“I believe it’s called wooing,” Trystan said with such earnestness, a pressure released in Evie’s chest. “Wait a moment.” Trystan pulled a book from the pocket of his black cloak, flipping through the pages so rapidly, Evie nearly didn’t catch it.
But when she did—
“Yes. On page ten, the author—” Trystan started.
Evie yelped like someone had just nudged her with a hot poker. “You’re—” She gaped at him as he stared down at her, perplexed. “You’re reading The Cunning Corset Society?”
If she wasn’t so worried about Lyssa, she’d expire from the shock. Trystan looked perturbed by her astonishment, holding the book a bit closer—like she was going to attempt to snatch it from him.
The absurd picture of it all was enough to fell a horse.
“I’m finding it an interesting study on human behavior, and the descriptions are interesting.”
Evie knew The Cunning Corset Society well enough to understand what sorts of “descriptions” he was about to get into when he reached chapter six. She let out an ungodly noise before wringing her hands. “My brain will explode over this later. Put a bookmark in it.”
Trystan looked at her, aghast. “I always use a bookmark. I’m a villain, not a delinquent. Why, what do you do?”
Evie sighed, then yelled Lyssa’s name again, searching through empty hallway closet after empty hallway closet. “I was being metaphorical, but I dog-ear the pages.”
Trystan narrowed his eyes. “You are definitely the kingdom’s doom. I stand corrected.”
“Trystan!” Evie slapped his arm, trying to remember this moment for when her sister was found and she could truly revel in it.
The magic now appeared to have a mind of its own, lightly shoving Trystan until he stumbled into the wall.
“No! Oops. Sorry.” Her fingers touched her mouth when he came away with a bloody nose. “Oh dear.”
“Never mind it.” He smirked, pulling a handkerchief the same color as her skirt out to absorb it. “Good shot.”
Gideon had been quietly trailing behind them, doing his own searching, pretending not to listen before making his escape. “I’m going to search a few floors up. Come get me when you find her.”
Evie’s fear subsided for the time it took for her to blink, but then her eyes flew back open.
Because several Malevolent Guards stood outside the dungeon, murmuring.
“What is it?” Evie approached them, and they all straightened at her question, looking to her like she was the one who signed their paychecks.
It was an offense to office hierarchy, she was sure, but when she stared sidelong at Trystan, all she saw was pride in his eyes and a gentlemanly nod of encouragement.
“Ms. Sage.” Min, a guard she knew well, stepped forward. “We are at an impasse.”
“Of what nature?” she asked, wondering why they all kept sending worried glances toward the locked doors.
Min swallowed. “We secured the dungeon at all possible points of exit, in case the magical locks failed and the prisoners were set free. But when the lightning struck, it must have set something in motion…because it’s no longer a hypothetical. The locks have failed.”
Trystan gripped his sword at his waist, his dark eyes turning lethal. “Where are the other guards, the ones who were posted inside?”
Another Malevolent Guard stepped forward, his helmet in his hands, a forlorn look upon his face. “We were just discussing that, sir.”
“What is there to discuss? Open the damn door!” Trystan’s face reddened, a vein bulging in his neck from the stress.
“It isn’t that simple.” Keeley appeared, a bit disheveled but just as calm as usual. “If we open those doors, we have no idea what’s going to be on the other side. We need a strategy to ensure none of the prisoners escape—”
“Evie!” The voice on the other side was muffled by the thickness of the wooden door. But Evie knew it anyway.
“Lyssa!” she screamed, banging on the door until her hands stung.
“Evie, help me! I’m scared!”
Oh gods. Oh gods.
Her stomach lurched, her heart throbbing so painfully, she cried out against it ravaging her chest. She would not lose her sister. She would not. “Open it! Please!”
Keeley began to speak, but the words were muffled as the mist surrounded her, blocking out the others. They all shied away, but she heard Keeley cry out, “Wait! We have to make sure nobody—”
It was too late. Her magic glimmered, ramming into the door so hard, she felt it in her body like a battering ram. The door cracked against the force, splitting in half before it collapsed, revealing who was on the other side.
It wasn’t Lyssa.
The magic clenched her stomach, fear gripping her when Evie saw what stood before them.
A bunny rabbit.
An obscenely cute…bunny rabbit.
“Oh gods…” Evie whispered, taking a careful step forward, hearing alarmed murmurs behind her from the Malevolent Guards. Tears burned her eyes as she gazed down upon the animal, horror taking over her rational mind. “Lyssa?” Evie asked the creature brokenly.
“Yes?” Lyssa whispered from behind her. Right behind her. Not from inside the dungeons. And nowhere near the bunny. So naturally, she screamed, tripping over her skirt and falling onto her arse.
“Lyssa! Dear gods, where have you been? Why did you run off?” Evie asked.
“I saw Kingsley!” Lyssa said, glancing side to side, her eyes widening when she realized the ruckus she’d caused. “Or at least I thought I did. I chased him all the way downstairs, but I couldn’t catch up to him.”
Evie didn’t have time to reprimand her—not before Trystan was kneeling on the floor, pulling her little sister in for a hug, clutching the back of her head, whispering, “Thank the gods you’re all right.”
Lyssa’s face appeared over his shoulder, wide-eyed, mouthing to Evie, What’s happening?
Evie flailed her arms back, as if to say, I don’t know!
“Prince Trystan? Were you fearful I had turned into that bunny?” Lyssa asked, the words slightly muffled by the force of his hug.
He flinched at the title Lyssa had just bequeathed upon him, but his face stayed soft and overcome with relief.
“I’d like to declare a new rule of villainy.
Villains do not turn into animals. Under any circumstances.
” He waved a stern finger in her face, and Evie felt so happy she had to clutch the wall to hold herself up.
Lyssa giggled and nodded, then turned to look at the open door and frowned. “It’s still there.”
Evie spun to see that yes, the bunny still sat there, its nose twitching in a way that didn’t seem quite natural. “I swore it—it sounded like your voice.”
“Sir, it’s the Silk!” Keeley’s eyes widened as she bellowed in alarm, unsheathing her weapon and running for the rabbit, but it transformed, spinning into a large monster. Tentacles lurched out in every direction, swiping at the Malevolent Guards, slamming them into the walls.
Evie grabbed Lyssa, and then Trystan grabbed Evie, clutching her waist and moving them with swiftness to the wall, all of them dropping onto their knees.
“What”—she screamed, a tentacle swinging down as she rolled away, clutching Lyssa to her like a lifeline—“in the gods’ name is a Silk?”
“They’re a myth!” Trystan bellowed, falling away from the swing of another black tentacle.
“Oh, wonderful!” Evie yelped, pressing herself tightly to the wall to avoid its flailing, shoving Lyssa out of harm’s way. “Tell the bunny octopus that, won’t you?”
A tug on the back of her dress had her rolling into Trystan’s arms. It would’ve been romantic if they hadn’t been immediately slapped with another tentacle. Evie felt the hit like a brick knocking into her back, and all air escaped her lungs when she hit the ground, Trystan falling just beside her.
An inhuman screech rent the air. “It’s getting away!” Keeley bellowed. “After it!” The rest of the Malevolent Guards followed their captain at a rapid pace, leaving the three of them alone in the abandoned hallway.
“Silks can transform into anything or anyone they come in contact with.” Trystan helped her to her feet before going over to Lyssa, pulling her up with gentle hands. “They’re only dangerous if you don’t have the eye to spot a fraud.”
“Or if they turn into a killer octopus,” Lyssa added earnestly.
“Correct.” Trystan praised her seemingly without even noticing it, like doing so was an everyday occurrence and not an obligation.
If Evie hadn’t already fallen in love with the man ten times over, she may have just done so again.
A rumbling sound halted her—not thunder, nor the creature that had just escaped down the hall—no. No, this was coming from the broken dungeon doors.
It was footsteps. Many. Many. Footsteps.
“The prisoners.” Evie went to the opening, searching for a way to refortify the doors. “No, they’ll—”
“Time to go, Sage.” Trystan scooped her up and ran, with Lyssa keeping pace beside them.
“What’s wrong?” Lyssa panted. “Where are we going?”
“Your chambers,” Trystan said. “Where you will stay locked up until morning, do you understand me? No more running off.”
Lyssa nodded somberly.
As they ran, Trystan didn’t release Evie, carrying her like he was afraid she’d run in the opposite direction if he let go. It gave her a perfect view of his handsome face, devoid of emotion.
“The locks failed,” he stated matter-of-factly. “We’re about to see a large group of individuals.”
He shrugged, then added what would make most mortals crumble in fear.
“And they all want me dead.”