Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain Book 3)

Gideon

Gideon wasn’t certain his old friend at the Valiant Guard barracks could be trusted, but it would indeed be a boon to their scheme if they had someone to aid them on the inside.

If they were to have any chance of stealing back the female guvre, Gideon would need to provide a map of the place, but a map was fruitless if they didn’t know what part of the Gleaming Palace their rescuee resided in…if they had even brought the animal to the Gleaming Palace in the first place.

But that speculation was far too much negativity for so early in the morning. “Good day, Mother.” Gideon peeked his head into his mother’s open chamber door. He’d taken special care to keep an eye on her since her return, and she’d appeared glad for it. Clearly trying to make up an unnecessary debt for “killing him.”

Which she had not actually done, so said debt should be null and void for all intents and purposes. “Gideon, hainasi.” My life. She kissed his cheeks and smiled. “I had such a wonderful day with Lyssa yesterday.”

Gideon’s eyebrows shot up to salute his forehead. “That is rather good news. I do hope the wonderful part began after you nearly burned her like a week’s end roast.”

Their mother’d had a fragility to her when they first reunited, but Gideon had spent the most time with their mother out of all the Sage siblings, and he knew the woman to have a wicked sense of humor.

And because of his mother, he knew how humor could heal a heart.

Her brown eyes twinkled like the star she’d once lived as. “Fortunately, it began later, in the office’s kitchen.”

“Ah, where most good things begin.” He smiled wide but faltered when the door nudged open farther and there stood Captain Keeley, her long braid undone. Gideon had never seen the captain’s hair undone.noveldrama

It did unpleasant things to his stomach. Very…unpleasant indeed.

“Captain, good morning! Come to call on your attempted murderer?”

His mother slapped his shoulder. “Gideon Bernard Sage, that is not funny!”

Keeley snorted as she hobbled in, and Gideon took his censure as well as he was able, dragging a chair from the corner of the room for her to sit. She didn’t look at him as she took the seat, wincing in a way that made Gideon feel so useless he wanted to do bodily harm to the nearest throwable object out of frustration.

“I received your note, Mistress Sage.” Note? What note?

His mother smiled and knelt before Keeley as if the captain was a queen and his mother a humble subject. “I am so appreciative that you are willing to see me at all after yesterday and allow me an opportunity to apologize.”

Keeley’s lips curved up, and Gideon ignored what that small movement did to the organ in his chest. “Let me assure you I hold no ill will. I’ve been in business with The Villain for many years, and this is hardly the first time I’ve been hurt.” She placed a hand atop his mother’s. “It is merely the first time I’ve been hurt by accident.”

“Regardless. You protected Lyssa,” Nura said gratefully, holding a hand to her chest.

Keeley shook her head, bowing it in deference, but Gideon didn’t miss the haunted look in the captain’s eyes. “Children should always be protected above all else. I did no great service other than what all adults should strive to do.”

Nura smiled, but it faltered as Lyssa appeared at the door, looking more than a little reluctant. “Lyssa. Good morning, my sweet.”

Lyssa wore a small grin as she entered the room, but when she spotted Keeley, she lost all inhibition, running over and throwing her little arms around the guard. “I’m so happy you’re not dead, Keeley!”

Keeley froze for a moment before her rosy lips pulled all the way up into a full grin that almost knocked Gideon into the wall.

“My thoughts exactly.” Keeley laughed.

Lyssa gaped at the long gold hair cascading all the way down Keeley’s shoulders and descending to near the floor; she ran a finger over it. Gideon tried to swallow his jealousy at the ease in which his little sister touched it. “Your hair is so pretty!”

It would be creepy if Gideon tried it.

Which, unfortunately, did not mean he didn’t want to.

Keeley pulled a few strands between her fingers. “It’s a hassle most days, but it’s mine.” There was a meaning behind that statement that Gideon could not decipher, and before he could make any attempts, Lyssa was already talking Nura into a frenzy before pulling her from the room.

Keeley looked after them wistfully, like she could soak up some of that joy just by looking at it. “Where are they headed, sir knight?”

His nickname made him annoyingly buoyant. “The kitchen, likely. It appears to be the most effective way to Lyssa’s heart.”

Keeley laughed into her hand, and she glowed like a sun that wouldn’t burn him to a crisp but would instead warm him from the inside out. “She has good taste. Any of Edwin’s treats would crack through the hardest of shells.”

Gideon sobered for a moment. “You heard what happened with Edwin yesterday, yes?” Gideon had been as insistent as Tatianna that Keeley rest, but he didn’t think it right to keep things from her.

Keeley went rigid. “Yes, I heard. Truly awful. Who would tie our chef up with rope?”

Before Gideon could answer, she stood abruptly, and though he felt flustered at her fast reaction, Gideon reached his hands out to catch her if needed.

“Well. I hope they sort it out soon,” Keeley said, starting to hobble out the door.

“Yes, of course. I as well,” Gideon mumbled as he watched her go.

Once she had left, Gideon remained there, something about the exchange not sitting right with him. It was only after minutes had passed that he realized, with a sinking stone in his stomach, what it was.

The Villain had suggested they tell no one about Edwin being tied up with rope, fearful the information would make its way to Lyssa.

Keeley shouldn’t have known that.

She was hiding something.