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

Gideon

Gideon Sage awoke tied to a chair in the middle of the office space, staring at the face of a man he never thought he’d see again.

His father.

“Hello, Gideon.” Griffin Sage smiled. “I am happy to see you.”

“Where is Mother?” Gideon pulled at his restraints. “Where is Lyssa?”

Griffin frowned. “I’d hoped for a warmer greeting from my only son.”

“Untie me and hand me that fire poker. I’ll give you one.” Gideon spat at Griffin’s feet and expected his father to retaliate with a fist.

And he might have if Nura Sage, tied up across the room, didn’t call, “Griffin! Don’t! Do not touch him.”noveldrama

“I’m not the one who knocked him out, Nura.” Griffin laughed, rubbing the medallion at his neck—it had been a gift to him from their mother.

“You said if I went with you and helped you escape the Malevolent Guard, you would leave our children in peace,” Nura explained weakly. “I’m sorry, Gideon. I was a fool.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Mother.” Gideon’s heart sank at seeing Nura’s shaking form, but it was much more difficult to tamp down his anger at Griffin for making her that way.

Nura was unconvinced, eyes downcast to the floor. “The dragon escaped, as did the guvre with Rebecka and Lyssa. She’s safe.”

Gideon’s brows shot to his forehead. “Safe?”

“No matter.” Griffin waved a hand. “I need your mother’s aid. Come, Nura.” Griffin reached down for his wife, and she clenched her teeth, a sign of the fight his mother had left.

“I hope my starlight envelops me again, and this time, I hope it takes you with me.” She spat at Griffin’s twisted face. “I hope you turn to ash, Griffin. For all you’ve done to me, to our daughter.”

“What I did to our daughter?” Griffin laughed. “That’s a joke. What about what you did to Evie?”

Nura thrashed in her restraints, dark curls coming loose from their pins. “I never wanted what you did. You tricked me into it. You knew it was the only way I would agree to something so dangerous!”

Gideon interrupted, uncaring if it would get him killed. “What are we talking about? Because it’s rude to knock someone out and then also exclude them from the conversation.”

With careless violence, Griffin threw Gideon’s mother to the ground. “I am through with you all. Unfortunately, your mother carries the magic I need to fulfill my duties to the king, but don’t worry, Gideon.” Reaching one hand down, Gideon’s father placed a strange-looking flower before them. The stem was long, the petals white, and it appeared…two were missing.

The plant beamed, the light growing and expanding until it swallowed his mother.

“No!” Angry tears burned at the corners of Gideon’s vision.

Griffin smirked. “I’ll leave you with what’s left of her.”

The plant screamed.

And then so did Nura.