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

Gideon

Gideon’s mother was still, chest barely moving. Lifting her gently, he placed her in the bed. Her golden skin was dull, like the life had been pulled from her soul, leaving a living husk.

Griffin was long gone, the strange plant in his possession, along with his mother’s magic, the essence of who she was. “Sir knight!” Keeley yelled, slamming a hip against the door until she fell through, blade raised. “What happened?”

“Griffin Sage,” Gideon said hollowly, pulling the covers over his mother before storming for the doors. “Where is Marv?”

“The Malevolent Guards have him in a hold down in the courtyard.” Keeley rushed after him. “Gideon. Gideon!”

“What!” he yelled. “I fucking failed, Keeley. I failed. I failed my sister, I failed my mother—the guvres! You name it, and I will have screwed it up. It’s what I do. I try to make things better, and I only know how to make them worse!”

Keeley hugged him.

Gideon clutched at her like she was the only thing he had left to hold on to.

“You did not fail. The fight’s not over yet,” she said into his neck. She smelled like lemons still, which was ridiculous when she’d been fighting tooth and nail for gods knew how many minutes. “Are you going to give up so easily?”

Her fingers played at the nape of his neck, and he was horrified to find his knees buckling at the sensations spreading all the way from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers. With reluctance and regret, he pulled away from her.

“Marv?”noveldrama

Keeley’s light-gold eyes filled with hate. “Come.”

Together, they went to the courtyard. Gideon surveyed the bodies strewn about, noting that most of them were Valiant Guards, with a few Malevolent Guards. And Marv. On his knees, spiky hair in every direction, and he was pleading.

“I didn’t do this—I swear it!” Marv pleaded, his wide brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I would never do anything to hurt The Villain. You don’t understand—I didn’t have a choice.”

Min, one of the kinder guards, looked hesitant. “Keeley. The ink tattoo we get when we’re inducted. If we betray the boss, it kills us. Yet here he stands.”

Keeley arched a golden brow. “Where is your tattoo?”

Marv shakily lifted his sleeve and showed the swooping pattern of vines around his wrist.

Keeley tugged the sleeve higher, then dragged Marv bodily to the nearest puddle, rubbing his wrist in it. The tattoo remained in place. Impossible.

Marv stared at it in disbelief for a second before ducking his head, and when he lifted it, his eyes were wild, afraid. “I’m telling you I didn’t have a choice! I had to do it—for her! You need to let me go. This isn’t what you think! You’re all in danger!” Marv yelled every possible excuse, and it hurt Gideon to see someone he’d thought was so kind prove to be the very opposite.

Gideon shook his head, just as the rain finally stopped. He looked about the wreckage, wondering to himself if he would ever live a peaceful life when chaos came so readily.

“What do you mean, we’re the ones in danger? Explain,” Keeley said as she yanked him to stand up.

His throat bobbed before he frantically disclosed the plan that even made a few Malevolent Guards’ jaws drop.

And according to Marv…the true danger had yet to come.