Page 159 of Accomplice to the Villain

“It’s true,” Evie pleaded. “Look into his eyes. Can’t you tell? The enchantment Belinda conjured was an entrapment. He’s been stuck like this for ten years, and only she can undo it. Belinda?” Evie asked the enchantress. “Show them. Undo his curse. Give her the wand, Winnifred.”

Belinda was frightened, flinching, but stared up at her daughter with wide, searching eyes. “Winnie?” She took three steps away, and one of the knights pressed an electric rod against her back. She cried out, sinking to the floor.

“Mother!” Winnie rushed to her, handing her the wand. “Do it. Change him.”

Her mother shook her head. “I cannot, Winnie. You don’t understand.”

“You must,” Trystan gritted out. “There is no alternative.”

“Trystan Maverine,” Queen Brina called, then folded her lips inward. “It’s hard to believe that such a sweet, quiet boy would grow up to become one of the most feared men in Rennedawn. In all the continent.”

“It shouldn’t be. I won Most Likely to Do Bad Things at the village school’s graduation,” Trystan said frankly. Evie couldn’t tell if he was joking.

Queen Brina contemplated them all, then the frog in Evie’s grasp. “Prove that this is my son trapped in the body of a frog. Prove it, and I’ll allow the enchantress to go free—after she reverts him into a man.”

Evie smiled, feeling hope. “I have just the way. Sir, a sign?” One was already in her hand before she finished her request. She removed a vase from a pillar, then placed Kingsley atop the marble pedestal so he could be eye level with his parents. “Go on, Kingsley. Show them—show your parents that it’s you.”

There was a surge of sweeping anticipation, the entire room quieting, everyone waiting with bated breath.

But Kingsley did nothing.

“Alexander,” Trystan called, but there was no answer. Just a wide-eyed frog staring back at them, through them. He was blank, no gold left in his eyes—only black. “No,” Trystan bellowed. “No. Alexander, come back. Come backnow.”

But there was no answer. No blinking to awareness, no sudden startled awakening from the magic that had faded in him. There was no Kingsley; there was no prince.

There was only a frog.

“Is he gone?” Clare’s eyes welled with tears. “Is that it? He’s not going to come back this time?”

“I’ve had enough of this farce!” the king cried. “This was a brutality. Dangling the possibility of our son before us and then taking it away. Let it be over.”

“Gavin,” Queen Brina said hesitantly. “Please calm.”

The king looked to the Valiant Guards and the Lily Pad Knights, ignoring the queen’s request. “Kill the enchantress. It is done.”

It was only a second after the order was given, with no time for protests. No time to react. No time to beg or scream or ask kindly that they don’t.

Because in one moment, the enchantress was thrown to the ground, and in the next, she was turned…to stone.

Winnie screamed, and Tatianna wrapped her arms around her, dragging her away. “Don’t look.” This was worse than death. Her mother frozen forever on her knees, with the fear of her final moments displayed for the entire room.

The queen shook her head, like the whole scene was distasteful to her. “Take them away to the dungeons and send missives to King Benedict that we have his Villain in custody.”

One of the Lily Pad Knights ran for the large open doors, but he only made it three feet—

Before the windows above the throne room shattered and a large creature came hurtling through.

Glass flew everywhere. Trystan’s arms fell over Evie’s head, guarding her with his body. A familiar creature landed right in the middle of the room as the Lily Pad Knights scattered, several of them ushering the king and queen to safety.

“I said to go through the front door, Fluffy!” Blade scolded, and Evie was so relieved to hear his voice, she clutched at Trystan’s shirt and cried.

“Evie!” Lyssa was on Fluffy’s back, too, along with Becky, who was looking at the damages like she was going to lose it. Lyssa slid down Fluffy’s wing and ran for Evie, and Evie ran for Lyssa.

When they finally had their arms around each other, Evie squeezed her sister tight. “You saved us, Lyssa.”

There was so much loss in the room, so much they would never get back, but there’d always be this. Her sister, her family—and if Evie had her, there was still a reason to continue.

Lyssa pulled away and tugged a crinkled piece of paper from her pocket. “Second Rule of Villainy. Protect what you love most. No matter the cost.”