Page 131 of Adversary to the Villain

He said nothing else, just gently closed the door, and Evie knew she could settle herself, knowing he was on the other side, standing sentry. The wind rushed the porthole, and Evie felt a spark beginning.

Of a very bad idea.

Chapter 66

Becky

When Becky’s eyes opened, there was a bright light shining above her.

Did she die…again?

No. There was supposed to be peace in death, and she was far too irritated. “Lyssa. I know we should encourage you to shine your light, but could you not do it right into my corneas?” Becky squinted to see beyond the little girl casting her starlight over them. The kitchen was not destroyed.

Instead, it was…changed.

The once dingy, worn walls were now vibrant and bright, the stone changed to warmed brown, the walls with bits of ivy growing upon them, small flowers blooming wherever it touched.

Even the stained glass window was changed; everything was brighter. Everything and, it seemed, everyone.

Lyssa dimmed her light a smidge, staring at the room in awe. “Did—I do this?”

The flap of the guvres’ wings as they swooped around outside the window indicated their retreat. It had been foolish of them to think the animals would commit any harm when their young lay inside. But no one could have guessed the extreme room makeover.

“What happened?” Blade sprinted back into the kitchen, sweat glistening on his forehead as he immediately ran to Becky, pulling her into his arms. “I saw them fly up, and I thought— Gods, is this how the boss feels all the time? No wonder he’s so uptight. I want to wrap you in thick cushions.” He stopped his tirade when he took in the rest of the room.

Gideon helped up Keeley, whom he must have grabbed when Lyssa screamed. “The venom should’ve killed us.”

“Ah, but that is where you are wrong, children.” Moira—Fate—appeared at the door, her eyes crinkled in delighted mischief. “With the right people, destruction can become creation.”

Keeley threw her arms in the air. “Have you been hiding in the manor the whole time?”

Moira shrugged, unbothered by the perturbed faces staring her down. “I used to live here. You don’t think I know every nook and cranny to go undetected?”

Lyssa blinked, and Rebecka stepped closer to her, protective against any perceived threat. “The guvres and I…made the kitchen…” Lyssa trailed off, at a loss for the right word. Which, in Rebecka’s opinion, should alarm all of them.

Fate hobbled over to Lyssa, crouching down to face her, eyes twinkling. “Magic. Your starlight and the guvres restored life to this room.”

Rebecka stepped closer still, noting that the once-dull-brown table was a turquoise color, the legs curved and adorned with soft yellow flowers. “This is what the room was supposed to look like, then?”

Fate grinned. “It’s what the whole of the manor was meant to look like. The fading of the magic isn’t new. The world has been dwindling in color since its creation.”

Blade cleared his throat. “How do we get it back?”

Fate pulled out a lovely paintbrush with a white oak handle and soft pink bristles. “We paint it again.”

“If we need to paint the whole of Rennedawn, I’d recommend a much bigger brush, Moira.” Keeley blinked at the object. “Unless… Is it enchanted?”

Fate cackled. “Not in the slightest. I bought it secondhand at a craft fair.”

Becky snorted, planting her hands on her hips, still looking about the room in awe.

As was Edwin, his eyes welling up when he saw the beautiful detailing that appeared against his stove, the bright, happy glow coming from the pots and pans atop it. “It’s so beautiful.”

Clarke and Cassandra clomped out from inside the cabinets they’d hidden in, leaping about the room like it was a playground. The animals were so attuned to each other, they swooped in the air in complete unison, their little wings carrying them with tiny puffs of sparkling purple mist.

Lyssa held up her hands, meeting the venom with her silver-white light. It gleamed, splashing bursts of brilliant color all over them.

Rebecka flinched, feeling something strike her, but it wasn’t painful. It felt like a warm glow around her heart, and when she peered down, she found her brown dress was now a bloom of fuchsia and green. Her practical loafers had been replaced with intricately woven daisies, and though she had no idea how such shoes could be comfortableandstructurally sound, somehow they were.