Page 28 of Adversary to the Villain

And when the tides turn

All will be as it was

The heart of the true prince

Will save his fated love.

Where sunlight beams unvarnished

Rennedawn’s magic will begin mending.

Evil will fall, kingdoms will rise.

Heed this prophecy and all of Rennedawn

Will have its happy ending.

“We need to decipher the meaning exactly, to ensure we are not making any mistakes,” Maverine was saying as Gideon slid the paper over to Ms. Erring, who scanned the page at twice the speed, then passed it to Blade. “There is no more room for error.”

“‘Sunlight beams unvarnished,’” Blade murmured, his amber eyes moving rapidly over the words. “I’ve heard that before.”

“When we read you the prophecy the first time?” Maverine added dryly, planting his hands on his waist.

Blade rubbed at his chin, frowning. “No. No, that’s not it.”

“‘When the tides turn all will be as it was.’” Evie repeated the prophecy’s decree with a thoughtful expression. “Anyone have any idea when that will be?”

Keeley cleared her throat. “I might.”

Gideon didn’t like the ominous statement, tugging his lip inward when she pulled a large piece of folded-up parchment from her pocket, flattened it with her hands, then turned it over for the room to see.

Evie’s hand flew up to her mouth as she stood from her chair with a choked sound, dark mist spilling out from her fingers and surrounding her legs. “No.”

Keeley’s face softened, sympathy pulling down the corners of her mouth. “They’re being spread all about the kingdom. Some say even across Rennedawn’s borders.”

“The king dies tonight,” Maverine growled, stalking for the door.

“No.”

Maverine halted at Evie’s command.

The word was resolute, but her eyes—gods, Gideon had never seen such sadness as he did now in the way Evie observed the etching of herself. Thewantedflyer was not as the others were, with her malevolent depiction and sinister half smile, the Wicked Woman painted sharply above. No. Thiswantedflyer was a proclamation.

WANTED

THE TRUE VILLAIN

CORE HEALER KILLER

EVANGELINA SAGE

The portrait wasn’t frightening or exaggerated this time, nor was it a caricature. It was merely Evie’s sweet smile, her bright, open eyes. She looked kind and happy. And Gideon knew by the way his sister looked upon it, the likeness of her there cut so much deeper.

“It’s true,” Evie whispered. “So whyshouldn’tthey declare it?”

Gideon knew broken hearts were metaphors for pain, but a small part of him believed something inside his chest had just cracked.

Evie continued. “It’s time people stopped treating the wrong person as the pariah.”