Page 39 of Adversary to the Villain

The magic clenched her stomach, fear gripping her when Evie saw what stood before them.

A bunny rabbit.

An obscenely cute…bunny rabbit.

“Oh gods…” Evie whispered, taking a careful step forward, hearing alarmed murmurs behind her from the Malevolent Guards. Tears burned her eyes as she gazed down upon the animal, horror taking over her rational mind. “Lyssa?” Evie asked the creature brokenly.

“Yes?” Lyssa whispered from behind her. Right behind her. Not from inside the dungeons. And nowhere near the bunny. So naturally, she screamed, tripping over her skirt and falling onto her arse.

“Lyssa! Dear gods, where have you been? Why did you run off?” Evie asked.

“I saw Kingsley!” Lyssa said, glancing side to side, her eyes widening when she realized the ruckus she’d caused. “Or at least I thought I did. I chased him all the way downstairs, but I couldn’t catch up to him.”

Evie didn’t have time to reprimand her—not before Trystan was kneeling on the floor, pulling her little sister in for a hug, clutching the back of her head, whispering, “Thank the gods you’re all right.”

Lyssa’s face appeared over his shoulder, wide-eyed, mouthing to Evie,What’s happening?

Evie flailed her arms back, as if to say,I don’t know!

“Prince Trystan? Were you fearful I had turned into that bunny?” Lyssa asked, the words slightly muffled by the force of his hug.

He flinched at the title Lyssa had just bequeathed upon him, but his face stayed soft and overcome with relief. “I’d like to declare a new rule of villainy. Villains do not turn into animals. Under any circumstances.” He waved a stern finger in her face, and Evie felt so happy she had to clutch the wall to hold herself up.

Lyssa giggled and nodded, then turned to look at the open door and frowned. “It’s still there.”

Evie spun to see that yes, the bunny still sat there, its nose twitching in a way that didn’t seem quite natural. “I swore it—it sounded like your voice.”

“Sir, it’s the Silk!” Keeley’s eyes widened as she bellowed in alarm, unsheathing her weapon and running for the rabbit, but it transformed, spinning into a large monster. Tentacles lurched out in every direction, swiping at the Malevolent Guards, slamming them into the walls.

Evie grabbed Lyssa, and then Trystan grabbed Evie, clutching her waist and moving them with swiftness to the wall, all of them dropping onto their knees.

“What”—she screamed, a tentacle swinging down as she rolled away, clutching Lyssa to her like a lifeline—“in the gods’ name is a Silk?”

“They’re a myth!” Trystan bellowed, falling away from the swing of another black tentacle.

“Oh, wonderful!” Evie yelped, pressing herself tightly to the wall to avoid its flailing, shoving Lyssa out of harm’s way. “Tell the bunny octopus that, won’t you?”

A tug on the back of her dress had her rolling into Trystan’s arms. It would’ve been romantic if they hadn’t been immediately slapped with another tentacle. Evie felt the hit like a brick knocking into her back, and all air escaped her lungs when she hit the ground, Trystan falling just beside her.

An inhuman screech rent the air. “It’s getting away!” Keeley bellowed. “After it!” The rest of the Malevolent Guards followed their captain at a rapid pace, leaving the three of them alone in the abandoned hallway.

“Silks can transform into anything or anyone they come in contact with.” Trystan helped her to her feet before going over to Lyssa, pulling her up with gentle hands. “They’re only dangerous if you don’t have the eye to spot a fraud.”

“Or if they turn into a killer octopus,” Lyssa added earnestly.

“Correct.” Trystan praised her seemingly without even noticing it, like doing so was an everyday occurrence and not an obligation.

If Evie hadn’t already fallen in love with the man ten times over, she may have just done so again.

A rumbling sound halted her—not thunder, nor the creature that had just escaped down the hall—no. No, this was coming from the broken dungeon doors.

It was footsteps. Many. Many. Footsteps.

“The prisoners.” Evie went to the opening, searching for a way to refortify the doors. “No, they’ll—”

“Time to go, Sage.” Trystan scooped her up and ran, with Lyssa keeping pace beside them.

“What’s wrong?” Lyssa panted. “Where are we going?”