Page 78 of Adversary to the Villain

“Guvre venom.” Calvin grinned. “Fate’s creatures for Fate’s copy of Rennedawn’s story. Their venom sealed it, and it will release it, too. If you can come by some, that is. I was merely sent to remove it before you realized the value in the thing.”

It was interesting that Sage had been the one to see the value in that window from the start. Spending endless hours staring upon it. She did that, found value in things some would overlook.

Trystan, for example.

He grinned.

And Calvin grinned back because he assumed the knowledge would be fruitless. Sage didn’t let up. “We could take from the two younglings we have abovestairs, I’m sure.” She patted his cheek as his face fell from smug to baffled. “Thank you, Calvin. You were very helpful. I’ll have someone down to look at your knees. You’ll need full use of them when you’re begging for your life.”

“I— What?”

But Calvin’s fearful question got lost when Sage narrowed her eyes at Trystan and murmured, “Meet me outside, would you?”

She was through the door without looking back, and Trystan contemplated her, then Calvin. “Out of curiosity…how long did it take for your kneecaps to break?”

“Immediately!” Calvin yelled.

“Excellent.” Trystan shut the door behind him, turning the lock, knowing exactly what he was about to face.

“You have no right.” Sage’s voice was coming from the shadowed alcove, a lantern above her head casting a gleam over her face. “No right to call me afraid. Of course I’m afraid! I’ve been afraid my whole life—I’m allowed! Because it’sneverstopped me from doing what I needed to do.”

“I asked if your fear controlled you,” he murmured, eyes never leaving the way the red of her cheeks deepened, her breath quickening. “And it didn’t. It doesn’t. It never has.”

She blinked. “You—”

Trystan waved a hand toward the closed door. “You did that afraid, but you did it anyway. I’ve never known you to be any way else.”

“I don’t like being maneuvered.” She pointed a finger at him.

He grabbed her hand, looking upon it reverently, willing himself to release her, and failing. Instead, his lips pressed to the middle of her palm, his eyes shut tightly, and he did not release her hand even when he was through. “I don’t like you giving up on yourself.”

Her breath was clipped when she whispered, “I’m not—”

“You are.” He felt angry suddenly, like he wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until she saw sense. “You were the one who told me thatweget to decide who we are. Not magic, not Fate or Destiny or anyone else. You and me. We decide.”

Her lashes lowered, damp from tears she was trying to blink away. “You don’t understand. Every time I think I can rely on someone, every time I believe I get to be happy, something happens to ruin it. Every time. And every time, I pick myself up and keep going.”

When her eyes met his, they were so serious, so full of anguish that it crushed him. “If something happened to you, let alone something that was my fault? I wouldn’t keep going. I couldn’t.”

“Because you want me,” he stated, not allowing her to avoid it.

“Of course I want you!” She threw her hands up, and her face twisted in outrage. “None of this has anything to do with how much I want you or love you or desperately need to be with you all the time. Thinking about you the moment I wake up, the moment I go to sleep. When I’m so sad I feel like I cannot stand it, I still want you.”

She breathed in and out, and he could see the wheels turning in her beautiful mind, could see the wall going up.

“But—” she started.

He kissed her.

Chapter 37

Evie

Evie should have known they’d end up kissing.

And, deep down, she had to admit that perhaps shehadknown.

It’s why she went to the corner away from prying eyes, away from the heavy torture chamber door.