Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)

The Villain, Trystan Maverine, recalls the time shortly after hiring Evangelina (Evie) Sage as his assistant. He immediately regretted the decision, made impulsively after she saved him in the Hickory Forest. The Villain assumed she would quit—but to his dismay, Evie stubbornly and cheerfully stays. Her infectious optimism has quickly spread throughout his entire office, much like the Mystic Illness that ravages their nation of Rennedawn.

Frustrated, Trystan confides in Kingsley, the former crown prince who has been mysteriously transformed into a frog. Kingsley, communicating through tiny signs, simply notes that Evie is attractive.

Evie later opens up to Trystan, explaining that she left school at 13 to care for her younger sister, Lyssa, after their mother abandoned them. She admits that what he mistook for daydreaming is actually her wishing on a star, though she refuses to reveal her wish. Despite his growing irritation, Trystan arranges for one of his most lethal guards to discreetly follow Evie home, ensuring her safety without her knowledge.

In the present, one of King Benedict’s knights falsely reports to the king that Evangelina Sage is dead. The king feigns sadness but calls her death merciful. Internally, the knight seethes with hatred for the king. When Benedict requests to see Evie’s body, the knight deflects, saying it is not yet ready for viewing.