When she looked up, The Villain stood there, staring at them both, looking a little lost.
“What?” Becky said, realization lighting her face as she bolted to her feet. “No! Of course not!”
Evie held up the discarded mask, and Becky pulled her glasses from her pocket, placing the large circular frames against her pert nose.
“How do you explain this?” Evie asked. “What the deadlands are you doing out here?”
Becky sighed, rubbing her elbow, which must have gotten hurt in their tumble. “That’s none of your business.”
Evie faced her boss—who did not look as surprised by the situation as she did. “Why are you not livid? Did you know about this?”
“No,” he said without emotion. “I didn’t. But I think I know what she’s doing with it.” He looked to Becky, shaking his head in disappointment. “I told you not to give stock to the rumors.”
“How could I not even try? One of the interns dropped the mask in my lap, and I thought if they assumed I was part of the guard and—”
“You thought they’d give you the cure to the Mystic Illness because you were wearing a mask?” The Villain asked incredulously.
“I thought I could at the very least sneak into the Gleaming Palace with it,” Becky said, with more emotion than Evie had ever seen her express. Her own primary emotion now was confusion, along with pinching hope.
“A cure? There’s no such thing,” Evie said, thinking of her father, how much easier life would be again if he were well.
“You’re correct,” The Villain said angrily.
“But you don’t know that,” Becky insisted in a plaintive voice. This wasn’t a version of her nemesis Evie knew. She sounded desperate—and a little sad—and Evie felt a swath of sympathy, an almost tenderness.
“Let me see if I understand this,” Evie said, crossing her arms as she finally gained control of her breathing again. “You took the mask from one of the interns, thinking you were going to traipse into the Gleaming City and steal a cure that may or may not exist?” Evie shook her head, feeling incredulous. “Are you believing this?” she asked The Villain, who looked very much like he was believing every word.
“She is being truthful, if naive,” he said, shaking his head.
When the last dregs of shock finally faded, all of Becky’s defense finally registered. “You know someone with the Mystic Illness?”
The bespectacled woman nodded stiffly, her gaze locked on something in the distance, but her chin remained high. “One of the interns left the mask on my desk last week. They were afraid to give it to the boss. I had planned to turn it right over to you, sir!”
Evie was still wary, but the initial adrenaline had worn down and the tiredness seemed to be settling back in. “How do we know you’re not lying?”
The look on Becky’s face when she turned to stare at Evie would remain in her memory for the rest of her life. It was one of such pain that Evie began to feel ridiculous for questioning her in the first place, feeling worse still when Becky began to speak.
“If you knew anything about me, which you do not, you’d know I would rather hang my own head in the office entryway than ever step foot near the Gleaming Palace. Unless I had to.”
Something told Evie she wouldn’t learn those things about her, at least not today. But The Villain knew; she could see it in his eyes.
Becky tossed the mask over to their boss, who caught it and tucked it into his pocket. “I’m sorry,” she said in defeat. “It was foolish.”
The Villain nodded, looking back toward the abandoned carriage and the startled horses. “I need to see to them.” He looked at Becky with a measure of respect and just a drop of gentleness when he said, “If we ever receive concrete evidence that the king is harboring a cure, I will retrieve it.” He looked to Evie, too. “For both of you.”
He strode back to the horses now shuffling their hooves in agitation, and Evie felt Becky’s owlish eyes seeing through her. “You have…someone with the illness?” Becky asked.
Evie straightened her skirts to give herself something to do with her hands. “My father.”
Becky’s expression was a mixture of shock and understanding. “My grandmother.”
They both stood there, silently appraising each other. It was strange. “You were really going to walk all the way to the capital?” Evie asked.
“I got the map of their usual route from the cartography closet. I thought I’d pretend to be one of them and hitch a ride right into the Gleaming Palace.” The third key—now it made sense.
Evie whistled. “Terrible plan.”
“As if you could’ve thought of anything better,” Becky scoffed, rolling her shoulders.
“I never said I could. I just said your plan was terrible.” Evie shrugged and smiled, self-satisfied.
“I can’t stand you,” Becky said, but there wasn’t any heat to her words.
“Back at you.” Evie rocked on her heels.
They both were silent again until they heard the boss call them over to get in the carriage. To take Evie home and to return Becky to the manor.
Before either of them moved, Evie said quietly, “I’m sorry about your grandmother.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” Becky said just as softly.
They both began walking, still keeping a healthy silence between them.
Evie broke it before they arrived at the carriage. “I don’t like that we have something in common.”
“Me either.” Becky shuddered. “Let’s never speak of it again.”
“Agreed.”
Chapter 39
Evie
“Where have you been?” Her sister’s screech filled the airy space of their home as Evie came through the door.
Her tiny arms wrapped around Evie’s middle, shaking slightly. A pang went through Evie’s chest as she knelt to wrap her arms around her sister. The Villain, as requested, had dropped Evie a healthy distance from her house, Rebecka frowning in the back seat. Evie had waggled her fingers at the woman before leaping out for the second time that day and running to her home.
To her family.
“I was trapped at work because of the storm. Didn’t the raven make it here last night?” Evie smoothed down the back of her sister’s braid, willing her to calm.
“It did, but Papa couldn’t get out of bed yesterday, and I couldn’t get the door to latch.” Lyssa pulled back, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve. “It was unlocked all night, and I was afraid a bandit would come steal me and trade me for treasure.”
Smiling through the mental assault of imagining her little sister desperately shoving at the door, Evie brushed a tear off Lyssa’s face. “Oh, you silly goose. A bandit would never sell you for treasure.” Evie paused dramatically. “They’d almost certainly trade you for something more fun, like a giant bee.”
As desired, the sadness disappeared from her sister’s face and her eyebrows shot up, one side of her mouth quirking. “Can someone own a bee?”
“No, but I think you can rent them.” Evie began laughing as soon as Lyssa did.
They both doubled over onto the floor, rolling to their backs, side by side. Evie reached out a hand and placed it over Lyssa’s smaller one. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“That’s okay. I know your work is important, and we need food, after all.”
“Lyssa!” Evie laughed through a gasp. “That is a terrible thing to joke about.”
Her little sister nodded, looking satisfied. “That’s why I said it.”
Evie laid her head back down, trying to keep the pride from her face. “You are so my sister.”
“Evie?” her father’s weak voice called out from his bedroom. “Is that you?”
She scrambled to her feet and rushed into her father’s room.
Griffin Sage lay pale in his bed, with a stillness that sent fear spiking underneath Evie’s skin. “Father?” She shook his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh when she saw his chest move.
The man, who looked far older than he had a day ago, smiled weakly. “Evangelina? You’re home safe.”