Assistant to the Villain, #3
Accomplice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 37
Overview
On the urgent ride to acquire Lord Fowler’s magical wand, Sage’s unusual silence foreshadows trouble. Near Phoenix Village, the group is ambushed by guards using tranquilizing darts. Trystan’s gray mist power erupts visibly and drops several attackers, but he, Sage, Tatianna, and Clare are ultimately overpowered. Their mission halts with Trystan unconscious.
Summary
Trystan leads Sage, Tatianna, Clare, and Kingsley through dense woods toward Lord Fowler, who supposedly holds the rare wand they need. Sage’s uncharacteristic silence alarms Trystan as night falls, heightening his urgency to press on without stopping.
Despite his insistence, Sage’s exhaustion forces Trystan to relent and make camp. As he moves to gather firewood, a dart marked with a phoenix crest strikes him, signaling an ambush tied to nearby Phoenix Village. His limbs go numb while he orders Tatianna to protect Clare and urges Sage to flee.
Sage refuses to abandon Trystan and, with Tatianna’s help, tries to move him. Another dart takes down Tatianna, and guards seize Clare. Sage stabs a guard to free Trystan, but a different guard forces a yellow flower down Sage’s throat, drugging her.
Raging, Trystan’s gray mist power erupts visibly, scything through attackers and dropping several. Briefly buoyed by fury and fear for Sage, he threatens the guards, but his magic fades with his strength. Sage slumps unconscious, and Trystan collapses into darkness as the ambush overwhelms the group.
Who Appears
- TrystanLeader toward Lord Fowler’s wand; relents to camp; struck by phoenix-dart; unleashes visible gray mist power before losing consciousness.
- SageUnusually silent and exhausted; refuses to leave Trystan; stabs a guard; forced to swallow a yellow flower and passes out.
- TatiannaSupports Clare and Trystan; argues to rest; hit by a tranquilizing dart and collapses.
- ClareUrges stopping for the night; startled by Kingsley; seized by ambushing guards.
- KingsleyFrog companion; signals exhaustion; jumps between riders during the tense approach to camp.
- Phoenix Village guardsAmbushers bearing phoenix-crest darts; subdue the group despite Trystan’s unleashed magic.
- Lord FowlerOff-page noble collector of magical objects; target contact for the rare wand.