Assistant to the Villain, #3
Accomplice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 59
Overview
Evie charges into Phoenix Village to confront a raging purple phoenix and is clawed and bleeding. Trystan arrives, saves a child, and deflects the crowd’s suspicion while backing Evie’s resolve to protect the villagers. They decide to subdue the creature using Trystan’s volatile magic and Evie’s compassion, refusing to abandon the town.
Summary
Riding hard into Hickory Forest, Evie reaches Phoenix Village as purple fire rains from a raging phoenix. She calms her horse, then sprints back into danger. The bird claws Evie’s leg and drops her onto a roof, leaving her bleeding while flames spread and villagers flee.
A toddler is left exposed in the chaos until Trystan arrives in a cloud of dark mist, rescues the child, and returns her to her mother, drawing startled gratitude and skeptical comments from onlookers. Spotting Evie’s injury, Trystan catches her when she jumps from the roof, then urgently seeks help as the phoenix unleashes more fire.
Trystan argues they can’t stop the destruction without killing the bird, which would only reanimate, but Evie refuses to abandon the villagers, asserting this is simply what she does. Trystan yields, lifts her onto his horse, and commits to helping, noting their advantage is that they “don’t play fair,” meaning he will risk using his unpredictable dark magic around Evie.
They confront the phoenix together. Evie insists phoenixes are gentle and recognizes its agony beneath the fury. When it attacks again, she seizes on an unorthodox idea inspired by Trystan’s comparison to himself: she rushes the creature with open arms, attempting to pacify it with a desperate hug as Trystan readies his magic.
Who Appears
- Evie (Sage)Rides to Phoenix Village, is clawed by the purple phoenix, refuses to abandon villagers, and attempts to calm the creature with a hug.
- Trystan Maverine (The Villain)Arrives in dark mist, rescues a child, backs Evie’s stand, and prepares to use volatile magic to subdue the phoenix.
- Purple PhoenixRaging, fire-hurling creature causing village destruction; claws Evie and appears distressed rather than purely malicious.
- Little GirlToddler left in danger; rescued by Trystan and returned to her crying mother.
- Crying MotherGratefully embraces Trystan after he returns her child, shifting some villagers’ perceptions.
- Villagers of Phoenix VillagePanic and flee the attack; react with shock and skepticism toward Trystan’s intervention.