Assistant to the Villain, #3
Accomplice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 22
Overview
Gideon weighs using a Valiant Guard contact while preparing to map the Gleaming Palace for a guvre rescue. Visiting Nura, he witnesses her apology to the injured Captain Keeley and Lyssa’s relief. When Keeley knows Edwin was tied up—a guarded secret—Gideon concludes she is hiding something, shifting suspicion inward.
Summary
Gideon considers recruiting an old Valiant Guard acquaintance to aid an infiltration, noting that any rescue of the female guvre requires a reliable map and confirmation of where she is held within the Gleaming Palace. He pushes aside doubts to visit his mother, Nura, who has been seeking to make amends after nearly harming Lyssa.
Captain Keeley arrives, injured but composed, to accept Nura’s apology. Gideon is disarmed by Keeley’s rare unbound hair and her humility about protecting Lyssa. Lyssa rushes in, overjoyed that Keeley survived, and the warmth of their exchange steadies the strained family, before Nura and Lyssa depart for the kitchen.
In their wake, Gideon asks if Keeley heard about Edwin, the chef, and his being bound. Keeley’s tense reaction and abrupt exit unsettle him. After she leaves, Gideon realizes that the detail about Edwin being tied with rope was supposed to be kept secret to protect Lyssa.
Concluding that Keeley should not have known, Gideon recognizes she is concealing something. This insight reframes his plans for the palace scheme, suggesting an insider complication close to home even as the rescue mapping continues.
Who Appears
- Gideon SagePlans a guvre rescue, visits Nura, is smitten with Keeley, and realizes her suspicious knowledge about Edwin.
- Captain KeeleyInjured guard; accepts Nura’s apology, bonds with Lyssa, and inadvertently reveals secret knowledge, arousing suspicion.
- Nura SageGideon’s mother; apologizes for nearly harming Lyssa and praises Keeley’s protection.
- LyssaChild relieved by Keeley’s survival; affectionate and cheerful, heads to the kitchen with Nura.
- EdwinChef previously found tied up; his secret ordeal exposes Keeley’s unexplained knowledge.