Assistant to the Villain, #2
Apprentice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 74
Overview
Evie's panic over her mother's screams leads to the discovery that the sound comes from a memory flower hidden among hundreds of illicit specimens in the fortress. Renna is exposed as the person behind the flowers and admits she has been aiding King Benedict's prophecy work by developing a plant to siphon magic.
The chapter delivers a devastating revelation: Nura Sage is already dead, killed when Renna attempted to use the flower to remove her damaged magic. This turns Evie's hope of reuniting with her mother into grief and implicates the Fortis family far more deeply in Benedict's schemes.
Summary
Evie runs through the fortress in panic after hearing what sounds like her mother screaming. The sound overwhelms her until Kingsley appears in her hands and helps ground her, while Blade lifts her into a chair and Tatianna calms her with breathing instructions and her pink ribbon.
Evie realizes the screams are not coming from Nura herself but from a memory flower Clare and Tatianna found in a hidden room. Tatianna explains that they discovered hundreds of the rare plants and were trapped there until Blade freed them, while Becky insists such a reckless collection should be impossible and unthinkable for her family.
Raphael enters with Julius and the others, and he accuses Renna of being responsible. Becky is horrified and demands answers from her mother. With Julius urging her to stop hiding the truth, Renna admits that she has been aiding King Benedict's prophecy work and developing a hybrid plant meant to siphon magic.
Renna claims her goal was to cure her own mother and relieve dangerous magical burdens, including Nura Sage's power. Trystan realizes Nura is not arriving the next morning, and Renna confesses that Nura once came to the Fortis estate seeking help. Rather than surrender Nura to the king, Renna tried to remove Nura's magic with the flower.
Evie asks why Nura was screaming, forcing Renna to reveal the outcome. Renna gives Evie a vial of dark-silver stardust and explains that Nura's damaged magic could not be repaired; Nura screamed for mercy, was consumed by starlight, and died, leaving only the stardust behind.
Who Appears
- EviePanics at her mother's screams, then learns Nura died from Renna's failed magic-siphoning attempt.
- RennaConfesses to aiding Benedict, growing memory flowers, and accidentally killing Nura while trying to siphon her magic.
- Nura SageEvie's mother; revealed to have died after her damaged magic turned into stardust.
- BeckyHorrified by the secret memory flowers and devastated by her mother's confession.
- TrystanStays near Evie, recognizes Nura is not coming, and confronts Renna with cold menace.
- TatiannaHelps calm Evie and explains finding hundreds of memory flowers in a hidden room.
- BladeComforts Evie during her panic and supports Becky when Renna's guilt is exposed.
- KingsleyThe frog prince grounds Evie by appearing in her hands during her panic attack.
- RaphaelPublicly points blame at Renna and emphasizes that she alone is responsible.
- ClareArrives with Tatianna after discovering the shrieking memory flower.
- JuliusUrges Renna to tell the truth and offers her quiet support.