Assistant to the Villain, #2
Apprentice to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Contents
Chapter 20
Overview
Evie and Trystan learn that the creature beneath the cave is a protective creator-like being, not the monster of legend, and that Rennedawn's magic is fading because humans have exploited it. The creature gives Evie stardust and names her "the daughter of wishing stars," deepening the mystery around Nura Sage and the Story. The chapter ends with the group's fragile safety shattered when the Valiant Guard finds them and captures Blade.
Summary
Evie asks whether Trystan and the enormous sky creature know each other, but Trystan dismisses the idea. The creature explains that it knows all names and all things through nature, prompting Evie to ask if it knows her mother, Nura Sage, and where Nura is.
The creature refuses to interfere in human affairs, even though it sympathizes with Evie. Trystan angrily challenges this, but the creature explains that magic is already waning and cannot be risked. It reveals that its hidden cave is not an enchantment but a stolen piece of world and sky, kept safe after the other creators left for another realm.
The creature says Trystan should be able to feel the shift because Trystan's own power is slipping and becoming defiant. It points to a tear in the sky and explains that human greed has made the world's magic hide to protect itself. The creature also says the book was written to save magic when this predicted crisis arrived.
When Trystan asks why the creature stayed behind, the creature says precious things must be protected. Recognizing Evie's own protective nature, it gives Evie a vial of stardust harvested from the stars, calling her "the daughter of wishing stars" and saying it will help guide her toward what she seeks.
The creature sends Evie and Trystan upward on a cloud. Before they leave, Trystan asks why legends portray the creature as a carnivorous monster; the creature answers that humans demonize what they do not understand. Trystan tells the creature he does not think it is a monster, a statement the creature clearly values.
Evie and Trystan are launched back out of the cave and reunite with Tatianna, Clare, and the others, who feared they had died. Before Evie can fully explain what happened, Blade cries out from the trees. Evie rushes to him and finds Blade pinned to the ground with a sword at his throat: the Valiant Guard has found them.
Who Appears
- Evie SageQuestions the creature, receives stardust, and discovers Blade threatened by the Valiant Guard.
- Trystan MaverineConfronts the creature, hears that his magic is fading, and rejects its monstrous reputation.
- The sky creatureAncient guardian of the hidden sky cave who reveals the waning magic and gifts stardust.
- BladeEvie's friend, found pinned to the ground with a sword at his throat.
- TatiannaHealer who worries over Evie after her return from the cave.
- ClareWaits outside the cave, pessimistically fearing Evie and Trystan have died.
- The Valiant GuardEnemy force that finds the group and ambushes Blade near the stream.
- The sentryGuardian stationed outside the cave, now seen by Evie as the creature's protector.