Villain's Assistant

by Carley Hibbert

  She set the candle down and stood by the bed. She threw her knife into the knothole again; it hit dead center with a satisfying thump. She then wrenched the knife out of the wall. If they send me to the castle, they’re likely to lock me into the dungeons for my own safety.

  She squeezed the knife, wishing she could cut her way out of the bonds tightening around her. She had to get out. She would lose her mind if she were forced to hide in the palace for the rest of her life. She closed her eyes and breathed the dusty air of the room. Somewhere in this world, there was air that wasn’t stale with dust. Somewhere there were places where no one cared about the politics of Lam. Places where no one had heard of the lost Princess Reyna Brynn Rae Ulmer; places where no one cared if she were alive or dead.

  EIGHTEEN

  Something knocked Benjamin from his fitful sleep. As he sat up, a small loaf of bread rolled down his chest and fell in his lap. He blinked up at Rebecca.

  She leaned over him, her fists pressed into her hips and her brows pressed together. “Breakfast,” she said. “Come on.”

  He tore off a chunk of bread with his teeth and grabbed his pack, shoving Rina off of him. The sun was up, but the morning was still quiet. Everyone else must have still been in bed. Benjamin stumbled out of the barn after Rebecca and prepared for an argument.

  Rebecca signaled for him to be quiet. She led him to the spot where they had spied on the brothers and then plunged into the brush. Benjamin halted. Surely she didn’t want Benjamin to follow her somewhere? Those days were long gone. He tore another piece of bread off with his teeth, refusing to take another step.

  Noticing that no one was following, Rebecca turned around. He watched the memory of yesterday roll over her face. She looked awkward for a moment before she crossed her arms in defiance.

  “I’m not sure if you remember, but we,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “are not on favorable terms at the moment. So if you think that we are going anywhere together, you are crazy.”

  She tilted her head, unfazed.

  He went on. “If you are going that way, well, I’m going to go this way.”

  “That way? Shreb’s castle?” She lifted an eyebrow.

  “It’s a fortress. And no, probably a little more over there.” He moved his arm, indicating the area behind the barn. “Just so long as it’s far from you. Besides, aren’t you staying here so the Lieutenant can whisk you off to safety?”

  “I’ve come up with my own plans.”

  “Excuse me, but so have I, and they purposely do not involve you.” Benjamin hitched his pack onto his back and checked the shack for signs of life.

  Rebecca huffed at this.

  “Plus, you’re with the Lieutenant. You have obligations and responsibilities,” he said.

  “Excuse me, but aren’t you a villain?” Rebecca flung a yellow braid behind her shoulder. “What do you care about obligations and responsibilities?”

  “Good point, but I still have my evil plans.”

  “Fine, you lead then.” Rebecca unlocked her arms and scowled.

  “Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that you want to be my henchman?” Incredulous, Benjamin shook his head. “No way. How do you think I got to the top of my class?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re really smart, I suppose?”

  “No! Well, yes. But mostly everyone else made the stupid mistake of aligning with other people. It always ends badly,” he fidgeted with his pack. “Dante was poisoned, Fievel was smothered in bed, and, well, no one knows what happened to Arlo exactly, but we do know that he was dead. Each killed by their allies. I went on my own, thereby being both alive and the smartest.”

  Benjamin stomped off past the barn, since he’d never been that direction before. Thankfully, Rina was still asleep. He didn’t want his exit to be a parade.

  “These allies? Weren’t they expelled?” Rebecca asked cheerfully, running up behind him.

  “Well, yes. If you’re caught killing, even in the Villains’ Academy, you still get expelled. It’s sloppy.”

  He walked blindly forward. Rebecca followed after him, unperturbed. Resisting the urge to run, he marched briskly. He kept his eyes on the dry brush and grass ahead. The Sunrise Mountains stood pale in the morning light. If he kept going in this direction, he would end up back at his hideout. Maybe he could think about his future there. He clenched his fists. Alone.

  By the time they had reached the road, Benjamin had serious concerns about Rebecca abandoning her crusade. Surely the Lieutenant would have noticed her missing by now. They would be out looking for her and notice the angry villain was missing too. Great Wolves! There was no happy ending to this. The little harpy would not be happy until she saw him strung up and tortured. He needed to take her back. He stopped at a fork in the road, pretending to read the sign posted there.

  “Shrubshire is a pleasant enough place. Shops, inns, and marketplaces,” Rebecca said. “We’d blend into the crowd.”

  “Right, so we’re going this way.” He pointed in the general direction not far off from where they just came. “Pig’s Hollow.”

  “What? Pig’s Hollow? Are you crazy? We just came from that way!”

  “I-I know a guy there.”

  Her eyes narrowed at this, but she followed. Benjamin scanned the roads. Fortunately, it was early enough that no one was out on the roads yet, but they would be soon. He couldn’t be seen with someone who worked for the king, especially if the Lieutenant or Denny came looking for Rebecca.

  “So why this sudden desire to stretch your legs? I’m sure the Lieutenant would be thrilled to take you on a world tour at the moment.” Benjamin decided it was best to keep her talking.

  “Hmmpff. Not likely. He’d probably just take me to the king.”

  “And have you locked up?”

  “Ha ha. No, I was headed that way anyway. Apparently everyone thinks it’s time I was taught to be a proper lady.”

  “What?” Benjamin froze midstride, not daring to look at Rebecca. A lady with connections to the king? Not good.

  Rebecca took a few more steps before she stopped and looked at him wide-eyed. She had just let something slip.

  Panic twisted his stomach and he felt sick. “You’re a noble?” he whispered.

  Benjamin walked faster, trying to guess at the fastest path back to Denny’s. He kept his face blank. He needed to keep her talking. If she rambled, she might not notice.

  “Um, no. Lady’s maid. Do I look like a royal?”

  “Royal! You’re a royal!” Benjamin gasped, as though someone had just punched him in the stomach. He could see images of the royal gallows. His cool demeanor shattered. He felt sweat prick under his arms as visions of dark dungeons lit only with the glow of red-hot irons loomed in his mind. He needed to get her back or his future would not be good.

  Benjamin nearly burst into a run, his heart galloping against his ribs. He forced his steps to slow with a rattled breath. He needed to think. Panic shuts a person’s brain off, and he needed his to work at full speed right now.

  “No, no, no. Don’t be silly. You think I could be a noblewoman?”

  Benjamin decided to not answer that question. There was no safe answer. Since she was dressed in peasant clothes, she did not look like the refined ruling class to him. Still, it would explain some of the Lieutenant’s anger last night and why he might rather die than risk Rebecca going anywhere near Mouthrot. It also explained why she was such a—Oh! Swallowing hard to keep his breakfast down, Benjamin stopped to stare at her, clenching his jaw so that it wouldn’t fall open.

  “You’re the lost princess, aren’t you?”

  Rebecca opened and closed her mouth like a wide-eyed fish, silenced by the understanding in his gaze, and then her sharp features screwed up and her eyes reddened. She hugged herself and turned to the mountains behind them. Meanwhile, Benjamin braced himself for the truth.

  “I was supposed to go to the castle months ago,” Rebecca said, battling
tears. “But then the Lieutenant decided to wait until things settled down.”

  “Surely there are other places you could go?” Benjamin smiled and gathered his strength. “Doesn’t the Lieutenant have someplace a little more…stately…tucked away?”

  Rebecca looked uncomfortable with that question. She obviously didn’t want to reveal any more. Benjamin forced his breathing to slow. He not only needed to look calm; he needed to be calm. He needed to get the princess back to her protector immediately or he was dead where he stood.

  “I mean, if he’s the guardian of a princess, he’d have some resources.” Benjamin focused on keeping his voice light as his head spun. He filled his lungs with air to keep himself from floating away.

  “Oh, the Lieutenant has lands and estates. I’m just not sure that he really wants them anymore. He’s been living this other life for so long, he's afraid to let it go.”

  Benjamin nodded. She hadn’t denied it. The princess whose parents were killed by Mouthrot and who no one was sure was still alive was walking side by side with the most recent valedictorian of the Villains’ Academy. Benjamin had personally stood back and let her enter Mouthrot’s domain.

  “I suppose with a plot to kill all the heirs to the throne, the Lieutenant has had to invest a lot of himself to your protection.”

  “I didn’t ask for it!”

  Rebecca’s eyes popped open nearly as wide as her mouth. Both hands slapped over her mouth. He hooked his arm through one of hers, and she followed Benjamin in shock. He couldn’t get back fast enough. Benjamin didn’t feel like being hunted down and hanged like a rat today. She hung her head and let him guide her.

  Benjamin corralled his racing thoughts. They hadn’t been gone long. There was still hope for leniency. Maybe he would run into Denny first, who would probably just kill Benjamin. The Lieutenant, on the other hand, probably knew how to inflict worse punishments. Could Benjamin live with only one eye? Maybe he would have a chance to explain before he was condemned. An ugly image of the Lieutenant tying him to a pyre popped into his mind.

  “They’ve begun to draw up lists of potential husbands,” Rebecca said, tears in her voice.

  “Poor chumps.”

  She shoved him soundly, but he recovered with a sly smile. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled back. Benjamin felt the ice around his heart melt a little.

  “You people are sure to be the death of me.” Benjamin glanced up quickly, judging how close they were to Denny’s.

  “‘You people’? You talk as if we were common pickpockets or thugs.”

  “If only I was so lucky. No, you’re worse. You’re the aristocracy. No…you’re the very people I will avoid in the future.”

  “Well, if you’re going to set up shop anywhere in Lam, that might be hard to do.”

  Benjamin stopped abruptly and turned to face his foe. “But I’m not planning to set up shop in this kingdom.” His fingers shook. He wasn’t sure what emotions he was feeling anymore.

  “But I thought you were bent on villainy.” Rebecca lifted an eyebrow as she slid a yellow braid behind a shoulder.

  “Oh, yes, but certainly not here. We have our own little grapevine, you know.”

  “So where exactly do you plan to set up your dastardly business?”

  He leaned toward Rebecca as she twisted a braid. “Anyplace in the whole world, known or unknown, where you will not be, Your Highness.” He gathered up all of his courage and turned his back on her. He had to keep walking, no matter what. There was a familiar cluster of prickly brush ahead. He focused on each step and listened for Rebecca. He shoved his way through, scratching his face.

  “Ah, just in time.” Benjamin stepped to the side so she could see where they were.

  “We’re back at Denny’s?” Rebecca said, her shoulders drooping.

  They had popped out of the clump of bushes in front of the brothers’ house just as Denny stepped out onto the porch. He eyed the two of them, shook his head, and opened the door. “Never mind,” he called inside, “she’s out here arguing with Benjamin. You two can just as easily argue indoors as out.” Denny eyed the space between Rebecca and Benjamin.

  Rebecca screamed and then stomped inside. She slammed her bedroom door and wasn’t seen again for the rest of the morning.

  Benjamin strode into the hovel and dropped his pack. He sat across from the Lieutenant, who was sipping something warm. Benjamin examined the dark circles under the old man’s eyes as he thought about exposing his big secret to the light.

  “We’ll be getting our own breakfast this morning, then?” the Lieutenant said casually over his shoulder.

  Denny sighed and went to the pantry.

  “I think that we need to talk about her.” Benjamin tipped his head toward Rebecca’s door. “You know, the p—”

  The old man slammed his mug down, silencing Benjamin. Steaming liquid splashed over the Lieutenant’s scabbed knuckles and onto the table. The spy didn’t flinch; his one visible eye bulged into a threat. He glanced over to the pantry door.

  “She is not your concern,” he whispered through his bared teeth.

  “Really?” Benjamin folded his arms across his chest, jamming his knuckles into his arms until it hurt. “She just tried to follow me off into the world for a little adventure. Apparently, she’s not so happy with her lot here.”

  The Lieutenant fumbled his mug as he tried taking another sip.

  “Don’t think that was my idea. I brought her back here.” Benjamin stabbed a finger into the table.

  The old man examined the ashes in the fireplace. Denny glared at Benjamin as he carried a basket of eggs to the stove.

  “I don’t know what your plans are, but she is ready to take charge of her life. Someday she'll go, and there won’t be anybody to bring her back.”

  No reply was forthcoming. Benjamin glanced at Denny, who was sulking over a pan of sizzling eggs and bacon. Benjamin nodded a quick good-bye and walked to the door.

  “Where are you going?” The Lieutenant pushed his chair back.

  “Not here.”

  “You’re not going to finish the job?”

  Benjamin felt as if he’d been slapped. Did no one get that he was angry? He had every right to storm off and never look back. “What! Aren’t you finished destroying me yet?” Benjamin flung back. “Because I am.”

  The Lieutenant scrubbed the back of his neck. Benjamin raised his eyebrows in expectation of the Lieutenant’s words. “We all have questions that we need to have answered before we can truly move on with our lives. If you leave based on my stupidity, we might both regret it.”

  Benjamin blinked, unsure what those words meant. The Lieutenant tightened the blanket around his shoulders. His outer fatigue and his inner strength wrestled a moment.

  “Regardless of my angry words last night, I recognize that I’m here—and that Rebecca is safely planning our deaths in that room, so thank you.”

  Benjamin returned to his bench, his fingers finding a worn spot on the table’s surface while he digested the old man’s words. He looked up into the one pale-brown eye of the Lieutenant.

  “Ah, and now we come to the truth, almost.”

  The Lieutenant raised his eyebrow but said nothing.

  “You think it might be worth me sticking around?”

  The Lieutenant confirmed with a short nod.

  “Then you need to answer a question: Why me? Why did you pick me up along the road?”

  The Lieutenant stared at the fireplace again. The old man smiled faintly before he turned his gaze back to Benjamin. “I needed a buffer. You were dressed for an interview.” The old man shrugged. “There was a possibility that Shreb and some of his men might recognize me.”

  Benjamin glowered at this. He wasn’t buying that. “Does everyone but me know who you are?”

  “Well, I used to be very big in this area many years ago.”

  “Undercover? Or your naturally villainous self?”

  “Undercover,” he said with a smi
le. “I’m not sure there’s any natural self left after all these years.”

  Benjamin met the Lieutenant’s eye again. His scuffed eye patch looked sadly back at him. This man wanted him here but refused to say why. He should walk away, but there was a part of him that wanted to see how this would play out. Was it possible the Lieutenant just recognized his greatness? Or was there a bigger connection?

  “That’s probably as close to the truth as I’m going to get, isn’t it?” Benjamin leaned back. “So what now?”

  “Well, we need to notify the king that Rebecca and I are safe. Denny informed me of the basics of the first letter. I agree that Mouthrot is the more dangerous of the two and is still plotting to kill the entire royal family, but Shreb is very much a danger on his own. They’re both plotting independently of each other. Shreb is not quite the trusting imbecile we previously thought. He knows that Mouthrot is not to be fully trusted. I think his aspirations are not much different than Mouthrot’s.”

  The Lieutenant shook his head and returned to sipping from his mug. Benjamin rubbed at the worn spot, trying to take in the ambition of the two archvillains’ plans. What if he could help unravel their plans? He grinned. It was almost villainous.

  Denny set a couple of plates of slightly burnt bacon and eggs in front of them. “Sorry, nearly forgot about breakfast.”

  Benjamin prodded an egg yolk with his charred bacon, thankful someone finally remembered him. He watched the golden juice ooze onto his plate, wishing for some of the bread that Rebecca had thrown at his head earlier this morning.

  “We could use those two against each other,” Benjamin said. “Just the right spark could send the whole thing into flames.”

  “Set a wildfire loose across the plains and right into the king’s castle?” The Lieutenant frowned.