Chapter summary
Chapter 4
Evie spends the remainder of the day nursing a melancholy by sipping the mystical cauldron brew, keeping a wary eye on her colleagues as she suspects sabotage. She finishes a small amount of work just before the north‑tower bell tolls, signaling the end of the shift. As the bell rings, workers begin packing up to leave their various duties—pixies return to the woods, interns retreat to their hovels, and most employees head home. Only three residents remain in the manor: Tatianna, Edwin, and the dragon trainer Blade.
Blade enters the office with a fresh gash on his forehead, asking for Tatianna. Evie tells him to ask herself. Blade flirts extravagantly, showing off his brightly colored vest and orange pants, mock‑grabbing his chest and delivering a cheesy line. Evie rebuffs him, calling him a “big flirt,” and brushes his dark shoulder‑length hair from his wound, warning that the injury could be fatal. Blade recounts the dragon’s rapid growth from a palm‑sized hatchling to a massive, temperamental beast, explaining that he obtained the dragon by bartering with The Villain for lodging and a taming position. He describes the dragon’s occasional “temper tantrums” and its general fearfulness.
Blade’s attention shifts to Becky, who is carrying a stack of papers. He greets her flamboyantly (“lovely Rebecka!”), prompting Becky to reprimand him for inappropriate address. She delivers a scathing tirade about his hygiene and blood on his cheek, threatening him with loss of pay. Blade laughs, saying he enjoys seeing her ruffled, and then lowers his voice to ask Evie about a recent “bust on a shipment,” hinting at ongoing intrigue. Their conversation touches on The Villain’s recent absence, the lack of arson incidents, and Blade’s claim that he has reduced the boss’s destructive tirades to two per week by preventing the boss from speaking to interns before breakfast.
When the bell tolls loudly, Evie notes that The Villain’s office door remains closed; the boss is unusually absent at day’s end. She gives the workers a quiet nod, allowing them to leave. She gathers her belongings, feeling uneasy about The Villain’s recent whereabouts. Blade, still injured, heads toward the healer’s quarters, with Tatianna escorting him after examining his wound. Evie watches Blade depart, gives the closed office one last lingering look, sighs, and heads down the stairs toward the exit, still haunted by thoughts of The Villain’s possible return.