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August 5 - August 9, 2023
All stories are made of both truths and lies, she used to say. What matters is the way that we believe in them.
Always promise less than you can give, for Fates always take more. Do not make bargains with more than one Fate. And, above all, never fall in love with a Fate.
During her search for the missing door, she’d read that the Prince of Hearts’ church held a different aroma for everyone who visited. It was supposed to smell like a person’s greatest heartbreak. But as Evangeline entered the cool cathedral, the air did not remind her of Luc—there were no hints of suede or vetiver. The dim mouth of the church was slightly sweet and metallic: apples and blood.
According to the myths, the Prince of Hearts was not capable of love because his heart had stopped beating long ago. Only one person could make it work again: his one true love. They said his kiss was fatal to all but her—his only weakness—and as he’d sought her, he’d left a trail of corpses.
He gave her a real smile, revealing a pair of dimples that briefly made him look more angel than devil. But she imagined even angels would need to beware of him. She could picture him flashing those deceptive dimples as he tricked an angel into losing its wings just so he could play with the feathers.
“I don’t know if I can fix your broken heart, but you can take mine because it’s already yours.”
His words might have been borrowed from a popular story, but he backed them up with heartfelt actions.
Whereas Evangeline and Luc used to joke that if they were ever cursed, it would just prove that magic existed. It was laughably sad that Evangeline now had that proof, but she didn’t have him.
The Fates weren’t dangerous because they were evil; the Fates were dangerous because they couldn’t tell the difference between evil and good.
She just wanted one more hug from her father. One more moment of her mother smoothing her hair. The pain she felt at missing Luc wasn’t even a scratch in comparison to the absence of her mother and father. She still wanted Luc, but what she really wanted was the life and all the love that she’d lost.
If he loved you back, he wouldn’t be marrying someone else. End of story.
But it seemed Jacks had forgotten about her, just as Poison had said.
Although some days she felt like one of the dusty used books on the store’s back shelves. The volumes that had been popular once, but no one picked up anymore.
“I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings.”
She knew some people would think this made her foolish, but it was tremendously hard to fully fall out of love with someone when you had no one else to love instead.
No matter how much Evangeline tried not to think about Jacks, he was always tucked away in the back of her thoughts,
But hadn’t Poison warned her that she’d be drawn to Jacks, whether she wanted to be or not?
“For me, it was just love at first.”
Then her parents would both be sure to tell Evangeline that not all loves happened at first; some took time to grow like seeds, or they might be like bulbs, dormant until the right season approached.
“I’d give you the world if I could. The moon, the stars, and all the suns in the universe. Anything for you,
“But life is about more than happiness, Jacks!”
They’d probably gently reassure her that her future was determined by her choices, not her destiny.
Just love him the same way you live your life—love him without holding back, love him as if every day with him will be more magical than the last, love him as if he’s your destiny and the world will be better if you two are together, and he won’t be able to ever stop loving you.”
“There are much better ways to die than this, Little Fox.” “Your attempts at comfort are tr-tragic,”
He held on to her as if she were a grudge, his body rigid and tense, as if he really didn’t want her there, and yet his arms were tight around her waist as though he had no intention of ever letting her go.
She didn’t make being alone seem lonely as Evangeline had always feared. She made it seem like an adventure, as if every moment were the start of a story with endless possibilities.
“You won’t regret being my friend. We make excellent allies, you’ll see!”
“Stop flashing your fangs. I’m the only one who gets to bite her.”
She knew there were downsides to feeling deeply; it could get in the way of logic and reason. But shutting off emotions was just as treacherous.
She didn’t want Jacks. She just wanted someone to want her the way Jacks had wanted this girl.
“So you’re saying you’d settle for a boring romance if it ends well?” “Yes. I would gladly take an uneventful happily ever after.”
Was she destined to end up here, or was it just one of many possible paths? She would never know, but she had a feeling this question would always haunt her.
