The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2)

by Stephanie Garber

she believed that everyone’s life was like a story with an ending that was not yet written, and therefore everyone’s future held infinite possibilities.

He moved as if the night should have been afraid of him.

“You poisoned my husband!” Jacks lifted his shoulders in an insouciant shrug. “I didn’t kill him.” “That’s not something you earn points for.”

People called it heartbreak, but Evangeline thought that losing someone you loved broke more than just a heart.

celebrating another person’s joy was important,

Happy endings can be caught, but they are difficult to hold on to. They are dreams that want to escape the night. They are treasure with wings. They are wild, feral, reckless things that need to be constantly chased, or they will certainly run away.

“Do you kiss the prince because you actually enjoy it?” Jacks asked. “Or is it because you honestly think it will magically revive him?” “Maybe I do it because I know it will annoy you,” Evangeline answered archly. Jacks flashed a smile that was far more wicked than welcoming. “Glad to know you’re thinking about me when you kiss your husband.” Heat flushed her cheeks. “I’m not thinking nice things.” “Even better.”

Monsters were supposed to look like … monsters, not like Jacks.

She was bruised, she was bleeding, her husband was cursed, now she seemed to be cursed. And Jacks was still holding her hand.

“I hurt everyone, Little Fox. But you have to be alive to hate me.” His eyes iced over. “I do not want you dead, and I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

the air warmed and sweetened with the scent of mulled wine and poorly timed celebrations.

Once, she might have run to him. Once, she might have wept for him. Now, she wanted to throw things at him. Sharp, hurtful things.

Luc pouted. “Are you still angry about the other night?” “You mean when you tried to eat me?” “It wasn’t like that. Well, maybe it was a little like that.”

Luc was a lot of things, but he wasn’t cunning enough to rule a kingdom, let alone steal one.

She’d been trying so hard to do the right thing, to make the noble choice, to be the hero, and she was exhausted.

Jacks often told Evangeline that heroes didn’t get happy endings, but in that moment, Evangeline wasn’t looking for happiness. She just wanted a break. A moment of peace before being confronted with another catastrophe. Was that too much to ask?

Jacks took a bite of his apple, drawing her attention to the foot of the bed, where he stood, looking like eternal heartbreak.

“Apollo is the Archer,” she breathed. “No,” Jacks said sharply. “Apollo is not the Archer.

And she was headed in the worst direction, toward the impending cliff face, with the furious waves crashing beneath. “Jump!” Jacks yelled. Out of nowhere, he was suddenly right beside her. “I can’t swim,” she cried. “Then hold on.” He wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and together they fell.

“I will not let you die.” A single bead of water dripped from Jacks’s lashes onto her lips. It was raindrop soft, but the look in his eyes held the force of a storm.

The crashing ocean felt suddenly quiet in contrast to her pounding heart, or maybe it was his heart. Jacks’s chest was heaving, his clothes were soaked, his hair was a mess across his face—yet in that moment, Evangeline knew he would carry her through more than just freezing waters. He would pull her through fire if he had to, haul her from the clutches of war, from falling cities and breaking worlds.

If Jacks hadn’t betrayed her, if he hadn’t set her up for murder, she might have been a little bewitched by him.

Water dripped from Jacks’s golden hair, catching the moonlight as it fell. Even after jumping from a cliff and falling into an ocean, he still looked like a ruthless fairytale—a fallen prince who refused to break.

“You talk in your sleep,” he drawled. “You said my name—a lot.” Evangeline felt a rush of heat crawl up her neck. “Obviously, I was having a nightmare.” “It didn’t look that way to me, Little Fox, and I was here all night.”

“Don’t fret, I won’t tell your husband that you’re obsessed with me.”

“But I’m not getting dressed while you’re in here.” “That’s too bad,” Jacks murmured. Then he was gone. And Evangeline was grateful he could not see her sudden blush.

“You’re staring.” “I was just wondering why you always carry apples.” Jacks chuckled under his breath. “Trust me, Little Fox, you’re better off not knowing.” He took a slow bite of the fruit, eyes darkening as they slowly slid from her lips to her neck, following the exposed line of it down to her clavicle and then to her breasts. Her breathing felt heavy as Jacks’s gaze lingered on the intricate cords that wrapped around her chest, tracing the golden lines with his eyes in a way that made the braided ropes feel as if they were being tightened, as if his cool fingers were pulling them more tautly around her, until it was a little difficult to breathe. “You started it with your stare,” he murmured.

“Unlock it,” Jacks ordered. Evangeline bristled. “You could at least say please.” “I could, but then you might think I’m being nice, and I would hate to confuse you.”

“Did the stone affect you as well?” she asked. “The stone affects everyone,” he said. “It didn’t do anything to me,” chimed Jacks. “Only because the luck stone makes people reckless, and you’re always reckless,” Chaos replied. Jacks shrugged. “What’s the point of being an immortal if you live like a human?”

“But I thought you could die?” Evangeline asked. “Why? Planning on murdering me?” Jacks’s eyes glittered.

“Mirth has the potential to make you lose your mind even more than the luck stone did. People will kill to hold on to their youth. It could also bring about jealousy or immaturity, so that one will be tricky to steal. And truth—” Jacks smirked. “The truth is never what you want it to be, Little Fox.”

The air shifted as Evangeline entered, redolent of old paper pages that called to her like a siren’s song. Like all admirers of fairytales, she’d always loved the scent of books. She loved the paper dust in the air, the way it swirled in the light like little sprinkles of magic.

Back when she believed that first love and true love and forever love were all the same.

“You know,” he said softly, “biting is really like kissing but better, if you do it right.”

“Now, did you want something? Or just my attention?”

He was a monster for sure, but it seemed he was also a gentleman. A gentleman monster.

It was uncomfortable to imagine Jacks as capable of loyalty and friendship. It was much easier to believe he had no honor whatsoever. Although given how driven Jacks was, if he were to be loyal, she could see him being loyal to the death.

Evangeline had never considered the idea that Jacks had been human before, but if he was part of the Merrywood Three, then clearly he’d been human once. And being human looked good on him—or maybe it was just that he looked so happy. In the picture, Jacks was tossing an ordinary red apple and laughing in a way that lit up his entire face. He never looked this happy now, and she couldn’t help but wonder what had changed. “Little Fox!” Jacks knocked as he called her name through the door. Evangeline startled and nearly toppled off the bed as he strode into the room. His resemblance to the picture was uncanny, and yet the feeling she got from looking at him now was entirely different. It was as if a sculptor had taken a dagger to who he had once been and carved out all the softness.

Jacks had the travel carriage of a villain.

This was exactly why she was always reminding herself not to trust him. Of course he would think the only way to get what they wanted was to murder someone for it.

“You think about what I do when you’re not around?” “Careful, Little Fox.” He took a step forward. “You sound rather excited by the idea.” “I’m not, I assure you,” she said, wishing she didn’t sound so breathless. “I merely like the thought that I torment you as much as you torment me.” Jacks flashed one of his dimples, making him look deceptively charming. “So you’re the one who thinks about what I do when you’re not around?” “Only because I know you’re up to no good.” “No good.” He laughed as he said the words. “I would hope you know by now that I’m up to far worse than just ‘no good.’”

Evangeline gritted her teeth. Of course Jacks could flirt with girls, but she couldn’t even talk to a man. “I’m already married, Jacks. I was speaking to Merrick because he had a ring with a stone!” “Everyone in here has a ring.” “You don’t.” “In case you’ve forgotten, I am not everyone, Little Fox.” His eyes dropped to her lips, searing her mouth with one sharp look and instantly reminding her of what he could do with a single kiss. Evangeline bit down on her lip, just to taunt him back. Something primal flashed behind Jacks’s eyes—desire or anger, she couldn’t quite tell. All she knew was that her mouth felt swollen from the force of his gaze and the inescapable sense that he wished to be the one biting down on her lip instead. And for a second, she wondered what that would be like. She imagined him taking her lips right there, in the middle of the party, tangling his fingers through her hair, holding her close while everyone watched.

“I’m not a human, Evangeline. And I’m not your friend, or your husband, or your lover.”

“I believe you owe me a dance,” Luc said. “Not tonight, vampire boy.” Evangeline stiffened at the sound of Jacks’s low voice. Then she shivered as he stepped into view, looking like an angel of death with the swords still strapped to his back. “This dance is already taken.” “Yes, by me.” Luc flashed his fangs. Jacks merely laughed. The sound was musical and very much at odds with the voice Evangeline heard in her head. I’ll give you a choice. Dance with me, or watch me use one of my swords to chop off his head.

She didn’t want someone to hold her while she cried and tell her it would be all right. She wanted fury, she wanted rage, she wanted a villain to tell her she’d done exactly what she needed to do.

She couldn’t breathe. She could barely even stand. Then Jacks was crushing her to his chest. He held her like a secret, pulling her close to his pounding heart. She remembered her vow not to let him touch her. But if she pulled away, she felt as if she might break into a thousand tears. Evangeline let herself lean against him as one of his hands slid into her hair, gently pressing her head to his shoulder. The other hand was at her waist, fisting the ribbon tied around it as if he also knew that, were he to let her go, she would shatter.

“There is a knife in her hand,” Jacks said. “She would have clearly killed you if you hadn’t stopped her. You didn’t do anything wrong.” “But it doesn’t feel right.” “It never does.”

“Evangeline dies tonight unless you tell Chaos to find Apollo, get him out of danger, and make sure his wounds are healed. Can you do that?” “Yes.” “Then why are you still here?” Jacks spat.

“It hurts, Jacks.” “I know, love. I’m going to take you somewhere safe.”

“You’re good at this,” she murmured. “Do you often travel with girls who’ve been flayed?” This earned her a soft laugh. “No.” Then quietly, as he ran a cloth along her lower back, just below the dip in her waist, “Would you be jealous if I did?” I’m not a jealous person was what Evangeline intended to say, but instead the words “Of course” came out. Jacks laughed, louder this time. Embarrassment surged through her. “That’s not what I meant to say.” “It’s all right. I’d probably kill another man if I found him with you like this.”