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

by Stephanie Garber

For anyone who has ever feared they won’t find true love

what the Prince of Hearts has done and you’re tempted to trust him again. It had only been a day since she’d learned of Jacks’s most recent betrayal—poisoning her new husband, Apollo, on the night of their wedding.

I'm confused did she get proof or did she just convince herself of it just to push him away!?

and therefore everyone’s future held infinite possibilities. But Evangeline could not allow herself to hope for Jacks or to forgive him for what he had done to her and Apollo.

She has such a skewed perspective of Apollo like she met him a few times before the bewitching and both times he was such a tool.

The Valors, the first royal family of the Magnificent North, had constructed the arch as a passageway to a place called the Valory. No one knew what the Valory contained,

One said the Valory was a treasure chest that held the Valors’ greatest magical gifts. The other claimed the Valory was an enchanted prison that locked away all manner of magic beings, including an abomination that the Valors had created.

but she had no plans to allow Jacks to get his cold hands

Imagine he wants to break his curse with whatever is inside the arch to be able to kiss and love Evie

Evangeline took the letter she’d just written to herself, crossed the length of her royal suite, and placed the note atop the fireplace mantel, waxed side out—making sure she’d see the words of warning if they were ever needed again.

Reread: i will always love that in acftl this letter id what made her realize how much she loved him and how this was their love story and how it helped bring all her memories back

But it wasn’t actually the dark or the night that she feared. It was the spider-thin prickle crawling across her shoulder blades.

My honeyyyy

indolent yet confident and handsome as ever. He moved as if the night should have been afraid of him.

Why is he so sexy

Jacks spoke softly. “I understand if you’re upset—” “If,” Evangeline cut in. “You poisoned my husband!” Jacks lifted his shoulders in an insouciant shrug. “I didn’t kill him.”

Hahahhahahahahha i mean hes not wrong

LaLa wore sequins or feathers or shimmering mermaid skirts, but today, her dress was the sedate color of fresh cream, with long sleeves that concealed the dragon flames tattooed on her brown arms.

(Highlighting for physical description purposes bc i know theres prob white washed fanart out there)

And when Liana reached the last page of every story, she never said, The end. Instead, she always turned to Evangeline and asked, What do you suppose happens next?

I always loved this with everything in me. Garber is a goddamn wizard with a pen

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.

She’d make a deal with almost anyone else before entering into another partnership with him.

You’re so cute Evie

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. There was no clock in the carriage, but Evangeline could hear time slipping away.

Tick tok, Little Fox

“I don’t understand why you do this every day.” Jacks’s indolent voice carried through the chamber.

JACKS PLEASE

He was dressed with more care than usual. A series of silver links secured the midnight-blue cape at his shoulders. His velvet doublet was the same deep blue, save for the smoke-gray embroidery that matched his fitted trousers, which were tucked neatly into polished leather boots.

Look he got dressed up nicely for you

“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.”

JACKS IS SO FUNNY BUT ITS NOT ACKNOWLEGED ENOUGH

“I’m not thinking nice things.” “Even better.” His eyes sparked,

I love them

And Jacks was still holding her hand.

:)))

She pulled free of Jacks’s icy grip,

:(((

“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.”

IM TOO ATTRACTED TO THIS MF

Gentle hands instead of harsh ones wrapped protectively around her, pulling her toward a cold, hard chest. He smelled of apples and cruelty,

mY BABY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH HIM AND HIS GOD DAMN APPLES FOR CHRIST SAKE

She was thankful Jacks had stopped her from becoming Luc’s next snack, but saving her once didn’t make Jacks a savior.

Babes there has been three separate occassions where he saved your life

“It’s not safe for you here,” Jacks said calmly, as if she were a stray kitten he was trying to herd. And yet she noticed his knuckles were clenched and a muscle throbbed angrily in his neck.

He loves youuuu

“You are such a little hypocrite.” Told you she deserves it, Jacks thought at Evangeline.

Hehehe

I’m barking reread: AHHHHHHHHHHHH

Jacks chuckled. “If I knew all it took to scare you was a little touch, I would have tried this sooner.” His fingertips played with her earlobe. Evangeline pulled away, almost stumbling on the frozen ground.

Jfc he loves her already

Evangeline felt an impossible burst of hope. When she looked in the prince’s eyes, they were no longer red. Unlike the last time she’d seen him, Apollo appeared fully in control of himself. Beside her, Jacks went nightmare stiff, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Hoping hes an absolute asshole

Apollo took a deep breath, exhaling a small cloud of white. “Gods, you’re beautiful.”

Fvck thats not what i wanted

Help. The word came out so softly she wasn’t sure she said it out loud.

I just realized that shes sending the word to Jacks

“Evangeline—” It sounded like Jacks’s voice. But he’d said her name, not Little Fox. Jacks never said her name. Then he was murmuring something else. Two more words she’d never heard. “I’m sorry,” he said, just before it all truly went dark.

SORRY FOR WHAT IM GONNA CRY

Then she heard another voice, so quiet she knew it was in her head. I’m sorry, Little Fox. Apollo isn’t who you need to worry about. He’s—

it. She wanted to know how it ended. But the harder she tried to remain in the dream, the more it began to fade,

Baby the ending hadnt been written yet:')

Their eyes collided across the room. His gaze slowly lowered to the sheets that she held over her barely there slip. But then, before she even had time to blush, he looked away. Evangeline felt a strange stab of disappointment

DAMN ok bruh

tossing the shimmering black apple that he held in his hand.

I gotta know the meaning of the apple colors dude

Now Jacks appeared completely at ease, and the comfortable way that he and Chaos spoke made it seem as if they were almost friends.

Theyre besties actually

where he stood, looking like eternal heartbreak. His fair skin faintly glowed, his eyes shone like stolen stars, his hair was spun gold, and the cruel plains of his face filled her with a longing so deep it felt like an ache.

drooling

she could see what he really was, despite any of his efforts to try to hide it. Just one look set her blood on fire, and she liked the way it burned.

but when she inhaled, all she could smell was the dark sweetness of him, and she wondered how he’d taste. Would he be cool on her tongue? Would brushing her lips over his neck stop her blood from burning and her heart from racing?

Gods i wanna hear Jacks' monologue abt Evie when he was a vampire

Jacks took another bite of his apple.

I’m dying he loves this rn

“Careful,” Jacks drawled. “You’re not looking at me as if you hate me right now.” “I do,” she said. But it came out all wrong, hoarse and breathless—and hungry.

“You’re wrong about that, Princess. Jacks doesn’t want this life for you.” Chaos met her eyes again, flames mingling with the shadows of his deathlike gaze.

lets talk about Jacks choice to save Chaos

For a moment, she wanted to believe the vampire. She liked the idea that Jacks cared what happened to her.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jacks growled. Evangeline turned toward his voice, sweat trickling down her cheek, as she found him standing in the doorway.

My tummy just did a lil tumble

Something loud cracked in the doorway. Her eyes shot back to Jacks, who was fisting the now splintered edge of the door.

Gods hes so in love w her

He certainly looked livid enough. His silver-blue eyes turned midnight dark as he watched her struggling under Chaos.

the visceral reactions i get from jacks is wild

But she also wanted this. She wanted Jacks to stop her struggling. She wanted him to rip Chaos off her chest so that he could pin her to the bed instead.

Jfcccc dear gods

She sensed Chaos standing over her, watching her for a reason she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Then she felt his hand smoothing down her slip until it fell back to her knees.

Aww Chaos is such a good boy except ya know when he does that thing at the end of the book

She needed to figure out who and why. She would start by returning to Wolf Hall and questioning Havelock.

You would be dumb asf to go back there Evie