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

by Stephanie Garber

“Where’s this secret passage?” she asked. “Just over here,” Petra said.

yall the best scene in the entire series is about to play out and my stomach is tumbling

She felt the searing burn of truth—she was wearing the truth stone—and she felt it telling her to get out, to leave, to flee, to run for her life.

She yanked the hair. It was just one tug, but the entire glowing mane came off.

Damn she ripped her wig off like theyre on jerry springer lmaooo

Petra’s real hair was a pile of pink, made of strands of rose with hints of gold. “Your hair! It’s just—” Evangeline was going to say it was just like hers, but Petra didn’t give her the chance.

“I know you’re also a key. And if I don’t kill you, you’ll kill me for my stone.”

Evangeline thrust her dagger into Petra’s chest, right on the edge of her chain-mail dress. Petra made the worst sound Evangeline had ever heard,

Holy fvck

“Little Fox!” Jacks’s urgent voice was accompanied by the sound of running. Evangeline shook harder. She didn’t want him to find her right now, especially not like this.

Yet she’d never been so relieved to see him. “Jacks—” His name came out like a sob.

She knew he wasn’t a savior, but she didn’t want a savior just then. She didn’t want someone to hold her while she cried ...

wanted fury, she wanted rage, she wanted a villain to tell her she’d done exactl...

“I killed her—” Evangeline cried. Saying the words made it even realer, and the guilt was suddenly too much. Her chest was tight. 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.

HIS POUNDING HEART I CANNOT TAKE THIS

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.

My heart omg

“It never does.” Jacks carefully released the ribbon at her waist and slowly rubbed a hand up and down the length of her spine.

Interesting

She’d thought that she didn’t want a savior, but maybe a part of her needed one. Or perhaps she just needed him.

This part is so good

it hardly seemed wrong to want Jacks to hold her closer, until the hallway and the body and this terrible night disappeared and all that was left was the two of them.

“There are heroes, and there are villains. She made her choice between the two, and she got the ending that came with it.” Jacks said the words through gritted teeth, and Evangeline had the sudden fear that he wasn’t just talking about Petra but himself.

“The youth stone.” Evangeline pulled off Petra’s other glove, and gooseflesh covered her arm. A shining golden cuff was hooked around her wrist, and in its center was a glowing stone the perfect blue of Jacks’s unearthly eyes.

“Evangeline.” Jacks’s voice was soft but urgent. “We can’t linger here. You need to go pack. I’ll take care of the stone.”

He stilled as soon as he saw her, eyes going wide and fangs coming out at the sight of the blood on her dress and face. Her chest erupted with panic. “Luc, you should go—”

Jfc

Before Evangeline could finish, pain lashed down her back in horrible streaks. “Argh!” It hurt so much she couldn’t breathe. She doubled over, barely able to remain on her feet as she felt the skin on her back split open.

But then she remembered Apollo and the mirror curse. Someone must have been torturing him,

“Oh, gods, Eva—your back.” Luc’s voice was thick with hunger, and the arm around her waist felt almost painfully hot. “Get away from her!” Jacks roared from the doorway.

“She’s possessed by her dead husband?” Luc dropped her on the ground. Jacks growled. Evangeline crumpled into a ball, her back hurting so much the fall didn’t really matter.

“Oh, he’s not very happy with me right now. I was supposed to stay away from Eva—

Luc ur such a fokin idiot lmao

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

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! reread: IM NOT TEARING UP SHUT UP STOP LOOKING AT ME

Then she’d feel Jacks smoothing the damp hair from her forehead or pressing a cool hand to her cheek.

I cnt do this right now please

Then there were the flowers, so large they were the size of small children,

My girl sounds like shes trippin balls rn

Jacks picked her up in one quick swoop and carried her inside the inn.

but she wanted to know why it smelled of spiced ciders and fresh-baked bread and how it managed to feel like home,

This is hits so hard in the reread fam

magic worked here must have severed their link, or she was just too weak.

The blankets were as soft as they looked, but she still hissed from the pain that prickled across her injured back. “Sorry, Little Fox.” He brushed back the hair that had stuck to her forehead,

I literally wanna cry he's so gentle to the ones he loves

She’d expected he would return with some sort of healer. But it was only Jacks with his arms full of supplies.

My angel baby :'(

head grew even lighter at the feel of Jacks’s hands gently peeling her dress away from her back. The process was excruciatingly slow. Several times, Jacks quietly hissed through his teeth, and she imagined what a mess her back must have been.

He just went on to carefully clean her wounds, wiping them with cool, damp cloths.

MY BLEEDING HEART BOY

“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 love this scene so much

Evangeline intended to say, but instead the words “Of course” came out. Jacks laughed, louder this time.

That truth stone be doing gods work rn lmao

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.”

Yo this is everything. His sweet gentleness and honesty about being jealous

one by one, ripped off the sleeves of her dress so that what remained of the gown completely fell away. She made a sound somewhere between a squeal and a gasp. “Was that really necessary?”

“No, but everyone should have their clothes ripped off at some point.”

I LOVE HIM

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw him smile. And for a second, nothing hurt.

These two have my entire fucking heart

“I can close my eyes,” he said, “but then I’ll have to feel my way around your body.” Evangeline felt fresh butterflies along with the strange feeling that, unlike with his earlier comment,

Okay (:

She briefly closed her eyes, but all that did was make her more aware of Jacks’s breath against her neck as he hovered over her back

He was gentle with the bandage, but a little careless with his hands—every time he wrapped the fabric around, she felt his cool fingertips brushing her stomach or ribs and occasionally her breasts.

Every touch brought a rush of electricity to her skin, and she found herself wanting to lean in. It was absurd—she was injured, and he was merely tending to her wounds. But it didn’t feel like that; it felt like more. Or maybe she just wanted it to be more—maybe she wanted him.

she wished for a second their story could have a different ending.

When she opened them again, she focused on the twisting branches that helped form the walls of the cozy loft. It was then that she noticed the vertical line of notches on the wood. The sort that children made to measure their height.

There appeared to be about five years’ worth of measurements, with five names carved beside them: Aurora Lyric Castor Jacks

My heart :(

He trailed off. She could see on his face he hadn’t been fast enough. “Life is not a kind storyteller. And I’m not meant to be a savior.” Jacks turned to go. “You’re wrong.” Evangeline reached out and grabbed his hand.

I want to cry :(

all she managed to say was “Tonight, you saved me.” “No, I stopped you from dying. That’s not the same thing.” Jacks pulled away and abruptly left.

Jacks :( they way he’s saved her like 5x and thinks he’s not a savior!?