A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #3)

by Stephanie Garber

Like me.

“You’re not here to hurt me.”

Yet she’d never wanted anyone more.

She must have lost her mind sometime during the night because she wanted him to move closer. She wanted his hands on her. She wanted him holding her, restraining her, teaching her to fight. She didn’t care, as long as they were touching.

And she wanted nothing more than for him to stay.

this time she chased after him.

Then Apollo took his knife and

stabbed the boy in the heart. Shock and pain briefly crossed the boy’s face before he fell back on the bed, as dead as the rest of his family. Apollo felt a moment of sadness. He wasn’t really a monster. He just did what had to be done. A boy this trusting and this cowardly wouldn’t have made it long in this world; his family was all dead now, anyway. And Apollo would make sure his sacrifice was put to good use.

“You could never look awful,”

Jacks stayed, if he stormed in the room and used his powers to make Apollo watch as Jacks told Evangeline

that she wasn’t nothing to him. That she was everything. That he’d turned back time to keep her alive, and he would make the same choice again. If Jacks made her remember that he was the one she should have wanted to kiss. She wouldn’t be safe anymore. She wouldn’t even be alive. If Evangeline was going to have any future, Jacks could not be a part of it.

No matter how many days Jacks lived, those days when he was a human were always the clearest to him and never seemed to fade with time. It was another downfall of being immortal—these

It made Jacks hate humans at times, but he imagined it made Castor want to become one.

Jacks felt a pinprick of envy.

“Were you watching Evangeline again?” “I’m not here because of her,” Jacks snapped. “Well, you’re certainly snippy about her.” Jacks glared. “And you’re in a disturbingly good mood for someone who just slaughtered an entire family.”

But Jacks wasn’t feeling much these days unless the feelings involved Evangeline, and he was trying his best to avoid those at the moment.

Jacks had allowed himself to be turned into a Fate was so that Castor wouldn’t be alone.

“I’m not the one about to destroy my life.” “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I talked to my sister. Aurora told me what you want and what you’re willing to exchange for it.”

“I

know what I’m doing.” The vampire gave him another hard look. “If Evangeline ever gets her memories back, she’ll never forgive you for this.” “At least she’ll be alive to hate me.”

“You’re not in danger. I’m here because a friend of ours needs help—your help. He’s about to make a horrible decision and you need to change his mind before it’s too late to save him. I’m not here to hurt you, Evangeline.” “Then why don’t you get the hell away from her,” growled Archer.

don’t want you near her. Ever.” Jacks pulled out his sword, and before Chaos had time to speak, he shoved the blade right through his chest.

“Yes, I am a murderer. I enjoy hurting people. I like blood. I like pain. I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I’m your monster, Evangeline.”

He wanted her to look at him, just once, and know him the way she had before.

It was cruel of him to want her to want him again. If she remembered, it would only hurt her more.

After everything, she’d still wanted him.

that Evangeline’s face was the only one he saw whenever he closed his eyes, that he would go with her anywhere … if he could.

It was better to hurt her, better to break her heart, to do whatever he needed to do, to keep her alive and to keep her away from him.

He would have set the world on fire and then let it all burn just to keep holding her like this.

“How could I have ever been in love with you?” It was an unkind question, but Evangeline was feeling overwrought. One second, she was on the floor with Jacks on top of her and now they were tied together, skin touching skin, which felt different than when there’d been a layer of clothing between them.

“I wouldn’t need to, if you would just remember.”

“You don’t think I’m trying to remember?” “Clearly not hard enough,” Jacks said coldly. “Do you even want your memories back?” “All I’ve been doing is trying to get them back!”

“If you believe that, then either you’re lying to yourself or you’ve forgotten how to really try.” His eyes burned as they met hers; it was a fire like anger. But she could see hurt as well. It came in threads of silver that moved through the blue of his eyes like cracks. “I’ve seen you try before. I’ve seen you want something more than anything else in the entire world. I’ve seen what you’re willing to do. How far you were willing to go. You haven’t even come close to that now.”

A man a great man fight for herrr!!!!!!!

But all she could think was that she wanted him to do even more.

“Please, Little Fox, remember.”

Nothing existed except for the press of his cool forehead, the feel of his strong hand tangling in her hair, and the pleading, broken look in his quicksilver blue eyes. The combination of it all shuffled her insides like a deck of cards, until all the feelings she’d tried to shove away were back on top.

She wanted to trust him. She wanted to believe him when he said the Handsome Stranger he’d just stabbed wasn’t really dead. She wanted to think that the murderous stories she’d been told about him were all lies. She wanted him.

One Bed.

“There is never necessary evil, just poor choices, and I fear you’re about to make one, boy.”

“Then you should stop wasting your time in luxurious tents and go out like an actual leader and search for her,” said Honora.

Wolfric’s words had made him bristle, but Honora’s put Apollo to shame.

“Go search for your princess, and if you value your life, forget all about the Tree of Souls.”

They ate him downn

She liked hearing him say the word bride more than she probably should have, but he’d also said that he’d written earlier this week.

Now all Evangeline could hear was the word love. She told herself Jacks was only acting, playing a role for whatever scheme he’d put together. But Evangeline was a little breathless as he sliced the rope binding their wrists and then effortlessly lifted her into his arms. Her heart thudded as he climbed the stairs. She loved the feel of his arms, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something else she did not love was going on.

“I’m not letting you leave. You said you were my monster. If you’re mine, why bring me here just to leave me? None of this makes sense.” He gritted his teeth. “Being yours does not make you mine.”

“I don’t believe you, Jacks. I might not remember everything about you. But I know you. I know that I know you, and I don’t believe there is anything you can’t do.” “I can’t do this,” he said roughly.

“This is a very bad idea,” Jacks murmured. “I would have thought you liked bad ideas.” “Only when they’re mine.” He stood very still as her fingers reached for the bottom button and carefully slid it through the hole. For a second, there was no rain, there was no breathing. There was just the two of them. Carefully Evangeline parted the fabric of his doublet. Then she felt Jacks’s hand braceleting her wrist. “My turn,” he said hoarsely. And she swore she could feel his voice on her skin as he reached for the ties of her cloak.

Didn’t want to move, for fear that his hands would stop there, that he would leave her in the damp dress, that he wouldn’t reach for the ties at her breasts.

Evangeline didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to speak for fear of breaking whatever enchantment was on them now. But she also wanted to touch him, she wanted to be closer. If this was all the time she was going to have with him, if in the morning he said goodbye again, she wanted more.