Navjot > Navjot's Quotes

“A tormented scream pierced the night like a blade. The sky bled, and darkness fell instead of stars, erasing lights across the Magnificent North.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Because pain in the body quiets the pain in the head. It feels good, like a kill switch for your brain.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“Your body can only feel one pain at a time.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“What’s your tattoo?” I asked quietly, remembering how my friend noticed he had one.
He didn’t say anything for a moment, or ask how I knew, but then he answered, “A decaying snowflake.”
I raised my eyebrows. A decaying…
“Why?” I asked.
“Because of Winter by Walter de la Mare,” he replied softly. “Something still beautiful, even after what I did to her.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“The world respected people who didn’t crave approval.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“He made himself the cure, which wouldn’t have been necessary if he hadn’t also created the disease.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“If she left me, I'm going to burn the whole fucking world down until I find her.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“Your place is at my side,” I told her. “Say it.”
She whispered, “My place is at your side.”
“Louder.” I shook her gently, but my tone was firm. “My woman doesn’t ask permission. She’s a force. Say it louder.”
Her chin started to tremble, but her voice burst out strong. “My place is at your side.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“Because pain in the body quiets the pain in the head. It feels good, like a kill switch for you brain.”
― Penelope Douglas, Kill Switch

“In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don't like me, and I can pretend that I don't care. But for tonight, let me pretend you're mine.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“I’m going to go back and stop your son from killing her.”
The queen’s face fell. For a moment, she looked as old as the years she’d spent lying in a suspended state. “That is not a small mistake to fix. If you do this, Time will take something equally valuable from you.”
The Fate gave the queen a look more vicious than any curse. “There is nothing of equal value to me.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“I wish our story could have had another ending.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“It hurts, Jacks.”
“I know, love. I’m going to take you somewhere safe.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“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.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Where were you?” she asked.
“I was killing innocent maidens and kicking puppies.”
“Jacks, that’s not funny.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“He held her with the type of intensity that only happens when a person wants something that isn't quite theirs.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“The girl was dead. If her lifeless body had not confirmed it, then it would have been made clear by the horrible scream of the Fate who held her in his arms. The story curse was familiar with pain, but this was agony, the sort of raw grief that was only seen once in a century. The Fate was every tear that anyone had ever shed for lost love. He was pain given form.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Glad to know you're thinking about me when you kiss your husband.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“The Fate didn’t move. He didn’t let the girl go. He looked as if he never would. He continued holding her as if he could return her to life with the force of his will. His eyes were wet with blood. Red tears fell down his cheeks and onto hers. But the girl didn’t stir.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“It's all right. I'd probably kill another man if I found him with you like this.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Whatever it is, Jacks, you won't feel the same in a minute."
He swalloved hard and clenched his jaw. "You have no idea what I'm feeling now."
He looked at her lips, and the most tortured expression she'd ever seen crossed his face.
When Jacks wanted something, it was with an intensity that could break worlds and build kingdoms. That was the energy pouring off him now, as if he wanted to destroy her and make her his queen all at once.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Jacks looked down on her from the dark nightstand where he’d perched
himself. His long legs draped negligently over the edge of the furniture as
his hands played with an apple and a knife.
“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.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“In the morning you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you dont like me. and i can pretend i dont care.But for tonight, let me pretend youre mine”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“You know, biting is really like kissing but better, if you do it right.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“... the girl remained unmoving. Dead. And yet the Fate continued to hold her.

'Bring her back,' he said softly.

'I am sorry,' said the queen who'd just awoken. She was a petite thing. She's tried to pull her son away from the girl to stop his unnatural feeding, but her hands were not strong enough. The queen could not fight immortals physically, but she had an iron will forged of mettle and mistakes. 'You know I cannot do that.'

The Fate finally looked up. 'Bring her back,' he repeated. For he also possessed an indomitable will. 'I know you can do it.'

The queen shook her head remorsefully. 'My heart breaks for you- for this. But I will not do this. After bringing back Castor and seeing what he became, I vowed to never use that sort of magic again.'

'Evangeline would be different.' The Fate glowered at the queen.

'No,' she repeated. 'You wouldn't be saving this girl, you would be damning her. Just as we did to Castor. She wouldn't want this life.'

'I don't care what she wants!' roared the Fate. 'I don't want her dead. She saved you, you need to save her.'

The queen took a shaky breath.

If the story curse could have breathed, it would have held its breath. It hoped the queen would say yes. Yes to bringing her back, to turning her in to another terrible immortal. Despite what this Fate believed, the girl would be horrible- the ones with endless life always were, eventually.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“At the word sacrifice, something sparked in the Fate's cold eyes. He held the girl tighter, carrying her in his bloodstained arms as he stood and started down the ancient hall.

'What are you doing?' A crack of alarm showed in the queen's implacable face.

'I'm going to fix this.' He continued marching forward, holding the girl close as he carried her back through the arch.

The angels who'd been guarding it now wept. They cried tears of stone as the Fate set the girl at their feet and began wrenching stone after stone from the arch.

'Jacks of the Hollow,' warned the queen. 'Those arch stones can only be used one time to go back. They were not created for infinite trips to the past.'

'I know,' Jacks growled. 'I'm going to go back and stop your son from killing her.'

The queen's face fell. For a moment, she looked as old as the years she'd spent lying in suspended state. 'This is not a small mistake to fix. If you do this, Time will take something equally valuable from you.'

The Fate gave the queen a look more vicious than any curse. 'There is nothing of equal value to me.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“She ran her fingers through his soft hair, just once.

He leaned in to her hand. 'That feels good,' he mumbled. 'You feel good, too.' He hooked an arm around her waist and drew her on to the bed.

'Jacks- what are you doing?'

'Just for tonight.' He tightened his arm, holding her even closer, until her chest was pressed against his bare skin.

'You're injured,' she breathed.

'This makes me feel better.' He spoke against her throat and finished with a lick that made her head begin to spin.

Now would have been a really good time to untangle herself.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“You're good at this,' she murmured. 'Do you often travel with girls who've been flayed?'

That 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.' Jacks' hands pressed harder as they went to her shoulders and, 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. 'What that really necessary?'

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

She imagined Jacks was mostly trying to distract her from all the pain, yet she blushed all the way from her cheeks to her chest.

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw him smile.

And for a second, nothing hurt.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Are you jealous of Luc?'
'I thought we'd already covered that yesterday. I'm always jealous. And so are you.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Why are you being so cruel?'

'Because you won't leave!' Jacks shouted. 'And if you stay, you will die. Chaos hasn't fed in thousands of years. I know he thinks he can control his hunger, but he can't. That's why they put the helm on him.'

'You could have just said that. If you didn't want me to say goodbye or you want me to leave, you don't have to hurt me to get me to do it.'

'I'm not- I-' Jacks broke off abruptly. His eyes were no longer just red, they were blazing with fear. She'd never seen him look so terrified before. She'd been poisoned, shot, lashed across the back, and Jacks had always kept his calm until now.

With a great deal of effort, he took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft but uneven. 'I'm sorry, Little Fox. I didn't want to hurt you, I just-'

He looked suddenly at a loss for words, as if whatever he said next might be the wrong thing. He's never looked at her like this before.

'Jacks, please, don't use the stones tonight. Come with me instead.'

He took a jagged breath. For a second, he looked torn. He raked a hand through his hair, his movements jagged.

Evangeline took a step closer.

He shuttered his expression and took a step back. 'This doesn't change anything. I still can't have you in my life. You and I aren't meant to be.'

'What if you're wrong?'

Evangeline had once heard a tale about a pair of doomed stars, drawn across skies toward each other's brightness, even though they knew that if they drew too close, their desire would end in a fiery explosion. This was how Jacks looked at her now. As if neither of them would survive if they drew any closer.

'Evangeline, you need to go.'

A thunderous roar poured out from the Valory, so loud it shook the arch and the angels and the ground at Evangeline's feet.

'Get out of here.' Jacks said.

She held his gaze, one final time, wishing she knew how to change his mind. 'I wish our story could have had another ending.'

'I don't want another ending,' Jacks said flatly. 'I just want you to leave.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After