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![Kingdom of Ash [KINGDOM OF ASH] [Hardcover] by SarahJ.Maas](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658984961l/61756734._SY75_.jpg "Kingdom of Ash [KINGDOM OF ASH] [Hardcover] by SarahJ.Maas")
![Queen of Shadows [QUEEN OF SHADOWS] [Hardcover] by SarahJ.Maas](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658985719l/61756723._SY75_.jpg "Queen of Shadows [QUEEN OF SHADOWS] [Hardcover] by SarahJ.Maas")
“There are much better ways to die than this, Little Fox.'
'Your attempts to comfort are tr-tragic,' Evangeline stuttered.
'You're still alive,' he grumbled. His fingers found her eyelids then, and with feather-soft touches, he brushed away the melting ice.
Maybe he wasn't entirely hopeless. She wondered if he just hadn't had much practice at this. Comforting someone was an intimate thing, and according to the stories, intimacy didn't end well with Jacks. But he clearly knew how to be gentle. She felt herself thaw in increments as his fingers went to her cheeks, sweeping away the frozen tears.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
'Your attempts to comfort are tr-tragic,' Evangeline stuttered.
'You're still alive,' he grumbled. His fingers found her eyelids then, and with feather-soft touches, he brushed away the melting ice.
Maybe he wasn't entirely hopeless. She wondered if he just hadn't had much practice at this. Comforting someone was an intimate thing, and according to the stories, intimacy didn't end well with Jacks. But he clearly knew how to be gentle. She felt herself thaw in increments as his fingers went to her cheeks, sweeping away the frozen tears.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
“His teeth grazed her pulse.
'Jacks-' It was suddenly impossible to form words. His mouth was against her throat and his teeth were on her skin. HIs teeth! Evangeline finally pressed against his chest. But it was as useless as trying to battle a block of marble. Hot, sculpted marble. She wanted to tell him not to bite her, but saying the word bite didn't seem like the wisest idea just then. 'You won't want this later.'
'Not really thinking about later.' He licked her, one languorous stroke up the column of her neck.
She gasped. 'You don't even like me.'
'I like you right now. I like you a lot.' He gently sucked her skin. 'In fact, I can't think of anything I like more.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
'Jacks-' It was suddenly impossible to form words. His mouth was against her throat and his teeth were on her skin. HIs teeth! Evangeline finally pressed against his chest. But it was as useless as trying to battle a block of marble. Hot, sculpted marble. She wanted to tell him not to bite her, but saying the word bite didn't seem like the wisest idea just then. 'You won't want this later.'
'Not really thinking about later.' He licked her, one languorous stroke up the column of her neck.
She gasped. 'You don't even like me.'
'I like you right now. I like you a lot.' He gently sucked her skin. 'In fact, I can't think of anything I like more.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
“Jacks reclined in a throne of ice as he glared down at a fox that looked more corporeal than ghost- all fluffy white fur, save for a circle of tawny surrounding one of its coal-dark eyes.
He appeared horrified by the animal, as if it's adorableness might somehow soften some of his nasty edges. Evangeline wished it would as she stood back a little to watch, enjoying that for once, Jacks was the one in the uncomfortable position.
He flinched when the creature nuzzled his scuffed boots.
She laughed, finally drawing his attention. 'I think it likes you.'
'I don't know why,' Jacks scowled at the beast.
It responded by affectionately licking the buckle at his ankle.
Evangeline continued to smile. 'You should name it.'
'If I do that, it will think it's a pet.' Jacks words dripped with disgust, which only further convinced Evangeline this fox might be the best thing that had ever happened to this Fate.
'How about I name her for you? What do you think of Princess of the Fluffikins?'
'Don't ever say that again.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
He appeared horrified by the animal, as if it's adorableness might somehow soften some of his nasty edges. Evangeline wished it would as she stood back a little to watch, enjoying that for once, Jacks was the one in the uncomfortable position.
He flinched when the creature nuzzled his scuffed boots.
She laughed, finally drawing his attention. 'I think it likes you.'
'I don't know why,' Jacks scowled at the beast.
It responded by affectionately licking the buckle at his ankle.
Evangeline continued to smile. 'You should name it.'
'If I do that, it will think it's a pet.' Jacks words dripped with disgust, which only further convinced Evangeline this fox might be the best thing that had ever happened to this Fate.
'How about I name her for you? What do you think of Princess of the Fluffikins?'
'Don't ever say that again.”
― Once Upon a Broken Heart
“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.”
― The Ballad of Never After
'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.”
― 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.”
― The Ballad of Never After
'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.”
― The Ballad of Never After
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