cait ☆

“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

“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

“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

“Once upon a time, a girl who believed in fairytales stole the heart of a prince who had sworn to never love.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love