Chapter 25
Evangeline was not too proud to admit that she was easily dazzled. She liked pretty stories and pretty things, and this young man was far more than just pretty.
“I’m sorry,” she said, and she couldn’t even feel embarrassed that she was breathless.
His voice was deep and his handsome face was touched with a smile that widened as he said, “It’s entirely my fault. I was hoping to bump into you, and I may have been a little too eager.”
He reached for her hand, and Evangeline felt a sudden thrill. He wore a ring! A shining, roughly cut black jewel. A powerful thing that looked as if it could have been enchanted.
She waited to feel a zing of magic from his ring as he took her fingers and brought them to his lips, but there was merely that gentle tingly feeling that came from being appraised by someone who found her attractive.
“I’m Merrick of House Redthorne,” he said.
“I’m Evangeline.”
“And I’m Jacks,” Jacks said, appearing beside Evangeline, no longer wearing the smile he’d shared with the Darling girls. “How’s your new wife, Merrick?”
The young man blanched. “She passed last autumn.”
“How tragic.” Jacks’s voice was all false surprise. “Didn’t your previous wife pass the autumn just before that one?”
“She did. I’ve had quite bad luck,” Merrick bit out.
“Well, then it’s probably best you not pass it on to Evangeline.” Jacks grabbed her arm.
She started to object, but before she could finish, Merrick Redthorne was gone.
Evangeline glowered at Jacks.
“You’re welcome,” he said smugly.
“You didn’t have to scare him away. I wasn’t going to marry him.”
“Good, because if you did, you’d be dead next autumn.” He dropped her arm.
Evangeline gritted her teeth. Of course Jacks could flirt with girls, but she couldn’t even talk to a man. “I’m already married, Jacks. I was speaking to Merrick because he had a ring with a stone!”
“Everyone in here has a ring.”
“You don’t.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, I am not everyone, Little Fox.” His eyes dropped to her lips, searing her mouth with one sharp look and instantly reminding her of what he could do with a single kiss.
Evangeline bit down on her lip, just to taunt him back.
Something primal flashed behind Jacks’s eyes—desire or anger, she couldn’t quite tell. All she knew was that her mouth felt swollen from the force of his gaze and the inescapable sense that he wished to be the one biting down on her lip instead.
And for a second, she wondered what that would be like. She imagined him taking her lips right there, in the middle of the party, tangling his fingers through her hair, holding her close while everyone watched.
She tried to shove the idea away, but it seemed she wasn’t fast enough.
Jacks’s mouth kicked up as if he knew what she’d been thinking, and then his gaze plunged lower, moving from her lips to her neck, until it rested on the swell of her breasts, where her heart was suddenly pounding.
Laughter trilled in the background and glasses clinked together, but it sounded much farther away than it should have.
Evangeline could no longer feel the crushing warmth of all the guests; there was only Jacks.
He watched her the way you weren’t supposed to watch someone when they knew that you were looking—bold and unabashed and utterly inappropriate.
“You’re looking a little hot, Little Fox.
Perhaps you should step outside while I keep searching for the stones.
” His eyes left hers and landed once again on the young woman with the moonlight hair, who was now surrounded by half a dozen young men who were practically salivating.
“She looks a little magical. I think I’ll start with her. ”
“She doesn’t have stones,” Evangeline said tightly. “What about—”
She tossed a look in the other direction, right as LaLa arrived on the arm of a young man who must have been Lord Robin Slaughterwood. He had wild red hair, two swords strapped to his waist, and a laugh that carried across the hall like celebratory music.
“We should greet Robin and LaLa.”
Jacks’s gaze immediately darkened. “We need to keep searching for the stones.”
“I know—that’s why we should say hello. Look at the way people respond to Robin. He could have the mirth stone.”
Evangeline didn’t actually see any stones on Robin—even his family ring appeared to be made of metal instead of gems—but his wide grin was infectious.
As he and LaLa worked through the crush, they left a trail of laughter.
Within seconds, the party seemed more alive.
Conversations grew louder, smiles notched wider, goblets practically leaped from serving platters into hands.
“It’s also the polite thing to do,” said Evangeline.
Jacks sighed reluctantly.
Evangeline imagined that was as close to a yes as she’d receive. A moment later, they were queued to greet the happy couple.
LaLa, of course, embraced Evangeline immediately. “I knew that dress would be a dream on you. You look ravishing, my friend!”
“So do you,” Evangeline said.
LaLa was always radiant, and tonight was no exception.
She wore a series of gold and pearled headbands that dripped even more pearls and gold into her long dark hair, making it look like ocean treasure.
Her eyes were lined in gold as well. But her dress was oddly plain.
LaLa had changed from her dazzling sequined gown into a sedate burgundy dress with long conservative sleeves that covered up the vibrant dragon fire tattooed on her arms.
Evangeline might have thought it had something to do with Robin—perhaps he didn’t approve of tattoos. But he didn’t seem to have a disapproving disposition, and he had a sword tattooed along his forearm. So that could not be it.
“This is my fiancé.” LaLa looked up at Robin adoringly, and he smiled down on her with all the gentle focus of someone very much in love. And it didn’t appear to have anything to do with a magical stone. Now that they were closer, she could see for sure that Robin wore no gems.
As he turned to Evangeline, his grin shifted from affectionate to delighted.
“Finally, the infamous Evangeline Fox! LaLa has told me the stories aren’t true, but I’ve loved hearing them.” Robin wrapped her in a bear of a hug, briefly robbing Evangeline of breath, before he set her feet back on the ground. “You are very welcome to my home.”
“Thank you for inviting me, and congratulations on your engagement. I’m so very happy for both of you.”
“As am I,” Jacks drawled.
Robin turned to him. “I don’t believe we’ve had the honor of meeting?”
“This is Lord Jacks,” LaLa inserted.
“Lord Jacks,” Robin repeated, still smiling but looking vaguely perplexed. “Which House are you from?”
“I’m from a very old House.” Jacks took a sip from his goblet. “Everyone in my family died a long time ago.”
LaLa’s smile fell away. For a second, she looked as if she could have strangled Jacks with her small hands, but instead, she slipped an arm through Evangeline’s. “Shall we start the procession to the dining table? I don’t know about all of you, but I’m famished.”
This put a smile back on Robin’s face, but Evangeline felt unsettled as she and LaLa started toward a long table laid out with a lavish feast. There were cooked swans, stuffed goats’ heads, and what looked like a baked rooster riding atop a cooked pig.
Evangeline lost sight of Jacks in the procession, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said. I’m from a very old House. Everyone in my family died a long time ago.
He could easily have been talking about the Valors. All of them were dead, but then so was everyone from House Merrywood.
It was tempting to ask LaLa about the comment, but her friend had looked so unsettled, Evangeline didn’t have the heart to bring it up.
And it was probably better if, tonight, Evangeline focused on finding the missing stones, not Jacks’s past. Although she couldn’t shake the feeling that Jacks’s mysterious past was the entire reason he wanted to open the Valory Arch.
During dinner, Evangeline found herself separated from Jacks.
He was at the other end of the table, seated next to the Darling sisters. He seemed to be in good humor again as he tossed an apple and winked at the tallest Darling girl who’d touched his cheek before. She giggled loudly.
Evangeline averted her gaze, determined to return to her search for the stones.
But she couldn’t seem to focus on anything except the sound of the Darling girl’s giggling.
It trilled down the table, so light and bright Evangeline swore it made the glassware chime.
It also made something terrible twist inside of her. Something a lot like jealousy.
Or maybe it truly was jealousy, as much as Evangeline was loath to admit it.
She didn’t want to feel envious for Jacks’s attention. She didn’t want to wish that he would try to make her laugh, instead of constantly tormenting her. But the feeling was so powerful, so strong, so—
Evangeline suddenly remembered the last time she’d felt emotions this intense.
It had been when the luck stone was present.
Perhaps this meant another arch stone was near.
She recalled then what Jacks had said when he’d warned her about the stones: People will kill to hold on to their youth. It could also bring about jealousy.
That was it! The youth stone must be close. Evangeline felt a wave of relief; she wasn’t actually jealous, she was just feeling the effects of the youth stone. This was probably what Jacks had been feeling, too, whenever he’d stepped in to prevent her from talking to other young men.
Evangeline’s eyes darted around the people sitting near her. On her right sat Almond Froggly, who focused on his mead and didn’t so much as twitch her way.
To her left, the seat was still empty. There was just a wooden placard for someone named Petra Youngblood.
“That would be me.” The young woman with the moonlight hair glided into the empty chair.
Evangeline stiffened.