Something like light tickled her skin.
Her skin.
Evangeline could feel her skin.
She hadnโt felt anything forโshe actually didnโt know how much time had passed. For so long, there had been so much nothing, but now she could feel everything. Eyelids. Ankles. Elbows. Lips. Legs. Bones. Skin. Lungs. Heart. Hair. Veins. Kneecaps. Earlobes. Neck. Chest.
She was trembling from her chin to her toes. Her skin was coated in sweat, and it felt incredibleโcool and damp and alive.
She was alive again!
โWelcome back.โ A solid arm wrapped around Evangelineโs waist as her wobbly legs adjusted to being muscle and bone.
Her vision came into focus next.
Perhaps it was just that she hadnโt seen a face in a while, but the young man whoโd wrapped an arm around her was extraordinarily handsomeโ dark brown skin, eyes fringed in a thick rim of lashes, a smile that hinted at an arsenal of charm. His shoulders were cloaked in a dramatic green cape lined in copper leaves as dazzling as his face. โCan you speak?โ he asked.
โWhyโโ Evangeline coughed to clear some gravel from her throat. โWhy do you look like a forest mage?โ
She cringed as soon as the words were out. Clearly some of her senses
โlike the filter on her mouthโwerenโt doing their job yet. This stranger had saved her. She hoped she hadnโt offended him.
Thankfully, the manโs brilliant smile widened. โExcellent. Sometimes the voice doesnโt return immediately. Now tell me your full name, darling. I need to make sure you have your memory before I let you go.โ
โGo where?โ Evangeline tried to take in the rest of her surroundings. She seemed to be in a laboratory. Every worktable and apothecary shelf was littered with bubbling beakers or foaming cauldrons that filled the air with something like resin. This wasnโt her motherโs garden. The only familiar thing in the room was the Meridian Empireโs royal crest painted on one of the stone walls. โWhere are we? And how long was I a statue?โ
โOnly about six weeks. Iโm the palace potion master, and youโre in my most excellent lab. But you can leave as soon as you tell me your name.โ
Evangeline took a moment to collect her thoughts. Six weeks meant they were in the middle of the Hot Season. Not too devastating a loss. It could have been six years, or sixty.
But if it had only been six weeks, why was no one there to greet her? She knew her stepmother didnโt care for her, and she wasnโt very close to her stepsister, but she had saved their lives. And Luc โฆ but she didnโt want to imagine why Luc wasnโt there. Could it be none of them knew she had been revived? โIโm Evangeline Fox.โ
โYou may call me Poison.โ The potion masterโs arm left her waist to make a magnanimous gesture.
And Evangeline immediately knew who this young man was. She should have realized it right away. He looked remarkably like his fortune- telling card from Decks of Destiny. He wore a long flowing cape, jeweled rings on all his fingers, and clearly worked with potions. Poison was the Poisoner. A Fate, just like Jacks.
โI thought all of the Fates had disappeared,โ Evangeline blurted.
โWe recently made a grand return, but thatโs not what this story is about.โ Poisonโs face drew eerily still, warning her this was not a subject he wanted to discuss.
Evangeline might have still been groggy, but she knew better than to push, despite all the questions this revelation prompted. Poisonโs reputation wasnโt as deadly as Jacksโs. According to the myths, he didnโt usually hurt
anyone directly, but he created toxic tonics, peculiar potions, and strange serums for others, who sometimes put them to terrible use.
Evangeline peered at the goblet still in her hands.
Poison
Do Not Drink Me
โMind if I take that?โ With one jeweled hand, Poison extracted the cup.
Evangeline took a wary step back. โWhy am I here? Did Jacks ask you to help me?โ
Poison laughed, turning his expression friendly once again. โIโm sorry, darling, but Jacks has probably forgotten all about you. He found some trouble during the weeks you were stone. I can assure you he wonโt be returning to Valenda.โ
Evangeline knew she shouldnโt be curious. After her last encounter with Jacks, she didnโt want to ever see him again and give him a chance to collect on the debt she owed him. But Jacks didnโt seem like the sort to run away. He couldnโt be killedโunless that part of his history wasnโt true and Fates werenโt entirely immortal?
โWhat type of trouble did Jacks get into?โ she asked.
Poison squeezed her shoulder in a way that made Evangeline think the wordย troubleย was putting whatever happened with Jacks mildly. โIf you have any sense of self-preservation, youโll forget about him.โ
โDonโt worry,โ Evangeline said. โI have no desire to see Jacks ever again.โ
Poison raised a skeptical brow. โYou may say that, but once you step through the door to our domain, itโs nearly impossible to return to the ordinary. Most of us have fled this city, so you probably wonโt run into any other Fates by chance. But now that youโve gotten a taste of our world, your life will start to feel bland. Youโll be drawn to our kind. Even if you never want to see Jacks again, youโll gravitate toward him until you fulfill the deal youโve made with him. But if you desire a chance at happiness, fight the pullโJacks will only lead to your destruction.โ
Evangelineโs mouth screwed into a frown. She didnโt disagree, but she also couldnโt understand why a Fate would give her this warning.
โIโll never comprehend humans.โ Poison sighed. โAll of you seem to welcome our lies, but you never like it when we tell the truth.โ
โMaybe itโs difficult to believe a Fate would want to help a human out of the goodness of their heart?โ
โWhat if I told you Iโm being self-serving?โ Poison took a sip from his goblet. โValenda is my home. Iโd rather not be forced to flee to the North for misbehaving like the othersโI donโt like what the magic there does to my abilities, and itโs too cold. So Iโm trying to be helpful to the crown. Now go on, there are others waiting in the great room to see you.โ
Poison turned her toward a set of spiral stairs, where Evangeline got a whiff of one of the most delicious scents: pink sugarbelle cake.
Her stomach growled. She hadnโt realized how famished she was. After thanking Poison, she climbed the steps.
Within seconds, the air grew even sweeter, and the world turned bright in a way that made her feel as if her life before now had been dull. The great room appeared to be made of glimmer and light; golden chandeliers shaped like crowns reigned over gilded tables, harps, and grand pianos with golden keys. Yet it was the sight of all the people that made her forget how to breathe.
So many people. All clapping and smiling and grinning atย her.
Evangeline was friendly with many from her fatherโs curiosity shop, and it seemed as if every one of them was there to welcome her back. It was touching and warming, but also a little odd that so many people were present.
โHello, lovely!โ called Ms. Mallory, who collected maps of fictional places. โI have so much to tell you about my grandson.โ
โI canโt wait to hear,โ Evangeline replied before accepting a handshake from a gentleman who always ordered obscure foreign cookbooks.
โIโm so proud of you!โ called Lady Vane, who favored pots of disappearing ink.
After weeks of endless nothing, Evangeline was cocooned in hugs and kisses on cheeks. And yet her heart dipped as she failed to find Luc among the crowd.
Her stepsister stood somewhat to the side, and Luc wasnโt with her either. But Evangeline didnโt feel the relief that she would have expected at not finding them together. Did he not know about this gathering? Or was there another reason Luc had chosen not to attend?
Marisolโs expression was difficult to read. She was wobbling on her feet and trying to keep a fly from landing on the sparkling pink sugarbelle cake in her hands. But as soon as Marisol spied Evangeline, her grin widened until it was as bright as the beautiful cake.
Agnes disdained her daughterโs love of bakingโshe wanted great things for Marisol and said that cooking was too common a hobbyโbut Evangeline wondered if sheโd let Marisol make this treat for today. There were four tiers of fluffy pink cake, alternate layers of sugarbelle cream, a frosting bow, and an oversize shortbread gift tag that read:ย Welcome back, sister!
Guilt, thick and heavy, mingled with Evangelineโs unease. She would never have expected such a gesture from her stepsister, and she certainly didnโt deserve it.
โOh, thereโs my precious, lovely girl!โ Agnes approached and threw both arms around Evangeline. โWe were all desperately worried. It was such a relief to hear there was someone who could fix you.โ Agnes squeezed Evangeline tighter and whispered, โSo many suitors have been inquiring about you. Now that youโre back, Iโll arrange for the richest ones to visit.โ
Evangeline wasnโt sure how to respondโto what Agnes had just said or to this version of her stepmother who believed in hugging. Even when Agnes had first married Evangelineโs father, sheโd never embraced Evangeline. Agnes had married Maximilian for the same reason heโd married herโto make sure her daughter was provided for. Maximilian Fox had not been richโhis business ventures failed nearly as often as they succeededโbut he was a respectable match for a widow with a daughter.
Agnes released Evangeline from the embrace, only to turn her toward a gentleman that Evangeline hoped was not a suitor.
He wore a flowing white silk shirt with a lacy jabot that cascaded down to a pair of black leather pants so tight she was surprised he could move.
โEvangeline,โ said Agnes, โthis is Mr. Kutlass Knightlinger ofย The Whisper Gazette.โ
โYou write for those scandal sheets?โ
โThey are not scandal sheets; itโs a periodical,โ Agnes corrected with a sniff, making Evangeline think that the fledgling paper had grown in readership and credibility since the article that had inspired her to search for the door to the Prince of Heartsโ church.
โI actually donโt care what you call it, Miss Fox, as long as Iโm allowed to feature you in it.โ Kutlass Knightlinger brushed a black-feathered pen across his lips. โIโve been covering everything related to the return of the Fates, and I have several questions for you.โ
Evangeline was suddenly unsteady on her feet. The last thing she wanted to talk about was what had happened with Jacks. No one could ever know sheโd made a deal with a Fate.
If Evangeline had been fully recovered, she would have pulled away with a clever excuse. But instead, Mr. Kutlass Knightlinger, of the lacy jabot and the black leather pants, was the one who did all the pulling.
Quickly, he wrangled her away from the party, through a pair of thick gold curtains and onto a bench hidden in an alcove that smelled of mystery and musk and imitation magic. Or was that Kutlass Knightlingerโs cologne? โMr. Knightlingerโโ Evangeline pushed up from the bench, and the world began to spin. She really needed to eat. โI donโt believe today is the
best day for an interview.โ
โDonโt worry, it doesnโt really matter what you say. I make the people I interview look good. And everyone already loves you. After the sacrifice you made, youโre one of Valendaโs favorite heroes.โ
โBut Iโm really not a hero.โ
โYouโre too modest.โ Kutlass leaned in closer. The heavy scent around her was definitely his cologne. โDuring the Week of Terrorโโ
โWhatโs the Week of Terror?โ
โIt was so exciting! It started right after you were turned to stone. The Fates returnedโwould you believe they were trapped inside a deck of cards? So much mischief and mayhem when they escaped and tried to take over the empire. But the story of how you took the place of that wedding
party and turned yourself to stone inspired people all over during that difficult time. Youโre a hero.โ
Evangelineโs throat went suddenly dry. No wonder so many people were there. โI hope that I did what anyone else would have done in my situation.โ โThatโs perfect.โ Kutlass pulled out an impossibly small notebook from
his leather vest and began scribbling away. โMy readers are going to love this. Nowโโ
Her stomach cut him off with a loud grumble.
Kutlass laughed, quick and practiced as his pen strokes. โA little hungry?โ
โI canโt remember the last time I ate. I should probablyโโ
โI only have a few more questions. There are rumors that while you were still stone, your adoptive mother started receiving marriage proposals for your handโโ
โOh, Agnes is my stepmother,โ Evangeline cut in quickly, โshe never adopted me.โ
โBut I think itโs safe to say she will now.โ Kutlass winked. โYour star will only continue to rise, Miss Fox. Now, may I have a parting word of advice for all your admirers?โ
The wordย admirersย left a bad taste on Evangelineโs teeth. She really didnโt deserve any admirers. And everyone would undoubtedly feel differently if they knew what sheโd truly done.
โIf youโre a little speechless, Iโll come up with something brilliant.โ His feathered pen swished over his journal.
โWaitโโ Evangeline still didnโt know what she was going to say, but she shuddered to think what he might be writing. โI know that stories often take on lives of their own. I already feel as if the horror I went through is turning into a fairytale, but Iโm nothing special, and this is not a fairytale.โ
โAnd yet it turned out well for you,โ Kutlass cut in.
โShe was stone for six weeks,โ said a soft voice behind them. โI wouldnโt say it turned out well.โ
Evangeline looked over Kutlassโs shoulder to see her stepsister.
Marisol stood in between the gold curtains, holding her sugarbelle cake like a shield.
Kutlass pivoted in a swish of lace and leather. โThe Cursed Bride!โ Marisolโs cheeks turned a painful shade of red.
โThis is excellent!โ Kutlassโs feathered pen began moving again. โIโd love to have a word with you.โ
โActually,โ Evangeline interrupted, sensing that Marisol was the one who needed rescuing now. โMy stepsister and I havenโt had any time together, so I think Iโm going to steal her away to enjoy some cake.โ
Evangeline finally pushed past him, linked arms with her stepsister, and departed through the curtains.
โThank you.โ Marisol clung tighter to Evangeline, and though theyโd never been much for linking arms before, Evangeline felt as if her stepsister had grown thinner. Marisol had always been slender like her mother, but today she felt fragile. And her skin was almost waxen in its paleness, which could have been from interacting with Kutlass. But there were also circles beneath her light brown eyes that looked as if theyโd been there for days or maybe weeks.
Evangeline stopped abruptly before they rejoined the rest of the gathering. Earlier, sheโd wondered why Luc wasnโt there, but now she felt afraid of the answer. โMarisol, whatโs wrong? And โฆ where is Luc?โ
Marisol shook her head. โWe shouldnโt talk about this now. This is your happy day. I donโt want to spoil it.โ
โYou made me cake and saved me from the king of scandal sheetsโI think youโre actually the hero.โ
Marisolโs eyes welled with tears, and Evangeline felt a knife twist inside
her.
โWhat is it?โ Evangeline pressed. โWhatโs the matter?โ
Marisol worried her lip between her teeth. โIt happened four weeks ago,
when Luc and I decided weโd try to get married again.โ
They tried to get married again when she was still stone?ย This time, the knife inside Evangeline felt as if it were drawing blood. The news shouldnโt have wounded her so much. When she hadnโt seen Luc waiting for her in Poisonโs laboratory or at the welcome party, sheโd imagined that nothing had changed between them. But it still hurt to hear he hadnโt even mourned
her, that a mere two weeks after sheโd been turned to stone, heโd planned another wedding.
โWe thought we would be safe because the Week of Terror had ended.
But on his way to the wedding, Luc was attacked by a wild wolf.โ
โWaitโwaitโwhat?โ Evangeline stammered. Valenda was a bustling port city. The largest animals it had were dogs, followed by the feral cats that prowled the docks for mice. Valenda didnโt have wolves.
โNo one knows where the wolf came from,โ Marisol said miserably. โThe physician told us itโs a miracle Luc survived. But Iโm not sure he really did. He was badly mauled.โ
Evangelineโs legs lost their bones. She tried to open her mouth, to say that at least he was alive. As long as he was still alive, it would be all right. But the way Marisol spoke, it was almost as if he were dead.
โItโs been weeks, he still hasnโt left his house, andโโ Marisolโs words turned choppy, and the lovely cake in her hands quivered until a dollop of cream fell to the carpet. โHe refuses to see me. I think he believes itโs my fault.โ
โHow could it be your fault?โ
โYou heard Mr. Knightlinger. Everyone in Valenda has been calling me the Cursed Bride. Two weddings and two terrible tragedies within a few weeks. Mother keeps saying that itโs not a bad thing, that Iโm special because when the Fates returned, I was the first to capture their attention. But I know Iโm not. Iโm cursed.โ Tears streamed down Marisolโs pallid cheeks.
Until that moment, Evangeline had been fighting hard not to regret her choices. It might have been a coincidence that Luc had been attacked on his way to the wedding, but it seemed far more likely Lucโs assault was not just the work of a wild wolf. Jacks had told her heโd stop the wedding, and heโd clearly kept his word.
Evangeline should have never made the deal with him.
She wanted to blame Jacks completely, but this was her fault as much as it was his. She knew as soon as she saw the statues in the garden that sheโd made a mistake. She thought sheโd fixed it with her sacrifice, but she should have never sought out the Prince of Hearts for help in the first place.
โMarisol, I have to tell youโโ The words stuck to Evangelineโs tongue. She worked her jaw to get out the confession, but she knew it wasnโt the sudden tightness she felt that caused the problem. She was afraid.
Evangeline was trembling, just as hard as when sheโd first heard the news of Lucโs engagement to Marisol. Her words had also stuck in her throat that day when sheโd tried to talk to Marisol about Luc. Sheโd been so convinced it was some sort of curse. And she still wanted to believe that. But Evangeline could no longer ignore the possibility that maybe sheโd been mistaken.
Maybe the real reason Evangeline had never been able to talk to Marisol about Luc wasnโt because of a spell. Maybe it was fear that had paralyzed her tongue. Maybe, deep down, Evangeline feared that she and Luc werenโt actually cursed, but he was just an unfaithful boy.
โItโs all right, Evangeline. You donโt have to say anything. Iโm just glad youโre back!โ Marisol set her cake on the closest gilded table and threw her arms around Evangeline, hugging her the way Evangeline always imagined that real sisters hugged.
And she knew she couldnโt tell her the truth, not today.
Evangeline had just spent the last six weeks alone as stone. She wasnโt ready to be alone again, but she would be if anyone learned what sheโd done.