Evangeline and Jacks stumble through the blood-opened door into a cold private library that smells faintly of apples. Jacks immediately collapses onto a velvet sofa, and Evangeline tries to wake him long enough to learn what Jacks wants inside the Valory Arch. When Evangeline touches Jacks's hair, Jacks briefly warns her it is a bad idea, forcing Evangeline to confront that Jacks no longer feels like an enemy, even if trusting him still feels dangerous.

Evangeline notices the crumpled newspaper Jacks had been holding and reads that Tiberius Peregrine Acadian, now the crown prince, is engaged to Marisol Antoinette Tourmaline. The wedding is scheduled for the next morning, and the article also mentions rumors that Apollo's body has gone missing. The news gives Evangeline a possible motive for Apollo's death: if Apollo is dead, Tiberius becomes heir, and Marisol could become queen by marrying him.

Evangeline struggles with the idea that Marisol might be responsible. Evangeline remembers Marisol's apparent affection, but also recalls that Marisol cursed Luc, obtained dangerous Northern magic books, and could have been the witch who stole malefic oil from Chaos's crypt. Evangeline also remembers Agnes cruelly telling Marisol she was unattractive and unwanted, which makes Evangeline wonder whether Marisol's desperation for love and status could have pushed Marisol into darker acts.

Jacks remains too deeply asleep to help, though Evangeline confirms that Jacks's heart is still beating. Because Evangeline cannot wait while Tiberius may be under a spell and Marisol's wedding approaches, Evangeline decides she must find a cure for a love spell before morning. Vampire venom could break a love spell, but Evangeline rejects that option as too dangerous, so Evangeline begins searching the library's disorganized shelves for another solution.

While searching, Evangeline finds bottles of Fortuna's Fantastically Flavored Water on the desk and drinks bottles labeled curiosity and luck, despite their terrible taste and a strange compulsion to keep drinking. The drinks leave Evangeline giddy and restless enough to notice a pile of missives nearby. When Evangeline sees her own handwriting on the top letter, addressed to Lord Jacks, she realizes the library belongs to Jacks and understands why the bell had been ringing so wildly.