Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2
The Ballad of Never After
by Stephanie Garber
Contents
Chapter 27
Overview
Evangeline braves Slaughterwood’s secret corridor to Glendora’s tomb and, with Luc’s strength, opens the coffin to recover the mirth stone pendant. She declines Luc’s party invitation and returns to find Petra lurking near Jacks’s room. After sneaking into Jacks’s quarters, Evangeline confronts him; Jacks denies knowing Petra and chillingly vows to kill her if she approaches Evangeline again, escalating tension and danger.
Summary
Under moonlight, Evangeline slips through the portrait corridor toward Glendora Slaughterwood’s grave, following clues of “Glory in Death” and dried flowers. The mausoleum is long neglected, and the marble casket will not budge. Luc unexpectedly arrives, flirty and lonely, and uses his strength to slide the lid free.
Inside is only dust and teeth, but Evangeline searches anyway and finds a chain bearing a butterscotch-yellow gem. Believing it to be the mirth stone, she claims it, thanks Luc, and refuses his invitation to a costume party, promising only a dance to avoid provoking Jacks at LaLa’s event.
Returning upstairs, Evangeline spots Petra’s moonlight hair in the corridor and suspects Petra came from Jacks’s room. When Jacks does not answer his door, Evangeline blood-unlocks the room and finds it empty, evidence of his presence scattered about. Exhausted, she dozes on his bed clutching one of his shirts.
Jacks arrives, teasing her, but Evangeline confronts him about Petra. Jacks first claims not to know Petra, then warns Evangeline to avoid the girl. His demeanor turns lethal as he vows to kill Petra if she approaches Evangeline again, heightening both the mystery around Petra and the peril surrounding Evangeline.
Who Appears
- Evangeline FoxProtagonist; sneaks to Glendora’s tomb, recovers the mirth stone, suspects Petra, confronts Jacks about her.
- JacksFate and ally-antagonist; returns to find Evangeline in his room, denies knowing Petra, threatens her if she nears Evangeline.
- LucVampire prince; follows Evangeline, opens Glendora’s coffin, flirts, invites her to a party; she declines.
- PetraMysterious girl with moonlight hair; seen sneaking in the corridor near Jacks’s room, source of suspicion and danger.
- Glendora SlaughterwoodAncestor entombed beneath the castle; her coffin hides the mirth stone pendant Evangeline retrieves.