Was Jacks hoping to find the Valors’ greatest treasure, or free their greatest terror?
“When I was younger,” Apollo went on, “my brother, Tiberius, and I would go on quests to search for the Valory. It was one of our favorite games…” Apollo’s voice turned wistful as he trailed off, lost in the memory of a brother he rarely mentioned.
When Evangeline had first moved into Wolf Hall, a chatty servant had told her that Tiberius’s room was right next to hers. But when Evangeline had tried to ask more questions, the servant’s lips had sealed shut. Apollo kept denying the rumor that he and his brother had had another falling-out after Apollo’s engagement to Evangeline. But Evangeline had yet to see Tiberius inside the castle, and whenever she’d asked Apollo where his brother had gone or why he’d left, Apollo just told her she’d love Tiberius when they finally met. Then he would abruptly change the subject.
Evangeline was tempted to ask Apollo about his brother again, before tomorrow happened and everything changed. For by this time tomorrow, nothing between them would be the same. Because she was going to marry Apollo. Jacks was going to lift Apollo’s curse, and then Apollo might never again look at her the way he looked at her tonight.
She didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or the wrong thing. She only knew that after tonight, it was the thing she wanted to do.
Keeping Apollo under this curse felt a lot like letting Marisol and Luc remain stone statues; it would be less painful for Evangeline, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t doom Apollo to living life under a spell.
The prophecy still made her nervous, but with so much unknown about the Valory Arch, Evangeline decided that she had to do the best with what was known. And she knew the only way to save Apollo from his curse was to marry him, regardless of the consequences.
“Evangeline, my love, are you all right? Why are you trembling?”
She looked down at her hands. When had they started shaking? “I’m—I’m—” She didn’t know what to say. “Cold—aren’t you cold?”
Apollo frowned, clearly not believing she was cold in her heavy cloak, while a fire roared behind them. “This is sudden, and I know I’ve rushed you, but I swear, I will take good care of you.”
She started to shake harder.
Apollo’s face completely fell. “Just give us time. I know you don’t feel quite the same—”
“It’s not that—” She broke off, unsure of what to say, wishing there were some magic words that would spare his feelings now and still keep him at an arm’s distance. He’d do anything for her in this state, and she didn’t want to take advantage. She didn’t want to hurt him, or herself by growing closer, or buying into the delusion that this was real. “You’ve been so sweet to me.”
The lines bracketing his mouth grew deeper. “You say that as if tomorrow will change things.”
“Of course it will change things,” she said. “Isn’t that why we’re doing it?” And for a moment, she was so tempted to lean into him. The leg pressing against hers was warm even through all the layers of clothing, and she imagined his arms would be warm as well. Warm and soothing and solid. Apollo had embraced and kissed her, but no one had simply held her since Luc. She missed it, not just being held by him but being held by anyone. Since losing both her parents, all those soothing, loving little touches had become far more precious to her. She missed the way her father hugged her, the way her mother used to comfort her, and—
Apollo’s arm slid around her shoulder, tender and warmer than she’d imagined, and there was nothing that could have stopped her from leaning into him. Just for a few heartbeats, then she’d pull away.
“If you want, I could stay…” He said each word as if he were holding his breath. “We don’t have to do anything. I could sleep in my clothes and just hold you.”
Evangeline didn’t trust herself to speak.
She should have said no. She really should have said it.
Apollo wasn’t himself; if he had been, he’d not be offering this. He wouldn’t even be in her room. But he was in her room, and he was looking at her as if all he wanted in the world was for her to say yes to him.
“Please, Evangeline, let me stay.” He wrapped his other arm around her and held on to her like a promise he intended to keep. The way he touched her was soft and reverent and full of all the comfort she’d missed so much.
She still should have said no. But something had changed between them since he’d climbed up into her room. She knew that it would shift again tomorrow, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to take advantage of it for one night. “That would be nice.”