Wordlessly, both soldiers marched out, leaving Evangeline tied up and alone with the Prince of Hearts.
Get away from me! she tried to scream, shaking the chair again as Jacks stalked closer.
In the dim, he should have been difficult to see, but his eyes faintly glowed, burning blue as he raked her over. He took in the broken gold wings at her feet, the torn hem of her full white skirts, and the tracks of tears coating her cheeks.
Stop crying. Jacks’s voice was low and even and invading her thoughts once again. You’re not sad. You’re calm and happy to see me.
Evangeline glared at him, wishing she could tell him just how unhappy his presence made her. She really didn’t want to cry in front of him, but the sight of him standing there so cold and callous only reminded her of the way Apollo had died.
More tears splashed down her cheeks.
Jacks’s gaze narrowed and dropped toward a wet puddle at her feet. “Are those all tears?” Something like alarm flickered in his eyes. Not that she could believe for a second that he cared about her. He was going to kill her, just as he’d killed Apollo, so that she could never tell anyone what he’d done.
She braced herself as Jacks reached for the gag at her mouth, and then she screamed as soon as it was off. “Murderer! Get a—”
Jacks’s hand flew over her lips. “Do you really want me to put that nasty cloth back in your mouth?”
Evangeline stiffened.
He gave her a sliver of a grin. “I’m going to ask you a question now, and you’re going to answer without screaming. How long have you been crying like this?”
His hand slowly slid away.
To Evangeline’s horror, more tears leaked out before she managed to speak. “Don’t pretend as if you care about my sorrow—you’re going to kill me just as you killed Apollo.”
“I didn’t murder Apollo, and I have no intention of harming you. I still need you for that prophecy, remember?”
“I’ll never help you with anything ever again,” Evangeline seethed, or she tried to. The words came out with an embarrassing sniffle, but she soldiered on. “I’d rather stay tied up here forever than help you.”
“You should not be so reckless with your words.” Jacks pulled out his jeweled dagger, but instead of reaching for her throat or her heart, he dropped to a crouch and cut the rope binding her right ankle to the chair.
Evangeline kicked out with her free leg.
But of course Jacks was quicker. His cold hand wrapped around her calf, lifting it high enough to make her dress slide up precariously and putting her completely off balance as he rose from his crouch. “If you want to live, you need to stop fighting me.”
“I’ll never stop fighting you. You tricked me into murdering Apollo! I thought I was helping him, but he died as soon as I kissed him.”
Jacks worked his jaw. “Apollo didn’t die because of your kiss. There was no magic in that kiss.”
“But—”
“There was never any magic in your kisses,” Jacks interrupted. “When Apollo fell in love with you, it wasn’t because you kissed him, it was because I willed it.”
“How is that possible?”
“I’m a Fate. You really think my only power is in my kiss?” Jacks sounded more than a little insulted. “I wouldn’t be very terrifying if that were all I could do. And before you argue and waste more time by saying you don’t believe me, you just saw me use this ability on the soldiers I ordered to leave this room. I didn’t even have to touch them. I only had you kiss Apollo and Lady Fortuna because it was entertaining, and when the magic wore off, it would lead back to you instead of me. People tend to avoid and distrust you when they know you can control how they feel. I have manipulated you, but I didn’t murder your prince.”
Evangeline tried to glare at Jacks through her tears. She really didn’t want to believe him or concede that he made sense. She wanted to blame him for killing Apollo. She wanted to kick him and scream. But when she tried to scream, it turned into a frustrated sob.
“If you’re telling the truth—then use your magic on me.” Evangeline hiccupped. “Use it to stop my tears.”
“I tried, and it didn’t work.” Jacks grimaced as another waterfall poured from her eyes. “Your tears aren’t normal. I think you’ve been poisoned.”
“It’s grief, Jacks, not poison! Apollo just died in front of me.”
“I’m not criticizing you for being emotional.” Jacks ground his jaw. “But if this were purely your feelings, I should be able to take them away.”