She needed to figure out who and why. She would start by returning to Wolf Hall and questioning Havelock. The last time she’d seen him, he’d had news. She imagined it was that Apollo was awake, but Havelock had seemed alarmed instead of relieved. Perhaps it was because he knew something.
Evangeline felt a little nervous to return to Wolf Hall on her own. But there was no way she’d willingly stay here with Jacks and Chaos.
She wondered again if it was Jacks who’d somehow forced Apollo to shoot her. But Jacks needed her alive. He wouldn’t have done this … at least she didn’t think so. It was difficult to be entirely certain of anything with Jacks. Except for the fact that he was untrustworthy, which was another reason why she needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
Evangeline picked up the dress that had been set out for her. The frothy flowered confection was as pretty as a sunrise, but it was more akin to a dressing gown than a proper garment, slender and light with billowing off-the-shoulder sleeves and a neckline so low it felt as if she’d be practically begging any nearby vampires to bite her.
She was unsurprised to find a vampire standing guard on the other side of her chamber door—the red-lipped vampire who’d bitten her last night.
“Could you tell me where the exit is?” she asked politely.
The female regarded Evangeline as if she were a child and she wasn’t particularly fond of such creatures. “You’re not allowed—”
“Don’t say it,” Evangeline cut in. She knew this vampire could probably break her neck with merely her fingers, but she also knew that Chaos didn’t just need her alive, he needed her willing blood to open the Valory Arch, so she doubted any guard would be allowed to break any part of her. “If you tell me I can’t leave, I’m going to be very cross with Chaos, and then he’ll be very cross with you. So, let’s avoid all the crossness. Just let me go, and please tell me where the exit is.”
The female stepped aside with a smirk, making it clear she’d let Evangeline go, but she wouldn’t tell her how to get out.
Which was fine. Evangeline had been here before. She was sure she could find the exit on her own. The last time she had visited with Jacks, they’d escaped by following steps that led up toward the graveyard above.
Gamely, Evangeline took every upward staircase she found. There were lots of empty cages and shackles, and more than once, she had to quicken her pace when she caught the sound of footsteps. She was breathless and a little jumpy by the time she reached what she hoped was the topmost hall.
There were no shackles or cages here, just deceptively fancy decorations—gold candelabras, velvet settees, wispy drapes. Then, finally, there was a door—heavy and metal and locked.
She reached for her dagger, but of course it wasn’t there. It hadn’t been with the dress. She must have lost it that night in the garden, which was a good thing. She would have hated if Jacks had found it on her and realized that she’d been carrying around his old knife.
Thankfully, Chaos believed in decorating with weapons, so it was easy enough to find another knife to prick her finger with.
Quickly, before any vampires could catch the scent of her blood, she offered the door a few drops. She still didn’t want to be a key or part of a prophecy, but she couldn’t deny she was enjoying the one perk that came with the position. She felt powerful as she said, “Please open,” and the door immediately complied.
Freedom tasted cold.
The world was as dark as kept secrets, and she wished she’d tried to pilfer a cloak before leaving. Upon waking up in her windowless room, she’d assumed it was day, but it was actually night. And it was not the sort of evening meant for whisper-soft dresses and delicate silk slippers. The snow must have melted during the time she’d been underground, for there were only sticks and dirt beneath her feet as she ventured out into the cemetery that rested above Chaos’s underground kingdom.
The graveyard had more trees than she’d remembered, their barren canopies stifling the moonlight and making everything murkier as she tried to remember which way led out toward Valorfell.
For a second, she hesitated. Now that she was out and feeling a little lost in the night, it was easier to fear that perhaps this was a mistake. Maybe it wasn’t the wisest thing to return to Wolf Hall. But her other option was returning to Jacks and Chaos.
With a breath so cold it burned her lungs, Evangeline continued forward. She thought she saw the mausoleum where she’d spent the night with Jacks. For a second, she felt a fresh shiver roll across her shoulders at the memory. When the prickling sensation continued all the way down to her wrist and her broken heart scar, she feared perhaps it meant that Jacks was there. But when she darted a look around, the forest was empty save for the trees. So many trees.