He was handsome, and she didn’t look away. He wasn’t wearing a medallion, but he did have jewels on his silver doublet. They sparkled as he took a second goblet from a servant and held it out as an offering. Hello, he mouthed.
Evangeline cut a quick look at Jacks.
He was still distracted by the girl with the moonlight hair.
She took this as a chance to step away and cross the room toward the gentleman with the drink.
He wasn’t quite so young or attractive up close. But his sapphire buttons were very sparkly, and his voice was kind. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Almond Froggly.”
He held out the drink.
Jacks intercepted the wine before she could take it. “Go away, Almond. Evangeline isn’t going to marry you.”
Almond’s cheeks flushed red as beets, and without another word, he did as Jacks commanded.
“Jacks,” Evangeline hissed. “I was just talking to him to see if he had the stones.”
“He didn’t,” Jacks said. “Someone that boring couldn’t have magic. And he’s not from one of the Great Houses.”
“That doesn’t mean you can just control him.”
“No controlling, no killing. You’re taking all the fun out of this party, Little Fox.” Jacks drank from the goblet of wine in his hand. “Since we’re looking for magic stones, we need to talk to people who seem magical.”
He tipped his drink toward a trio of girls wearing glorious forest-green dresses and tiaras that sparkled like treasure. “They’re all from House Darling.”
They were beautiful as well. Clearly sisters, from the look of it. They were all graceful moves and serene smiles as they sipped their drinks and waved away servants with trays of meat pies and honeycomb-drenched cheeses.
Evangeline tried to remember what she’d read about House Darling as they approached and all three girls widened their smiles to genuine grins at the sight of Jacks.
“It’s so wonderful to see you, Lord Jacks.” The tallest of the sisters put her hand on his cheek, and Evangeline felt that horrible twist inside of her again.
Sense any magic? Jacks asked silently.
Evangeline shook her head. She hoped that would mean they would walk away. But although Jacks wasn’t usually nice to anyone, he was being polite to these sisters.
“Why have you not come to visit?” said the girl who’d touched his cheek. “And when did you change your hair?”
She reached up again to run her fingers through Jacks’s golden locks. Evangeline felt a surge of discomfort and took that moment to step away again. And—
She crashed into the chest of a tall young man with thick black hair, smooth bronze skin, and a smile that made her knees weak.
25
Evangeline was not too proud to admit that she was easily dazzled. She liked pretty stories and pretty things, and this young man was far more than just pretty.
“I’m sorry,” she said, and she couldn’t even feel embarrassed that she was breathless.
His voice was deep and his handsome face was touched with a smile that widened as he said, “It’s entirely my fault. I was hoping to bump into you, and I may have been a little too eager.”
He reached for her hand, and Evangeline felt a sudden thrill. He wore a ring! A shining, roughly cut black jewel. A powerful thing that looked as if it could have been enchanted.
She waited to feel a zing of magic from his ring as he took her fingers and brought them to his lips, but there was merely that gentle tingly feeling that came from being appraised by someone who found her attractive.
“I’m Merrick of House Redthorne,” he said.
“I’m Evangeline.”
“And I’m Jacks,” Jacks said, appearing beside Evangeline, no longer wearing the smile he’d shared with the Darling girls. “How’s your new wife, Merrick?”
The young man blanched. “She passed last autumn.”
“How tragic.” Jacks’s voice was all false surprise. “Didn’t your previous wife pass the autumn just before that one?”
“She did. I’ve had quite bad luck,” Merrick bit out.
“Well, then it’s probably best you not pass it on to Evangeline.” Jacks grabbed her arm.
She started to object, but before she could finish, Merrick Redthorne was gone.
Evangeline glowered at Jacks.
“You’re welcome,” he said smugly.
“You didn’t have to scare him away. I wasn’t going to marry him.”
“Good, because if you did, you’d be dead next autumn.” He dropped her arm.