“Help me open it and you’ll see.”
Luc jumped off the tomb, shoved the heavy lid, and turned to her with a satisfied smile as the marble thunked to the ground. “Can I bite you now?”
“No, Luc, I’m never going to let you bite me.”
“Never say never, Eva.” He flashed a hopeful smile made of fangs before peering into the box. “Are you sure this is the right coffin?”
“Positive,” said Evangeline. Yet she felt a stab of worry as her gaze followed Luc’s. Glendora Slaughterwood’s body was all dust and teeth. She’d died so long ago there were no bones or clothes or necklaces. And there was still no feeling of magic. There was no tingling, no prickling, no sudden bursts of mirth.
But Evangeline had to believe there was more.
She took a deep, nervous breath and dug her hand into the murky gray dust that was Glendora Slaughterwood.
“Eva! What are you doing?” Luc clearly thought she’d lost her mind. He grabbed onto her shoulders, tugging her back from the coffin, but thankfully, she’d already caught hold of something that felt like a chain.
Evangeline pulled free of Luc and shook the dust off the rock dangling at the end of the chain until she was holding a butterscotch-yellow stone that looked as if it were made of shimmering sunlight.
Luc eyed the gem askance, obviously not thinking it was as pretty as she did. “I could get you nicer jewelry than that.”
He grabbed for it.
Evangeline clutched the necklace tighter, feeling that familiar swell of protectiveness, followed by a wash of relief. This had to be the mirth stone. Perhaps she just hadn’t felt it as strongly because she already had a hopeful disposition.
“Thank you, Luc.” Hopping up on her tiptoes, she pecked him on the cheek and started back down the corridor.
“Wait,” Luc cried. “There’s a costume party tomorrow night. Will you be my date?”
Evangeline stopped halfway down the hall. If she went with Luc, she could avoid Jacks. At least until he showed up and found her with Luc.
Of course, that thought also tempted her because she imagined Jacks would not be happy to see her on Luc’s arm, especially if the youth stone was near and working its jealous magic.
“I wish I could say yes,” Evangeline said. “I just fear that wouldn’t be a wise idea.” As much as she enjoyed frustrating Jacks, this was LaLa’s party, and she wouldn’t make a scene. “But I promise to save you a dance.”
* * *
Evangeline tucked the sunshine-yellow mirth stone underneath her nightgown, where she could feel it safe against her chest as she climbed up the stairs to her guest room. It was actually a bit of a relief that the stone didn’t feel more powerful. After the tendrils of envy she’d felt from what she imagined was the youth stone, she’d been a little nervous about what the mirth stone might do.
She’d feared it might make her drunk with happiness, or so giddy with joy that she lost all sense of urgency.
But for now, if anything, she felt uneasy. Her skin prickled with an uncanny sense that made her slow her steps as she reached the fourth floor of Slaughterwood Castle.
It was quiet, so still she could almost hear the flickering of candles in sconces. Then she saw it—a streak of moonlight hair attached to a shadowy figure darting quickly down the hall. Petra.
Evangeline felt the same wrench of discomfort she’d experienced every other time she’d seen the girl. Then she felt it again as she wondered if Petra had come from Jacks’s room.
Evangeline ran to the other end of the hall to look down the corner that Petra had just turned. But it was already empty.
It was tempting to wonder if she’d just imagined her. It was so late it might have actually been early. And Evangeline was starting to feel fatigued again. The rush of finding the mirth stone had started to wear off, leaving her tired. And yet she knew what she’d seen. She just couldn’t understand why she’d seen it. What was Petra doing sneaking around at this hour?
Evangeline’s mind flashed back to earlier that night. Jacks had said he’d thought Petra looked familiar. Then Petra had warned Evangeline about Jacks; she was the one who’d revealed to Evangeline that Jacks had snuck off with another girl.
Petra had seemed to dislike Jacks, and yet Evangeline couldn’t shake the idea that Petra had just come from Jacks’s room.
Evangeline supposed she could stand there in the hall, wondering until the sun came up, or she could simply knock on Jacks’s door.
Her knuckles hit it three times. Softly at first, but when he didn’t answer, she knocked once more, louder.