Prince Of Hearts Quotes

“Jacks no longer felt like her enemy, he felt like her home.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“The Fate didn’t move. He didn’t let the girl go. He looked as if he never would. He continued holding her as if he could return her to life with the force of his will. His eyes were wet with blood. Red tears fell down his cheeks and onto hers. But the girl didn’t stir.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“Sorry to break your fairytale, Little Fox, but ballads don't end happily, and neither do the two of us.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“The Fate gave the queen a look more vicious than any curse. 'There is nothing of equal value to me.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“His mouth was crashing against hers. He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”
― Stephanie Garber, Legendary

“It didn't matter if he stayed forever cursed. All that mattered was that he stayed, that he chose her instead of fear.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“She didn't want someone to hold her while she cried and tell her it would be all right. She wanted fury, she wanted rage, she wanted a villain to tell her she'd done exactly what she needed to do.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“At the word sacrifice, something sparked in the Fate's cold eyes. He held the girl tighter, carrying her in his bloodstained arms as he stood and started down the ancient hall.

'What are you doing?' A crack of alarm showed in the queen's implacable face.

'I'm going to fix this.' He continued marching forward, holding the girl close as he carried her back through the arch.

The angels who'd been guarding it now wept. They cried tears of stone as the Fate set the girl at their feet and began wrenching stone after stone from the arch.

'Jacks of the Hollow,' warned the queen. 'Those arch stones can only be used one time to go back. They were not created for infinite trips to the past.'

'I know,' Jacks growled. 'I'm going to go back and stop your son from killing her.'

The queen's face fell. For a moment, she looked as old as the years she'd spent lying in suspended state. 'This is not a small mistake to fix. If you do this, Time will take something equally valuable from you.'

The Fate gave the queen a look more vicious than any curse. 'There is nothing of equal value to me.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“The truth is never what you want it to be, Little Fox.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“You know,' she confessed, 'I've always loved your dimples.'

'I know.' He smirked. 'You were so obvious with your love at first sight.'

'It was not love at first sight.' She huffed. 'I only said I like your dimples at the start.' She dropped her hand from his cheek. 'I didn't even like you. I thought you were terrible.'

'And yet.' He grabbed her hand again and wrapped it around his neck. 'You kept staring.'

Well...' She wrapped her other hand around his neck before sliding her fingers back into his hair. She really loved his hair. 'I might not have liked you, but you were always ridiculously handsome.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“I'm broken. I like to break things. Sometimes I want to break you.'

'Then break me, Jacks.'

His fingers tensed against her neck. 'For once I want to do the right thing. I can't do this. I can't watch you die again.'

The word again scraped against her like a thorn. 'What do you mean, again?'

'You died, Evangeline.' Jacks pulled her closer until she could feel the ragged rise and fall of his chest as he rasped. 'I held you in my arms as it happened.'

'Jacks... I don't know what you're talking about. I never died.'

'Yes, you did. The night you opened the Valory. The first time you did it, I didn't go with you.' He went silent for a moment and then she heard him think, I couldn't say goodbye.

'It was only you and Chaos,' he whispered. 'As soon as his helm was off, he killed you. I tried to stop him- I tried to save you- but-'

Jacks opened and shut his mouth as if he could barely get the words out. 'I couldn't. When I got there, he had already bitten you- and he'd already taken too much blood. You died as soon as you were in my arms. The only thing I could do was use the stones to turn back time. I was warned that it would cost me something. But I thought it would cost me. I didn't imagine it would take from you.'

I'm sorry, he thought.

'You don't need to be sorry, Jacks.'

'It's my fault,' he gritted out.

'No, it's not. I didn't lose my memories because you turned back time. I lost them because Apollo took them from me.'

Jacks looked murderous for a second. Then just as quickly he shook off her words. 'It doesn't matter. What matters is that you died. And if you die again, I cannot bring you back.'

'So you'd rather live without me?'

'I'd rather you live.'

'I am living, Jacks, and I am not going to die anytime soon.' Evangeline closed her eyes and then she kissed him.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“I mean... it's just one night,' he said softly. 'In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don't like me, and I can pretend that I don't care. But for tonight, let me pretend you're mine.'

She melted at the word mine. For a dizzying second, she couldn't think. She couldn't bring herself to pull away, and yet she couldn't tell him she would stay.

'If it's easier, you can pretend, too,' he whispered. 'You can pretend I'm still Jacks of the Hollow and that you want to be mine.' His mouth pressed against her throat once more and slowly traced a blissful line up her neck, to her ear. Then his teeth nipped her earlobe.

She gasped. The bite was sharp and a little painful, as if he wanted to hold her and punish her, too. But he didn't have to punish her. This was already torture because she wanted it so much. She wanted him to want her, even if he was half-delirious in his wanting.

'I'm not delirious.' His voice was husky with something like sleep, but when he looked down on her, his eyes were clear and lucid.

And Evangeline felt as if she was tumbling in to them.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“If you really believe this is what you want, you're lying to yourself.'

'I'm not lying to myself,' Jacks snarled.

'Then tell me this is what you truly want. Swear you want this more than anything else and I'll never mention it again.'

Jacks grabbed her by the shoulders and looked directly in to her eyes. For a minute, he didn't speak. He just looked at her, at the remaining blood still on her lips and the dried tears staining her cheeks. 'I swear this is what I really want.' He spoke each word like a vow. 'I want to erase every moment you and I have spent together, every word you've said to me, and every time I've touched you, because if I don't, I'll kill you, just like I killed the Fox.'

Evangeline's heart stopped.

She searched Jacks' eyes, but all she saw was darkness, and all she felt was the press of his hands. He held on to her the way a person might grasp the edge of a cliff, knowing once they let go, there was no taking hold again.”
― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After

“I love you, Jacks.'

He closed his eyes as she said the word love.
She hoped a little harder. She wanted to ask him to look at her, but all that mattered was that he didn't let her go.

'I used to wonder if fate was real,' she said gently. 'I used to fear it meant that I had no real choices. Then I secretly hoped fate was real and that you and I were fated, that by some miraculous chance I was your true love. But now I don't care if fate is real- because I don't need it to decide for me. I don't it to make this choice. I've made my decision, Jacks. It's you. It will always be you, until the end of time. And I'll fight fate or anyone else who tries to tear us apart- including you. You are my choice. You are my love. You are mine. And you are not going to be the end of me, Jacks.'

'I think I already am.' He opened his eyes as they dripped red tears. 'Let me go, Evangeline.'

'Tell me you won't set fire to your heart, and I will let you go.'

'Don't ask me to do that.'

'Then don't ask me to let you go!”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“My turn again.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“How can I make you understand,' he growled, 'you and I together don't end well. We just end.'

'How can you know that if you haven't even tried?'

'Try?' Jacks laughed and the sound was awful.

'This isn't something you try at, Evangeline.'

...

'This is something that gets one chance to be right or wrong, and if you're wrong, there's no trying again. There is nothing.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“He didn't believe they could kiss. He believed in doomed love and unhappily ever after.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“You should go,' he ground out.

'Why? Because you're going to burn your heart, and once you do that, you think you'll hurt me? You're already hurting me, Jacks.'

...

'If I try to hurt you, the cuff will stop me,' he said roughly.

'I'm not talking about physically.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“But it wasn't all right. Nothing was going to be all right if Jacks lost her now.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse For True Love

“I no longer think love is a guarantee of victory or of happily ever after. But I think it's a reason to fight for those things. I know my attempt to save Jacks could end in a fiery explosion, but I'd rather go up in flames with him than watch while he burns.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“I remember,' she breathed.

'Do you now?' He smiled, and just like everything else, it was a very Jacks-like smile. Sharper at one corner, giving the impression of being both cruel and playful all at once. It reminded her vaguely of the first time they'd met, when she'd thought he looked like a half-bored young noble, half-wicked demigod.

'Tell me, pet, just how much do you remember?”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“Get your hands off her, you son of a bitch!'

Jacks ran across the cavern and punched Apollo in the face. Then he punched him again and again. He punched until he stopped feeling his fist, breaking Apollo's bones. When blood spewed from the prince's nose, Jacks felt it spray his cheek.

It would have been easier just to stab the bastard in the throat. But Jacks needed to hurt him first.

'I will kill you for this!' Jacks rained down more punches on Apollo's face.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“You foul, heartless, wretched, cheating, manipulating, apple-sucking demon!”
― Stephanie Garber, Finale

“I just want to kiss him, ' Evangeline said softly. 'And... I don't want to die.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“Tentatively, she reached for the top button of his doublet.

Jacks's eyes flashed open. 'What are you doing?'

'Your clothes are wet,' she whispered as she slowly undid the first button with a soft click. It was a small sound, but somehow it filled the room.

Outside, the rain lashed hard against the thin window, shaking the glass, but Evangeline could still hear the sound of every button as she undid one after another.

'This is a very bad idea,' Jacks murmured.

'I would have thought you liked bad ideas.'
'Only when they're mine.'

He stood very still as he fingers reached for the bottom button and carefully slid it through the hole. For a second, there was no rain, there was no breathing. There was just the two of them.

Carefully, Evangeline parted the fabric of the doublet.

Then she felt Jacks's hand braceleting her wrist.

'My turn,' he said hoarsely. And she swore she could feel his voice on her skin as he reached for the ties of her cloak.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“You shouldn't be here.'

'Neither should you!' Evangeline shouted.

...

'What are you doing?'

'I think you already know the answer, pet. You just don't like it much.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“This is as close as we get,' Jacks said.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“I love you, Jacks.'

He closed his eyes as she said the word love.

She hoped a little harder. She wanted to ask him to look at her, but all that mattered was that he didn't let her go.

'I used to wonder if fate was real,' she said gently. 'I used to fear it meant that I had no real choices. Then I secretly hoped fate was real and that you and I were fated, that by some miraculous chance I was your true love. But now I don't care if fate is real- because I don't need it to decide for me. I don't it to make this choice. I've made my decision, Jacks. It's you. It will always be you, until the end of time. And I'll fight fate or anyone else who tries to tear us apart- including you. You are my choice. You are my love. You are mine. And you are not going to be the end of me, Jacks.'

'I think I already am.' He opened his eyes as they dripped red tears. 'Let me go, Evangeline.'

'Tell me you won't set fire to your heart, and I will let you go.'

'Don't ask me to do that.'

'Then don't ask me to let you go!”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“This was so wrong, wanting the man who’d tied her to him and done countless other unspeakable things. But all she could think was that she wanted him to do even more.”
― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love

“But Jacks was all broken without any heart.”
― Stephanie Garber , The Ballad of Never After