Chaos was suddenly before her, taking her gloved hand in his and bringing it to where his lips would have been had he not worn the bronze helm.
Jacks might have tried to tug her away, but she was only half paying attention to him. Sheâd made the mistake of looking into Chaosâs eyesâalthough, as soon as she had done it, it didnât feel like a mistake. How could eyes so magnificent be a mistake? They were bottle green and brilliant, with slivers of gold that made it look as if theyâd been shot through with broken pieces of stars. Or he was a star, fallen to the earth, and if she made a wish, he could grant it with oneâ
âEvangeline,â Jacks growled. His cold fingers gripped her cheek and wrenched her back until her eyes met his. She wanted to return to the other, beautiful bottle-green eyes. But Jacksâs harsh gaze worked like an antidote to the vampireâs wonder, reminding her that looking into Chaosâs eyes would not lead to wishes come true but to shackles and cages and sharp teeth tearing into her skin.
Donât do that again, Little Fox.
He dropped his hand from her face.
Evangeline felt her cheeks go red. It was just what heâd warned her about. Sometimes all it takes from a vampire is one look, and youâre theirs. The first vampire had been attractive in an expected way, but it was as if something extra poured off Chaos, something that hadnât been there the other times theyâd met. Even now she could feel it, tempting her to take another look, to forget the way that LaLa had called him a monster.
Chaos laughed, loud and easy. âYou should have prepared her better, my friend. She seems particularly sensitive to allure. Or maybe she just likes me more than she likes you.â
âShe hates me,â Jacks said pleasantly. âSo even if she likes you more, thatâs not saying very much.â
âAre you certain about that?â Chaos slid another gaze Evangelineâs way.
Fresh heat prickled her skin.
There were different types of vampire gazes. Evangeline was not yet familiar with them all. She couldnât completely tell the difference between a hungry gaze and a seductive gaze, or the gaze of a vampire right before he gives chase. The gazes sheâd felt so far just felt like heat, as if parts of her were too close to a fire. She could feel that burn coming off Chaos now as he offered her his arm.
âDonât worry, princess, the only people who are put in those cages are ones who wish to be there.â
Evangeline still weighed her options. Earlier, it would have been appealing to take Chaosâs arm just to irritate Jacks. Now that choice wasnât as inviting. But considering that they were there to acquire information from him, she wasnât sure it was wise to dismiss his offer either. In fact, it probably wouldnât have been wise to reject it even if they didnât want something from Chaos.
Evangeline accepted his arm. Despite the layer of leather, he felt much warmer than Jacks.
Donât get too cozy, Little Fox. Jacksâs expression was a mask of disinterest, but the voice in her head was distinctly irritated. Thereâs a reason why he wears the helm.
Why is that? Evangeline asked.
But Jacks didnât answer her question.
After a moment, she cast a quick look up toward Chaosâs cruel helm. She caught a glimpse of flawless olive skin, but she didnât dare look past his cheekbones, and even they were obscured by spikes jutting out of the headpiece. It couldnât have been comfortable. The entire lower half of Chaosâs face was completely covered, including his mouth, which, now that she thought about it, was peculiar for a being supposedly controlled by its lust for blood.
He turned his head, gaze scorching her as he caught her staring.
Quickly, she tore her attention away.
âYou donât have to avoid my eyes.â His velvet voice moved to her ear, the warm metal of his helm intentionally brushing her temple. âThe helm you were staring at is cursed, and it prevents me from biting anyone. Youâre perfectly safe from me. Isnât that right, Jacks?â
âHeâs been trapped in that thing for centuries,â Jacks confirmed. But you will never be safe with him.
They traveled through another series of hostile halls before Chaos finally released Evangelineâs arm to open a heavy iron door with a mere tug of gloved fingers.
At a glance, the room they entered could have belonged to a scholar. There were bins of papyrus scrolls and shelves and tables laden with leather-bound books, pens, and parchments, all drenched in warm candlelight bright enough to read by. Even the air smelled of paper, mixed with redolent hints of mahogany.
It wasnât until Evangeline went to take a seat in one of the chairs that she noticed all the thick shackles on the arms and legs, some of which had nasty barbs that would pierce a personâs skin when the manacle was put on. She went for another seat, but all the chairs contained the same ominous restraints.
âReally?â Jacks took one of the shackles and twirled it in his fingers as if it were a cheap piece of jewelry. âThese are getting to be a bit much. You might want to reconsider how you entertain your guests if you have to chain them all up.â
âIâm surprised youâre so judgmental,â said Chaos. âI heard about what you did with that princess. What was her nameâ Diana?â
âI have no idea who youâre talking about,â Jacks said smoothly, though Evangeline noticed him tense just as he had when LaLa had said that Jacks had been obsessed with Princess Donatella.
Unfortunately, Evangeline didnât get further answers. Chaos didnât say more on the subject as he crossed over to a pair of burgundy curtains and parted the drapes halfway. Not quite enough for Evangeline to see what theyâd been concealing, although she heard chatter from the other side; it sounded like a number of people all trying not to talk too loudly as their voices echoed upward.
Giving into her curiosity, Evangeline moved closer to the parted curtains.
It seemed they were actually on a balcony overlooking a small amphitheater. The railing on the other side of the drapes was all marbled stone, as was the floor far below, where a gathering of vampires and humans stood on a massive black-and-white checkered board.
She hoped they were playing kissing chess. She couldnât bring herself to imagine other more likely reasons as to why all the vampires were dressed in bloodred and the humans were clad in white, and standing on opposite sides of the board.
Many of the humans might have appeared attractive or strong under other circumstances, but in comparison to the row of vampires, they looked tired and worn. Their shoulders werenât as straight and their hair was duller; their various shades of skin did not gleam like polished stone.
âI hope you all know,â Chaos called down, âIâve come to think of many of you as my family, and I hope your fate turns out better than theirs did. Good luck.â
The amphitheater erupted in movement.
âWhat are they doing?â Evangelineâs hands clutched the marble rail as she watched the vampires cross the checkered floor in blurs of speed. Bloodred collided with white as each vampire found a human, and Evangeline could already tell none of them were going to be kissing.
âIsnât this practice rather archaic?â Jacks asked. Heâd dropped the chairâs fetter to join them at the balcony rail. But he appeared far from entertained by the scene below. If Evangeline hadnât known better, she might have thought Jacks was concerned. He gripped the railing almost as tightly as she did while the vampires bared their fangs and bit into the necks of every human on the floor.