It was dusk when the potion was done. Jacks was still sprawled across the sofa as if he hadnât slept in years.
âJacks.â She rocked his shoulder, but when he moved his golden head, it was only to burrow deeper into his pillow. She jostled him one more time. She thought heâd be awake by now. But maybe he needed the restâshe didnât think heâd slept at all the night that sheâd been poisoned. He must have been exhausted even before the mausoleum.
And perhaps it was better for her that he took his rest. Evangeline doubted he would be enthusiastic about her plan.
She already knew he wouldnât want her to go back to Wolf Hall, and he probably wouldnât trust her potion either. Although she was quite proud of her work. For the earth, sheâd scraped the dirt from her boots. For the water, sheâd taken snow from outside and let it melt. The crushed bones of the dead had been a tricky. She hadnât discovered any skeletons inside Jacksâs office, but she had found a dead spider. For the blood, sheâd contemplated borrowing a few drops from Jacks, as he was clearly more magical. But Jacks was so far from honest Evangeline wondered if his magic blood might do more harm than good. Sheâd decided her blood would have to suffice. It worked well enough to undo locks; hopefully, it would help undo spells.
After that, sheâd poured her concoction into one of the remaining bottles of Fortunaâs Fantastically Flavored Water, hoping the drink would be as enticing to Tiberius as it had been to her. Then she wrapped the bottle up in paper.
Dear Jacks,
If you wake up and Iâm not here, do not fret. Unless itâs well past dawn, then I may be in trouble. I think I know who the killer is! I fear itâs Marisol after all. (For motive, look at the scandal sheet, which youâve been using as a poor substitute for a blanket .) Iâve gone to Wolf Hall to save Tiberius from marrying her and to hopefully clear my own name.
âLittle Fox
All she needed to do now was write Jacks a note.
Evangeline didnât know why she signed her name that way. She felt a little silly as soon as it was done. But she didnât want to waste time rewriting it.
Maybe if she were very lucky, Jacks would never see the note. If everything went her way, sheâd get in and out of Wolf Hall before Jacks even woke up. Evangeline almost laughed at the idea of everything going her way. But there was a chance that it would happen.
She kept her plan simple.
She would enter Wolf Hall via the same hidden passages sheâd snuck out through to meet Jacks. Then sheâd leave her love potion antidote in Tiberiusâs chambers, where he would be sure to find it and with any luck be compelled to drink.
If the antidote worked, Tiberius would be cured, and Marisolâs duplicity would be revealed to him as it had been to Luc.
If the antidote didnât work, it would prove Marisol was innocent, but the killer would still be out there.
And if Evangeline got caught delivering the antidote, then the killer would never be foundâbecause sheâd be blamed for the murder.