“It felt as if he were reaching into her, as if there were invisible fingers digging in to her mind, taking things they shouldn't. Memories....With her body weakened, she fought to lock him out of her mind, to hide her remaining memories, but one by one he plucked them out.The night in the crypt with Jacks... gone.Marrying Apollo... gone.Her friendship with Lala... gone.Apollo infected with the Archer's curse... gone.Jumping off the cliff with Jacks-'No!' she screamed.... gone.The wonder of the Hollow... gone.Jacks bandaging her wounds... gone.Jacks confessing he was the Archer... gone.'Please, stop,' she begged.”
―
Stephanie Garber,
The Ballad of Never After
“You want to know how the story really ends? You want to know the part of the tale that everyone forgets?'...'I told you that I killed her, but I didn't say how.' A dangerous intensity slipped in to Jacks' voice. 'I didn't tell you that I ran away, that I tried to leave her so I wouldn't hurt her. I didn't know if I really loved her, or if my feelings were all from the curse, because it wouldn't let me stop thinking about her. But she had more faith in me that I did. She chased after me. She was convinced I really loved her and that I could fight the curse. And I did. I never laid a hand on her. I overcame the Archer's curse. But it didn't matter, because as soon as I kissed her, she died.' Jack's mouth twisted bitterly. 'Since then, every girl I've kissed has died, except for one. And you are not that girl.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“The Archer had always been so sure of himself and what he could do. He'd never been given a task he could not complete. There was no beast he could not track, no target he could not hit. He could shoot an apple from the hand of a friend at a thousand paces away- while it was being tossed in the air. He was a legend, he was the Archer, and he would have sacrificed it all to save her.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“Archer held her tighter. He banded one arm firmly around her ribs, the other he circled just below her waist, almost on her hips, his fingers splayed in a way that felt less like he wanted to restrain her and more like he just wanted to touch her--to hold her on that bridge in the dark where it was only the two of them and the rain and the feel of too many heartbeats racing between them.” ― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love
“Most of Jacks' books were crookedly stacked and next to volumes without any apparent reason, except for a small collection of the last book she'd have expected to find here: The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox.Something warmed inside of her at the sight of so many copies of her favourite storybook.Jacks owned seven volumes, ranging from old to very old. Positioned more precisely than anything else in his den, they sat side by set, on the tip-top of the shelf, the sort of place where a person stored books they didn't want anyone else touching.What was all this about?...Evangeline reached for the first volume- she knew she was being distracted. But all she wanted was to look at the last page and see what sort of ending the story had. She wanted to know if it had a happy ending- if the Archer kissed his Fox girl or if he killed her. And maybe seeing all these books felt like a sign. She was starting to think that sometimes she imagined things were signs when they weren't. But that didn't mean they were not actual signs.She opened the first book, but the pages in the back were all ripped out. And unfortunately, she did not have better luck with any of the other volumes. Every copy fought her. One book kept falling from her hands every time she tried to open it. Another book only had blank pages at the end.” ― Stephanie Garber, Once Upon a Broken Heart
“In the North, fairytales and history were treated as one and the same because their stories and histories were all cursed. Some tales couldn't be written down without bursting in to flames, others couldn't leave the North, and many changed every time they were shared, becoming less and less real with every retelling. It was said that every Northern tale had started as true history, but over time, the Northern story curse had twisted all the tales until only bits of truth remained.One of the stories Liana used to tell Evangeline was The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox, a romantic tale about a crafty peasant girl who could transform in to a fox and the young archer who loved her, but was cursed with the need to hunt her down and kill her.” ― Stephanie Garber, Once Upon a Broken Heart
“I’m still learning about the patriarchy, but my takeaway is, we’re dismantling it by not doing the dishes.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“I step onto the landing at the top of the steps, I lean my weight onto his arm. “Why’d you wear these ridiculous shoes?” I shrug. “Because they’re hot.” His gaze lingers on my legs. “Yeah” is all he says.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Bars are where people come to be depressed. No chanting.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“„Someone I want to wake up with every day. You are what my life was missing, and I didn’t even realize it until I found you, but I have no plans to let you go. I love you, Avery Adams. I love you, and I’m never letting you go. That’s the deal.” ― Stephanie Archer, That Kind of Guy
“The guy of my dreams was sweet, chivalrous, friendly, and above all, loved books.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“You’re beautiful,” he says quietly. I smile up at him. “You make me feel beautiful.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Being up here is where I’m meant to be.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“With the right person,” he says, holding my gaze, “you just know.” I could kiss him right here.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“I open the door, and he’s standing there with a barely perceptible smile, which means he’s just as excited as I am.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“she had more faith in me than I did. She chased after me. She was convinced I really loved her and that I could fight the curse. And I did. I never laid a hand on her. I overcame the Archer’s curse. But it didn’t matter, because as soon as I kissed her, she died.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“How can anyone ever say yes to you if you say no to yourself first?” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Are you saying that it hurts to look at me?' 'I'm saying you're the first sunlight I've glimpsed in a long time,' he said.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Vampire Games
“Um.” I blink stupidly in surprise, feeling shy. “Okay. What’s your favorite food?” His eyebrow goes up. “That’s your question?” “I had zero warning you were going to want to talk today, or I would have prepared a list of questions.” My smile turns teasing. The corner of his mouth twitches again, and his eyes almost look soft. I like this look on him.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“You want to know how the story really ends? You want to know the part of the tale that everyone forgets?'...'I told you that I killed her, but I didn't say how.' A dangerous intensity slipped in to Jacks' voice. 'I didn't tell you that I ran away, that I tried to leave her so I wouldn't hurt her. I didn't know if I really loved her, or if my feelings were all from the curse, because it wouldn't let me stop thinking about her. But she had more faith in me that I did. She chased after me. She was convinced I really loved her and that I could fight the curse. And I did. I never laid a hand on her. I overcame the Archer's curse. But it didn't matter, because as soon as I kissed her, she died.' Jack's mouth twisted bitterly. 'Since then, every girl I've kissed has died, except for one. And you are not that girl.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“The Archer had always been so sure of himself and what he could do. He'd never been given a task he could not complete. There was no beast he could not track, no target he could not hit. He could shoot an apple from the hand of a friend at a thousand paces away- while it was being tossed in the air. He was a legend, he was the Archer, and he would have sacrificed it all to save her.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“Archer held her tighter. He banded one arm firmly around her ribs, the other he circled just below her waist, almost on her hips, his fingers splayed in a way that felt less like he wanted to restrain her and more like he just wanted to touch her--to hold her on that bridge in the dark where it was only the two of them and the rain and the feel of too many heartbeats racing between them.” ― Stephanie Garber, A Curse for True Love
“Most of Jacks' books were crookedly stacked and next to volumes without any apparent reason, except for a small collection of the last book she'd have expected to find here: The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox.Something warmed inside of her at the sight of so many copies of her favourite storybook.Jacks owned seven volumes, ranging from old to very old. Positioned more precisely than anything else in his den, they sat side by set, on the tip-top of the shelf, the sort of place where a person stored books they didn't want anyone else touching.What was all this about?...Evangeline reached for the first volume- she knew she was being distracted. But all she wanted was to look at the last page and see what sort of ending the story had. She wanted to know if it had a happy ending- if the Archer kissed his Fox girl or if he killed her. And maybe seeing all these books felt like a sign. She was starting to think that sometimes she imagined things were signs when they weren't. But that didn't mean they were not actual signs.She opened the first book, but the pages in the back were all ripped out. And unfortunately, she did not have better luck with any of the other volumes. Every copy fought her. One book kept falling from her hands every time she tried to open it. Another book only had blank pages at the end.” ― Stephanie Garber, Once Upon a Broken Heart
“In the North, fairytales and history were treated as one and the same because their stories and histories were all cursed. Some tales couldn't be written down without bursting in to flames, others couldn't leave the North, and many changed every time they were shared, becoming less and less real with every retelling. It was said that every Northern tale had started as true history, but over time, the Northern story curse had twisted all the tales until only bits of truth remained.One of the stories Liana used to tell Evangeline was The Ballad of the Archer and the Fox, a romantic tale about a crafty peasant girl who could transform in to a fox and the young archer who loved her, but was cursed with the need to hunt her down and kill her.” ― Stephanie Garber, Once Upon a Broken Heart
“I’m still learning about the patriarchy, but my takeaway is, we’re dismantling it by not doing the dishes.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“I step onto the landing at the top of the steps, I lean my weight onto his arm. “Why’d you wear these ridiculous shoes?” I shrug. “Because they’re hot.” His gaze lingers on my legs. “Yeah” is all he says.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Bars are where people come to be depressed. No chanting.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“„Someone I want to wake up with every day. You are what my life was missing, and I didn’t even realize it until I found you, but I have no plans to let you go. I love you, Avery Adams. I love you, and I’m never letting you go. That’s the deal.” ― Stephanie Archer, That Kind of Guy
“The guy of my dreams was sweet, chivalrous, friendly, and above all, loved books.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Wrong Mr. Right
“You’re beautiful,” he says quietly. I smile up at him. “You make me feel beautiful.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Being up here is where I’m meant to be.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“With the right person,” he says, holding my gaze, “you just know.” I could kiss him right here.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“I open the door, and he’s standing there with a barely perceptible smile, which means he’s just as excited as I am.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“she had more faith in me than I did. She chased after me. She was convinced I really loved her and that I could fight the curse. And I did. I never laid a hand on her. I overcame the Archer’s curse. But it didn’t matter, because as soon as I kissed her, she died.” ― Stephanie Garber, The Ballad of Never After
“How can anyone ever say yes to you if you say no to yourself first?” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
“Are you saying that it hurts to look at me?' 'I'm saying you're the first sunlight I've glimpsed in a long time,' he said.” ― Stephanie Archer, The Vampire Games
“Um.” I blink stupidly in surprise, feeling shy. “Okay. What’s your favorite food?” His eyebrow goes up. “That’s your question?” “I had zero warning you were going to want to talk today, or I would have prepared a list of questions.” My smile turns teasing. The corner of his mouth twitches again, and his eyes almost look soft. I like this look on him.” ― Stephanie Archer, Behind the Net
