Finale (Caraval, 3)

Scarlett pretended not to be terrified. She pretended she wasn’t trapped inside the Fated Menagerie. She pretended that instead of petrified shades of plum, her feelings were peaceful hues of pink that matched the gauzy crescent bed she forced herself to lie on.

She’d wanted to use the Reverie Key the moment the Fallen Star left. But the Lady Prisoner hadn’t taken her lavender eyes off of Scarlett. Because of her cage, the Fate couldn’t physically stop Scarlett from leaving, but Scarlett didn’t want the Lady Prisoner yelling to alert a guard before she could escape. It would be safer to sneak out after the Fate fell asleep.

“Whatever you’re planning, you can trust me with it.” The Lady Prisoner delicately hopped off her perch and walked to the edge of her cage, watching Scarlett between golden bars. Her smile was far more convincing than the Fallen Star’s, but she was a Fate, and although she was imprisoned, she’d seemed pretty loyal to the Fallen Star before he’d left.

Scarlett’s other father, Marcello, had guards like this, younger guards who he’d told to be friendly to his daughters for the purpose of keeping an extra close eye on them.

“I’m not planning anything,” Scarlett said.

“Of course you are,” said the Fate.

“Are you telling me this because of your power?” Scarlett still didn’t trust the imprisoned Fate, but she was curious about her. She could remember what her card represented, but she still couldn’t recall her ability. “When your eyes went white earlier, were you seeing the future?”

“I used to see the future, lovely. Before I was in this cage, I was beloved for my gifts. People feared the other Fates, but they adored me, and they knew they could trust me because I cannot lie. This cage has dimmed my gifts. I now only see small glimpses of things that will come to pass. Occasionally I receive inklings of which choices are best pursued, or left unmade. But the only unfettered gift I still have is my inability to lie.”

Scarlett watched the Fate skeptically as she began to strum the bars of her cage. The bit about being unable to lie did sound familiar, but it didn’t make Scarlett trust her.

“You’re still looking at me as if I’m your enemy, but I’m far more trapped than you. Do you know how horrible it is to be kept like a pet?”

No. But Scarlett had a feeling that if she didn’t leave soon she’d find out. “Why did he put you in the cage?”

“It wasn’t only him; it was another Fate, the Apothic—he can move metals and stones with his mind. The Apothic formed the cage and Gavriel sealed it with his fire to make it impenetrable to anyone except for him. He did the same thing to the Maiden Death, when he had the Apothic place a cage of pearls around her head. Like her, I won’t be free until he’s truly dead.”

Her violet eyes filled with sorrow, but Scarlett could see strands of violent purple swirling around her. She wasn’t loyal to the Fallen Star, but that didn’t mean she would be loyal to Scarlett. All that mattered to the Lady Prisoner was getting out of her cage.

“Gavriel takes pleasure in passing out punishments. If you’re smart, you’ll listen to me. Once he takes the Meridian Empire’s crown, it will be a dynasty of terror. The only reason he’s not sitting on the throne right now is because he loves toying with humans and he wants his subjects to adore him before they come to hate him.”

“He won’t get away with it,” Scarlett said. Legend was not her favorite, but he’d do everything in his power to keep his throne.

“Oh, sweetheart,” sighed the Fate. “He’s already started to get away with it. While you were sleeping like a distressed damsel, Gavriel sent a few of his loyal Fates to slay the next emperor.”

“What?” Scarlett felt all the blood drain from her face. Legend couldn’t be dead. Legend was immortal. Immortals weren’t supposed to die. But Scarlett knew better than most that Legend could be killed—she’d seen his dead body during the first Caraval. He would come back to life, eventually. But if he was really dead now, then what had happened to Julian and Tella?

When Scarlett had left to find Nicolas, both Tella and Julian had been in the palace. Tella knew when to run. But Julian liked to fight—he was Legend’s brother; he was a part of his games and now his court. And unlike Legend, Julian was mortal. If he died outside of Caraval, he wouldn’t come back to life.

Scarlett’s mouth went suddenly dry. She really had to get out of there and find Julian and her sister.

“I’m glad to see you’re finally believing something I said. The Murdered King and the Undead Queen are currently in charge. Your history books say they were our rulers, but they answer to Gavriel. He’s given them orders to make everyone as miserable as possible until the entire city is terrified. That’s when Gavriel will come in like a savior and make his claim for the throne. By then people will be eager to believe whatever lies he tells. Unless you decide to stop him.”

The Lady Prisoner gripped the bars of her cage as she peered across the room at Scarlett.

“You must become what he wants most. Only you have the power to defeat him.” The Fate’s eyes flickered from lavender to milky white. Then her shoulders slumped. She released the bars, returned to her perch, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep, as if she’d not just told Scarlett the world was ending and it was her job to save it.

But the only people Scarlett could think about saving just then were Tella and Julian. She needed to escape and make sure they were safe.

She sat on the low bed, legs bouncing up and down, no longer able to pretend she wasn’t terrified. Anissa appeared to be asleep, but Scarlett waited until her breathing sounded more like a series of gentle snores.

Scarlett cautiously rose and took a step.

The Fate continued with her snores.

Scarlett took another step.

And another.

And another. And then, without meaning to, she was running toward the main doors and shoving the Reverie Key inside the lock.

Julian. Julian. Julian.

Thinking Julian’s name as she turned the key was the fastest decision she’d ever made. If he was alive she needed—

Her thought was cut short as she stepped through the door and found herself standing beneath a rickety wooden loft, staring at a sea of straw and hay, with one tired and beautiful boy in the center of it all.

His jacket was gone, his shirtsleeves were rolled up, his pants were ripped, and her heart leaped into her throat the instant she saw him.

Julian’s amber eyes flared at the sight of her, and probably at the sight of her dress, which had transformed into a glittering ball gown, with a full skirt covered in rubies. It was difficult to run in, but it didn’t stop Scarlett from flinging forward and throwing her arms around him.

He smelled like dirt and tears and perfection. And she decided then that she was never, ever letting go of him. She wished there was a way to tether her heart to his, so that even when they were apart they would still be attached. There were things in this world to be truly afraid of, but loving Julian was not one of them. “I’m so glad you’re alive! When I heard what happened to Legend, I was terrified that you’d been hurt as well.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Julian held her tighter, as if he never wanted to let go either. “I’ve just been worried about you. How did you get here?”

“I used the key.” Scarlett pulled away, just enough to see his eyes. “I had to find you.”

Before Julian could respond, she leaned back in and kissed him with everything she had.

As soon as Scarlett’s lips found his, his fingers knotted in her hair, and his tongue swept into her mouth, taking over every inch of it.

He was usually sweet when he kissed, all worshipping lips and gently exploring hands. But there was nothing sweet about this kiss. It was desperate and devouring. A kiss with teeth and claws, as if they needed to hold on to each other with more than just their hands. The back of her dress vanished, and then Julian’s hands were there, branding her bare skin.

She knew there were other important things that probably needed to be discussed, but nothing felt more critical than this. If the last few days had proved anything, it was how painfully quick the world could tilt and shift. People died. People were taken. People turned out to be far different from how Scarlett imagined they’d be.

But Scarlett knew who Julian was. He was flawed and imperfect, rash and impulsive. But he was also passionate and loyal and loving—and he was who she wanted. His hand was the hand that she wanted to hold. His voice was the sound she wanted to hear, and his smile wasn’t just something she wanted to see; she wanted to be the reason for it.

He’d never be perfect; he’d told her that. But she didn’t want perfect—she only wanted him. Her hands went to the buttons of his shirt.

“Hold on, Crimson—” Julian gently grabbed at her wrists. “As much as I’m enjoying this, we need to pause.”

He carefully removed her hands from his shirt. There was a flash of red on his arm as he moved, where his bandage had been. It was gone now, and in its place, on the underside of his arm, was a tattooed star filled in with a strong shade of red ink.

Tears instantly pricked at the corners of her eyes. “It’s scarlet,” she gasped.

Julian gave her a timid smile. “It’s actually crimson.”

“But—but—” She stammered over what to say. He’d done this when they hadn’t even been speaking and he had no assurance they’d be together.

“I didn’t want to wait,” he said, easily reading her thoughts on her face. “I knew that if I came back and things didn’t work out, I’d regret losing you, but I’d never regret having a reminder of you.”

“I love you, Julian.”

His smile could have saved the world. “Thank the dead saints—I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.” His mouth crashed against hers, consuming her once again.

“I should have told you sooner,” she said, speaking the words in between kisses, unable to hold the rest back. “I should have told you the minute we left Nicolas’s estate and I realized the game I’d made up was a mistake. I choose you, Julian, and I promise I will always choose you, and I will always love you. I will love you with every bone in my body, so that even after my heart stops beating, a part of me will remain to forever love you.”

Julian kissed her again, sweeter this time, lips attentive and soft as he whispered words against her lips. “I’ve loved you since that night you showed up on the beach back on Trisda, thinking you could bribe me to run away without you. I could see how terrified you were when I showed up but you didn’t back down.”

“And then you kidnapped me.”

His grin turned wolfish. “That was your sister. But I have been trying to steal you ever since.” His hands kneaded her lower back as he pulled her close for another kiss.

But Scarlett startled at a noise from above.

Abruptly she looked up to see Tella staring down from the hayloft. She looked as if she’d just woken up from a very unsatisfying sleep. Her hair was full of hay, her eyes were red, and her lips were turned down.