Finale (Caraval, 3)

The Narrow House was another one of Legend’s deceptions.

Tella had seen through the glamour outside and thought it had looked charming. But inside, it reminded Tella of the illusion Legend had created in the dungeon, when he’d turned her cell into a four-story study. The ceilings of the Narrow House stretched even higher, and the books on the surrounding shelves didn’t look as flawless as they had in his illusion. Some of the volumes were aged and cracked and fragile, as if they’d experienced several previous lives before finding homes on these shelves.

Legend had one arm protectively around Tella’s shoulders as they entered the vaulted room. He hadn’t even wanted Tella to enter the house, but the Assassin had been insistent and so had Tella—this was her fight as well as Legend’s.

The scene they’d stepped into could have been a painting called Hostages at a Tea Party. Legend’s most trusted performers were sitting stiffly in tufted red chairs that encircled a shiny ebony table, set with a pewter tea service that no one touched, except Nigel, Legend’s tattoo-covered fortune-teller. Julian and Jovan were there, as well as Aiko—Legend’s historiographer who captured the history of Caraval through pictures—and Caspar, who’d once pretended to be Tella’s fiancé.

Behind them, the Assassin and the Maiden Death hovered like grim hosts. A few of the other Fates Tella had seen sometimes glowed, but the Assassin, who kept his face concealed by his heavy hood, appeared to collect shadows.

The Maiden Death looked exactly like her card from Decks of Destiny. Her head was covered in curving bars of pearls that wrapped around like a cage, and her dress looked more like long tatters of gossamer fabric that had been tied together. She didn’t glow, either, but her frayed garment billowed around her, as if she kept a private wind on a leash.

“Do not be afraid of us,” said the Maiden Death. “We are here to help defeat the Fallen Star.”

“And if we wanted to hurt you, I’d have shoved daggers through each of your hearts the moment I saw you outside.” The Assassin’s voice was like nails pounding through glass, harsh and discordant.

“Is that really how you win people over?” muttered Julian.

“Daeshim,” the Maiden Death chided in a voice far softer than her cloaked companion’s, “remember what we talked about?”

“You said to be friendly. That was a joke.”

No one laughed except for Jovan. “I think you need some work on your humor, mate.”

“If you don’t kill us all, I’ll help you out,” added Caspar.

“Thank you,” the Assassin answered. Not that his politeness appeared to relax anyone. If anything, more tension filled the room. Watching Caspar and Jovan smile at the hooded Assassin felt like observing kittens hop toward a crocodile.

“I know you have little reason to trust us, but I come to warn of harm, not bring it.” The Maiden Death’s mournful eyes met Legend’s and the wind that made her shredded dress billow grew stronger. “I sense your entire world is in danger if you refuse to accept our help.”

“Any danger to our world is because of your kind,” Legend said.

“You’re not that different from us,” replied the Maiden Death. “You’re immortal and you have abilities like ours. But you do not know what it is like to be connected to the Fallen Star. We are his immortal abominations, and when we act out, he punishes us eternally. Your myths claim that Death imprisoned my head in pearls, but it was really Gavriel. Once upon a time, he wanted me. I refused him. So, he had my head caged in this cursed globe, to keep anyone else from touching me. I have tried to remove it; I’ve even died and come back to life, but the cage will remain until Gavriel dies.”

“And what’s your tale of woe?” Tella asked the Assassin.

“It’s none of your business. You should trust me because I’m not killing any of you right now.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Caspar said with a laugh. It seemed he thought the Assassin was telling another joke. Tella wasn’t so sure.

Julian appeared leery as well. He sat opposite where the Fates stood, elbows on the table as he leaned forward with a stare that was on the verge of asking for a fight. “We all agree, everyone hates the Fallen Star. But I still find it hard to believe you’d want him dead, since killing him makes you two more vulnerable.”

“Being vulnerable is not as bad as some believe,” said the Maiden Death. “The Fallen Star’s death would make us ageless. If we died, we wouldn’t come back to life, it’s true. But if we are ageless, we could still live almost as long as an immortal if we’re careful. Although, not all of us want to even live that long. Some among our kind would like to have the option of finally dying. But they are not willing to openly oppose him. No one wants to spend an eternity in a cage.”

“That I believe.” Legend’s tone was more diplomatic than his brother’s, but it was clear from the heavy weight he put behind it that one wrong move from the Fates would change his approach. “Can we all have a minute alone? If you’re really here to help us, I don’t imagine that will be a problem.”

The Maiden Death silently glided toward where Legend and Tella stood near the door. Once she left, the Assassin simply—and unnervingly—disappeared in a way that reminded everyone he could reappear, with the knives he spoke about earlier.

Tella swore the walls shuddered, as if the study had finally stopped holding its breath.

Legend loosened his grip on Tella but didn’t let her go as he moved closer to the table. This was the first time she’d ever seen him interact with his performers like this. Some of his performers didn’t even know who he truly was, but these were the ones he was closest to.

There was a respectful silence as Legend and Tella reached the table together. Everyone looked anxious to give their opinion. But no one said a word until Legend turned to Nigel.

The tattooed fortune-teller picked up a cup of tea and took a sip before speaking, his lips surrounded by inked barbed wire. “I couldn’t get a read on either Fate. The Assassin’s eyes were concealed by his hood and when the Maiden Death looked my way, she only met my eyes. Her gaze never ventured to any of my tattoos.”

“What’s your personal impression?” Legend asked.

“Never trust a Fate,” Nigel said.

“If the Assassin had wanted to hurt us, he would have,” Caspar interrupted.

“Maybe their plans involve more than murdering us in a parlor,” said Jovan.

“Not all Fates are murderers,” Aiko said.

“So you think we should trust them?” asked Legend.

“Yes,” Caspar and Aiko answered at the same time Jovan firmly said, “No. Anyone who uses a ‘the’ in front of their name is never trustworthy. But since your orders were for the rest of our troupe to head back to your island for safety, it might not be a bad idea to consider new allies.”

Legend turned to Julian.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but—” Julian rubbed his hand up and down along the scar marking his face. “I like the Assassin’s powers. He could go to Crimson if we ever needed him to.”

“I don’t know about that,” Tella cut in. “I heard the Assassin wasn’t in his right mind because he’s traveled through time too much. But we may not need him, or the Maiden Death. We might already have the answer to defeating the Fallen Star.”

She eased herself from under Legend’s arm and held out her red jasper box as she quickly explained why it might be the answer to all of their problems.

But almost as soon as Tella undid the latch, she realized it would not be an answer to any problems. The note inside was so thin, it looked as if it might fall apart with a touch.

Gavriel, the Fallen Star, was human once.

This happened only briefly, right before he was betrayed by the only human he ever loved, Paradise the Lost.

Tella ignored the pang she felt at the sight of her mother’s name and reread the note, hoping more words would show up on the page. But they didn’t.

This was not what she had wanted.

Tella wanted a list of weaknesses, a fatal flaw, or a simple plan that outlined exactly how to murder a Fate or a Fallen Star. But this secret only told her that the one person who could kill the Fallen Star was already dead.

“Never mind that idea.” Tella dropped the box on the table. She would have crumpled up the useless words inside it as well, but the note had disappeared as soon as she finished rereading it. Poof. Gone.

She could feel her hope dwindling, but Tella refused to give up on finding the Fallen Star’s weakness. And the note did reveal one thing. On the night her mother had died, Tella hadn’t understood why her mother had stabbed him. But now she did. Paloma must have thought that Gavriel still loved her and that their reunion would turn him mortal so that she could kill him. Only, he’d killed her instead.

“Have you come to a decision?” The Maiden Death spoke softly from the doorway, but Tella could feel power pulsing around her as her ghostly gown fluttered, while the Assassin stood at her side collecting shadows.

Legend’s handsome face appeared impassive, but Tella swore the arched doorway in which the Fates stood grew taller, making both of them look smaller. “Thank you for the offer,” he said, “but we’d rather fight this battle alone.”

“I don’t believe you can win without us,” sighed the Maiden Death. “At least take these.”

There was a hiss and a pop, like a strike of the match, and then the Assassin was standing next to Tella, placing two thick discs in her palm. Luckless coins.

Tella flashed back to when Jacks had given her one of these. She remembered thinking the magical coin was such a special gift. But there was a reason the objects were called luckless. They could be used not just to summon Fates, but to track humans.

“In case you change your mind,” rasped the Assassin.

“Hold them tight, say our names, and we will come to your aid,” the Maiden Death promised.

Tella had to admit, they were kinder than any of the other Fates she’d met, and yet she still tossed their coins into a rubbish bin as soon as they disappeared.

“So what do we do now?” asked Jovan.

“I have a new idea,” Tella offered.

Another girl might have remained quiet after her last scheme had failed so spectacularly. But it was for that reason that Tella felt the need to find a plan that worked. The idea was something Jacks had suggested, but she hadn’t seriously considered it before. It would be riskier to her sister, because it would mean she’d need to get the Fallen Star’s blood, but if it worked, it would end up saving Scarlett—and the entire empire.

“There’s a book in the Immortal Library that will reveal a person’s or a Fate’s entire history. If we find this book and read the Fallen Star’s history, it should tell us any weakness that he has.”

Aiko looked up from her notebook, where she’d already begun sketching their encounter with the Assassin and the Maiden Death. “You’re talking about the Ruscica. That book could be very useful, but to access the Fallen Star’s history, we would need a vial of his blood.”

“I know.” Tella took a deep breath, hoping this gamble would pay off. “My sister is with the Fallen Star, and once we have the book, we can send a message asking her to get the blood.”

“No,” Julian objected. “That would put her in too much danger.”

“All of us are in danger,” Aiko said.

“And Scarlett won’t be alone.” Legend divided looks between Nigel, Aiko, Caspar, and Jovan. “While Tella and I search for the Ruscica, Nigel, get back into the palace and find out what the Fates have planned next. Aiko, figure out which Fates are in Valenda—I don’t want to be surprised by any more visits. Caspar, find a way into the palace as well and try to learn how loyal people are to the Fates in charge. Jovan, I want you on Scarlett. Sneak into the Menagerie ruins, make sure she stays safe, and when you can, slip her a note letting her know we need the Fallen Star’s blood.”

Tella wanted to protest—getting the Fallen Star’s blood was going to be risky for Scarlett. She didn’t want her sister attempting it until they had the book. But the longer they waited to ask Scarlett to get the blood, the longer she would be in the Menagerie with him.

“I still don’t like this plan,” said Julian. “If anyone’s going to watch over Crimson, I should.”

“Not a chance,” Legend replied. “You’ll get caught, and if something happens to you now, I can’t bring you back.”

Julian glared up at his brother. “You won’t have to bring me back. I won’t get caught.”

“I’m not going to argue about this.” Legend shook his head, his tone dismissive.

Julian shot up from his chair, and suddenly everyone at the table had somewhere else to look, but Tella couldn’t tear her eyes away. Legend was taller and broader, but Julian’s face was full of the kind of raw emotion Legend never showed. “You don’t want to argue because you know I’m right.”

“You’re not right,” Legend said. “You’re in love and it makes you sloppy.”

Julian flinched. So did Tella.

Not that Legend even appeared to notice her reaction.

“You’re right, Legend,” Tella said, drawing his attention back to her.

Legend smiled, pleased she agreed with him, until Tella went on. “Love is messy. It’s not easily controlled. But that’s what makes it so powerful. It’s unbridled passion. It’s caring about someone else’s life more than you care about your own. I agree that Julian is probably in more danger of being caught, or worse, if he goes to the Menagerie ruins to watch over Scarlett, but I think it’s admirable that he’s willing to take that risk.”

Julian stood a little taller. “Thank you, Donatella.”

“But I still agree with Legend. If you’re at risk, Julian, it puts my sister in more danger—if she were to find out you were there and in trouble, she’d do anything to save you. I think the best thing for her would be if you stayed away.”

Julian shook his head with a scowl.

But there were no more arguments after that. It was almost eerie how no one else debated their assignments. In the end, everyone agreed to follow Legend’s orders. Even Julian, who received an assignment which did not involve infiltrating the Menagerie ruins where Scarlett was being kept.

As Tella watched everyone quietly leave, she wondered if maybe Legend had manipulated them all. Did he possess another type of magic that she didn’t know about? Or maybe it had something to do with how they were all bonded to him.…

“I know what you’re thinking,” Julian said. Everyone else had gone, and he was almost at the door, but he turned back and looked upon Tella. “You’re wondering if we all only agreed because we’re tied to Legend by magic. You’re wondering if the same thing will happen to you if you accept the offer my brother made you, and become an immortal—”

“Julian,” Legend warned.

“Relax, brother.” A wolfish smile replaced Julian’s scowl. “I was just going to tell her the truth. We all have free will, Tella. If you become immortal, you won’t lose your free will. You won’t feel my brother controlling you. But you’ll never feel him loving you like the way I love Crimson.” With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Tella and Legend alone.

The warm lights of the study dimmed as Tella heard Legend move closer. The air grew warmer and her heart beat faster, but she didn’t dare look up at him. It was too easy to be hypnotized by everything about him.

Earlier, when he’d kissed her in the market, she’d felt how much he’d wanted her, she’d thought maybe it could be enough; being wanted by Legend was heady and powerful. Then she’d watched Julian. Tella had never been attracted to Julian, but for a moment she’d hated how jealous she’d been of what her sister had with him. Enough would never be enough for Tella. She wanted a love worth fighting for, but immortals couldn’t love.

“My brother only said that because he’s upset.” Legend’s low voice was right beside Tella and as he spoke, the world transformed. The walls turned to smoke, the abandoned table vanished, and the doorway disappeared, until it was just the two of them, standing under a velvet sky full of surreal white stars. Flickering. Glimmering. Shimmering lights. But none of them shined like Legend’s coal-dark eyes when she finally looked up at him.

“There are other advantages to being immortal.” His warm hand slipped around her neck before his fingers slid into her hair. “Give me a chance. Please.”

Tella tilted her head back, leaning into his palm at the word please. The way he said it made her feel so wanted and important, once again.

His mouth twitched into half a smile, and the world went a little brighter as several stars fell from the sky, tumbling toward the earth in dazzling arcs of fire.

Tella loved it when he showed off. She loved that he was magical. She loved so many things about him. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone—she didn’t want him to let her go or to leave her alone, not even for a moment. She wanted him to chase her to the ends of the earth, to show up in her dreams every night, and to be there when she woke as well. She wanted him to love her.

But knowing what love would cost Legend, she could never ask again. Tella needed to end this, for both of them.

She knew Legend didn’t love her; he had said he never would. But, just in case that ever changed, the last thing she wanted was to be the reason that he didn’t come back to life when he died.

Tella gave him the sort of smile she usually paired with half-hearted apologies. “I can’t do this.”

Several stars disappeared from the sky.

Tella faltered, but she didn’t stop. “I thought I could consider it. But I actually think I fell more in love with the idea of you than the real you.”

Legend clenched his jaw. “You don’t mean that, Tella.”

“Yes, I do.” She forced the words out, each one tasting worse than the last. But she knew that if she didn’t go through with this now, she wouldn’t be able to do it again.

Legend might not have been able to feel love, but from the way he kept looking at her—from the way his mouth slammed into a taut line and his eyes turned distant and guarded—it was clear he knew how to feel hurt.

Tella made herself continue, her forced smile fading. “It’s sort of like how you wanted to see if you could convince the world you were Elantine’s heir. Only I…” She took a deep breath. “I wanted to see if I could make the Great Master Legend fall in love with me.”

Legend’s face became a mask of perfect calm, but what remained of the stars in their sky went out all at once, cloaking them both in sudden darkness. “If that’s true, Donatella, then we both failed at getting what we wanted.”

Before she could reply, he was gone.