Finale (Caraval, 3)

Tella knew she’d found the right place when she saw the door clapper shaped like a broken heart. It felt like a warning that nothing good could come from stepping inside.

Maybe she should have tried harder to get Legend to tell her his weakness before running off to Jacks so quickly. Jacks might not choose to help her again, and if he did tell her the Fallen Star’s weakness, it would definitely come at a cost. But what would the cost be if she walked away? Would the Fallen Star murder more people? Would he discover that Paloma had two daughters and come after Scarlett and Tella?

Tella knocked on the door and it immediately swung open, letting her inside Jacks’s gambling den.

Dice flew while young patrons clapped, all of them eager to lose fortunes that they hadn’t even earned and favors Jacks would no doubt collect from them later. Everyone looked fresher than they’d been last night. The ladies’ smiles weren’t smudged, the gentlemen’s cravats were sharp, and the drinks were unspilled. Tonight’s games had only just begun.

“Aren’t you a pretty thing?” A woman with red diamonds painted on her cheeks sauntered over to Tella. She was dressed to match the cards on the tables, in a knee-length skirt of black-and-white stripes, which flared over her full hips. Her fitted jacket hid shiny spade-shaped buttons, but her long sleeves were all wrong for the Hot Season, making Tella wonder if there were cards, or weapons, hidden inside them. If this woman worked for Jacks, it wouldn’t have been a surprise.

Though after a second look, Tella didn’t imagine this person worked for the Prince of Hearts, or that she was even a person. Copper curls that shined like coins framed a face with a light brown complexion covered in dark freckles and eyes like liquid diamonds—practically clear, and very inhuman. No, this was not a person at all. This woman was a Fate.

Tella stumbled backward, tripping on her ripped hem.

“That’s not the response I usually get.” The Fate’s smile stretched wide, making everyone within a ten-foot radius grin in unison. Then there was a thunderous round of applause, punctuated with several loud whoops and whistles, as if more than half the room had just had a tremendous streak of luck.

This woman was definitely a Fate. Mistress Luck, if Tella’s guess was right.

Her card usually represented good fortune, but Tella didn’t care. She continued backing toward the door as black-and-red confetti fell from the ceiling. “Stay away from me!”

Mistress Luck’s smile dimmed, and a series of gasps and disappointed groans filled the gambling den.

“You know how much most people would pay for my advice?” asked the Fate.

“That’s why I’d rather pass on it. I’m sure the price is entirely too high.”

The Fate shook her head and pursed her lips, but then her eerie eyes sparked with a flash of iridescent light. “Oh my, you’re her, aren’t you? You’re the one who made Jacks’s heart beat?” The Fate’s clear eyes went toward Tella’s chest as if there were a piece of eerie treasure hidden inside. “You’re his weakness.”

Tella froze at the word weakness.

Mistress Luck’s smile returned and the den filled with cheers once more. “Seems I have your attention now.”

Oh, she definitely had Tella’s attention. This was exactly what Tella wanted. If this woman could give it to her, then Tella wouldn’t even need to talk to Jacks. “What does it mean to be a Fate’s weakness?”

“It means you and Jacks are both in danger. Immortals and humans are not meant to be together.”

Tella choked on a laugh. “Jacks and I aren’t together. I hate Jacks.” But the words definitely didn’t taste as true as they should have.

Mistress Luck could clearly tell from her response. “Don’t humans usually avoid things they hate?”

“Sometimes Jacks is a necessary evil.”

“Then make him unnecessary.” Mistress Luck gripped Tella’s arm as her cheery voice turned into something harsh. “Your relationship with the Prince of Hearts will end in catastrophe.”

“I already told you, we don’t have a relationship.” Tella tried to pull free, but the Fate’s grip was inhumanly strong.

“You’re in denial. If you weren’t drawn to him, you wouldn’t be here.”

Tella tried to object, but the Fate just kept talking. “You’re the human girl who made Jacks’s heart beat again. There are whispers you’re his one true love. But that doesn’t mean what you think it does. Immortals cannot love. Love is not one of our emotions.”

“Then it shouldn’t matter if I’m Jacks’s true love,” Tella said.

“You didn’t let me finish.” Mistress Luck squeezed Tella’s arm a little harder. “When we’re attracted to humans, we only feel obsession, fixation, lust, possession. But on very rare occasions, we come across humans who tempt us to love. But it always ends badly. Love is poison to us. Love and immortality cannot coexist. If an immortal feels true love for even a minute, they become human for that minute. If the feeling lasts too long, their mortality becomes permanent. And most immortals would kill the object of their affection rather than become human. It’s not safe to tempt an immortal to love. And if Jacks doesn’t kill you because he’s tempted to love you, then I promise his obsession with you will destroy you.”

A hush fell over the den at her words, as if the entire room had just been dealt a bad hand.

“If you have any intelligence, you’ll turn and walk away now.” The Fate finally released Tella’s arm, and then she drifted back through the sea of gamblers, claps and cheers following her as she moved.

Tella tried to shake off the feel of her grip. But she couldn’t shake off her words.

Love and immortality cannot coexist.

We only feel obsession, fixation, lust, possession.

If an immortal feels love for even a minute, they become human for that minute. If the feeling lasts too long, their mortality becomes permanent. And most immortals would kill the object of their affection rather than become human.

Now Tella knew what an immortal’s one weakness was. Love. To kill the Fallen Star, they would need to make him fall in love. But he was definitely the sort who would murder a human before loving them.

A sharp ache panged beneath her breastbone, right around her heart. But the hurt went far deeper than that. This was not the weakness Tella would have imagined. But now she understood why Legend hadn’t wanted her to know about it: Legend didn’t love her, and he never would love her, not as long as he wanted to remain immortal.

“You look as if you’re in pain again,” Jacks drawled.

Tella spun around, her heart racing at the sound of his voice.

Tonight the Prince of Hearts was dressed like a debauched ringmaster, in a deep burgundy coat with a popped collar and ripped-off sleeves that revealed the black-and-white shirt beneath, which had been carelessly left unbuttoned. His white cravat hung untied around his neck, and his black pants were only half tucked into his scuffed boots.

He was the exact opposite of Legend. Legend always looked as if he could walk away from the apocalypse unscathed, while Jacks always seemed as if he’d just come from a fight—all wild, almost violently reckless in his appearance. And yet because he was a Fate, Jacks still managed to be almost painfully attractive.

“Here to see if I can make you feel better?” He sank his teeth into the corner of his mouth, drawing one sparkling bead of gold-red blood. “I’m happy to help you out again.”

Tella’s belly dipped and her cheeks flushed with heat. “That’s not what I want.”

“Are you sure about that? You definitely look as if you want something.” He laughed as he flicked out his tongue to catch the blood at the corner of his mouth. Still chuckling, he sauntered off toward a nearby roulette table.

“Wait.” Tella stormed after him. “I need to talk to you.”

“I’d rather gamble.” He grabbed the knob in the center of the already spinning black-and-red wheel and gave it another whirl, making it turn faster as the people at the table grumbled. “Place a bet and then we’ll talk.”

“Fine.” Tella pulled out a handful of coins.

“Not that sort of bet, my love.” His silver-blue eyes sparked, taunting and daring, along with something else she couldn’t place fast enough. “I think we can make this a little more interesting.”

“How?”

He tugged at his lower lip with two pale fingers. “If the ball lands on black, we’ll talk, like you want. I’ll answer the questions you came here with. But if it falls on red, you have to let me into your dreams.”

“Not a chance.”

“Then this conversation is over.” He turned.

“Wait—” Tella reached up and clamped a hand on his shoulder.

Jacks slowly spun around, smiling as if he’d already won more than just the right to slip inside of her dreams.

“I haven’t agreed yet,” Tella said, “and if I do say yes to this bet, you need to promise that you won’t keep anyone else out of my dreams.”

“Why?” He leaned in closer, surrounding her with the crisp scent of apples. “Did someone complain?”

“I’m complaining! They’re my dreams and you don’t have the right to keep anyone else from them.”

“I was doing it for you,” Jacks said sweetly. “Dreams might seem insignificant, but they give away more secrets than people realize.”

“Is that why you want inside of mine?”

His smile was all sharp edges. Suddenly all Tella could hear was the way Mistress Luck had said the word obsession. It didn’t matter why Jacks wanted into her dreams—the fact that he wanted in them and had kept Legend out should have scared her.

Jacks had seemed safe last night because Tella had been too numb to care about all the things he’d done, but he was still viperous.

“Better decide quickly,” he taunted. “The odds could be much worse and I could have asked for far more.”

Whir …

Whir …

Whir …

The wheel continued spinning but the little white ball was losing momentum. And Tella had no doubt that when it stopped, Jacks would walk away or offer her a bet with worse odds.

“Fine,” Tella said. “You have a deal.”

The ball immediately stopped and slid into black.

Tella couldn’t believe it. “I wo—”

The ball jumped and popped into the red slot beside it.

“No!” Tella stared at the ball, waiting for it to move again, but of course it didn’t. “You cheated.”

“Did you see me touch the ball?” Jacks fluttered his lashes innocently.

Tella fought the urge to smack him. “I know you made it move.”

“I’m flattered you think so highly of my abilities, but I’m not Legend. I don’t do magic tricks.”

No. He definitely wasn’t Legend. Legend was deceptive and he didn’t play fair, but he wasn’t a blatant cheat.

Jacks picked up Tella’s hand and gave it a quick cold kiss before dropping it and striding away from the table. “See you later tonight, my love.”

“We are not done here!” Tella marched after him, weaving through drunk gamblers until she caught him on the same stairs he’d carried her up last night. The carpet brought back flashes of how helpless she’d been. Her chest constricted and her feet faltered on the steps.

Jacks spun around abruptly. “Why are you so upset? What are you worried I’ll see in your dreams?”

“Get over yourself.” Tella took a ragged breath. “I’m here because I want to know how to kill the Fallen Star.”

“If you go near the Fallen Star, he’ll kill you quicker than he killed your mother.”

Tella flinched.

“Good,” Jacks said. “I’m glad you look scared.”

“That’s why I need to kill him.”

“You can’t,” Jacks said flatly.

“What about with love?”

Jacks’s eyes iced over with irritation and Tella swore the stairwell grew a little colder. “Who told you that?”

“So, it’s true?” Tella said. “Love can make an immortal human long enough to kill?”

“It’s true, but that’s not going to happen.” Jacks started up the stairs again.

“Then tell me another way,” Tella called as she followed. She might have said she wouldn’t leave until he answered her, but she had an inkling that wouldn’t be much of a threat. Following him was probably a terrible idea as well. Mistress Luck’s words came to mind once more as she trekked up the stairs:

If Jacks doesn’t kill you because he’s tempted to love you, then I promise his obsession with you will destroy you.

But Jacks had his back turned to her now. He didn’t seem obsessed with her at all. And he still felt like her best option for figuring out how to defeat the Fallen Star. She knew he wasn’t safe, but after she got what she wanted from him tonight, she wouldn’t let herself see him again.

His study smelled faintly of apples and blood when she followed him inside. Tella’s skin prickled once more with memories of their forbidden kiss as her eyes went to the scorched rug in front of the worn leather couch. She quickly looked away, focusing on Jacks’s desk instead; on top was a map of the city, held down in one corner by a mocking Deck of Destiny.

The deck was a little faded and worn around the corners. It was nothing like her mother’s magical deck, but it was another reminder of Paloma and how she’d sacrificed so much—including her life—to try to stop the Fates from reigning once again.

Jacks threw himself in the chair behind his desk, looking annoyed that she’d followed him inside.

“The Fallen Star killed my mother,” Tella said. “I watched as he murdered her. I don’t expect you to care about that, but I know you felt my pain last night. I saw you cry tears of blood.”

“Everyone who owns a Deck of Destiny has seen me cry tears of blood. Don’t turn this into a tragedy and think that means I care.”

Jacks picked up his Deck of Destiny and began to shuffle the cards with elegant fingers. “And don’t think that this means I’m on your side.” His voice was so acerbic she almost didn’t realize this was his way of saying he would help her.

“There’s a book in the Immortal Library, the Ruscica,” Jacks went on. “It can tell a person or a Fate’s entire history. If Gavriel has a fatal weakness that no one is aware of, this book might reveal it. But using the Ruscica is not a good idea. You’d need Gavriel’s blood to access his history, and retrieving that could get you killed. If you’re determined to go after him, you’ll have the best chance of finding what you need inside the Vanished Market.”

Jacks cut the cards and flipped one half of the deck over. On top lay the card for the Vanished Market, which depicted a rainbow of colorful tent stalls, all selling exotic animals, wares, and foods from times past.

We might not have what you want, but we have what you need.

The Vanished Market was one of the eight Fated places. In Decks of Destiny, the Vanished Market was an auspicious, albeit tricky, card. It promised a person that they would be given what they needed. But most people agreed that what a person needed and wanted were two different things. And Tella imagined that trading inside the market was a bit like making a deal with one of Legend’s performers during Caraval. She doubted she could purchase what she needed with coins.

“If there’s another way to kill him, you might find your answer inside of the market,” Jacks said. “There’s a stall there run by two sisters who buy and sell secrets. In exchange for your secrets, they will give you one of the Fallen Star’s secrets.”

Tella studied Jacks, dubious. “I’ve only seen the Fallen Star from afar, but he doesn’t strike me as the sort to sell his secrets.”

“He’s not, but if anyone has one of his secrets, it would be the sisters. The market exists outside of time. If you visit them, you’ll learn that they have unique methods of collecting information.”

“Where can I find the market?”

“Several of the ruins throughout the city were once Fated places, but to access their magic, they need to be summoned.” Jacks pointed to a set of ruins to the west of the Temple District. “Look for an hourglass etched into the stones and feed it one drop of blood to summon the market. But be careful, there is always a cost to enter a Fated place that has been called forth. The market exacts a time tithe from everyone who steps inside. For every hour you spend in the market, a day will pass in our world.”

“Thank you for the warning.” Tella hadn’t known that bit, and she was more than a little surprised Jacks had told her, since a Fate’s primary source of entertainment was toying with humans. In fact, she was surprised by everything he’d told her. She’d come here half wanting to rebel against Legend and half hoping for answers. She hadn’t actually expected to get any. But she had. She now knew Legend’s immortal weakness, and she also knew where to search for the Fallen Star’s weakness. “I imagine you want something in exchange now.”

Jacks’s eyes slowly lowered to her mouth.

A chill caressed her lips like a kiss. “I already told you that’s not why I’m here.”

“So then why haven’t you left?”

His laughter followed Tella as she walked out the door.