Finale (Caraval #3)(36)
“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.