Legendary (Caraval #2)(54)
Tella sat down on the bed beside her sister. “Do you really believe Julian could be Legend?”
“I don’t know,” Scarlett mumbled. “I think Legend has power over his performers; I don’t believe he controls their every action, but I get the impression he can prevent them from revealing certain secrets. So if Julian really were Legend, I doubt he’d have allowed Armando to tell me the truth about the role he’d played in the last Caraval.”
“I hate Armando,” Tella said.
“He was only doing his job. But I can’t say I like him very much either.” Scarlett punched the pillow she’d been sniffling in, a bit of her fight returning.
“Do you think he could be Legend?” Tella asked.
“I think anyone could be Legend.” Scarlett sucked back the last of her tears. When she looked at Tella, her face was determined. “I think the only way to find out for certain who Legend is, is if we keep using Julian to win the game.”
“You want to use him?” Tella nearly toppled off the bed. This was not like her sister at all. “Where did this come from? I thought you didn’t even want me to play.”
“I don’t. But if you win and meet Legend, then we can find out the truth about Julian.” Scarlett pulled out a slip of paper as if it were a dagger she’d hidden up her sleeve.
This was definitely a new side of Scarlett.
Tella liked it.
“Julian gave me this,” Scarlett said. “It’s the next clue. He said he wanted to help you, but I think he was trying to bribe me with it.”
Tella took the page, recognizing the script from the first clue card she’d received at the party.
* * *
THE GOAL OF THIS GAME IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK,
TO FIND THE TRUTH SEEK THE WOMAN
OF PARCHMENT AND INK.
SHE ALONE HOLDS THE NEXT CLUE,
WHICH WAS LEFT ONLY FOR YOU.
* * *
“This sounds like a woman I met at a Wanted shop the other day in the Spice Quarter.”
It also sounded as if it truly were meant for Tella alone. She doubted everyone playing the game had paused at the same shop. Elantine’s Most Wanted. Tella had hoped to return there, but it seemed like a rather great coincidence that Legend was leading her back to the very place that had first put her in touch with Jacks.
The game was starting to seem too real again.
Tella reminded herself of all the trickery she’d just witnessed from Legend’s performers in the Temple District. She would have been intentionally naive to believe that Caraval was more than just a game. Caraval was just one giant deception, but Tella could feel it trying to pull her in.
She held out the clue card Scarlett had just given her. “Come with me tomorrow night to look into this.”
Scarlett bit down on her lip.
“What, do you have other plans?”
“Who would I have plans with?” Scarlett asked. But the question came out oddly shrill, and Tella swore her nightgown flinched, quickly flickering from pink to black.
Tella didn’t know what her sister was hiding, but again she had the feeling that Scarlett was concealing something.
“I’d just prefer not to go out at night,” Scarlett added. “I can’t risk getting caught up in the game again.”
“I understand,” Tella said. She just wasn’t certain if she believed her.
NIGHT THREE
OF CARAVAL
22
Tella would have traded a year of her life for another hour of sleep. She didn’t even care that she possibly had less than one year to live. She never wanted to leave the blissful blue comfort of her bed with all its soft blankets and downy pillows. Yesterday had been brutally long. But she’d already slept much more than she should have—and if she never got up she would definitely have less than one year to live.
Beat … beat.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Beat … beat.
Nothing.
Beat … beat …
Nothing.
Nothing.
Her heart was even slower than it had been the night before. But it was still beating. And Tella would make sure it didn’t stop. It did slow her down a bit, but after drinking a pot of strong tea and eating several toffee tarts and berry puffs, she felt a little more like herself.
She managed to finish dressing just before twilight. For that evening she’d chosen to wear a slender-skirted, corset-less dress the dark blue color of tears cried from storm clouds. It was perhaps too thin of a gown to wear at night, but it was easy to move about in. Although Tella was still a little breathless by the time she reached the sapphire wing, where Scarlett was staying.
Only Scarlett wasn’t in her room.
Tella knocked for a full minute, nearly bruising her knuckles on the heavy wood door.
Given how adamant Scarlett had been about not leaving the palace at night and becoming accidentally caught up in the game, Tella expected her sister to be safely in her suite. But either Scarlett had lost track of time—which was doubtful—or she really was hiding something from Tella.
Tella hated doubting her sister again, but as wary as Scarlett was, it made no sense for her to be out. Especially on an evening like this, when it seemed all of Valenda was Legend’s game board.