Finale (Caraval 3)

“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,” J

acks 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.