Caraval (Caraval 1)
“Please,” Scarlett begged, “leave her alone. I’ll do whatever you say if you let her go. You want me to jump off the balcony, I will. Just don’t hurt her!”
In one sharp motion, Legend spun Scarlett around. Pale skin and harsh cheekbones, and eyes full of unveiled madness. “You would jump for her, to your death?” He released Scarlett with a shove. “Then do it. Now.”
“You want me to jump right now?”
“Not right now.” His lips twitched at the corners, the demented imitation of a smile. “I wouldn’t have invited you to her funeral if I planned on you dying tonight. Just walk to the edge of the balcony, as close as you can get without falling over.”
Scarlett couldn’t think clearly. She wondered if this was how Tella felt around Legend. Befuddled and bewildered. “If I do this, you promise you won’t hurt my sister?”
“You have my word.” Legend X-ed a pale finger over his heart. “If you walk to the rim of the balcony, I swear, on my amazing life, I will not touch your sister again.”
“And promise me you won’t let anyone else?”
Legend raked Scarlett over with his eyes, from the ripped sleeve of her dress to her naked feet. “You’re not really in a position to make deals.”
“Then why are you making a deal with me?”
“I want to see how far you’re willing to go.” His tone turned syrupy with curiosity, but the look he gave her was pure challenge. “If you’re not willing to do this, you’ll never be able to save her.”
To Scarlett it sounded as if he said, If you’re not able to do this, you don’t love her enough.
Purposefully, Scarlett started toward the edge of the balcony. Night air swept around her ankles as she drew closer, and even though Scarlett had never feared heights, she felt dizzy as she dared to look down at the specks of light and dots of people, and the solid ground that would show no mercy if she—
“Stop!” Legend yelled.
Scarlett froze, but Legen
d continued to shout, filling his voice with artificial terror, making it crack in all the right places. “Donatella, hurry, your sister is trying to jump.”
“No!” Scarlett hollered. “I’m not—”
A warning look from Legend cut her off. “Say another word, and you have no guarantees from me.”
But a promise from him meant nothing. She’d been a fool to believe anything he’d said. He’d driven her to the edge to push her further from Tella, who looked stricken when she reappeared with the rope.
“Scarlett, please, don’t jump!” Tella’s face was red and splotchy.
“I wasn’t going to jump,” Scarlett insisted.
“I’m so sorry—she convinced me to let her go,” Legend said. “Then she said if she jumped she’d wake up from the game.”
“Daniel, it’s not your fault,” Tella said. “Scar, please, step away from the ledge.”
“He’s lying!” Scarlett yelled. “He’s the one who made me go to the edge—he said if I did, he wouldn’t hurt you.” Scarlett realized too late this only made her sound more insane. “Tella, please, you know me; you know I wouldn’t do something like that.”
Tella sucked on her lower lip, looking torn once more, as if deep down Tella believed her sister wasn’t suicidal.
“I love you, Scar, but I know this game does strange things to people.” Tella handed her coil of rope to Legend. He lowered his head dramatically, as if this pained him, too.
“No!” Scarlett wanted to back away, but the edge of the balcony was behind her. The cruel night hungering to swallow her up if she fell.
She shot forward instead, trying to outrun Legend, but he moved like a viper. One hand wrapped around her wrists. He used the other to shove her into a chair.
“Let me go!” Scarlett tried to kick, but Tella was there as well, working to bind Scarlett’s flailing ankles, while Legend secured her arms and chest to the chair. Scarlett could feel Legend’s breath against her neck, hot as he whispered too low for Tella to hear, “Wait until you see what I do next.”
“I will kill you!” Scarlett screamed.
“Maybe we should get her a sedative?” asked Tella.