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—L
* * *
* * *
1st day of the Cold Season,
Year 56, Elantine Dynasty
Dear Master Legend,
Absolutely.
Donatella Dragna
* * *
There were no more letters after that. Scarlett reread them, and every time, her eyes burned with new tears. What had Tella been thinking?
“It seems she thought you could wish her back,” Caspar said.
Scarlett didn’t realize she’d asked the question aloud. And perhaps Caspar’s response should have made her feel better.
It didn’t.
Scarlett looked down at the letters once again. “How did my sister know all of this?”
“I can’t speak for her,” Caspar said. “But I can say Caraval is not the only place where people trade secrets for things. Your sister must have bargained away something valuable to learn so much.”
Scarlett’s hands trembled. All this time Tella had been working to save them both. And Scarlett had failed them. She’d tried to wish Tella back, but she must not have loved her enough.
On the other side of the oval window, the world had faded even more. Whatever magic held Caraval together was quickly turning to dust, taking all the buildings and the streets with it. Scarlett watched everything outside disappear as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Foolish Tella.”
“Personally, I think clever is a more appropriate word.”
Scarlett spun around.
A girl with a devil’s smile and a cherub’s curls.
“Tella? Is that really you?”
“Oh please, I’d think you could come up with something better than that.” Tella’s curls bounced as she glided farther into the room. “And please don’t cry.”
“But I saw you die,” Scarlett sputtered.
“I know, and trust me when I say, plummeting to the ground is not a good way to go.” Tella grinned again, but her death, no matter how short-lived or how fake, still felt too real—too soon—for her to joke about.
“How could you—put me through that?” Scarlett stammered. “How could you pretend to kill yourself while I watched?”
“I think I’ll leave you two alone.” Caspar edged toward the door with a parting look to Scarlett. “Hope there’s no hard feelings about everything. See you at the party?”
“Party?” Scarlett asked.
“Ignore him,” Tella said.
“Stop telling me what to do!” Scarlett lost control then, sobbing once more, the sort of hysterical tears that made her hiccup and sneeze.
“I’m so sorry, Scar.” Tella closed in and gathered Scarlett into a hug. “I didn’t want you to go through that.”
