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“I’d prefer knowledge to happiness in this situation.”
“I’m going to drink his blood, straight from his veins. That is how power is given and stolen. It won’t work if it’s bottled. I could borrow some of his magic that way, but it would not be mine to keep.”
He could do it, too. Tella remembered how he’d stopped the hearts of everyone in the ballroom after their kiss. It had only lasted a minute, but that was all he’d need.
Without another word Jacks turned back toward the stage and smiled as if entertained by the show, but Tella imagined her discomfort was his true source of pleasure.
He enjoyed tormenting her, just like the Prince of Hearts in the play enjoyed toying with the children he’d placed in the cards.
Legend was not walking a fine line with this play, he was crossing it.
She might have been reading too much into it, but Tella imagined the play wasn’t truly for Elantine, but for Tella—to convince her just how wicked the Fates were so that she’d help Legend destroy them rather than aid Jacks in regaining his powers.
Another idea occurred to her then. Earlier that day Jacks had told her there were only two ways to free someone from a card. A human must willingly take their place inside the card, or an immortal with great power must break the curse and free all of those imprisoned in cards.
Jacks said he’d free her mother, but Tella knew he would never take Paloma’s place. What if Jacks didn’t just want Legend in order to restore his own power? What if Jacks wanted Legend’s power so that he could break the curse on the cards and free all of the Fates? Maybe the real reason he wanted the throne was so the Fates could reign once again exactly as they had before.
On the stage the play continued.
A pop told Tella more smoke had exploded. When she looked back at the stage all the nobles who’d been part of the court were gone, and in their place were more cards.
Tella watched in horror as Caspar picked them up and began to shuffle them for Armando the Murdered King and Jovan the Undead Queen.
“If you grow tired of these I can always make more,” said Caspar, “or we can easily switch one out by writing the name of another person on the card.”
“Could you imagine if we ruled like that?” Elantine began to laugh, a free unbridled sound that quickly turned into a throaty cough as the green curtain swung closed for intermission.
The empress reached for her water goblet, but knocked both her and Jacks’s glasses over, along with what remained of their wine.
Tella tried to pass Elantine her goblet, but the empress shook her head as if she didn’t trust Tella. “Jacks,” she croaked.
Jacks shot out of his chair and left the room to fetch more water.
Elantine coughed, a final crackling sound. Then her expression focused. She looked at Tella with clear, cunning eyes. When she spoke her voice was different as well; she was no longer the cooing empress who doted over Jacks. Her tone was sharp as a lion’s tooth.
“Lie to me,” Elantine said, “and I’ll have you tossed from this room before Jacks returns. Or tell me the truth and find yourself with a powerful ally. Now, answer quickly: What are you doing with that vicious young man who wants my throne?”
Tella’s throat went suddenly dry. Her first instinct was to believe this was a test from Jacks, but then her thoughts flashed back to when Elantine had asked how Jacks planned to kill her. She’d claimed to only be joking, but the question had not sounded as if it was merely meant for fun.
“You’re running out of time,” Elantine snapped.
“He’s holding my mother prisoner,” Tella confessed. It wasn’t that she trusted Elantine, but any woman who could rule an Empire by herself for fifty years had to be shrewder than a fox, which hopefully meant she genuinely saw through Jacks. “Until my mother is free I won’t be free of Jacks either.”
Elantine flattened her mouth into a sharp line.
Tella’s pulse ratcheted up.
But before the empress could respond, Jacks reentered the room and handed her a goblet of water.
“Thank you, my dear boy.” Elantine brought the water to her lips, but Tella would have sworn Elantine didn’t sip from it. She distracted Jacks by saying, “I was just telling your lovely bride to be that I want her to join us on Elantine’s Eve to watch the fireworks from the top of this tower.”
Tella didn’t remember much of what happened after that. Jacks and Elantine continued conversing, but Tella barely heard a word they said. She couldn’t stop thinking about the play, about the Fates she’d met outside Idyllwild Castle, and what she’d be dooming both Legend and the Empire to if she won the game and gave Legend over to Jacks.
* * *
Upon returning to her suite, Tella pulled out the Aracle.
The image was unclear until she imagined winning the game and handing over Legend to Jacks as she’d promised. Instantly the image sharpened to a scene with Tella and her sister and their mother, all happy and hugging. A picture too good to be true. Perhaps it was.
