Legendary

  Tella sat there, speechless, because she didn’t think shouting was a good idea.

  Scarlett’s entire face was pink. “I can explain.”

  “I thought you were giving Julian another chance.”

  “I am. But I’m giving Nicolas a chance as well.”

  “Nicolas? You’re now on a first-name basis with your former fiancé?” Tella desperately hoped her sister was joking, paying Tella back for all the secrets that she’d kept. Though if this was all true, the strained looks Scarlett and Jacks had shared in the garden now made sense. “Is this the person you asked Jacks to help you find?”

  “Jacks told you I asked for his help?” Scarlett sounded surprised, as if she actually trusted the Prince of Hearts.

  “I saw you step out of the same carriage as him the other night,” Tella said.

  Scarlett brought her hands to her cheeks, covering her increasing blush. “I found him after you told me he’d been able to locate our mother. I’d been searching for Nicolas on my own, but I’d had no luck. And going to Jacks for help gave me an excuse to interrogate him about his intentions with you. Not that he was honest about anything.”

  “I don’t think either of us can criticize anyone for being dishonest,” Tella snapped.

  “I planned to tell you about Nicolas, but I was waiting for the right time.” Scarlett shot a look at their mother, a silent reminder that Scarlett was not the only one with secrets. “I wouldn’t have kept this from you, but I know you never liked him.”

  “I still don’t. Exchanging letters with him is a mistake.”

  “Don’t worry,” Scarlett said. “I’m not planning on marrying him. But I’d appreciate if you didn’t mention that to Julian. I think a little rivalry might be good for him.”

  “So that’s what this is about?” Tella was more than a little stunned. “You want a competition between the count and Julian?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a competition,” Scarlett said. “I don’t plan on giving either of them tasks to complete. But how can I truly know Julian is right for me if I have no one else to compare him to? I thought you’d be proud of me. You’re the one who always wanted me to make my own decisions.” Scarlett grinned, as sly as a cat who’d just learned to sneak out of a house and explore the world beyond.

  Tella always thought her sister had underestimated her—but maybe she was the one who had underestimated Scarlett.

  Tella still didn’t like the idea of the count. Even though she no longer trusted what the Aracle had shown her, she had a horrible feeling when it came to Count Nicolas d’Arcy. His letters had always seemed a little too perfect. He was the dictionary definition of a gentleman; no one was that polished in real life. Either he was terribly dull or a fraud. And yet, despite her reservations, Tella was proud of her sister for making such a bold choice. “Scarlett, I—”

  Bells. Long and low and sorrowful bells rang across the palace.

  Tella shuddered at the tragic sound, instantly forgetting whatever she’d been saying as the bells continued to cry. These were not clocks striking the hour. These were mourning bells, wailing out a song of loss.

  In the bed, Tella’s mother stirred. She didn’t wake from her cursed slumber, but the bells had clearly disturbed her. In between the somber tune Tella heard a flurry of activity in the hall. Rushing footsteps. Chattering voices. More than a few unbridled sobs. And she knew.

  Empress Elantine had died.

  Tella had only met the empress twice, but she felt a surprising surge of emotion at the thought of her life ending, of her body going slack and her eyes closing forever.

  Scarlett must not have been so certain, or she must have had no idea. She rose from her seat and opened the door right as a servant scurried by. “What’s all the commotion?”

  “Her Majesty passed away,” the servant confirmed. “They’re saying the new heir—her missing child—is now making his first appearance from the golden tower. Everyone is going into the glass courtyard to see. You can probably view the tower from your window.”

  The maid darted off and Tella crossed the room to part the curtains of the largest window wider. Light streamed in, honey-thick and bright. The sun had made its way out from behind the clouds at last and seemed to be making up for the lazy job it had done that afternoon. With the mourning bells still ringing, it felt wrong for it to be shining so brightly, beaming over the entire courtyard, which was indeed filling with people.

  “I can’t believe the empress is dead,” Scarlett said.

  “You would have liked her,” Tella murmured. “She gave hugs the way I’d always wished our nana Anna had.”

  “Nana actually gave you hugs?”

  “Once,” Tella said. “Trust me, you weren’t missing anything.”

  Tella had not cried when her nana Anna had died. Although the woman had made a little effort to raise her, Tella never felt any affection toward her. But Tella had liked the empress. Their acquaintance had been brief, but Elantine had shifted Tella’s course; if their paths had never crossed, Tella’s mother might still be trapped in a card.

  Tella craned her neck as she looked past the glass courtyard toward the golden tower. Every window and balcony was open; from them maids and servants tossed black flower petals onto the gathering crowd below. The grim tribute was even sadder than the bells.

  Only one balcony failed to rain down any flowers. Instead, this terrace flew royal-blue flags with the Meridian Empire’s bold white crest. In the center of it stood one figure.

  Every hair on Tella’s body stood at attention when she saw him.

  Tella could not clearly make out his face, but she could see his top hat. Sharp and black and unmistakably Legend.

  That blackguard.

  Tella knew Legend was full of secrets, but this was one she’d not even considered. He was posing as Elantine’s missing child. This was why he’d left her on the steps right as the fireworks had begun; he’d gone off to watch them with the empress. Although Tella imagined he would have left her anyway.

  It was so inappropriate, but Tella couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up inside her. She’d thought she was the key to his entire game. But, of course, Legend was playing more than one game. He hadn’t come to Valenda merely to destroy the Fates and take all their powers for himself. He’d chosen this city as his game board so he could claim the throne.

  EPILOGUE

  In fairy tales, sixteen was always the age when girls either learned they had magical powers, were truly princesses in disguise, or were cursed and needed a handsome prince to help them break the dark enchantment. Tella didn’t know what would await her during her seventeenth year, but whatever it was, it would be more spectacular than any of those things.

  With all the sorrow of Elantine’s Day, she’d nearly forgotten her birthday. Yet she’d magically woken at midnight, at the very first moment.

  Her heart was still a little heavy, but she’d decided carrying it around would only make her stronger.

  Two nights before, when she’d taken her mother’s place in that card, Tella had feared that was her true ending. But she was too young for endings. Her adventures were only beginning. They would be bigger than promises, and brighter than constellations. By the end of them, Tella would be the legendary one.

  Legend would regret leaving her on those steps without so much as a good-bye.

  Or perhaps he already did regret it.…

  Tella quietly sat up in bed. The room was dark, full of night and shadows, and yet Tella saw the gift as clear as if it were daylight. A single red rose with a flawless white stem sat on the table beside her bed. Beneath it a silver envelope managed to shine, because, of course, everything about Legend shone in the dark.

  Tella took the card and crept out of the bed toward the window.

  She was still furious with him. She was going to make him regret walking away from her. But her heart seemed to have forgotten that. It tripped and skipped and beat out an unwieldy rhythm as she opened the note he’d
left for her.

  It smelled like him, of ink and secrets and wicked magic. His writing was all thick, dark strokes. As she read she refused to smile, but something like hope began to grow in her heart.

  * * *

  Donatella,

  I believe it’s your birthday. I also believe we have unfinished business; I still owe you a prize for winning Caraval. Find me whenever you wish to collect.

  I’ll be waiting.

  —Legend

  * * *

  GLOSSARY OF

  FATES AND TERMS

  DECK OF DESTINY: A method of fortune-telling. Decks of Destiny contain thirty-two cards, comprised of a court of sixteen immortals, eight places, and eight objects.

  THE FATES: According to the myths, the Fates pictured inside Decks of Destiny were once magical, corporeal beings. They supposedly ruled a quarter of the world centuries ago until they mysteriously vanished.

  THE GREATER FATES

  The Murdered King

  The Undead Queen

  The Prince of Hearts

  The Maiden Death

  The Fallen Star

  Mistress Luck

  The Assassin

  The Poisoner

  THE LESSER FATES

  Jester Mad

  The Lady Prisoner

  Priestess, Priestess

  Her Handmaidens

  The Unwed Bride

  Chaos

  The Pregnant Maid

  The Apothic

  THE FATED OBJECTS

  The Shattered Crown

  Her Majesty’s Gown

  The Blank Card

  The Bleeding Throne

  The Aracle

  Map of All

  The Unbitten Fruit

  Reverie Key

  FATED PLACES

  Tower Lost

  Phantasy Orchard

  The Menagerie

  The Immortal Library

  Castle Midnight

  The Imaginarium

  The Vanished Market

  Fire Undying

  LUCKLESS COINS: Coins with the magic ability to track a person’s whereabouts. When the Fates still reigned on Earth, if one became fixated on a human, they would slip a luckless coin into their purse or pocket so they could follow them wherever they went. The coins were considered to be bad omens.

  ALCARA: The ancient city from where the Fates ruled, now known as the Meridian Empire’s capital city of Valenda.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’d been warned that writing a second book was difficult, but writing Legendary felt nearly impossible. I could not have done it on my own. I thank God for miracles, answered prayers, and the amazing people who helped me with this story.

  I’m so thankful for my family, for my mom and my dad and my brother and my sister and my brother-in-law. When I started writing I didn’t realize what a journey it would be for all of us. This book was an especially difficult part of it and I’m not sure how I would have gotten through it without your love, your endless encouragement, and all the times you listened when I cried. I have the best family and I love you all so much.

  Sarah Barley, you are truly the fairy godmother of books. Thank you for sprinkling your magic over this story; you have helped make Legendary a better book than I could have written on my own. Thank you for your patience as I sent in draft after draft, for your enthusiasm and love for these sisters and this series, and for knowing the heart of Caraval so well. There were times I really veered off course and I’m glad I had you there to help bring me back.

  Jenny Bent, you are amazing. I could fill these pages with a list of all the reasons why I’m thankful to have you as my agent. Thank you for never giving up on me, especially during the moments when I’d given up on myself.

  Ida Olson, I will never stop being grateful for you and how you swooped in like a superhero to help me save this book.

  To the tremendous team at Flatiron Books, I could not ask for a better home for this series. Thank you so much to everyone who worked on this book, with a very special thank-you to Amy Einhorn and Bob Miller—I’m so grateful to have you as my publishers.

  To the wonderful team at Macmillan Audio, thank you so much for your endless enthusiasm and for including Legendary as a part of your list. Rebecca Soler, my incredible audiobook narrator, I’m so thankful for you and for how you’ve brought both Caraval and Legendary to life with your fantastic narration.

  Another special thank-you to Patricia Cave. If you ever leave publicity I will cry. Thank you for being the first to love Jacks and for all of your wise words.

  Erin Fitzsimmons, you outdid yourself with this cover. Thank you so much for bringing your magic to this book.

  Speaking of magic, thank you, Kate Howard and all the delightful people at Hodder and Stoughton, for giving this series a truly fantastic home in the UK. Thank you so much, Molly Ker Hawn, for finding this home and for being a tremendous support.

  I feel incredibly blessed for all my amazing foreign publishers; thank you all for putting Legendary and Caraval in the hands of readers around the world.

  A huge thank-you to all of my wonderful friends! Stacey Lee, thank you for sharing your creativity with me when mine had run dry, for endless brainstorming, brilliant ideas, and for being the friend I needed. Amanda Roelofs, thank you for always being my first reader and still being my friend, despite all the messy things I’ve sent your way; this story is much happier because of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Liz Briggs and Abigail Wen, for reading and so generously helping me with early drafts (readers, you might want to thank Liz, too—because of her there are more kisses). Katie Nelson and Roshani Chokshi, thank you for much-needed phone calls and for dropping everything to read early pieces of this when I wasn’t sure if I was taking this story in the right direction. Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Dao, and Julie Eshbaugh—thank you for the marathon phone chats, the encouragement, and the treasure that is your friendship. To all the lovely and supportive local authors and writers, Jessica, Shannon, Val, Jenny, Kristin, Adrienne, Rose, and Joanna—I’m so thankful for the dinners and to call you all my friends.

  I also want to thank all the amazing readers of this series! My heart is so full from your love and support. Thank you for your enthusiasm, your excitement, your comments, your pictures, and for picking up this book.

  ALSO BY STEPHANIE GARBER

  Caraval

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Stephanie Garber is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval and Legendary. She grew up in northern California, where she was often compared to Anne Shirley, Jo March, and other fictional characters with wild imaginations and stubborn streaks. When she’s not writing, Stephanie teaches creative writing and dreams of her next adventure. Legend has yet to send her a ticket to Caraval.

  Visit her online at www.stephaniegarberauthor.com, or sign up for email updates here.

  www.worldofcaraval.com

  @SGarberGirl

  @stephanie_garber

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Map

  Seven Years Ago

  Isla De Los Sueños

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  The Meridian Empire’s Capital City, Valenda

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Night One of Caraval

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapt
er 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Night Two of Caraval

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Night Three of Caraval

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  What Should Have Been Night Four of Caraval

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Night Five of Caraval

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Elantine’s Eve: The Last Night of Caraval

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Elantine’s Day

  Chapter 43

  Epilogue

  Glossary of Fates and Terms

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Stephanie Garber

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  LEGENDARY. Copyright © 2018 by Stephanie Garber. All rights reserved. For information, address Flatiron Books, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.flatironbooks.com

  Map by Rhys Davies

  Cover design by Erin Fitzsimmons

  Cover photograph © Shutterstock.com

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Names: Garber, Stephanie, author.

  Title: Legendary: a Caraval novel / Stephanie Garber.

  Description: First edition. | New York: Flatiron Books, 2018. | Summary: Having made a deal with a criminal to save her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage, Tella must win Caraval and uncover Legend’s identity, or risk losing everything, including her life.