His jacket was gone, his shirtsleeves were rolled up, his pants were ripped, and her heart leaped into her throat the instant she saw him.

Julian’s amber eyes flared at the sight of her, and probably at the sight of her dress, which had transformed into a glittering ball gown, with a full skirt covered in rubies. It was difficult to run in, but it didn’t stop Scarlett from flinging forward and throwing her arms around him.

He smelled like dirt and tears and perfection. And she decided then that she was never, ever letting go of him. She wished there was a way to tether her heart to his, so that even when they were apart they would still be attached. There were things in this world to be truly afraid of, but loving Julian was not one of them. “I’m so glad you’re alive! When I heard what happened to Legend, I was terrified that you’d been hurt as well.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Julian held her tighter, as if he never wanted to let go either. “I’ve just been worried about you. How did you get here?”

“I used the key.” Scarlett pulled away, just enough to see his eyes. “I had to find you.”

Before Julian could respond, she leaned back in and kissed him with everything she had.

As soon as Scarlett’s lips found his, his fingers knotted in her hair, and his tongue swept into her mouth, taking over every inch of it.

He was usually sweet when he kissed, all worshipping lips and gently exploring hands. But there was nothing sweet about this kiss. It was desperate and devouring. A kiss with teeth and claws, as if they needed to hold on to each other with more than just their hands. The back of her dress vanished, and then Julian’s hands were there, branding her bare skin.

She knew there were other important things that probably needed to be discussed, but nothing felt more critical than this. If the last few days had proved anything, it was how painfully quick the world could tilt and shift. People died. People were taken. People turned out to be far different from how Scarlett imagined they’d be.

But Scarlett knew who Julian was. He was flawed and imperfect, rash and impulsive. But he was also passionate and loyal and loving—and he was who she wanted. His hand was the hand that she wanted to hold. His voice was the sound she wanted to hear, and his smile wasn’t just something she wanted to see; she wanted to be the reason for it.

He’d never be perfect; he’d told her that. But she didn’t want perfect—she only wanted him. Her hands went to the buttons of his shirt.

“Hold on, Crimson—” Julian gently grabbed at her wrists. “As much as I’m enjoying this, we need to pause.”

He carefully removed her hands from his shirt. There was a flash of red on his arm as he moved, where his bandage had been. It was gone now, and in its place, on the underside of his arm, was a tattooed star filled in with a strong shade of red ink.

Tears instantly pricked at the corners of her eyes. “It’s scarlet,” she gasped.

Julian gave her a timid smile. “It’s actually crimson.”

“But—but—” She stammered over what to say. He’d done this when they hadn’t even been speaking and he had no assurance they’d be together.

“I didn’t want to wait,” he said, easily reading her thoughts on her face. “I knew that if I came back and things didn’t work out, I’d regret losing you, but I’d never regret having a reminder of you.”

“I love you, Julian.”

His smile could have saved the world. “Thank the dead saints— I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.” His mouth crashed against hers, consuming her once again.

“I should have told you sooner,” she said, speaking the words in between kisses, unable to hold the rest back. “I should have told you the minute we left Nicolas’s estate and I realized the game I’d made up was a mistake. I choose you, Julian, and I promise I will always choose you, and I will always love you. I will love you with every bone in my body, so that even after my heart stops beating, a part of me will remain to forever love you.”

Julian kissed her again, sweeter this time, lips attentive and soft as he whispered words against her lips. “I’ve loved you since that night you showed up on the beach back on Trisda, thinking you could bribe me to run away without you. I could see how terrified you were when I showed up but you didn’t back down.”

“And then you kidnapped me.”

His grin turned wolfish. “That was your sister. But I have been trying to steal you ever since.” His hands kneaded her lower back as he pulled her close for another kiss.

But Scarlett startled at a noise from above.

Abruptly she looked up to see Tella staring down from the hayloft. She looked as if she’d just woken up from a very unsatisfying sleep. Her hair was full of hay, her eyes were red, and her lips were turned down.

29

Scarlett

Tella looked the way Scarlett felt right after she’d been taken by the Fallen Star. Exhausted and broken and not entirely certain what to do next.

“Scar,” Tella said, her voice rough from waking up. The uneven sound of her scrambling feet followed as she raced down the ladder from the loft. Before she reached the bottom rung, she jumped forward and tossed her arms around Scarlett. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me.” Scarlett squeezed her sister back. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going. Meeting Nicolas was a mistake.”

The barn fell silent. All Scarlett could hear was the crackle of hay beneath Tella and Julian as they exchanged troubled looks.

“What happened?”

Tella released her sister as Julian pulled at the back of his neck.

“What happened?” Scarlett repeated.

“Nicolas is dead,” Tella said. “We think he was murdered by the Fallen Star.”

If Scarlett had been capable of feeling more emotion, her legs might have buckled, or she might have felt tears build behind her eyes for the man she’d once intended to marry. But for a heartbeat, the only colors she could see were black and white, as if her emotions were shutting off so that they didn’t consume her.

She’d never imagined her game would have ended this way.

“How do you know it was the Fallen Star?” Scarlett asked.

“Because of the way he was killed,” Julian answered, looking down. “He was burned.”

“Poor Nicolas.” Scarlett hugged her arms to her chest, wishing she could go back in time, wishing she’d forgiven Julian sooner and never rekindled things with Nicolas. The Fallen Star had undoubtedly come here looking to find her, and Nicolas had paid the price.

“How did you get away?” Tella asked. “Where have you been?”

It was tempting to make up a lie. After finally confessing her feelings to Julian, Scarlett didn’t want Julian to view her differently. And Tella looked so fragile already. Scarlett imagined a feather could have knocked her over; it might break her to learn the Fate who killed their mother was Scarlett’s birth father. But it was too dangerous of a secret to keep.

Scarlett started with the least shocking information, by telling Tella about the Reverie Key she’d been given, and how she could use it to escape anywhere. Tella perked up with a bit of awe and a hint of jealousy, which was better than fragility and fear. But Scarlett doubted her sister would have the same response to this next revelation. Scarlett still wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but she knew she couldn’t keep it to herself.

She took a deep breath. “It’s a good thing I had the key, because I didn’t actually get away. I was abducted by the Fallen Star. Tella, you were right about why the Fallen Star came here. But he wasn’t looking for both of us, just me. He’s my father.”

Scarlett half expected the ground to shake or the rickety roof to collapse at her words.

Tella’s face went bone-white, but her expression turned fierce and her hand felt warm and solid as she took Scarlett’s and squeezed tight. “You’re the same as you’ve always been, we just know more about you now. But it doesn’t change you—not unless you let it. And this news doesn’t change us, either. Even if we didn’t share any blood at all, I would still call you my sister and I would battle anyone who tried to say it wasn’t true. You are my family, Scarlett. Who your birth father is doesn’t change that.”

“I don’t see you differently either.” Julian wrapped an arm around Scarlett. But when he spoke again, his voice was tentative. “Does this make you a Fate?”

“No,” Tella said immediately. “The witch who helped the Fallen Star create the Fates said that the Fates were made, not born. And Scarlett could never be a Fate—Fates can’t love. If an immortal loves, it makes them human, and we both know how much Scarlett loves.”

“Tella’s right, I’m not a Fate,” Scarlett said. But when she tried to add a smile to her words, her voice wobbled as she thought about the Fallen Star’s threat to turn her into one. She wasn’t with him now. But her powers had been growing on their own—what if she was already on her way to becoming a Fate?