“I didn’t think I was.”

Legend moved his hand from her hair to cup her cheek, holding her face as if he’d never touched anything so precious. “I can’t say that I understand love, or that I’m very good at it, because I’ve never loved anyone before. But I love everything about you, Donatella Dragna. Everything.” His hand dropped lower to stroke her jaw. “I love the secrets you haven’t told me, and the lies you’ve tried to get away with. I love your stubbornness and your persistence. I love the way you always pretend not to care when I visit you in dreams. I love that you never stop fighting for what you want or the people you love, even when they don’t deserve it. I love you, I don’t intend to stop loving you, and I hope that somewhere deep inside, you still love me, too.” His mouth slowly lowered to hers, moving incrementally closer, warning her that if she didn’t want to kiss him, she needed to pull away.

But she no longer wanted to pull away, and she wasn’t even sure she could have. Love really was another type of magic. She was trembling all over. Shaking off the rest of the spell that Legend had broken when he’d told her he loved her. He loved her! Her limbs trembled harder with something like wonder at the thought.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak, so she tried to tell him that she loved him with a kiss when his warm lips finally pressed against hers. They were so perfect and soft and sweet and gentle. Even though she was supposed to be letting Legend know that she loved him, she felt as if he was the one repeating the words with every languorous press of his lips, as if they weren’t in any rush, as if they had all the time in the—

Abruptly Tella shoved him away. It was the last thing she wanted to do. She loved him, she knew she did. She wanted his lips on hers until she forgot how to breathe. She wanted to hold on to him forever, but he wouldn’t have a forever if she didn’t let him go right now.

His jaw tensed and the pained look returned to his face. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to leave.” Tella didn’t recognize her own voice, as if she were battling herself with every word. She wanted to be selfish, she wanted to keep him. She loved him—which was why she forced herself to push him away. “You need to leave me before you stay like this.”

“It’s too late.”

“No, it’s not.” Tella shoved him again.

He didn’t even stumble backward on the moonstone steps.

She turned to run. If he wasn’t going to leave, she would. But before she moved an inch, his hand clasped around her wrist and he pulled her back, binding her to him with his arms. “Tella.”

“Let me go.” She could already see him changing. She could see it in his smile, in the way it filled with love as it lit up his entire face. She tried to pry his arms away, but it was less than half-hearted. She’d always thought he was beautiful, but when he looked at her the way he was looking at her right now, he was absolutely everything. “If you don’t let me go, I’m not going to be able to fight you anymore.”

“Good, because I don’t want to fight you. I just want to love you.” He lifted her a little and pressed another kiss to her lips. “This is my choice, and I choose you, Donatella. I don’t need immortality. You’re my forever.”

THE TRUE ENDING

* * *

Welcome, welcome …

You have been invited to the official coronation of Scarlett Marie Dragna,

to take place on the 1st day of the Harvest Season.

The festivities will begin at twilight and hopefully never come to an end.

* * *

Scarlett

Anyone else might have thought it was the perfect dress. But there wouldn’t be another perfect dress for Scarlett. She would never replace her Fated gown. But the piece of artwork she wore today was lovely—entirely fitted save for in the back, where a train flowed behind her, whiter than untouched snow and decorated with silk red roses. It matched the cape Poison had sent as her coronation gift, which was covered entirely in flower petals. It was glorious and extravagant and though Scarlett would have looked like a true empress in it, she couldn’t wear it.

Poison had returned everyone he’d turned to stone to their human forms and agreed to a truce with Scarlett. But after one night with the Fallen Star as emperor, Valenda was still wary of all things Fated, and as the daughter of a Fate, the city was cautious of her as well; it didn’t matter that she’d never stepped into her full powers.

“You look spectacular.” Tella grinned wider than a cat that had just caught a bird as she stood behind her sister in the gilded mirror that matched everything in the imperial suite—even the drapes had gold leaves sewn between the gauzy panels. And it was all Scarlett’s. Part of her was constantly tempted to use the Reverie Key and disappear from such an enormous responsibility. But she didn’t think the key had come into her possession for that reason.

“The whole empire is going to fall so madly in love with you that Julian might get jealous,” Tella said.

Scarlett laughed under her breath. “Julian’s already jealous—he actually thinks Poison has a crush on me.”

“Poison does have a crush on you. Why do you think he agreed to a truce with you so quickly?”

“Maybe because my sister is nicknamed the Fate Slayer.”

Tella’s cheeks pinked with pride. “You think I could get a Wanted poster with a picture of me on it and that title beneath it?”

“You’re not a criminal,” Scarlett said. “You’re a hero.”

“Yes, but I’ve always wanted my own Wanted poster.” Tella laughed, but her face turned wistful in a way that let Scarlett know she was thinking about their mother again.

“Do you believe our mother really was Empress Elantine’s daughter?” Scarlett asked.

“I don’t know that we’ll ever know for sure. But I like to think she was. When Empress Elantine talked about Paradise, she’d sounded fond and regretful.” Tella rambled toward the wall of windows, and pulled back a pair of curtains to look out at the crowd already forming in the glass courtyard for that evening’s ceremony. “We could always ask the Assassin to take us back in time to see her again and find out for certain.”

“Maybe,” Scarlett said. But she doubted it. After the Fallen Star’s death, the Assassin had disappeared along with most of the other Fates. Poison was the only one who’d stayed behind, and Scarlett really hoped he didn’t have a crush on her. Fates’ affections tended to turn into deadly obsessions, as it had with Jacks and Tella. Thankfully, no one had seen Jacks since Legend’s love broke the spell he’d placed on Tella.

Scarlett didn’t know if Jacks had fled with some of the other Fates to the northern kingdoms, where it was rumored that other Fates had been living quietly. Now that the Fallen Star was dead, the Fates he’d created were no longer immortals, but were ageless. They could live supernaturally long lives, but they could also die if they gave people reason to come after them.

Scarlett would have spies look into it once she was officially crowned empress. She still wanted to track down some of the crueler Fates, like Jester Mad, the Murdered King, and the Undead Queen and bring them to justice. For her sister’s sake, she wanted to make sure Jacks wasn’t coming back, either.

“Excuse me, Your Highness.” The crisp voice of a maid followed a soft knock on the door. “Mister Julian is here to see you.”

“Let him in.” Scarlett crossed the room with a speed that was probably improper for an empress. But she couldn’t help herself, just as she couldn’t stop herself from grinning as Julian stepped inside. Her mother’s dagger, now infused with the Fallen Star’s magic, had removed the Fated iron mask from his face with one touch. Scarlett couldn’t even tell that Julian had ever worn it. He looked both dapper and rakish in the suit he’d had made for tonight’s coronation. Scarlett especially liked his gray vest and the thin red stripes that matched the flowers in her gown.

Tella closed the drapes with a dramatic swish. “I think it’s time for me to go.”

“You don’t have to leave,” Scarlett said.

“It’s all right. I’m sure the two of you would rather smolder at each other in private, and I need to go and write a letter to Legend.”

Julian gave Tella a crooked smile. “I think my brother’s in the palace right now.”

“I know. But I’d much rather write him a letter.” Tella skipped to the door with an impish look on her face, which probably should have concerned Scarlett. But she was too distracted by Julian to worry about anything else.

As soon as Tella left, Julian stalked deeper into the room. His eyes slowly raked over the fitted lines of Scarlett’s white gown, leisurely moving from her hips all the way up to the golden circlet she’d wear until she was officially crowned. “I wasn’t sure you’d have time to see me today.”

“I am very important.”

“I know,” he said solemnly.