The Caraval Complete Trilogy (Caraval, #1-3)

by Stephanie Garber

The night. The world. The stars watching from above all disappeared. Then Tella disappeared as well.

shucks

Humans were selfish creatures. The stars had witnessed it again, and again, and again.

true

This boy, who never seemed to care about anyone but himself, shook with rage. Hopefully he didn’t do anything too foolish. He’d made a deal with them that they hungered for him to keep. It would do them no good if he were trapped in a card or dead.

oh

He could have had everything he’d wanted. If he’d destroyed the Fates, his magic wouldn’t be limited to peaking during Caraval. He’d have the power of the Fates: the Aracle’s ability to see the future; Mistress Luck’s good fortune; the Assassin’s ability to travel through space and time; the Lady Prisoner’s wisdom. And he’d chosen to save Tella instead.

as he should

The steps beneath Tella were cold, but not nearly as icy as the heartless boy who’d left her there. She’d been left by boys before, but it had never hurt this much. She wanted to get up, to walk away with her head high, as if he mattered as little to her as she apparently mattered to him. But Tella’s limbs still felt like paper, weak and thin and pathetic.

dante it's on sight

‘Half the reason I put myself in that card was so you wouldn’t take his powers or kill him. And then he just left me here on these steps.’ ‘Did you honestly expect more from Legend?’

jacks is onto something here..

Maybe she hadn’t expected more from Legend, but she’d wanted more from Dante.

true

If only Tella could have fought him. But she didn’t have the strength and she was so tired of fighting. Her battle had died on those steps the moment Legend walked away.

NOO BABY GET UP

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. He didn’t mention his name, but Tella knew he was talking about Legend. ‘He can make someone the center of his world when they’re a part of his game. But when the game ends, he always walks away and he never looks back.’

it's on sight legend.

‘I made a mistake, Scar. I never wanted to fall for anyone, but I think I’ve fallen in love with Legend.’

tella get up he's not worth it

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.

urgh brother urgh

He’d chosen this city as his game board so he could claim the throne.

legend i'll stomp you into a board game tf

Occasionally, there are minutes that get extra seconds. Moments so precious the universe stretches to make additional room for them, and this was one of them. People don’t get pauses like these very often. Some people never receive them at all.

shucks

He was still the most beautiful liar she’d ever seen.

liars are not beautiful (beautiful liar by shakira and beyonce?)

‘I told you, Tella, I’m not the hero in your story.’

but don't be the villain either.

Tella’s heart constricted. She’d never wanted to fall in love with anyone. And in that moment she hated him, for making her feel so many things for him.

so real

‘I read the message,’ Tella said, ‘but I’m not interested in the prize. I’m done with games.’ He laughed, low and painfully familiar. ‘What’s so funny?’ ‘That you’re pretending our games are over.’

i'm done with games too

‘Just because I don’t like you doesn’t mean you’re not pretty.’ ‘If you really hated me, you wouldn’t find me attractive at all.’ ‘I never said I had good taste.’ She downed the last of her cordial.

tella baby you're gorgeous

When Tella awoke, the taste of fire coated her tongue and a dead butterfly rested in her palm.

uh oh

The next night, Legend did not visit her dreams.

bro stop being so indecisive. like do you want her or not

Dante Thiago Alejandro Marrero Santos. Just thinking the name Dante still hurt a little.

why's his name so long. but i agree with the second part

‘Hello, Crimson.’

JULIANNNN

‘While I was gone, I tried to remember every word you ever said to me. I’ve thought about you every hour of every day I was away.’

standard

‘I won’t ever move on, Crimson.’ He took her hand and brought it to his heart.

good

‘I vowed to the temple that I would bring them the witch who helped create the Fates. When I did, I swore it on my immortality. If I hadn’t delivered Esmeralda to them, I would have died that night, and nothing would have brought me back to life this time. I know you’re angry with me right now, but I’d hope you wouldn’t want me dead.’

the things he would do for her

Everyone’s feelings were everywhere.

true

‘Maybe I just want an excuse to hold you.’ He grinned like a thief who’d just got away with a crime.

did he

Love and immortality cannot coexist. We only feel obsession, fixation, lust, possession. If an immortal feels true love for even a minute, they become human for that minute. If the feeling lasts too long, their mortality becomes permanent. And most immortals would kill the object of their affection rather than become human.

oh!

No matter what my brother’s done, I’ve never stopped loving him, but he’s never loved me back.’ Julian’s voice was perfectly even, as if it didn’t really hurt, but Tella knew it had to destroy him. Legend was his brother. She couldn’t imagine how devastating it would feel if her sister didn’t love her.

one of the few times i'll ever feel for julian

‘I’ll always be her sister, you can’t steal that role from me. But I think you’re her first love now, and you should be. If you kept choosing your brother over my sister, I wouldn’t think you deserved her. All that I ask is that you don’t muck it up. Don’t just love her back, Julian, fight for her every day.’ ‘I intend to.’

good

The woman gave her a peculiar smile, one that lit her eyes without actually moving her mouth. ‘I’m afraid your secrets aren’t valuable enough to trade, Miss Dragna. The secret we want belongs to your daughter.’ ‘I don’t have a daughter.’

daughter...

‘You will. We have met you in our past and in your future, and we know you will have a daughter someday.’ ‘Do you know who the father of this daughter is?’ The new voice was low and deep and the sound of it made Tella’s heart race twice as fast. She spun around. Everything in the Vanished Market blurred, colors merging together as if the world around her was moving too fast, except for the handsome boy standing in front of her, taking up the entire doorway to the tent. Legend was there.

LEGEND what are you doing here

Legend was there, and alive, so very alive that the sight of him made Tella grin until her cheeks hurt. ‘You’re back.’ She didn’t even care that the words came out breathless.

i'm gonna kill him for everything he has done to you tella

‘Ahem.’ The older sister cleared her throat. ‘If you wish to start making that child now, I’m afraid this isn’t the place.’ Tella leaped away from Legend, crashing back to a terrible reality and blushing harder than she ever had in her entire life.

they have a daughter.

‘Excellent,’ said the oldest. ‘We just need to seal your promise. If you fail to discover your daughter’s secret weakness by her seventeenth birthday, or choose not to give it to us, the cost will be your life.’

uh oh

Tella was familiar with heartbreak, but this was the sort of hurt that came from breaking someone else’s heart. A fragile heart. A child’s heart. A daughter’s heart. Tella closed her eyes to stop the tears.

aww

She wanted a love worth fighting for, but immortals couldn’t love.

convince legend to not be immortal

‘I thought I could consider it. But I actually think I fell more in love with the idea of you than the real you.’ Legend clenched his jaw. ‘You don’t mean that, Tella.’ ‘Yes, I do.’ She forced the words out, each one tasting worse than the last. But she knew that if she didn’t go through with this now, she wouldn’t be able to do it again.

why you clenching your jaw

If only falling out of love with him was as easy.

babe i feel you

She needs to save you.

no you need to be independent silly

‘You foul, heartless, wretched, cheating, manipulating, apple-sucking demon!’

tella go off

‘Maybe I like the intensity of it.’ He grinned at her as he pushed up from the floor, leaving the chair lying between them.

but why

His mouth slowly curved, as if he was about to challenge her right back. ‘I’m half naked, I’m in my bed and you’re staring at me as if you want to join me here.’

oh!

‘Maybe I do.’ His eyes flashed with white gold and suddenly he was on his feet, towering over her. ‘Tella, I’m not in the mood for games right now.’ She took a tremulous breath. She hadn’t changed her mind, but for a moment she feared that he’d changed his. ‘I’m not playing a game.’

tella girlboss era

‘You deserve better, Tella.’

she does

Julian answered without hesitation, ‘She’s the love of my life.’ Scarlett’s heart broke and burst all at once.

she better be

Tears streamed down Scarlett’s cheeks. ‘Yes, I love him desperately.’

cute

Tella was so ruled by her feelings, she didn’t know how real her future choices would be once Jacks manipulated her emotions.

die jacks die you bastard

‘It’s all right, I’ve got you.’

do you tho?

Love.

silly thing silly thing