The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0226

A guard was seated in a chair just inside my bedroom door. He looked nervous, his eyes darting all around. Behind him, Mark was standing tall, arms crossed. His features were stern. In front of him,

Nicholas was pacing like a caged animal.

“Let’s go over this again,” Nicholas said. “In the middle of the night, you allowed someone who looked

like Piper to enter her rooms.”

The guard bounced his leg nervously. “That’s right, Sir. I’ve been told that she sometimes keeps strange hours, and that I shouldn’t ask too many questions.”

That was true. I had sneaked out a lot to meet with Nicholas and Julian, for our investigation. Or once, to kiss Nicholas in the hallway. Although that hadn’t been my intention when I’d left the room.

Nicholas continued on, undeterred. “And when you saw this person last night, you allowed them into this room without asking the identifying question. Is that right?”

The guard swallowed hard. “That’s correct, Sir.” Above all else, this was the guard’s biggest failure. At

the very least, he owned up to it.

“He’s new to the rotation, Sir,” Mark said.

“I know he didn’t mean harm, but the cost could have been…” Nicholas glanced over at me, where I

to distract Elva with

thinking. Jane could have killed me and Elva, or kidnapped one or both

here asleep all night. Neither of us had been roused by

silent footsteps.

only thing that seemed

said. “Whatever punishment you deem necessary, I will accept

without question.”

is not the issue. The issue is what could have been lost if…”

I decide what

and nearly tripped in his eagerness to follow his prince’s command. When

Mark slowly closed

was to come to my side. He sits

him the doll she’s holding. “I have another in the

off

at the doll, then lowers it. Instead, he holds one arm open for

drops his forehead to my shoulder and

other.

tension I hadn’t realized I’d held escaped my body. In Nicholas’s

way that I hadn’t

had been so close, and I just

let her get away,”