The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0237

Elva gasped. “How did you do that?”

Julian laughed. “Sleight of hand, my dear. Would you like to learn?” In a flash, the quarter was back in his

hand. He held it out for Elva, who greedily accepted it.

“Yes!” she said excitedly.

“No,” I said a second later.

Elva turned her doe eyes on me. “Mommy! Please?”

I placed my hand on my hips. “Julian. I can’t have you teach her these bad skills.”

“No skill itself is bad, Piper. It’s how you use it.” He winked at me, and I was as charmed by him as Elva’s doe eyes. With the two combining forces, I didn’t stand a chance of telling them no. “It’s actually

incredibly useful and could even save a life someday.”

“Really?” Elva asked. “I could be a hero.”

Julian made his smile kinder as he looked at her. “Absolutely.”

Elva cranked up the doe eyes, turning to me with renewed determination. “Please, Mommy! I want to be

a hero!”

Fine. But no thievery.”

I imagined his other was

conservation,” Susie said later, as we talked during

like that for my cause at the fundraising

suited Susie well. She’d seemed more at ease in the company of animals

people.

to represent,” I suggested. “If you narrow your

talk about with the

her hands together nervously. “I’ll do that. Though I worry even if

talk to them.”

only have to be yourself,” I said. “Tell them how much you love the animals. That will

them.”

She still

was trying to palm a dinner roll off of her plate. While I didn’t necessarily approve of Julian’s training, her effort was

table and

smaller,” I told her. “Work

nodded. She tried again with the peppermint. While her actions were not nearly so smooth and practiced as Julian’s, she was

but then huffed when the peppermint dropped back onto the plate.

of her head. “You’ll get it,” I said, while I added in

too soon.

behind me, shaking me from my

for a moment?”

me about the strange behavior of someone who looked just like me. She wore a similar dire expression now.

at Susie.