The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0264

“Didn’t Julian mention the pendant to you?” I asked.

“No,” Nicholas said curtly.

“He gave me this.” I lifted the pendant higher, for Nicholas to see. “He said that all I have to do is press

down on the moon, and my location would be sent to him. I asked him to include you in on it…”

“Conveniently he failed to mention it to me.” Jealousy dripped like venom from his voice.

“He must have forgotten.”

“Doubtful.” Nicholas accepted the pendant and examined it closely. He flipped it over to look at the back

of it. “I would have felt better if he had told me about this, but… I can’t deny it gives me some measure of

comfort to know you have it.”

“It does?”

Nicholas nodded. “I want you protected, even if I’m not the one doing it. Julian is many things but he is

not on Terry’s side. If he gave you this to protect you from him, that offer was genuine. As is the threat. If

even Julian is worried about you…”

Nicholas and Julian seemed to have skewed ideas of the other. I had seen Julian’s concern before, in albeit fleeting moments. But Julian was not so rambunctious and carefree as Nicholas assumed him to

1. be.

I doubted that defense of Julian would be welcome right at this moment, with Nicholas barely containing his envy, so I withheld it. Julian would probably prefer the misconception anyway, since he so

often sought to cultivate it.

“I will be speaking to Julian about this, however,” Nicholas said, his voice lowering with dark promise.

laughed a little, nervously, hoping I didn’t get Julian in too much trouble. Though, knowing him, he could handle himself just

few more blissful moments, I closed my eyes and enjoyed his warmth and closeness. But then, too soon, he pulled away again.

continue to delay, we risk being so late that

regret.

couldn’t afford to lose even one more rank, so I

reverse and returned us to the street. Then he moved the gear into

we continued on.

two at most. We were the last car to pull into the driveway, though several servants were still outside as if expecting

very much,” I said as I

and did not engage me at all, not even to

though perhaps this particular gentleman took his position as a servant very seriously. I

the car.

for me, and I laced

doorway, a pair of servants opened the door for us. “Thank you very much,” I said to them both. Both ignored me, eyes low, as if they had been instructed not to look at me. No, it wasn’t just

their gazes from Nicholas as

Nicholas in confusion.

well. Neither of those things are true. His cruelty knows no bounds, and I suspect, though I have no proof,

I suspect blackmail.

something about it by now,” I said.

I’ve broached the topic with my parents before, but they will not hear me. His cruelty breeds loyalty, unfortunately. The servants

were on the floor, their bodies still as statues. I doubted they would speak to me either. Perhaps the only way to

to bring Terry down.

the mansion, Into a greeting room at the base of a grand staircase. Gold

the room.

and tapestries hung on every wall, under lights

with the bottom

throughout the room, with Terry standing in the center of the room. Servants, their downcast gazes in place, walked around the room carrying trays

us, waves Nicholas and me closer. Nicholas holds tightly to my

approach.

down to my lips, and his eyes narrowed. “Why, Piper. It seems you have

lipstick.”

a handkerchief from his pocket and passes it over to

and dap at the corners of