The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0308

I thought of my twin sister, a child trailing along in my shadow in her pigtails and plaid dress the same as mine, sk ipping away from me and down a dark alleyway. At the far end, a shadowy figure held out their hand. Jane, willing and happy, accepted that hand and welcomed the shadow around her too.

How could it be that a girl so near me in looks and personality, could have taken such a veering path to mine? For her to be so high ranking in the organization meant she had to have pursued it for a very long time longer than these past 3 years.

I shouldn’t have been surprised anymore. Jane had cut into my heart so many times. She

wanted me dead.

But it still hurt anew, to know the woman Jane was now was so far removed from the girl I knew, that the girl I knew might not have existed at all.

Nicholas came around the table and stood at my side. He didn’t touch me, but his closeness alone was a comfort I was incredibly grateful for.

“I’m assigning more guards to your room,” Nicholas said. “You shouldn’t go anywhere without a personal guard following beside you. Do you understand?”

I didn’t. Not really. The protestors outside were not there to call me a tyrant. Nicholas was the one in actual danger. Julian too.

Nicholas must have been able to discern my confusion. I was never very good at keeping my feelings from my face..

“We’re looking for Jane,” Nicholas said. “With her being such a high ranking member of the underground, it’s possible she has… others helping her.”

“Others, who?” I asked.

“If we knew that, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Julian chimed in. “Maybe we should have everyone strip. See who has the tattoo.’

Nicholas considered it. “Our loyal guards would acquiesce, but it will be much more difficult to convince those that are actually guilty of going along with it.”

Julian snorted. “Dear old dad likely won’t lift his shirt.”

“You don’t think…” The King?

“No,” Nicholas said quickly. “The King is not likely to be involved, and I will remind you, Julian, that suggesting otherwise is treason.”

Julian shrugged. “I’m only saying that if he did it, everyone else would do it too. But we

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believe that someone is

that now. Jane wanted me dead. If someone was letting her into the palace, she would have no shortage of opportunities to come

fear zipped through me

inched closer to me. His arm brushed alongside mine. For a moment,

and soaked up the flashing warmth of that

turned us

guard who had rushed into the room. He was out of breath, his cheeks red from exertion. “We’ve discovered a new passage, one not on

and Julian glanced at

He scooped

too!” I

at me, a stern look in his eyes. Yet just as I thought he was going to say no, and I was going to

“Stay close.”

>>

one of the smaller libraries in the palace, far from the beaten path the candidates

are over a hundred years old,” Nicholas

of the books. Most seemed good as new, dated only by the

would love to be lost for a while within these tomes and these stories,

“I promise,” Nicholas said.

stacks, tucked away within the bookcase itself. It was a narrow opening, Nicholas and Julian would have to

did you ever find this?” I

Julian said, lifting a rolled-up map. “It’s close to many places, but far from our regular route. It’s where

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followed a guard into the

not going in,” Nicholas said, but Julian disappeared

going in,” I said, and rushed to the

called, following behind

the passageway without much effort. He, meanwhile, had to crumple himself up some

like that, so he stayed near. His hand slipped around

I could only make out the outline of his

the far end of the passageway, it

was a tight fit, but somehow, he managed to press me against the