The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0309

In the following days, new rules were assigned to the candidates. None were allowed to wander the palace without a personal guard. No one was allowed outside, not even into the gardens.

The King and Queen had totally barricaded themselves away. Joyce had too. Only Nicholas and Julian could occasionally be seen, flittering through the hallways with maps and blueprints under their arms. 3

They’ve kept me privy to their activities, mostly with messages sent through Mark.

Despite the number of passageways found, my sister remained like a ghost. She always seemed to be one step ahead. No one really knew how it was possible. Julian and Nicholas were getting more and more frustrated.

The tension in the palace was cracking, soon to break one way or another. The candidates were stir-crazy. Even the guard seemed unnerved. Outside, the protestors chanted day and night without end.

One morning, at breakfast, Tiffany dropped her face onto her empty plate and said, “I’m going to scream.”

Veronica calmly continued to eat her oatmeal.

Susie leaned forward. “All this is only temporary,” she said. Then she looked at me. “Right?”

I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. Truthfully, I had no idea. No one did. That was part of the reason everyone was so on edge.

“I…”

“Piper,” Nathan said from the doorway, startling me so badly, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Susie placed a concerned hand on my shoulder.

“You okay, Mommy?” Elva asked from my other side. Her eyes were wide and fearful. She hadn’t asked many questions lately about what was going on, but surely even she could feel the terse environment around her.

I immediately wanted to put her at ease, so I forced a smile. “Of course, dear. I’m sorry to have scared you.”

“It’s okay,” she said, but looked at me strangely, like she didn’t quite believe me.

Nathan stepped closer to us.

apologies,” I said to him, as I pushed myself up from my

+15 BONUS

wishes to

Most of the candidates looked at me with

looked at Susie, “Susie, can you walk Elva to her

T

brightened. To suggest such a thing, meant she

child as well,” Nathan said suddenly, Susie’s smile fell. Mine did too. “Bring the

is Elva,”

a flat

hand for her.

placed her small hand in

Elva as well? What matters could possibly concern her? She was

to treason, depending. And while the King might not be looking to kill me,

room and were led to a sitting room where the King, the Luna, and Julian were waiting As we walked through the door, I

Elva

I hissed quietly,

don’t you stay with me, little princess? I’ll show you another fun trick while the

said excitedly. She looked up at

that pleading face even if I wanted to. I could also tell that Julian was trying to spare Elva from some harsh conversation. I felt unnerved, like I wasn’t sure what I was walking into, but

I

holding my hand to holding Julian’s. “We won’t go far,” Julian said, and started leading her to the

+15 BONUS

would have to face the King and

me.

pair of chairs. A deck of cards was on the table between them, cards a mess like

about my comfort. This made