The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0547

Forfeit? Why in the world would Nicholas want me to back out of an event I had a good shot at winning?

My face must have revealed my confusion and displeasure. His own features immediately softened, but his frown did not ebb.

He lowered his voice even though we were far from the others. He must have wanted to be doubly sure we were not overheard. "You have been sabotaged since you arrived on this island. And we know for a fact, my parents are behind it. You really think they will let you compete without trying something?"

Oh. In my excitement, I hadn't considered what they might do. I hadn't forgotten, exactly. More like, I had pushed it to the back of my brain to deal with more immediate thoughts.

But now that he had pointed it out, yes, I understood there were major points of concern here. But I couldn't just forfeit!

"Do you really think they'd try something during the race?" I asked. "I'd be swimming out in the ocean? How would they manage that?"

"I don't know, but I'm worried," he said.

To sabotage me while I'm out in the water, they would risk killing me. "You don't think they'd...?" I hoped he knew what I was trying to say, because I really did not want to give voice to my fears. To say them aloud might make them come true.

Fortunately, Nicholas knew me well, so he knew what I was trying to say. "I do not think they intend to harm you physically, or... worse." He probably didn't want to give voice to it either. "But after what happened on the island, I don't think you should take any chances."

"You think they were responsible for the pit?" I still wasn't sure what I thought. It seemed like it would have been a difficult prospect to plan, but if Nicholas thought they might have done it, maybe it wasn't so outlandish after all.

"I'm not ruling anything out," he said. "I don't want to believe they could be capable of doing such harm to you. Maybe with the pit, if they had been responsible, they only meant to waylay you. Or maybe they had been hoping Bridget would save you and make herself look good. I don't know."

I hadn't considered that. Was that why she had been given the rope, while the rest of us went without any supplies? She was supposed to play the part of the heroine?

Well, she royally failed there.

"But if they were responsible, even if they hadn't meant you to be harmed down there, you still almost died. If they attempt something while you are in the water, their carelessness could lead to you... drowning," he said the last word like it physically pained him. "It's not worth it, Piper."

didn't want to die or risk dying. But we were only talking about hypotheticals. If the King and Queen arranged the pit, and if they try something so similarly careless

elimination ceremony was going to look like, but with my ranking so low to start, could I really afford to back out of this event? All

I have alternatives," I

closer. His voice was even more urgent. "This competition

could just

For years, working was my work-out, and Miracle and I sometimes still struggled to get on the same page. Despite

was getting better,

factors to

we actually had a chance at a

to do." Nicholas opened his mouth to argue, so I hurried on before he could. "I have to prove to everyone

Nicholas said. "Besides,

need to. Let me do this, Nick. Please. Let me prove

felt a hell of a lot better if

about this, that much was clear, but I refused

at last. That was as much of a consent as I was ever going to get from him. I accepted it. I'd take whatever

to the beach to find Elva. When I arrived there, she'd been joined by Julian. The nanny

Julian said, and helped Elva dig out around the outside of her castle. Then, carrying her bucket, she rushed down to the shore, scooped up some water, and hurried back to fill the

down beside her in the sand and pulled her into a hug. "I want to live in a castle,"

"What kind of

shrugged. "I don't want to go

words made me frown. "Back

eyes on the ground as

there," I

miss Aunt

my head. "But you still want