The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

7. The Map

They were walking in silence and Kai wanted to do more for her. He didn’t even know why. He couldn’t explain it to himself. But she looked worried and it made him unsettled too.

“So, look here,” he showed her the back door that even servants used from time to time. He remembered it well for the sole reason that it was a weakness in his castle and he made his quards do regular checks there. “You go left when entering and then you go up the stairs to your floor. You will probably find yourself in some storage room, so…”

He stopped, thinking of how to explain things to her more clearly while she looked at him with unhidden curiosity in her eyes. He shouldn’t have been doing this, but, sighing, he took his phone out of his pocket and within seconds he entered the password for his security app, scrolling through the options until he found the map of his house. The real one. The one that wasn’t shared with anyone other than his security people. He would just show her this tower and that was it. There was no way that she would remember the outline of the secret passage. It would be too short to do even when it came to simply understanding what she saw.

He started explaining to her the turns and the doors she needed to use.

“And thanks to that, you’ll be in the darkest corner of your floor. There, everything will depend on your luck,” he smiled at her.

Savannah felt lucky indeed. That gardener did not know what he was doing, showing her this precious map. But she was looking at the lines greedily, even if just for a few seconds. It was enough for that image to forever indent into her memory. She wouldn’t be able to forget it. Ever.

“Uhm, got it,” she chewed on her lip, trying not to grin wickedly. This was the best thing he could do for her. “Thanks,” she glanced at him again and noticed his eyes lingering on her mouth.

“You are welcome,” he shrugged, and she opened the door. A part of her wanted to ask his name but she knew that she was better not to. She’d better just leave and forget about what happened.

step, he gripped her hand and spun her to face him again, crashing his lips into hers for that last

to push him away when Kyle tried to

more to herself than

stared at the door in front of him. It was

it and get back to what he was supposed to be doing. But before he left too,

you to leave the contenders alone. No one should be on their floors now. No one should be in the tower as well.” He shut the connection, knowing that no one would dare to disobey his direct

if this had to be

the corridor that led to her room and listened, before sneaking back into her bedroom. Kyle and Zara were already gone

the one she was thinking about when she drifted off to the land

***

was helping with the clasp of a blue sapphire and diamond necklace, while Kyle was working on the mask. “I still think we should have gone with the

one.”

me that most girls will be wearing gold since they all want to send the message that they are

a relaxed braided crown with a low messy bun with a few loose curls here and there. The braid

a very good reason.