The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

9. Bost For Last

Savvy looked at him in shock, and his grasp on her became tighter. Elene cleared her throat again, bringing them both out of their daze.

“Kai!” She hissed. “We need to go. Now! Everyone is watching.”

“Right,” he conceded, finally letting her go. Savannah straightened her dress, and the realisation of how they might look dawned on her, also considering most people present were aware that he was their king. Not to mention that she was about to become unmasked as

well.

“Excuse me,” Kai took her hand and bowed to kiss it, however, she snatched it back before his lips could touch it. A soft growl left his chest, and she wondered what he was thinking. His level of deception was really beyond anything she could comprehend, and all that she wanted at this moment was to slap him. Then slap him again. And more, if it were possible.

But, of course, she couldn’t. Too many eyes, too many witnesses. At least he helped her finalise a decision she had been pondering.

There was no way she was leaving humiliated. She would make him and his mean sister regret the day they decided to do this to her. She would win the stupid Luna Trials and get those wishes from her “groom-to-be”. Then she would get her alliance and reject him, making it impossible to hold it against her, her brother, or her kingdom in any way.

“You are excused, Your Majesty.” She filled her words with as much venom as she could muster and turned on her heels to walk toward what looked like a queue of women.

“Please, over here.” A girl in a black dress and a mask gestured for her to stand toward the back. Savannah recognised Elene’s assistant. “I am sorry, you have the last turn …”

“That’s fine.” Savvy cut her off with the sweetest smile she contained in her arsenal. “In the West, we save the best for last.”

She was fuming, and even Athena was unsettled inside her.

“Are you okay?” Kyle mind-linked her. She knew he had seen everything and was probably wondering what was going on. They had known each other since they were kids, and he could sense when she was troubled.

“Peachy,” she replied sarcastically. “I am going all in. You and Zara need to find out everything you can about every single contender. So, keep your eyes open now that they will be revealed.”

“Fine,” he said quietly and closed the link, knowing it was better not to contradict her when she was in such a state.

“Together again,” a girl next to her remarked as she smiled brightly. Savannah looked at her in an effort to recognise her. “It’s Astrid,” the girl whispered. “I’m placed in the room next to yours.”

“Oh, right!” Savvy chuckled. “You are another lucky contender.” “At least I am in good company,” Astrid replied, giggling, but then, the sound of a loud bell

interrupted them. They watched as Elene froze like a statue of some ancient queen at the top of a staircase leading to a throne which was now taken because King Kai was sitting in it and staring at her with his piercing blue eyes.

Savannah pretended not to notice and stood behind Astrid, hidden from his gaze.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” For once, Elene’s voice sounded truly sweet, as if she loved the people gathered before her, not the contenders, of course, but the northerners present in the hall. “It’s time to begin! The Luna Trials are about to start, and you are present during an historical event which will lead to the appointment of the new Luna of The North!”

They all cheered loudly, and Savvy could decipher one phrase voiced all around her, by Fenrir‘s will. She almost forgot that the northerners often preferred the wolf warrior god to the Moon Goddess, who was worshipped more in the West. Of course, she was respected everywhere, but it was considered that Fenrir was the patron of these lands.

The photographers and cameramen stood between Elene and the contenders, filming everything from different angles.

“Our first contender!” The princess made a gesture, and a familiar brunette in a red dress came up to the bottom of the stairs and curtsied as if this were the Middle Ages.

Savvy rolled her eyes. For some reason, she remembered how that woman was touching Kai moments before she snatched him away and that memory was particularly unpleasant. Nevertheless, she quickly brushed it to the farthest corner of her mind, where Athena then obliterated it. This was war, with no strings attached.

she turned to her brother, who was sitting on a throne behind her. A throne! Savvy scoffed. She had never seen

did, but it was in a museum, and no one in their right mind would be sitting on that old thing anyway. She liked the north

that his beard was now a barely well-trimmed stubble. It was something she

again, she pretended to look at someone else in the crowd. Elene followed his example by removing her mask, and so did

Show-offs.

ordinary woman.” Elene was working the cameras with her dazzling smile, giving them the show of their lives. “She must be beautiful and have perfect lineage. While all our contenders have

if the education system in the north was different from the west, and they would start quizzing her

chin with a facial expression full of self-importance. “I want you to solve a riddle.

few girls in front of her turned to see who could be so disrespectful. Astrid quickly stood in front of her, covering Savannah and giving her a moment to gather herself. She

starting to grow

is lighter than what it is made of and more of it is hidden than

eyebrows. What was this? Year

beamed, and Savannah had to use all her inner strength not to

girl was Elene’s favourite by the way she looked at her, as if she already won and this was all just a formality. Consequently, all the other contenders received an utterly degrading glare which could only be translated as – bow in the presence of the

for the contender to go up the stairs and

the North!” Elene announced although it was apparent that everyone here knew who the woman was. “Our first contender for the title of The

that sparkled as if she was wearing the night sky. Savvy sniffed discreetly

the face that Elene was now making, was that it didn’t appear to be Brigit’s turn. Some other girl in golden attire had tried to step forward too,

poor soul

things never change,” Kyle told Savvy via the mind-link. She smirked at her friend. Brigit was … something. She was one of the least wanted contenders here but decided to fix that as soon as possible. With

going

do about it, so she sighed with annoyance and said, “Only one colour, but not one size. Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in the sun, but not in rain.

could kill, the she-bear would

mask off. Although, that was probably for the best. The rules were similar for the women who couldn’t enter the ball because they arrived dressed in the wrong

wished she could tell her the answer mentally, but they weren’t from the same pack nor were they related in any way, so that wasn’t

option,

she was a bear and bears weren’t liked much in the North because of the constant wars between their

on her lips answered, “Shadow.” “Someone came prepared!” Kyle pointed out. “I wish it was

lips. “Our second contender! Bridgit Borg, daughter of Alpha Borg of the White Claw

of guests confirmed Savannah’s suspicions. There was no applause this time, but Brigit

northerners like Penelope, but one of them was a werewolf and not a lycan. By the way they behaved, it could be concluded that they were there primarily to support Penelope than to win

long braids to her front, both looked ready to defend their future Luna’s honour and even stood at either side of Penelope yet a few steps behind her so as to make her stand out. Even their dresses were a dull shade of blue with nothing extraordinary about them. The perfect background

successful. Sawy wondered who she

Ruby Hill

was interesting. Foxes were common enemies after the recent attacks. Although eastern foxes weren’t actively participating in the war, they were definitely under suspicion,

girls gaye Elene their answers, as Savvy got bored. Their riddles were

Savannah heard a name that made her curious, and looked at yet another woman taking off her mask. She had long wavy hair that was dark at the top and was gradually turning into bright red by the ends in the best

flock, one who could be problematic since they all

the next name put Savvy into a state of

immediately met the eyes of the werecat, who had once given her asylum in her territory when Savannah was running away from her traitor mate. If Zack had managed to capture her then, her

side in the bloodiest battle of their lives right after

at Kyle. “I had no idea,” he shrugged. “I’ll try to find out why we