The Luna Choosing Game

Nicholas

I had no idea why I decided to help Piper. She had betrayed me in the past. By all accounts, I should

have been pleased to see her fail.

Yet, when I stood outside the sitting room and heard Lena suggest the traditional punishment for Piper, I

couldn’t stand idly by and do nothing.

The thought of Piper kneeling out in a storm, soaked, chilled, and miserable sent an unfamiliar tremor of

rage through me.

I didn’t feel strong emotions like that anymore, not since I turned off my heart three years ago. But this

hot anger had been enough to melt through my emotional freeze.

I couldn’t be detached, not with this.

Ambassador Zale had taught the royal family the secret Merfolk greeting only a few hours before. The

timing had been peculiar, almost as if he had expected us to utilize this new knowledge to help the girls

with the challenge, if we so wished.

I hadn’t intended to teach the greeting to anyone. But that had been before the Queen threatened Piper

over something as trivial as glove length.

An insult to the royal family, the Queen had said. Unlikely. She had always been fickle with such frivolous

extent that she would exert

like

attention simply by being here, but to

made my

of our kingdom’s people, and yet, the Queen herself was

for not knowing

I could almost pretend that I was

to gamer goodwill

truth. I sent Mark to teach Piper the secret greeting

wanted to

else in the room stared in either shock or

myself to feet

+15 BONUS

was out of immediate danger. This left me time to ponder over other concems. Mainly,

Queen had implied that it had been Piper’s duty alone to know, but we had

one to suggest the harsh punishment for Piper

behind the thrones, but she

returned to my side with a satisfied look on his face. I nodded approvingly.

always.

now, how quickly he could tell something was

you looking for

“Lena,” I said.

a discreet servant’s door in a comer

sir.”