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

felt purposeful, like Piper

simply by being here,

made my

earn the favor of our kingdom’s people,

one of them for not knowing her obscure,

future of the kingdom in mind, I could almost pretend that I was helping Piper

goodwill with

I sent Mark to teach Piper the secret greeting solely

wanted to

her dance with Zale while everyone else in the room stared in

to

+15 BONUS

time to ponder over other concems. Mainly, why didn’t Piper’s maids

but we had assigned knowledgeable maids

one to suggest the harsh punishment for Piper

looked for her behind the thrones, but she was gone from her

his face. I nodded approvingly. He did his job

always.

he could tell

looking for

“Lena,” I said.

discreet servant’s door in a comer of the ballroom. 1 saw her sneak out

sir.”