The Luna Choosing Game

“That’s enough,” said a firm low voice through the microphone. Nathan had passed it to Nicholas. Please discover all the facts before making accusations. Piper proposed her deal last night. The

announcement about the blood moon did not come in until this morning.”

The second girl relented, lowering her head. “He’s right. She couldn’t have known…”

“But…?” said the first. “Surely the timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t tell the future. I don’t have the internet. I just made a guess for the sake of the deal.”

The girls‘ looks of outrage slowly morphed into those of annoyance instead. Gradually, they slipped away from me.

Susie returned to the place she’d been pushed away from. “You okay?”

I shrugged

“Piper,” Nicholas said, approaching me. He’d left the microphone on the stage, back with Nathan.

He stopped when he was before me. “What did the physician say about Elva?” After I told him, he sighed,

“Good.”

Susie glanced between the two of us. Then she pretended to see something and left us. It was a very

obvious show. She was not a good actor.

e some

to thank her or be mad at her. She

I wasn’t sure I was ready to

know if I could handle him hating

the bargain,” Nicholas said. “Sometime during this event, I

Night.”

enjoy that.

deal is a

he had wanted to say sald. Instead he lingered,

led away, over to the dining room for breakfast. I

of my family,” Nicholas said. “If it weren’t for your bet, we

cancel the event

helped us

that, especially when Nicholas was

Elva. Everything else was

no one was close to us, he said, “Caring for your daughter is

concerned, the life of a child sharply outweighs the reputation of the

but he

with as serious as the royal family was treating this event, I knew there had to be more going

disagree. He just slowly

eager to return to Elva in our room. I’d swiped a few muffins for her on the chance she might