The Luna Choosing Game

As Linda dived at me, knife first, both Julian and Nicholas moved at once.

Nicholas ran at me. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward him, shielding me behind his body.

Julian, meanwhile, went straight for Linda. He grabbed Linda’s wrist and twisted. The knife clattered

down onto the floor.

“Someone get Joseph the hell back in here!” Julian shouted at one of the guards. They ran out of the room, doing as commanded. The others closed in around Linda.

Disarmed, she shrank in on herself, seemingly realizing what she had done. Her eyes were wide and vacant. Tears streamed down her face.

Nicholas eased me back, though he kept his hands on my shoulders.

“Are you okay?” he asked me.

“Yes.” That knife never had a chance to reach me with both brothers moving as if in tandem.

Still, Nicholas checked me over, dropping his gaze down the length of my body.

actually try to kill her?” whispered one girl to

too far,” said another.

and Nicholas released me, Susie rushed to my

“Piper!”

her. I waved out my arms so she

looked at Nicholas. “Why would Linda do

“Some nobles don’t know how

was unusual to see Julian take anything seriously, but

at where Linda whimpered. “For attempting to murder

candidate, you are disqualified from

must have known that she had

seen her in the

returned to the room, his eyes sunken in rage, Julian directed him to escort

is, of course, assuming Piper does not wish to press charges,” Julian said, looking at me. “What she has done is worthy of jail

final act of terror. But, even so, if I wished to press charges, it would extend into a

Julian’s gaze, I shook my head a

away,” Julian said to

common underneath,” Linda said, finally finding her voice. “How

of the guards, forcing them to stop, and for