The Luna Choosing Game

Five minutes after that, I excused myself from the party when Mark called for me.

As I headed to the door, I nearly tripped over my feet, spotting Nicholas waiting there.

“Prince Nicholas,” I said. “What a surprise.”

“You wanted to go to the store?” he asked me

I glanced at Mark, but he just stared back brightly, like nothing was

“I surely can’t ask a prince to run errands with me,” I said.

wrong.

Nicholas shrugged like it was no big deal. “It would be good to get away for a while.” He turned away

before I could think to argue. I hurried to slip on my shoes, grab a light jacket, and chase after him into the

hallway.

He drove us away from the palace in one of the less flashy sedans. It was black with tinted windows.

“If Julian had any sense, he would use one of these to sneak out properly,” Nicholas said.

sighed, remembering our great escape of a first date. “Most of the time,

that bad boy persona, I think.”

he drags you into

bringing me straight into trouble, but

outings, I was able to feel my

be all bad,” I said.

nothing more, just glared out the front windshield

to town.

to the fabric store, we had to pass through a portion of the town with shuttered up

run–down cars,

when Nicholas had started driving, but he

making sure.

have to

all that different from what I’m used to,” I

glance at me. Then a second

had that just been wishful thinking on his

much of your kingdom looks like this. Over the past few years, there’s been such

I’ve had to work

over Elva’s head.”

Nicholas repeated like he didn’t quite

I

and we’d be much worse off if I didn’t find such a good person to room with. Anna has helped

than I could ever thank her for. I’ll be indebted to her