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.

a first date. “Most of the time, he wants to

that bad boy persona, I

you into it,”

was true, Julian had a way of bringing me straight into trouble, but I

was able to feel my

might not be all bad,” I said.

He said nothing more, just glared out

to town.

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

run–down cars,

car doors had locked automatically when Nicholas had started driving, but he clicked lock button

now, making sure.

have to witness such

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

Then a second time. “You’re

would I joke about that? Or had that just been

your kingdom looks like this. Over the past few

homeless. I’ve had to work two or three

a roof over Elva’s head.”

jobs?” Nicholas repeated like he

I

didn’t find such a good person to room with. Anna

thank her for. I’ll be indebted to her the rest of my life