The Luna Choosing Game

The wait for midnight was nearly unbearable, but when it finally arrived, I left Elva sleeping in the bed,

and sneaked out into the hallway.

Mark was standing there with two other guards. He typically wore a serious expression, but today he

seemed especially grim. He must have shared Nicholas’s frustration with the plan.

“Be careful tonight. If anything happened to you…” He let the words hang.

I was confused. Surely the safety of his prince was more important than me. But he didn’t say anything

more. Instead, he just stared at me expectantly.

“ll be careful,” I said.

He nodded.

Turning from him, I started down the hallway. Nicholas met me halfway. He didn’t say anything, just offered his arm. I slid my arms in his and together we walked down toward the kitchens and into the

cellar.

Brian was guarding the door to one of the rooms there, the one containing the passage. He stepped

when we came

and an eerie dark opening loomed in the middle

hand, Julian carried a large, industrial–style flashlight. He

end of the tunnel was impossible.

“Whatever happens, no one gets left behind.”

know the rules,” Julian

I looked at each other, and then we followed him.

top. Our footsteps on the stone floor echoed down

tunnel

the back of my neck stood on

Julian said.

through the tunnel. The light of the room we’d come

behind us.

flashlight flickered. We all

a warning in his voice. A warning that would come far too late.

light flickered again, and then

caught in my throat.

into darkness, I reached out for both Nicholas and Julian and touched Nicholas’s chest with one hand and Julian’s shoulder with the other. Nicholas caught my hand in his and held it. Julian placed

and squeezed my fingers.

a dark, creepy place in the dark, but having them so close, each

own ways, helped

the flashlight. The light flickered again, blinding, but it