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

loomed in the middle of a wall, hiding behind an empty bookcase that had been shifted aside.

hand, Julian carried a large, industrial–style

the light of the flashlight, seeing the end of the tunnel was impossible. The

Nicholas said. “Whatever

know the rules,” Julian said. He stepped

looked at each other, and then we

rounded along the top. Our footsteps on the stone floor

but this tunnel felt so old that it

hairs on the back of my neck stood on

close,” Julian

the tunnel. The light of the room we’d

behind us.

flashlight flickered. We all

A warning

again, and

caught in my throat.

I reached out for both Nicholas and Julian and touched Nicholas’s chest with one hand and Julian’s shoulder

over mine and squeezed my fingers.

in the dark, but having them

ways, helped me feel safe

his hand again and smacked the flashlight. The light