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 close.

opening loomed in the middle of a wall, hiding behind an empty bookcase that had

carried a large, industrial–style flashlight. He

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

together,” Nicholas said. “Whatever happens, no one gets left behind.”

all know the rules,” Julian said. He stepped into the

and I looked at each other, and

the top. Our footsteps on the stone floor echoed

frightened by places, but this tunnel felt so

of my

Julian

through the tunnel. The light of the

behind us.

We all stilled.

warning in his voice. A warning that

and then went out.

caught in

Nicholas and Julian and touched Nicholas’s chest with one hand and Julian’s shoulder with the other. Nicholas caught my

mine and squeezed

creepy place in the

helped me feel safe

the flashlight. The light