The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0264

“Didn’t Julian mention the pendant to you?” I asked.

“No,” Nicholas said curtly.

“He gave me this.” I lifted the pendant higher, for Nicholas to see. “He said that all I have to do is press down on the moon, and my location would be sent to him. I asked him to include you in on it…”

“Conveniently he failed to mention it to me.” Jealousy dripped like venom from his voice.

“He must have forgotten.”

“Doubtful.” Nicholas accepted the pendant and examined it closely. He fl*pped it over to look at the back of it. “I would have felt better if he had told me about this, but… I can’t deny it gives me some measure of comfort to know you have it.”

“It does?”

Nicholas nodded. “I want you protected, even if I’m not the one doing it. Julian is many things but he is not on Terry’s side. If he gave you this to protect you from him, that offer was genuine. As is the threat. If even Julian is worried about you…”

Nicholas and Julian seemed to have skewed ideas of the other. I had seen Julian’s concern before, in albeit fleeting moments. But Julian was not so rambunctious and carefree as Nicholas assumed him to be.

I doubted that defense of Julian would be welcome right at this moment, with Nicholas barely containing his envy, so I withheld it. Julian would probably prefer the misconception anyway, since he so often sought to cultivate it.

“I will be speaking to Julian about this, however,” Nicholas said, his voice lowering with dark promise.

I laughed a little, nervously, hoping I didn’t get Julian in too much trouble. Though, knowing him, he could handle himself just fine against his brother.

forward and pulled me into his arms again. For a few more blissful moments, I closed my eyes and enjoyed his warmth and closeness. But then, too soon, he

late that it will affect your standing,”

even one more

the car into reverse and returned us to the street. Then he moved the gear into drive

too far from where we had been, a mile or two at most. We were the last car to pull into the driveway, though several servants

you very much,” I said as

down and did not engage me at all, not even to

particular gentleman took his position as a servant very seriously. I wouldn’t hold it against him. I simply

held his arm out for me, and I laced mine around

the doorway, a pair of servants opened the door for us. “Thank you very much,” I said to them both. Both ignored me, eyes low, as if they had been instructed not to look at me. No, it wasn’t just me. They deferred their gazes from Nicholas

at Nicholas in

staff kindly and pays well. Neither of those things are true. His cruelty knows no bounds, and I suspect, though I have no proof, that many of his staff aren’t

have done something about it by

his head. “Everyone has turned a blind eye. I’ve broached the topic with my parents before, but they will not hear

their gazes were on the floor, their bodies still as statues. I doubted they would speak to me either. Perhaps the only way to help them now, was the same way to help

to bring Terry

Into a greeting room at the base of a grand staircase. Gold adorned nearly every surface from the banisters

little doubt that over them, let‘ I dirty them

a few other guests were scattered throughout the room, with Terry standing in the center of the room. Servants, their downcast gazes in place, walked

when he spots us, waves Nicholas and me closer. Nicholas holds tightly to my hand as we approach.

drifts down to my l*ps, and his eyes narrowed. “Why, Piper. It seems

l*pstick.”