The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0547

Forfeit? Why in the world would Nicholas want me to back out of an event I had a good shot at winning?

My face must have revealed my confusion and displeasure. His own features immediately softened, but his frown did not ebb.

He lowered his voice even though we were far from the others. He must have wanted to be doubly sure we were not overheard. "You have been sabotaged since you arrived on this island. And we know for a fact, my parents are behind it. You really think they will let you compete without trying something?"

Oh. In my excitement, I hadn't considered what they might do. I hadn't forgotten, exactly. More like, I had pushed it to the back of my brain to deal with more immediate thoughts.

But now that he had pointed it out, yes, I understood there were major points of concern here. But I couldn't just forfeit!

"Do you really think they'd try something during the race?" I asked. "I'd be swimming out in the ocean? How would they manage that?"

"I don't know, but I'm worried," he said.

To sabotage me while I'm out in the water, they would risk killing me. "You don't think they'd...?" I hoped he knew what I was trying to say, because I really did not want to give voice to my fears. To say them aloud might make them come true.

Fortunately, Nicholas knew me well, so he knew what I was trying to say. "I do not think they intend to harm you physically, or... worse." He probably didn't want to give voice to it either. "But after what happened on the island, I don't think you should take any chances."

"You think they were responsible for the pit?" I still wasn't sure what I thought. It seemed like it would have been a difficult prospect to plan, but if Nicholas thought they might have done it, maybe it wasn't so outlandish after all.

"I'm not ruling anything out," he said. "I don't want to believe they could be capable of doing such harm to you. Maybe with the pit, if they had been responsible, they only meant to waylay you. Or maybe they had been hoping Bridget would save you and make herself look good. I don't know."

I hadn't considered that. Was that why she had been given the rope, while the rest of us went without any supplies? She was supposed to play the part of the heroine?

she royally failed

something while you are in the water, their carelessness could lead to

But we were only talking about hypotheticals. If the King and Queen arranged the pit, and

the rankings. I wasn't certain what the next elimination ceremony was going to look like, but

not sure I

closer. His voice was even more urgent. "This competition isn't worth

They could just think Bridget will legitimately beat me." Which seemed like

for a very long time. For years, working was my work-out, and Miracle and I sometimes still struggled to get on the same page. Despite effort on both our parts, we were

better, though. Update first at

were other factors

Nicholas had rekindled hope inside of me that maybe we actually had a chance at a future together. Wasn't that something worth

concern but this is something I have to do." Nicholas opened his mouth to argue, so I hurried on before he could. "I have

one thinks you do that," Nicholas said. "Besides, I'm happy

you shouldn't need to. Let me do this, Nick. Please. Let me prove

would have felt a hell of a lot better if I

brows. He wasn't happy about this, that much was clear, but I refused to back down. I had

won't stand in your way," he said at last. That was as much of a consent as I was ever going to get from him. I accepted it. I'd take whatever

go inside to attend to a few things, so we split ways. I went down to the beach to find Elva. When I arrived there,

helped Elva dig out around the outside of her castle. Then, carrying her bucket, she rushed down to the shore, scooped up

gorgeous," I told her and Elva beamed proudly. I sat down beside her in the sand and

asked. "What kind of

don't want

made me frown.

her eyes on

there," I reminded