The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0550

Elva glanced up at Veronica and her laughter stifled. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Veronica startled a little, then tried to smile again. It wasn't as big as before. It barely twitched her lip, and certainly did not meet her eyes.

"Nothing's wrong," Veronica said. "I'm glad you liked the trick."

*How long does it last?" I asked, though as soon as the words left my mouth Elva's purple glow began to fade.

"Aww," Elva said, looking at her hands. "Do it again!"

"Elva, honey," I scolded lightly. "We don't demand things from people."

"I'm tired now," Veronica said. "Maybe another time."

Elva tucked her chin down, disappointed. But she said, "Okay."

*Thank Veronica for the magic trick," I reminded Elva.

Elva kicked her feet on the ground. "Thank you..." she mumbled.

"You're welcome," Veronica said.

Elva lifted her folded bird again. She glanced at me, as if for permission.

"Go on," I said. "Have fun."

Nearby I saw the nanny coming up onto the deck. Elva saw her too, and ran toward her, holding up the folded bird. With Elva thoroughly distracted, I turned to Veronica, looking for an explanation. "What just happened?"

read about in this book." She motioned toward the merfolk book on the top of the bar. "The book contains many sections on curses and how to properly evaluate and remove

and I perked up. She said 'remove them'! That should be exciting, a great sign! If the book talked

anything but

good news?" I asked, because looking at Veronica, I was really

the magical power level needed to remove it. It's

was the one to make the curse, on her own daughter no less. I'd come to accept that Jane would never come around, not to help herself or anyone else. If

Cóntent

purple. Is that good?" I was beginning to suspect that it

appreciated her bluntness. She was never one for false hope. Although in this case, it pulled my heart out a little. I

of the curses," Veronica said. "It will require the highest amount of

only one I knew who could do any

you remove her

frown deepened. "No. Not by far." She sighed. "What I do is mere

the ground. Any false hope I had built up for myself crashed and burned all around me. It was my own fault. I should have known from Veronica's expressions that the diagnosis

I said quickly. "This isn't on you at

"If I were stronger-*

into her line of vision so she could see my face and know that

dissatisfied with herself. I couldn't talk. I knew exactly how it felt to not believe you were

oracle," Veronica said. "She's the only one with enough power to

oracle had said she would appear again to me when I had removed doubt from my heart. I wanted to arrive, to help Elva, but I still didn't know if I

keep reading." Veronica said. "I've only just

and meant it from the bottom of my heart. I hoped she knew

give her some space. I looked out over the water. The

folded bird to Nicholas, who had just stepped out onto the deck from the house. She explained in her roundabout child way that Veronica had made it and given it to her, and

Frank," Nicholas said to the

in an attempt to replicate the bird.

me. Together we stood side by

needed to cool down," Nicholas said. "I'm