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?"

incantation I read about in this book." She motioned toward the merfolk book on the

great sign! If the book talked about how to remove the curse, then maybe we didn't need to wait for the oracle to

Veronica looked anything but

I asked, because looking

show the nature of Elva's curse and the magical power level needed to remove it. It's easier, of course,

I said. Jane 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

Veronica said. Cóntent belong

that good?" I was beginning

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

Veronica said. "It will require the highest amount of magical power

the only one I knew who

you remove her curse?" I

She sighed. "What I do is mere child's play compared

down to 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

quickly. "This isn't on you

"If I were stronger-*

my head into her line of vision so she could see my face and know that I'm earnest. "We wouldn't even know any of

herself. I couldn't talk. I knew exactly how it felt

said. "She's the only one with enough power to have

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

just started. Maybe there's more

the bottom of my heart. I hoped she knew how

returned to her book, and I walked off a little ways, wanting to give her some space. I looked out over the

birdie!" She showed her 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

attention waned fairly quickly after that and she rushed over to a pile of napkins in an attempt to replicate the bird. Unfortunately,

made his way over to me. Together we stood

cool down," Nicholas