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?"

was actually an incantation I read about in this book." She motioned toward the merfolk book on the top of the

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

Veronica looked anything but happy

news?" I asked, because looking at Veronica, I

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

won't happen," 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 help herself or anyone else. If left to Jane, the

Cóntent belong

I was beginning to suspect that

case, it pulled my heart out a little. I wanted her to say

of the curses," Veronica said. "It

was the only one I knew who could

her curse?"

I do is mere child's

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

no. No, no," I said quickly. "This isn't

"If I were stronger-*

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

talk. I knew exactly how it

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

still didn't know if I could fully trust her. The oracle was a stranger.

just started. Maybe there's more

I told her, and meant it from the bottom of my heart. I hoped she knew how much I appreciated her. I wasn't sure

give her

Look at my 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,

said to the

quickly after that and she rushed over to a pile of napkins in an attempt to replicate the

to me. Together we stood side by side. We both turned to look out

needed to cool down," Nicholas said.