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?"

breath. "That magic trick' was actually an incantation I read about in this book." She motioned toward the merfolk book on the top of the bar. "The book contains many sections on

exciting, a great sign! If the book talked about how to

Veronica looked anything but

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

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

that 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

said. Cóntent

Is that good?" I was beginning to suspect that

I appreciated her bluntness. She was never one for false hope. Although in this case, it pulled

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

of power? Veronica was the only one I knew who could

you remove her curse?"

by far." She sighed. "What I

Any false hope I had built up for myself crashed and burned all around me. It was my own fault. I should have

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 I'm earnest. "We wouldn't even know any of this if

I knew exactly how it felt to not believe you

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

but I still didn't know if I could

said. "I've only just started. Maybe there's more

it from the bottom of my heart. I hoped she

to her book, and I walked off a little ways, wanting to give her some space. I looked out over the water. The view was pretty

"Nick-lass! 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, and that she loved it and its name

Nicholas said

that and she rushed over to a pile of napkins in an attempt to replicate the bird. Unfortunately, Veronica didn't notice

Elva distracted, Nicholas made his way over to me. Together we stood side by side. We both turned to look out over

needed to cool down,"