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?"

in this book." She motioned toward the merfolk book on the top of the bar. "The

great sign! If the book

anything

good news?" I asked, because

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

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

said. Cóntent

good?" I was beginning to suspect that

supposed 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 purple was the best color, that it

is the most intricate of the curses," Veronica said. "It will require the highest amount of magical power

of power? Veronica was the only one I knew who

remove her curse?" I

Not by far." She sighed. "What I do is mere child's

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

said quickly.

"If I were stronger-*

her. I dipped my head into her line of vision so she could see my face and know

shook her head, clearly dissatisfied with herself. I couldn't talk. I knew exactly how it felt to not

the only one with

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 could fully trust her. The

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

my heart. I hoped she knew how much I appreciated her. I wasn't sure she would until Elva was

wanting to give her some space. I looked

She explained in her roundabout child way that Veronica had made

said to the

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

made his way over to me. Together we stood side by side. We

cool down," Nicholas said. "I'm