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

the book talked about

looked anything but

because looking

"The purpose of 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 person who made the

own daughter no less. I'd come to accept that Jane would never come around, not to help herself

Veronica said. Cóntent belong

good?" I was beginning to suspect that it

pulled my heart out a little. I wanted her to say purple was the best color, that it indicated

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

of power? Veronica was the only one I knew who

remove her curse?" I

sighed. "What I

around me. It was my own fault. I should have known from Veronica's expressions that the diagnosis was not very good. "I'm sorry," Veronica

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

"If I were stronger-*

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

I knew

said. "She's the only one

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

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

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

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

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 was

said

fairly quickly after that and she rushed over to a pile of napkins in an attempt to replicate the bird. Unfortunately, Veronica didn't notice to be able to help. The

his way over to me. Together we stood

down," Nicholas said.