Chapter 118

I stood very still, confused and surprised both by the very presence of Julian’s lips on my cheek as well as the tenderness of the affection he was showing me.

Julian had always struck me as something of a playboy, and while I understood that much of how he acted was an act, he never seemed to connect with any woman, in any relationship, beyond a fleeting fancy.

In our school days, he strung along many hearts, leaving a trail of broken ones behind him. He never seemed to care about the mess he made of girls’ emotions.

Even Nicholas had warned me that Julian was a love them and leave them kind of guy.

So the gentle way he kissed my cheek, and the way his hands hovered over my shoulders, close but not touching, was so bizarre to me, I was stunned speechless.

Then he pulled away, walked around me, and continued up the stairs. After a few steps, he stopped to look back at me. “You coming?”

I nodded, still too surprised to formulate words, and hurried along behind him.

We walked in silence the rest of the way to my door. He was smirking like always. His hands in his pockets, he had a familiar saunter to his walk.

He always looked smug, so I couldn’t correlate that with the strange kiss.

To the best of my observation, he was acting like the kiss hadn’t happened at all. Or, it hadn’t meant anything, which seemed more likely.

That fell more in line with what Nicholas had warned me of.

Outside my door, the guards greeted us both. When Mark saw me, he let out a heavy, relieved breath. He had his phone in his hand. I imagined he was texting with Nicholas. Maybe he still wanted to see us in the flesh, just to be sure.

“This is where I’ll leave you then,” Julian said. He barely gave me a glance as he turned to go back the way we came from. “Goodnight, Piper.”

“Goodnight, Julian,” I said, but he was already walking away. He waved his hand up, but did not look back. I watched him until he was gone.

Then I turned to Mark. “How is Elva?”

“I’ve been checking on her every fifteen minutes,” Mark said. “She’s been sleeping soundly all night.”

“Thank you, Mark.”

“Just doing my job, miss,” he said, but that wasn’t entirely true. His job as Beta was to attend his prince, not protect his prince’s ex-girlfriend and her small adopted child.

“Thank you anyway,” I said, desperate to give my gratitude.

He didn’t argue again. He lowered his head instead, but not before I saw the small smile tugging at his lips.

“Goodnight then, Mark. Gentlemen.”

Mark and the guards said goodnight in return, and I slipped into the room.

Elva was sleeping in the bed, her face even in her peace-filled slumber. I walked into the closet and changed into my pajamas. Then I walked to the bed.

Curling in beside Elva, I tried to convince my body to relax. Elva was here and safe. Mark and the guards were at the door. Nicholas was working tirelessly to arrange guards around the tunnel. And Julian – well, he was likely plotting something too.

At the moment, I could do nothing more than try to gather my own strength for the fights yet to come. The future promised many dangers, and I would need to be at my best to keep Elva safe from Terry and whoever else.

And I would need to keep my wits sharp so I could discern more of my sister’s involvement. If she needed saving, and the opportunity arose, I wanted to be ready.

I would do whatever I would have to, to protect my family.

The next morning came very early. A servant announced that all the candidates were to join in the parlor to receive more announcements.

I was exhausted but I complied, changing into a simple dress and then heading downstairs. When I saw Susie standing in the back of the room, I immediately went to her side.

Most of the girls assumed Nathan was soon to announce the next event for the competition, and so there was much speculation about what that event could be.

“Maybe it will be a beauty contest,” Olivia said, flipping her gorgeous hair.

“It could be trivia,” said Jessica. She looked excited by the prospect. “We could have teams, and –”

“What about a horse race,” Tiffany said. “Some kind of show of our horse-riding capability.”

Nathan headed to the stage in the room. He didn’t have a microphone this time. With only eight of us in the room now, he could be clearly heard just by his speaking up.

“The next event will be…” he said.

The room took a breath.

“A fundraising gala.”

Tiffany and Jessica’s shoulders slumped. Olivia seemed indifferent.

Nathan continued, “Each candidate will have her chance to pitch her own cause to a ballroom full of potential benefactors. The princes who chose you may offer you help as you work the room.”

Olivia and Lilliana looked sharply at each other, before slicing their hard gazes to me.

“As Luna, you would be required to know how to subtly win others to your side through careful words, and the perfect dance. We will expect to see your abilities in action on this night.”

Some of the girls nodded. I did too. It made sense. The Luna was a bastion of diplomacy – and raising money for her causes. The person set to take her place should share in the same skills.

“At the end of the evening,” Nathan said, “the benefactors themselves will decide who to support. The candidate who has earned the most support will be declared the winner of the event. All of the benefactors will be donating real funds, so you will be working both for yourself and for the benefit of your cause.”

I knew at once who I would support: the orphanage. I had returned with Elva a few times since my last being there with Nicholas. The caretakers did their best, but those kids could only stand to gain from more financial support.

I looked to Susie. “What cause were you thinking?”

She said at once, “There’s an animal shelter back home that I want to support.”

I was not shocked in the slightest by her response. Susie seemed to prefer the company of animals most times.

“I think it’s a great cause,” I told her, smiling.

When the announcements were over and I turned to leave the parlor, I noticed Lilliana near the door, speaking with the head of the guard, Joseph. They seemed to be in a deep conversation, Lilliana talking, while Joseph nodded severely.

I wanted to avoid them, but they were standing along the hallway I needed to walk through. I wouldn’t be intimidated from simply walking back to my room.

Keeping my head up, tall and proud, I walked down the hallway. I avoided looking at them for a while, but when I noticed their sudden silence, I couldn’t help but glance at them.

I immediately wished I hadn’t.

They were both glaring at me.

“Don’t worry,” Joseph said to Lilliana. “I’ll take care of this.” He cast me one last hate-filled look and then stormed away.

Lilliana, meanwhile, walked closer to me.

“Hello, Lilliana,” I said, hoping to bridge a truce before she could finish stirring whatever drama she had planned for this time.

I was too late, it seemed.

Lilliana’s demure façade cracked. She openly frowned at me as she snapped, “I know what you are doing, and you won’t get away with it.”