Chapter 133

For too long, I watched Nicholas across the room, as he greeted a benefactor and then introduced Olivia. As it wasn’t Lilliana’s turn with the benefactor, she had been asked to stand back. She glared at Olivia behind Nicholas’s back.

Nicholas turned on the charisma for the elderly benefactor. Olivia, beside him, did the same. They looked like a matching pair, working together to charm the benefactor. With the way the benefactor blushed and smiled, it was clearly working.

I didn’t want to hate Olivia. Compared to Linda and some of the others, she had never physically done me or Elva harm. But watching the way she kept touching Nicholas’s arm… Or how she smiled at him… Or once, she winked…

My heart had emotions all its own that had little to do with logic or reason. My heart hated Olivia out of sheer jealousy. She had closeness to Nicholas now. She could smile and laugh and flirt, and might even be successful.

I imagined Nicholas choosing Olivia as his Luna and my gut squeezed tight. She was a good choice. She’d make a respectable Luna.

But I didn’t want her to marry Nicholas. I didn’t want anyone to marry Nicholas.

Except me.

I sighed. What a foolish notion. One I had to let go of, the sooner the better.

Nicholas might be the one for me, but I would never be the one for Nicholas. I had to accept that and move on, for both our sakes.

“Mommy. I’m so sleepy,” Elva said, mumbling the words against my shoulder. “Can I go to bed now?”

I had other benefactors to talk to yet. I really shouldn’t leave. But my heart was sore and lonely, and I worried Elva might be getting sick again. Her exhaustion didn’t entirely seem natural.

“Okay, honey. Let’s go back to our room.” At the very least, I could have the doctor check her out. Then I could leave her in Mark’s care and hurry back to the party.

No one stopped me as I carried Elva out of the ballroom. The guards at the door didn’t even look at me twice.

The hallways were empty, with the candidates at the gala, and the servants likely enjoying their free time until the gala was done.

With all my sneaking down to the cellars, I was used to seeing the hallways so barren. Though typically, I would have Julian or Nicholas at my side. On my own, my nerves prickled on high alert.

When I turned the corner, I nearly jumped out of my skin seeing another woman standing in a purple, shimmering gown at the end of the hallway.

Odd, that dress was made of the fabric that Jane had stolen from my room.

The woman turned toward me, exposing her face. My breath caught in my throat.

The woman was Jane.

I stopped walking, feet planted firmly.

I was frozen at one end of the hallway and Jane at the other. We stared at each other across the distance.

If I didn’t have Elva in my arms, I would have moved closer. I would have confronted her and maybe even fought her.

But I did have Elva in my arms. She was vulnerable, sleeping and likely sick. I couldn’t risk her, not for Jane. Not for anyone.

Jane smirked at me. Then she turned again and disappeared around a corner.

My every instinct wanted me to give chase. Instead, I clutched Elva to me more fully and went my own way.

Once I had reached the safety of my room, I roused Elva enough to change her into a pair of comfortable pajamas. Then I tucked her into bed. When she was resting, I walked to the door.

One of the guards looked back at me. “Please send for the doctor. I believe Elva might be sick.”

The guard nodded and went to carry out the task.

Back inside my room, I couldn’t help but pace, worried about what Jane could possibly be doing in that gown.

Did she decide to go to the gala? Was she pretending to be me? What could she possibly be saying to the benefactors, or the candidates, or the cameras?

When I reached one end of the room, I swiveled on my heel and began walking the other way instead.

I wished I could go down to the gala and see for myself, but I would never abandon Elva. She could be sick. She would always be my top priority. I only hoped that whatever Jane was doing, it wasn’t so egregious that I would be forcibly ejected from the contest.

I continued pacing until the doctor arrived a few minutes later with Mark following quickly behind.

The doctor, familiar by now of Elva’s situation, nodded at me before immediately going to Elva’s side. Mark came to mine.

He looked at me for a moment, then said, “Elva’s a tough girl, and the doctor is well trained. She’ll be okay.”

I was worried about Elva, but thoughts of her illness weren’t the only thing on my mind. Mark seemed to notice, when his words didn’t seem to soothe me.

“Did something else happen?”

I wrapped my arms around my waist. “I saw Jane.”

Mark immediately straightened. “What? Where? When?”

“In the hallway just now, when I was brining Elva back to the room.” I described the location to him, and then gave him the description of her gown from what I could remember.

“You think she went to the gala?” he asked.

“I do,” I said. “God knows what she’s doing there. Likely trying to ruin my life.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Mark procured his phone from his pocket and began to text. His fingers flew across the screen. I’d never seen anyone text so quickly. “If Jane went to that gala, Nicholas will stop her before she does any true harm.”

Remembering how Olivia and Lilliana hung of his arms, claiming all of his attention, I doubted he would even notice Jane, let alone have time to stop her from whatever she was doing.

An unpleasant tingling of pain burrowed deep down inside my chest. I hated to admit that I was jealous. I knew Nicholas had other priorities than me. He was burdened with a crown, and someday he might be king. He would always have obligations bigger than his personal love life.

Lilliana or Olivia were more suited to be the Luna the kingdom needed. They didn’t have children yet, or debts, or a history tied with the underground organization, even if it was unwilling. They were free to fully dedicate themselves to Nicholas and the kingdom.

I would never have such freedom.

“I’m also activating more of Nicholas’s personal guard,” Mark said. “They’ll patrol the grounds, starting first at the ballroom. Don’t worry, Piper. If Jane is here, we’ll find her.”

I wanted to believe that, but I doubted. Jane had knowledge of hidden passageways. She had connections with Terry and whoever else. She wore my face, which had others let their guard down. Pretending to be me, she wouldn’t seem out of place.

None of that was Mark’s fault, and I was grateful for his attempts at helping, even if I thought they were foolhardy.

“Thank you, Mark.”

He continued to text, so I left his side to walk toward the bed. The doctor was checking Elva’s pulse.

I didn’t dare speak while she was working, but I watched. And I worried.

I prayed Jane wasn’t in the ballroom trying to destroy what little I had left.