THE LUNA CHOOSING GAME - Season 6 Episode 97

When I blinked my eyes open again, I was reclining on a leather seat with the back dropped way down. The ceiling seemed to be curved. There were other seats beside my own, similar in shape and style. Nicholas was sitting in one of them.

The ritual was over, then. I didn’t feel much pain anymore, though exhaustion did weigh down heavily onto me. But where was I? And where was Elva?

I wanted to ask Nicholas, but my thoughts felt sluggish. My mouth wasn’t totally working just yet.

Nicholas was talking, but not to me. He had his phone to his ear.

“I want a medical helicopter ready and waiting at the airport the moment we land,” Nicholas said.

Airport? Oh, we were in an airplane. That would explain the curved ceiling and matching chairs. And we were set to return home the day of the ritual. I must have been passed out all of this time.

But wait… medical helicopter? Had something happened to Elva?!

At once, my sluggishness dissipated and I sprung upright in a panicked rush. My thoughts went from too few, too slow to so many at once that I was having trouble organizing them.

My heart raced out of control. I needed to see Elva. Where was she? Was she okay? What happened with the ritual?

Nicholas immediately noticed my distress with a look of concern crossing his face. “I have to go,” he said into the phone and hung up. He turned toward me in his seat. “Piper? How are you feeling?”

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“What happened to E-Elva?” I said so quickly and with so much emotion that my voice cracked. I reached out and gripped his sleeve with both hands.

Nicholas looked down at where I was holding him. He placed his hand over both of mine.

“Everything’s okay,” he said. “Elva is fine. Better than fine, really. It’s you that we are worried about.”

“But the medical helicopter…?”

*Is for you, Piper. You’ve been out for hours.”

I could see now the exhaustion in his face. The concern I had earlier perceived was not as new as I thought. Worry seemed etched into his features. Was it fear for me that had him looking this haggard?

My chest warmed slightly in affection for him. He truly cared for me so much.

“What happened?” I asked. “With the ritual? And the Oracle? After I passed out.”

Nicholas’s hand squeezed mine. “You were in so much pain, more than the rest of us combined. Afterwards, not even the Oracle could explain why, though she suspected it was because of your blood relation to Elva. I held out as long as I could, listening to your agony.”

*I remember you letting go of my hand,” I said. “Did that ruin the spell?”

“Not ruined,” Nicholas said. “Just as I was ready to stop it, the spell ended. Then, immediately after, you passed out.”

I considered his words. I couldn’t fault him for wanting to protect me, I supposed I would have done the same in his position. But saving Elva was and would always be my top priority.

“I want to see Elva.” I wanted to make sure with my own eyes that she was healthy and safe.

“Do you think you can walk?” Nicholas asked. “She’s just nearer the front of the plane.*

I would have crawled to see her if I had to, but I didn’t want Nicholas to worry more. So, even though I wasn’t

totally sure if it was true, I told Nicholas, “I can walk.”

Nicholas looked at me with suspicion, but didn’t argue. Instead, he rose from his seat and stepped into the aisle. He waited there, giving me enough room to get by while also being close enough to catch me if the worst happened.

I gathered my strength, letting my strong desire to make sure Elva was okay drive me forward. Seeing Elva was a powerful motivator. Even though my legs wobbled, I still placed them beneath me soundly enough and was able to step into the aisle.

Nicholas stayed close behind me as we walked toward the front of the plane.

Immediately I spotted my little girl, bouncing around the plane like she had rubber for bones. It was as if she couldn’t sit still. When she crawled over some empty seats and stepped into the aisle again, Elva spotted me.

*Mommy!” she called and ran toward me to give me a hug. I wanted to lean down and hold her, but I wasn’t certain I’d be able to stand back up again. Instead, I gently patted her on the top of her head.

Elva leaned back to look up at me with wide, bright eyes. “Are you up from your nap? You were sleeping a long time.”

Not wanting her to worry, I gave her my softest smile. “I was just resting, but I feel better now.”

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Just as I was starting to relax, the plane hit some turbulence and began to shake. I was no less a nervous flier than the last time we’d been in this airplane, so I quickly ushered Elva into one of the seats. She moved into the window seat. I took the middle seat beside her. Nicholas sat in the aisle seat.

We all fastened our seatbelts.

I gripped onto the armrests with white-knuckled grips, holding on for dear life as the plane rattled around. Elva didn’t seem alarmed; she just looked out the window. Nicholas was calm as can be as well, sitting patiently with his arms crossed.

Glancing around the plane, I recognized the tops of my friends’ heads. Veronica, Julian, and Jessica were sitting near the front chatting with each other. Veronica said something lightly, I couldn’t hear what, but it made Julian laugh and laugh.

There was no sign of Nathan or Bridget.

I didn’t want Elva to overhear me, so I leaned nearer to Nicholas and kept my voice soft. “Where is Bridget?”

Nicholas grunted in clear displeasure. “I didn’t think it was appropriate for her to be on the same flight as you and Elva, so I made arrangements for her to wait and travel on a second plane. Nathan is with her, to make certain she doesn’t get into any more trouble.”

Even with Nathan’s watchful eye, I wasn’t certain Bridget could manage not getting up to something. She always seemed to have some kind of scheme working. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t using this time right now to try to win Nathan back to her side.

She seemed to have lost favor with him when she had slapped Nicholas.

I thought about all that had happened, from falling into the pit to Ronan’s attempts at hurting me to Bridget deflecting blame and slapping Nicholas. Even though I had lived through all of it, it still hardly seemed real.

“Nicholas,” I began.

He hummed in acknowledgement.

I gathered my courage and asked, “Are you serious about trying to get Bridget kicked from the competition?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, exactly, but he and Bridget were very old friends. I knew he had a friendly almost familial affection for her based on their shared youth. Even if she had become someone else as an adult, sometimes it was difficult to let go of the past.

I wouldn’t fault him for feeling that way, though I would be disappointed.

Nicholas however did not disappoint me. His face hardened and his eyes flashed fiercely.

“I will have her removed before she tries to hurt you again.”