?Chapter 0547


    Forfeit? Why in the world would Nichs want me to back out of an event I had a good shot at winning?


    My face must have revealed my confusion and displeasure. His own features immediately softened, but his frown did not ebb.


    He lowered his voice even though we were far from the others. He must have wanted to be doubly sure we were not overheard. "You have been sabotaged since you arrived on this ind. And we know for a fact, my parents are behind it. You really think they will let youpete without trying something?"


    Oh. In my excitement, I hadn''t considered what they might do. I hadn''t forgotten, exactly. More like, I had pushed it to the back of my brain to deal with more immediate thoughts.


    But now that he had pointed it out, yes, I understood there were major points of concern here. But I couldn''t just forfeit!


    "Do you really think they''d try something during the race?" I asked. "I''d be swimming out in the ocean? How would they manage that?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m worried," he said.


    To sabotage me while I''m out in the water, they would risk killing me. "You don''t think they''d...?" I hoped he knew what I was trying to say, because I really did not want to give voice to my fears. To say them aloud might make theme true.


    Fortunately, Nichs knew me well, so he knew what I was trying to say. "I do not think they intend to harm you physically, or... worse." He probably didn''t want to give voice to it either. "But after what happened on the ind, I don''t think you should take any chances."


    "You think they were responsible for the pit?" I still wasn''t sure what I thought. It seemed like it would have been a difficult prospect to n, but if Nichs thought they might have done it, maybe it wasn''t so oundish after all.


    "I''m not ruling anything out," he said. "I don''t want to believe they could be capable of doing such harm to you. Maybe with the pit, if they had been responsible, they only meant to way you. Or maybe they had been hoping Bridget would save you and make herself look good. I don''t know."


    I hadn''t considered that. Was that why she had been given the rope, while the rest of us went without any supplies? She was supposed to y the part of the heroine?


    Well, she royally failed there.


    "But if they were responsible, even if they hadn''t meant you to be harmed down there, you still almost died. If they attempt something while you are in the water, their carelessness could lead to you... drowning," he said thest word like it physically pained him. "It''s not worth it, Piper."


    The word drowning sunk into me and held me down as well. Of course, I didn''t want to die or risk dying. But we were only talking about hypotheticals. If the King and Queen arranged the pit, and if they try something so simrly careless now.


    Forfeiting this event would drop me in the rankings. I wasn''t certain what the next elimination ceremony was going to look like, but with my ranking so low to start, could I really afford to back out of this event? All for hypotheticals?


    *I''m not sure I have alternatives," I said.


    Nichs stepped closer. His voice was even more urgent. "Thispetition isn''t worth your life."


    "We don''t know if they are even nning something for this event. They could just think Bridget will legitimately beat me." Which seemed like a real possibility.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Bridget was used to exercising, and she had her wolf for a very long time. For years, working was my work-out, and Miracle and I sometimes still struggled to get on the same page. Despite effort on both our parts, we were still out of sync much of the time.


    It was getting better, though.Update first atN?velDráma. Org.


    There were other factors to consider too.


    Being intimate with Nichs had rekindled hope inside of me that maybe we actually had a chance at a future together. Wasn''t that something worth fighting for? Maybe even worth dying for?


    "I''m sorry, Nick," I said. "I understand your concern but this is something I have to do." Nichs opened his mouth to argue, so I hurried on before he could. "I have to prove to everyone that I''m capable. I can''t keep hiding behind you all of the time. I have to stand on my own."


    *No one thinks you do that," Nichs said. "Besides, I''m happy to protect you."


    "But you shouldn''t need to. Let me do this, Nick. Please. Let me prove myself."


    I didn''t need his permission, but I would have felt a hell of a lot better if I had it.


    His frown was deep, and a worry line formed between his brows. He wasn''t happy about this, that much was clear, but I refused to back down. I had something to prove. I needed to prove it.


    "I won''t stand in your way," he said atst. That was as much of a consent as I was ever going to get from him. I epted it. I''d take whatever I could get.


    A few momentster, Nichs had to go inside to attend to a few things, so we split ways. I went down to the beach to find Elva. When I arrived there, she''d been joined by Julian. The nanny had stepped back a few feet.


    *Every sandcastle needs a moat," Julian said, and helped Elva dig out around the outside of her castle. Then, carrying her bucket, she rushed down to the shore, scooped up some water, and hurried back to fill the moat.


    "It''s gorgeous," I told her and Elva beamed proudly. I sat down beside her in the sand and pulled her into a hug. "I want to live in a castle," Elva said.


    "Oh?" Julian asked. "What kind of castle?"


    Elva shrugged. "I don''t want to go home."


    Her words made me frown. "Back to our apartment."


    Elva kept her eyes on the ground as she nodded.


    "Anna''s there," I reminded her.


    "I miss Aunt Anna," she said.


    "Me too," I said. I tilted my head. "But you still want a castle?"


    Elva nodded again.


    My heart ached. Elva didn''t want to go back to our life in that apartment. But then, neither did I.


    This filled me with even more determination. If I could do well in the race, maybe I could improve my ranking. And


    if my ranking went high enough, then maybe the royal family would have to acknowledge me as an actual


    contender.


    And then maybe I actually stood a chance at bing Nichs''s bride.


    And if I could be Nichs''s Luna, then I could secure a happy future for all three of us.


    I couldn''t make promises to Elva that I couldn''t keep, so I just held her closely and hoped within my heart that I


    could give her a life she could be happy in.


    *I''d like to live in a castle, too," I admitted.


    No sooner had I said it, then Bridget approached.


    Maybe she wasn''t paying attention. Her gaze did seem to be on the ocean.


    "Hey!" Julian called, but it was toote.


    Bridget trampled straight over Elva''s castle.