The Luna Choosing Game

No sooner had we all sat down, then Terry stretched his arm across the back of my chair. He leaned into me enough to whisper, “Should we make those two brothers jealous, Piper?” He reached up, snatched a loose strand of my hair, and tucked it behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my cheek.

I wanted to turn my entire body inside out to get away from that touch. “I think we should just focus on dinner.”

“Is that any way to treat the man who controls your entire future?” Terry asked.

I gave him a confused look.

His smile added teeth. “You had a poor showing at your last event, didn’t you? I know how important this one is to you and your standing. To dear little Elva, who is always so sickly. You want to stay in the contest, yes? To keep her healthy and happy?”

My stomach churned in disgust. I hated that he was right. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t. Not yet.

“Uncle,” Julian said sharply. “The cameras are waiting for your introductory speech. Unless you want me to cover for you…”

Terry’s smile twitched. Julian hit him where it hurt. Terry would never miss an opportunity to steal the limelight. His arm retracted from my cheek. His other moved away from my chair as he rose to address the table.

He waited for the cameras to zoom in on him. “Thank you to all my honored guests, for joining me this evening. I have followed the competition with the upmost interest. I am thrilled to now be a more formal part of it.”

He reached down onto the table and picked up his flute of champagne. “Though tonight is an event to be judged, I hope you will each find the time to enjoy yourself while you are here. There’s no reason a contest can’t be fun.”

He looked down at me. I did my best to avoid his gaze without making it obvious.

Terry lifted his glass. “Cheers!”

The others and me lifted our glasses as well, then took a sip. The taste of champagne wasn’t as good as I remembered, reminding me too much of when Terry drugged me. I covertly spit my drink back into my glass.

I was not going to drink any alcohol tonight.

The first and second courses arrived with minimal issue. Terry engaged several of his nearby guests without paying me much attention. It was only as the entre arrived, after Terry bit in,

“Piper, this steak is to die for.” He speared a piece of the meat and held his fork out for me to taste.

I froze. It eat something off of his fork felt overly intimate. It had even garnered the attention of several nearby candidates and the cameras. The candidates gave me pitying looks. The cameramen moved in closer.

If I accepted, it was akin to accepting his advances. If I rejected, it would be like a slap in the face. I might as well show myself out now for how much standing I would lose, being rude to the host.

I clenched my stomach, ignoring the way disgust swirled within it, violent and angry.

I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and accepted the bite of meat from Terry’s fork.

“There’s a good girl,” Terry said, and I wanted to spit the food in his face.

Instead, a glass shattered.

My eyes shot opened.

Nicholas had clutched his water glass so tightly it shattered. Blood dripped down from his fist.

“Why, nephew. Don’t know your own strength perhaps?” Terry was absolutely delighted by the display and made no attempts to hide it. “You should go clean yourself up before you stain the tablecloth.”

Nicholas frowned harder, but, after casting a glance at Julian, who nodded in return, Nicholas excused himself from the table.

Servants immediately cleared away the glass shards and replaced the broken cup with a fresh one.

Terry looked at me. He leaned in and whispered, “Now that we’re alone…”

He placed a hand on my upper knee.From NôvelDrama.Org.