Free The Ruby Moon by Trisha Priebe Page A

Avery’s hand. It seemed the whole room leaned forward.
    “I have chosen Ilsa,” Tuck said.
    Avery sucked in a breath. How was that possible?
    Kate whispered, “I don’t believe this,” but she joined the rest of the girls who clambered to hug and congratulate Ilsa, and Avery knew it would look bad if she didn’t. Tuck was talking over the cacophony and she heard him mention her name as well, but little else.
    Avery stood on wobbly legs, pasted on a fake smile, and went through the motions of trying to reach Ilsa and pat her on the shoulder. In the frenzy she slipped out of the hall and into the labyrinth to go quietly to her chamber and be alone. Almost as bad as Tuck passing her over was his choosing Ilsa. How could he? Did he not know the real Ilsa?
    “Avery,” he called from behind her.
    She wanted to pretend not to have heard him and just run. But she spun to face him.
    “I couldn’t choose you after what happened following the race,” he said. “What if Angelina were to recognize you in the Great Hall tomorrow?”
    “Of course,” Avery said flatly, turning away. “How thoughtful of you.”
    “I had to make the decision I believed was right,” he called after her. “One day you’ll understand how much you mean to me!”

    Avery stalked to her room, yanked the blanket aside, and was about to collapse and sulk in peace at least until Kate returned. But there on her bed sat a crate.
    The pigeon has returned!
    She pulled open the lid.
    Unnerved that the messenger knew where she slept and risked that Kate might find it first, Avery quickly opened the tube to find the message.
    Are you prepared to trade everything for your family? Once you leave the underworld, you can never look back.
    Of course she was prepared!
    But she needed proof her family was safe. She wasn’t about to give up the only things she had remaining just to hope she might reunite with her family.
    She hurried to where Kendrick kept his model and retrieved parchment and ink from his supplies.
Prove access to my family, and we have a deal,
she wrote.
    And as she had the first time, she released the bird from the tiny balcony.

    Later Avery ventured out to find something to distract her. The kids were reenacting Olympiad events in the Great Hall, and she needed to laugh.
    “I’m not sure how I feel about this arrangement,” Ilsa said, stepping up beside her.
    “Oh, please,” Avery said. “We both wanted it, and you won. Can’t we just leave it at that?”
    Ilsa looked confused. “I’m not talking about lady-in-waiting, which I still have to be lucky enough to be chosen for by the queen herself. I’m talking about assigning you as one of my scouts if she
does
choose me.”
    For once, Avery stood speechless. This was the first she’d heard about that.
    Tuck had said nothing to her about becoming a scout.
    “What is wrong with you?” Ilsa said. “You were right there when he announced it.” Avery shook her head. Ilsa rolled her eyes. “For once, we’re on the same team, you assigned to keep me safe, and I’m sure you’d prefer my head rolls. What do I do to make you
not
want me dead?”
    Avery enjoyed making Ilsa squirm. She was about to say she wanted nothing, but then she remembered what she wanted. She held out an open palm.
    Ilsa scowled. “What?”
    “I want my necklace back.”
    “Your silly red necklace?”
    Avery swallowed an unkind reply. Now wasn’t the time.
    “I don’t have it.”
    “You must. You’re the one who laughed at it before it went missing.”
    “For the record, I’m not the
only
one who laughed at it, and I
don’t
have it.”
    Avery dropped her hand and walked away, more certain than ever she would never see that necklace again.
    “You still need to tell me what it’ll take!” Ilsa called after her, but Avery didn’t have the courage to say what she wanted:
Leave Tuck alone.

Chapter 22
The Fishwife
    Avery awoke to someone whistling the song she had played for Angelina that had caused the