When Basil instructed Esme’s row to leave, she didn’t depart right away. She dropped to her knees and hunted, beneath the chairs, for the glittering object dropped by the Pegasus. She suspected it was Celia’s brooch, but it was nowhere to be found.
Outside, the Esperance police were trying to make sense of what had happened. The Pegasus, immobile once more, was being torched with a fire Gift, lest it come alive again and attack someone else.
‘Esme!’
Esme twisted back toward the town hall. Fern had come out of nowhere. Celia’s brooch shone in her palm.
‘You found it! I was looking for it, too!’
‘Lillian’s mum works on Bernice’s campaign, right? You should give it to her. They can have it looked at by an enchanter, see what kind of spell’s inside it.’
‘Er …’ Esme gestured to the unifor
