Chapter 21
At dawn the next day, Esme woke to the sound of Daniel’s voice, calling her name from the balcony. Startled, she crossed to the shutters, opened them, and darted back in fright.
‘Strap yourself in,’ said Daniel. ‘We’re going to see the oracle.’
He sat astride the thorny back of Zephyr, whose golden scales were muted in the grey light.
‘The oracle?’ Esme went out onto the balcony. ‘We said we’d only go to her as a last resort!’
‘Seems like last resort time to me.’ Daniel rose and fell a foot with each massive wingbeat. ‘You need two more ingredients, we’ve only got a lead on one of them, and somebody’s tried to attack your mother—twice.’
‘I’m sure there’s another way.’ Cold wind bit at Esme’s cheeks. ‘I know the grotto’s the last place you want to go, after what happened to
