Chapter 25
The next morning, Talia crossed the blustery lagoon, and the thick foliage of Laertes Island rose into sight. Esme, Daniel, and Lillian disembarked and started trudging up the sand.
‘My parents think I’m taking a day off school to help Argent in the den,’ Daniel said. ‘She’s covering for me. That’s the only way I could explain taking Talia out so early. What did you two tell Miranda?’
‘That we had to go find an ingredient for the elixir,’ Esme said.
Lillian shrugged. ‘Technically, it’s the truth.’
At the far end of the beach yawned a rocky overhang. Esme glimpsed Meera inside, painting on the wall. Seth stood beside her.
She entered the cave with trepidation, expecting the air to thicken with tension between Meera and Seth. Meera, however, was immersed in her work and seem
