The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

Author:Amy Alward [Alward, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Samantha

WE RIDE FOR ALMOST FOUR HOURS straight, pulling up eventually at a decrepit-looking hotel on the outskirts of a small village. We have been heading steadily north, according to Kirsty, and the air around us is definitely colder by a few degrees. Kirsty bangs on the door until a sleepy-looking man opens up. He reluctantly agrees to rent us a room, but when he shows it to us I get the distinct impression no one has stayed there for years. Decades maybe. There are huge cobwebs everywhere – but then the spiders in Bharat are probably big enough to spin webs that size every night without breaking a sweat. It sends an involuntary shiver down my spine.

But hey, at least the wi-fi works.

Once I’m online, I call my parents to fill them in on the news. Kirsty reminds me not to mention any details of where we are. I also decide to leave out the part about Emilia, but it turns out we aren’t the only team to have had trouble. Kirsty and I haven’t had a chance to catch up on the casts yet, so Dad fills me in.

‘Everyone knows you’re back in now – a girl posted a picture of you at the airport on TalentChat. Then there were cameras in Bharat following Anita and Arjun and they spotted you leaving the airport and getting into their car – although they couldn’t get good shots of your faces. But they lost you thanks to some pretty crazy driving. I thought Kirsty was supposed to be keeping you safe?’

My stomach drops. So Kirsty had been right. The media had been trailing Anita and Arjun. That meant it wouldn’t have been too difficult for Emilia to find us. ‘What are they saying about me?’

‘They say you’re . . . flying under the radar at the moment.’

‘So they think I don’t have a hope.’ The thought fills me with disappointment, even though I know it shouldn’t. Kirsty would say it’s a good thing. And if Emilia is coming after us herself, then she thinks we’re a threat. That gives me a strange sense of satisfaction.

‘What about the other teams?’ I ask.

‘Two of the Participants have dropped out,’ says Dad. ‘Not ZA,’ he adds, anticipating my next question. ‘Their stashes of merpearl powder were stolen in separate raids. One of the alchemists was the CEO of a small synth firm just starting out, and their lab burned down. Arson, apparently.’

‘That’s beginning to seem like Emilia’s signature,’ I mumble.

‘What was that?’ Concern appears on my mum’s face. ‘Did Emilia do something to you? That’s the rumour but no one has found any evidence yet to point to her.’

‘No, Mum, I’m okay,’ I say, hating myself for every lie.

‘The CEO is trying to claim compensation from the Royals, being really vocal about it, but apparently it’s in the risks of the Hunt.’

‘All I can say is thank goodness you and the Patels can look out for one another,’ says Mum. ‘Maybe it’s best if you come back .

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.