Chapter 24 A Silent Conspiracy

• As night falls, Efrem remains conspicuously absent. Not that I'm particularly worried—none of the Ringleaders have been seen since morning. And with no one to rein us in, Amara, Christana, Nana, Sophia, and I linger poolside, steadily depleting the minibar's stock.
• Well, they do. Somewhere between lunch and dinner, I sensed an impending blackout and scaled back my intake. Not that it helps much—I'm still decidedly buzzed. These women, however, can drink like it's their job.
• Around noon, Amara had summoned a guard to bring us lunch, repeating the process a couple of hours ago for dinner. It's surprising how utterly normal they seem—for the most part. I'd always imagined them as stuck-up or downright bitchy. But I have to admit, they're not so bad.