They spread out to look for something, but Greg told Hilda to stay put and rest. The meadow was bigger than it looked at first.
It was at least a hundred yards wide in all directions. Greg ran his hands along the edges where the grass met the hazy lines, looking for any seams or bumps that might show where a secret passage was.
There's nothing.
Elwen tried to use her plant magic to see if there were any unnatural things in the area, but everything was so fake that she couldn't tell what was useful from the background noise. Lylia examined the scattered trees, searching for hollow trunks or hidden mechanisms.
And yet again, nothing at all.
Greg said, "This is pointless," after what felt like an hour of searching with no luck.
"He could be anywhere! He could have left this area completely while we were on those islands! We may have lost our only chance!"
He sat down hard on the grass next to Hilda. He was angry and tired, and his chest felt tight.
