Justice had been served.

But not entirely the right justice.

Rafe was being let off scot free.

Because Ward had confessed to killing Peterkin and Gavin in a video which was sent to both Rose and Shoupe.

"He deserved it, right?" JJ asked as the Pogues minus Sarah talked on the dock.

"Are you joking?" Kie asked flatly. "Of course he deserved it."

"Never seen anyone blow themselves up like that," Pope shrugged.

"Cross that one off the bucket list," Tyler nodded.

"Ty, shut up," Elora advised. "Just imagine how Sarah's feeling right now."

John B said nothing, his face smushed into the side of the HMS Pogue, looking down into the water.

Elora sighed, going to sit next to him.

"Listen, I... I'm not gonna say you were right," she stared off, looking at him. "But are you alright?"

He nodded. "It's not me I'm worried about."

Elora nodded. "But then you need to actually help her. You can't go off on one about how you were right."

John B looked up at her, his eyes flashing with anger. "Do you really think I'd do that?"

"I don't know," Elora held her hands up. "Just please don't."

He nodded, looking back down. "Thanks, Elle."

It wasn't much.

But it was progress.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

They'd broken up.

Elora wasn't really sure of what had gone down, but she did know that when John B came back, he was about a hundred percent more sad and fifty percent more flat.

"I don't get it," he said to Elora and Pope, as night fell, all three of them lying on the dock, waiting for the others to return with beer, looking up at the sky. "I don't."

Elora opened her mouth but he just looked sideways at her. "I don't need an 'I told you so' routine, Elora. This is bad enough already."

"I wasn't going to say that," Elora shook her head. "I was actually going to say that I don't think she should've dumped you. You could've worked this out."

John B smiled slightly back at her. "Thanks, Elo-"

"Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato two!" JJ grinned, chucking beer cans at all three of them, only Elora managing to catch hers. They all chuckled slightly, getting up and trying to catch another one from Kie and Tyler.

"So what are you guys doing out here? Having a good cry?" JJ asked.

"A cry?" Elora chuckled. "It's been waterworks out h-"

"Shut up, Elora, we don't cry!" John B objected.

Kie sighed, taking a drag from the joint JJ had carefully rolled earlier. "You know it's not your fault, right?"

"So you think she'll come round?" John B asked hopefully.

"Yeah, dude," Kie smiled. "She's one of us."

"It's true," Tyler grinned. "I've done the exact same thing as her, and believe me when I tell you that it's hard to get out after that."

John B chuckled lightly along with the rest of them. "Sarah's a Pogue."

"Yeah, she is," Elora smiled slightly. "She'll come back to you eventually, JB."

"You know, I was just thinking about it, I wanna do a backflip," John B smiled. "I'm gonna do a backflip, right now!"

"You're lying!" Kie shouted.

"Oh, you think I won't do it-?"

"You got money? I totally bet you won't do it!"

"Stop being a pussy and do it, John B-"

"Ayyyyyyyyy!"

They all cheered as JB backflipped off the boat, landing in the water with a resounding splash. Elora chuckled slightly, whooping with the rest of them.

When Tyler joined him, front flipping this time off the edge of the Pogue and landing next to him, she grinned wider.

"You know, Ty, I'm getting used to having you around," John B grinned as they treaded water. "You're a Pogue now too, man. Through and through!"

And the way that Tyler's face lit up at this statement? Elora was about to cry.

She'd been such an idiot for ever pushing him away.

And she knew she needed to talk to him soon.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Whilst Pope had woken up JJ and John B to go to school the next morning, Elora and Kie had both steadfastly refused. Tyler, of course, didn't go to their school and so wasn't going anyway.

So whilst the three boys went off to school, the other boy and two girls stayed at the Chateau. Kie had gone back to sleep, however, so it was just Elora and Tyler.

There was a bonfire tonight. It happened every year, and it was one of the only nights a year that Kook and Pogue teenagers got together and willingly got together, after ignoring and cussing each other out at keggers.

"You going tonight?"

She didn't know what to think of Tyler, hair all messy from sleep, eyes still a bit bleary, coming over to her. Her cheeks were instantly heating up as she looked at him, eyes scanning his body and his slightly lifted shirt, exposing toned abs.

"To the bonfire?" She questioned, as he came and sat next to her on the couch. "I don't know. Depends on what everyone else is doing. Why?"

"Well, Kelce's probably gonna be there," Tyler bit his lip, clenching his fists. "And I swear to god, Elle, if he tries anything-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Elora said with a slight chuckle. "You don't wanna go to the bonfire... because of me?"

"No, because I don't wanna split more knuckles- of course because of you, Elle," Tyler said, sarcasm dripping in his tone.

"Well, I'm just a little surprised, that's all," smiled Elora, cheeks alight.

Then she realised that if she wanted to get even close to telling Tyler she was in love with him, she'd have to go deeper. So she shifted slightly, leaned forward and said meaningfully. "You know, uh... a year ago's Tyler Thornton would be having a fit right now if he ever heard you say that."

"Well, a year ago's Tyler Thornton was also a dick, an asshole and about fifty other similar things, so... I think a fit probably would've done him some good."

Elora chuckled. "You've really come a long way, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I mean..." Tyler shrugged, his eyes so damn pretty in this light. "My mother's probably dying in a shell of embarrassment and disappointment right now, and my brother's just a cross between a coward and an idiot about it, but... yeah."

Elora giggled slightly.

"Anyways, I'm down for tonight if you are, but I will be personally making sure Kelce doesn't get near you," he finished.

"Okay, fine. But do you seriously think I can't handle myself?" Elora raised her eyebrows jokingly.

"Oh, I know you can," Tyler joked back. "I've been on the recieving end many times you've let your violent tendencies get the better of you."

"Yeah, well," Elora nudged him. "You deserved it."

And she didn't know whether it was because he was smiling at her like that, or whether it was because his gaze was flicking down to her lips, or whether it was because they were just so close, but next thing Elora knew, they were kissing.

And it felt so good. Elora was absolutely intoxicated by him. The way he tasted, the way his lips felt, the way his hands on her hips and hers in his hair felt. The way he let out a small groan that she wanted to hear again, and again, the way his hands reached slightly underneath her shirt, touching bare skin-

Crash!

"Jeez, sorry! Um- I'll- I'll just go..."

Both Elora and Tyler giggled slightly at the look on Kie's face as she ran out the room, looking back at each other.

"Now... where were we?"

𔓘𔓘𔓘

She still hadn't told him she loved him yet.

They'd had their fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh kiss that day, and still, they hadn't talked.

And by the time the boys got home, it was too late.

Because they had brought with them big news.

At school, Mr Sunn had given the boys a diary. A diary that belonged to Denmark Tanny. And inside it were entries about both the cross and the gold. Entries that proved that both were on the Royal Merchant, which was definitely news.

"Guys, this is from Denmark's diary," Pope announced to everyone as they sat outside the Chateau. "August fifteenth, set sail from Port-au-Prince on calm seas. Came upon the Spanish ship San Jose on fire. The entire deck was aflame. And we could hear the screams of men trapped below. The Spanish captain cared about only one thing, his valuable cargo, the Cross of Santo Domingo. And countless bars of gold. Once the cargo was on board, we went to help the crew, but Captain Limbrey ordered us to pull bayonets and not to let any of the Spanish crew on board. He robbed them and left them to die."

"Holy shit," Elora shook her head. "So the cross wasn't lost just off Bermuda."

"And it was a Limbrey stealing shit again," nodded Kie.

Pope, meanwhile, said firmly. "This diary proves that both the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingo were on the Royal Merchant."

"Why didn't we find it in the well then?" JJ shrugged, flicking his lighter open and shut. "I mean, if Denmark was able to get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore, why didn't he just hide it with the gold?"

"Because it was too big," Tyler deduced.

"You're right," Pope commented. "He had to hide it someplace else."

"But where?" Kie asked.

Pope sighed. "Right before he was hung, Denmark said he'd buried the treasure at the foot of the angel."

"I thought that was about the key."

"Right, so what's the connection?"

"'The path to the tomb begins in the island room'," Pope quoted.

"So what the fuck is the island room?" Elora asked, tipping her head back.

"You know what helps me figure shit out?" JJ sat up. "Smoking beers and drinking weed. The ideas just pour outta me. If we just sit here and try to figure this out, we're gonna get nowhere. But if we get creative and go to this bonfire tonight, maybe we get somewhere."

"Well, I just got disowned by my parents, and I'm an official member of the I-have-nothing-to-lose club," Kie announced.

"Welcome, we've been advocating for new members," Elora quipped.

"Pope?" JJ looked at the boy.

"We're so close-"

"Look, look, think about how much you could think if you just gave your brain a rest," JJ proposed.

"Oohhhhh..." they all built the tension up, grinning.

"Okay, fine."

"Yes!" Elora got up, hi fiving Kie and JJ and all the others.

"Alright, here's to shotgunning and smoking and getting as crossfaded as we possibly can!" She whooped, holding up a beer can.

"Amen to that, Elle!"

"Let's go!"

𔓘𔓘𔓘

'The bonfire, an Outer Banks tradition.

It's the same weekend every year. Everyone goes, and I mean everyone. Kook or Pogue, you were there. And you were enjoying it.

And after finding a fortune, and losing it, and all sort of being public enemy number one at some point or another, it felt good to be back.'

The bonfire this year was fucking crazy. Pretty much every Outer Banks teen always attended, but honestly this year, it seemed like the numbers had doubled. Tripled, even.

Elora smiled as she entered with Tyler, walking behind Kie and Pope and in front of John B and JJ.

"Well, there is for sure a lot of people here," Tyler murmured.

"Tell me about it," Elora sighed. "Where's the nearest drink?"

"That would be this one," Tyler shrugged, handing her a mai tai can. She grinned, taking it and opening it immediately, grinning as the alcohol hit the back of her throat.

She came up for air, flicking a drop of beer off her lips and grinning up at the blonde boy, eyes twinkling. "You not having one?"

"Oh, I'm saving myself for you tonight," Tyler shrugged. "Making sure Kelce doesn't get too near y-"

"Oh shut up, take this," Elora said, shoving the mai tai can upon him and making him take a sip.

As she did so, her eyes caught John B in the near distance, talking and laughing with a brown haired girl she vaguely recognised from school.

"Oh shit, JB's on the rebound," she chuckled slightly, pointing Tyler in the direction. The blonde spotted the boy, grinning and shaking his head.

"I don't know what that girl's thinking but she's never ever gonna top Sarah in JB's eyes," Tyler shrugged.

Elora frowned at him. "How do you know that?"

"It's the way he looks at her," shrugged Tyler. "It's pretty obvious, Elle."

"Not really," Elora shot back with a slight smile. "How do you know, is that how you look at me?"

She wasn't used to being this forward. And maybe it was the alcohol, sure, but she was feeling brave tonight. And Tyler hesitating and stammering slightly was hotter than she could ever imagine, but she wasn't crossfaded enough to say that out loud yet.

"Yeah," he said finally, eyes slightly wide before his flirty smile came back. "You're just Elora olivious Easton and never noticed-"

"Hey!" Elora nudged him, laughing slightly as she snatched another mai tai and said. "I'm gonna go ask JJ for a joint, you coming?"

Tyler shrugged. "How could I say no to that?"

𔓘𔓘𔓘

It wasn't until about an hour later that things started to kick off.

Elora had actually been having a good time. She's smoked about four joints by now, maybe five, and she'd had at least seven or eight beers. She was dancing about next to Tyler, JJ and Pope, yelling in slurred words about something she didn't even know about.

"Guys! Guys, guys... guys..." she shouted, dancing like crazy as she pulled on Tyler's arm, trying to get him to dance with her.

"Elle, listen to me-" he started, wanting more than anything to keep her safe.

"Tyler!" Elle snapped, voice desperate, trying to get him with her to... what was she doing again? "Tyler, come dance with me..."

"Elora-"

"Can we kiss?" She asked, eyes suddenly wider, standing up on her tiptoes and trying to grab his face. "I wanna kiss y-"

"Elora, please stop," Tyler said, pushing her off as JJ and Pope laughed.

Elora looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "You weren't saying that earlier-"

"Elora-" Tyler's voice became urgent as Pope and JJ exploded into fits of laughter.

"Tyler..." Elora whined, huffing slightly.

And that was when the worst happened.

"Hey, Elle!"

She knew that guy, she swore. I mean, there were bruises all over his face, but his smile was... it was pretty nice. And he was looking at her as if he knew her, as if he wanted to-

"Do you wanna dance?" She asked, turning to this guy that she swore she knew.

"Sure," the boy smirked slightly, but he still looked interested-

"Let's dance!" Elora yelled, running at him and grabbing his arms. He laughed, twirling her round slightly and putting his hands on her hips, drawing her in and looking down at her almost like-

"Tyler!" She whined as the boy with the bruised face was thrown off her and the blonde boy was stepping in front.

"Get away from her, Kelce," he snarled.

"Oh, Kelce!" Elora let out a giggle, looking past Tyler at the boy. "That's who you are, I forgo-"

"I'm not doing anything wrong, Ty," Kelce smirked, puffing his chest out. "She wanted to dance, I'm dancing with her. Not my fault she looks so h-"

"Don't even finish that fucking sentence," Tyler snapped, holding Elora where she was behind him.

"What? You annoyed at me cause your girlfriend's putting out?" Kelce asked, grinning. "As I said, that's not my fault."

"She's drunk, you fucking creep!" Tyler shouted, causing people to turn and start recording.

"Tyler, it's... it's fine..." Elora said, trying to pull Tyler away as she gained some sense of what was going on. "Let's just g-"

"Oh, I'm the creep?" Kelce demanded, up in Tyler's face by now. "At least I've stayed on the same side! We all know what you're doing, becoming a Pogue! You just want to fuck her and then have it done w-"

CRACK!

Kelce's jaw popped as Tyler punched him, his head lolling to the side. He stumbled backwards, spilling his drink, as sounds of another fight came floating over.

"Get him, Top!"

"John B! John B!"

At the sound of those two names, Tyler, Elora, Pope and JJ all looked round to see a crowd forming around two boys on the ground, scrapping. It was no doubt John B and Topper, and Sarah was screaming the loudest from the crowd.

Tyler turned back to Kelce, snarling. "Unless you want a repeat of the other night, I suggest you stay away from us. And keep Elle's name out your fucking mouth."

And with that, he took Elora's arm and gently guided her over to where the fight was happening, just as she saw Sarah get shoved out the crowd by the girl John B had been macking on earlier.

"Hey!" It was like her brain finally decided to clear as she rushed over, losing a very worried Tyler as she ignored her throbbing headache and rushed over, shoving the girl back. "Get off her!"

"What the hell? You're a Pogue, Elora!" The girl screamed at her.

"She's my fucking friend!" Elora shrieked back, shoving the black haired girl and turning to Sarah, who was on the ground, dusting herself off. "You alright?"

She looked up at Elora. "Yeah."

Elle offered her a hand and pulled her up, saying awkwardly. "Boys are assholes, right?"

"Too right," Sarah nodded. "Look, Elle... thank you."

"Don't mention i-"

"Elora! We need to get the hell outta here!"

The redhead turned, eyes wild as she saw JJ, Pope, John B, Tyler and then Kie rush past her. She turned to Sarah, opening her mouth, but the blonde spoke first, saying only one word. "Go."

"Thank you," Elora whispered as she ran off, her head still hazy and throbbing but much clearer now.

She couldn't believe she was actually gonna dance with Kelce.

Moreover, she couldn't believe that Tyler had stopped him like that.

He really cared about her.

As if she needed another reminder of that.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The Pogues sat in the backyard of the Chateau, all around a fire toasting marshmallows, some still drinking beer. Elora was firmly not, but she had taken a few drags of a joint Kie had.

The feelings had come out in the car. JB had been flat, everyone else had been trying to pick him up. Now, however, all of them were laughing, and trying to have fun.

"I've had more black eyes in the last month than I've ever had!" Pope grinned, laughing loudly as he pointed to the black eye he'd gotten by trying to stop the fight.

"Tell me about it," Tyler chuckled. "Though I did have a couple before becoming a Pogue, courtesy of this real bitch called Elora Easton."

As the other Pogues were in stitches, Elora shouted loudly. "Oh really, that's how you wanna play this?"

"Yeah to be fair, mate, you deserved it," JJ smirked.

"Yeah, I did," shrugged Tyler, eating a marshmallow off a stick.

"Hey, uh... Elle?" John B changed the subject, looking at the girl next to him. "Did you... did you really stick up for Sarah?"

"Yeah," Elora nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah, I mean, the girl you decided to mack on to make her jealous was a bit of a bitch, and... she's not a real Kook. She'll come back to us. To you."

John B didn't say anything, but nodded. Elora sighed slightly, turning back round and watching the flames in the firepit flickering.

"Yeah, tell that to Topper," Pope shrugged.

"Oh fuck off, I can't believe he fought you," Tyler sighed, looking at JB. "He's so whipped for her it's making him act like even more of an asshole."

"Yeah, and that's quite hard," John B nodded, reaching for Elora's marshmallow. "Just let me have one bite-"

"No, stop it, JB-"

The marshmallow went flying behind them and got stuck in the grass.

"Fuck you!" Elora rolled her eyes.

"John B!" Kie complained. "I spent the last of my money on those!"

"It's fine, Kie, I've got it," John B hopped off the log and began to search for this mallow in the grass.

"Ew," Elora complained, as the others raved about how John B's marshmallow theft was the crime of the century.

She sighed, putting a hand to her head to stop it from throbbing so hard just as John B hit her back.

"Hey! Hey!"

"Get off-"

"Shhhhhhh!"

Elora frowned heavily as the boy shut them all up, eyes fixed on a point in the distance. The chicken shed. He started walking down the hill towards it, and the others followed.

"Do you have your gun?" Kie hissed at JJ.

"Oh, now she wants the gun-"

"You don't have the gun-?"

"No-"

"Isn't that your secret weapon-?"

"Shut up! Shhh!" John B shouted as he led them raising his voice and shouting. "Hey, who's out there?!"

"You Kooks better not try anything!" Kie added, voice shaking slightly.

But it wasn't a bunch of Kooks, like they all thought it was.

It was Renfield.

He stepped out from behind the chicken shed, his arms open, his hands up, and his face smug.

"How y'all doing?"

"Oh, it's this piece of shit," JJ snarled, picking up a pole from nearby.

"Lovely evening we're having," he said, very conversational. "Look, I, uh, I don't hold a grudge against any of y'all, right? But this can go hard," he opened up his jacket to show he had no weapons. "Or this can go easy."

Elora swallowed. "When have we ever picked the easy route?"

Renfield chuckled. "Well, you know what I'm here for. Let me give you a little demonstration. You see that swing?" He pointed to the rope swing hanging from the tree. "I got the best bow hunters in the Army Rangers with me. Hidden."

He whistled as Tyler laid a hand on the rope, his face skeptical. But it quickly became fearful as an arrow flew right in front of his face, cutting the other rope and lodging right in the tree.

"Tyler!" Elora's eyes went wide, and her head flipped round to make sure he was okay.

Renfield just shrugged. "Now, they're out there. And they'll stick you just as soon as I say so."

He marched up to Pope, and at that moment Elora had had enough, she marched forward, muttering something about how she was gonna teach this man a thing or two-

"Elora!"

Shit.

She wasn't really that aware of the arrow rushing towards her.

Tyler, however, was more aware than ever. He lunged forwards, fear in every single movement as he wrenched her out the way, the arrow impaling the ground a couple of metres away from them instead of the girl he loved.

"You okay?" He whispered as he held her against her. Elora, frozen in fear, nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered back, because she knew she would've been shot by it if he hadn't been there.

Renfield, meanwhile, was looking upon the scene with a grin. "Hm-mm. We clear?" He asked, looking at her. She was poised, her body tense, her eyes wide. He turned back to Pope before declaring. "Now, I'm not gonna give you a countdown or any bullshit like that, I'm just gonna whistle."

A pause. The Pogues looked amongst each other, all the exact same type of scared. They were scared for Pope, their best friend.

He stared at each of them before looking back at Renfield. Then he reached his hand into his pocket.

Elora knew why he did it. They didn't really have a choice. If he refused or said anything against Renfield he'd whistle and they'd all have arrows in their hearts in seconds.

It didn't stop her from hating every second of watching him take it out.

So that was why a spark of hope ignited within her when he whispered. "No."

"Ohhhhhh..." Renfield said, dangerous smile on his face.

"This key belongs to my family," Pope snarled.

Renfield chuckled, raising a hand to his face. "I'm losing patience with you here, Pope."

Pope held the key tightly, and they stared again. Then Renfield readied himself to whistle, and he handed it over.

As it passed from hand to hand, Renfield told him. "Did the right thing, kid. Knowing when you don't have a choice is an underappreciated talent."

Elora scoffed, her middle finger reflexively going up as then man turned, heading back down the hill.

"Y'all have a good night."

As he left, whistling to call the archers off, Pope looked at all the Pogues, sighing and growling. "I am so sick of this shit."

"Don't worry, Pope," Elora said, biting her lip. "We all are."

But to be honest, that wasn't what she was focusing on right now.

Because it didn't matter who was sick of what or how done they were.

What mattered was that Renfield and Limbrey had the key.

And what mattered even more was that they were hot on their trail.

And gaining fast.