The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 6 by Bella Forrest (books for men to read .TXT) 📕

with my guilt—who knows, perhaps I’ll have an epiphany.” A strange, sad expression passed over his face that Alex couldn’t quite understand. Perhaps the Head actually did feel remorse for the things he had done, and the ghosts that lay in his wake.

Ceres approached them, hands on her hips. “We should be heading back,” she said to Alex. “I have a meeting to attend in the central square, and I’d rather not leave you here unsupervised.”

Alex didn’t want to leave, not with the carrot Virgil had just dangled in front of him, but he knew he had no choice. Ceres would demand he follow, and he reasoned it was better not to cause a fuss. However, he was certain he would return to pick up this conversation where it had left off.

“Until next time,” murmured Virgil, still smiling that elusive smile.

“Until next time,” Alex echoed, before following Ceres from the windmill. As he passed Venus’s cell, he saw that she was still sleeping, looking so peaceful beneath the blanket. Although… He looked closer, noticing that her breathing had slowed, the snuffling sound of her slumber easing off.

She wasn’t asleep at all—she had been listening to every word, though for what reason, Alex couldn’t be sure. He just hoped it wasn’t something sinister. Venus was an anomaly to him. He couldn’t quite place where her loyalties lay, or which way her moral compass pointed. The only thing he knew for certain was that she was stronger than she looked, and could endure Julius’s wrath. Maybe one day she would reveal her true colors, one way or the other.

The walk back was a silent one, both Alex and Ceres deep in thought. He glanced at her now and again, wondering if she was going to speak, but she never did. Alex, for one, didn’t want to get too excited about the prospect of Virgil doing the second attempt at the spell, in case it came to nothing, but he couldn’t help feeling the tiniest flicker of hope that the Head might truly come around to the idea.

There was a commotion when Alex and Ceres returned. Someone was running across the fields, and the riders were mounting their Kelpies to cut the figure off, strapping on the bridles that kept the bulky, terrifying creatures obedient.

“Stop!” Ceres bellowed, her voice carrying across the crowd that had gathered.

The riders turned.

“Ceres! We tried looking for you—there’s an intruder, just come through the portal,” said the closest rider, a young woman in her twenties with flowing, dark blond hair.

“Sorry, I got tied up,” Ceres apologized. “No need to ride out. That’s my brother.”

The young woman turned to look at the figure, who was fast approaching. “Hadrian?”

Ceres nodded. “Many of you haven’t seen him for a very long time, but yes, that’s him. I’d question what he’s doing here, but I think I might have an inkling,” she remarked, flashing an accusatory look in Alex’s direction.

Although Alex felt slightly guilty, he was distracted by what Ceres had said about many of them not seeing Hadrian for a long time. Perhaps, Alex thought, that meant Hadrian had never set foot in Starcross himself; he just ferried the weary survivors over the border, where Ceres and her mounted band of merry men saw to the rest. It was the perfect hiding place, if it was secret even from the one who brought the people through. But now, thanks to Alex, Hadrian had evidently been forced to break his self-imposed distance.

They waited patiently for him to arrive, the riders letting their steeds return to the water, bridles strapped firmly back to their belts. As Hadrian neared, it was clear this messenger wasn’t coming with good tidings.

“It’s b-bad news,” Hadrian gasped, sprinting the last few meters to where Alex and Ceres stood.

Ceres placed her hand on her brother’s back, rubbing it gently. “What happened?”

“Julius has f-finished with Stillwater, and h-he has c-come to Falleaf,” Hadrian explained. “He is f-furious, angrier than I h-have ever seen him. I m-managed to slip away w-without being s-seen, but I n-need to hurry b-back before he r-realizes I am m-missing,” he stammered, his eyes wide with fear. “He knows s-someone is r-responsible for t-taking his wife, and h-he won’t s-stop until he f-finds out who d-did it. I w-will divert h-him as m-much as I c-can, but you should s-still be safe if you s-stay here. He doesn’t know anything about it y-yet, and I p-plan to keep it that w-way!”

“Why did you come, Hadrian?” Ceres asked softly. “Were you followed?”

Hadrian shook his head. “I m-made sure I w-wasn’t. I had to k-keep you updated, as p-promised.”

“Here, let me at least take you back to the portal, before you collapse from exhaustion,” Ceres suggested, calling her Kelpie from the river. Hers was the biggest of the herd, standing almost a foot taller than Alex, its shoulders rippling with muscle, its hooves the size of dinner plates. Still, the one-eyed royal hopped up like it was a pony, and pulled Hadrian on behind her.

“Thank you for warning us,” said Alex, reaching up to shake Hadrian’s hand.

“I j-just pray he d-doesn’t find you,” Hadrian replied, his stammer worse than ever.

Still gripping Hadrian’s hand, Alex leaned in close to the royal’s ear. “Set up a parlay—set up a meeting between me and Julius. I want to negotiate.”

Hadrian gazed at him in abject horror. “You’re not s-serious?” he hissed.

“I’m deadly serious. If you don’t set the meeting up, I’ll come anyway. If the meeting is a go ahead, leave a letter at the portal door… I’ll check for it every day,” Alex whispered.

Ceres charged off before Hadrian had a chance to answer, which suited Alex nicely. Now, the nervous royal would have no time to argue—though now that Alex thought about it, he wasn’t as sure of himself. It had been an impulsive request, borne from the glimmer of an idea that was formulating in his head.

If Julius was at Falleaf, that presented a window of opportunity Alex couldn’t ignore.