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

As dawn broke, Alex slipped out of the tent and hurried along the back of the encampment. It was easier than he had expected, given that most of the camp was still fast asleep. Jari and Aamir had been snoring soundly when he’d left, undisturbed by the soft sound of his bare feet creeping across the tent floor. He’d only dared put his shoes back on once he was out of the makeshift home, though his feet got damp on the dew-soaked grass, making him shiver slightly. The sun was only just rising, and its rays were yet to cast their warm glow upon the earth. As Alex walked, he could see his breath in the air in front of him, and pulled his sweater a little tighter to keep out the morning’s chill.

A few people were milling around the central square, a rudimentary center point to the camp with a well in the middle, the perimeter forged from a rickety fence. The other inhabitants were dressed for hard labor, their boots thick, their sweaters even thicker, with scarves and bandanas wrapped around their heads. Many of them were carrying tools, a couple lugging spades and pitchforks over their shoulders, but none of them acknowledged Alex as he slipped past.

He kept an eye out for familiar landmarks. The blackberry bushes came and went, as did the lavender fields, until, finally, Alex found himself heading toward the outcrop of rocks where they had stumbled through the portal the day before. From this side, the portal itself continued to glow, the surface rippling like a pool, though it showed only rock behind it, where the false wall had been drawn across.

At first, it didn’t look like anything was different, but when Alex approached, he noticed something resting on the trampled earth beside the portal. It was a wooden box, the top decorated with golden inlay in the shape of a crown. Alex’s heart seized in his chest. He knew the symbol could only mean one thing.

Crouching, he picked up the box and held it for a moment, his hands trembling. Taking a deep breath, he flipped open the lid. There was a small scroll of thick cream vellum inside, tied with a scarlet ribbon that stood out vividly against the pale background. With shaky fingers, he untied the ribbon and opened the scroll, tucking the box under his arm.

Dear Evasive, Vexing Stranger,

I am not usually one for taking requests, but Hadrian tells me you would like to meet, so that you and I might have a parlay. Whilst I do not know you, you intrigue me. As such, I have decided that I shall agree to your desire for an audience, so we might have ourselves something of a negotiation. Fear not, I shall listen, and I shall consider. Who knows, perhaps we seek the same objective? Perhaps you’ll find me on a particularly giving sort of day, though I must say, capturing my beloved wife was a mistake. However, should I hear your reasoning, forgiveness is not entirely out of the question. I expect you to practice your excuses in the interim before our meeting. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. I can appreciate time and effort, and I do love a good speech.

I wait, in anticipation of your arrival, no later than midday tomorrow. I presume you know the way? Oh, and while I am certain you are not working alone, I would request that you come to meet me by yourself. I will not tolerate others intruding on our conversation. In fact, if I hear even a whisper of your accomplices, our meeting is off, and you can be sure such insolence will not go unpunished. The nuisance you have caused me is not the work of one man alone. After all, no man is an island. However, you stand representative for the aggravation you have caused.

Yours in expectation,

King Julius

P.S. I cannot abide tardiness. Be late, and I shall execute you on the spot, even though Hadrian has counseled me against such rashness.

Alex re-read the note several times, hardly believing that it had come from Julius’s own hand. The pompous tone definitely belonged to the king, and though there was lenience within its words, there was a warning too. It was clear that Alex had annoyed the king, but maybe, just maybe, he would be prepared to listen if Alex could offer something that couldn’t be ignored. And the price Alex planned to ask for was so small, in the grand scheme of things. A couple hundred captives released in return for a kingdom free of fear—free of the Great Evil.

Then again, Julius was a known psychopath. Perhaps such an offer wouldn’t be nearly tempting enough for a man like him. After all, why would he give up his playthings when he loved to torture? Alex shuddered, knowing he had to remain confident in the fact that Julius couldn’t force him to do the spell, even if he wanted to. His mind was a Spellbreaker mind, off limits to mage-kind. If Julius wanted the Great Evil gone, there would have to be some bargaining, and Alex firmly hoped the king knew that.

Looking back into the box, Alex saw another compartment underneath the first, which contained another piece of vellum, though this one bore no writing. A miniature, slender quill lay beneath it. Steadying his hand, Alex wrote his reply in his neatest handwriting:

Dear King Julius,

It is most kind of you to contemplate my request, as I know you are a very busy man, with plenty on your plate these days. As such, I would be delighted to accept an audience with you, and I assure you, I shall come prepared, and I shall come alone. Expect me at midday—I will not be late.

Yours in anticipation,

The Evasive, Vexing Stranger

Curling the scroll back up and placing it in the main compartment, Alex set the box back down by the side of the