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

to prevent him from doing just that. They weren’t stupid, and as much as he loved them for that, he wished that, just this once, they would let him keep them out of harm’s way.

The atmosphere of the group improved as day led to evening and evening wore on into night, with Alex even relaxing a little as he feasted on some roasted figs, dripping in honey, that Aamir had cooked for their dessert. Full and content, he stood up, the fire dancing against everyone’s faces, casting strange shadows.

“Right, well, I’m exhausted—I’m going to hit the hay,” he said, waiting to see how the news would go down. Surprisingly, nobody seemed bothered, or questioned why he wanted to go to bed so early. It confirmed his suspicions that they had already set up watches to make sure he didn’t slip away.

Ellabell smiled sweetly. “Goodnight.”

“Sleep well,” added Jari, grinning.

Lying back on his roll-mat, staring up at the yellow fabric of the tent, Alex pulled the blanket tight around him and pretended to sleep. As he lay there, he could hear the chatter and laughter of his friends, still sitting around the campfire. For a sad moment, he felt completely alone—excluded from the group, peering in from the outside. Brushing the feeling off, he turned over, squeezing his eyes shut. Wasn’t solitude what he’d been seeking, after all?

An hour or so later, he heard Aamir and Jari enter the tent, milling about before settling down on their roll-mats to sleep. With one eye open, he glanced over at where they had lain down, but saw that Aamir was, in fact, sitting in a chair by the tent flap instead. He waved at Alex, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Sweet dreams,” he teased, and Alex turned over with a frustrated sigh.

At around three in the morning, the adrenaline successfully keeping him awake all night, Alex unfurled, sitting up slowly. Pausing, he listened closely to the sounds around him, but the soft snoring sounded genuine. Pleased, Alex crept past Jari and Aamir and ducked out of the tent flap, only to see Natalie sitting directly in front of him, facing the tent entrance from the fireside bench, the flames flickering behind her.

“Back to bed, if you would be so kind,” she said, smiling. “I would hate to have to wrestle you to the ground.”

He had been caught. Undoubtedly, no matter what time he tried to creep out, someone would be waiting for him. Briefly, he considered using his anti-magical travel to zip over to the cave entrance, but there wasn’t enough room inside the tent, and he didn’t feel like getting himself tangled in the fabric.

Grumbling under his breath, Alex backed away and returned to his roll-mat, where he lay down, closing his eyes and allowing sleep to come. There was no use fighting it anymore. There was no way he was going back to Falleaf on his own. Smiling to himself, he realized it had likely never been a possibility. Never had he felt luckier, and more exasperated, to have such good friends.

Chapter 10

The group rose early, eating breakfast around the fire, joking with Alex about the previous night’s escape attempts. From the clock attached to one of the bigger buildings that sat around the central square of the camp, they could see that it was only ten a.m., meaning they still had plenty of time before they needed to set off for Falleaf. Still, Alex was adamant about leaving earlier than they needed to, remembering Julius’s words about what would happen if he was late.

“Are we ready?” he asked, picking up the satchel with the book in it. He planned to take it to the cave and leave it hidden there, with instructions for the others to bring it back to Ceres should anything go awry. He didn’t feel right leaving it at Starcross, nor did he think it wise to take it to the negotiation, in case Julius decided to snatch it.

The others nodded, so they headed out of the camp, walking along the outer perimeter. Passing Storm, Alex wished he could take her with him, but there was no reason to throw her in harm’s way too. He could only imagine what Julius would do if he saw a Thunderbird—he’d no doubt want to add her to some awful menagerie he had, or perhaps he’d make some horrifying taxidermy out of her. Either way, it wasn’t something Alex wanted to dwell on. No, she was definitely safer at Starcross.

The morning sun was warm on their faces as they passed through the fields of wildflowers, followed by the rows upon rows of blackberry bushes, and then into the fields of lavender, the strong scent startling their nostrils. It was an oddly enjoyable walk, despite the challenge that lay ahead. Birds wheeled above, and scurrying creatures hopped and sprinted across the grass, ducking into the shade of nearby woods when Alex and his friends passed by. Things were almost ordinary in this realm, as close to the outside world as any realm he’d seen.

They were setting foot onto the final field, the shape of the rocky outcrop visible just ahead, when the thunder of hooves shook the ground beneath their feet. Alex whirled around, catching sight of a dust cloud rising in the near distance, and the unmistakable forms of four charging Kelpies emerging from the haze. They were moving at a rapid pace, and gaining on them fast.

Alex didn’t know whether to run for the portal or stand his ground, and in the end the group simply waited, with bated breath, for the horsemen to arrive. There was no way they could have reached the portal before the horses got there, and Alex knew that only the guilty ran. If Ceres wanted to know where they were going, then he would tell her. It seemed only right, after the reluctant kindness the short-haired woman had shown them.

As they neared, Alex saw that Demeter was riding beside Ceres, sitting astride