The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 5 by Bella Forrest (book series for 10 year olds .TXT) 📕

“Any idea who the goddess of lost souls is?” Alex asked, glancing at Lintz.

Lintz toyed with his moustache. “I believe it to be Psyche, if memory serves—though it’s something of a sieve these days,” he murmured.

The sound of footsteps nearby distracted Alex. There was a scuffling in the second passageway that led to the end of the labyrinth, followed by the joyful emergence of Ellabell and Aamir, who looked no worse for wear, aside from the fact that Aamir was drenched from head to foot and a pool of red had begun to emerge again from the bandage on his hand. In Ellabell’s hands were three letters, letting Alex know that the task had been successfully completed, provided that they were in fact the right letters.

“What happened to you?” Alex asked Aamir, trying not to laugh.

Aamir frowned. “There was a waterfall,” he explained, giving little else away.

“He was very valiant,” Ellabell chimed in, making Alex feel a slight pinch of jealousy.

“You’re too kind.” Aamir smiled, not seeing the look Alex was giving him.

Lintz cut in, in his usual, oblivious manner. “Please tell us you’ve got ‘S,’ ‘C,’ and ‘E?’”

“How did you know?” Ellabell marveled.

“Well, we have ‘P,’ ‘Y,’ and ‘H,’ and I believe we need to spell out the word ‘Psyche.’”

“She’s the goddess of lost souls?” Ellabell asked.

Lintz nodded. “She certainly is—a protector of sorts, in ancient mythology.”

Ellabell handed over her letters, and Lintz fixed all six into place within the blank squares. They waited in anticipation for the sound of the door grating, or the creak of it swinging open, but nothing happened.

“Did you put them in right?” Alex asked, casting a glance toward the spelled-out word.

“I could have sworn I did,” Lintz replied, pressing the letters in deeper. Still, nothing happened. He tried spelling it backwards, jumbling up the letters, spelling it forwards again, but still, nothing.

“Do we have to say something, maybe?” Alex suggested. It being the only idea they had, they began to shout, “The goddess of lost souls” at the letters, followed by “Psyche,” but again, nothing happened.

Did we miss something? Alex wondered to himself.

It seemed this task wasn’t so simple after all.

Chapter 12

As their voices died down, and Alex began to feel a little foolish, something wispy swept down from above the door. For a moment, he thought it was Elias, but the vapor was a misty white instead of Elias’s trademark black.

“Quick, close your eyes!” Alex cried, believing it to be a specter.

From behind the darkness of his own eyelids, he heard a voice. “I am a messenger. I come with a warning,” the voice whispered, with an eerie, musical lilt.

“It might be a trick. Keep them closed!” Alex insisted.

“It is no trick. I am no specter. I am a messenger—I come with a warning,” the voice repeated.

Anxiously, Alex opened one lid partway. Ahead of him, he saw the ghostly form of an old man, the features shifting in and out of clarity. He didn’t look like a specter, but more like the crying woman he had helped in the room full of masks. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for somebody to acknowledge him.

“And what is your warning?” Alex asked with trepidation.

“You have been penalized for receiving outside assistance, and, as such, one of your number is required to pull the lever inside the mouth of the demon,” the apparition spoke. “Be warned, this person must stay behind. The rest will go on ahead, with only a slight chance of reunion once the trials are complete.”

“What? What outside help?” said Alex gruffly.

The apparition whorled in the air, revealing an image of the dark room with the jangling chains on the walls. Inside the vision were Alex and his friends, but there was something else, too: a flash moved across the image, just for a moment, pausing beside Ellabell. Although the shape and face were impossible to make out, Alex knew what he was seeing in the vision being played back to him. Elias had been following them through the vault, and it looked as if the shadow-man had genuinely intended to help, though it had been misguided.

Alex was of two minds as to whether this warning was real, or simply part of the test. If they hadn’t received assistance, would they still be required to leave someone behind? Alex guessed they would. This place was intended to challenge them, doing whatever was necessary to push them, and prove Alex, in particular, a worthy recipient of the book.

The vision vanished, the messenger disappearing with it.

“I’ll stay,” said Alex, before anyone else could speak.

Ellabell shook her head. “You can’t stay—you’re the one who needs to go and get the book. It has to be one of us. You don’t get to step in this time.”

Alex knew she was right, but didn’t like it one bit. “There has to be another way.”

Lintz stepped up. “I’m afraid Ellabell is right, dear boy. It has to be one of us. You heard what the warning said.”

“I’ll do it,” Aamir insisted.

“No way,” said Ellabell. “I don’t mind doing it.”

“As the oldest among you, I believe it should be me who does the deed,” Lintz added, moving closer to the demon’s gaping mouth.

Before Alex could process what had happened, Ellabell had darted past the professor and shoved her hand into the mouth, pulling hard on the lever inside. With a metallic clank, the jaws snapped shut, locking her hand in place. It didn’t appear to hurt her at all, though she winced as the teeth crashed down, but it worked like a large cuff, trapping her there.

“What did you do that for?” Alex gaped, unable to believe his eyes.

She gave a half smile. “I don’t want us wasting any more time discussing who should take the fall.”

“What if we can’t get you out?” Alex ran a panicked hand through his hair. “What if I can’t get the book, and you—”

“You’re worthy, Alex. You will complete the trials, and I’ll be there to meet