The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 3 by Bella Forrest (i can read book club txt) 📕

beautiful face. She seemed to want to make another comment about her brother’s ineptitude, as the same cold, derisive look flashed for a moment in her eyes, but she held her tongue, clearly thinking better of it. There was more to it than the Head was letting on, and Alex could tell Alypia knew that. For some reason, the Head was only drip-feeding her information. Alex guessed it might be so the Head could have some credit for once: if he could do something tremendous, Alypia wouldn’t be able to scorn him anymore.

As much as Alex found it hard to wrap his head around the idea that the two were siblings, they certainly acted like siblings. The power plays, the dirty looks, the taunting, the jeering—it reeked of familial ties.

Watching intently, he could see Alypia’s mind working quickly as she assessed what her brother was telling her and what he was keeping from her. At no point did Alex hear the word ‘Spellbreaker,’ but that didn’t mean the Headmistress hadn’t guessed. There was a curiosity in her eyes at the mention of this new, special boy, but Alex clung to the reference of him ending all their troubles. It wasn’t the first time he had heard himself pointed out as ‘different’ from the others, but he still wasn’t sure why, specifically, they needed him and his alternative powers. The only thing he knew for certain was that it couldn’t be for anything good. Nothing between Spellbreakers and mages ever was, based on the history books he had read.

“As I said, I will return them if I find them. Rest assured, I will keep an eye out, though with this much time gone by, I imagine they will be deep in a forest somewhere, scavenging. They will come out when they are hungry enough and tired enough—rats always do,” Alypia purred with a glinting smile.

“You’re certain they’re not here?” asked the Head, gesturing around at the general expanse of Stillwater House.

Alypia’s eyes narrowed. “Nobody could have gotten within the walls of this school without me knowing.”

Alex felt uneasy as he heard the words fall from Alypia’s lips. If that was the case, then how had they managed it? He didn’t have much time to dwell on it as he saw Alypia rise from her seat.

“You’re sure?” pressed the Head.

“You may go, little brother,” she whispered, a threat lingering beneath the command. “Don’t worry, I will send the promised guards to help you. Let us both hope you can keep things in better order once they have dealt with your mess.”

She stalked toward the door, casting a shadow over the keyhole.

Alex ducked away and ran to the end of the corridor, slipping behind the wall just in time to hear the clunk of a heavy key unlocking the door. He didn’t wait to watch them leave as he took off through the labyrinth of hallways, hoping he was going the right way.

As he reached the courtyard, he paused to catch his breath, praying he hadn’t been seen by anyone on the journey back. It gave him time to wonder whether Alypia had been bluffing, or whether she genuinely wasn’t aware of their presence inside Stillwater. She had seemed pretty sure they weren’t there, but Alex didn’t know how much could be trusted from her hypnotically beautiful face. Still, he hoped she had been telling the truth. The thought that Alypia didn’t know bolstered his trust in Helena. Nobody had come after them yet, after all.

As he opened the tower door and headed up to the first floor, he was met by the soft sounds of sleeping people. Not wanting to wake them with his news, he made a promise to tell them what he had discovered as soon as he awoke the next day. As he climbed up to the bell tower, however, he saw a figure waiting on the steps.

“Where the hell have you been?” hissed the speaker.

Alex squinted into the dark. “Ellabell? Why aren’t you asleep?”

She frowned. “I could say the same of you.”

“Fair point.”

She waited. “So—?”

“The Head was here—”

“What?!” she gasped, panic flashing in her sparkling blue eyes. “We have to get out of here!”

“Calm down,” Alex shushed, slowly sitting down beside her on the stairs. “You’ll wake the others.”

“They need waking if the Head is here!” she hissed.

Boldly, Alex took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. “There’s nothing to worry about,” he promised.

“What do you mean?” she breathed, her voice tight with anxiety.

“He was only here to talk—neither of them know anything,” he assured. “I saw him talking in the courtyard with Princess Alypia, and I followed them. I listened for a while, and learned that the Headmistress doesn’t know we’re here yet. Helena, I think, has done as she promised. We’re not in any immediate danger. If we were, do you think I wouldn’t be down there like a shot, waking everyone up and getting them out of here?”

She frowned. “I suppose not.”

“I wouldn’t put you,” he paused, his voice thick, “or anyone else in danger.”

“Shouldn’t you wake them up anyway—tell them what you’ve just told me?” she asked quietly, turning her face from his.

He shook his head. “It can wait until morning.”

“I should get some sleep,” she said, standing.

He nodded. “Me too.”

“Sleep well, Alex,” she sighed, dropping his hand as she walked toward the staircase leading down.

“Sweet dreams, Ellabell.”

Chapter 15

His own dreams, however, were not sweet.

It was still dark when he awoke to the sound of something moving across the other side of the room—a soft, whispering sound like fabric brushing against the stones beneath. Fear shot through his nerves as he peered into the darkness, trying to see what was making the eerie noise. It was such a quiet sound, like curtains flapping, but there were no curtains on the windows. With a thundering pulse, he let his eyes grow accustomed to the light.

Appearing in the dim glow of the room was a twisting mist of shadow, outlined