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

Alex felt he could get lost in the eyes that gazed at him so intently, as if he were the only person in the world who mattered. Her smile was exquisite, her voice so musical, her tone like a lullaby. He couldn’t help but be drawn by this woman, even though he could feel Ceres’s burning stare somewhere behind him. He would have looked, but he was transfixed by Venus. Ceres had backed away farther, keeping her distance from the cell.

“I am quite stressed,” Alex admitted, nodding slowly.

“Of course you are—who wouldn’t be, in your situation? Look at you, a young man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and after what happened at Spellshadow, I can only imagine how immense the pressure must be to get things right this time,” she said, her voice so soft he was forced to lean in to hear her better. “Tell me, why are you so stressed, Alex? What is going on up there?” she asked, reaching through the bars to gently touch the side of his temple. Her touch was like an electric shock to his system, his heart pounding.

Alex dipped his head in embarrassment. “It’s the spell, Your Royal Highness. I’m worried about the spell, and how much I have let my friends down,” he explained. “If I hadn’t made your husband angry, we’d have gotten the deal we wanted. I messed up, and now I’m trying to fix it. Only, I don’t know where to do the spell—your husband will be watching all the havens, and I’m scared. I’m scared of how dangerous it will be, and how great the risks are to my friends.” He didn’t know what had compelled him to be so honest with her, but it felt good to tell the truth.

Venus nodded, pushing a strand of his hair away from his forehead. “No need for formalities—call me Venus,” she instructed. Never had a single word sounded so thrilling to Alex’s ears than her name. “And fear not, you haven’t let your friends down. My husband is capricious at the best of times, always blowing hot and cold.” She gave a quiet laugh that sounded like tiny bells ringing. “We can never know if your actions would have changed anything, had you done something different. Alex, dear boy, we must never dwell on the past. The future is changeable; the past is not. As for your fear, you must use it, not run from it.”

“I suppose I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Alex murmured, his cheeks growing hot.

“Tell me, did you get the blood you needed?” she asked innocently.

Alex nodded. “I did. Julius gave it to me before he snapped.”

She smiled. “Let me guess, the blood you so rudely took from me didn’t work?” There was ice in her words.

“No, it didn’t,” Alex replied. “And I’m sorry for taking it without your permission. We were in a rush,” he added, almost groveling for her forgiveness.

She flashed him an even brighter smile, stroking his cheek. “No harm done. I know your heart was in the right place, even if you misread the lines. My own son made the same mistake—it is an easy one to make. The words of that spell are so tricky, aren’t they? So vague and confusing?”

“They really are,” Alex replied, nodding vigorously, as if he’d just been given a treat.

“But you know them well?” she pressed.

Alex shrugged. “Well enough.”

“Well enough to do the spell and succeed?” she asked, her voice making his head swim, as if he had a fever.

“I hope so,” Alex said. “Although, it’s Virgil who’s going to do the spell.”

She nodded. “I see… And you think that is fair?”

Alex frowned. “For him to do it, instead of me?”

“Yes, Alex.”

“I think it’s fairer for him, a man who has lived a long time and done a lot of bad things, to do it, rather than me, a boy who has barely lived, and not done anything really horrible,” Alex said solemnly, feeling ashamed. He knew it must be hard for her to hear that her son was going to have to do the spell. Unbidden, an image of his own mother flashed into his mind, making him think about how she’d feel, if the roles were reversed.

Venus removed her hand from between the bars and rested it delicately on her chin, her eyes thoughtful. “You believe he should sacrifice his own life for the things he’s done?”

“Only if he is willing, which he’s said he is,” Alex murmured, wishing she’d rest her hand on his face again.

“And you believe him?” Venus asked, making Alex pause. “Look at him, Alex. Look how frightened he is. I just want you to remember what he is giving up. I want you to remember how frightened he is, because it could be you in there, mentally preparing for something like this. He is willing, and he wants redemption, but I want you to understand that, despite what he has done, he is a person. He is someone’s son—he is my son. I want you to be grateful for the sacrifice he is making, because it is breaking my heart,” she whispered, so close now he could feel her hot breath on his ear.

Tears sprang to Alex’s eyes. “I’m sorry. If there were another way, I would choose it,” he breathed.

“I have no doubt you would, Alex,” she said, and it sounded like she meant it. “I sincerely hope your mother gets to see you again because of the gift my son is giving,” she added with a sad smile, her tone not bitter in the slightest, only hopeful.

“I hope so too,” Alex replied, lowering his head.

“I love him, you know?”

Alex looked up. “Who? Julius?”

A strange glint flashed in her striking eyes. “Virgil. He is my son, and I love him dearly. We have spoken a lot in your absence, and he truly is sorry… for everything,” she said, a single tear rolling down her high cheekbones.