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

knife to his heart. Of all the cruel, cold things Julius had done, this was one of the worst—turning neighbor against neighbor, student against student.

Still, they were not defeated.

On the front line, there was a rallying cry, urging the fighters to take on the remaining soldiers. Seeing there were still uniformed enemies among them, the survivors sprang into action, chasing after those who belonged to Julius’s militia—those who had brought this terrible fog with them. Seeing the mob swarming toward them, the army scattered, turning tail and running from the sight of the battlefield. The Starcross warriors gave chase, several Kelpie riders catching up with a few of the enemy soldiers, cutting them off in their tracks. As the soldiers crossed the river, however, the Starcross folk skidded to a halt, a whole line of eyes watching the retreating soldiers.

Soon after, a roar of victory rose from the crowd, but the triumphant sound brought only sorrow to Alex’s heart. They believed they had won the fight.

Sadly, he knew they hadn’t.

Chapter 19

“Stop!” Alex bellowed, his voice booming across the field. Victory died on the lips of the Starcross warriors as they turned to see Alex approaching, his friends following close behind. Virgil had reappeared too, limping at the back of the smaller group. “Everyone needs to stop cheering!” Alex shouted, drawing looks of displeasure from the crowd.

“And who are you to tell us to quiet down?” someone yelled.

“I know it looks like we’ve won, but we haven’t!” Alex explained, his voice carrying across the warriors. “Julius planned all of this. The fog, the fighting, the retreat. He is doing it to lure you all into a false sense of security! We need to get back on our guard, and be ready for him when he strikes!”

A murmur rippled through the assembled force. They glanced toward the spot where the soldiers had run, but the uniformed army was no longer visible.

“How do you know that? Are you working for him?” a second voice called, the tone accusatory.

Alex shook his head. “I just know the man we’re dealing with. He isn’t done with us, I promise you!”

It was all too straightforward not to be a setup. Yes, the fights had been tough, and several people had lost their lives, but it was much too easy. Julius had something else up his sleeve, Alex was certain of it. Now, it was a waiting game. If they could be ready when he struck, they might stand a better chance of survival.

Ceres rode up to where Alex stood. “You think we should evacuate?” she asked, looking around nervously.

Alex shrugged. “I think we could try. Julius is—”

Ceres cut him off with a wave of her hand. An eerie stillness was settling across the battlefield and all who stood upon it. Her people watched her, waiting for her to speak, but she was silent, listening intently to something only she could hear.

“Too late,” she whispered, her head snapping up. “Everybody, run for the trees! Get into the forest! Hide yourselves!” she screamed. There was no time to do things calmly, the group of gathered warriors looking at each other in a panic. As her words sank in, they began to run in all directions, chaos ensuing as the people of Starcross fought to escape an enemy they couldn’t yet see.

“What is it?” Alex asked, trying to figure out what it was Ceres knew that he didn’t.

He understood, mere moments later, as the clouds began to roll in at an alarming, unnatural speed. They gathered, swelling and frothing over one another, fluffy white giving way to deep, bruised storm clouds that loomed above the realm. A great boom of thunder shook the earth below, and lightning tore across the dark sky in terrifying forks of rampant electricity, lashing nearby trees that burst into flames.

Those who had run for the trees backed away, seeking an alternative exit, only for another bolt of lightning to hurtle in the direction they were running, cutting them off. Julius was dividing and conquering, without even getting his hands dirty.

Storm, who had been circling the battleground with her keen eyes, weaved between the forks of lightning with ease, darting this way and that to avoid them, but as one came too close to her wing, singeing the very tips of her feathers, she spiraled out of the way, retreating into the nearby forest with a squawk. Alex wanted to follow her, to ensure she was okay, but the storm brewing overhead prevented him, not to mention the warning grip of Aamir’s hand on his arm.

“She will be fine,” the older boy promised. “She will be safer in there, hidden away, than she will be out here,” he added. Alex nodded reluctantly; he could see the sense in it, but he couldn’t bear to think of the Thunderbird alone and in pain, left in solitude to lick her wounds. Glancing at the spot where she’d vanished, he made a promise to come back for her as soon as he could.

Meanwhile, thunder growled deafeningly overhead, the roar intensifying as the heavens parted. A great glowing light shone down, so bright Alex had to cover his eyes with his arm. Once it had dimmed, he dared to look back toward the sky. A large band of elite soldiers floated to the ground the way Venus had done when they’d snatched her from Spellshadow. Julius was leading them this time, confirming Alex’s suspicions that he’d simply been biding his time, waiting for the majority of the fight to be over before he made his triumphant final blow. Here were the remnants, waiting to be scooped up and destroyed for his amusement.

The King’s squadron was dressed in sleek black military garb, with glistening plates covering their chests and arms, and helmets over their heads. They exuded power like electricity.

As thunderbolts shot down any attempt to flee, the Starcross fighters gathered in the center of the battlefield, turning to face the elite squad walking calmly toward them, their hands