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

though he knew it would be hard to get over the scene they had just witnessed. He could hardly believe it himself. Grief-stricken and confused, he realized she must have paused, believing she wanted to give up, only to change her mind a fraction of a second too late. He tried to push the image of her final moments to the back of his mind as he urged Storm to descend into a tiny clearing he’d spotted in the woods. There would be time to mourn later, once they were away from the threat of the silver mist.

With a last flap of her wings and a ripple of muscle, the Thunderbird elegantly dropped to the ground. As she landed, the crowd of students appeared through the woods, horror written across their faces.

“Is everyone okay?” Alex asked, dismounting the Thunderbird.

“No physical injuries,” Natalie answered, looking queasy.

Alex nodded, glancing around at the shell-shocked group. Their fear seeped toward him, heightening the worry in his own veins. “I know what you’ve all just seen is terrible, and I promise, we’ll honor Catherine later, but right now we need to get going. Aamir, you know where the portal is, right?”

“This way,” Aamir said, leading the group.

As they departed, Alex turned to the Thunderbird. “Can you meet us at Falleaf? Hide beside the cave until I can come and find you,” he instructed, trying to wrestle the unconscious Virgil from her back.

Storm’s bright eyes glanced over Alex, and a chirp of understanding trilled from her beak. With a rush of limbs and wings, she took off again, soaring over the sickly woods, casting a shadow on all those below, and then disappearing with a crack like thunder.

Knowing she was safely on her way to Falleaf, Alex took off after the others, dragging Virgil along. It still surprised him how heavy the Head was, considering his slight frame and skeletal appearance, and it was tough going as he pulled the man along.

The woods gave way to a larger clearing with a stone circle of obelisks in the center. In the middle of that circle, a portal glimmered, showing the autumnal leaves of Falleaf House, though it was a different view from the one Alex had seen from the walls of Kingstone. This led into a deeper, darker part of the forest around Falleaf, but there didn’t seem to be any signs of soldiers in the immediate vicinity, which made Alex feel a small flicker of relief.

Aamir, Jari, Ellabell, and Natalie were standing at the rear of the student group, marshaling the progress of the procession of students stepping through the portal. Nobody wanted a repeat of what had happened at the walled garden. Some were reluctant, having never seen a portal before, and not knowing what the world was beyond, but Alex could hear the comforting words of his friends reassuring them.

“You are all going to be just fine. The person in charge here is nothing like the Head—he will keep us safe,” Aamir promised.

“Come on, it’s just a little step, dude!” Jari encouraged.

“That’s it, just straight through and you’ll be fine,” said Ellabell, flashing her brightest smile.

“See, they are all fine, and you will be too,” Natalie insisted calmly, pressing a firm hand against the backs of the more reluctant students.

With the last person through, the only thing left to do was step through themselves. Alex glanced back, and though the woods blocked the manor from view, he could see the coil of silver mist rising over the spot where the manor ought to be, its tendrils twisting into the air, sniffing out its prey. With any luck, Alex hoped, it would go hungry today.

“Need a hand?” Jari quipped, before coming over to take up Virgil’s other arm. With the Head decidedly more balanced, and Alex’s shoulders giving a sigh of relief, they took their steps through the portal, into the realm of Falleaf. The temperature dropped instantly, the forest chillier than the woods of Spellshadow, though it looked like warm sunlight was trying to peek through the thick canopy. A few of the Stillwater students, used to constant warmth and sunshine, began to shiver.

As they stood in the cool glade where they had come out of the portal, Alex’s mind wandered toward the idea of the fifth haven. It seemed like the best place to take so many people, though he was certain the suggestion wouldn’t go down well. Yet, he found himself thinking about the clear, crisp air of Starcross, and its seemingly idyllic landscape. Surely, if it had been one of the five fallen havens, it ought to have been smothered in a blanket of mist, but it wasn’t. Did that mean the mist ebbed and faded over time, after it had done its deadly sweep of the place? With no mage essence left to taste, had it retreated? It was a question he’d have to save for Ceres—she knew more about the fifth haven and its secrets than anyone.

“I’m going to leave you all here while I go and find the man in charge, to ensure safe passage through these forests. While I’m gone, keep yourselves as hidden as possible and your eyes peeled for anything strange that might look like a trap. Listen to what these guys have to say, too,” he added, gesturing toward his friends.

The group made noises of anxious agreement, some of them retreating into the darkest recesses of the glade, their bodies morphing with the shadow into nothingness, the camouflage remarkable. Alex just hoped it would be enough to fool any passing soldiers.

“What are we going to do with him?” Aamir asked, nodding at Virgil.

Alex grimaced. “I’m going to have to leave him here. Can you manage?”

The four remaining friends glanced at one another, their hesitant expressions mirror images of Alex’s own.

“We will do what we can,” Natalie said, finally.

“Though that’s not exactly saying much,” a silky voice purred from the shady boughs of a giant oak. Elias rippled down the twisted trunk, his teeth glinting.