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

partner had moved off to. It puzzled him, that he should have been asked to come to this lesson with the others, making him wonder if Alypia knew as much about him as much as she had pretended to.

“Do not worry—I will make you look good,” whispered Natalie with a wide smile, as she walked behind him toward her partner.

Alex hoped she could as he stood face to face with his opponent—a tall, waif-like creature a few years younger than him, with long hazelnut hair and striking violet eyes. On her beautiful, perfect face, she wore a grimace of displeasure that made Alex feel about two feet tall.

“Shall we begin?” asked the waif in a clipped, upper-class kind of voice.

“I suppose we should get this over with,” he joked, though he wasn’t sure her unamused face was capable of laughter.

As they set about fighting, Natalie was more than true to her word, making Alex an almost even match for his violet-eyed opponent, much to the girl’s apparent annoyance. Feeling somewhat smug, he watched as golden vines and shimmering streams surged from his palms, whizzing toward his rival with a speed and vehemence that almost took the girl by surprise. For his own part, he managed to avoid taking any shots to the body, ducking and weaving skillfully to avoid the girl’s expert strikes, except for one surprise bolt that hit him straight in the chest. He covered the area quickly with his hand, rushing to stem the flurry of erupting snow. Nobody seemed to see it, though it left a peculiar wet patch that he hoped he could pass off as sweat.

Along the line of paired duelers, Alex noticed that Aamir seemed to be doing well with his young partner, though he was still prone to tiring quickly, and Ellabell was out-and-out excelling against hers. It made Alex smile, to see the determination on the bespectacled girl’s face as she sent wave after wave of twisting, coiling magic toward her opponent, peering behind a strong force-field that was proving a tough object for the young man she was pitted against to get through. Natalie was winning her battle too, even with her attentions diverted by Alex’s need for help. The extra practice they’d had in the lighthouse and whatever tricks Natalie had learned from Helena during their stay there seemed to be paying off, as Alex watched the French girl send her opponent crashing to the floor in an ungainly mess. Even though their adversaries were younger, there was still a sense of pride at winning; these were not ordinary twelve- and thirteen-year-olds, after all.

Pretty soon, the stern, disapproving looks of the other Stillwater students had turned to smiles and whoops of encouragement, as a good-natured vibe settled across the courtyard. In a way, they had proven themselves worthy to be around the Stillwater elite, and it felt nice to be welcomed into the fold, even if Alex knew his own ‘skills’ were thanks to Natalie.

Even the teacher, Master Montego, seemed pleased. He was a six-foot-six god of a man with a friendly voice, and his face seemed to be hewn from rock rather than flesh, with a shock of long blond hair and piercing gray eyes that apparently made Natalie go weak at the knees, much to Alex’s amusement. Whenever Master Montego passed her, he would remark upon her skill and talent, leaving her tongue-tied and glittery-eyed.

Alex wondered what compliments Natalie would get if the teacher knew she was doing the work of two people and still winning.

It was funny to watch her awkwardness around the beautiful young teacher as he distracted her, causing her to fire a bolt directly into a statue’s head, blowing it off entirely. She blushed furiously as Master Montego turned to see what the crashing sound was. Alex nudged her lightly in the arm as the teacher walked off again, leaving Natalie to her embarrassment.

“You’re almost worse than Jari,” he whispered.

Natalie snorted. “At least he never executed an innocent statue.”

“That he did not—you’re still a long way from kittens, though.” He smiled, watching as Natalie returned her focus to the task at hand, a foolish grin on her face.

Alex thought it was strange how easy it was to talk of Jari without the thought continuing to bother him, but there was something intoxicating about the atmosphere of the courtyard; there was a buzz that would not allow sad thoughts, so Alex didn’t allow himself to think any.

As the lesson came to a close, the initial hostilities between the students had become fledgling friendships. The class headed to the refectory together for lunch, the quartet of friends included in the group. The food at Stillwater House was another improvement on Spellshadow, with everything smelling and tasting delicious. Picking up a plate of delicious pasta with fresh tomatoes and artichokes, Alex followed the others and sat down at the table they had chosen, which looked out onto the lake. The sight of it turned Alex’s stomach, making his food seem less appealing as he pushed it around his plate. All around him, laughter and a feeling of general contentment warmed the room, though Alex’s happiness was peppered with feelings of guilt surrounding Jari. He knew they shouldn’t be having a good time while their friend was locked up under heavy guard, but something about the villa seemed to sap away any negativity, replacing it with an inescapable feeling of enthusiasm and positive energy.

It made Alex curious, wondering if there was something in the air that made it so.

By the end of the meal, having brought himself to eat the delicious pasta and a large bowl of raspberry ice cream, Alex found himself musing upon whether five years in this place would be so bad after all. The people were friendly, the food was good, the rooms were comfortable, the teachers were encouraging, the grounds were beautiful, and he had his friends with him.

Maybe this will be a good thing, he thought.

It was at this point that