The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 5 by Bella Forrest (book series for 10 year olds .TXT) 📕

He didn’t have to wait long, however, as the very woman he wanted to meet pushed her way through the throng, arriving to see what the commotion was. She looked horrified when her eyes fell on Alex, her shock only intensifying as she glanced from him to the quarry clutched in Demeter’s arms. Then there was Demeter himself. Alex only saw it for a moment, but he glimpsed a flutter of sadness passing over her face.

Alex braced himself for a tirade that never came.

“Come with me,” she muttered, though it was clear she was holding back her rage. Without another word, she whirled around and stalked back through the crowd. Alex and Demeter hurried after her, feeling the burn of a thousand eyes on them as they did so.

“Wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” Alex heard someone mutter.

It didn’t exactly fill him with warm, fuzzy feelings as they followed Ceres toward a large tent that had been set up at the far edge of the shantytown. The heavy scarlet material flapped in the breeze, the yellow flag perched at the top rippling wildly. Inside, the tent was sparsely decorated, with patterned cushions and plush rugs scattered about the place. Alex didn’t have much time to take in his surroundings, because as soon as they were inside, Ceres turned to glare at them.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped. “And what possessed you to bring her here?” she added, running an anxious hand through her brightly streaked hair.

“We need you to keep Venus here for us,” said Alex.

Ceres shook her head vehemently. “No, no way, not a chance. I warned you. How dare you bring her here! Do you understand what you’ve done?” she asked, glowering in Alex’s direction. “And you! You should have known better,” she growled, turning her attention fully to Demeter for the first time.

“It’s good to see you,” said Demeter quietly, garnering a savage eye-roll from the bright-haired woman.

“So not the time!” she remarked. “I can’t believe you’ve done this, after everything I’ve said—after everything Hadrian said. Did you choose not to listen, or are you just that dense? You brought the damned queen here! Of every single person in the entire world, she is the worst possible person you could have brought here. You realize Julius will come for her, right? And then everyone will die, or worse, beneath his wrath. He doesn’t forgive, ever, and you have just sealed everyone’s fate!” she yelled, through teeth gritted in pure fury.

“Not if you help us—we’re running out of time.” Alex explained as quickly as he could. “My friends are in the middle of a battle with Virgil, and this might be our only chance to get some blood that we need to do a spell that could signal the end of all of this—no more needless death, no more essence collection, no more running. If I can get it done before Julius hears any whisper of this, we’ll all be free. You won’t have to hide anymore. Nobody will.”

She softened a fraction, her expression thoughtful. “This is a stupid risk.”

“I know you want to see an end to this, Ceres; it is all you’ve ever wanted, and it’s finally within our reach,” Demeter said, utterly impassioned. “Think of all the lives that could be saved, all the young people who will never have to suffer what those kids out there have suffered.”

Alex was surprised to see this side of Demeter, but evidently it worked on Ceres, whose expression softened another fraction.

“How did you even get here?” she asked, scrutinizing the pair. “There’s only one way in and out of Starcross Pond, and none of my security alarms went off.”

“Starcross Pond?” Alex asked, running the name across his tongue. It had a nice ring to it.

“Formerly Starcross Castle, but the castle is long gone,” Ceres replied. “But that doesn’t answer my question—how can you be here?”

Demeter smiled. “That giant bird you saw out there is a Thunderbird. She flies between realms,” he said matter-of-factly.

A wistful look flashed in Ceres’s eyes. “One of these?” she asked, pulling up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a colorful tattoo. It was in the shape of a Thunderbird, though more brightly colored than Storm. Where she had silver-and-blue feathers, the ones in the image were a ferocious red, tinged with black and orange.

Demeter nodded. “The very same, only this one is real.”

“You drew this, remember?” she said softly.

“How could I forget?” he replied, and the two stared at each other with an intensity that made Alex uncomfortable.

“Did anyone follow you?” Ceres asked, her tone anxious.

The auburn-haired man shook his head. “Not unless someone is hiding a secret Thunderbird somewhere.”

This seemed to calm Ceres a smidgen, though not as much as Alex would have liked.

“We’re desperate, Ceres,” said Alex, trying to hold onto his frustration. “I need you to hold Venus here, so there’s no chance of her running off to the one man we both hate. Nobody will find her here, because nobody knows this place exists.”

“I can’t just—” Ceres began, but Alex cut her off.

“I care just as much about the way this is going to end as you do—I want my people to live. I want my friends, and all those stolen kids, and all those people out there who are yet to be taken, to be safe from these people who see them as nothing more than a commodity. I want what you want, but I have to do this first.” He let all his pent-up emotions rattle out of his mouth, until there was only one question left. “So, Ceres, will you help me?”

A moment of silence passed between the tense figures gathered in the tent.

Ceres sighed. “I will hold you personally responsible if anything does happen, and I will make you pay. Is that understood?” she said slowly. “Even if I am the only person left standing, I will find you and I will make you suffer.”

“That sounds fair,” Alex replied. He had expected no