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

if Virgil blamed Elias and Alex for his own state of affairs, and the suffering he had undergone.

“Even now, you’re blaming someone else for your failings,” Elias taunted, flashing his teeth in a wry smile.

“We’re not here to take your essence,” Alex said, keeping his voice strong. “An apology wouldn’t save you now, even if you wanted to make amends for all the horrible things you’ve done.”

“I did what I had to,” Virgil remarked, showing no hint of remorse for the acts that had brought him here. “You think you have some sort of power over me, but no matter what you do to me, you will get your comeuppance. The chaos you have caused will not go unpunished. Once Julius hears of this, he will kill you in the most horrible manner you can imagine,” he spat, glowering in Alex’s direction.

Alex smiled. “With your help, whether you like it or not, we are going to put a stop to the Great Evil,” he said quietly, letting the words sink in.

To his surprise, the Head showed little fear. “You’re bluffing, Alex Webber,” he sneered. “The king of this nation could not make me do the act that would stop the Great Evil—what makes you think you can?”

“I know things Julius didn’t,” said Alex simply. “I am exactly the person who can make you do it. Let’s not forget, you and I share a common ancestor,” he added, gauging the Head’s reaction.

Virgil looked puzzled. “You and I share only our cursed power.”

Alex shook his head. “Not just that,” he said, and it felt so good to gloat. It didn’t seem the Head knew about his ancestry at all. Perhaps Julius and Venus had kept it from him all these years, in fear of how he might react, or how others might react to such a revelation, if the secret was more widely known. It wouldn’t be right to have a descendant of Leander Wyvern in such close association with the royal elite. “Have you heard of Leander Wyvern?” he asked.

“Rebel scum,” Virgil spat.

“Not a very nice thing to say about your father,” Alex remarked. “Your mother loved him, and their love created something impossible… you. My ancestor was also his child. You and I are blood, and no amount of defiance can change that.”

A look of pure rage flashed across Virgil’s face. “LIAR!”

“Afraid not, Virgil,” Elias purred. “The boy speaks the truth. You were the product of a love so rare, it defied the laws of nature.”

“I’m going to need you to tell me where the Spellshadow pit room is,” Alex said, relishing in the look of confusion that played across the Head’s ghoulish features.

A menacing smile stretched Virgil’s lips. “‘Pit room?’ I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb, Virgil. You know precisely where it is,” Elias said.

“Even if I did, I would never tell you,” Virgil hissed. “You are liars… I will never help you. You think a shared ‘bond’ will change my mind? After all this time, you think I care where I came from? Even if you were telling the truth, it wouldn’t matter. I know where my loyalties lie, and no tainted blood can alter that. I will never breathe a word of what you want to know,” he added, his voice dripping with hatred.

Alex smiled. “You don’t have to.”

Slowly, Alex approached the dangling figure, and though the Head fought against his restraints, there was nowhere to run. He could not stop what Alex was about to do, and for the first time, Alex saw a glimpse of something close to fear in the Head’s eyes. Reaching out his hands, Alex pressed his palms tightly against the struggling figure’s skull, keeping his head still as Virgil thrashed. Focusing intently, Alex weaved strands of white light into the Head’s mind. All the while, the skeletal man fought back, but there was nothing he could do to prevent the seeking strands of Alex’s powers.

Memories flooded Alex’s mind as he sifted through Virgil’s thoughts. He saw the Head standing in the sunshine with Finder, discussing the events that had brought them to that point. It was strange for Alex to see the discussion from a different perspective, looking at things through Virgil’s eyes, and their current symbiosis was the most unsettled Alex had felt in using his skillset. As their conversation came to a close, Alex knew Virgil had only been trying to do what was best, and what Julius expected of him, but it made no difference. Like anyone else in the world, he’d had a choice, and he’d followed the path of evil.

There were images of Virgil as a younger man, before the peculiar living decay had set in, giving him his current skeletal appearance. Flashes of Alypia’s cruelty peppered the scenes. She had been a cold-hearted sibling, taunting and hurting him at every opportunity, forever getting him into trouble with a step-father who loathed him. Seeing the familiar face of Julius screaming in the face of the younger Virgil, a hand raised to strike, Alex almost recoiled, feeling the ripple of intense fear that Virgil had felt now coursing through his veins.

Moving quickly on, he came to the vision he was looking for. Virgil was walking through the hallways of Spellshadow, carrying a large bag of clinking bottles with him, though there wasn’t quite so much gray ivy littering the place. He seemed to be heading for the secret corridors of his private quarters. Reaching the library where Ellabell had been left screaming after Elias’s attack, Virgil stopped, opening the door. Casting a glance back over his shoulder, he stepped into the room and closed the door firmly behind him.

It looked exactly the same as it had the last time Alex had entered the library, but Virgil didn’t seem interested in the rare and antique books. He moved on past the stacks, heading for a structure at the back of the room. It was a vast statue, tucked away behind a large bookshelf. When he