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

pulled down on a splayed-out book carved from marble, a doorway appeared in the base of the statue. It was narrow, the Head having to turn sideways to slip through, but his thin frame made it easy.

Beyond, there was a staircase, leading down into the underground depths of the school. Alex watched through Virgil’s eyes as he descended hurriedly, his feet barely making a sound on the stone steps. At the bottom of the staircase was a hallway, hewn from the rock, much like the one Alex had witnessed at Kingstone, and at the end of the hallway stood a very familiar door. It was tall and sturdy-looking, with two great iron rings on either side.

Virgil approached it, opening up one of the doors. Alex already knew what he was going to see when he followed the vision through, but the sight was no less impressive for his anticipation. A huge pit yawned at the center of the cavernous room, a golden bird perched above it, flapping its wings wildly, its screeches piercing the stale air. It seemed Virgil had arrived just in time with his bottles of essence—the Great Evil was ravenous.

Now knowing where he needed to go, Alex began to recoil from the mind of Virgil. However, just before he removed the last of his strands from the Head’s mind, he paused, realizing he was going to have to do something to keep the Head malleable. The pit wasn’t too far, but Virgil wasn’t likely to come willingly.

Remembering what he had done to Virgil out on the lawn, Alex reached down into himself, seeking out the dim pulse of the piece of Elias’s soul. Drawing on it, he brought the magic into his hands and let the dark energy flow into Virgil’s mind, hopefully dazing him enough to get him to the pit without too much trouble.

Recoiling fully, Alex stepped back to review his handiwork. The Head had gone limp again, his whole body swaying lifelessly from the chains.

“You better not have killed him,” said Elias.

Alex grasped the Head’s wrist, checking for a pulse. To his relief, there was still a light thud beneath the skin.

“Don’t worry me like that!” Alex snapped, ignoring the grin Elias flashed back.

Unlocking the manacles, Alex released Virgil from his restraints, only to realize their next problem. With Aamir no longer around, it would be up to Alex to carry the Head to the library by himself. Stooping, Alex hauled the Head’s arm around his neck and began to drag him toward the door of the chamber. Elias cackled, evidently delighted at the comical sight.

“You could always help,” Alex said, losing patience.

Elias gave a casual shrug of his wispy shoulders. “I suppose I could,” he replied, swooping to help with Virgil’s other arm. It was a pleasant surprise, to have the shadow-man assist in the dirty work for once, and as much as Alex wanted to say as much, he held his tongue. The last thing he needed was for Elias to take offense and disappear into the darkness.

Sharing the weight, though the Head didn’t weigh all that much, given his skeletal frame, Alex and Elias hurried out of the chamber and headed toward the library. Turning the handle, Alex pushed open the door and pulled Virgil inside, leaving the door standing wide open as he carried the Head over to the statue he had seen in the memory. The splayed-out book was there, just as Alex had seen it. The anticipation was overwhelming as Alex pulled down on the book and watched the secret entrance slide open. They were impossibly close to success now.

With every awkward step they took down into the earth, Alex’s heart pounded harder and harder, until he thought it might burst from his chest. Eventually, they reached the bottom, where the hallway with the huge double doors stood at the far end. Alex paused for a second in front of the iron rungs, gripping the right-hand knocker until his knuckles whitened. It was getting a little too real, and part of Alex wanted to savor the moment as he pulled the doors wide.

The pit lay before him, but the golden bird perched above was barely moving.

You will never be fed again, Alex promised.

Chapter 35

Laying Virgil down at the side of the pit, Alex retrieved the Book of Jupiter from his bag and flipped to the correct page. Holding out a thin square of energy, he watched the glyphs morph into words, revealing the content of the counter-spell. Remembering a trick he’d seen Helena use, he fed more anti-magic into the edges of the square, causing it to remain, even when he took his hands away.

It was time, and yet something held him back.

“What are you waiting for?” asked Elias impatiently.

“I should get the others,” said Alex, having completely forgotten the promise he’d made to Aamir, in all the excitement of getting Virgil to the pit room. “I swore I’d go back to get them before I did the spell.”

Elias rolled his eyes. “You don’t have time to fetch them, Alex, not to mention the fact it’s not a good idea to have them around this kind of spell. I haven’t seen it done before, but I have seen spells like it, and I know there can sometimes be collateral. If a bystander is unworthy, or just happens to get in the way, they’re toast. You wouldn’t want something awful happening to your itty-bitty chums now, would you?” the shadow-man asked.

Alex glanced at Elias uncertainly. There was a lot of sense in what he said, but it didn’t feel quite right not to go back and tell the others. This conclusion was as much a part of their journey as it was his.

“I should go and get them,” Alex insisted.

Elias slithered toward the door, blocking the way. “You will put their lives at risk, Alex. I am not saying this because I am me, though I know that is likely what you are thinking—for once, I am