The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 2 by Bella Forrest (top ten ebook reader .TXT) 📗

out neatly on the bed in front of him—pants, shirts, socks, underwear. A black leather bag sat to one side, open.

When Aamir turned, his face morphed into a mask of horror as he saw them standing there, smiling at him with innocent joy on their faces. Alex closed the door behind them, and Aamir observed the trio with a flustered look of fear.

“What are you doing here?” he gasped, his voice tight with anxiety. “You shouldn’t be here—you need to leave, right now.” Aamir took Jari by the shoulders and ushered him toward the open door.

“We came to see if you were all right,” Jari explained sullenly, resisting Aamir as he pushed him toward the door.

“You can’t be here! You need to leave. You need to go. Now!” Aamir pleaded, diving for the door handle and opening it wide. He shoved them roughly through, back into the corridor, pressing a finger to his lips as they stood out in the darkness. He paused, listening intently to the silence. “You shouldn’t have come—you really shouldn’t have come,” he whispered, his voice dripping with terror.

“We wanted to make sure you were okay… Jari told us what happened,” Natalie tried to explain, but Aamir was restless, his eyes scanning the shadows, his neck jerking backward in sharp motions as he glanced anxiously over his shoulder.

“You need to leave,” Aamir murmured again. “Come with me—you need to go. You really shouldn’t have come here.” He took hold of Jari’s arm and set off down the corridor with the rest in tow. Beneath his palm, he held the dim glow of a ball of magic, casting a faint light as they walked.

“We came for you,” Jari repeated, his face crumpling at his friend’s disinterest.

“I know… but you shouldn’t have.” Aamir shook his head, picking up the pace as he strode onwards, obviously hell-bent on getting them out of the teachers’ quarters as quickly as possible.

“If it’s the curfew, then we’re ready for that,” Jari told him as he struggled against the pull of the older boy’s strength.

“It’s not the curfew. You just—” Aamir began, but Jari cut him off sharply.

“We shouldn’t have come. I think we’re starting to get the picture,” he snapped.

As they passed the door with Library written beside it, Alex muttered his annoyance under his breath, wishing he had just made them stop for a second to have a look. It might not have been a wasted trip, then, he figured—they might have found something useful. Silently, he wondered if that was where the missing books were kept. Perhaps the censored gaps in the library’s index were hoarded within the teachers’ private library, giving them information students weren’t permitted.

Looking at his friend-turned-professor, a sour thought popped into Alex’s head. Aamir probably knew, now, about the inner workings of the manor, everything inside and outside of it. How much knowledge did their friend have, held back by that glimmering band around his wrist? Alex couldn’t help but feel a touch resentful toward the new professor and the secrets at his disposal. For a brief moment, even knowing it was unlikely and unfriendly, Alex couldn’t help but think that, perhaps, Aamir hadn’t wanted Alex to try to remove the band because he didn’t want to share his secrets. Alex pushed the thought away, knowing it was bitter and unfair, as he followed Aamir through the hallways, past the stern gallery of former and current teachers.

A figure stepped out into the light, blocking their path.

“And just what do you think you’re up to, after curfew, in the teachers’ quarters?” roared Renmark in his unmistakable growl, his eyes sinister in the pale glow of Aamir’s feeble light.

“I had some personal matters to discuss with these students, Professor Renmark,” Aamir said swiftly. “I asked them to my chambers, as they required some extra tutoring. We went on later than I anticipated, and I am just returning them now, to ensure they don’t get into any trouble. It was entirely my fault.”

“I know you’re new here, Nagi, and you haven’t quite gotten into your head how things work—despite being told time after time—but that doesn’t mean you get to bend the rules to your liking. This is simply unacceptable. The Head might turn a blind eye to it, but I won’t,” Renmark said, eyeing Aamir with the look of someone who had just stepped in something unpleasant. “You want to provide extra tutoring, you do it in your classroom or study hall—you do not bring students into our personal quarters whenever you feel like it. We come here to get away from students, not be followed around by them. Is that clear, Nagi?”

There was a strong animosity between the young new teacher and the seasoned professor, Renmark visibly displeased with the manner in which Aamir had forced his way onto the faculty. After so long with the same lineup of teachers, Alex imagined it hadn’t been an easy pill to swallow—to see Derhin replaced with some young upstart, especially one who seemed favored by the Head, at least initially.

Aamir tensed, a flash of anger passing across his eyes, as he leveled his gaze at Renmark. Touching Aamir’s arm lightly, Natalie stepped forward, the dim glow of Aamir’s magic glancing across her pale skin, revealing more of her face in the warm light.

“I am truly sorry, Professor Renmark. It was simply an opportunity to learn, and the time got away from us,” she explained gently, her eyes wide with sincerity.

“Ah, Natalie—I didn’t see you there,” said Renmark, a puzzled look creasing his brow. “Well… be on your way, then, and be quick about it. Don’t let it happen again,” he added, his tone softening.

“Of course, Professor Renmark,” Aamir spoke tersely. He skirted around Renmark, the others following quickly behind.

A melancholy air hung around the four friends as they slowly made their way down the corridors, toward the blue line at the entrance to the quarters, which was still broken at both ends. Nobody was willing to speak as the