The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 5 by Bella Forrest (best biographies to read TXT) 📗

Alex had not expected, and the thought behind the act made him thaw slightly toward the man.

On the low table in the central space, another feast had been laid out for them. Alex eyed it with suspicion, his mind still dwelling on the moldering, bug-infested fare that the vault had offered them. The others didn’t seem too keen either, though everyone sat dutifully, at Hadrian’s behest. Alex put the book on the floor next to him, desperate to delve into its pages, but not wanting to appear rude to his host. After the others had helped themselves, he reached for one of the sour, berry-filled rice balls. It tasted good, but his mind lay with the book beside him.

With a shiver of anticipation, he slyly lifted the cover. To his surprise, the inner page was filled with the same glyphs and markings that had been in Leander Wyvern’s notebook. There were no complete words, only code. The sight thrilled him, making him feel as if it contained a secret solely for his eyes. He didn’t feel right opening it while the others were around, not when he knew it was of true Spellbreaker origin. In addition, he felt he ought to at least look at the pages on his own first, to make sure there was nothing dangerous within. After the loss of Lintz, he didn’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way if he didn’t have to. He would tell them what it contained later, but first, he wanted to take time to pore over the text.

“I’m not that hungry,” he announced. “I think I’m just going to have a look at this book, then hit the hay.”

Hadrian looked up, a stern expression on his noble face. “It can wait, Alex. You must properly honor the sacrifice that Professor Lintz made by giving thanks and sparing a silent moment for his courage. It would not be right to continue without having done so. Given the amount you still must do, the truth is…you might not get back to him in time. I believe we must honor the Professor as if he were already gone, though the flicker of hope may remain.”

Alex felt a pang of guilt. “Sorry, Hadrian, you’re right,” he murmured. It wasn’t simply his secret—it was theirs too, and he needed to show the proper respect. Picking up a glass of lurid green liquid, he raised it across the table. “To Professor Lintz, who gave us so much—the bravest man I’ve ever met.”

Alex’s use of the past tense didn’t go unnoticed. A solemn, heavy air hung low over the feast, as the others picked up their glasses and repeated the words, clinking afterwards. Alex lifted the drink to his lips and sipped tentatively. The color of the drink was garish, but it tasted delicious, somewhere between an apple and a kiwi.

As well as food, the group shared their sadness. Tears welled in the eyes of all those present as the hope they’d had for Lintz’s return faded by the second. It was clear now that the chance of his release was improbably slim—a couple of days wouldn’t be quick enough to avoid the specters, and though Alex couldn’t explain it, it felt like the professor had already gone. His spirit soared around them, an almost tangible presence, and Alex knew it would be a long while before the wound of Lintz’s loss healed. He had to put it beside the scar Gaze’s passing had left, and hope he wouldn’t have to add any more to his internal cemetery before their journey was done.

“I shouldn’t have let Lintz do it,” murmured Aamir, his face crumpling. “I should have insisted.”

“We all know Lintz would never have chosen differently,” said Alex, his tone somber. “He wouldn’t have let you do it. Even if he hadn’t looked the specters in the eyes, he would still have done what he did.”

Aamir nodded, but Alex could see the older boy was plagued by doubt. It wasn’t easy to think of outcomes that might have played out, if only one action had been altered.

Tapping the side of the glass absently, Alex’s mind turned toward Kingstone. Seeing the specters again made him contemplate the fate of Caius and Vincent, and that of Alypia too. When he had left, they had all been in a bad state, with the exception of Alypia, perhaps, but it troubled him. He had to go back at some point, to relay messages of progress to those at Stillwater, but also to check that everything was still in order. If Vincent had managed to overcome Caius, Alex was sure the necromancer would be holding back any chaos that might have ensued. However, if he hadn’t managed to overcome Caius, there was no telling what state the prison might be in.

Alypia might have escaped, he thought, the prospect a chilling one. It made a return visit to the keep a necessity.

He knew that he could use the still-open portal at the keep to pass a message through to Natalie, Jari, and Helena, and make sure everything was okay on their side. After everything that had gone on since the two groups parted ways, he felt bad for not having thought more of them, but there had been a lot of other things taking up his headspace. He just hoped they were okay, and were safe at Stillwater, though he wasn’t looking forward to telling them about Lintz when he saw them again.

Alex glanced down at the book beside him, and thought of the promises held within its pages. Caius had believed the mages didn’t deserve to be saved, what with the genocide they had wrought. But how had the two races come to despise each other in the first place? He had never thought to ask.

“Hadrian, do you know what it was that started the war between the mages and the Spellbreakers?” Alex asked. The others looked at the royal with interest, as if they too had been thinking about