The Secret of Spellshadow Manor by Bella Forrest (classic english novels txt) 📗

that would have been nice to know’ list,” said Jari. “Were you ever planning on telling us?”

This time, it was Aamir who came to Alex’s defense. “He could have been killed,” he said gently.

Jari let out an angry breath, glaring at both of them. “You two are idiots,” he said.

Alex and Aamir shared a look.

“To be honest,” Alex said, “I only just found out myself.”

Jari rolled his eyes. “You find anything good on New Year’s?”

Alex’s jaw worked as he fumbled for an excuse, but nothing he came up with seemed believable.

Aamir cleared his throat. “You weren’t at the speech,” he said. “Not unusual, but when Natalie threw up, and you came back late…”

“It wasn’t subtle,” Jari said.

Alex glanced from side to side, wondering if he should trust them. He knew what Natalie would say—she would want to include them, to help them. “I did get a book,” he admitted. “A tome of necromancy.”

“Oh good,” said Jari. “He’s evil. That’s nice.”

Aamir, on the other hand, wore a puzzled expression. “Why?” he asked.

And so Alex told them the whole story. From seeing Finder that night at the party, to following Natalie to Spellshadow, to the two of them tracking Finder to his lair, and then Alex’s daring assault upon the Head’s study. The only detail he left out was Elias. He wasn’t sure why; he just had a feeling he didn’t want to mention the shadow just yet.

At the end, Aamir looked stunned. Jari just looked impressed.

“I think you’ve covered more ground in months than I have in almost two years,” he said, letting out a low whistle.

Aamir seemed stuck on a different note.

“A ghost,” he said under his breath. “I thought he was using invisibility magic, but if it’s necromantic…I always wondered why there were no books on the subject.” He looked sharply over at Alex. “I need to see that book.”

“Natalie is using it,” he said. “Also, it’s in Latin.”

Aamir opened his mouth, then shut it.

“Then I’ll need to talk to Natalie about it,” he said.

Alex looked between Jari and Aamir, hoping against hope that he wasn’t about to make a mistake.

“I…can trust you two, right?”

Jari almost looked offended. “We’re on the same side,” he said, giving Alex a look that said exactly what Jari thought of his intellect at that moment.

“But my people,” Alex said. “They killed yours.”

Jari’s head tilted. “They killed the Greeks?”

Alex gave him a rebuking look. “Wizards.”

Jari let out a low noise of amusement. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re all captives here. Even if we weren’t, who cares what our forefathers did? You’re a friend. Your blood doesn’t make you want to kill me, does it?”

“No.” Of course not. But they had been painted as natural enemies.

“Then that’s that.”

Aamir seemed a little more reluctant, but he also nodded. “That’s that,” he echoed.

Alex looked between them, his gaze lingering on Aamir. The older boy was desperate to survive—was he desperate enough to give Alex up? It could be that turning in a Spellbreaker would save his own neck somehow. But Alex didn’t think Aamir would do something like that. He was desperate, yes, but essentially good.

“Thank you,” Alex said, and meant it.

They smiled in unison.

“Just get us out of here,” said Aamir.

Alex tried to smile, but he couldn’t quite manage it. His chest still felt heavy with cold, his limbs stiff.

“I’ll try.”

Chapter 29

Alex awoke the next morning to the truly strange sight of a small mouse crouching on his chest, its eyes aglow with a crimson light. It scurried in circles, tail lashing, revealing patches of missing fur that exposed shining white ribs. Its tail seemed to hang from it by sinew. It pounced from side to side on emaciated legs, leaving little red paw prints on Alex’s comforter.

On instinct, Alex yelled, hurling his sheets, mouse and all, to the floor, where the bedclothes began to thrash, panicked little squeaks cutting the air as Alex sat on his bed in his pajamas, breathing hard in surprise. In his bed, Jari opened an eye, looking over.

“Bad dream?” he asked blearily.

“Mouse,” Alex explained shortly, jerking back as the mouse burst from the sheets. Jari let out an undignified cry of terror and flattened himself against the wall.

The mouse sprang back up onto Alex’s bed and advanced upon him with glittering eyes. Alex held out a placating hand, as if the creature would listen to sense.

The mouse leapt, and Alex braced himself for the pain of its little teeth sinking into him, but instead he only felt a cold, wet weight drop on his hand as it settled comfortably against the side of his open palm. He looked down, and his gaze was met by eyes like flickering, waning candles.

Lifting his hand, Alex surveyed the animal. It had a bloody hole in its side, and was missing a substantial part of one ear. He lifted it up, rolling it onto its back to reveal a little note tucked against its belly, held in place by a thin piece of string.

He undid the binding and took the letter, the mouse hopping from his hand and dropping back to the bed, sitting obediently while he read.

Alex,

I found this dying mouse in my room, and I had to experiment on something, so…here it is. It’s not very pretty. I think it must have been attacked by a cat. I hope it didn’t frighten you too much! Anyway, it looks like I got the magic to work. I’m curious about what he will do when his task (delivering this letter) is complete. The book was vague.

-N

Alex looked down just in time to see the mouse give a final, beatific squeal before falling dead on his bed. A little dribble of red drained out of its side.

“She’s more cold-blooded than I am,” Alex muttered, staring from the letter to the mouse and back.

Jari nodded emphatically from where he was still curled on his bed, his eyes wide.

The door opened and Aamir came in, a book under his arm and