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

its rich history in the air,” the necromancer whispered, twirling his long fingers around as if touching the imagined ripples of time. “I imagine it stood long before the mages came along, and shall stand long after they are gone.”

“This isn’t mage-built?” Aamir asked, frowning thoughtfully.

Vincent smiled a knowing smile. “Few things are, even in these realms. The mages were renowned cherry-pickers, commandeering what they liked the look of, and molding it to their own purpose. I imagine this place belonged to a race far older than mage-kind, though you will likely find no trace they ever existed, save for their architecture and a few stolen treasures.”

Alex found himself looking at the pagoda in a different light, wondering what the people who had been here before might have looked like, and what had brought them to this part of the world. Had they been a peaceful race? Had that been their downfall, when the mages came to take their land? He guessed nobody would ever know, unless there was a forgotten history book, tucked away in the library beneath the ground, that spoke of the lost race.

But who would bother to look? he reasoned, his thoughts turning sad. It made him wonder how many other places the mages had stolen. None of the architecture he’d seen so far seemed to belong to the same style, but that was the truth across the globe.

Seeing a gap in the change of the guard, Alex and the others darted across to the pagoda and emerged beside the kitchen, though there was no comforting clash of crockery or sizzle of something delicious frying in a pan. It was silent. In fact, as they made their way through the pagoda’s floors, cautiously peering around every corner, Alex realized the whole place was silent. Where there should have been posted guards, there were none.

It made the climb up to the top floor much easier, but it did nothing to settle Alex’s nerves. Reaching the solitary doorway that led into Hadrian’s private chambers, Alex pushed on it tentatively, half expecting it to be locked. It wasn’t, giving easily.

“Hadrian?” Alex called as they stepped into the open space.

The remnants of a meal lay on the low table in the center of the room, but everything had congealed, looking about as unappetizing as it was possible to be. Whoever had eaten the food had been gone a while.

“Hadrian, are you here?” Alex called again, but there was no reply.

With time running short, and a lot to do in two days, Alex found himself growing frustrated by Hadrian’s absence. He needed the royal’s help, and he wasn’t willing to simply wait around for the man to come back.

Wracking his brain, he thought about where Hadrian might be. He wondered if the man had gone to teach a class, perhaps, in the treehouses that branched off from the central pagoda? If so, Alex knew he wouldn’t be able to disturb Hadrian; there weren’t any guards in the pagoda, for the time being, but there were plenty out beyond the sanctuary of it. Peering from the window, he could count at least thirty, and they would spot him before he even had the chance to explore the mysterious buildings that nestled in the treetops.

“Where is he?” Ellabell asked, opening all the doors that led off from the central space.

The only other place Alex could think of was the cave in the middle of the forest. “He might have gone to see his sister,” Alex replied.

Aamir nodded. “Then let us go. It would be better than waiting around for him to return.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” said Alex, moving back toward the entrance. Time was of the essence, and they needed to figure out what resources they had at their disposal, before that time ran out.

Just then, Alex heard footsteps coming from the back of the room, where the silver fox statue stood proud.

“Hide!” Alex whispered. The group scattered.

Chapter 28

As the secret door at the back of the room slid open, Alex realized he had no reason to fear. They were not soldiers, coming to take Alex and his friends away. The first person to emerge was Hadrian, his head turned over his shoulder as he spoke to someone behind him. That person, stepping into the glowing light of the fifth floor gallery, was Demeter.

They were laughing over a shared joke Alex hadn’t heard, and seemed surprisingly friendly with one another. It didn’t look like they were strangers, as they moved farther into the room, an easy familiarity flowing between them.

Alex stepped out from his hiding place behind a bulbous vase, and Hadrian jumped out of his skin when he saw him.

“Alex! You m-mustn’t creep up on p-people like that!” Hadrian cried, clutching his chest.

Alex smiled. “Sorry, I thought it would be weirder if I stayed hidden.”

As if granted permission, the others emerged from their hiding places. Ellabell had been sandwiched between two bookcases. Aamir had ducked down behind a lamp. Agatha had merely stood behind one of the curtains, and Vincent had somehow stayed precisely where he was, yet Alex hadn’t noticed him until he stepped forward. The necromancer, it appeared, was something of a chameleon.

“I suppose it’s true what they say—absence does make the heart grow bigger!” Demeter grinned, rushing to greet the trio. “And you two—I must say, it’s a touch peculiar seeing you both outside the prison walls! Fugitives from the law, very cool. Hadrian was telling me you’d gone to Kingstone, and here I was thinking it’d be quicker for me to get you up to speed if I came the short way round. I should have stayed where I was!” He pulled an eager Agatha and a less-than-willing Vincent into a tight bear hug.

“You came through from Spellshadow?” Alex pressed.

Demeter nodded. “Well, that was the plan, but I got myself into a spot of trouble and it took me longer than expected to get here. I suppose I’m here now, and