The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 4 by Bella Forrest (best e book reader android TXT) 📗

have liked to call Elias out for crying crocodile tears, the apologetic revelation sounded undeniably genuine. It wasn’t like Elias to feign emotion where he didn’t have to, and sorrow was emanating from the shadow-guide, the stars glittering more brightly in his galactic eyes, prickling the tear ducts of Alex’s own eyes.

“You want my forgiveness?” Alex asked.

Elias lifted his vaporous shoulders in a shrug. “I could not begin to expect it.”

“I can promise a certain level of forgiveness for what you have done, or tolerance of you at the very least, if you will find a way to free me from this room,” Alex vowed. “I know you said you couldn’t, but you’re powerful, Elias. You must have something up those wispy things you call sleeves.”

Elias’s face shifted into a frown. “They are my arms,” he remarked with a note of scorn. “And I’d love to help, I truly would, but I’m not supposed to interfere.”

“I won’t offer forgiveness again,” Alex said evenly. “Anyway, since when have you been afraid of bending a few rules?”

“Fine,” Elias muttered, slipping back up into the rafters and disappearing through the stone wall. If looks could kill, Alex was fairly sure he’d be dead.

Alex peered through the grate as the shadow-man reappeared. There was a clatter as something fell onto the hard ground. A few unspecified noises followed quickly after, culminating in the loud scrape of the hefty table being hauled back into its previous position, before the door opened with a loud clunk.

“Ta-da!” Elias whooped, as he swept back into the room with a flourish.

Alex paused briefly on the threshold of the cell, an impulse making him linger a moment longer before he ran out to find his friends. With a warning in his eyes, Alex turned back toward Elias, any previous hint of softening resolve gone.

“If I hear a whisper of you having any part, however small, in Ellabell coming to harm, then we are done,” he added, his voice low and threatening, rumbling gruffly from the back of his throat. “There will be no partial tolerance or potential second chances; there will be nothing. I will have nothing to do with you. Is that clear?”

For the first time, Alex thought he saw fear in the oblivion of Elias’s galactic eyes, and they both knew why.

Chapter 25

As Alex sprinted from the cell, he pushed all thoughts of Elias aside. He had no time for further distractions.

He ran through the hallway that led to the courtyard and stopped in the archway of the entrance. There was no sign of the guards, but Alypia was on her feet, glancing around in a disoriented manner. Alex wondered if that meant she was back to her usual self, but, as he approached, it didn’t seem as if she could see him. He crept toward her, hoping to use his mind control if he could get close enough.

Alypia had other ideas, however. She suddenly lashed out with her hands, sending two vivid bolts of glowing light downward. They hit the earth, splitting the flagstones beneath Alex’s feet. He stumbled, staying upright, and continued toward her, his hands readied to reach her temples. With inhumanly fast reflexes, she caught him by the throat, her elegant fingers clamping around his bones, her nails piercing his skin as she leaned toward his face. He could feel her hot breath on his cheek.

“I have waited a long time to put an end to your misery, Leander Wyvern,” she hissed. Alex realized she must be seeing the face of his ancestor, instead of his own. He supposed it didn’t really matter, if she strangled him regardless.

He tried to speak, but her fingers only tightened, choking him. Black spots appeared in his vision, and he could almost feel his eyes bulging out of his head as the pressure increased. Although he was on the verge of blacking out, he found the energy to lift his hands to her head. Before he could do anything, something swooped from the shadows and knocked Alypia backward, forcing her to release her grip.

“Come here, you monster!” she shrieked, slashing blindly at the air with her hands.

Alex ducked out of the way, hiding in a corner, and looked up in time to see Elias disappearing into the masonry. He wasn’t sure whether to be glad or annoyed by the shadow-man’s interference, but he didn’t have time to mull it over. As much as he wanted to get Alypia into a cell there and then, he knew he wouldn’t be able to manage it alone. If he wanted to lock her up and complete the plan, he was going to need the others. But he had no idea where they were or if they’d even be in any state to help. He cursed under his breath, knowing he was going to need to rescue them, wherever they were, and remove the fog from their brains. He just hoped they hadn’t gone far.

Alex gazed at Alypia, who was still swiping at invisible beasts. He knew he couldn’t just leave her in the courtyard, in case she managed to stumble back through to Stillwater, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to trap her anywhere, not by himself. She’d have his eyes out before he even got close.

As if sensing Alex’s thoughts, a manic grin spread across Alypia’s face.

“I will hunt you to the ends of the earth,” she whispered, her gaze resting on a spot in the courtyard ten feet away from him. “You will not escape me!”

A second later, she was hurrying past Alex and darting for the entrance to the courtyard, leaving Alex with no option but to leave his hiding place and run after her. She was fast, and as he reached the hall where he had been imprisoned, he found that she was nowhere to be seen.

Great, he thought, now I have to keep my eye out for her trying to attack me from the depths of Kingstone, as well as for the