The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)

“What?” gasped Jari. “How could you let that happen?”

“It was an accident.”

“Well, what are we supposed to do now?” Natalie said, her voice tight with alarm.

“I say we stay put,” Alex replied.

“What? You’re insane!” yelled Jari. “How can we be safe here?”

“We’re as safe here as we are likely to be anywhere else around here—including the lighthouse. At least here we’re well hidden and have a good view of the lake and the wall, if anyone comes looking for us,” he said evenly.

There was a rationale in what Alex had to say. It was true, they were well positioned. And who knew what the young woman he had seen was going to do? She might not say a word. Even if she did, nobody had followed him, and nobody had seen where he had gone.

His words seemed to calm the group as they weighed their options—not that they had a great many at their disposal. In the end, a decision seemed to have been made to stay put, though nobody spoke the consensus aloud. A tense atmosphere bristled in the confined space of the cottage throughout the rest of the day, with the slightest noise setting everyone on edge. Even the soft whisper of the lake lapping the shore sounded like voices approaching.

So it was a surprise when the sound of actual feet approaching evaded their notice entirely.

The sun had just begun to go down when Alex heard the soft pad of a stealthy approach beyond the boarded window behind his head. Whoever they were, they had made it almost to the front door of the cottage undetected.

“Someone is outside,” he whispered to the others. They looked at him in sudden panic, pausing what they were doing. “We need to make a run for it. Surprise whoever is out there, okay?”

They nodded.

“On my count, we run. Jari, you and I will get Aamir.”

Another nod.

“Ready? Three, two—”

Just then, a voice called out. “Please don’t run.” It was a distinctly female voice, musical and clear. “It’s only me out here, and I don’t mean you any harm.”

A look of panic flashed between the inhabitants of the dimly lit cottage. Alex couldn’t be sure the feminine voice wasn’t at the head of a hundred-strong army, though that seemed unlikely; he would definitely have heard that many people approaching.

“Stay where you are,” warned Alex as he crept toward the door.

“Very well,” replied the woman’s voice. Alex stepped out of the cottage.

He was mildly surprised to see that it was the beautiful, powerful girl from the courtyard. The one who had seen him. Only now, instead of wielding ferocious magic, she was holding a basket in the crook of her arm, and there was a wide smile playing upon her lips.

“You?” whispered Alex.

“Me.” She nodded, grinning.

Close up, she was even more beautiful. Alex could see she had striking pale eyes that were the same shade as that of raw magic, with a dark black ring around the iris. They were peculiar and mesmerizing, as much as Alex tried to look away. Her porcelain-smooth skin was almost unnaturally pale, but somehow it suited her, making her stand out from the other perfect people he had seen within the walls of Stillwater House. Naturally, her bone structure was second to none, with high cheekbones, a delicate jawline, and arched brows of a darker shade than her hair, which was long and silvery blond, held off her exquisite face with a dusky coral-colored rose. She was dressed in the black pants, boots, and white t-shirt all the Stillwater students seemed to wear, but it looked different on her tall, willowy frame.

Alex became aware of Jari standing beside him, staring agog at the stunning young woman as words failed him. The blond-haired boy’s eyes were as big as saucers.

“I came to welcome you to Stillwater House,” the young woman announced. “Please don’t be alarmed. I’m not here to hurt you.”

“So this is Stillwater House? My friend Alex here thought it was, but he wasn’t sure,” said Jari, finding his voice again as he chattered happily. Emboldened, he ushered the young woman toward the secluded patch around the back of the cottage. The others followed reluctantly, a flash of amusement passing between them; they all knew of Jari’s ineptitude when it came to women, and this one was an exceptional beauty.

“I didn’t mean to startle you, only I saw your friend today and thought I would come and introduce myself. I figured you might be hiding somewhere around here. I have also brought food and drink for you, as is the custom here, and I thought you might be in need of refreshment,” she explained, handing the basket to Natalie.

Inside were all kinds of delicious-looking treats and large bottles of colorful liquid that Alex secretly longed to taste, despite the suspicious place it came from. He was so thirsty.

“Who are you?” asked Natalie.

“How rude of me.” The young woman smiled bashfully. “I am Helena.”

It was a befitting name that made Alex think of the ancient Greeks they had learned about at school, though it wasn’t quite the same name as the woman he was thinking of. Helen of Troy—the face that launched a thousand ships. He could certainly see men going to war over a woman like this one.

“How did you know we would be in need of refreshment?” Ellabell wondered, frowning.

Helena looked embarrassed for a moment, her gaze lowering. “The truth is, there was some gossip going around the school that there were outsiders in the area. We don’t get outsiders around here very often, and I was curious. We’ve been making bets on whether or not it was a hoax.” She smiled shyly, causing Jari to look at her with utter adoration. Alex wasn’t sure it was possible for the boy to get more smitten, but it looked like he was wrong.

For a moment, Helena had lulled Alex into a false sense of welcome, but suddenly, he felt his hackles rise again. He thought instantly of the scouts, searching for them in the woods; somebody had sent them to look for him and his friends. This girl had seen him on the battlements. Had she told anyone? If she had, their hopes were ruined. It was hard to gauge whether her intentions toward himself and the group were honorable ones or not.

“What do you intend to do with the information you have on us?” asked Alex coldly.

Helena looked surprised. “What do you mean?”

“Have you told anyone about us?” he pressed. Instantly, the atmosphere changed as all eyes focused with suspicion on Helena—even Jari’s eyes seemed to narrow slightly.

She shook her head, her sleek hair glinting. “No, I haven’t told a soul about you. I swear,” she said earnestly. “It is not our custom. You are guests here. If you desire it, I will continue to bring food and drink to you in secret each day, until you decide what to do next—whether you wish to stay here or move on. But I will not tell anyone of your presence here unless you wish it.”

Alex could not deny she seemed genuine. There was an honesty in her strange eyes that he could not ignore, and yet she had come from within the villa walls, from the unknown.