The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)

Setting Natalie and Aamir down against two sturdy tree trunks, Alex and the others began forming a makeshift camp in the clearing, making sure they picked well-hidden sleeping places. From within the clearing, they had a good view of the lake and the surrounding area, in case anyone tried to sneak up on them.

Alex looked around at the tired faces of his friends; every single one of them was at their limit, their eyes flitting about, their nerves set on edge, wondering if a search party was coming after them. He knew, because he was thinking exactly the same thing and could not take his eyes off the path through which they had come. Natalie had successfully moved the portal, allowing them to escape, but Alex suspected it had taken far more out of her than she was willing to let on. She was barely able to sit unaided, her body tipping to one side from sheer exhaustion. Her breathing was shallow too, and her face was pale and waxy, but she pushed Alex away when he tried to help, claiming to be fine though they both knew she was not.

Aamir, leaning up against the tree beside Natalie, was still in a bad way too, as if cutting the band on his wrist had released something foul within him that had sickened him physically. His temperature was rising, and he was sweaty and feverish, calling out in his unconscious delirium about golden monsters and shadows that clawed at him. His voice was tight and on the edge of a whimper, laced with an undeniable tremor of fear. It spooked Alex, and he could see fear on the others’ faces with each garbled cry, but no scream was as terrifying as the next words that came from Aamir’s mouth.

“It will come… a plague will sweep the land… no escape… coming for us!” Aamir cried, lashing out in his unconscious state. Jari rushed to him, trying to soothe the sleeping figure as he twisted and turned beneath the hands of imaginary monsters.

It reminded Alex of dark biblical stories he had heard as a child, sending a snaking sensation of fear through him. The words were ominous ones, and Alex wished Aamir were lucid enough to shed some light on their meaning.

Eventually, after some calming words, Jari managed to get Aamir to settle and maneuvered him into a fetal position on the grass. After that, the crying out seemed to stop, and a calm slumber took over Aamir’s body, marred only by a few jolting spasms.

Watching Aamir, Alex hoped that, if their friend got better—with the golden band gone—he would be able to talk more about what he learned when he became a teacher and the secrets bestowed on all the faculty. Glancing around, he could see he wasn’t the only one. Even Jari’s eyes seemed curious, as they flitted toward the now-empty spot on Aamir’s wrist where the crackling band of golden light had been.

“I’ll take the first watch,” insisted Alex, refusing the protests of Jari and Ellabell, the only two still awake.

Natalie had shimmied down the tree trunk and was nestled into the ground, curled in a similar position to Aamir. Wandering over to her with an air of concern, Alex checked that she was breathing and sighed with relief as he heard the quiet rhythm of sleep. Jari was frazzled, his blond hair sticking up, and Ellabell looked dead on her feet. It had to be Alex who stayed up. The others were in dire need of sleep, and he knew he at least had something left in the tank, whereas they were running on empty. Carrying Aamir had taken its toll on them, and, though they tried not to show it, Alex knew they were close to collapsing.

“Get some rest. I’ll be fine.” He managed to smile at them, gesturing to the ground.

The pair fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the grass. Ellabell was curled up in a shady corner, and Alex moved quietly over to where she lay, careful not to disturb her as he knelt on the grass and tucked his sweater loosely around her sleeping figure. It was chillier in the spot she had chosen, and he didn’t want her to get cold as she slept. Feeling the brush of the soft fabric, she mumbled something in her sleep. Alex found there was a smile playing upon his lips as he watched her nuzzle the edge of his sweater and pull it closer around herself.

Not wanting to risk waking her, Alex stood and walked back across the clearing, taking up a position at the edge of the tree line, facing out toward the lake. He watched, mesmerized by the tiny waves that rippled on the surface, creating the sparkle he had become so familiar with. It was a spot he imagined would be peaceful in other circumstances, but there was too much on his mind for such things. Anxiety raced through his body. There was a lot resting on him, and he couldn’t help but feel responsible for the sleeping figures in the clearing behind him, who were looking to him more insistently for a leadership he hoped he was ready to give. Guilt racked him too, riding alongside the anxiety for good measure. He knew he was the one who had gotten his friends into this mess, and he wanted to make sure they didn’t regret their decision to come with him. Glancing back, he knew he would protect them in any way he could. They had put a lot of faith in him by leaving Spellshadow, and he was determined not to let them down.

His thoughts drifted to the school they had left mere hours before, wondering how the other students were doing after the half-successful uprising. Professor Gaze sprang to his mind, so ancient and fearless, and he hoped fiercely that the old mage had managed to keep the other students safe from harm. She had told him of her plans to scramble the hallways, but Alex knew such spells were only temporary where the Head was concerned, just as the displacement of the portal was. The Head would find a way through and come looking for his lost prey—Alex had no doubt about that. It was only a matter of time.

As recent memories raced through his head and his eyes came to rest on the glittering lake with so many bodies beneath, Alex couldn’t help but be reminded of those who hadn’t made it. The ones he had failed. The vacant eyes and stilled lungs of the dead students haunted him, and he felt a deep pang of sorrow at the tragedy of their passing, knowing the potential they might have had and thinking of the homes they would never go back to. So much needless loss at the hands of a power-hungry Renmark. It made the burn of vengeance glow ever brighter in his heart, though the sensation made him curious—hatred was proving a powerful fuel for the fire within him.

His gaze was drawn back across the water to the unseen shore on the other side, the shadows making him wonder what lay beyond it. The lake was huge, and there did not seem to be a settlement or building in sight, save for the old hut beside them—though at the center of Alex’s mind blinked the idea of ‘Stillwater House.’ Here was the still water, but where was the house? He knew it was out there somewhere; he could feel it in his bones.