The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)

Elias twisted back up to a standing position, most of his lower half trying to float away from him. “Well, then maybe I shouldn’t bother with this,” he said, pulling a book from the cavern of his starry ribcage. The bizarre, nauseating act didn’t seem as simple as it normally did—retrieving the book from his chest seemed to cause Elias a great deal of strain, a few minutes passing before he finally managed to maneuver it out into the open. Sections of his shadowy figure had disappeared, dissipating into the atmosphere.

“Are you okay?” asked Alex, suddenly concerned by the pieces of Elias that had simply vanished.

Elias tilted his shifting features in a nod. “I will be.”

Taking the proffered book, Alex looked up at Elias’s starry eyes with a frown. “How are they going to use me? These royal mages?” he asked.

“It’s funny,” mused Elias, “that you come to me with all these questions, when a source of great knowledge is in your midst every day. I must say, he’s doing a rather good job of keeping his mouth shut. I suppose he wouldn’t want to spoil things, now that he’s one of you again.” Elias grinned sharply, his black eyes teetering on the edge of menacing.

“You mean Aamir?” whispered Alex, as the seeds of distrust started to sprout again. They had never truly gone away, but he had hoped he had learned all he could from his friend—he had just begun to trust Aamir again. Glancing at Elias, he wasn’t sure whom to believe, though Elias seemed to be on a roll of generously giving information. Surely, the shadow-man had no reason to lie? Alex was about to ask another question when the wispy figure of Elias simply disappeared into the shadows, with a whorl of his transient body.

The last thing Alex heard as the shadow-man evaporated was a whisper on the wind, murmuring. “You think Aamir hasn’t been here before? You’re smarter than that, Alex. Not much, but definitely smarter than that.”

Left alone with his thoughts, his mind full to the brim with yet more mystery, Alex looked down at the book he had been given. It had a plain, brown cover and did not seem to have a title on the front or the spine. Flipping through the first couple of pages, Alex saw that they were blank, though he could tell there was definitely text later on in the book. Just as he was about to turn to the page he hoped the title might be on, he found himself distracted by the sound of more scuffling around the side of the cottage. It sounded oddly like somebody trying to creep away. Knowing it couldn’t be Elias, Alex moved around to the other edge of the cottage, in time to see the familiar figure of Ellabell trying to leave as stealthily as she could. It was almost comical, her movements exaggerated, like she was a cartoon character trying to slink away.

“Ellabell?” he called.

She froze, then turned slowly, a look of concern in her eyes. Alex walked toward her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said quietly, bashfully lifting her gaze. “I shouldn’t have spied on you, but I saw Elias, and—he worries me, Alex. I don’t believe he is a friend to you. He’s capable of dark deeds, and I just don’t want you getting caught up in them. I’m sorry… but I just can’t believe his intentions are good.”

Alex felt the urge to defend himself, to convince Ellabell that he wouldn’t willingly associate with her attacker. “I know Elias is a tricky creature, but I don’t have any say in when he visits me. This wasn’t planned—he comes to me when he feels like it, and I take the information he gives with a pinch of salt. Most of the time, it’s all just riddles anyway,” he assured her, resting his hand on her arm. She seemed a little shaky at the sight of the shadow-man, and Alex couldn’t blame her, after what Elias had done, but she was putting on her bravest face.

“What is that?” she asked, pointing at the book in his hand.

“A book Elias gave me,” he replied.

She sighed sadly. “You shouldn’t trust him, Alex. I know he’s useful, but you can’t trust a word he says or a gift he gives—promise me you’ll be wary of him?”

Alex nodded with vigor. “I don’t trust him either! I just have to hope there’s some good in him somewhere, that’s driving these visits and all the information he gives me.” Swiftly, he tucked the book into the waist of his pants.

Ellabell shook her head. “I don’t think that’s why he does it. Anyway, we should be getting back. The others were missing you.” A worried look passed across her face, quickly hidden behind a half-smile, and she took his hand in hers.

As they wandered back toward the villa, Ellabell’s words left Alex a little uncertain. He knew she was right, but he also knew how much better he seemed to feel after many of Elias’s visits. They were his only window into the unknown, and, as much as Alex hated to admit it, he looked forward to them. Although it made him feel somewhat ashamed, part of him was glad Elias was still around.

As they grew closer to the villa, however, he began to feel a strange sensation prickling at his skin, raising the fine hairs on his arms. It was an uncomfortable feeling, as if there were eyes on him, peering through the darkness in his direction. Shrugging it off as Elias, he tried to ignore the sensation.

On his way over the wall, with Ellabell already over and down the other side, out of sight, Alex paused for a moment and darted across to one of the statues that lined the battlements. Glancing around, he no longer sensed eyes on him. Elias must have gone back to whatever it is Elias does, he thought. Reaching up, he tucked the book into the folded stone arms of the chosen statue, pushing it right back into a natural well that dipped at the back, perfect for the safe-keeping of Elias’s gift. Alex still wasn’t sure how scrutinized they would be within the villa walls, but he figured the Headmistress and her cronies were less likely to find the book here than if he stashed it away in his room somewhere, where they’d have easy access to it.

He’d return for it when he had a better idea of how safe they were.





Chapter 29





Elias’s words plagued Alex, as they had a nasty habit of doing. Lying back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind was drawn to the faint movements of the older boy in the room next door. It pained him to think it, but he knew he had to confront Aamir on what Elias had alluded to; with everything going on, if there was anything Aamir wasn’t saying that could be helpful, Alex needed to know.

Dragging his feet, he moved out into the hallway and paused in front of Aamir’s door, his knuckles poised above the wood. Softly, he knocked.

“Come in,” called Aamir.

Alex stepped inside, his reluctance made all the more difficult by the grin that lit up Aamir’s face. He didn’t want to have to question Aamir again, but the pull of what Elias had said was too strong.

Closing the door gently behind him, Alex wandered over to the desk and sat in the chair opposite to where Aamir was sitting, at the edge of his bed. Instantly, Aamir’s face fell, seeing Alex’s grim look. It was no doubt a look he had seen before, so he knew what it meant.