The Breaker (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #2)(26)

The two spoke very little as they dragged themselves out of bed and dressed quickly, wandering dozily toward the mess hall to attempt to eat a quick breakfast before the trials of the day. Alex was on edge and couldn’t help but imagine the Head breaking down the doors at any moment and dragging him to the room with the manacles that dangled from the ceiling.

Alex and Jari walked into the mess hall, expecting the usual buzz of morning activity, only to be met with a low hum of curious gossip. Natalie marched over to them, looking just as worn out as they felt, her eyes bloodshot and her skin far paler than normal. Nobody paid the trio any mind, their gazes distracted by the far wall, where an enormous noticeboard had been erected against the stonework. On it was a long list of announcements written on the black background in curling white chalk. The three friends stepped closer to get a better view of what was written there, joining the small crowd already gathered in front of it.

The first bullet point read that graduation had been cancelled, causing a few students to smile with relief, giving a quiet whoop as they patted each other on the back.

The next statement announced that Professor Nagi would be on temporary hiatus from the school while he worked with both Heads in pursuit of new student recruitment. Alex, Natalie, and Jari looked at one another in alarm. There was, at least, some comfort to be found in the word ‘temporary’—a certain promise that Aamir would be returned to them, at some point down the line. There was little comfort to be found, however, in the rest of the sentence, as it brought to light some meaning in what Aamir had mouthed to them the night before.

The Head knows about Finder’s death, Alex thought. That has to be what the Head knows. Alex didn’t think the Head knew specifically that it was he who had disposed of Finder, but he knew the Head was onto something. The statement seemed intended to keep the students believing nothing had changed. To mention ‘both Heads’ kept the secret of Finder’s disappearance from the curiosity of the other students, reminding them of the potency of their leaders, but Alex couldn’t shake the feeling of what it meant to him.

The Head knew. That was the crux of it. He knew, but he didn’t want the truth to spread, though Alex guessed the Head must have known the perpetrators would see the statement and know it to be a lie. There was only one Head now, and they would have to wait and see if any vengeance would follow.

A ripple of quiet surprise spread across the rest of the students at this revelation. Nobody could remember a time when the Head had left the premises before. It was well known that the mysterious, invisible ‘Finder’—the second Head—was the only one to venture outside the manor walls, in pursuit of new students. Though none of them had ever seen him, save for Alex and his anti-magical capabilities, everyone had seen the gate open and close, and the misty-eyed, hypnotized students he had brought through. The students of Spellshadow were proof enough of Finder’s existence, but his sudden departure with the Head spurred both alarm and curiosity in the other students. It had never been done before, as far as any of them knew.

The students wondered what the reasoning might have been. Suggestions traveled around the mess hall in a haphazard game of ‘telephone’, all of them asking the same question: What was important enough to call both Heads away, with a teacher in tow?

Another note on the board explained that Professor Nagi’s classes were to be covered equally by Professor Renmark and Professor Gaze, which caused a quiet groan amongst the gathered pupils—nobody wanted extra classes with Renmark.

The announcements grew worse as the list progressed. In the Heads’ absence, a new curfew of nine p.m. sharp was to be introduced. The message stated that if anyone was caught out of their rooms after such a time, they would be subjected to severe punishments. It didn’t elaborate, but the students could guess well enough.

Any former buzz of excitement had turned into an anxious ball of tension as the list went on and on, adding more and more rules to an already extensive list.

There would be an extra lesson put in place, after the evening meal, to prevent any lax behavior before bed, a time that ought to be used solely for study. Evenings were to be spent asleep, in the library, or in study hall—there were to be no alternative options. It also stated that students were strictly forbidden from spending their leisure time—what remained of it, anyway—on the manor grounds, as fresh air was to be taken within the lunch hour only, or not at all.

Beneath that was a warning that failure to attend lessons would lead to the same ‘severe punishments’, and tardiness would not be tolerated, under any circumstances. All of it seemed cruel and relentless, snatching away the final snippets of freedom they had clung to.

Surprise, concern, and worry spread through the gathered groups of students, the trio of friends included, as they read over the new announcements again, absorbing them with intense displeasure. The sullen murmur of discussion continued over uneaten plates of toast and soggy bowls of cereal, all appetites lost as the students watched tentatively over their shoulders, nervous that someone might be listening—the very someone who had put that board up.

Alex sat with his hands balled into fists, his knuckles whitening as he felt the manor closing in around him. Jari gazed listlessly down into a milky bowl of cornflakes, and Natalie stared blankly into a mug of tea, watching the teabag float idly. They felt the absence of their fourth companion keenly as they glanced back at the noticeboard, wondering where on earth he had gone.