The Breaker (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #2)(28)

“No,” Alex breathed again. He slammed his fist against the masonry of the doorframe.

“It is gone,” Natalie whispered, holding her hands to her mouth in shock.

“They’ve trapped us in here,” Jari wheezed, his head in his hands.

Alex gazed out upon the thick, ivy-covered wall, not quite believing his eyes.

The manor truly was a prison now.





Chapter 11





As the days went by in the confines of Spellshadow Manor, Alex came to realize the value of the brief time he and his friends had at their disposal. With the new restrictions in place, and Renmark’s endless prowling, which he had somehow persuaded Esmerelda to join in, their only chance for a taste of freedom was lunchtime. On occasion, the three of them would pick up sandwiches and go for a wander, sitting on the broken fragments of ancient stone benches, or lying back in the dried-up grass, the blades prickling through their clothes as they wolfed down whatever they’d managed to pilfer from the mess hall.

One lunchtime, after forgoing the midday meal, Alex decided they should use the time to go and spar in the cellar instead. It had been a long while since they had sparred, and Alex had almost pleaded with his friends, knowing his skills were getting rusty with disuse. Natalie and Jari had agreed to come along with him, happy for the distraction of a good old-fashioned fight. What was more, during Renmark’s lessons, Alex often felt the cold shiver of his anti-magic beneath his palms, conjured by prickling resentment toward the professor’s teaching methods, until he almost couldn’t control it. He knew he needed a safe place to practice defusing his knee-jerk reactions before they got out of hand.

“With all these weird things going on, I figure it wouldn’t hurt for me to get a bit stronger,” Alex explained as the three of them walked down the steps and out onto the grounds.

Natalie and Jari nodded in agreement. They walked through the desolate gardens, rubble skittering away beneath their feet, the skeletal trees reaching their clawed hands skywards, raking at the livid sky. A headless, limbless statue stood sentinel over a patch of dead weeds. Up above, a storm was picking up, shifting the dirt and rustling the draped gray ivy that hung all across the manor grounds, sprouting from holes in the stone walls, spewing from the innards of blackened trees.

“So, how do we get out now that there’s no gate?” Jari asked, kicking a stone against one of the cracked walls.

“We’ll just have to think of something else. Besides, they weren’t exactly going to let us just walk out, were they?” Alex replied, shoving his hands in his pockets, his fingertips touching the sharp edge of a forgotten square of paper.

“If you get strong enough, do you reckon you can break the manor’s magic?” Jari ventured, staring up at the overcast sky.

Alex shrugged. “It’s pretty strong, so… probably not.”

“Maybe we could summon some ancient creatures to come help us, like a dragon or a griffon or something.” Jari grinned at the idea. “We could control them and use one to bite off the Head’s head!” He laughed, turning to Natalie. “Hey, you dabble in necromancy—you think you could try it with one of those stuffed ones in the hall?” Jari suggested, his tone only half joking.

“I don’t think so. You would end up controlling nothing more than a scary bit of fur stuffed with cotton wool,” Natalie chuckled.

“Maybe I could give the manor a try. What do you think?” Alex asked, turning to Natalie.

She shrugged. “I believe the manor’s magic could indeed be broken, but it would take the most enormous amount of energy. I have read of such things—dark magic that may perform great things, more than you could ever imagine. I do not think I am strong enough to wield such magic yet, but I may be one day.” Her eyes were bright with passion. “There are not many capable of such magic, but it can be done,” she added wistfully as they neared the cellar.

Alex eyed Natalie suspiciously, noting the excitement in her voice as she spoke of this rare magic. Guessing from her dreamy expression, Alex assumed she wished she were one of those few. He hadn’t heard her willingly mention dark magic before, and the thrill it seemed to give her worried him a little. Great power rarely led to good.

“Do you mean life magic?” Alex asked, leveling his gaze at Natalie.

She flushed. “I mean dark magic.”

“But life magic is dark magic,” Alex continued, growing more concerned by his friend’s words.

“It can be controlled if you know how.”

“It’s dangerous, Natalie. You shouldn’t dabble in life magic. No good can come from it. It leaves a scar on your soul. When you use life magic, it takes a piece of you with it. You know that,” Alex said, wanting his friend to understand. “Promise me you won’t do any life magic. Promise me, Natalie.” She looked down, her expression sheepish.

“Of course not, Alex. You worry too much. I would never do such a thing,” she said finally, lifting her gaze. “I would not be so stupid.” She smiled reassuringly, but Alex wasn’t convinced.

They stopped beside the familiar split tree. Alex brushed the gravel and dust away from the trapdoor in the ground, and lifted it. A rush of musty air stung Alex’s eyes as he glanced down into the room below. It was dark, the torches blown out.