The Breaker (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #2)(60)

He was tall and broad-shouldered, his posture drawing him up with a certain dignity as the drape of his dark cloak moved elegantly with the movement of his body. Taking his time, he walked across the lawn with a new student in tow. The same misty-eyed hypnotism of every newcomer was evident in the face of the young boy beside him, who did not seem to know what was going on, let alone where he was or what he was in for.

The black-clad figure wore a hood, much like the Head’s, which shrouded his face from view, not that it could be seen beneath the delicate artwork of the mask he wore, painted gold and white in a distinctly Venetian style, his eyes made more menacing by the dark holes cut into it.

Seeing the gathered crowd of students, the masked figure stopped short of the steps with the new boy by his side. The boy swayed slightly under the trance that had been placed upon him, much like the one Natalie had been in when she had been taken to the manor. Tension bristled through the crowd as the glittering eyes assessed the students before him. Silence stretched unbearably as the figure chose his moment to speak, the students fidgeting beneath the discomfort of his intense stare.

“It is excellent to see your enthusiasm for your new classmate,” purred the masked figure, his voice rich and deep and without accent, though distorted ever so slightly by the mask over his mouth. “This young man beside me is Felipe Cortez, and he is to be the newest member of our fair school. I hope you shall welcome him with open arms and teach him the ways of this place. As you may have realized, he is not the only new face amongst your ranks. I must be a stranger to you also. Well, wonder no more—I shall be the new Deputy Head here at Spellshadow Manor while the venerable Head is on important business for the benefit of our beloved school. You shall refer to me as Professor Escher. I am to manage this manor, and, if you comply with the rules, we shall get along just fine. If you do not, you must not expect leniency. Rules are in place for a reason, and I expect them to be followed to the letter.” His voice curled elegantly into the air, sending shivers down the students’ spines. There was an oddly sinister quality to it, despite its sophistication.

“I am not just to be your Deputy Head, however. I shall also be taking over some of the teaching duties in the wake of young Professor Nagi’s ongoing work outside the school, assisting our much-respected Head. You will find me firm but fair, and I expect nothing but your finest work in my lessons. I do not accept lax attitudes regarding education, and I will push you to work your hardest toward the glorious goal of graduation,” he continued, his arms gesturing with the fluidity of a dancer as he delivered his eerie speech. He clapped his hands lightly, making a few of the students beside Alex jump. “Now, back to work, all of you. The day has just begun, and we must get young Felipe oriented before his first day.” There was the hint of a smile in the way Professor Escher spoke the last words, sending a chill through Alex as he watched the new professor walk the poor boy up the steps and usher him into one of the side rooms, closing the door behind them with a firm slam.

The students on the steps disbanded in a buzz of curious chatter, but Alex and his friends remained on the top step, staring out at the huge gate with its sapping ivy and thick iron bars. The gate didn’t look as if it was going anywhere soon, with the arrival of the new professor to take the Head’s place. More students would be snatched from their lives into a trap they could never escape, and the realization made Alex burn with anger.

“Who the hell is he?” seethed Alex, hoping fervently that his icy blockade had caused a bruise or two on their new dictator’s graceful body.

“I don’t know, but you can bet things are going to change around here,” said Jari sullenly, sitting down on the stone step with his head in his hands.

“Do you believe he saw your faces last night?” asked Natalie, fresh anxiety lacing her words.

Alex shrugged. “If he did, we’ll soon know.”





Chapter 23





Though they shared lessons and sat in the same mess hall for their meals, often walking the same hallways, Alex could not get Ellabell to speak to him. She seemed determined to avoid him at every turn, her gaze permanently lowered to the floor, her manner jumpy. The smallest scrape or whisper of a spell sparking would make her head jerk upright in alarm, her eyes scanning the room with an anxious flicker. Alex watched her as closely as he could, worried by her behavior. The more withdrawn and agitated she became, the more he held himself responsible for the change in her demeanor, wishing he had stayed by her side on that night.

Each time he saw her at the end of the corridor, knowing they would have to cross paths, she would look at him for the briefest moment before turning swiftly and walking the other way, scurrying along with her head down. If they stood closely in the line for dinner, Alex would watch her remove herself and loiter toward the end, only rejoining it once Alex had moved away and taken his seat elsewhere. He had tried to speak to her a number of times, but she didn’t seem to want him anywhere near her. The realization stung him a little, but he could hardly blame her; he still wasn’t sure what, exactly, had happened to her, but the trauma of it lingered. Every time he thought of the thick sound in her throat and the blood soaking through the delicate pink fabric of the handkerchief, his stomach turned, knowing it was his fault. He wished she would at least let him hug her or help in some way, so that he could ease her suffering.

Clambering up the rungs of one of the library’s giant columns, Alex stepped out onto its middle platform and walked along the rows of books. He wanted to find out more about shielding and defensive techniques so he could try to invert them—but, as fate would have it, at the end of the row, drawn up against the stacks with her knees to her chin, was Ellabell. She looked as if she was muttering something to herself, her lips moving but barely a sound coming out as her eyes flitted distractedly across the pages of a book open on the ground beside her. She was wearing new glasses with square black rims that made her look as studious as she was, her fingers toying anxiously with strands of hair that had escaped the tight ponytail at the back of her head as she read over the book’s words, completely absorbed in the task.