The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)(12)

It was a long night, with the finish line unknown. Every time Alex was certain they must be close to land, he was met with mile upon mile of endless water and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Refusing to be beaten, he took up the rowing seat once more and dug deep, chasing the oncoming dawn.

Just as the velvety black of the night sky was softening to a deep bluish hue, a small island appeared in the near distance. Sunrise was on its way, but they had yet to reach the opposite shore and whatever lay beyond it. It wasn’t the objective Alex was after, but the island seemed like the only feasible compromise.

“Should we stop here?” asked Jari, who had been Alex’s rowing companion for the last few hours. Glancing to the boy beside him, he could see dark circles around his eyes. Each pull of the oar was becoming more difficult, and, with the sun coming up, Alex didn’t want them to be left out in the open.

Alex nodded. “I think it’s the safest bet.”

As the island grew closer, Alex could see there was a tower of sorts in the center of it—a lighthouse, almost, though the light at the top wasn’t flashing down onto the water below, as it ought to have been. Running the boat aground through a narrow inlet, listening to the crunch of the wood on gritty sand, Alex thought the whole island seemed deserted. No shadows moved across the ground or through the glass dome at the summit of the lighthouse. Nor did their arrival send anyone running out.

“Stay here,” whispered Alex as he jumped lightly from the boat and tied it to a stubby tree at the opening to the inlet.

“I’ll come too,” insisted Jari.

“No, stay with the others. I just want to check it’s safe—no point waking them if it’s no good,” Alex replied, nodding toward the curled-up figures of Ellabell, Natalie, and Aamir.

“Shout if you need me,” pouted Jari, his face showing his disappointment.

“I will.” Alex flashed his friend a smile before turning to the lighthouse.

It wasn’t far, but Alex still felt uneasy as he crept toward the towering structure. He could make out an overgrown path beneath his feet, leading from the inlet, but it had long since been reclaimed by weeds and delicate wildflowers that poked up in a myriad of surprisingly bright colors. Within a couple of minutes, he had reached the front door of the lighthouse, which had definitely seen better days. The hinges were brown with rust, and the painted door was chipped and cracking. However, there didn’t seem to be a padlock or a lock of any sort on the front, and when Alex pulled the metal handle toward him, the door gave instantly with a rush of stale air.

He waited for someone to come running at the loud crack of the door opening, but nobody did. There was only silence beyond.

Alex moved quickly back to the boat.

“It seems safe,” he said, moving around the side of the vessel to gently shake Ellabell and Natalie awake.

They gazed around in confusion, their eyes becoming accustomed to the gathering light. The deep blue sky was now shot through with the first bolts of pale pink and hazy orange as the sun began to force its way up through the inky shadows.

“Where are we?” asked Ellabell in a quiet, sleepy voice.

“Somewhere safe. Do you need a hand?” he asked as she stood to step out of the boat.

“Okay.” She smiled shyly.

Alex’s hands lightly encircled her waist, and her hands rested on his shoulders as she jumped from the side of the vessel. Their eyes locked for a moment as he placed her carefully on the ground, but it was only afterward that he felt a wave of elation run through him, making an unexpected smile play upon his lips. He knew very well that she could have jumped from the boat herself, but he had wanted the chance to help—to make up for not holding her back in the forest.

Natalie flashed a knowing smile at him as she vaulted the side of the boat with ease, showing him up for his unnecessary gallantry. He flushed a little, hurrying to help Jari get Aamir out of the boat and onto dry land in a vain attempt to hide the blush of his cheeks.

Aamir groaned as the two boys carried him toward the lighthouse and in through the broken door that hung awkwardly from its damaged hinges. Settling him down on the dusty floor, they returned to the boat and dragged it as high up the island as they could to hide it among some spiny bushes, intending to keep it out of sight from anyone who might pass by. For good measure, Alex tore down a few branches from a nearby tree with palm-like fronds and draped them across the top and sides of the boat, camouflaging it in the surrounding greenery.

Only then did he return to the lighthouse, where everyone else was now gathered. Inspecting the interior, he confirmed it was definitely abandoned, with grimy sheets over what furniture remained and everything else covered in a thick blanket of dust. A narrow set of curving stairs hugged the circular wall, leading up to another floor.

“These places usually have a bedroom for the keeper, right? We should get Aamir up there,” suggested Alex, pointing through the gap in the ceiling.

There was a grumble of agreement. Jari and Alex knelt to pick Aamir up by his armpits and legs and carried him in an ungainly fashion up the creaking, questionably stable staircase. The others followed. On the next floor, there were even fewer signs of habitation, but the circular room wasn’t nearly as grim as the one below. Another curved staircase led up to a floor above, but Alex indicated for Jari to carry their friend over to the far wall of the first floor and set him down.