The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)(17)

It was mesmerizing, to see them all so in sync, working like cogs in a well-oiled machine. Not to mention that each and every student was as athletic as they were beautiful, and undeniably skillful. There was not a dull pupil among them. Magic seemed to flow effortlessly from their hands, doing their bidding without so much as a creased brow or a drop of sweat.

At the helm of these classes were teachers of equal youth and beauty. There were three in the courtyard, instructing the students and, while they were definitely slightly older than their charges, old age and ugliness did not seem to be permitted within the walls of Stillwater House. Alex listened as these instructors barked orders in crisp, clear voices, the students setting to their given tasks immediately. He was in complete awe. These students were no older than Alex, but they were conjuring complex spells he had never seen before as if they were the most basic of skills, sending them rippling across the courtyard with ease. Before long, the whole place was lit up with a fine mist of glittering gold—the magical fallout of their intricate conjurations.

At the far side of the courtyard, sparring fluidly with a young man twice her height and width, was the supremely stunning young woman from the previous night—the one who had caught Jari’s eye. Not only was she sparring with this huge man, but she was winning too, flooring him with deft movements and expert magic. Alex watched as she ducked and rolled away from her partner’s retaliations, moving as lithely as if she were made of liquid. Soon, it was not her exquisite beauty that kept Alex watching, but her skill. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Even Natalie’s magic, which was impressive in its own right, wasn’t nearly as powerful as this young woman’s. There was a fierce, fiery crackle to it that bristled with untold strength.

As her sparring partner stepped back to take a breather, the young woman’s gaze snapped toward Alex, who ducked sharply behind his parapet. After a minute, he dared to peer back around, but her gaze was still focused in his direction. Shielding her eyes from the glaring sun, she had clearly seen him. Realizing there was no use in hiding, Alex’s eyes locked with hers in a strange, mutual curiosity. There was surprise, too, and although she was some distance away from him, he was almost certain he could see the curve of a small smile playing upon her lips.

Cursing himself for his mistake, he crawled back across the broad width of the wall and clambered down, dropping the last few meters into the flowerbeds below with a heavy thud. He knew he had just done something that could put them all at risk.

Guiltily, he returned to the small cottage, wishing he had better news. He had intended to go to Stillwater to get something useful for Aamir and had come back essentially empty-handed. True, he now had an inkling where the infirmary might be, but he also had news of potential detection. It wasn’t exactly a worthwhile exchange.

Jari looked up as Alex entered. “Did you get something?” he asked eagerly.

Alex sighed. “I have good news and bad news.”

The others gathered around.

“What’s the good news?” pressed Jari.

“I think I found out where the infirmary is,” Alex replied.

Excitement spread across Jari’s face. “You did? Did you see it?”

Alex shook his head. “There were too many people around.”

“Is that the bad news?” Jari frowned.

“Sadly not.” Alex grimaced.

“So, we go there after nightfall?” Natalie chimed in.

Again, Alex shook his head. “That’s where the bad news comes in.”

“What is it?” Jari was losing his patience.

“I think the students at Stillwater House might know there are some vagrants on the loose,” explained Alex.

“What do you mean?” asked Natalie, suddenly worried.

“I went to the courtyard to see if there was another way in, to reach the infirmary, and… I think I was seen. The girl you saw last night, Jari—I think she saw me,” sighed Alex, hating that it had happened.

“What?” gasped Jari. “How could you let that happen?”

“It was an accident.”

“Well, what are we supposed to do now?” Natalie said, her voice tight with alarm.

“I say we stay put,” Alex replied.

“What? You’re insane!” yelled Jari. “How can we be safe here?”

“We’re as safe here as we are likely to be anywhere else around here—including the lighthouse. At least here we’re well hidden and have a good view of the lake and the wall, if anyone comes looking for us,” he said evenly.

There was a rationale in what Alex had to say. It was true, they were well positioned. And who knew what the young woman he had seen was going to do? She might not say a word. Even if she did, nobody had followed him, and nobody had seen where he had gone.

His words seemed to calm the group as they weighed their options—not that they had a great many at their disposal. In the end, a decision seemed to have been made to stay put, though nobody spoke the consensus aloud. A tense atmosphere bristled in the confined space of the cottage throughout the rest of the day, with the slightest noise setting everyone on edge. Even the soft whisper of the lake lapping the shore sounded like voices approaching.

So it was a surprise when the sound of actual feet approaching evaded their notice entirely.

The sun had just begun to go down when Alex heard the soft pad of a stealthy approach beyond the boarded window behind his head. Whoever they were, they had made it almost to the front door of the cottage undetected.