The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)(46)

He shrugged. “It’s embarrassing.”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “I can’t say—it’s stupid.”

“What’s the matter, Alex? We don’t have time for this,” she muttered, looking displeased.

“I’m afraid of heights,” he fibbed, hoping she’d believe him.

Amusement glittered in her striking gold eyes. “You’re afraid of heights?”

“It’s not funny.”

She grinned. “Fine. You take the ladder, and I’ll see you at the bottom.”

He watched as she soared over the banister and landed gracefully on the floor below. It was something Alex wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready to try, anti-magically speaking.

Trying not to look past his feet, he climbed back down from the lofty heights of the second highest platform, and didn’t exhale until he reached the ground, where Helena was waiting for him, her foot tapping impatiently on the gold-flecked marble.

They hurried across the library toward the door, where Helena held her palm up in a gesture that made Alex stop. He did so, and she peered out into the corridor beyond, ensuring that the coast was clear. Then she slipped out. Alex followed, not wanting her to get too far ahead as she raced through the hallways, probably knowing the layout of the place like the back of her hand.

“Excuse me, Helena!” a gruff voice called out.

Helena skidded to a stop and shoved Alex into a doorway with a frantic look. Alex pressed himself flat against the doorframe, hoping it would keep him hidden from view. He’d have thrown up a shield to hide himself better, but he knew he didn’t have time to dim it down to the level he needed. The shadows would have to do. He heard the jingle of keys as the man approached—a guard, most likely. Alex swallowed hard.

“Where are you headed?” the guard asked Helena.

“Oh, I’m just heading out to the lake. It’s such a beautiful night,” she replied casually, and Alex was sure she was wearing that persuasively cheerful grin of hers.

“It is indeed!” the guard replied. “Well, be safe. There’s an intruder on the loose, you know. Wouldn’t want your—”

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. I appreciate your kind thoughts,” Helena interrupted.

“Of course. Good night to you then, my lady,” the guard said congenially.

“Good night!”

Everything about these people is elegant, he mused, as he hid in a doorway with his imperceptible camouflaging shield around him. Helena appeared in front of him again, her smile both relieved and giddy.

“Let’s go!” she whispered.

Eventually, after what seemed like a much longer journey than the one he had taken with Elias’s misty messenger, they reached the familiar gloom of the courtyard, and the tower spiraling up in the corner. Walking through the front door, Alex was anxious about the reaction he was likely to get. He had been reckless, he knew he had, but for a good cause.

He needn’t have worried. As soon as he was over the threshold, he felt Ellabell’s arms around him as she rushed to hug him. She held his face as she looked him over, her expression showing she was just glad to see he was okay.

“Don’t you ever worry us like that again!” she chastised.

Glancing around at the others, he saw similar expressions on their faces. Worry, mainly, mixed with a relief to see him returned to them in one piece.

“You really had us going there, man,” said Jari with a nervous smile. “When we woke up and you weren’t in the tower, we knew something was up, but we couldn’t just go out looking in the daylight for you—we’d have been caught like that.” He snapped his fingers loudly. “We thought we’d lost you, dude.”

Natalie nodded. “Yes—we thought somebody had, perhaps, taken you in the night. We were so worried, Alex,” she whispered, her brow creased.

Alex felt a twist of guilt for putting them through that. Natalie wasn’t exactly wrong, either. Somebody had come for him in the night, just not who they might have expected. He thought about telling them about the shadow-man, but he felt the prickle of Elias’s displeasure shivering up his spine as he came to say the name aloud.

I thought we were over this, Alex grimaced to himself, but he held his tongue.

“Yeah—but then when that mouse appeared, I knew it had to be a sign from you, that you needed help. It kept butting against the front door, like it wanted me to follow, but I knew I couldn’t,” explained Ellabell, diverting Alex’s attention away from thoughts of Elias. “So when Helena came with food, I told her about the mouse and how you were missing, and suggested she follow it.”

“Quick thinking on her part,” Helena nodded as she stepped into the room. “You could see the mouse wanted to go somewhere, so I followed it as far as the library. I could never have gotten you out in broad daylight, so I had to wait until evening, when it was quiet. Sorry about that.” She grinned.

“I’m just glad you found me,” Alex said.

“It’s not me you should be thanking,” reminded Helena pointedly.

Alex nodded. “Of course—sorry. Thank you, Ellabell.” He gazed at her with slightly bashful gratitude.

She shrugged it off. “I say the mouse is the hero here,” she beamed, though her freckled cheeks had flushed ever so slightly, and her blue eyes had an added sparkle to them.