The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)(54)

An hour later, the sound of scraping metal and jangling keys alerted Alex to one of the doors being opened, farther up the corridor. Standing quickly, despite the dizziness that followed, he tried to peer out of the grate to see who was being taken away, but couldn’t crane his head far enough around.

“Who is it?” he yelled. He heard the sound of scuffling feet on the flagstones and the muffled fear of someone struggling, silenced by a hand over the mouth. “Who is it?” he repeated desperately.

“Alex!” Ellabell called out for him, and the sound nearly broke his heart. There was abject terror in her voice.

“Ellabell—be brave! You’ll be okay!” he called, though he still couldn’t see her. He could only hope she believed him.

He listened as her footsteps faded away to nothing, his voice no longer echoing after her down the hallway. There was nothing left to do but pace while he waited for them to bring her back. Frustration twisted inside his stomach as he walked up and down the cell, hoping she was safe, wherever they had taken her. He couldn’t bear to think of them hurting her in any way.

A while later, he heard the scrape and jangle once more, only Ellabell didn’t seem to be with the jailer. Instead, they had come for someone else.

Alex listened hopelessly as Natalie cried out, just before she was dragged to wherever they had taken Ellabell.

Jari was next, assuring Alex and Aamir he would be fine.

“I won’t say a word to those—” Whichever expletive Jari had been about to use, it was cut off by the hand of someone smothering the blond-haired boy’s mouth.

Aamir went after, shouting to Alex.

“Be strong, Alex!” he called as the sound of jangling keys disappeared into nothingness.

Left alone in the prison, with nobody neighboring him to keep him from going mad, Alex paced his cell like a caged beast, his mind racing with worry and concern for the other four who had gone before him. He knew it probably wouldn’t be long until they came for him, and, as much as he would have liked to fight back, he was no longer sure of the point.

There was one thing he was sure about, though—he was next on the chopping block.





Chapter 21





The familiar sound of a key turning in the lock made Alex’s tired eyes snap toward the door of the grim cell. He had moved back to its center, to give himself more distance if he found himself with the opportunity to bum-rush whoever was on the other side, but the thought stopped dead in its tracks as he saw the figure standing beyond the door. It was not someone he had been expecting.

Siren Mave stood in the hallway, holding a weighty bunch of keys, peering at him over her horn-rimmed spectacles.

“If you’d like to follow me, Mr. Webber,” she instructed. “Peacefully, if at all possible. I’ve had enough of strugglers for one evening.” She flashed Alex a warning look, puckering her overly painted lips in displeasure.

Alex nodded, cautiously following the plump little woman who had waddled on ahead. “What are you doing here?” he asked, still in shock.

“Oh, you know, keeping things interesting. Sometimes I’m here, sometimes I’m there—I go where I am needed,” she replied cheerfully. “Though you have significantly reduced my enrollment duties at Spellshadow Manor. Quite the little scallywag you turned out to be, hm? I knew you were different when you arrived. There was something about you—the rest are always plain as punch, but in you came, and I just knew I’d be seeing you again.” She smiled strangely, readjusting her spectacles as they turned a corner.

“I wouldn’t say I—” Alex began, but Siren Mave cut him off curtly.

“No use denying it, Webber—quite the state you left that place in. I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or appalled,” she cried. “Mind you, I suppose I do have you to thank for being more part-time now. More time for myself, you know? I always meant to do it, but you’ve done it for me,” she mumbled as they walked through a few more corridors.

Alex had been so surprised to see her that he found he no longer felt the previous trepidation coursing through his body.

As they passed through another set of hallways, he felt a spike of curiosity; it struck him as odd that, along the way, there were so few guards. What was there to stop him from running away? He couldn’t see any walls or barriers either.

“Don’t even contemplate it, Mr. Webber—don’t even begin to think about contemplating it. I may be small, but I can take you down without moving more than my pinky finger,” she warned, somehow preempting his train of thought.

Glancing at her, with her dumpy frame and elaborate spectacles, and her cheeks glowing from too much blush, Alex thought she didn’t look like a typical magical ninja, but there was a confidence in her voice that alarmed him, making him reluctant to test her. A flash in her eyes told him not to dare, and for once he felt he ought to listen.

“Where are the others?” he asked, once all thoughts of escape had ebbed away.

She waved her hand, which twinkled with hefty jeweled rings that seemed much too tight for her chubby fingers. “They are safe, although they weren’t nearly as accommodating as you,” she replied. Alex couldn’t tell if she was mocking him, or if that was just her voice; there always seemed to be a hint of some private joke on the tip of her tongue.