The Chain (The Secret of Spellshadow Manor #3)(91)

It was nice to see Jari up and about, too, though there was a melancholy to his usually cheerful face that Alex found heartrending. To hear of Gaze’s passing and the truth of Helena was not exactly a pleasant way to start the day. Still, the distraction of finding a way out soon brought some life back to his eyes, as they made their way up to a large reading alcove, similar to the one Alex had almost been discovered in. It was high enough that Alex could keep an eye on anyone trying to approach them, but tucked away enough that it gave the illusion of privacy. Whether it would provide any such security, they had yet to find out.

They paused on the walkway, and Alex pulled out a list of research topics. As he read them aloud, the others put their hands up at the subjects they liked and took that as their responsibility, wandering over to the Index to check out any entries before braving the stacks.

The group went their separate ways among the many floors. Alex clambered up to the very top platform and rooted through several shelves until he found some books he thought might be useful. He had brought his Royals book and Leander Wyvern book along too, realizing it had been a while since he had delved within their pages. So much had happened, he had almost forgotten about the two books. As he returned to the reading area, he wondered if there’d be anything juicy inside the tomes that they could use.

Regrouping, he chuckled to see that both Natalie and Ellabell were teetering along with enormous stacks of books, while the two other boys only had a few in each hand. Nevertheless, the tables became a mess of literature as everyone spread their books out on the surface, picking up ones that caught their eyes, before they all settled back in their armchairs to read what lay within.

As they read, talk turned to what could be gained from the lessons they had been attending.

“We could see what Master Montego knows of cloaking spells,” Natalie said, flipping through some pages of a book entitled Cloaks and Their Many Uses.

“I’ve just started learning explosion spells,” Jari chimed in. “It’d be cool to blow stuff up. You know, if we need to create any diversions,” he quipped, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

“What about your classes, Alex? Anything interesting we could use?” Ellabell asked, turning to him.

Alex pondered the question. Master Demeter’s classes were mainly focused on the theoretical, which didn’t seem very useful in this case. “I could see what I can find out about the history of Stillwater, I guess. He might know more about the portals between havens or something.”

He wished he had more to offer from his classes. He had still only been taught by the clownish Master Demeter, even though he was supposed to be having lessons with Alypia. On the occasions she had been listed on his schedule, he had shown up at the correct room, only to find Master Demeter again, who would cry out, without fail, “Is this a devil I see before me?” with something held aloft in his hand, mixing his Shakespeares as badly as he mixed his proverbs.

“I wonder if Alypia is up to something,” he said, after he had explained her continued absences to the others.

Natalie frowned. “The Headmistress is always up to something, as far as I can tell.”

There was residual bitterness, in the wake of what had happened to Gaze. Alex could sense it in the air, mirroring the resentment he felt pulsing inside his own heart.

From the table, Alex picked up his research list and looked over it. Portals, Great Evils, uses for life essence, powerful spells, magical travel—the Stillwater library had a lot of books that skirted around many of these subjects, but none that explicitly detailed any of what they needed. It was frustrating to watch his friends discard book after book, finding nothing of much use at all.

“Any good?” asked Alex as Natalie threw down a large, yellow-covered book on How to Get from Point A to B: A Mage’s Journey by Frederik Scott.

“No, it is some autobiography. Nothing is what it seems in this place!” she cried in exasperation. Alex knew exactly how she felt.

“We’ve got to remember what Helena said—there are books the students aren’t allowed to see, even here,” he explained. “So what we’re looking for might not even be here.”

This revelation put a damper on everyone’s mood as they continued to sift through the stacks of books, hoping that one of them would have at least a glimmer of hope within.

Alex’s mind, however, was distracted by a far bigger picture. He was trying to focus on his other idea, the one running alongside the plan to escape to the outside world. In his mind’s eye, he pictured the black bottles with their pulsing red interiors, and felt the overwhelming desire for their destruction course through him, making his eyes burn. He had been thinking about it ever since his failed trip to the arena, though he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to destroy them all or steal them all, in order to keep them out of the hands of the Head and Headmistress. They could also be a useful bargaining chip for the freedom of those at Spellshadow, perhaps, and for the five of them to be returned to the real world too, should they fail to find a way of their own. He knew it was pretty optimistic, but he also knew the value of that stuff, especially after hearing Alypia’s fears about it running out. If he played his cards right, he could find himself in control.

The only problem was, he still didn’t know where the bottles were hidden, and the only person he could ask wasn’t with them, because they had chosen to push her away. He sighed, wondering if leaving Helena out was the right thing to do. She was still useful and willing to help, despite the white lie she had told. How many of them were guilty of similar lies?