Ellabell gave a short, sharp laugh. “If he tries anything, he’ll have me to answer to,” she muttered.
“And here I was thinking we were friends now,” Elias taunted, swooping close to Ellabell. The move was clearly intended to frighten her, but her face remained a stoic mask, her nerves unperturbed by the shadow-man. Whatever terror she had formerly felt in his company, it was clear it no longer had a hold over her.
“You and me?” Ellabell sniffed. “Never in a million years.”
Elias grinned. “Looks like we’ll be just fine.”
“Do you think Hadrian can fit all of us in the treehouses, maybe make it look like a new intake of students?” Aamir said.
Alex shook his head. “I’ve got a different idea in mind,” he admitted. “If I let these people stay here and join the Falleaf students, I’m just sending them into more of the same—more of what they’ve already been through. I won’t do that.”
“You want to send them through the cave?” Aamir pressed.
Alex nodded. The fifth haven was the only truly safe place he could think of, though he knew the suggestion wouldn’t go down well. It was going to be a tricky sell, especially as there were so many. Hadrian and Ceres were determined to protect the isolation of Starcross and the freedom of its inhabitants, but surely, Alex reasoned, these people deserved the same chance at freedom?
“I’d better get going,” said Alex solemnly. “Which way is it?”
Aamir smiled. “That way,” he said, pointing between two trees. “Keep going straight, and you’ll come to the clearing with the pagoda.”
With a brief farewell, Alex departed, darting through the deep forest, keeping his eyes and ears out for any buzzing sounds, or anything strange that lay in his path. As luck would have it, he had become somewhat adept at avoiding the Falleaf traps, and managed to weave through the trees and undergrowth with relative ease. It was almost a relief when he saw the glint of the pagoda’s top, and the water gardens surrounding the base of the striking building. However, having never approached the pagoda from this side before, Alex saw that the distance between the tree-line and the back of the pagoda was far wider than it had been on the other side, and there were two bands of soldiers standing between him and the hidden doorway that led into the structure.
Ducking down, he crept past the first group, freezing as a twig snapped underfoot. Fortunately, the soldiers were so engrossed in their own conversation that they didn’t seem to hear it. He paused for a second, to make sure they hadn’t heard, but they had descended into a conversation about one of their wives. Realizing it was safe to move, though he still didn’t dare to exhale, Alex carried on, scouring the space between the trees and the pagoda for a suitable spot to sprint across.
There was a slightly narrower passage just ahead, but a group of soldiers was standing too close by. Although they had their backs turned, that didn’t make it any less dangerous. Glancing between the two bands of soldiers, Alex took a deep breath and ran for it.
A shout went up, but he didn’t stop to see if it was him they were shouting after. Barreling toward the door at the back of the pagoda, the lock of which was still broken, he slipped into the cellar and ran up the dank steps, not pausing for anything. He tore past the kitchens, grabbing a scarlet uniform on the way and yanking the top half on, just in case he came across anyone unsavory. Up and up he went, ducking into doorways whenever a soldier turned in his direction, until he finally reached the top floor. To his relief, there were no soldiers standing guard at the door.
Catching his breath, he knocked, then stepped in and closed the door firmly behind him. Hadrian was standing by the window, talking with Vincent, but he turned sharply as Alex entered, a look of surprise on his face. Alex glanced at Vincent, wondering how the necromancer came to be there. The last time he’d seen him was at Spellshadow Manor, though he now realized he hadn’t seen the peculiar man amongst the student exodus. Somehow, the mysterious necromancer had slipped away, returning to Falleaf before any of them.
“Alex? What are you d-doing here?” he asked, his brow furrowed with anxiety.
“It’s a long story,” Alex gasped. “You might want to sit down.”
“Do you wish me to make myself scarce?” the necromancer asked, the black veins in his face pulsing slightly. “Or can I stay to hear about the shenanigans you’ve evidently managed to mix yourself up in? I must say, that absolutely has to be a record—I only saw you a mere handful of hours ago, yet here you are, plainly in some form of trouble?”
Alex shook his head. “No, you can stay. You might be able to help, actually,” he said, gesturing toward the central table. Even though he didn’t know how Vincent had arrived here, Alex was glad to see him—the necromancer was undeniably useful in all sorts of situations. The deep black of his veins had faded ever so slightly, and, by the looks of it, he and Hadrian had become firm friends in the brief time they’d known one another, or co-conspirators at the very least.
“I’d prefer to stand,” Vincent said, smiling.
Hadrian began to wring his hands as he walked over to the low table and sat down. Alex sat opposite, dreading the conversation that was to follow.
Hadrian sighed heavily. “What h-happened?”
“The spell went wrong. The mist got loose, and I had to evacuate Spellshadow Manor. I have over fifty people waiting in the forest, by the portal, who need your help,” Alex replied, trying to keep the anxiety from his own voice. “I know what you’re going to say—we should integrate them into the students here, and make it look like you were doing Julius’s bidding, but I won’t do that. I won’t have them out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
Vincent gave a sharp intake of breath. “Oh dear,” he muttered. “I am afraid I departed shortly after helping that silver-haired young woman retrieve that device. I sensed that my dear Agatha was in some distress, but it also seemed prudent to inform Hadrian of what was occurring at Spellshadow—that is what I did, but had I known the danger you were in, I would not have tarried so long.”
Hadrian gulped loudly. “The spell w-went wrong?”
“Yes. Something happened, and the mist got released,” Alex repeated. “That’s not the most important thing right now. There are people who need your help, Hadrian. I need you to provide us with a safe route through the forest, and into Starcross. I’m not leaving here until you agree.”
“Y-You realize the s-situation you are p-putting m-me in?” Hadrian asked, his nervous tic going into overdrive.
Alex nodded. “I do, but they deserve protection while we figure out how to do the spell again. This is all my fault, and I need your help, so nobody else suffers for that mistake. You agree with me, right, Vincent?”
Vincent raised his hands. “I think it is best I remain out of this one, Alex. This is neither my domain nor my jurisdiction, so I would not feel proper offering up my perspective. Hadrian must do whatever he deems best.”
“You s-still have the b-book?” Hadrian asked.
Alex patted the satchel still slung around his body. “It’s not leaving my side for a moment.”
“T-Two tries l-left,” Hadrian muttered, almost to himself. Alex grimaced, having almost forgotten the caveat of the spell’s limited attempts. Still, if he could pore over the book again and maybe pry some information out of Virgil when he awoke, he was confident he could try again and succeed.
“They’re out there, vulnerable, and they need you,” Alex pressed. “Can I count on you?”
For a long time, Hadrian said nothing, though from time to time he looked at Vincent, as if seeking approval. The necromancer wasn’t particularly forthcoming, his face remaining a webbed canvas of neutrality. Alex didn’t speak either, watching and waiting for the white-haired man to come to a decision. At this point, there was nothing left for Alex to say, and he was scared he might end up begging on his knees. If Hadrian wouldn’t help, then they were lost.
At long last, the royal opened his mouth to speak. “I s-suppose
you haven’t l-left me with m-much choice.”
Chapter 4
Hadrian and Vincent followed Alex back through the forest, though nobody had much to say. It was clear to Alex that Hadrian wanted to ask him all about the spell, and what had gone wrong, but the truth was, Alex was still trying to figure that out himself.
“I knew it w-was a bad idea,” said Hadrian suddenly.
Alex cast a sideways glance at him. “What choice did we have?”
“You should have j-just left that s-spell alone,” Hadrian murmured.
“I am not certain this line of discussion is exactly helpful, dear Hadrian,” Vincent chimed in, evidently trying to mediate.
“You’d have been happy with that?” Alex remarked sourly, ignoring Vincent. “You’d have been happy for everything to just stay the same, the cycle repeating endlessly, until no more babies were born with magical ability, and the essence all ran out? I suppose you figured you’d be dead by then, or something?”
After the forceful show Hadrian had displayed when Alex had tried to get the survivors to join the cause, Alex had thought that, perhaps, there was more to the nervous royal than met the eye. He had thought that, maybe, Hadrian had fire in his belly after all, when it came to the injustices of the magical realms. Now, it seemed Alex had been mistaken. Hadrian was just afraid—a coward, nothing more, never wanting to rock the boat. It was hard to believe Hadrian and his sister, Ceres, could be such polar opposites. Alex had a feeling Ceres was the kind of woman who would never back down from a fight, if someone else was suffering.
“You think I’m a w-weakling.” Hadrian laughed bitterly. “You think I’m a n-nervous wreck with no moral compass, but you’re m-mistaken. You wouldn’t be the first to think so, b-but you are mistaken. I care… I really care. I want the change you seek, but I also know the r-risks.”
“They’re worth taking, if this is the alternative,” Alex replied, gesturing to the leafy world around them. True, it looked beautiful, but its core was rotten.
“I know, Alex. I t-truly do know—it’s just hard for me to change m-my ways, after so long l-living the same life, being made to kneel and scrape in the s-sight of the king.” Hadrian sighed. “You forget, the survivors wouldn’t even b-be alive if I hadn’t r-risked everything to get them out.”
Alex frowned. For some reason, whether it was the wringing of the man’s hands or the stammer in his voice, he had forgotten all the good Hadrian had actually done, within the constraints around him. It couldn’t have been easy defying a man like Julius, stowing away students in secret, and keeping it that way all these years. Alex thought back to his visit to the fifth haven, and remembered the age of some of the people there. Hadrian really had done a great thing, and he had kept those people safe for a long time. It was only natural the anxious royal would be worried, Alex realized, when all that hard work was threatened by something that may not even work, but could never be taken back.
Alex smiled apologetically. “I imagine a lot of people have given you a hard time?”
“Not so many, but those who h-have don’t hold back,” Hadrian replied, a sorrowful look in his eyes. “My sister tells me all the t-time what a failure I am f-for not doing more. I suppose she’s right… but I d-did all I thought I could do.”
“Remember, Hadrian, your sister speaks from a place of passion—she is not always in control of her words, or the way in which they tumble from her mouth,” Vincent said, offering up some comfort to the battered royal.
“And, hey, you’re helping us now,” Alex added, softening toward Hadrian. “That is doing more.”
When Alex, Vincent, and Hadrian emerged through the shade of the trees, the crack of a branch went off like a gunshot in the silence of the forest, and the students in the clearing scattered like disturbed rats. Peering into the darkness, all Alex could see were beady eyes staring at him from the gloom, the fear tangible.
“It’s just me,” Alex announced. “And this is Hadrian, the guy who is going to help us. The guy next to him is—”
“I am Vincent, for those who were, perhaps, wondering. I am also here to offer my assistance, though I am afraid I am not quite the grand fromage,” Vincent interrupted.
Natalie snorted with laughter from the back of the group. Figures slowly began to unfurl from the shadows, moving forward on shaky limbs. The four friends approached Alex, Vincent, and Hadrian, though they didn’t bring Virgil with them. A shift of something even darker than the forest shade told Alex that wherever the Head was, tucked back there in the dim light, Elias had handled the situation.
“Alex tells me y-you’re in need of shelter,” said Hadrian. “It is a pleasure to meet you, and a p-pleasure to see familiar faces again. I only wish it w-were under happier circumstances,” he added, going down the line, shaking hands with the four friends. He had yet to meet Natalie and Jari, but he shook their hands all the same, smiling warmly.
“Hadrian has kindly agreed to let us go through to meet with his sister,” Alex explained.
The royal nodded, his stammer fading as he addressed the gathered group. “My sister, Ceres, will be able to take care of you, and keep you safe. I know you must all be cold, tired, and hungry, but you will soon be out of danger,” he promised. The metamorphosis was peculiar to Alex—one moment, Hadrian had been wringing his hands with anxiety; the next he had become an authoritative leader, a voice of comfort to the weary troops. Alex wondered if this was the way his own students saw him.
“Monsieur Hadrian, a few of these students are injured after the battle we had at Spellshadow. Does your sister have medical facilities?” Natalie asked, pointing toward a cluster of individuals curled up in various states of fitful slumber between the twisting roots of an enormous tree.
“She is fully equipped to assist with all kinds of ailments,” Hadrian confirmed. Alex knew it had to be true, given the state in which the survivors must have come through to Starcross, not to mention their lifelong treatment after they’d had half their essence taken away. “If you’d like to follow me, all of you, I can lead you to her. You will have to be as quiet as you can possibly be, and do exactly as I instruct.”
The congregation moved forward, evidently impressed by the manner of Hadrian, who was a million miles away from the Head and Headmistress they had all known in their time at the havens.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” a sultry voice barked from the back of the clearing.
“Ah, I forgot to mention that,” said Alex, turning apologetically toward Hadrian.
The nervous royal frowned. “What?”
“I had to bring Virgil with us,” Alex explained. “If we’re going to try the spell again, we need his help still. There was no way we could leave him there.”
Elias heaved the dangling figure of Virgil forward, throwing him haphazardly onto the grass, where he landed in an unconscious heap.
“He certainly looks as if he has seen better days,” Vincent remarked, eyeing the limp man with curiosity.
Hadrian sighed heavily. “My sister won’t be happy about it, but I can see why you had to bring him. It’s funny, the way that man always seems to dodge the worst of things,” he mused. “Do you need help carrying him?”
Alex shook his head. “No, we’ve got this,” he said, as Jari hurried to pick up one arm and Natalie moved to take the other.
“Where would you all be without me?” Elias grinned, before twisting up into nothingness. The forest of Falleaf was an easy spot for the shadow-man to disappear into, without a trace. Regardless, Alex could still feel Elias’s presence lingering around him. He felt like he was being watched, but knew the surveillance was coming from within him, pulsing at the center of the piece of soul he’d accidentally stolen.
The students trailed after Hadrian, treading carefully. It seemed the royal was taking the long way around, circling the whole forest before coming back toward the place where Alex knew the cave stood, hidden away in a distant section of the woods. Using the slender device that p
icked out traps, and ensuring that any bands of soldiers were suitably diverted by stern words of broken snares, Hadrian escorted them to the cave without incident. However, Alex knew that was the least of their worries. They still had Ceres to contend with.
“Come on through, but you’ll have to be aware of space—it might get a little cramped,” Hadrian instructed, before opening the narrow door that covered the cave entrance and hurrying inside. The group followed, though the royal was right: it was a little cramped with so many inside.
“Very good, keep on heading through, push right down to the very end of the cave,” Vincent urged, though he remained outside the cave’s entrance, to keep watch.
Hadrian was saying much the same thing inside. “Yes, that’s right, you need to follow me, right through to the very end of the cave. Come on past the shelves, and keep on coming until you’ve gone as far as you can go,” he shouted, so everyone could hear.
Jari bounded up to the entrance and slipped through the doorway, followed closely by Aamir. The rest of the students came after, with Alex, Ellabell, and Natalie bringing up the rear, calming any hesitation, to ensure that nobody got cold feet.
It was strange to enter the cave again, and it wasn’t long before Alex began to feel the half-familiar sensation of the essence calling to him. It was magnetic, drawing him toward the bottles on the shelves, though he knew they contained only a fraction of the person they had been dragged from, unlike the Kingstone essence, which could be felt a mile away. The pulse that emanated from these was still weak, and somehow sad, though the other students walked past the bottles with disinterest, their focus firmly on Hadrian.
“It’s so weird in here,” whispered Ellabell. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this place.”
Alex knew what she meant. “It’s because it’s full of lost souls,” he said, half to himself.
As they moved farther into the cave, the walls began to press inward, the pathway bottlenecking in places once they got past the shelves of essence. Slender creepers twisted up the rock face, with tiny white flowers peppering the vine. The petals were smooth and velvety with a bright yellow center, almost like a daisy. It was hard to believe anything could grow in here, but Alex supposed nature always found a way of thriving, even in the darkest of places.