The Keep

by Bella Forrest

  Alex fell to the ground, clutching his insides as they burned relentlessly. His whole body felt as if it were on fire, eating him up from the inside out. He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but whatever he had drawn out from within Elias, it felt alien and wrong inside his own body, making him fervently wish he hadn’t done it. Most of him had already known it was Elias who took Ellabell, and now he had gone and done who knew what to himself, all in the name of a foolish confirmation. It had been a mistake—he knew that much.

  After a minute or two had passed, the pain began to subside, giving him hope that it was just a momentary thing, like the effects of the barrier magic or a misfired spell. He desperately wanted it to be so—he couldn’t risk being in a weakened state, not when he had so much still to do.

  Falleaf was calling to him, whispering promises of the book within and the hopes it might bring to so many, least of all Alex. If Lintz was correct, it was a place where Alex would need to have his wits about him.

  Alex was certain now—he was going to make the Head perform the counter-spell, if it was the last thing he did. He just hoped it wouldn’t be.

  Chapter 29

  Alex staggered back onto one of the benches that sat around the table, conscious of the cold, numb ache that gnawed at the pit of his stomach, rising toward his lungs, making every breath feel like the first intake of air on a biting winter’s morning.

  The tower door burst open, and his friends rushed in, their faces bearing expressions of concern. He was pleasantly surprised to see Lintz and Demeter too, knowing it would make it easier to pass on the news of his latest revelation with everyone in attendance.

  “Are you okay? Caius told us what happened,” said Aamir, coming over to check on Alex. “I can’t believe she’s actually trapped, after the gigantic mess today has been.”

  “I’m fine, just a bit worn out,” he replied, pushing down the sporadic bolts of pain that seared through him with the force of ten thousand volts of electricity.

  “Is something the matter?” Natalie cut in, scrutinizing Alex’s face.

  “Elias came to me, just now, and told me about a book that contains the counter-spell,” Alex said evenly, trying hard to sound like everything was fine, despite the burning sensation inside. “The only catch is, it’s at Falleaf House… but I think it would be worth it for me to go and get it.”

  Ellabell looked at him with abject horror on her face. “You can’t be serious. I thought you said you weren’t going to do it,” she said, her voice tight with sudden emotion.

  “Don’t worry. I’m still not planning on becoming a sacrifice anytime soon, not unless there’s absolutely no other option. But I do think it would be good to have the book in hand, so I can take a look at the spell and see if I can find a loophole somewhere—I’m good at loopholes. I’m a walking, talking loophole of the Spellbreaker race’s survival, after all,” he replied, with forced brightness, wanting to soothe Ellabell’s fears.

  “Must have been some chat!” Jari said, but there was concern knitted upon his brow.

  “And what if there isn’t a loophole?” Ellabell said quietly, flashing him a look of deep worry.

  “All I can say is I don’t intend to do it, Ellabell,” he replied, wishing she were closer so he could hold her hand. “I’ve got the start of an idea, which will hopefully mean I won’t have to do it—there is an alternative to my martyrdom. I know there is; I can feel it in my bones. And something tells me I’ll find answers in that book.”

  “So what does this mean for the plan to take control of Stillwater and Spellshadow?” Demeter asked.

  Alex winced, grasping his stomach to try to hold his insides together. “Not much of a change, hopefully—more of a redirection. For me, anyway,” he managed to reply, forcing the words through gritted teeth. “We still need people to take over the havens, but I’ll head off to Falleaf instead of Stillwater, and then join the rest of you when I’ve got the book,” he explained. “I’ll just need a portal there… if that can be done?” He turned to Professor Lintz, who stood at the far side of the room.

  “You want to build a portal to Falleaf House?” Lintz asked, his tone anxious.

  Alex nodded. “You came through a portal from Falleaf House on your way here, didn’t you?”

  Lintz turned and nodded. “I did.”

  “You said you barely escaped—is it worse than here?” Alex pressed. The sharp stings of pain began to subside with each steady breath, easing slowly to a dull, manageable ache.

  “I didn’t get to meet anyone in charge, or even see the buildings there, but the forests all around it are teeming with soldiers and magical traps. If it’s worse than here, I couldn’t tell you. I saw very little, but what I did see was enough to scare me off. Though I see it will not scare you off,” he added somberly.

  “I need to fetch this book, Professor,” Alex said. “Will building a portal to Falleaf House be easier than making a portal home, or will it still take forever?”

  “Goodness me, it’s far easier!” Lintz bellowed, twiddling his moustache. “It can certainly be achieved within a short timeframe. It requires far less essence—the essence from Stillwater should do it—and a lot less effort, not to mention the fact that there used to be a portal to Falleaf House already here. I came through it myself, though I disconnected it as soon as I did, considering the perils that lie in the woods beyond. I would never have thought to re-conjure it, but it should be simple enough to use the old network—it makes it a great deal easier when there’s already a known route that the portal magic can work across, you see. It’s why building portals to the outside world is so darned bothersome, because you’re working blind, so to speak, forging an entirely new pathway.”

  This calmed Alex’s nerves slightly. He wouldn’t know the full extent of the dangers that lay at the unknown haven until he got there, so the only potential hurdles he could still think of rested in the hands of the havens they had already come through.

  “And we can help too,” said Ellabell firmly, “seeing as we’ll be coming with you.”

  Alex shook his head, leveling his gaze at each person in turn. “Now, more than ever, it’s going to be essential that we manage to take over Stillwater and Spellshadow,” he said, knowing it would mean his best chance at using mind control on Virgil, without the fear of persecution or attack. “I know it might seem like a step backward, but this will offer hope to so many more than just ourselves, and I promise we will still get home after we’ve done this. This is why you need to go, as planned, to Stillwater… I won’t ask anyone to come to Falleaf House with me, to risk their lives for a book.”

  With Alypia trapped here at Kingstone, Alex knew most of the threat at Stillwater would be defused. The prison was no place for a longer stay—there were no physical resources here, no usable essence, and hardly any people they could rally to the cause. Stillwater had the resources, Spellshadow had the essence, and both had the people.

  A momentary silence drifted across the room.

  “Well, I think we should choose where we want to go,” insisted Ellabell.

  Aamir nodded. “Indeed, Alex, as noble as your sentiments are, you will require assistance too.”

  “Then let’s take a vote,” Alex said reluctantly, knowing how hard the decision was. It meant fracturing the group.

  “I’ll be going to Stillwater, as planned, to assist in taking control of the havens,” Natalie spoke softly. “It will be sad to part from you… but I feel my presence will be needed most when the time comes to try to free Spellshadow. I am much stronger now than I was when we were students there, and I intend to be a formidable adversary. Not only that, but I will see my friend again, and get her to join us—how can we possibly fail?” She smiled, her dark eyes glittering with tears. “It is in my blood, after all—liberté, égalité, fraternité,” she added with a nervous laugh. Alex felt his gut wrench. He had known it would be hard, but not this hard.

  Jari nodded. “I’m going to go to Stillwat
er with Natalie. I want all those French things too, for Spellshadow Manor,” he said firmly.

  “It has nothing to do with Helena?” Natalie teased, clearly trying to bring a touch of levity to the meeting.

  “I mean, obviously I’m going to jump at the chance to see my true love again—pick up where we left off, if you know what I mean?” He grinned, blowing air kisses. “But, mainly, it’s for Spellshadow, and those we left behind.” It wasn’t clear whether Jari was telling the truth, but the conviction in his words was unmistakable, making Alex think that, perhaps, that was indeed the main reason—it was just smothered in a goofy façade.

  Both Natalie and Jari had improved by leaps and bounds since they’d left Spellshadow Manor, and Alex was certain the task of taking control of the havens would be in capable hands. Still, the fact that he would be losing them both, however temporarily, wasn’t easy to take in. He would miss Natalie’s strong, steady presence, and it would be too quiet without Jari to lighten the mood.

  Then there was Aamir. Alex was almost entirely convinced he would go too, being Jari’s best friend, which meant he would have to say goodbye to at least three of their tight-knit quintet. He waited patiently for the next person to speak, trying hard not to look at Ellabell, for fear of what decision he might see upon her face.

  “I’m going with you, Alex, to Falleaf House,” said Aamir solemnly. A quiet gasp ran around the room, and Alex realized he wasn’t the only one who’d thought Aamir was going to choose differently. Jari gaped at his best friend in utter disbelief, rendered speechless. “It is by no means an easy decision, but I think you might need me more than Spellshadow and Stillwater do, for now. I am confident we will all return there, to join the fight, but I feel compelled to remain by your side in this.”

  “Are you certain?” Natalie asked, glancing between the two friends.

  Aamir nodded.

  A tense silence grew, all eyes on Jari and Aamir. The older boy wouldn’t look at the younger, his gaze set sincerely forward. There would be time afterwards for them to talk it out, Alex knew, and he hoped they would do so before they had to part ways. He couldn’t bear the thought of the two friends separating on bad terms. Fortunately, the tension was broken a moment later by Demeter’s clear voice.

  “I’ll go to Stillwater and Spellshadow, as previously agreed. My skills can be better used in the battles yet to come. And, as they say—” the others braced for his latest botched proverb “—the mind is mightier than the sword.”

  “Not one I’m familiar with, old boy, but an excellent sentiment! The mind is a powerful tool indeed, and one I’m going to use right now,” Lintz said. “I’m going to be coming with you too, Alex, considering you’ll be in need of my, albeit limited, knowledge of Falleaf’s terrain. I can also assist in the construction of a portal to Spellshadow Manor—if we decide to go that way and join in—or back here and around the long way.”

  “Thanks, Professor. The end goal is definitely to join the fight by meeting at Spellshadow,” Alex said, trying to restrain the anxiety he felt about the fact that Ellabell still hadn’t spoken. “Maybe both parties could send word to Vincent and Caius, through the portal, when havens have been taken and books have been retrieved.”

  “Ellabell, what are you going to do?” Natalie asked, and Alex’s heart leapt into his throat. At first Ellabell had suggested they all go with him, but what would she choose now that the group was splitting up?

  She sighed heavily. “I am going to come to Falleaf House, in the hopes I can stop you getting yourself killed on this… this mission of yours,” she said finally, leaving a gap where Alex was certain she had wanted to say “foolish,” or something worse. Clearly, she still wasn’t convinced he wasn’t going to get the book and just do the spell himself. Given the time, he vowed to tell her that he was halfway toward a full-fledged alternative.

  Some of the tension had broken among the group, and everyone appeared to be in agreement—but realization was also dawning that this was going to be an even tougher goodbye than they’d thought. This was the group actually breaking apart, physically, for the first time in a long time. Even through arguments, curses, and secrets, they had never been far from one another, and this was different: this was a farewell with a tentative hope of reunion. There were no assurances, not anymore.

  Alex’s eyes rested on Ellabell. She was looking directly back.

  He wasn’t sure he could have said goodbye to her; there was so much still unspoken.

  Chapter 30

  Demeter departed to inform Vincent of the renewed plan, and to relieve him of his Stillwater portal guard duty. He promised to find Caius too, on the way there, to let him know there had been a slight alteration in proceedings.

  “I’ll see you off before you go. Remember, absence makes the heart grow bigger,” Demeter had said before disappearing from the tower.

  An awkward silence stretched between those who remained, and Alex understood why. Nobody wanted to be the first to say what had to be said.

  “So, this means… we’re all set then?” said Aamir, passing a nervous glance around the room.

  “Looks like it,” Jari agreed.

  Seeing Ellabell sitting by herself, Alex seized the opportunity. It wouldn’t be long before things got hectic, and though he knew he wasn’t going to have to say goodbye to her, like Natalie and Jari, he wanted to take a calm moment with her before they left for Falleaf.

  “Ellabell—will you come for a walk with me?” he asked quietly.

  “Haven’t you had enough of walking?” she teased.

  “Not with you,” he replied, hoping he sounded smooth.

  She smiled. “Okay, let’s walk.”

  With that, they made their way as inconspicuously as possible toward the door of the tower room, though it was clear all eyes were on them as they slipped out into the hall beyond.

  Alex took her hand in his and pulled her toward the turret where she had stood sentinel while he went on his adventure to the gatehouse and back. Gazing back at her, he was pleased to see that she was smiling as he led her up to the top of the turret.

  He was nervous in a way he had never known before. Above them, the bronze fog was ever-shifting, though Alex wished there were a sliver of sunshine. He looked into her eyes, which were the same pale blue as the sky he imagined lay beyond the fog, and he found himself suddenly tongue-tied. In the pale light, she looked perfect, her cheeks rosy, her freckles dotting her nose, her lips curved into a smile.

  “I wanted to tell you something,” he began, clearing his throat a little. “Though I’m sure you already know.”

  “I won’t know unless you tell me,” she murmured, brushing her thumb across his hand.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath, letting the words flow out as he exhaled. “The thing is, with everything that’s coming up and everything we’ve been through, I… I just wanted you to know how… I feel about you, while I have the chance.” He paused, hardly daring to look at her. “There was a moment, back at Stillwater, when I thought none of us were going to make it, and I realized I might die having never said a word to you about… how I felt. And I’m not going to make the same mistake this time.”

  “You think we’re going to die?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to know, before we leave and things get a bit crazy, that there is one particular person in all of this who centers me, who calms me, who makes it all seem less insane. And that person is you, Ellabell,” he said. “I care about you so much, and I know it’s something stronger than a simple friendship. I… I’m falling for you, Ellabell. I know I’m no Romeo.” He smirked, even as his heart pounded. “And it doesn’t even matter if you don’t feel the same. I just needed to tell you before we have to face whatever’s waiting for us at Falleaf.”

  A moment of silence passed between them. Alex looked boldly into her eyes, and she held his gaze. No matter how hard he observed her face, he couldn’t jud
ge her reaction. There was a smile there, but was it a smile of reciprocity? There was a glitter in her eyes, but he couldn’t tell if it meant she felt the same. It was torment, to stand and wait and wonder what she might say.

  Finally, she spoke.

  “I realized it in the prison cell, when you held me in your arms and it felt like everything was hopeless. I think I knew before then, but that was the moment I understood that the thought of losing you was unbearable,” she began, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I’ve liked you for a long time, I think, and I’ve grown used to you being by my side. I want you to stay there, for as long as we both feel the way we do… I guess I’m falling for you too, Alex, and if we’re both feeling this way, then we may as well fall together.” She grinned widely, her whole face lighting up, making her even prettier. “I should tell you, though—I’m not exactly a roses and chocolates kind of girl.”

  “I would never have thought you were,” he replied.

  “I don’t need all that. I just want something that’s real—and to be with you, be beside you, and see where this takes us.” She sighed nervously.

  She was far more eloquent than he was, yet she didn’t make him feel as if his admission had been any less powerful. There was a unity in both their confessions, a feeling of mutual affection and a place on the same page. It was a nice feeling, though the thundering of Alex’s heart was not quite as pleasant.

  He realized he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

  Slowly, he moved closer to her, lifting his hands to her face, brushing his thumb across the smooth skin of her cheek. She was so close to him, and all he could see and feel was her.

  Tentatively, their lips met.

  As his grazed hers, Alex felt overcome with emotion. Snowflakes began to fall all around them—it was his anti-magic responding to the overflowing of her own magical aura, her skin crackling with the force of it, as it glittered from within her in a flurry of beautiful golden sparks. It was everything he could have hoped for, and could never have anticipated when he walked through that gate at Spellshadow Manor.