“Something like that… Let’s just say it didn’t get any easier,” he admitted, nodding toward the drawer of the diorama, and the book within.
“No, I didn’t think it would, dear boy,” Lintz murmured sorrowfully. “Then again, I always knew you’d be the one to do it. As soon as I knew what you were, I wondered if you’d do marvelous things. Although, seeing as you’re here, did that mean the spell went awry?”
Alex shook his head. “No, the spell was a success. Julius is dead. The Great Evil is gone. And, somehow, I’m still breathing… more or less,” he said. “It’s a long story, and I doubt there’s time for me to tell it.”
“No, perhaps not,” Lintz agreed. “Something is troubling me, dear boy, and it would be remiss of me not to mention it. It seems there is something missing within you. I can sense it—a vacant space where something ought to be. Goodness, the things you have endured, my dear student. It should never have rested on your shoulders.”
Alex shrugged. “Better a half-life than no life, right?” he tried to joke, before realizing what he’d just said. “Sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean…”
“No, no, you’re quite right, dear boy,” Lintz said, an amused expression on his face. “So, tell me, what do you plan to do now?”
“To be honest, I thought I was going to die today, so tomorrow still seems like an alien concept,” Alex admitted.
Lintz nodded. “Mm, quite right. Just promise me you’ll take your time fixing yourself? Don’t go back out into the real world until you’re ready. I know it is no doubt calling you, and believe me, I understand the temptation, but you will want to return to your loved ones with as much of yourself intact as possible, no?”
“I wouldn’t want my mother to see me like this, if that’s what you mean.” Alex sighed, his eyelids growing heavy again.
“Look at you, dear boy.” Lintz tutted. “What have they done to you?”
Alex smiled tearfully. “I think they broke me, Professor.”
“I think you are too strong to be broken, my boy. You have already proven that,” Lintz replied. “If I could give you a bear hug right now, I certainly would.”
“Thank you. I could probably do with one of those right about now.” Alex laughed tightly. It was all much too sad.
Lintz’s expression softened. “Promise me you will take some time to put yourself first—you have given enough to others, for now.”
Alex grimaced. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to say goodbye?”
“Oh, my dear boy, it is not what I want, but I must go now. I have had a good run, but my time is through,” Lintz replied with a sad shrug of his ghostly shoulders. “I have been in this world far longer than I should have been, but because of you, I can go free. There is someone waiting for me, wherever I am going, and I shall be gladder than you know to see her.” He beamed, one side of his moustache curving upward. “So, you take care of yourself, and I hope I won’t see you for a very long time. Live a good life, Alex. You are owed that much.”
“Thank you, Professor, for everything,” Alex murmured. “None of this would have been possible without you.”
“I shall be sorry not to see the wonderful human beings you all shall no doubt blossom into,” Lintz bellowed. “I have already seen hints of it, and it warms my old heart.”
Alex smiled. “Then I guess I should say goodbye.”
“Adieu, dear boy, adieu,” Lintz said, bowing low. A second later he was gone, vanishing into the air like smoke on the wind.
With his tasks completed, Alex left the library, the side door of the vault slamming shut behind him. As he stepped back out into the cool shade of the forest, a wave of nausea crashed over him. He stumbled into the grass, his hands breaking his fall. He tried to get up, but his head was spinning.
He felt like a ghost himself.
With Virgil’s help, he managed to pick himself up off the ground and walk the long path from the pagoda to the cave, hoping all the while that the portal hadn’t been closed.
At several points along the way, Alex fell down, his knees buckling. Virgil tried to insist he stop for longer, but Alex wasn’t having any of it. He wanted to get back to Starcross. Only then would he be able to figure out what to do about his friends. After all, he had kept his end of the bargain—he wanted to believe Venus would honor her husband’s.
Reaching the slim entrance to the cave, Alex ducked inside, moving swiftly past the shelves of glass bottles until he arrived at the narrow opening at the far end. To his relief, the oval of the portal glowed ahead of him, its rippling surface showing the rolling fields of Starcross beyond. Not wanting to pause for a moment, though he no longer felt like any of his limbs belonged to him, Alex pressed on through. It was only when they began to walk toward the first field that Alex realized the journey to the camp was beyond him. He was too exhausted, every single part of him drained.
“I can’t do it,” he whispered.
Virgil crouched down, his bony knees cracking. “Can’t do what?”
“I can’t walk all the way to the camp. I don’t have the energy,” Alex explained, though he could barely spit the words out.
Virgil nodded. “Then you should wait here, get yourself rested, and I will return with Ceres. I won’t take no for an answer,” he insisted, seeing that Alex was about to protest.
Eventually, Alex relented. “Fine, but if you’re not back within the hour, I’m coming to find you.”
“That sounds fair,” Virgil said, smiling. “Now, you stay here, propped up against this rock. Do not move, understood?”
Alex sighed. “Understood.”
Satisfied that Alex wasn’t about to give up on life before he got back, Virgil took off across the field, disappearing into the horizon, his black cloak flapping behind him. He looked like a menacing scarecrow, put among the flowers and plants to keep birds away. Alex watched him until he could no longer see his retreating figure, wishing he had the strength to get up and run. How Virgil was doing it, Alex had no idea. Perhaps the spell had done something different to the skeletal man? All he really knew was that it had taken more out of him than he’d ever thought possible. In truth, part of him wished it had killed him, so he wouldn’t have to feel like this.
That’s the tiredness talking, he chastised himself, knowing he was getting dangerously close to self-deprecation territory.
He let his mind wander toward thoughts of the people he had left behind at Starcross. There was no telling what Virgil would find when he arrived, but Alex allowed himself a sliver of faith, just this once.
If Hadrian executed the plan, then they are all safe, he told himself. They are all safe. They are all safe. They are all safe.
He repeated the mantra, hoping that if he believed it enough, it might come true. Then the silent, dreamless sleep of the world-weary took him in its arms, letting him rest at last.
Chapter 31
He was awoken by the sound of approaching hooves. Still in a half asleep state of semi-consciousness, he was convinced it was Julius and his soldiers, coming to exact revenge for what he had done. When he felt hands grasp his arms a few moments later, he flailed them wildly, trying to fight back against his aggressors.
“Alex, it’s just me and Virgil,” Ceres spoke, coaxing Alex out of his nightmare with a rough shake.
He blinked his eyes rapidly until his vision cleared. Sure enough, crouched on the ground before him was Ceres, peering at him with her one good eye, while Virgil stood in the background, leaning over her shoulder.
“He found you?” was all Alex could say.
Ceres smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, he found me. We’ve come to take you back to the camp,” she said, a little standoffish, though she offered her hand to help him up. He took it gladly, using her as a lever to haul his whole body up to a standing position. Even then, his legs wobbled slightly.
“You may have to help me,” he said reluctantly. She nodded, taking his arm and placing it around her neck, her arm gripping him
tightly at the waist.
“Lean on me. I can bear your weight,” she assured him, softening slightly. Alex did. It was a relief not to have to hold up the weighty bones of his own body by himself. The brief sleep had somehow left him feeling worse. Still, he had to keep going, at least until he saw that everything was right with the world again.
With some difficulty, Ceres helped Alex up onto the back of her Kelpie before hopping up behind him and taking the reins. Virgil had volunteered to walk back, though there was definitely room for him on the extensive back of the huge beast.
“You sure you won’t ride with us?” she asked with a knowing smile.
Virgil nodded. “I prefer to walk,” he said, stepping back as the Kelpie snorted loudly in his direction. Horses were evidently not the Head’s favorite animals.
Leaving Virgil behind, Alex clung on tightly as the beast thundered along the fields. His senses perked up as they passed the rows of beautiful lavender, the scent wafting up into his nostrils, clearing his head for a brief time, as if he had just sniffed smelling salts. It was by no means easy to cling onto a charging steed, considering his arms and legs felt like jelly, but somehow he managed it, even admiring some of the pretty countryside that flashed past.
“Ceres, I wanted to apologize,” he began, mustering the courage to say what needed to be said. She didn’t turn, but he could tell she was listening. “I know what happened here was my fault. If I had listened, if I had just—”
“You don’t have to apologize, Alex,” she said, cutting him off. “I was angry with you. We lost a lot of people that day, and I won’t lie—I blamed you for it. But when the dust settled, I realized my blame was misplaced. Julius did this… He did all of this. Yes, things could have been done differently, but if nothing had changed, nobody would be free. You aren’t to blame, Alex, and I was wrong to say those things to you.”
Alex shook his head wearily. “I still accept responsibility for my actions. I know where I made mistakes, and I’m so sorry for your losses,” he replied, unable to accept her full forgiveness until he could accept it in himself.
She smiled. “One day, I hope you manage to let go of the guilt, before it eats you up inside,” she murmured.
Before long, they arrived at the edge of the encampment, the bluish smoke of the fires rising over the roofs of the tents and shanties. The corral pens were still up in the fields beyond the camp, but the people who stood inside them were not Starcross folk. No, it seemed the survivors had rescued their own, putting the soldiers in the pens instead, where they could keep an eye on them. People were wandering about as if it were any ordinary day, fixing broken parts of their homes, chatting happily to one another, and warming themselves by the fire.
Farther afield, many people were lifting and carrying covered bodies toward a graveyard that had been fenced off. The camp already had a cemetery, but it was much too small for the number of dead. Some individuals were digging, while others buried the deceased. Friends stood by, saying kind words and a prayer over the fallen, to send them on their way to the afterlife. Alex watched the sad scene, saying a silent prayer for them too.
As they trotted through the makeshift avenues, Alex saw the central square up ahead. In it sat more clusters of soldiers, magical ropes tied tight around them. Hadrian was there, going around the groups of militia and taking notes. He looked up as the Kelpie approached, an expression of relief falling across his face as he saw Alex.
“Alex!” he cried. “You’re alive!”
The nervous royal tried to rush forward to give him a hug as Alex clambered down from the back of the enormous beast, but Ceres stopped him in his tracks, shaking her head. A subtle look passed between them, Hadrian’s brow furrowing as he looked from her to Alex, and back again.
“It’s okay, Ceres, I won’t break,” Alex said, forcing a smile upon his face. Even so, Hadrian did not attempt the hug he had been going for. Instead, he stepped forward and patted Alex lightly on the shoulder.
“It’s good to see you alive and well, though you’ll have to tell me how you managed it,” Hadrian said, all hint of his stammer gone.
“Perhaps later, when I’ve gotten some rest,” Alex suggested. “Right now, all I want to hear about is what happened to this place. I was expecting to find a warzone.”
“Here, let’s get you sitting down, and I’ll tell you all about it,” he agreed, helping Alex over to a nearby bench, where he could warm his hands by the fire. “So, when I left you at the statue, I waited a short while, then came straight here with a small army of my own students. None of the soldiers here were expecting it, and we ambushed them. As soon as we got the corral pens open, they were done for,” he began triumphantly. It was nice to see the nervous royal so animated, without a hint of a tremor anywhere. “That’s not the best part, however. I have some even better news for you, which I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to hear!”
Alex smiled. “Go on.”
“Well, Venus is here too,” Hadrian explained. “She was the true mastermind behind the release of the Starcross survivors. My army was good, and we fought well, but we would never have won if she hadn’t arrived, demanding the soldiers stand down.”
“The queen is here?” Alex asked, incredulous. Perhaps he had misjudged her, believing she’d stay in her ivory tower until the whole thing had blown over.
“Oh yes, but there’s more. She helped me in my plan, after Virgil explained to her what it was I had in mind. But, when she arrived, she brought guests.” He paused for effect, grinning broadly. “Your friends are with her, Alex. She got them out of the palace and brought them here, where they would be safe.”
Alex frowned. “Why would she do that? If I’d failed, her neck would be on the line.”
Hadrian smiled. “It’s love, Alex, or so she told me—something about honoring a former flame.”
Alex had thought he was past being surprised by anything in this world, but that admission left him gloriously speechless, for just a moment.
“So they’re here?” Alex asked. “My friends, they’re here?”
Hadrian nodded. “Indeed they are, Alex. In fact, let me go and fetch them. You wait here—I’ll be back in a moment,” he promised, jumping up and disappearing between two tents.
“I don’t have much choice,” Alex muttered, holding out his hands to the warmth of the flames that danced in the firepit before him, flickering against the warm breeze that rippled through the makeshift town. Suddenly, he felt a shiver of panic, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.
When they came tearing around the corner, his fears soon faded. Natalie saw him first, happy tears streaming down her face. Aamir and Jari followed, broad grins breaking out upon their lips. Ellabell came last, moving shyly around the corner of the tent, but her relief was unmistakable.
“You’re alive, you sly devil!” Jari beamed, throwing his arms around Alex.
Alex grimaced, the impact making everything pulse with pain. “Good to see you too,” he gasped, waiting for the stabbing sensation to cease.
Ceres, seeing what was going on, came up to the group. “He’s been through a lot,” she said. “Maybe go easier on him, okay?” she suggested, though not unkindly.
Jari glanced at his friend, suddenly concerned. “Sorry, dude, I didn’t realize,” he murmured, patting Alex lightly on the back instead, before sitting down near him.
Alex smiled. “It’s really okay, I’m just a little tender,” he assured them, though his insides felt as though they were on fire. Looking up, he caught a sympathetic look from Ceres, but she duly backed off, giving him his space. Nothing was going to ruin this reunion, not even the sensation of every cell spiking at his flesh.
“You look like you’ve been through hell,” Aamir remarked, giving Alex a careful hug.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Alex replied, brushing off his friend’s concern. Even now, he didn’t want to appear weak in their eyes. In front of Lintz and Virgil, it hadn’t been so bad, but he couldn’t show his f
riends how much he was hurting. It would only worry them, and that was the last thing he wanted.
“It is wonderful to see you here, living and breathing,” Natalie gasped, planting two air kisses on either side of Alex’s face.
“It’s good to see you all too,” Alex said, the relief washing over him. “I didn’t know how I was going to get you out, but it seems Venus kept her promise.”
Ellabell nodded, stepping forward. “Yeah, looks like she was on our side this whole time.” A smile spread across her face. “You should have seen her—the way she came barging past the guards, shouting at them to get out of her way. She came for us almost as soon as you had gone.”
“She’s quite a woman,” Alex agreed, wondering why Ellabell hadn’t tried to hug him. He remembered her face when they had last parted, and the cold kiss she’d left him with. Had the rest of her heart turned to stone, in his absence?
Slowly, she approached him. He opened his mouth to speak first, but before he could say another word, she bent down and kissed him tenderly on the lips, holding his face in her hands. He could feel her shaking as he put his arms around her, so he held her tighter, giving the last threads of energy he had to holding her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling away slightly.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he replied, kissing her again.
Remembering they had company, Alex and Ellabell separated, and the curly-haired girl sat close beside him on the bench. The others chattered excitedly about what had happened, wanting to know more about the events that had brought Alex back to them. He recounted as much as he could, though his heart wasn’t in it. In fact, his heart wasn’t in any of it. He was thrilled to see his friends again, but he couldn’t muster the emotion he knew they wanted to see from him. Glancing away for a moment, he saw Ceres standing nearby, watching him closely. Her concern made sense to him, given that she was used to dealing with his sort—the half-life survivors who had no idea what to do with themselves.
Still, he pressed on with the story, knowing he owed them that. He could hear his voice lulling, becoming a tired monotone, but he refused to give in to the weariness that was penetrating down to his very bones. He wanted to be the hero his friends thought he was, but he felt about as heroic as a slug.
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 6: The Spell Page 25