The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 3

looked over his shoulder at the sleeping figure of Aamir.
“How is he?”
Jari shrugged. “Not good. I don’t know what that band did to him, but he’s in a bad way. He’s strong, though. He’s a fighter… He’ll pull through.”
Curious, Alex got up and walked over to where Aamir was lying on the ground, with Jari following close behind. Resting his hand against Aamir’s forehead, Alex was shocked by the blazing heat that came from his friend’s skin. He was burning up, and there was a sheen of sweat across his face, though his lips seemed to tremble as if he were cold.
Alex tore a strip from the bottom edge of his plain t-shirt and jogged to the edge of the lake to dip it in. As soon as his fingers made contact with the water, a ripple of ice-cold energy snaked up his arm, and, as he looked down, he noticed a pulse of silver seemed to glow beneath the skin. When he removed his fingers, the cloth thoroughly drenched, the glow ebbed as the water dried on his hands. Frowning but undeterred, he made his way back over to Aamir and placed the dampened compress on the young man’s forehead, letting the cooling water soothe the heat of the fever. It seemed to help, as the furrow of Aamir’s brow relaxed slightly.
Sitting nearby, careful to keep their voices low in respect for the other sleepers, Alex and Jari fell into easy conversation. There was plenty to talk about, after all, but one thing in particular seemed to be on Jari’s mind.
“So, what are we going to do next?”
“We find Stillwater House and see if we can get some help finding a way out or overthrowing the Head and rescuing those we left behind,” replied Alex, hoping Jari didn’t hear the big ifs in his plan.
Jari frowned. “Is there a Stillwater House?”
“It says so in that note I found, and the Head did mention it once.” Alex grimaced, realizing the basis of his evidence was somewhat fragile.
“What are these havens, anyway?”
By now, the words were etched in Alex’s brain. “Of our havens, nine remained. Of those nine, we now have four. If you are magical, seek these places. Kingstone Keep. Falleaf House. Stillwater House. Spellshadow Manor,” he recited.
“What the hell does that mean?” asked Jari, gawping at Alex in exasperation.
Alex tried not to laugh at the confused expression on Jari’s face. “They’re schools or places of magical relevance.”
“Meaning?”
“They’re full of mages and magic.”
“And?”
“And mages might be able to help us,” said Alex. “Or if there aren’t any people willing to help us, I’m sure there will be something we can use at Stillwater.”
Jari lapsed into a span of silence, mulling over Alex’s words.
“I’m gonna get some sleep,” Alex muttered.
He found the most comfortable-looking patch of grass he could and lay down in the shadow of hanging branches. He slept poorly, all the sounds and scents unfamiliar to him, keeping him on a high alert that woke him briefly every hour or less.
When he awoke to the sun higher in the sky, the warmth of it pleasant on his tired face, he gave up on the hope of more sleep and rose to find that everyone else was awake too, except for Aamir, who twisted and turned on the grass in the throes of a fitful slumber. His skin was glistening with sweat, but the compress had been changed, the material of the new one matching the shirt Jari wore.
Approaching the rest of the group, Alex could see that the night’s rest hadn’t removed the broken, exhausted look from their faces. They were still tired, hungry, and thirsty. He knew because it had been hours since they had last eaten or drunk anything, and his own stomach ached with emptiness, his throat dry.
One pleasant surprise was seeing Natalie awake, though she didn’t look much better.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat down on the grass beside her.
She smiled weakly. “I am much better.”
Alex wasn’t convinced. “What did you do for us, back there?”
“I moved the portal, as you asked,” she replied, her voice faint.
Her words left a bitter taste in Alex’s mouth as he recalled that it was indeed him who had asked her to do that. Glancing at her, he sorely regretted it. She was pale and her fingers still trembled, though he could see she was trying to be brave.
“How? What magic did you use?” he pressed, wanting to know what she had risked.
“I told you, it was only big magic—it has taken a lot of my strength, but I will be fine. There is no harm done, I promise,” she said. Her dark brown eyes were earnest.
“Is there anything we can do, to make you better?” he asked. He didn’t like to see his friend this way, so exhausted and shattered. It reminded him too much of the worrying time she had spent beneath the gripping, sapping curse of Derhin’s making.
Natalie shook her head, wincing slightly. “I just need rest… though perhaps some water might help. I am quite thirsty,” she whispered, her voice choked up.
Alex nodded. “I’ll go and hunt down some supplies for us,” he said, standing.
Gazing around at the gathered group, Alex knew Natalie was too weak to be left alone with Aamir, who needed his compress changed frequently to keep his fever down, but he’d need some company collecting enough food and water for all of them.
“Do you mind if I stay here?” asked Jari. “I’ve gotten into a rhythm of changing compresses!”
“Okay. Ellabell, will you come with me?”
She was standing by the tree line, staring out at the lake as it shimmered in the morning light. There was a slump in her shoulders that hadn’t been there before, making Alex’s brow furrow with concern. Waiting a few moments for her response, he was surprised when it didn’t come. It seemed the view had absorbed her entire focus.
“Ellabell?” he repeated, moving closer.
She jumped as he gently touched her shoulder. “Alex! You scared