The Spell by Bella Forrest
Aamir nodded. “That is my vote.”
“I think you’re mad. Of course we have to go with Alex—we can’t just leave him to that lunatic. No way, José. I’m with Ellabell—I vote he goes, and we go with him,” said Jari simply, giving Aamir a rough shove in the shoulder.
Natalie was next. “Hmm… Well, I am afraid I do actually agree with Aamir. Either Alex goes alone, or Alex doesn’t go at all. I realize they are two uncompromising options, but they are the only two I feel we should be thinking about. I do not feel the king will kill Alex, or force him to do anything, when Alex is already offering to do the spell. There would be no point,” she explained. “This is a win-win situation for Julius, and if we tag along, we threaten to ruin that. I vote he goes alone.”
And so, the deciding vote fell to Helena, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“There are pros and cons to each side of the argument,” she began softly. “I can see the benefits of Alex going alone, and I can see the benefits of us going with him. However, knowing you all as I know you, and knowing my grandfather the way I do, I cannot, in good conscience, let Alex go alone. I vote we go with him.”
It wasn’t the result Alex had wanted to hear, but he was relieved they had at least reached a consensus. Three against two—they were all going to Falleaf together. Aamir and Natalie glanced at the others, who looked back. There was tension still, between the two sides. Alex just hoped it would dissipate in time for their departure. Not that he was planning on actually letting them go through with him. He still had a few ideas up his sleeve.
“Okay, decision made,” said Ellabell, her relief evident. “We leave for Falleaf in the morning, as a group.”
“Yeah, so don’t try anything funny, man—we’ve got our eyes on you,” warned Jari, doing spooky wide eyes in Alex’s direction.
With that, the group disbanded, but for the rest of the day, Alex constantly felt like a shadow was following him. No matter where he went, he felt watchful eyes on him, keeping tabs on his whereabouts. It was exasperating, but he understood why. In their shoes, he’d have done the same.
Seeking solitude, he disappeared across the riverbank, toward the windmill, though he slowed as he saw the guards standing sentinel at either side of the entrance. They wouldn’t let him in without Ceres, and he didn’t feel like going to find her just so he could speak with Virgil again. Besides, the Head probably hadn’t come up with an answer yet—Alex had a feeling the skeletal man was keeping him waiting on purpose. Again, Alex couldn’t blame him. He had intruded upon the Head’s mind, and forced him to do something he would otherwise not have done, in precarious circumstances that had almost gotten him killed. Why would he give Alex an answer straightaway, just so he could rest easy?
Instead of heading up to the entry, Alex turned right and walked along a narrow path covered in crushed shells and tiny pieces of gravel. It was well worn, and Alex soon found out why. Ahead lay the allotments, and the farm that Demeter had spoken of. In fact, the auburn-haired man was there, wrangling with some small creatures that looked a lot like boars, though they had six tusks going up the length of their snouts and large, floppy ears that flapped as they ran from their keeper’s grasp. Ceres was there too, laughing at the scene, a broad smile lighting up her face. Giving up, Demeter wandered over to where Ceres sat perched on the corral fence. His hands were muddy from wrestling with the boar-like creatures in the dirt.
“Don’t you dare!” Alex heard her cry as Demeter lunged to smother her face in the muck. Ceres squealed, trying to wriggle free of him, but he just held her tighter, pulling her in for a kiss that Alex didn’t feel he ought to be spying on.
Embarrassed, he returned the way he had come, wondering what it would be like to have a relationship that seemed as carefree as theirs did. Out in the real world, could he and Ellabell play around like that, laughing like they had no worries? He hoped so, and yet he wasn’t sure he’d ever get to find out.
On the walk back, he realized something—the only way to evade his friends, and travel alone to Falleaf, was if he left when they least expected it. Sure, they’d definitely be anticipating a sly move, maybe thinking he’d go at dawn like he had that morning, but if he did it when they had been claimed by sleep, perhaps he’d get away with it.
Yes, thought Alex, in fact, I could go now, and hide out in the forest at Falleaf until morning.
That settled it. With that firmly in his mind, he set off back the way he had come and allowed himself to think of the meeting itself, and how he might persuade Julius to see things from his perspective. He knew he was going to have to flatter the king and make him see how beneficial all of this would be for him, if he would just give them a small amount of his blood. It would be the quickest and cleanest of Julius’s kills, and he could do it without lifting a finger. That was what Alex knew he needed to focus on—how easy and noncommittal the act would be for the king, but how good it would make him look to his royal citizens.
As Alex crossed back over the riverbank, the group of five was waiting for him on the other side.
“Thought you’d like a bit of company,” chirped Jari.
“Aamir has something delicious cooking, if you’re hungry?” Ellabell added, smiling.
“Just wanted to check you weren’t feeling any desires to go for a jog,” Natalie teased.
Alex realized, with absolute certainty, that he wasn’t going anywhere by himself. Even if he tried to slip away in the early hours of the morning, he had a feeling they would be setting up sleeping shifts to prevent him from doing just that. They weren’t stupid, and as much as he loved them for that, he wished that, just this once, they would let him keep them out of harm’s way.
The atmosphere of the group improved as day led to evening and evening wore on into night, with Alex even relaxing a little as he feasted on some roasted figs, dripping in honey, that Aamir had cooked for their dessert. Full and content, he stood up, the fire dancing against everyone’s faces, casting strange shadows.
“Right, well, I’m exhausted—I’m going to hit the hay,” he said, waiting to see how the news would go down. Surprisingly, nobody seemed bothered, or questioned why he wanted to go to bed so early. It confirmed his suspicions that they had already set up watches to make sure he didn’t slip away.
Ellabell smiled sweetly. “Goodnight.”
“Sleep well,” added Jari, grinning.
Lying back on his roll-mat, staring up at the yellow fabric of the tent, Alex pulled the blanket tight around him and pretended to sleep. As he lay there, he could hear the chatter and laughter of his friends, still sitting around the campfire. For a sad moment, he felt completely alone—excluded from the group, peering in from the outside. Brushing the feeling off, he turned over, squeezing his eyes shut. Wasn’t solitude what he’d been seeking, after all?
An hour or so later, he heard Aamir and Jari enter the tent, milling about before settling down on their roll-mats to sleep. With one eye open, he glanced over at where they had lain down, but saw that Aamir was, in fact, sitting in a chair by the tent flap instead. He waved at Alex, a cheeky grin on his face.
“Sweet dreams,” he teased, and Alex turned over with a frustrated sigh.
At around three in the morning, the adrenaline successfully keeping him awake all night, Alex unfurled, sitting up slowly. Pausing, he listened closely to the sounds around him, but the soft snoring sounded genuine. Pleased, Alex crept past Jari and Aamir and ducked out of the tent flap, only to see Natalie sitting directly in front of him, facing the tent entrance from the fireside bench, the flames flickering behind her.
“Back to bed, if you would be so kind,” she said, smiling. “I would hate to have to wrestle you to the ground.”
He had been caught. Undoubtedly, no matter what time he tried to creep out, someone would be waiting for him. Briefly, he considered using his anti-magical travel to zip over to the cave entrance, but there wasn’t enough room inside the tent, and he didn’t feel like getting himself
Grumbling under his breath, Alex backed away and returned to his roll-mat, where he lay down, closing his eyes and allowing sleep to come. There was no use fighting it anymore. There was no way he was going back to Falleaf on his own. Smiling to himself, he realized it had likely never been a possibility. Never had he felt luckier, and more exasperated, to have such good friends.
Chapter 10
The group rose early, eating breakfast around the fire, joking with Alex about the previous night’s escape attempts. From the clock attached to one of the bigger buildings that sat around the central square of the camp, they could see that it was only ten a.m., meaning they still had plenty of time before they needed to set off for Falleaf. Still, Alex was adamant about leaving earlier than they needed to, remembering Julius’s words about what would happen if he was late.
“Are we ready?” he asked, picking up the satchel with the book in it. He planned to take it to the cave and leave it hidden there, with instructions for the others to bring it back to Ceres should anything go awry. He didn’t feel right leaving it at Starcross, nor did he think it wise to take it to the negotiation, in case Julius decided to snatch it.
The others nodded, so they headed out of the camp, walking along the outer perimeter. Passing Storm, Alex wished he could take her with him, but there was no reason to throw her in harm’s way too. He could only imagine what Julius would do if he saw a Thunderbird—he’d no doubt want to add her to some awful menagerie he had, or perhaps he’d make some horrifying taxidermy out of her. Either way, it wasn’t something Alex wanted to dwell on. No, she was definitely safer at Starcross.
The morning sun was warm on their faces as they passed through the fields of wildflowers, followed by the rows upon rows of blackberry bushes, and then into the fields of lavender, the strong scent startling their nostrils. It was an oddly enjoyable walk, despite the challenge that lay ahead. Birds wheeled above, and scurrying creatures hopped and sprinted across the grass, ducking into the shade of nearby woods when Alex and his friends passed by. Things were almost ordinary in this realm, as close to the outside world as any realm he’d seen.
They were setting foot onto the final field, the shape of the rocky outcrop visible just ahead, when the thunder of hooves shook the ground beneath their feet. Alex whirled around, catching sight of a dust cloud rising in the near distance, and the unmistakable forms of four charging Kelpies emerging from the haze. They were moving at a rapid pace, and gaining on them fast.
Alex didn’t know whether to run for the portal or stand his ground, and in the end the group simply waited, with bated breath, for the horsemen to arrive. There was no way they could have reached the portal before the horses got there, and Alex knew that only the guilty ran. If Ceres wanted to know where they were going, then he would tell her. It seemed only right, after the reluctant kindness the short-haired woman had shown them.
As they neared, Alex saw that Demeter was riding beside Ceres, sitting astride a Kelpie equally terrifying looking as hers, with two others, whom Alex didn’t recognize, riding behind. Once the four riders had pulled their steeds to a halt, the Kelpies snorted hot air from their nostrils and pawed the ground with their hooves. Somehow, they appeared to have grown in size since the last time Alex saw them, their white eyes staring him down.
“Stop right there!” Ceres bellowed, her eyes as furious as those of her steed.
Alex lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
She jumped down from her horse, landing neatly on the ground. “You know exactly what the matter is, Alex,” she spat, striding up to where the group stood. “There are rumors flying around that you’re headed to see Julius.”
“Who told you that?” Alex countered.
“Never mind who told me—is it true?”
Alex nodded. “It is, but if you’ll hear me out, I’ll tell you why.”
“I don’t need to hear you out; this is a stupid, reckless thing to do,” she snarled, evidently not in the mood for negotiation. “Not to mention the fact that you’re putting my people in danger—more than you already have. Don’t you care about anything other than your ridiculous ‘mission’?” Her chest heaved with emotion, her eyes narrowing. Demeter and the other two riders stayed where they were, though the auburn-haired man flashed a questioning look at Alex.
“It’s not ridiculous if it means they can be free,” Alex replied calmly. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a mudslinging match with Ceres, given the tight schedule they were on. It had been ten when they’d left, but the walk over had taken at least half an hour, and would be much the same on the other side, from cave to pagoda.
“Listen to yourself!” Ceres barked. “You think going to Julius will do you any favors? You think he’ll just roll over and give you what you want? I know Julius a damn sight better than you do, and I know you won’t come back from Falleaf if you step through that portal.”
Helena stepped forward. “He’s my grandfather, Ceres. I think I know him a lot better than you do. He’ll see the benefit in what we’re trying to do. Everyone will love him, and that’s exactly what he wants most.” She spoke softly, looking Ceres dead in the eye.
Ceres scoffed. “You weren’t there when war broke out. You weren’t there when he implemented the essence system, with such a look of glee on his face—you’d think he’d just been given the best gift in the world. You don’t know him at all, girl, and you’re a fool if you think you know him better than I do.”
Helena’s cool façade slipped slightly at Ceres’s sneer, and the two royals looked tense, almost poised for a fight. Before either could make a move, Alex stepped in, wanting to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.
“You both know him well enough to think that he just might hear me out,” he said. “We don’t want to fight you, Ceres. You’re our ally. But, please, don’t stand in our way. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it until I’m blue in the face, if it’ll make you see sense. This is the only way we can get what we need to do the spell that could end all of this suffering.”
Ceres shook her head. “You’re idiots. Young, stupid idiots. We were doing just fine until you came along, and you are set to ruin everything,” she snapped.
Natalie stepped up beside Helena and Alex. “If you think protecting a small portion of people who’ve had half their souls torn out is ‘doing just fine’, I think it might be you who is the idiot,” she said coolly, though Alex instantly wished she hadn’t.
“What did you just say to me?” Ceres whispered, a hint of menace in her voice.
Natalie looked alarmed by the change in tone. “What I meant to say is… If you think what’s going on now is okay, you have a very warped view of the world.”
“This world is warped,” Ceres snarled. “You just haven’t been around long enough to see it. You are not getting through that portal, if stopping you is the last thing I do!”
With that, she lunged forward, an orb of magic spiraling from her hands and heading toward the group at breakneck speed. It caught Jari in the leg. He fell to the ground with a hard thump. Aamir ran to him, helping him up, as the others moved to intercept Ceres. Natalie and Helena worked on the offense, sending wave after wave of shining bursts, with Ellabell attempting to shield them against Ceres’s onslaught of golden orbs.
The two riders behind Demeter jumped down and sprinted to their leader’s aid, sending bolts of energy toward Ellabell’s ankles. They were strong, despite the fact that they must have been two of her half-soul survivors, but Alex dispensed with one of them swiftly, letting his anti-magic coil around her legs, causing her to stumble forward and fall flat on her face. Only Demeter remained astride his Kelpie.
Jari took out the other rider, slamming a barricade of magic into the man. It knocked him out, rendering him useless on the ground, unmoving, though still breathing. Jari flashed a grin in Alex’s direction. At least now, there was only the one-eyed royal to co
Jari was up and fighting again, though Aamir hung back, given his reduced ability where magic was concerned. Alex made sure he got between any blasts of magic and the older boy, not wanting to aggravate his situation, as none of them knew what might happen if he really got hurt. The three girls were holding their own, however, forming a powerful trifecta, their magic mingling into one jet of supreme energy, before it was sent surging toward Ceres. The one-eyed royal managed to dodge most of their attacks, and the shield she had set up around herself was proving pretty much impenetrable, the golden glow of it glittering around her body like a shroud. Wave after wave of magic rushed from her palms, whizzing across the grass.
With a cry of pain, Ellabell crumpled to the ground, only to stand up again a moment later, her face contorted in agony but her resilience undamaged. Natalie got hit in the arm, but she simply continued to conjure with just the one hand. Helena was the most impressive, her hands moving almost as fast as Ceres’s, dispensing attacks just as quickly, the bronze bristle of them crackling through the air like fireworks. Still, nothing seemed to affect Ceres. Being a royal, she was already infinitely more talented and able than Alex and his friends, with the slight exception of Helena, but she had experience on her side too—real, battle-hardened experience.
In truth, Alex wasn’t sure how they were going to win this, and they were running out of time. If he was late in meeting Julius, he knew he may as well not bother going. It would signal almost certain death.
A spinning javelin of raw, golden energy sliced through the top of Helena’s chest, just by her collarbone, cutting straight through her into the grass behind. It pierced through the shield Ellabell had put up as if it wasn’t even there. Helena gasped, her eyes going wide, her body frozen. Natalie and Ellabell both grasped for her as she began to topple over, and it was precisely the moment Ceres had been waiting for. With their guard down, she raised her hands to strike, building a twisting orb in the center of her palms.