The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 6 Bella Forrest (best books to read now txt) 📖

painted lips together. “Just put it on and be happy I didn’t choose something flashier,” she instructed, pulling out some shoes to go with it. “I’ll be outside—you have five minutes,” she added, before scuttling from the room.

Reluctantly, Alex walked over to the clothes and put on the shirt and trousers, leaving the waistcoat, jacket, and tie she had put out. There was no way he was going to dress up for Julius again. Once he had the clothes on, he picked up the book and the mostly empty vial and shoved them into the depths of the satchel that still sat on the dining table. Slinging it over his shoulder, he went out into the hallway, where Siren Mave was waiting. She eyed him as if he were an unsavory vagrant who had just traipsed into her home, but Alex didn’t care.

“Why do I even bother?” she mumbled to herself, before leading the way toward the spiral staircase.

They had reached the halfway point when Siren Mave stopped and got off on the middle level, turning to ensure Alex was following. They walked down a long, beautifully decorated corridor, toward a door at the very end. It was here that she stopped, knocking lightly on the gold-and-cream door before hurrying away.

“Come in!” Julius’s voice bellowed.

Taking that as his cue, Alex pushed open the door and stepped inside. Beyond lay an enormous dining room, with a table longer than any Alex had ever seen running down the middle, capable of seating more than five hundred guests, by the looks of it. Painted on the ceiling was a fresco that reminded Alex of the Sistine Chapel, with gods and cherubs floating above, playing instruments and lounging upon clouds.

Julius and Virgil sat up at the very top end of the table, with Julius at the head. Seeing just the two of them, Alex was a little anxious that Venus wasn’t there to offer her soothing influence. Still, that wasn’t what drew his attention.

Laid out on the gleaming marble surface, a very civilized breakfast had been prepared. It looked delicious, the scent of sweet muffins wafting up from the table. Alex paused, wondering if this was some kind of last supper-type deal, especially as there seemed to be everything he liked spread out before him. They even had a stack of strawberry pancakes, just like the ones his mother used to make. The sight of them was almost more than he could bear, making him lose any remaining appetite he had been clinging onto.

With his life on the line, he didn’t particularly feel like eating. In fact, the sight of so much food made his stomach turn. Julius was watching him closely, no doubt expecting him to refuse the glorious meal he had prepared, just so he could pretend to be affronted, or could gain some smug pleasure in the fact that Alex was too scared and too broken to eat. Well, Alex wasn’t going to permit that. No matter how sick he felt, he wasn’t going to give the king the satisfaction. Sitting down in the chair opposite Virgil, Alex picked up his knife and fork.

“Is this for us, Your Royal Highness?” Alex asked brightly.

A flicker of disappointment passed across Julius’s face. “It certainly is. I thought you could use a hearty meal to restore your strength before the big event. I’m just sorry we couldn’t save you any of the delicious roast we had,” he said, recovering quickly. The king’s jibe stung Alex to the very core, but he refused to react, no matter how much it pained him. He had to try very hard not to show how the words “big event” jarred in his head, too—if Julius had put on this meal before the “big event”, that meant it was today. With Virgil there too, it only confirmed Alex’s suspicions. Still, he wasn’t going to let the king see his terror, not if he could help it.

“How very thoughtful,” Alex remarked. “This is so generous, Your Royal Highness. Do you mind if I dig in? I’m starving,” he said, laying it on thick.

“By all means,” Julius replied, having a harder time keeping his emotions off his face. Alex could see the very act of him eating was irking the king, and that pleased him greatly.

Reaching forward, he took up two enormous waffles, drenched in a bright amber syrup, and brought them to his plate. With one eye always on Julius, Alex forced the food down, though it got stuck in his throat. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed, taking bite after bite and going back for more, simply to prove a point. He ate apple slices coated in cinnamon and sugar; he ate blueberry pancakes; he ate thick slices of toast drenched in dark jam. He ate hash browns; he ate omelets with cheese; he ate a myriad of things he’d never seen before—little pinwheel pastries stuffed with green, jelly-like goo, and steamed buns with savory fillings. He ate as much as he could, washed down with orange juice and black coffee, until he felt like he really was going to be sick.

“That was delicious,” Alex said, patting his stomach. “You are most kind, Your Royal Highness. I know you didn’t have to do this for me. You have my thanks.”

Julius stared at Alex, in disbelief of the amount of food he had just polished off. “Yes, well, I try to cater to my guests as best I can. It is a royal duty, to see people are well taken care of within the palace walls,” he said, still staring at the empty plate in front of Alex, and the chunks he’d taken out of the feast. “Are you sure you are finished?” he asked, sarcastically.

Alex nodded. “Oh yes, I couldn’t eat another bite, though I might get hungry in a bit.”

“Then we should begin preparations,” Julius remarked. “I trust you brought the book, as instructed?”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness,” said Alex. He brought out the book and laid it on the