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  With sullen disappointment, Elias realized he was going to have to shelve his devious plans for Ellabell for a while. At least now, the goody two-shoes couldn’t warn Alex away from him, considering they were bound together in a way that trounced even the supposedly close bond of their vomit-inducing romance. Elias and Alex were now bound by the soul, and Elias could not have been more overjoyed, knowing the delectable misery he would inflict upon the Spellbreaker in revealing their newly forged link. Only in jest, of course. He wasn’t a monster.

  As he moved through the hallways, sweeping from shadow to shadow, jumping up every so often at an inmate’s cell-grate, just to scare the living daylights out of whomever peered outward, his mind turned to his plump, toady accomplice.

  He shuddered dramatically. She’s more goblin-amphibian hybrid than actual woman, he sniggered to himself, though his thoughts on her were less than jovial. He had never been more furious with the old hag, who’d thought it was her place to warn him to keep out of things while she tried to “smooth things over,” even though she was the true meddler. He was certain he could have resolved things by himself, without her acting as clumsy mediator. The painted old toad had only made things worse, as far as he was concerned.

  In fact, it had been partially because of her—and partially because of the missing piece of his soul—that he’d been hiding out in the first place, away from prying eyes, in case she tried to get him to do something. He didn’t need her and her lurid pink lips, not when he was perfectly capable of fixing things by himself. He’d been doing just fine, after all, until she came along and interfered, although he had to admit it was nice not to feel the weight of their curse upon them anymore. Almost everything was out in the open, and his tongue was loosened—never had anything felt more glorious.

  “I might still have a whole soul left if it weren’t for you, you fat oaf!” he muttered into the empty hallway, glancing around rapidly in case she suddenly appeared, having heard him, ready to give him another lecture. He could still hear the echo of her screeching voice from the last time.

  He cackled as he swooped toward the cell he knew Alypia was in. Drifting down, he lounged against a cozy armchair, propping his misty head on his vaporous hand, sitting up as he realized his face kept falling through the insubstantial shadows of his palm. She was staring strangely into the fire, her arms still pinned behind her back. A great woman brought low, barely recognizable as the striking woman who had reigned supreme over Stillwater House. Had Elias been anyone else, he might have felt a little sorry for her. As it was, he didn’t.

  Tut, tut, bringing your father into all of this, he chided silently. You can’t always go running to daddy when things get tough. In truth, even Elias was a little afraid of Julius, and didn’t like the idea of having to deal with the top dog at any point down the road. He just hoped Alex could get himself back on track before the king decided it was time for a visit. Elias shuddered at the thought, ripples flowing through his silky form.

  Bored by her relative lack of action, he swept through the hallway and up to the closed, broken door of the room where the portal to Falleaf had been, only to quickly back out of it again at the sight of hollow eyes and gaping mouths turned sharply in his direction. As amused as he was to see how things with the royals would play out, the outcome looked decidedly grim for Caius, even by Elias’s standards. He didn’t think he could stomach the sight of the otherworldly spirits sucking the life out of the old man, not without a bucket of popcorn and a comfier seat, anyway. It made him positively uneasy, reminding him of bad times he didn’t wish to remember.

  At least they can’t get me, he thought to himself, hurrying from the domain of such foul acts. Conjured specters were a vicious breed, and not one Elias wanted to be anywhere near. Once he was far enough away, he breezed through the corridors until he reached the open courtyard. Whistling a silent tune through hopelessly shifting lips, he pressed his shadowy palms to the wall where the portal had been, and felt for the buzz of its magical signature. Shivering as he connected with it, he floated effortlessly through the wall and into the realm of Stillwater.

  Not again, he thought grumpily as the strands of his body decided to attempt a getaway. Regathering the parts of himself he felt were most necessary and hoping the rest wouldn’t stray too far, he swept up into the darkness of the ceiling and gazed down, unseen, from the ceiling. To his surprise, he saw that the prison force had successfully slipped through the portal and closed it—The easy part, he mused—and were beginning to wreak havoc on the upper classes. He was delighted to see it, reveling in the sight of noble mages being taken down a peg or two.

  Just as long as nobody rings any kind of alarm, we’ll all get along just swell, he thought, keeping an eye on anyone he thought looked shifty.

  He trailed the small group, careful to keep a good distance from Demeter in case the ginger-haired halfwit decided to have an epiphany and sense his presence. He shot upward into the darkness as the group collided with the familiar figure of Helena, who ran into them halfway down one of the grand hallways Elias had always found somewhat vulgar, the tapestries and gold adornments bordering on tacky. The silver-haired girl still left an unsavory taste in Elias’s mouth, but then, he’d never been a fan of anyone with royal blood running in their pampered, privileged veins.

  Eavesdropping, he was pleased to hear they were doing their duty, filling Helena in on what had happened and asking for her assistance in what was to come.

  You’d do anything to screw over your old bat of a mother, wouldn’t you? he mused wryly as the silver-haired girl agreed to help. You want her place in court, no doubt. True, he was pleased the others had her on their side, but he still couldn’t bring himself to warm to any sort of princess.

  Satisfied, Elias decided to return to his Spellbreaker in the hopes of watching him from afar, until he could select the right moment to strike. He knew the exact look of despair that would appear on Alex’s face at the sight of his shadowy self returned, and the thought of it made him giddy with pleasure.

  Since it was still daylight as Elias pushed back through to Kingstone Keep and soared toward the mountain, he wasn’t sure how close he’d be able to get to his unwilling charge. But as he neared, he found he could move toward the Spellbreaker, even in broad daylight. This new skill thrilled him. Clapping his wispy hands together in soundless joy, he was pleased to see all his fronds had been restored to him too. It seemed the traitorous tendrils had been off seeking Alex.

  Well, you’ve found him, Elias noted with a haughty flick of his shadowy hair. Now, can we cooperate? The remaining wisps coiled closer to him, giving him more solidity than he’d had in weeks. It felt almost strange, not to have to go chasing after the various absconding vapors of his being, but he certainly wasn’t displeased at this turn of events. Another unexpected pleasure of having a piece of one’s soul torn out and stolen, he mused—as well as being away from all those various pesky barriers.

  Peering from the empty nest on the rocky outcrop above Alex’s head, praying no chicks suddenly appeared with an appetite for shadowy half-beings, he watched as the great, exquisite bird pressed the very tip of her sharp beak into Alex’s palm. Elias wondered if Alex knew how dangerous these creatures were, but it seemed the boy was more fearless than Elias had given him credit for. He saw Alex lift his hand to the side of the bird’s face, stroking the soft, downy silver feathers there. With a creature as truly majestic as this, even Elias had no time for sass.

  Glancing curiously at the boy he had grown attached to, like a brother or an uncle or an annoying itch it was impossible to be rid of, he pondered whether the Spellbreaker would be brave enough to walk—or in this case, fly—in the footsteps of his ancestors, and try to ride the beast. Even Elias had to admit he was impressed at Alex finding a Thunderbird, and a friendly one at that, all the way up here in these forgotten lands. It was a place where Thunderbirds had once flourished, but nobody remembered them now. They had been forgotten about, left to fa
ll into the depths of legend, to be read about in books and seen in paintings, nothing more. He speculated upon how the beautiful bird knew what Alex was, having undoubtedly never seen a Spellbreaker in its lifetime. Perhaps it was in their blood, just as riding them was in Alex’s.

  Birds of a feather, he smirked.

  In truth, Elias wished his friend well. To him, Alex was a friend, with views and goals paralleling his own. There was more similarity between them than there was difference, though Elias knew Alex wasn’t ready to see that yet. When he was, Elias would be there. They shared the desire to make the Head pay the ultimate price, and the wish to make him do the spell, if at all possible, although Elias’s motives were somewhat more personal. With everything Alex had learned, Elias’s optimism had grown, despite his usual distaste for positivity.

  The boy has come far, he mused, dwelling upon all the delicious dark spells the young man had been learning, and the many joyous uses for such things. They could certainly be utilized in bringing down those Elias loathed. He imagined this must be what fatherhood felt like, just without all the gross parts, and the aftercare, and most of the other parts in between.

  Still, he felt true fondness for the boy. He wasn’t so heartless as to believe he hadn’t inflicted pain upon Alex, thanks to his role in Alexei Webber’s death. He only hoped a second chance at forgiveness would come in time, when he was better able to meet the challenge, without letting his own personal pettiness get in the way… though he did so enjoy his petty side. It was one of his half-life’s greatest, and in some ways only, delights.

  Enough of that, he scolded himself. No more stealing Alex’s friends, no more open dislike for his little girlfriend, no more slip-ups. It has to be sweetness and light from now on.

  His hopes were too high now for any more blunders. The dream of getting his final revenge on the Head, forcing the skeletal cretin to give his life for the greater good, mirroring the way he had once tried to take Elias’s life, was slowly becoming reality.

  Now, if Alex could just run the gauntlet of Falleaf House and retrieve that pesky book, they might stand a chance. Elias had rarely come across a safe he couldn’t crack, and the knowledge that he hadn’t been able to retrieve the ancient book vexed him. He was intrigued to see if his protégée could do what he could not.

  It will be your moment, Webber, to show us all your worth. He grinned, teeth flashing, as he watched Alex. But will you fly or will you fall?

  Ready for the PENULTIMATE book in Alex’s story?

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading The Keep.

  The next book is called The Test, and it is the penultimate book in the series as we move toward the grand finale in Book 6!

  The Test releases August 30th, 2017.

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  I’ll see you there!

  Love,

  Bella x

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  Read more by Bella Forrest

  THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR

  The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)

  The Breaker (Book 2)

  The Chain (Book 3)

  The Keep (Book 4)

  The Test (Book 5)

  THE GENDER GAME (Completed series)

  The Gender Game (Book 1)

  The Gender Secret (Book 2)

  The Gender Lie (Book 3)

  The Gender War (Book 4)

  The Gender Fall (Book 5)

  The Gender Plan (Book 6)

  The Gender End (Book 7)

  A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

  Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

  A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)

  A Shade of Blood (Book 2)

  A Castle of Sand (Book 3)

  A Shadow of Light (Book 4)

  A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)

  A Gate of Night (Book 6)

  A Break of Day (Book 7)

  Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

  A Shade of Novak (Book 8)

  A Bond of Blood (Book 9)

  A Spell of Time (Book 10)

  A Chase of Prey (Book 11)

  A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)

  A Turn of Tides (Book 13)

  A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)

  A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)

  An End of Night (Book 16)

  Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…

  A Wind of Change (Book 17)

  A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)

  A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)

  A Hero of Realms (Book 20)

  A Vial of Life (Book 21)

  A Fork of Paths (Book 22)

  A Flight of Souls (Book 23)

  A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)

  Series 4: A Clan of Novaks

  A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)

  A World of New (Book 26)

  A Web of Lies (Book 27)

  A Touch of Truth (Book 28)

  An Hour of Need (Book 29)

  A Game of Risk (Book 30)

  A Twist of Fates (Book 31)

  A Day of Glory (Book 32)

  Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians

  A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)

  A Sword of Chance (Book 34)

  A Race of Trials (Book 35)

  A King of Shadow (Book 36)

  An Empire of Stones (Book 37)

  A Power of Old (Book 38)

  A Rip of Realms (Book 39)

  A Throne of Fire (Book 40)

  A Tide of War (Book 41)

  Series 6: A Gift of Three

  A Gift of Three (Book 42)

  A House of Mysteries (Book 43)

  A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)

  A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)

  A Ride of Peril (Book 46)

  A Passage of Threats (Book 47)

  A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

  A Shade of Dragon 1

  A Shade of Dragon 2

  A Shade of Dragon 3

  A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

  A Shade of Kiev 1

  A Shade of Kiev 2

  A Shade of Kiev 3

  DETECTIVE ERIN BOND (Adult thriller/mystery)

  Lights, Camera, Gone

  Write, Edit, Kill

  BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

  Beautiful Monster 1

  Beautiful Monster 2

  For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

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