Shadow Spell by Caro King Read Free Book Online Page B

waved back and smiled. Then the door closed, shutting them out of the Sanctuary’s warmth and safety. They were alone in Dark’s Mansion, standing in a stairwell laced with narrow windows through which the wind howled, clean and clear and sharp as glass.
    Leaning to look out of the window next to her, Nin could see nothing but sky, above, around and below. Far beneath them, clouds swirled in a grey mass. She couldn’t quite make out what they were being today; they looked like a tangle of wispy hair twisting and waving in the wind. One thing was sure though, Enid had been right when she said that Dark had built his home tall enough to touch the sky. And the Sanctuary had set itself right at the very top.
    Jonas had set off down the spiral stairs. Nin glanced back at the Sanctuary door for the last time. It had blended into the wood of the walls, only the thinnestcrack betraying its presence. She wished they could go back in, but they had a job to do. Two jobs. Find Dark. Stop Strood. Sighing, she hurried after Jonas.
    â€˜So,’ she said, catching him up, ‘tell me, just
how
do sick people manage to climb all the way up here to reach the Sanctuary?’
    â€˜For the sick and desperate there are many ways into the Sanctuary. We’re neither, so we have to use the real door, the one that opens exactly where the Sanctuary is and not where the desires of Quick need it to be.’ Jonas laughed. ‘Just be glad Enid’s spell brought us here!’
    â€˜It’s only trying to help itself,’ muttered Nin. ‘Anyway, where’s the Mansion in relation to Hilfian? I mean, when we’ve found the clue, whatever it is, we’re going on to Hilfian, right? To meet up with the others and find out what’s going on before we go and see Nemus?’
    â€˜Right. Let’s hope the Drift folk are gathering there like Taggit thinks; we could do with some help against Strood. But the problem for us is that Hilfian is a long way from here. Dark’s Mansion is right down in the south-western part of the Drift. Hilfian is a lot further up and way over east, near the Giant’s wood, remember that? But we’ll find a way somehow. And if Taggit manages to find Skerridge, then he might be able to carry us there at sub-superspeed.’
    â€˜And how is Taggit going to get to Skerridge? If Skerridge and Jik are still on the beach then Taggit’s got to go …’ she thought about it ‘…even further east and north, out beyond Hilfian and the Forest and even theHeart. And then get back again to meet us.’
    Jonas laughed. ‘I dunno, but the Fabulous have their ways.’
    They hurried on, winding down the narrow stairwell. The walls on either side of them were rough wood, touched here and there with twigs, moss and the occasional plant. They had to pay attention as they went, because the steps were uneven in height and depth, each tread different from the last, each surface dipped or raised underfoot as if they had formed naturally instead of being made.
    After a while Nin stopped again to look out. Now, gazing first down, then craning her head up and back, she could see that Dark’s Mansion was half gothic castle and half mountain. Its summit was a vast tree growing out from the uppermost part of the mansion to tower against the sky, with the Sanctuary perched at the top like an oversized bird’s nest caught in a net of branches. She and Jonas were travelling down inside the tree’s hollowed out trunk and were only about halfway, even after all that walking.
    â€˜So what’s the deal with this place? It’s pretty amazing.’
    â€˜Sorcerers can’t leave the Land,’ said Jonas, ‘but as long as they’ve got a direct line of contact, they’re OK. Story goes Dark formed the Mansion straight from the rock of the Land. So he could be high above everything, but still be in touch with the ground, see?’
    â€˜So we