The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day.
I slowly crept out of my bed and stretched. My stomach growled, and I wondered why there was never any breakfast served around here.
“God, I’m starving,” I whispered to myself.
“How about some eggs and a muffin?” asked a shrill voice that echoed through my room.
I flinched and looked around.
“Cordelia?” I questioned with a nervous little chuckle. “Is that you?”
“Yes, sir,” the voice responded.
“Uh … are you always watching me?”
“Yes, sir,” she repeated. “Mistress Theodora has entrusted me to keep an eye on you, two eyes in fact, so I’m always around when you need me.”
“Yeah, about that,” I muttered as I rubbed the back of my neck. “How about I just call out for you when I need you?”
The idea that this old woman was continually watching me undress, sleep, and study made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
“But the headmistress said I must always--” she started to say, but I cut her off.
“What if I order you to stop watching me and wait until I summon you?” I replied with a raised brow. “Deal?”
“As you wish, sir,” Cordelia sighed. “Do you still want breakfast?”
“Sure.” I nodded.
A plate of eggs and a blueberry muffin suddenly appeared on my desk. The room instantly smelled of butter, and my stomach growled loudly at the sight.
“Thank you, Cordelia,” I said. “That will be all for now.”
“Yes, sir.”
I waited for a minute and briefly wondered if she was really gone, but there was no sure way to tell, so I shrugged it off and ate my delicious breakfast. As soon as I was done, the plate evaporated, and I dressed in my clean uniform that had been neatly folded in the armchair. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and swept my dark hair out of my eyes. Then I smiled to myself, grabbed my copy of the Book of Beasts and my new bone dagger, and finally headed for the door.
As confusing and muddling as it was to be here in this goddamn academy, with no explanation as to how I got here, I realized I was excited about my next class.
Premonition.
I was ready to take on a new challenge and beat these witches. I’d schooled them in the Blood Magic course, but they were still underestimating me. I’d show them, though, that I was prepared for any goddamn challenge they sent my way.
I read my book as I walked down the crowded hallway. Even though it had nothing to do with my next class, I used each and every opportunity to study.
The more knowledge I retained, the better.
While I continued to read, I accidentally collided with someone. We both went flying backward, and I heard something heavy fall to the floor.
“Hey!” a familiar voice yelled. “Watch where you’re going.”
It was Vesta.
The green-haired witch had dropped her book, and her silver eyes were filled with fury and disdain as I bent down to pick it up for her.
I briefly studied the cover before handing the tome back. The binding was a deep, sapphire blue and had golden writing on the cover. I didn’t get a chance to read it, though, because she snatched it out of my hands.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“No problem.” I nodded, and I gave her the once over.
Today, the lavender-skinned witch had left three buttons on her shirt open, and I could see a trace of her light pink bra peeking through. Thick black liner was swiped on the top of her silver-gray eyes, and it gave her an even more sultry and exotic look. There were also a few braids woven into her sea-green hair, and she was practically glowing.
“What?” she snapped as a deep, plum blush crept across her cheeks.
“Nothing,” I chuckled. Then I smiled and gestured for her to go on ahead. “After you.”
Vesta huffed, threw her nose up in the air, and walked ahead of me, and I followed her past Blood Magic and into a new classroom.
I immediately noticed this room was similar to our previous class. Black walls, a shiny black marble floor, and three long desks filled the space. There was another armoire in here, but not as large as the one inside the Blood Magic classroom. Another small, oval window also sat high above us, but just like most windows in the castle, it was practically impossible to look out of. All I could make out were wisps of silver clouds and droplets of heavy rain beating against the glass.
The room was empty, and I watched as Vesta took a seat in the very last desk at the back. Clearly, that was her way of saying she had no desire to sit next to me.
I shook my head and chuckled. When would they just accept the fact I wasn’t going anywhere? I knew this game we were all playing was going to be a long one, but I had the stamina to keep up and excel.
These women had no idea who they were messing with and what I was willing to do to succeed.
I sat down at a desk close to the door and continued to read my book in silence. After about five minutes of undisturbed reading, I felt someone watching me from the doorway, and when I pulled my eyes away from my book and looked up, I saw Akira staring at me. She appeared flustered and confused before she realized I noticed her stare. Then she scrunched up her pierced nose in faux disgust, tossed back her raven-black bob, and strutted to the back of the room, near Vesta.
“There is no way I’m sitting next to him again,” Akira said, loud enough for me to hear. “Satan knows one class was enough.”
“Hmm, that’s too bad,” I said with a grin, and when I turned to look at her, she was sitting with her arms folded, like she was silently daring me to continue. “You’d probably learn a thing or two.”
Akira scoffed and then reached into the satchel she’d been carrying. She pulled out a book and slammed it down on the desk, and I laughed and turned back around. I could hear the two witches whispering feverishly to each other, and even though I was focused on my own shit, I still strained to listen to whatever it was they were saying.
I couldn’t help it, I was curious.
As I pretended to read, I couldn’t make out any clear words except for “library” and “test.” The two witches said these words more than once, but everything else was just mumbling. Eventually, I gave up, shook my head, and turned my attention back to my book.
The more I studied, the better.
While I buried my nose in my book, the classroom started to slowly fill up, and the only one who wasn’t here yet, besides the professor, was Morgana.
I smiled to myself and imagined how pissed off the long-haired brunette would be once she realized she had to sit next to me for the rest of this class.
I closed my book and patiently waited, since the look on her face would be priceless. A few minutes later, she ran through the door with her shirt buttons only halfway done, and her dark hair was completely disheveled. Her sky-blue gaze landed on me, and as I predicted, she groaned.
“Shit,” Morgana muttered before she dropped into the seat beside me. “I guess I’m stuck with you.”
“So it would seem.” I smirked.
She sighed and pulled out her textbook.
“What the hell happened to you, Morgana?” Faye asked from the desk behind us.
“Bad dreams,” Morgana grumbled.
“Was Cole in it?” Faye joked.
“If I were, then it would have been a wet dream,” I said as I turned to face the redhead.
Her freckled face turned a shade of crimson, and she cast her golden-green eyes down at the book in front of her.
“Disgusting,” Faye muttered.
I tried not to laugh as she turned an even darker shade of red, and her long lashes fluttered as she pretended to read.
I bit back a smirk before turning back around, and then something else caught my eye.
“You missed a few buttons,” I whispered to Morgana.
“What?” she snapped.
I pointed to her shirt, and the blue-eyed brunette quickly looked down to see all her buttons done incorrectly. Just like Faye, she blushed and discreetly started to fix them without meeting my eyes.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
“No worries,” I replied in a relaxed tone.
Soon, Headmistress Theodora arrived at the door and flashed us all a smile. She was wearing a deep, plum-colored gown with black and red lace on the sleeves and skirt. Her dark hair was pinned up with a bone, and she wore black leather gloves, even though it was quite warm in here with the candlelight chandelier hanging above us.
“Good morning, class.” She grinned. “I hope everyone is well-rested and ready to begin our first Premonition course.”
“Yes, Headmistress Theodora,” everyone replied in unison.
I nodded, and she turned her attention toward me. Then she smiled and tilted her head to the side.
“Ah, Cole,” Theodora drawled, “don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.”
I was confused for a moment until she headed toward her large, mahogany desk and pulled open a drawer. She retrieved a copy of the dark blue textbook that everyone had opened on their desks and blew the dust off it.
“This is my personal copy,” she said before she handed it to me. “I had it when I was a young witch studying in preschool, and all I ask is that you take good care of it for me.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by studying hard.” The headmistress cocked an eyebrow at me before she looked at the other girls. “This class will certainly push all your limits. It is not for the faint of heart … and when I say that, I am directing it at everyone here.”
Everyone nodded, and their expressions grew even more severe.
“Now, please open your textbooks to page seven-hundred-and-twenty-two,” Theodora instructed.
As I opened the book, I briefly wondered why we never began on the first page, but then I realized it was probably because everyone knew the history and introduction to these classes. There was no point in wasting time going over material everyone else knew when these classes were already so damn short.
It was hard being the only one in here with no idea what to expect, but I knew that would all change once I did the reading. I was already halfway done with the Book of Beasts, and I retained all the information because deep down, I was determined to succeed. Even if it meant reading this heavy book from start to finish, I’d study until my eyes bled, so long as it meant I succeeded in this class and the exam.
“Now, everyone take a moment to read the first passage,” Theodora said.
I glanced down and read the first paragraph. The illustrations within this book were particularly beautiful but terrifying at the same time. There was a sketch of the human skeleton, with the skin melting off. Its bulging and melting eyes were filled with alarm, and I couldn’t help but admire the picture.
But then I realized I had to study the labels, so I stopped marveling at the illustration, and I started to look at the markings. Instead of just labeling the actual bones in the human body, the labels indicated which bone symbolized what. For example, the mandible symbolized wealth and prosperity, but bones like the femur and radius represented ominous and foreboding readings. Cracked and discolored bones implied a significant number of things, and it was necessary to remember the differences.
“Now, Vesta,” Theodora called out, “can you explain to everyone the importance of this class? Why do we study premonition in the first place?”
I knew she was only asking this question for my benefit. The rest of the witches probably had extensive knowledge regarding the history of premonition, and this question was most likely grating on Vesta and everyone else’s nerves.
But I didn’t give a shit. As long as I was here, they would have to tolerate it.
“Premonition has been a necessary skill since the dawn of time, and it helped witches predict future attacks from elder gods and mortal villages,” Vesta recited in a stoic voice. “Bone readings, tarot cards, dream interpretation, visions, and foresight are all major components of the class … but not everyone can gain access to all components of premonition.”
“Very good,” Theodora remarked. “Now, premonition requires patience, observation, and insight. It is not for the faint of heart, and I hope you all realize this.”
Everyone nodded in response, and I raised my hand.
“Yes, Cole?” she asked.
“How will premonition come into use during the final exam?” I questioned.
The witches snickered, but I didn’t give a fuck. If my life was going to be on the line, then I had every right to ask it.
“That’s a fair question,” Theodora replied with her voice slightly elevated, “so there really is no need for childish giggling.”
The women immediately stopped their laughter, and when I glanced at Morgana, she was slightly flushed from embarrassment.
“Apologies, Headmistress,” Vesta said in a small voice.
“Yes, we meant no disrespect,” Faye added.
Sweeny scoffed, and Theodora’s blue eyes flashed with fury.
“Do you have something to say, Sweeny?” the professor demanded.
“No, Headmistress,” the scarred witch muttered.
“That’s what I thought,” Theodora replied.
The headmistress’ eyes then softened, and she turned her attention back to me.
“To answer your question, Cole, premonition will be used to test your ability to sense danger before it approaches, but that’s all I can give you for now,” she answered.
While her response might have been vague, it was still better than nothing.
“Thank you, Headmistress,” I intoned.
“Now, we will first start off with a little bone throwing,” she said as she turned back to the lesson at hand.
Theodora twirled her skirts behind her and marched over to the armoire. She unlocked it with a key that hung around her neck, retrieved a jar, and then locked it back up with a swift turn of the key.
I observed her as she carried the massive, translucent jar back to her desk. It wasn’t only filled with bones, but from what I could see, there were also shells, wood, and charms inside.
I glanced back to my book, and when I flipped the page, I saw an entire section regarding plants, wood, and other objects that could be included in a reading.
Damn … I had a lot of studying to do.
I snapped my head back up and watched as the headmistress gently dumped a handful of the contents onto her empty desk. She closed her eyes for a long moment and then, when she finally opened them, she smiled at each and every one of us.
“Would anyone like to take a shot at it?” she asked in a playful tone.
Morgana leaned forward out of her seat and squinted her blue eyes, and her skirt lifted high enough for me to see how her sexy, crimson laced panties hugged her perfect ass.
I heard Vesta and Akira giggling softly behind us, but if Morgana heard them laughing, she clearly didn’t care that her ass was on full display right now.
“I see a … broken shell on the right corner and a couple pieces of skull,” the brunette said slowly. “It seems like they are greenish in color, though.”
“Excellent observation,” the headmistress replied. “Can you tell us what a greenish tint indicates?”
“It can mean progress or challenges?” Morgana responded quietly, as if she wasn’t entirely sure of her answer.
I glanced down at my book, and luckily, my eyes landed on the bone color indication. I scanned the paragraph quickly and raised my hand.
“Yes, Cole?” Theodora nodded in my direction.
“Doesn’t it mean growth?” I asked.
“Excellent, Cole,” Theodora said with a grin. “Sorry, Morgana, you were very close.”
Morgana forced herself to smile in response, but I could feel her fuming as she lowered herself into the chair beside me.
“Fucking fuck,” the brunette whispered under her breath as she gave me a sideways glance.
If she could strangle me here, she probably would have.
“Now, bone reading can mean something different to everyone,” Theodora explained in a clear and loud voice. “Sometimes, the pieces will say nothing at all, and that’s okay. What I want everyone to do now is study a small reading. I will come to you all, one by one.”
She dumped the contents back into the jar and then approached me first.
“Cole, I want you to rattle the jar to wake up the pieces,” she instructed, “then gently take a handful out of the jar and toss them on the desk, just as I did.”
I nodded and took the jar from her, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I shook the jar. I had no idea what I was doing, I was just winging it.
But then something strange happened.
As I lifted the lid of the jar, a strange tingle went straight up my arm. I grabbed a fistful of the jar’s contents and tossed the bones, shells, and wood onto my desk. Then I stared at them for a good minute. I could feel each piece radiating energy, and I tried to focus on what exactly they were saying to me.
I focused as hard as I could, but it just wasn’t clear.
“You can’t sense exactly what they’re saying, can you?” Theodora asked, but not in a patronizing way. “It’s alright, that was the point.”
“But I can feel … something,” I replied.
“Good, that’s a start.” She nodded. “The point I’m trying to make to each and every one of you is that bone reading requires great mental strength. So, Cole, what I want you to do is close your eyes, clear your mind, and enter an alternate state. Feel the evil spirits descending upon you before you open your eyes again.”
I had no choice but to do as she asked. It was strange closing my eyes and just meditating in front of everyone like she instructed, but there was no other choice.
So, I took in slow, deep breaths as I cleared my mind and just focused on the air around me. I could feel something running from the tips of my fingers, up my hands, through my arms, and coursing through my entire body. The energy entering me felt electric and powerful, and I simmered and drowned myself in the dark forces that had surrounded me.
Then I slowly opened my eyes and stared back at the bones, shells, and wood on the desk before me.
“What do the bones say now?” Theodora murmured.
“Progress is near, but it will take time and energy,” I replied without thinking.
“Good.” She smiled in a satisfied way. “Now, you will all get a chance to read bones, but as I said, you must first practice clearing your mind and--”
I didn’t catch what she said next, because suddenly, everything faded into black.
The next thing I knew, I could feel myself falling.
I was falling down something, and I couldn’t understand or make sense of what the hell was going on. My stomach dropped as I continued to descend into darkness, and I reached my hands outward, trying and failing to grab on to anything, but it was useless because everything around me was pitch black.
It felt as if the drop was endless. I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared to hit the ground with a hard, bone-crushing thud, but instead of landing on the ground, my body started to slow down. I was still descending into nothingness, but instead of falling down, I was now floating.
“What the actual hell?” I whispered to myself.
I flinched as my voice echoed loudly around me. My words vibrated through the darkness, and finally, my feet slowly came into contact with something sturdy.
Even though I was relieved I’d made it safely to the ground, I was still surrounded by pitch-black darkness.
“Hello?” I called out.
Where the hell was I? I was in class just a moment ago, and now I was engulfed in darkness. Was I in a room? It was hard to tell. The air was deathly cold and thick as if I were in a cloud of dense smoke.
I coughed and struggled to breathe. My coughing grew more violent, and within moments, I was hacking and trying to stay conscious.
Just when I thought I was going to choke to death, a small light glowed all around me, and the air turned clean and clear.
I adjusted my eyes to the sudden light, and to my shock, I realized I was alone in a corridor. The same corridor that led to the forbidden library.
How the hell did I end up here? It didn’t make any sense. One moment, I was sitting in class, and now I was in the same hallway Theodora had shown me on my first night here. I knew it was the same hallway, too, because I recognized the paintings on the walls.
I took in a deep, steady breath and tried to make sense of what was going on. When I glanced at the paintings, their eyes were not focused on me for once. Instead, they were all glancing down the hallway, and it was as if they were trying to tell me to go in that direction.
So, I followed their eyes and my own instincts and slowly walked toward the library. I could hear faint whispers and cackling as I headed down the dimly lit corridor. The candles burned down to the nub along the walls, wax dripped onto the floor, and the air grew colder as I got closer to the library.
When I approached its door, I was shocked to see the golden lock had been picked open. Then I gently pushed the doors open and scanned the inside of the room.
My mouth fell open when I stepped past the threshold. There were probably hundreds of thousands of books in here. Some of the books, which weren’t on shelves, towered from the floor all the way up to the ceiling that was at least three stories tall.
It seemed as if there was no order to the chaos in here. Books were scattered everywhere, and it looked like a madman was in control of the organization.
As I continued to marvel at the beautifully bizarre room, I heard a book hit the floor. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Books were probably always falling from piles.
But then I heard it again, and again.
Someone was in here.
“Hello?” I called out. “Who’s there?”
There was no response.
I shivered from the cold as I walked deeper into the library, and I reached down into my waistband to retrieve my bone-hilt dagger, since I never went anywhere without it now.
But when I reached behind me, I couldn’t find it.
“Shit,” I muttered.
That was strange. I remember tucking the dagger into my waistband this morning before my Premonition class, but then again, a missing blade shouldn’t have surprised me.
It was the least surprising thing about this entire out of body experience.
I continued to follow the noise through the library, and soon, I came upon a hooded figure. Whoever it was, they had their back turned to me, and they were tossing book after book onto the floor. Clearly, they were searching for something.
“Hello?” I called out. “Who are you?”
Whoever it was, they ignored me and continued to drop books to the floor. Finally, their finger landed on a spine, and they pulled out a massive, blue textbook. It looked as heavy as an encyclopedia, and I took a step closer.
“Hey,” I said, this time in a more impatient tone. “I’m talking to you.”
The mysterious figure ignored me and just kept their head lowered as they flipped furiously through the book until they landed on page six-hundred-and-sixty-six.
Finally out of patience, I reached over to grab the person by the shoulder, but I nearly fell over because my hand went right through them as if they were made out of smoke.
“What the fuck?” I whispered.
The figure slowly turned around, and my mouth dropped open when I saw who it was.
I was face to face with myself.
I watched as my mirror-self continued to read the page with heavy concentration. My thick, dark brows furrowed at the page, and I could see myself mumbling as I read. Then I watched as this alternate version of myself walked over to the fireplace and took a seat.
I loomed over my own shoulder to read whatever this Cole was reading, but before I could even see what was on the page, he, or rather I, tore it out of the book and stuffed it into my pocket.
He then headed into another direction of the library, and after a couple of minutes, he pulled out another copy of the book. He turned to the same page and, again, tore it out and stuffed it into his cloak pocket.
I held my breath as I watched him, and he repeated this process five times. Why would there be five copies of the same book, and furthermore, what was so important about this particular book?
Before the alternate Cole returned the final copy back to its spot, I read the spine.
Libro Superessendam.
I couldn’t say how I knew for sure, but I knew this translated into The Book of Survival.
Suddenly, the vision undulated, and the next thing I knew, my doppelganger was nearing a fireplace, but we weren’t in the library anymore. This fireplace was the one in my bedroom, and I watched in a mixture of confusion and awe as my doppelganger took the pages he’d stolen and tossed them into the fire. He, or rather I, stared down at the crumbling, burning pages, and his eyes glowed as a small, satisfied smile spread across his face.
I took a step forward toward my mirror self, but then I sensed a strong pull whisk me away. Everything faded into darkness, and again, I was falling.
My stomach did flips as my body flew downwards, and I closed my eyes and waited for whatever was going to happen next.
When my eyes opened, I violently jolted forward in my seat and looked around, confused as hell.
I was back in the classroom as if nothing had happened. Headmistress Theodora was standing in the exact same spot, and she was smiling at the class with her jar in hand.
“What the hell is your problem?” Morgana hissed by my side.
“What?” I snapped back, and my heart pounded in my ears.
“You practically flew out of your seat,” she replied with an annoyed and confused scowl. “Fucking freak.”
“Would you just shut--” I muttered, but then the headmistress turned to us and raised a suspicious eyebrow.
“Is there a problem, Morgana?” Theodora asked.
“No, Headmistress,” the brunette replied with her head down, “no problem at all.”
“Good,” the older woman said in a firm tone. “Now, Morgana, see if you can give the bones a reading. Try asking a question as you toss them and make sure your breath hits the bones.”
The color drained from Morgana’s pretty face as she took the jar in her creamy white hands. She was nervous, and she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it, but I could barely focus on what was happening. I was too confused and astounded by what had just happened.
As the rest of the witches took their turns with the bones, I discreetly flipped through the book until I came across a chapter that read “visions and the gift of foresight.”
There was a sketch of a skull with a pentagram surrounding it.
I quickly scanned the introduction, and my mouth hung open as I read the passage. According to the text, only a select few witches with a direct link to the Devil were able to have visions at random times.
How was I linked to the Devil?
I sat there and tried to understand what the hell was going on. I was so immersed in my own bewilderment, I didn’t even notice the classroom was empty around me until a voice drew me out of my thoughts.
“Cole?” Theodora asked. “Are you alright?”
“Umm,” I replied slowly, and I blinked up at the headmistress. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Well, the class is over,” she said. “You should probably head down to the banquet hall and grab something to eat. You look rather pale.”
I considered telling her about my vision but then decided against it. Whatever I’d seen, I had a feeling I needed to keep it to myself.
“Sure,” I muttered as I slowly closed the book.
I stood up and headed to the doorway, and then I left the classroom and slowly walked down the empty hallway. I had no intention of going into the dining hall, though, at least not yet.
I planned instead to return to my room, where there was peace and quiet, and read more about foresight within the solitary confinements of my bedroom.
Even though my vision had been muddling and slightly murky, I knew deep down that I needed to break into the library and find those books. It felt as if my life depended on it.
But I couldn’t go look for the books now. I had to wait until the dead of night. That’s what the vision had shown me, and I knew I needed to listen to it.
Now, I just needed to find a way to get through the rest of today. It was going to be difficult, though, because all I could do was think about breaking into that library and discovering what deep dark secrets laid within those books.
I knew my fate laid within those torn up pages, and I was hellbent on retrieving them tonight.