“Hurry up now!” Vanessa demanded as we followed her through the dark hallways, and she continued to pick up the pace as if she had a meeting to get to and was terribly late. “Come on, time is wasting! Move it!”
I glanced at my coven, and each witch looked completely confused and a little scared. I knew where we were going, though, since Theodora had mentioned the extra classes. So, I remained cool and calm, but the others were obviously less collected than I was.
We all trailed after the short-tempered professor as she headed down to the castle doors and straight outside. As soon as we stepped out of the front doors and onto the grounds, the fierce, cold wind picked up the brown, dead leaves that were scattered on the gray-green grass. It was a chilly day, the sky above us was the color of steel, and our cloaks blew in the wind as we headed toward the dark woods. Vanessa walked quickly, and I wondered if it was because she wanted to get this over with, since it was apparent to all of us she had no desire to spend any more time with us than was necessary.
I could tell this was bothering the other witches in my coven, and they all looked petrified as we headed deeper and deeper into the woods. I could hear bats, crows, and other little critters making noise as we walked into the belly of the forest, and when I looked at my coven, I could also sense their concern and fear as we went further into the thicket. The closer we were as a group, the more I could feel their emotions radiating off them.
“Relax,” I whispered to them as Vanessa continued straight forward. “It’s not like she’s leading us straight to death.”
“We know that,” Akira snapped as we walked on. “It’s just--”
“This isn’t normal,” Vesta muttered and wrung her hands.
“None of this shit is normal,” I responded, more to myself than them.
“No, you don’t understand, Cole,” Morgana said as she chewed on her lower lip. “Higher level teachers never take the time to teach outside of the preordained classrooms. Not normally anyway. It’s highly unusual.”
“And how would you know that?” Akira snapped.
“Because I read the History of Scholomance front to back before I even arrived here!” Morgana hissed back.
“Satan, you can be so annoying,” Akira groaned and looked up at the gray sky.
I ignored the rest of their petty banter as we ventured deeper into the woods. I thought we were going to be walking forever until finally, we came to an opening, and Vanessa stopped. Then she spun around and looked at each of us one by one, and when her blue eyes landed on me, she smiled mischievously.
I had a feeling this was going to be more challenging than I anticipated. I could tell by the look in her eyes.
“So,” Vanessa began, “you said Cole has mentioned why you are all here.”
“Yes, Professor,” the women all responded.
“Well, in the vaguest of terms, that is,” Morgana added in a faint voice.
I stayed silent with my eyes locked on Vanessa. I refused to look away as she stared long and hard at me, and it was like she was silently daring me to look elsewhere.
“Well,” she said without breaking eye contact with me, “once again, you will be putting your lives in danger. I hope you fully understand that.”
What she was trying to say was we were in a compromised position because of me. I could practically read her mind.
“We do,” Vesta said as she cleared her throat. “Thank you, Professor.”
I smiled at her loyalty. It seemed, after fucking her good twice, the lavender-skinned witch was slowly coming around to my side.
“Good,” Vanessa replied in a firm voice. “So, if that’s all settled, let’s begin, then.”
I planted my feet and stood straight. I was ready to take on this next challenge, and I wished my coven would show a bit more confidence. Vanessa was powerful, and I knew she could sense the fear of the other women.
“We briefly mentioned the power of blood possession and why witches refused to use it for so long,” the professor began as she stood tall and proud, “but I do not want that kind of mentality here, do you understand? There is no room for fear or hesitation.”
The witches all nodded obediently, but I continued to stare right at Vanessa and didn’t break eye contact. It seemed like she was solely speaking to me, and I refused to show any weakness.
“So,” Vanessa continued, “we’ll cut straight to the chase. Morgana, please take a step forward.”
The brunette witch gulped and took a small step toward the intimidating and beautiful professor. Morgana’s large blue eyes were wide with fear, and I knew if she kept that attitude, she would not even be able to come close to perfecting the spell.
As they stood close together, I couldn’t help but notice the differences between the two blue-eyed brunettes. The main difference between them was Morgana’s softer, angelic features and thick wavy dark brown hair. Vanessa, on the other hand, had straight obsidian hair and sharper cheekbones with a pointed chin. Her angular features certainly matched her razor-sharp personality.
“Closer,” Vanessa snapped. “Come, child, we don’t have all day.”
Morgana exhaled shakily and forced herself to take another couple of steps until she was standing right in front of Vanessa. I could see Morgana’s pale hands trembling from here by her sides, and her knees looked as if they were about to buckle out from beneath her.
“Calm down,” I commanded in a whisper, and I let the authority of the Blood Pact seep into my voice.
I needed my witches to keep a clear head. We were going to have to work together, and I needed them to stay strong.
Even if that meant commanding them to do so.
Morgana’s hands immediately stopped shaking, and she stood tall like she was no longer afraid. I could feel positive energy radiating off her, and I smirked to myself.
“Now,” Vanessa said as she handed Morgana a blade, “cut into your skin as deeply as possible.”
I watched as Morgana nodded and then sliced her hand with one, swift cut. Blood oozed from her palm and spilled down into the earth beneath her. The dirt soaked it up, and Vanessa stared at Morgana with a placid smile.
Then the professor turned to look at me, and her blue eyes were filled with contempt.
“Cole, for the sake of the coven, would you give the women permission to possess each other?” she asked in a faux-sweet voice, and I could tell this was killing her. “It would benefit them in the long run.”
“You may possess each other,” I said as I looked at my coven, “I give you permission to open your soul for the sake of this lesson.”
The witches all nodded, and then Vanessa clapped her hands.
“Perfect, now, Morgana, I want you to possess Akira,” the professor instructed. “Look into her eyes and recite this: fac me parvum rapere de sanguine haec cenet. And be sure to use your wand. Just aim it at her and speak.”
Morgana nodded, turned around, and stared right at Akira. The black-eyed witch’s face remained neutral, and she didn’t even flinch or show any sign of fear. She even folded her arms and smirked, like she was quietly daring Morgana to try and possess her.
Morgana took long strides toward Akira, raised her bloody palm, and pointed her wand right at her opponent. The blue-eyed witch carefully recited the incantation, and we all stood there holding our breaths, but nothing happened. No wind picked up, no one’s eyes shifted to a different color, and there was just an awkward silence that filled the air.
“That was to be expected,” Vanessa sighed. “Alright, Faye, your turn.”
Faye’s golden-green eyes darted back and forth in concern as she replaced a distraught looking Morgana.
“Don’t feel bad,” Vesta whispered to Morgana. “It’s not an easy spell to get right the first time. That’s why we’re here, and that’s why the professors are pushing us more than the other students. We’ll get it. Just be patient.”
“I know, but I thought… I don’t know what I thought,” Morgana sighed. “I just thought I could do it.”
I turned my attention back to Faye, and she stood with her back turned to us. Her red hair was softly blowing in the wind, and I could see she was doing her best to control her nerves. She was not shaking like a leaf, though, and her head was held high. I admired her determination, but I could still feel a sense of doubt coming from her.
“Now, Faye, I want you to do the same thing,” Vanessa commanded, “but this time, I want you to try and possess Morgana.”
We all watched as the redhead nodded and cut into her skin without making a sound. Then she slowly approached Morgana as blood dripped from her hand. She recited the spell, and we waited for something or anything to happen, but once again, there was nothing.
Disappointment filled the air as Vanessa clicked her tongue and shook her head. Then she looked up at the canopy of trees and the gray sky above her as if she was searching for patience.
“Such precious blood wasted,” she sighed dramatically before she snapped her head back down and glared at each of us. “Look, I understand this is a complicated spell, but Headmistress Theodora was clear when she told me you will have to get it right… and fast.”
Everyone slowly nodded and muttered their understanding.
“Will this count toward our final grade?” Morgana murmured.
“No, Morgana,” Vanessa sighed. “And that’s not the point. The point is by the end of the semester, you’ll be facing an enemy realm filled with creatures and soldiers you will need to possess. Listen, I can sense your fear, confusion, and longing to succeed from here. Mostly from you, ladies. I need you to let all of that go and just clear your mind. Imagine a crowded room and a hidden gem located somewhere inside. Do you think it would be easier to locate this gem in a crowded or empty room?”
When no one stated the obvious, the professor rolled her eyes and huffed.
“Well?” she snapped.
“An empty one,” my women muttered in unison.
“Exactly,” Vanessa said. “Now, I want everyone to close their eyes and take in a deep breath. Feel the earth around you, absorb the evil that radiates from the ground below you, from the trees around you, and from the sky above you.”
Everyone nodded, closed their eyes, and slowly breathed in and out. I tried to clear my mind of the countless questions that were continually roaming through my brain, night and day, and it wasn’t an easy task to accomplish, but I’d done it before.
So, I could do it again.
As Vanessa instructed, I focused on the air around me, the dirt beneath my feet, and the leaves rustling in the trees. I stopped questioning everything around me and let go of the burning questions that seared through me every day.
I was existing in the moment. I was a part of the earth and nothing more. There was nothing else on my mind.
I was ready.
“How is everyone feeling?” Vanessa asked after a moment. “Are your minds clear?”
“Yes,” I replied without thinking. “I feel great.”
“Fantastic,” she replied in a tight voice. “Then you can open your eyes and go next.”
I did as she instructed and nodded before I took a step toward her. The professor handed me the bloody blade, and I cut into my skin without blinking. Then I met her resentful glare as I gave the weapon back to her.
“Now, I want you to possess me,” Vanessa demanded with a smirk. “I know you can control these other witches as easy as it is to take a piss. So, go ahead and just try to control me.”
I knew this was a personal dare, so I smiled, breathed in, and didn’t let my nerves get the better of me. Instead, I pulled out my wand and kept my mind clear as I began to recite the spell. Then I maintained eye contact with her as I uttered the words and kept my wand erect.
At first, nothing happened. It was concerning, but I didn’t let it bother me, since I knew I had to keep my focus.
Vanessa’s pale blue eyes glittered with satisfaction after a long moment of nothing happening, but then, suddenly, her eyes began to slowly shift from blue to white, and a violent wind picked up around me.
I firmly planted my feet in the earth and kept my focus on Vanessa. I was piercing through the forcefield of her mind, which wasn’t easy to do. It was like trying to break through a stone wall. She was strong, and she was using all her willpower to block me out. So, I gritted my teeth and continued to mentally push through.
Finally, it was as if a dark curtain had been yanked back, and I was inside her mind. There was so much knowledge within her, I could taste it, and I could sense her years of practice as well as her immense power.
It was like a drug. The deeper into her mind I went, the more I wanted to absorb. Holding on to her was difficult, though. She was trying to fight back, and I could sense I was running out of time.
“Move forward,” I demanded through my clenched jaw.
With a stony face, expressionless white eyes, and a rigid body, Vanessa took a small step forward toward me.
I grinned as I held onto her mind. I had total control over her, and I was soaking it up. Her energy flowed through me, and I inhaled her essence. I was in complete control over her body, mind, and soul, but then, it was as if the curtain had been yanked back, and it shut me completely out. I could feel myself being pushed outward, and I nearly fell back from a strange force that knocked the wind out of me.
Vanessa also stumbled forward, but she managed to catch herself before she landed in the dirt beneath her. Then she quickly composed herself, coughed awkwardly, and pushed back a dark strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.
“Well,” she said as she cleared her throat. “Well, well, well… good job, Cole. I did not expect that, but you didn’t hold on to me long enough. So, don’t get too cocky just yet.”
“At least it’s a start,” I panted as I caught my breath.
“Indeed,” she replied, and her voice was as cold as ice. Then she looked at the others with pure loathing, and she was clearly disappointed in them. “I think that’s enough for today.”
“But--” Morgana started to say until Vanessa shot her a warning glare.
“I said what I said,” she growled. “Now, follow me back to the castle in a single file.”
The other witches groaned quietly as Vanessa stormed past me and back toward the castle. I knew I’d hurt her pride, and it sent a pleasant chill through me. I might not have been able to hold onto her for long, but I still managed to complete the spell on the first try.
That was an excellent fucking start in my book.
“So, how did it feel?” Vesta whispered behind me as we followed Vanessa like a family of ducklings.
“Amazing,” I breathed. “I can’t explain it, but it was as if I was inside her brain, eating up her power and knowledge. I was soaking it up like a sponge.”
“She must have such an extensive mind,” Morgana murmured as she tilted her head in thought.
“She does,” I replied as quietly as possible. “It was like walking into a massive library.”
“I can hear you all,” Vanessa said without turning around, even though she was a few feet ahead of us. I could tell she was eager to get back to the castle by her quick steps, and her voice was also warning us not to continue, so we walked tight-lipped back to the castle.
As soon as we were outside of the banquet hall, Vanessa whipped around and looked at each of us.
“Eat plenty and try not to worry about failing today,” she said.
The word “fail” made Morgana physically flinch. I knew it was eating them all up inside, but I also knew that with a little bit of practice, they would accomplish the spell.
“We won’t let you down again, Professor,” Morgana said in a small voice.
“We’ll see about that,” Vanessa muttered before she turned around and headed straight inside the banquet hall.
We waited until she reached her own table, and then we all looked at one another, unsure about what to say.
“Well, I’m famished,” Akira grumbled after a long moment. “Let’s stop standing here and get some food in us.”
“Is food the only thing you can think about right now?” Vesta groaned. “My stomach is tied up in knots from what just happened. We looked like idiots in front of the professor.”
“Oh, take it easy,” Akira scoffed as we walked deeper into the hall. “You heard her, it’s nearly impossible to get it right the first time. Even Cole fucked up.”
“Excuse me, I did not fuck up,” I corrected her. “And Akira, I don’t think you’re fully understanding the gravity of the situation here. We need to get this spell right… the fate of the school depends on us.”
“Oh, I get it,” she replied with a sly smile, “but I’m not going to freak out over things I can’t control, Cole.”
“Me, either,” Faye agreed as we walked past the long rows of tables and toward our empty one by the corner.
“By the way,” Akira snickered, “Vanessa sure looked like an idiot back in the classroom, didn’t she?”
“Akira!” Morgana gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “You can’t say things like that about a professor.”
“Why not?” I asked with a smirk. “She’s right. Vanessa set herself up for humiliation when she tried to possess Vesta. She knew you’re all bound to me… I don’t know what the hell she was thinking.”
“It was her massive ego doing all the thinking,” Akira chuckled. “She probably thought she was more powerful than you… dumb bitch.”
“I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t hear a word of that,” Morgana scoffed and looked utterly appalled by this conversation.
“You do that, Princess McNerd.” Akira grinned.
As we walked, every single head turned our way, and people began to furiously whisper amongst each other. Some witches stared at us curiously, but most of them glared at us like they wished we would just burst into flames.
“Great,” Vesta sighed, “we’ve clearly acquired a reputation. I can feel everyone staring at us.”
“And I’m not sure it’s the best reputation at that,” Faye mumbled. “I heard a couple of girls gossiping by the study hall this morning. They’re impressed with us, but they also hate us for teaming up with Cole.”
“Whatever.” Akira shrugged. “I don’t care what anyone has to say. Those bitches can talk all they want.”
With that, she tossed back her short, black hair and took a seat at our old table. Akira was clearly unbothered, so I shrugged it off and followed her, with the rest of my coven behind me.
As soon as we sat down, a plate of food appeared right in front of me, and my stomach growled as I stared down at the spiced lamb, roasted potatoes, greens, and dressing. Everything smelled delicious, and my mouth was watering just from the sight of it.
“How can you be so damn calm about everything, Akira?” Vesta demanded as she cut into her meat. “Everyone in the school is talking about us, we’re now a part of a war we don’t fully understand, we can’t even manage to complete a blood possession spell, and you’re acting as if it’s just another Monday morning!”
“Well, isn’t it?” Akira smirked before she plopped a potato in her mouth. “I’m not worried about anything, and you know why? Because we’re fucking badasses! We aced the final exam, and not everyone comes out of that alive. Remember what happened to Sweeny?”
“How can we forget?” Morgana muttered with a grimace. “I can still hear her screams at night when I can’t sleep.”
“Way to bring us all down, Akira,” Vesta grumbled. “It’s not as if we weren’t worried before.”
“Chill out,” Akira mumbled as she continued to stuff her face.
I had to admire how calm the dark-haired witch was being, but another part of me worried she wasn’t taking this as seriously as she should be.
And as I ate, I couldn’t help but quietly agree with Vesta. This shit was severe, and who knew just how much time we had? I was so deep in thought I didn’t even notice another witch hovering over our table until Akira cleared her throat and slammed down her knife.
“Can we help you?” she asked the other witch.
This other girl looked like a mix between a fairy and a human. She had short, plain wings, and her skin was the color of a green apple. Her lips were bright red, and as she glared right at me with bright orange eyes, I could sense her anger, resentment, and jealousy from here.
“I cannot believe you continue to eat and frolic with him,” she snarled. “Have you no decency or self-respect? What is wrong with the lot of you?”
Akira laughed and looked at the rest of us in disbelief. Then she turned to face the fairy, folded her arms across her chest, and leaned back in her chair.
“Have you no sense of minding your own fucking business?” she snapped. “Cole may be a man, but he could out-witch you in any spell or hex. Just you wait and see. Now, please, kindly get the fuck out of our sight. We’re trying to enjoy our meal.”
The green fairy’s eyes widened, and she huffed before she stormed off.
“Are you defending me now, Akira?” I smirked. “This is unexpected. You’re the last person I expected to stick up for me. Are you feeling okay?”
The ebony-haired witch turned to look at me, and her pale cheeks turned to a bright shade of crimson. The flush crept down to her neck, and she started to nervously fumble her hands.
“Well, no… I… that’s not what I meant to--” she struggled to say, but my laughter interrupted her.
“Look, there’s no shame in admitting it,” I snickered. “It was kind of hot. You can be my loyal defending lioness. That’s the whole point of our bond.”
“What?” she shrieked, and more heads turned to look at our table. “That wasn’t loyalty, that was just… you know what? Maybe you shouldn’t let my words go to your head, Cole. I was just telling her to fuck off and mind her own business. That’s all.”
I shook my head and grinned. Then I plopped an elbow on the table, met her dark eyes, and gestured to the dining hall. “Now, you are making a bit of a scene. If you wanna talk more about my head, we can go somewhere private where you can have it in your mouth or your pussy again.”
“What?” she gasped. “That’s--”
“Exactly what you want?” I asked as I glanced down her body. “I remember how wet you get when you think about fucking me.”
“Ugh, no!” Akira gagged with feigned disgust. “How dare you.”
Akira was pretending to be offended, but I could practically feel the throbbing in between her legs from here. My slender little witch was wet, and I knew she wanted me again. She was also turning brighter red by the second, and I couldn’t help but enjoy her conflicting emotions.
“Sure,” I said as I shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever you say, Akira, but you aren’t fooling me or your coven sisters.”
“Whatever,” the dark-haired woman muttered as she looked down at her food and pushed a potato around her plate.
The other witches looked just as embarrassed as Akira as they stared down at their half-eaten plates of food.
“Well,” I said with a grin, “I think I’m going to do some reading in my room and let the rest of you eat.”
I stood up and left the table without turning back, but I could sense their eyes burning into my spine as I strolled out of the banquet hall. I smiled to myself as I quickly returned to my room. I knew I had those witches dangling at the end of a hook, and I was going to use that to my full advantage.
When I returned to my quarters, I immediately noticed something on my desk. It was a book, but not any book I had in my private collection. I picked up the tome, and it was heavy, heavier than any other book I owned. There were thousands of pages, and it was already open to page three-hundred-and-fifty-five, so I glanced at the page. It was another moving illustration. This one was of a witch being impaled, and I could hear her screams as the painted, moving villagers stabbed her one by one. I knew this was some kind of a warning and not meant for light reading.
“Cordelia,” I said slowly. “Was someone in here?”
“The headmistress was here a little while ago,” the maid’s disembodied voice responded. “She left that book for you, sir.”
“Ah,” I breathed.
Was this her way of telling me we needed to step up our game? I wondered about it for a moment until a sudden, angry knock on the door made me jump. Then I rolled my eyes and glared at the door.
“Satan,” I muttered.
“I heard that,” a familiar voice said on the other side.
I rolled my eyes again before I opened the door. Vanessa was standing there, and she was wearing a robin-egg blue dress and a scowl on her pretty face.
“The headmistress wants to see you,” she snarled. “Come along.”
“What for?” I demanded. “I’m exhausted, Professor.”
“Don’t question me,” Vanessa snapped, “just do as you’re told.”
“Fine,” I hissed back.
I was tired and in need of rest, but clearly, Vanessa wasn’t going to allow that to happen. So, I slammed my door shut and followed her down the staircase. I wondered what the headmistress specifically wanted to talk about. Did Vanessa tell her about the lesson? Did she think we weren’t capable of fighting in this war?
No matter what, the book on my desk told me it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, so I mentally prepared myself for the worst.