“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” I panted as I tried to keep up with Vanessa’s quick steps. The woman was always in a rush. “Knowing the headmistress, it could be several things, and I’d like to arrive there prepared.”
“It’s not your place to ask questions,” the professor sneered with her back turned.
The halls were dark, and I could barely see the paintings on the wall. I nearly tripped over the carpet as I followed her as closely as possible, and as if she could read my mind, she lifted her wand up into the air high above her head.
“Illuminana,” Vanessa hissed.
A bright flame emitted from the tip of her wand and lit up the hallways, and some of the paintings groaned in irritation. Clearly, they were trying to get some sleep, which I thought was odd.
Why would the dead need any more rest?
“Come along, Cole,” Vanessa demanded, “pick up the pace. We’re disturbing the dead.”
She continued to march forward, and each step was filled with an eager determination to reach the headmistress’ office.
I was tired of her constantly undermining my questions and concerns, though, and I lost my temper.
“You know what?” I snapped and halted in the middle of the hall. “I think it is my goddamn place to ask questions. Anyone in my position would. Even you can’t deny that. ”
“Do not use that tone of voice in front of me,” she said as she suddenly stopped in her tracks, but she still had her back to me as she spoke. “And it’s not your place to ask questions.”
She finally whipped around and glared at me. Her vicious blue eyes dared me to push her buttons even further, and I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. It had been a long fucking day, and I was being summoned into Theodora’s office again? I wasn’t in the mood for another lecture, and judging from that book she left in my room, I had a feeling she was disappointed in me, since I had no doubt Vanessa went running to her to bitch about our little lesson in the woods.
“Look,” I sighed, “we’re trying our very best here. We just came back from an exam that could have literally torn us to pieces, and now you and your mom drop this war shit on us? It’s a lot to take in, and I don’t think you’re acting fair here. Besides, why me? Why not pick someone else to do your dirty work? You have a whole school full of witches, after all.”
To my surprise, Vanessa’s pale blue eyes softened, and she took in a sharp breath. I could tell something was bothering her, and she was taking it out on me. Then she placed a hand on my shoulder, and when she met my eyes, I could sense her sorrow and compassion. It was barely there, but it didn’t matter because I realized this cold and callous woman actually did feel for us.
At least a little bit.
“Cole,” she said, “I understand you’re under immense pressure here. Believe me, so am I. But your coven is the strongest we have seen in years, and you carry more power than you even know. It has to be you. You’re the only ones who could successfully defeat our enemies… with the right amount of preparation and practice, of course.”
I nodded slowly and told myself to calm down. There was no reason to lash out at Vanessa. This wasn’t her fault. She was just doing as instructed. We all were.
And it wasn’t Theodora’s fault, either. This was all because of the fucking elder gods. I had to remember who the real enemy was. Holding grudges against Theodora or Vanessa would not get me anywhere.
“I hear you,” I said after a long moment.
“Would you put that blasted light out?” one of the paintings shrieked.
“Stop being such a petty bitch, Penelope,” Vanessa laughed as she shot the pissed looking portrait a smirk. “I know you’re dead, but that doesn’t mean I care. I’ll put the light out when I damn well please.”
I stifled a snort as Vanessa slowly smiled, and it wasn’t her usual, forced grin, which was nice for a change. Then her eyes bored into mine before she opened her mouth to speak to me.
“Cole, I hate to admit this, but I was actually surprised at how well you conducted yourself today,” she confessed. “You managed to complete one of the most difficult spells known to the Wicca world. You may not have held on to me as long as I would have liked, but the point is… you did it.”
“You wanted me to control you longer, huh?” I smirked. “It must kill you to admit that aloud.”
“Excuse me?” she snapped as her beautiful, sharp face scrunched back up into a scowl.
“If you really want me to dominate you forever, I know a certain ritual you might be interested in. Four other women have completed it, and they seem happy with the results. You could join--”
“I’m your professor, Cole,” Vanessa hissed as she narrowed her ice blue eyes at me. “You would do well to remember that.”
“Hey, I’m just repeating what you said.” I grinned and raised my hands. “No need to get defensive about it.”
“I’m not being defensive,” she argued as her cheeks flushed a ruddy red. “You just completely misconstrued what I said.”
“I don’t think I did,” I snickered and shrugged, “but you can tell yourself whatever you need to.”
Vanessa opened her mouth to say something, but then decided against it. She simply scoffed and continued to walk in a silent fury until we reached Theodora’s office.
“Here we are,” she muttered before she knocked on the door.
Something moved, and I did a double-take at the threshold. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw an owl carved into the wood. I even thought I saw its eyes stare right at me before it dissolved into the door.
“Did you see that--?” I asked, but Vanessa’s face told me she had returned to her cold stone demeanor.
“See what?” she asked in a stoic voice.
“Never mind,” I sighed.
“She’ll see you now,” Vanessa replied with a tight smile as she pushed the door open. “Good luck.”
I inhaled sharply before I stepped past the threshold and into Theodora’s magnificent office. Books were floating up in the air and rearranging themselves into piles when I walked in, and there was a duster in the corner of the window sweeping away. I also spotted a small violin playing on its own in another corner of the room. The enchanted instrument was playing a soothing tune that could have put anyone to sleep, but Theodora seemed wide awake. She was sitting at her desk and scribbling something down with a feathered quill, and she was so focused on whatever she was writing she didn’t even look up when I loudly closed the door behind me.
“Uh, Headmistress?” I said as I cleared my throat. “Vanessa told me you wanted to see me?”
Her head shot up, and she flashed me a maternal smile before setting her quill aside. Something was on her mind, and I couldn’t sense if it was good or bad.
It was nearly impossible to tell with her.
“Cole,” Theodora greeted. “How are you doing on this exceptionally dark and gloomy evening?”
“Um,” I said, “well, confused, honestly. Vanessa refused to tell me why she was bringing me here. I was a bit preoccupied before being summoned.”
The older witch tilted her head to the side and slowly stood up to approach me. She was wearing a floor-length gray and black dress that had a long black collar that reached her ears. Bones dangled from her neck, and her cheeks were flushed. A loose strand of hair fell between her eyes, and she quickly brushed it aside.
“Are you referring to the book I left in your bedroom?” she asked in a sweet voice. “I do admit it’s not exactly meant for bedtime reading--”
“So, why did you leave it in my room?” I asked as patiently as possible. “Those images… they are burned into my mind. Like an imprint, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Precisely,” she replied. “That was entirely the point, Cole.”
Theodora folded her hands and took a step toward me. The room was warm, and I was sweating through my clothes. I never understood why her office was either hot as hell or cold as deep winter.
“Are you trying to scare me, Headmistress?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I think you should know me well enough by now to know it will take a lot more than that to frighten me.”
“Oh, I’m not trying to scare you,” she chuckled. “I’m trying to help you understand just how grave the situation truly is.”
“But I do understand,” I retorted.
“So, you think you’re ready?” she asked with an arched eyebrow. “Do you think you could take on whatever challenge heads your way in the near future?”
“Did Vanessa tell you about our unsuccessful lesson in the woods?” I frowned. “Because honestly, we just had a shitty day. Tomorrow will be different.”
“Such a simple concept,” she sighed as she shook her head. “That with time, things will become easier for you. But that is not the case, Cole. I’m afraid it’s far from it.”
“What do you mean?” I wondered.
“Do you think you could defeat anything?” she asked.
It was such a strange and blunt question, but I knew I had to answer her.
“I’ve come this far, haven’t I?” I replied as I raised my chin. “I’m fairly confident in myself.”
“I know,” she said as she took another step closer and smiled. “But the thing is, you have no idea what’s in store for you.”
“Not to be rude,” I said and arched an eyebrow, “but could you stop with the vague remarks and be a little more specific?”
“Cole,” Theodora sighed and then turned to the fireplace, “I have seen what our enemies have been planning. Opposing academies have been working to create mutated beasts that are able to repel magic and harvest it. I know of one that lurks in a nearby realm. I have seen it through a vision, but I have no clue how I will destroy it.”
She continued to stare into the flames as if she could find the answer in the fire, so I inhaled a sharp breath and took a step near her.
“I’ll do it,” I said, “send me to the realm.”
Theodora whipped around and looked at me with wide, blue eyes. She then shook her head and turned away, as if it were too painful for her to look at me.
“I can’t send you alone,” she said, “you’re not ready.”
“Try me,” I replied with a confident smirk. “I’ve been through hell and back. I’m sure I can do this.”
The headmistress stayed silent for a long moment. Finally, she turned around and faced me. It was difficult to read her expression, but I had the feeling she was about to agree with me.
“Perhaps if your coven joined you--” she sighed and turned to look at the door, but I cut her off.
“No.” I shook my head. “They need their rest. Just send me.”
“I can’t just send you in alone,” she argued, “and I can’t send any other students with you. They all have magical imprints since they’ve been students here at Scholomance longer than you and your coven have. They will be detected by our enemies… but you and your coven are very powerful, thanks to the Blood Pact. You will stand a chance together--”
“No, I will go alone.” I shrugged. “Let’s just think of this as another hardcore test.”
“You still continue to surprise me,” Theodora laughed under her breath, and then she stared deeply into my eyes. “Fine, we’ll try this your way, since it is important we address this quickly. Are you ready?”
Before I could even respond, she placed her index finger against my forehead, and everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of the woods, and I shot up from the cold, hard earth and wildly looked around. The sky above me was pitch black, and there were no stars, no moon, nothing natural to guide my way.
“Unholy fuck,” I said to myself.
That was the fastest I’d ever been transported, and it had caught me a little off guard. I looked around and observed the darkness and the chilly air. I was completely alone now, and I had to find this beast she mentioned.
“No problem, I can fucking do this,” I whispered to myself as I reached into my cloak pocket and pulled out my wand. “Illuminana.”
A small flame spurted from the tip of my wand as I looked around. I needed to gather my bearings quickly, so I took a deep breath, tried to steady my heartbeat, and felt the earth around me. My senses were telling me I was in a deep, dark place. Not the kind of darkness I relished in, but a different type of evil. One that repelled my kind and wished to see me dead.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered to myself as I took the first step forward.
Leaves and dead debris crunched under my boots as I walked straight ahead. The thicket was black, and the trees were bare. This place reminded me of the dark maze from the final exam, and I knew creatures were lurking in every corner and hiding in every burrow. I could feel them breathing, and I could sense their hearts beating along with my own.
I steadied my breathing and tried not to focus on what I couldn’t see, but rather, what I could feel. If I let fear take over my mind, then there was no way I would make it out of here in one piece.
So, I pushed myself to keep going with my small fire to guide the way. My mind was demanding I continue to move onward, and I shoved the thorny branches out of my way as I walked deeper into the thicket. I knew I was looking for a cave, but as with everything to do with premonition, I couldn’t say how I knew exactly that’s what I was looking for.
I just knew it.
The air stank of rotting leaves and something else. Something truly foul was decaying nearby, and it smelled like dead meat. Spoiled, rancid meat. I knew this meant I was getting closer to the cave.
The thing was, I had no idea what I was about to find. I only knew it was some kind of creature that repelled magic, but that was it.
“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” I whispered under my breath.
What was most disturbing about these woods was the eerie silence that filled the air. There were no bats, wolves, or owls, but I could still feel eyes watching me, and they carefully observed my every step.
After what felt like an hour of trekking through the forest, I finally came across the mouth of a large cave. Its opening was large enough to fit a giant or a troll, and I swallowed hard as I neared it.
“Hello?” I called inside.
Then I heard a deep chuckle that sent a shiver down my spine.
“I have been waiting for someone to come crawling into my domain,” a croaky voice replied immediately, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. “What a pleasure to meet you.”
The cave was pitch black, and I couldn’t see a fucking thing.
“Show yourself!” I demanded as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Why don’t you come a little closer?” the voice shot back in a challenging tone. “Unless you are afraid.”
“I’m not the one who should be afraid,” I answered.
It took all my willpower not to cover my mouth and nose as I stepped inside. The stench of rotting meat intensified, and I had to fight back the vomit building up in my throat. My wand was no longer alight, but moonlight peeked through small holes in the cave, and when I looked down at the floor, I spotted bones and torn up bits of clothing and boots.
Whatever was inside this cave, it was hungry for blood. Of that, I was certain.
The cavern also seemed to go on forever. I couldn’t see an end or anything waiting inside, and I was growing impatient and irritated. I just wanted to figure out what exactly was toying with me, but I still couldn’t see what was lurking in the shadows.
“Why don’t you show yourself, Stinky?” I mocked.
“Stinky?” The thing laughed, and its cackle echoed in the cave and made my hair stand on end as I took another tentative step forward.
“Yeah. It smells like ass in here. I’m guessing you don’t have a girlfriend.”
I glanced up at the top of the cave with my wand extended. Giant bats hung upside down, and when they opened their eyes, I noticed their orbs were as red as blood. They bared their teeth at me, but I knew they weren’t the real threat here.
“You’re getting warmer,” the deep voice growled from the darkness ahead. “Come to me.”
My fingers pressed harder on the grip of my wand as I approached the voice, and finally, I came across something moving. At first, I was confused because it seemed like it was just the rocks shifting around, but then I caught a glimpse of something. It looked like a giant arm was constructing itself from the stones of the cave, and the rocks continued to shift and move until they formed a massive body. I saw specks of skin and segments of rock that made up a towering creature that was part giant and part stone.
Then the monster opened its eyes to reveal glowing yellow orbs with small black pupils staring right at me. His eyes were so bright they lit up the cave like fire.
My breath caught in my throat as I forced myself to meet its gaze. The creature smiled at me in return, and I caught a glimpse of its brown, jagged teeth stained with blood.
Shit.
“No shower or dentist,” I taunted. “I should have expected as much.”
“Ahhh. A joker.” The beast nodded its massive head. “How rude of me. My name is Geryon… and you are?”
“Not interested in exchanging pleasantries,” I responded. “I also don’t give a fuck about your real name. I’m just going to call you Stinky, Stinky.”
He laughed before his yellow eyes flicked over to my wand and my robes. Then his lips curled into furious disgust as if I had just offended him and his entire family.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Geryon demanded.
“Yes,” I replied. “Headmistress Theodora sent me to find you.”
“That old, conniving, bitch of a woman,” the giant snarled. “I do wish she were here with you.”
“Why?” I asked with my wand still raised.
I still had no idea what I could do with it, since Theodora mentioned this monster deflected spells. All I knew was if I kept him talking, then I could come up with some kind of plan.
“Theo-fucking-dora is the reason I’m here,” he growled. “I was a part of the Mors Academy, and I was one of the greatest masters of blood potions until a duke forced my own people to place a curse on me.”
“So, you’re saying the professors of the Mors Academy cursed you?” I asked as I tried to buy myself some time.
“That’s correct,” the beast snarled.
Part of me couldn’t believe I was actually engaging in conversation with this giant monster, but something was telling me this was the best course of action to take. I needed to hear what he had to say, since he probably had useful information I could bring back to Theodora.
“If your own school cursed you, then why are you blaming Theodora?”
“Because my suffering is for the greater good!” Geryon snapped back. “Once the time is right, I, along with an army, will attack your school and kill that bitch Theodora once and for all.”
His voice echoed so loudly within the cave that some of the rocks started to crumble, and the bats began to make high pitched clicks. I kept my stance, though. My feet were firmly planted on the cave floor, and my arm was straight out, with my wand pointed right at the beast. Just because I couldn’t cast a spell on him didn’t mean my wand was useless. I had a strong feeling it would come in handy when the time was right.
“Your old school may have cursed you,” I laughed, “but I am more than capable of doing far worse.”
“Oh, is that so?” he sneered. “You’re nothing but a Scholomance student. I could crush you right now if I wanted.”
I gripped my fingers around the wand and prepared myself for the worst. This thing was at least ten times my size, and who knew just how powerful it was? I had to be careful and smart about how to deal with him.
So, I looked around me to try and find a weapon or anything I could use to my advantage. I had my dagger on me, but against a stone giant, I didn’t think it would be much use. But even though the creature’s orbs lit up parts of the cave, I still found the darkness to be too overwhelming.
I needed more light.
“Illuminana,” I whispered.
As soon as the light erupted from my wand, Geryon howled and knocked his head back, and he was acting as if I’d scorched him with fire.
“Put it out!” he wailed.
“And why would I do that?” I smirked with my wand still brandished.
“The light burns like hellfire,” Geryon hissed as he scrambled back away from me.
“Oh?” I asked, and a grin spread across my face. “And why is that?”
Geryon growled in frustration, and I waved the light higher in the air. Then he hunched over in agony as he covered his eyes with his massive hands.
“I’m waiting for an answer,” I said as I brandished my wand. “You’d better give me one. I’m not in a patient mood.”
“Light is no friend of mine,” Geryon hissed as he glared at me through squinted eyes. “That’s why we planned to attack your pathetic school at night.”
“Which night?” I demanded.
“Put out your light first,” he growled.
“By Satan, you are fucking stupid,” I spat. “Like I’m going to put out my light. Now tell me, what fucking night were you planning to attack Scholomance Academy?”
The beast snarled in fury and then forced himself to open his beady eyes. They were bright red, and he struggled to keep them open as he faced me.
I could tell by the furious look on his face that he was ready to attack me, even if it blinded him, so I turned my head to look over my shoulder. Even though it was far behind me, I could make out the mouth of the cave, and I could tell by the color of the sky that dawn was approaching.
Light wasn’t his friend, huh? Well, then, all I had to do was lure him to the end of the cave, but how?
I had to keep him occupied for a few more minutes while I figured it out.
“I told you to put that damn light out!” Geryon howled. “Now, you’ll be sorry, you little fucker!”
Before I could respond, the giant tossed up his massive fists into the air and brought them down onto the cave floor. The impact made everything shake, and more rocks fell down. One was coming straight for me, and I flicked my wand in its direction.
“Diffringo!” I yelled out.
The rock shattered into tiny particles of dust and rained down on me, and I sighed and wiped at my brow. That had been a close one.
But then it hit me.
Even though I might have just saved myself from being crushed, the light from my wand had gone out, and now the monster was drawing closer to me.
“You insolent little bastard… you nearly blinded me!” Geryon spat, and his eyes were clearer now and filled with pure rage.
He took a huge step forward, and I stepped backward. The giant’s massive body made more rocks fall around me, and more sweat was building up under my arms. My hands were also clammy as I kept my wand pointed in his direction.
“Illuminana!” I shouted.
Geryon jolted back and cried out in pain, and I glanced toward the mouth of the cave and saw the sun peeking through. I needed to lure him toward the sun, and I quickly tried to think of a plan to coax this beast out of the cave and kill it. I couldn’t run backward with the wand facing him, so I’d have to turn around and make a run for it instead. I knew he would follow me, since he was pissed off and not thinking rationally.
“Why don’t you try and get me?” I taunted. “I can tell you haven’t moved that fat ass in a long time. You’re nothing but a lazy, useless fucker who’s going to rot in here. No one wants to use you to fight a war. That was all a lie. You’re nothing but a failed experiment!”
Geryon growled, forced himself to open his eyes, and then lunged for me, but I turned right around and sprinted as hard as I could. I could almost taste the air seeping inside the cavern, and I did my best not to trip over any bones as I continued to run for my goddamn life.
I lunged for the mouth of the cave, but then something heavy curled around my ankles and yanked me back. The beast was dragging me back inside, and I nearly dropped my wand. The light went out, and I struggled as I wriggled around and tried to break free. I managed to rearrange myself so I was no longer lying face down, and I pointed my wand between the creature’s yellow eyes.
His expression changed, and he let go and raised both hands as if he was prepared for me to cast the illuminana spell again.
Except I had another idea.
I quickly flicked my wand upward and aimed it at the roof of the cave.
“Evanescet!” I yelled.
It was a disappearing hex. It wasn’t strong enough to destroy the whole cave, but it burned a hole right through the roof.
Then dawn filtered into the cavern.
The beast howled in pain and fear as the sunlight burned right through him. Geryon’s massive body shook as the parts of his human skin started to turn to stone, and his arm rose as if he was trying to block out the light.
He cried out in pain, one final time, before he was nothing more than a statue, forever guarding the cave.
“Shit,” I muttered as I wiped the sweat from my brow. “That was too fucking close.”
“Indeed,” a familiar voice said.
Suddenly, I felt my body spin as it went through twists and turns. The forest around me completely disappeared, and soon, I was back in Theodora’s office.
The headmistress smiled at me as if nothing had happened.
“Well, that was fun,” I sighed. “Let’s do it again sometime.”
“I clearly underestimated you and your taunting ability,” she chuckled softly and took a seat behind her desk. “You did well.”
“Thanks,” I replied and brushed some dust off my shoulder. “Look, Headmistress, I might have killed the beast, but I never found out when some duke he mentioned plans to attack Scholomance--”
“I’m sure we’ll find out, one way or another,” she said as she waved her hand dismissively. “The point is, you eliminated a huge threat. Well done.”
“But what if there are more creations out there?” I asked. “What are we going to do about them? We need to find them now.”
“Cole,” Theodora sighed as if she were trying to explain a complicated hex. “Listen to me, and listen carefully. I cannot foresee each and every creature that other academies create. We can only take on one threat at a time, and this was a major one.”
“Satan,” I sighed before I folded my arms. “Well, we have a lot of work to do, then, huh?”
“Correct.” She nodded. “And you heard Geryon’s story. Enemy academies wanted to use him as a weapon against us when the time was right. He was one of their own. They will clearly do anything to win.”
“So, basically what you’re saying is… we still have a lot to learn,” I said slowly.
“Precisely,” she answered, “and I need you to make the others in your coven understand the threat we’re facing. And you… while you may have defeated this one creature, do not be cocky, for there are still plenty of things out there that could kill you in a heartbeat.”
“Understood,” I muttered.
“Good.” She smiled and then gestured toward the front door. “Now, I think it’s time you return back to your quarters. You have an even longer day tomorrow.”
A longer day than today? Unholy hell. I almost shook my head in disbelief as I left her office and headed back to the safety and comfort of my room.
As I walked through the halls, I thought more about what Theodora said, and a chill washed over me. She was right, there was still so much more to learn, especially about the creatures that could kill me in a heartbeat. My coven and I had to train even harder than before, and we could not leave room for fuck ups.
I’d be sure to get that through their heads, because I knew, deep down, time was running out.