I practically ran down the corridors and up to my bedroom. Then I slammed my door shut and looked to the comfort of my mattress. I was in desperate need of sleep. Part of me couldn’t believe what had just happened, and the other part was numb to the entire situation. This wasn’t the first time the headmistress had put my life in danger, and it wasn’t going to be the last.
Tomorrow, I’d be sure to collect my witches and tell them about my little adventure, but for now, a good night’s rest was in order. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with any nightmares or visions tonight.
That was the last thing I needed.
Things were not exactly going my way. I realized I didn’t even get a chance to talk to the headmistress about my violent dreams or random visions. I never had the opportunity to ask her about the mysterious cloaked woman who continued to haunt my dreams and torment my mind with endless questions.
I sighed in impatience before I quickly stripped off my clothes. Then I ignored the terrible book Theodora left on my desk, collapsed onto my bed, and raised my wand high up into the air.
“Averte,” I muttered.
All the candles died down at once, and I placed my wand on the bedside table before I closed my tired eyes. For once, I drifted off into a peaceful and dreamless sleep. There was no cloaked woman or strange fountains this time, but when I woke up, there was a violent pounding on the door. I groaned before I grabbed the bedsheets and wrapped them around my naked bottom half. The knocking grew more impatient, and I hurried to open the door.
Judging by the knock, I had a feeling about who was on the other end.
When I swung the door open, Vanessa was standing there in a long, midnight-black gown. Her dark hair was pulled back into a loose bun, and strands of dark hair framed her perfect face. Behind those blue eyes, though, there was a secret, and I knew something was up.
“Good morning, Cole,” she muttered. “Still not used to putting on pajamas before bed, I see.”
“What brings you to my door again, Vanessa?” I smirked in return. “You do seem to take pleasure in visiting me as often as possible.”
“Pleasure?” she gasped, and her sharp features twisted into a sneer of disgust.
“Yeah,” I snickered. “If you want, you could just spend the night. You know, save you the trouble of having to come get me two or three times a day. Instead, I could make you cum two or three time--”
“How dare you!” she growled as her face turned red. “I take no such pleasure in having to summon you day after day. Now, get dressed. We will begin our classes in the woods this morning.”
“Fine by me.” I shrugged.
Vanessa glanced down at my abs and flushed an even darker hue, and I had to admit, making a hot professor turn red was pretty sexy.
But then I shook my head at myself. I had other things to worry about. More important things.
Vanessa made no move to leave, so I decided to take just one more jab at her.
“Are you going to watch me change, then?” I asked with a cocked brow.
“No,” she blurted out. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous, just hurry the hell up.”
She looked flustered as hell, and I couldn’t help but grin at her obvious discomfort.
“Yes, Professor,” I snickered. “Whatever you say.”
I let the sheets drop to the floor before I closed the door. She turned the brightest shade of red as I did so, and I laughed gently to myself as I dressed in my uniform and cloak. When I opened the door again, Vanessa still looked flushed from the neck up to her cheeks, and she refused to meet my eyes as I closed the door behind me.
These witches were so self-righteous, but all they really wanted was my cock deep inside of them. They just wouldn’t admit it.
For now.
“Follow me,” she muttered before she turned and practically sprinted down the stairs.
I had to jog to keep up with her, and we sped past the paintings and out the front doors of the castle. She marched toward the gate and pushed it open, and she didn’t bother to wait for me.
“Can you slow down?” I called out. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you walk at a normal pace.”
“No time for that,” she said without turning around. “Time is of the essence, let’s go!”
I rolled my eyes but followed her, and she continued to storm ahead of me and into the dark woods. Luckily for me, I managed to keep up the pace without tripping on a root or rock on the way. I quickly looked up, and the sky above us was gray as usual. The heavy charcoal clouds blocked any kind of sunlight, and the wind was extraordinarily loud this morning. It screamed through the trees, whipped through my hair, and picked up my cloak as I carried on.
“Is the entire class waiting for us?” I asked as I drew abreast of Vanessa.
“Oh, no,” she said as she shook her head, but she didn’t bother to look at me as she answered. “I canceled lessons for the rest of the class today. Theodora’s orders. I think it’s safe to say the rest of the class was less than pleased by the decision, but they aren’t the ones who are about to fight in a war, so they’ll just have to suck it up.”
“Err, right,” I said as if any of this were normal.
“Are you nervous?” Vanessa asked in a stoic voice.
“Of course I’m nervous,” I scoffed. “Why aren’t you?”
“I have my own share of nerves,” she answered after a long moment, and I was surprised by her honesty. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about you and your… coven.”
She spat the last word out as if it was a sour piece of fruit, but I decided not to engage her again.
When we returned to the same spot from yesterday, I noticed Theodora was already waiting with the rest of my coven. All the witches were dressed in the standard black and white uniform and had their hair pulled back, but what really caught my eye was the look on their faces. Each witch had their chins raised, and their eyes were filled with determination and ambition, so I guessed they were all prepared to take on whatever Theodora was about to throw our way.
I had a good feeling this lesson was going to be more successful than the previous one. With Theodora here, I knew the women would take this lesson more seriously. In all honesty, I wasn’t worried about Vesta, Faye, or Morgana. It was Akira who concerned me because she didn’t seem to think this threat was something to take seriously.
I hoped the headmistress would get it through her head just how deadly of a position we were in.
“Ah, Cole,” Theodora greeted immediately. “Come here now.”
I nodded and joined the others, who were all lined up.
“Now, let us begin,” Theodora said as she folded her hands behind her back. “Cole has warned you about the threat that other schools pose upon Scholomance, but what he didn’t tell you was that by the end of term, you will be face to face with Duke Malik of the Greenwood. I have seen it in my mind.”
The other witches all gasped in unison and exchanged confused glances with each other.
“Who is Duke Malik?” I asked with a frown.
“He’s only one of the most powerful human leaders this age has ever seen,” Morgana whispered next to me. “He has a castle in the Greenwood realm protected by magic… magic that derives from the elder gods and other academies. No one has dared to attack his realm since he formed those alliances.”
That’s when it hit me. This duke was the same man Geryon mentioned in the cave. The one who would bring an army to attack the school.
“Excellent, Morgana,” Theodora responded. “It’s true… much to the displeasure of Satan, the duke has been protected by other academies and given elder magic. He is a ruthless ruler, filled with powerful magic that could wipe out an entire realm if he wished it. Now, your task is to break into his castle and kill him before his army kills us.”
Theodora’s calm voice made it seem like an extracurricular assignment, but when I glanced at the others, each one of them turned pale.
“Headmistress,” Morgana murmured, and she wrung her slender hands. “That is… a lot to ask of us… not to mention it will certainly affect our studies and class schedule.”
I was surprised. I didn’t expect Morgana of all people to say anything against the headmistress. She was always the compliant bookworm, but now, she was showing off another side to her.
“I know, Morgana,” Theodora replied with a grave nod. “I know this is a lot to ask of all of you, but I also know that together, you all possess great and powerful strength. And do not worry about your grades or schedule. All the professors know what I have in store for you.”
“Hell yeah,” Akira said with a wicked grin. “I like the sound of that. So, why don’t we just break into the castle now and kill them all? I mean, we survived the preschooler exams, why not just send us in there now?”
Theodora smiled softly before she raised a hand in the air.
“While I do admire your bloodlust, Akira, I don’t think that’s the answer,” Theodora said. “We need to prepare you all first, and that involves learning about blood possession, among other crucial spells. Now, Vanessa told me your first lesson didn’t go as smoothly as she would have liked. So, I’m going to try and give you all a private lesson. This time, I expect better results.”
Each witch lowered her head in humiliation.
“Apologies, Headmistress,” Morgana muttered. “We did not mean to disappoint you the first time.”
“It’s not about disappointment,” Theodora tutted, “it’s about survival. Everyone in the school will be murdered by the duke’s army if we do not properly teach you these spells.”
“Understood, Headmistress.” Akira swallowed, and her coal black eyes were wide.
“Good… now I want all of you to clear your minds,” Theodora ordered. “Do not let fear or ambition cloud your ability to control the blood of someone else.”
Everyone began to breathe steadily, and I could feel my own chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm. I inhaled sharply and took in the scent of the forest, and I could detect notes of pinewood, berries, and earth. It felt as if my feet were sinking into the ground as I stood still. I was one with everything around me. I was a part of the forest and its evil roots.
When I opened my eyes, both Vanessa and Theodora were staring at me with a strange smile on their faces.
“Do you want me to go first?” I asked.
“No,” Theodora said as she shook her head. “Faye, let’s give it a go.”
The redhead gulped and looked terrified. Her green-gold eyes widened, and her pink lips parted open.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Theodora said as she clicked her tongue. “Remember, there is no room for fear.”
I thought about controlling Faye’s nerves, but then a thought hit me. I wouldn’t be able to control everyone during a battle. They needed to learn this skill all on their own. They couldn’t rely on me to help them through every little challenge.
Besides, I knew they had it in them to fight and learn.
“Go, Faye,” I urged her. “You can do this.”
The redhead met my eyes and slowly nodded. Then she took in a deep breath and stepped past the two older witches.
“I’m ready,” she said in a clear voice.
“Excellent.” Theodora smiled. “Vanessa, will you please summon the target?”
Vanessa slowly nodded and then turned her long skirts. With her back raised and her wand held high, she flicked her wrist, and a soft, orange glow erupted from the tip. The wind picked up, and it blew all the witches’ skirts up in the air. They struggled to keep their composure, but I did catch a glimpse of Faye’s red lace panties under her skirt.
I reminded myself to focus, though, and I shook my head and kept my eyes on the forest ahead. I could see branches swaying as an animal moved forward. It was a fawn. Its coat was shiny, and its honey brown eyes were staring right at Faye as it slowly trotted over toward her. The youngling showed no sign of fear as it approached us, and I was intrigued.
“Take out your dagger,” Vanessa instructed in a low voice, and Faye stood her ground as the fawn stopped right in front of her. Then it tilted its small head and stared directly at her, just waiting.
“Then, cut into your hand,” Theodora said softly, “you know what to do, Faye.”
Faye nodded and slowly pulled her dagger out of her waistband. She swiftly cut into the same slice that rested in the inside of her palm, and more blood spurted from her hand and dripped down into the earth.
“Now, clear your mind,” Vanessa ordered. “Do not let outside factors seep into your psyche. You must be free from all doubt.”
Faye took a trembling step forward, but Theodora raised her hand.
“Now, Faye,” the headmistress said in a firm voice, “I can still sense your fear. Let it go and truly free yourself from hesitation. You can do this. The only person preventing you from completing this spell is yourself.”
Faye slowly nodded, lifted her wand, and recited the incantation, and I watched in fascination as the wind started to pick up. It was a loud, howling wind that nearly knocked us all over. Leaves were swirling around Faye’s freckled ankles, and loose branches from the trees whipped past her, but she continued to keep her stance.
I glanced back at the fawn. Its eyes began to turn white, and it cried out in soft whimpers as Faye continued to mutter the spell.
Soon, everything died down, and the air settled. Then the fawn looked up at Faye with empty eyes and waited for a command.
“Satan,” Vesta breathed, and her silver eyes went wide. “She did it!”
I smiled as Faye stood her ground. I knew she had it in her.
“Now, you may command it,” Theodora said with a pleased smile on her face. “Go on.”
Faye nodded before she quickly turned to look at the rest of us. Her eyes landed on Akira, and she slowly smiled.
“Go and lick Akira’s face,” Faye ordered.
“Oh, hell no,” the dark-haired witch muttered with a scowl.
The small fawn crept over to Akira, who cringed as the deer craned its neck and began to lick her face, and the other witches snickered under their breaths.
“Gross,” Akira groaned as she wiped the fawn’s slobber off her cheek.
“Well done, Faye,” Theodora said with a proud smile. “Very well done, indeed.”
“Thank you,” Faye replied, and I noticed she stood a little straighter.
“Now, for something a little more difficult,” Theodora added in a sweet voice.
“Huh?” Faye said as she shot her head up. “This wasn’t difficult enough?”
“I’m afraid not,” the headmistress chuckled. “Now, please release the creature unless you want it to become a snack.”
Faye looked confused as she waved her wand, and the fawn shook its small head. Then it took one look at us and bolted for the trees.
“What is going on?” I muttered to the others.
“I don’t know,” Vesta hissed back. “I’m just as lost as you are.”
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and I watched as the trees ahead of us began to be knocked over, one by one, as if something was bulldozing them down. Then, out of the thicket, a massive bear with a wolf’s head emerged from the woods. The creature’s snout was enormous, and its nostrils were two large black holes that expanded with each sniff it took. Its fangs were yellow and large as daggers, and drool dripped down from its maw as it growled deeply and stared at us.
Faye gasped as she stared up at the towering, monstrous creature. The redhead still held the blade in her hand, but she wasn’t making a move to cut into her palm.
“Cole.” Theodora cleared her throat. “Command Faye to defend herself.”
“Cut your hand, Faye,” I ordered through gritted teeth.
The redhead slowly sliced into her hand, but she wasn’t quick enough. The massive bear-wolf beast began charging at her, and Vanessa and Theodora just watched with their backs turned to us.
I had to do something. I couldn’t bear to watch Faye being torn to pieces.
So, I ran and ignored the others as they called my name. Then I shoved Faye out of the way and raised my wand.
“Conligo!” I cried out.
The beast immediately stopped in its tracks as a purple shot of lightning erupted from my wand and hit it square in the chest.
“Swift thinking, Cole,” Theodora said behind me in a cold voice. “But it wasn’t your turn.”
“You were just going to let it kill her,” I growled over my shoulder. “How could I just stand by?”
Faye was white with shock as blood seeped down her palm. She was trembling, and I could sense her fear and feel her heart beating wildly in her chest.
The creature in front of me was trying to break through the curse, and I watched as its yellow eyes darted back and forth.
“It’s about to get loose,” Theodora said, and her tone was completely calm. “Are you going to let her try and take control over it?”
“I’ll do it,” I grunted.
“No,” Faye whispered in a trembling voice. “This is my fight.”
“Are you sure?” I asked as my eyes darted over to the redhead.
“I can do this,” she said, and her voice sounded a little stronger. “I have to… for the sake of our people. Besides, if something happens to you, then we’ll all die. If the beast kills me… well, I’ll just come back, remember?”
The redhead flashed me a semi-confident smirk, but I could still see her fingers trembling as blood dripped from her palm down to the dirt below.
She was right, though. The Blood Pact wouldn’t let her die, so I reluctantly nodded and took a step back. Then I chewed on my lower lip as I joined the others and watched Faye. I was nervous for her. She still seemed like she was a trembling mess.
The redhead stood her ground and looked straight at the bear-wolf, and her wand lifted into the air as she muttered the spell. Another strong wind picked up, and it nearly pushed us forward. It was like a hurricane wind, ultimately violent and hungry.
The beast had started to move, and it flashed Faye an angry glare as it leaned forward, ready to break free from the paralysis spell.
“Come on, Faye,” I whispered. “You can do this.”
The redhead pointed her wand and continued to mutter the spell, and my heart pounded furiously as the bear-wolf lunged for her. I thought I was going to have to watch Faye get torn to shreds, but then the creature’s eyes turned to white, and it froze in its tracks.
“Well done,” Theodora praised as if Faye had just completed an easy assignment on parchment paper. “Now, command it to kill.”
Faye nodded, and we all watched in fascination as she stared right at the possessed beast. At first, she didn’t say anything, but then her gold-green eyes flickered over to the headmistress.
A strange sensation took over my body as the redhead focused only on Theodora, and I could sense anger, bloodthirst, and rage coursing through Faye.
Was she thinking about killing Theodora?
I watched with my nerves on edge, and I silently prayed to Satan that Faye wouldn’t try and kill the headmistress. Her intention was clear to me, though, and I knew if I could feel it, so could Theodora.
“What you’re feeling is normal,” Theodora spoke up, and a calm smile spread across her face. “You’re angry with me, Faye. You think I would give up your life so easily, and it pains you. You seek revenge, and you possess the bloodlust of a wild beast in your heart. But you must fight it.”
Faye opened her mouth, but only a sob came out, and I could sense her emotions changing from anger into deep sorrow.
“It’s so powerful,” she whispered to no one in particular.
“I know.” Theodora nodded. “Fight it. This is a part of the test.”
We watched as Faye’s head snapped in different directions as if she were unsure of what to do next. She was fighting something within her. She was in the mind of the beast, and the only thing it craved was blood, but she had to fight off that wild side of the creature and use it to her advantage.
She couldn’t let it take total control over her.
Faye’s head turned one final time as her gaze landed on the beast, and we all heard her take in a deep breath. Then a large elk appeared from the bush, and as soon as Faye saw it, she seized her chance.
“Kill the elk,” she ordered.
The wolf-bear growled, and its white eyes glowed as it turned and swiftly headed for the elk. The poor creature had no chance. It tried to make a run for the bush, but the wolf-bear was too quick. The predator pounced on its prey and sank its yellow fangs right into the back of the elk. The herbivore cried out in anguish right before the monster ripped its limbs from the body. The sound of tearing flesh and bone-breaking filled the air and sent a murder of crows cawing up into the sky. The wolf-bear devoured the elk, and we all watched as Faye controlled it with the power of her mind.
“Now, all of you, take a step closer to Faye,” Theodora commanded. “Make a line. Nice and close, now.”
We all did as she demanded and waited. I looked at Faye’s arm, and it was twitching. I wondered just how long she would be able to hold on to the spell. This wasn’t just a person she was commanding. Her mind was linked to a monster, and I knew it was harder for her to control and hold on to.
“Everyone must concentrate now,” the headmistress instructed. “Breathe in the earth, and do not let fear control you.”
I held my position and waited. It sounded as if a stampede was on the way.
“Quickly,” Theodora said as she glanced at us. “Everyone take out your daggers and cut into your palms.”
My coven and I did as she instructed. I pulled out my blade and made a quick, deep cut into the palm of my hand, and the other witches followed suit. Once everyone had made an incision, we all waited with our wands raised high. Soon, more trees were knocked over, and four more wolf-bears appeared from the woods.
They bared their fangs and glared at us. They were thirsty for blood, and their eyes gleamed with primal hunger.
My gaze landed on a large, black wolf-bear. It stood out from the others because it looked like the leader of the pack. It was robustly built and significantly bigger than the others.
I met its eyes and dared it to attack me, and the alpha took the challenge as it roared.
Then it charged.
I planted my feet and waited. The other beasts were not far behind the leader, and they were coming straight for the other witches.
I raised my wand and looked at the others.
“Conligo their asses,” I ordered.
My coven looked at each other and nodded in agreement, and we waited for the monsters to get closer. When the massive beasts were just a few feet in front of us, I knew it was time.
“Conligo!” I shouted.
The alpha froze in place, and all the other witches screamed out the spell. Then the rest of the creatures stopped in their tracks as a purple bolt of energy hit them, one by one.
“Good job, ladies,” I breathed.
“Yes, outstanding job,” Theodora added. “Now, possess them.”
We all took another step closer to our targeted beasts, and red eyes glared at me as I pointed my wand at the alpha’s chest. I muttered the possession spell, and my arm began to tremble. It shook and convulsed, and I had no control over the wind that was blowing hard through the trees.
The red eyes of the beast slowly turned white as snow, and as powerful energy surged right through me, I repressed the urge to cry out. The sensation was painful, as if a blade had pierced right through my heart, and I could barely breathe as a feral urge overcame my body. I felt more durable and more powerful. I wanted to desperately taste blood. I wanted to sink my teeth into flesh and feel bones break.
But I also knew I had to take control. I couldn’t let its primitive feelings overcome my senses.
“I know what you’re all feeling,” Theodora said as she stood still as a statue. “I can feel your energy from here. You crave blood and bone. You want to hunt. You want to mate. Your urges are primal and fierce.”
She was right. I could sense the hot blood coursing through my veins. It was pumping through me, and the adrenaline was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I felt completely invincible, as if I could hunt and kill anything.
“Have them kill each other,” Theodora ordered.
I could experience my coven’s shock through our bond, and I mirrored the emotion.
“What?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“We’ll see who can last the longest,” the headmistress said.
I didn’t have time to ask another question, because Faye’s creature was already clawing at my own beast’s face. I could feel the slash, almost as if my own face had been cut, and I winced and focused on my own animal. Then I shook my head and adjusted my eyes.
“Step back and bite the neck,” I commanded under my breath.
My alpha beast bared its fangs and lunged right for Faye’s wolf-bear. Then it dug right into the tender spot where the neck and shoulder met and bit down as hard as possible.
I could taste hot blood in my mouth, and I licked my lips, thirsty for more of the salty life-giving fluid. I commanded my monster to bite down even harder, and Faye groaned as she watched her creature begin to fall down and succumb to its fate.
“That’s alright, Faye,” Theodora reassured the redhead. “The point is that you were able to fight. Keep going, Cole. Kill the rest if you can.”
I mentally commanded my wolf-bear to release Faye’s creature, and the alpha dropped the dead animal and faced the two remaining beasts.
Only Vesta and Akira were left. Morgana’s beast was already dead.
Akira’s creature turned quickly toward Vesta’s animal, and I watched as it tore open the throat with one quick movement. Vesta cried out in irritation as her beast crumbled to the ground. Blood pooled around the dead creature, and Vesta looked mildly annoyed.
“You bitch, Akira,” Vesta muttered. “I wasn’t ready.”
Akira cackled as she guided her monster to approach me. There was a deep bloodlust in her dark eyes, and I knew she wanted nothing more than to kill my animal.
I smirked in her direction before focusing on my own wolf-bear.
“Go for the legs,” I commanded under my breath. “Tear through the bone.”
My creature lowered itself and made a jump for Akira’s wolf-bear, and the alpha had its claws extended outward as it leapt at the legs.
Akira jumped in surprise and horror as my creature sliced open the kneecaps of her monster.
“Fuck you, Cole,” Akira hissed.
“Fine by me,” I replied with a laugh.
Without hesitation, I commanded my monster to finish Akira’s off, and the dark-haired witch gasped as my wolf-bear curled its claw-like fingertips around the neck of her beast and started to pull. A nauseating crunching sound followed as the creature proceeded to rip off the head of its opponent, and the alpha pulled and tore until flesh and bone appeared at the nape of the neck. Soon, the head was completely severed from the rest of the body, and the alpha then tossed the head like a ball and began to eat.
Akira slumped her shoulders in defeat.
“Well done,” Vanessa praised as her eyes studied me. “That was close, Akira, do not be disheartened.”
“Yes, Professor,” the black-eyed witch grunted.
“Now, come along, everyone,” the headmistress said with a clap of her hands. “Let us return to the castle.”
“But what about him?” I asked as I pointed to my wolf-bear, which was devouring Akira’s creature with satisfied grunts and snarls.
“Oh, right,” Vanessa chuckled. “I nearly forgot.”
She waved her wand, and the beast’s head snapped at an odd angle before it fell to the ground. We all stared at the dead creatures, and the smell of metallic blood filled the forest air.
“Better to kill them, they are quite a nuisance to keep around,” Vanessa said as if she were just talking about mosquitos. “Come along, now, let’s go.”
We all looked at each other and shrugged before following the headmistress and her daughter back to the castle. As we quietly walked on, I couldn’t help but wonder just how far we would go to prepare for whatever laid ahead. I knew Theodora had all the cards in her hands, but I was worried about how she would deal them.
Only time would tell just how dangerous this semester would be.
But I was ready to find out.