I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the fucking day. This morning was our advanced Shadow magic lesson, and I sure as hell was ready for something new.
Half an hour later, my coven and I patiently waited in the blue classroom for Professor Luna to arrive. Despite my full night of rest, it was hard to stay awake in this enchanting room, which was similar to the preschool Shadow classroom. The walls were painted a dark, almost midnight blue, and the chandelier above us had crystal stars dangling from the frame and arms. The stars cast luminous spots on the wall, and it appeared as if the entire room was shimmering and sparkling like the night sky. There was something very mystical and serene about this room, and something made it stand apart from the others. Perhaps it was because this was the only classroom that was warm and inviting, and the rest had been cold, lifeless, and hard, like stone.
I suppressed a yawn as I sunk down into my seat, and I noticed the other witches in my coven looked just as tired as I felt. There were bruised colored shadows under their eyes, their hair was tangled, and their clothes were also rumpled and wrinkled as if they had slept in them.
The other fifty witches in the class looked fine, but they glared at our table with pure hatred and venom in their eyes.
“So, did any of you get any sleep last night?” I asked my coven.
“Not a wink,” Akira grumbled as she rubbed her coal black eyes. “Morgana insisted that we stay up all night and study.”
“And you’ll be thanking me for it later,” Morgana answered with her chin raised. “This is supposed to be one of the most difficult classes this semester.”
“Oh, because the others weren’t?” Akira snorted.
“Speaking of which, where is Professor Luna?” Faye whispered as her green eyes darted toward the door. “If she doesn’t arrive soon, she’ll be officially late.”
“No clue,” Akira sighed. “But I hope she shows up soon, I’m getting bored and sleepy.”
“Me, too,” Vesta yawned.
“My most sincere apologies,” a familiar voice giggled, “I didn’t mean to make you all worry.”
It was Professor Luna’s voice, but when we all looked around the room, no one could find her. The room had at least fifty witches waiting, and each one looked confused and startled as the soothing voice filled the air. Then the stars on the chandelier glowed even brighter, and the air smelled sweeter.
We waited, but still, there was no sign of the blonde and beautiful professor.
“Professor?” Vesta called out with furrowed eyebrows. “Where are you?”
“Oh, I’m right here,” Luna replied.
A cloud of purple smoke appeared at the front of the room, near the professor’s large ebony desk, and when the cloud of smoke disappeared, Luna was standing there as clear as day in front of us. She flashed us all a confident smile and bowed. Her long, straight, pale blonde hair grazed her small waist, and she was wearing a long-sleeved lavender gown with a low cut down the front. Her perky nipples were protruding through her dress, and the fabric was skin tight. She was also wearing a pair of high heeled boots and a black, pointed hat, while long, silver necklaces dangled from her elegant white neck, and her fingers were adorned with large matching rings.
The class clapped and whistled, and Luna waved her hand as if it were nothing, but her smile was a proud one.
The gorgeous woman relished in the attention and bravado. I could see it in her eyes.
“Tut, tut, class,” Luna said with a click of her tongue. “That was nothing… just wait until you see what I have in store for you today. You’re all in for a delicious treat.”
Everyone’s faces seemed to light up. Even my own table couldn’t hide their excitement, but deep down in the pit of my stomach, I knew something was up. I could see the mischievous glint in Professor Luna’s eyes and smile. I knew she had a plan, but whatever that plan was, I wasn’t sure it was for our benefit.
“Now, let’s not waste any more time… everyone turn to page four-hundred-and-fifty-four,” Luna instructed.
Dark plum-colored books began to appear on all our desks, and we all turned them to the correct page. My vision was blurry from lack of sleep, though, and I quickly and furiously rubbed the exhaustion from my eyes.
“Now, it is crucial we start at the beginning,” Luna went on. “You’re all familiar with instant shadow travel… but what if you learned how to transport yourself for longer periods and longer distances? What if you learned how to transport others as well?”
Everyone eagerly nodded and began to murmur in excitement among each other.
“Before we begin with the fun stuff,” the professor continued, “please take a moment to read the first couple of pages.”
The air grew quiet as the class quickly devoured the words on the page, and everyone was smiling, including my own table. I felt the opposite of eagerness, though. Unwelcoming darkness overcame me as I studied the illustration of a man who was half shadow and human, and the feeling grew more and more intense as I read the pages.
I couldn’t stop it or ignore it, but Professor Luna waited a few more minutes before she cleared her throat to gain everyone’s attention. Everyone’s heads shot up, and they gave her their undivided attention.
“Now, let’s start off with the basics… who can tell me what happens when you do not learn how to properly transport yourself?” Luna asked.
Morgana looked ready to answer the question, but Akira beat her to it.
“You die,” the black-haired witch said.
“Well, yes.” Luna nodded. “But more specifically, what happens to your soul?”
“It splits itself,” Morgana replied before anyone else could. “Half of you becomes a shadow forever… and there is no cure for it.”
“Precisely.” Luna smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant gesture. “That is why we study shadow transport. One small error and poof… you’re no longer human. Part of you would be forever tied to the shadow world. And the shadow world was not designed for the likes of you or me. It is painful, worse than death, and the most disturbing part is… you will never be welcomed into hell.”
Several witches gulped and looked around in concern.
“Satan,” Akira whispered under her breath.
“Now, I have another tricky question for you all,” Luna continued as she looked around the classroom. “What is the most common misconception about shadow travel?”
Again, Morgana was ready with the answer, and her hand shot up into the air. I’d noticed the long, dark-haired witch had been quite shy as a preschooler, but now, she never let a question go unanswered. Not if she could help it.
“Yes, Morgana?” Luna grinned.
“That time travel is possible,” the brunette replied. “But people who have attempted it have lost limbs and memories in the process.”
“Correct again,” Luna said with a delighted smile. “So, let me say this once and for all… you cannot transport into another time using shadow travel. It goes against the laws of nature, and it will kill you, or worse. Do I make myself clear?”
We all nodded, and she smiled in return.
“Good, now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Luna said, “let’s begin. Who would like to start? I’ll need a volunteer to come up here.”
Everyone’s face turned white, and my whole table looked down at their books.
I rolled my eyes and sighed before raising my own hand.
“I’ll do it,” I said.
“Oh, very good,” Luna replied as she studied me. “Come on up, then, Cole, don’t be shy.”
She motioned for me to come up to the front of the room. I obliged, and she smiled at me as soon as we were face to face. I briefly studied her beautiful features, and I could see the darkness in her purple eyes.
“Now, turn around,” she ordered in a cheerful voice, “we’re going to be traveling together. If this doesn’t go right, then you’ll probably lose a limb or two, or as we mentioned, you’ll become a permanent shadow… a fate worse than death.”
“So you said,” I muttered as I turned away from her and focused on my table.
My coven was not doing an outstanding job of hiding their distress, and I knew they were concerned for my life. If I died or became a permanent shadow, then they were all fucked as well. Akira, who was usually cool, calm and composed, was biting on her nails and staring at me with wide, dark eyes. Vesta, on the other hand, couldn’t even look at me. The green-haired witch had her eyes squeezed shut, and her hands were visibly shaking. Faye was also two shades whiter than her normal skin tone, and Morgana’s bottom lip was trembling.
Our fates were tied together, and if I fucked this up, all of them would suffer the consequences.
So, I’d better not fuck this up, then.
“Don’t be nervous, now,” Luna said in a casual voice, “just take out your wand, point it at your feet, and swirl your wand three times.”
I slowly pulled my wand out of its cloak pocket and did as she said. It felt strange to have the entire class’ eyes on me as I did so, but what else was new?
“Now, Cole, before we recite the incantation,” Luna continued, “I want you to clear your mind. Think only of the black gates outside of the castle. That’s where we’re going. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I can do that.”
“Good, now, repeat after me,” she instructed. “Velut umbra!”
“Velut umbra!” I echoed as I thought about the black gates right outside of the school.
As the words left my lips, Luna grabbed my hand, and soon, we were both covered in thick, purple smoke, and the classroom was slowly disappearing from view. My stomach dropped like I was being thrown off the edge of a cliff, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Part of me was ready to have a limb severed, or worse, but luckily my feet landed on firm, steady ground, and I sucked in a breath of relief.
I was still in one piece.
Before I opened my eyes, I could smell the crisp fresh air and hear crows cawing off in the distance. I knew we were outside, but my eyelids were as heavy as lead, and my breathing was quick and raspy.
“You may open your eyes now,” Luna murmured as she gently pulled her hand away from me. “You did it, Cole.”
I slowly peeled my eyes open and then laughed with relief when I saw the spell had actually worked. I was right outside the school gates, and most importantly, I was still in one piece.
I turned to look at Luna, and she smiled at me. To my surprise, she actually looked proud and relieved.
“Nifty little spell, isn’t it?” She winked. “Shall we play a trick on the rest of the class and let them think you became nothing but shadow? It will scare them shitless.”
“No,” I laughed. “No, I don’t think so… I don’t think my coven would ever let it go.”
“Very well,” the blonde professor pouted. “Let’s stay here for a moment, though. I want to enjoy the fresh air for a little longer.”
I did, too, so I took a deep breath of fresh air and relished in the cool breeze. I stared off into the distance and marveled at the trees of the dark forest. I listened carefully to the birds in the sky, and I enjoyed this brief moment of tranquility before a dark thought crept into my mind.
There was never a moment of peace for me.
“Professor?” I asked. “I have a question.”
“Yes?” Luna turned to me with her head tilted to the side. “Ask away.”
“I know you said this was impossible but… has any other witch been able to transport themselves through time using shadow travel?” I questioned. “Successfully, I mean.”
Luna turned away and looked toward the trees, and her face deepened into a frown as she stared off into the distance. She didn’t say anything at first, and I wondered what was roaming through her mind.
“Only one,” she muttered at length. “There has been only one who managed to successfully travel through time in recorded history.”
“Who?” I pushed. “Who was it?”
“I’m sorry, Cole… but I am not the one you should be having this conversation with,” the blonde professor said after a long moment.
“Well, I have another question, then,” I replied as I quickly changed tracks.
“Yes?” Luna asked.
“What is the difference between shadow travel and what Headmistress Theodora does?” I questioned.
“Shadow travel is something all Wiccas can eventually learn,” the blonde explained. “What Headmistress Theodora does requires years of experience and intense practice. She can send you to places she’s never seen before, but Shadow travel requires prior knowledge of the place you need to travel to. Does that make sense?”
“I suppose so… I mean that’s why you’re teaching us how to do it.” I shrugged.
“You’ll certainly be needing it in the future,” she replied as her face darkened. “Headmistress Theodora was clear on that.”
“Yeah… ” I trailed off.
She then turned to look back at me, and she flashed me a forced smile. “Come on now, I think we’ve worried them for long enough now. Be sure to picture the classroom clearly in your mind. Otherwise, you might end up dead.”
“Yeah.” I nodded and smirked. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten that important detail.”
The professor smiled and grabbed my hand, and then we both said the incantation at the same time. We evaporated back into the classroom in one piece, and as soon as we landed in front of her desk, hand in hand, people clapped and cheered.
I was surprised. I thought most of these witches hated me, but I supposed I was wrong. They actually seemed quite relieved, especially my own table.
“Alright now,” Luna called out above the noise, “settle down, class, settle down.”
Everyone stopped clapping and adjusted themselves in their seats. Luna stared at the sea of students and then turned to look at me. I could see a darkness in her eyes, and she smiled a wicked grin.
Something sinister was definitely on her mind, and I worried about the other students.
“You may take a seat now, Cole,” Luna giggled. “The next adventure is about to begin.”
I nodded even though there was a nauseating sensation in the pit of my stomach, but I still took my seat at my table. The room was deadly quiet, and we all stared at Professor Luna. She seemed to be contemplating something, though, as she paced around the room with her hands folded behind her back. She walked back and forth until, finally, she turned to us again and then smiled.
“I think we should play a little game,” she said. “I’m not one for sitting and reading. I prefer a more practical approach when it comes to learning advanced spells.”
Everyone started to mutter amongst themselves, and I looked at my own table with concern.
“A game?” Morgana whispered to us. “Do you think there will be a prize?”
“Something tells me the prize is getting out of this game alive,” I muttered.
“What?” Akira snapped. “How do you know that, Cole?”
“Just a feeling,” I responded with a shrug.
“It’s always just a feeling with you,” the black-haired witch groaned. “Is that your premonition skills speaking for you, or is this more of a gut feeling?”
“Both,” I replied after a moment of hesitation.
“What a surprise,” she retorted as she bit her lower lip. “I don’t know, maybe you’re paranoid.”
“But when has he ever been wrong?” Vesta asked in a hushed voice. “You cannot start doubting him now.”
“Especially when I have been right about most things,” I reminded them.
The entire table exchanged worried looks with one another, and I didn’t blame them. So far, we’d barely had a day to rest and rejuvenate. Every day had been filled with life-threatening tests, and each night, we stayed up until the crack of dawn studying our asses off. Each professor had their own agenda to test us and our abilities, and there was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I wondered what Luna had in store for us. The beautiful professor with angelic features may have seemed sweet and gentle-hearted on the surface, but deep down, I knew she was ruthless.
If students died during this game, she wouldn’t even bat an eyelash.
“So, what I want is for you all to get into groups,” Luna instructed as she looked at our table and then at the table directly next to us, on our right. “Combine tables, and do it quickly.”
We pulled out our wands, and in one swoosh, the tables combined to form one long row of nine students in total. I discreetly stared at our new companions from the corner of my eye. There were four of them, and they all looked equally competitive. They all bore humanoid features, except for one witch who had pale green skin and large, pointed ears. Two of the other witches looked like twins. Their hair was long, pin-straight, and black and green, and they shared bright yellow eyes with small dark purple pupils. The last witch had a little, round face with large, doll-like brown eyes. She also had the longest lashes I’d ever seen, and her bright orange hair fell down to her shoulders in tiny, wild curls. Her lip, eyebrow, and nose were pierced, and there was a deep, menacing glare in her eyes.
In fact, the entire table was staring at us with pure loathing and contempt.
“Now, everyone stand up,” Luna commanded. “You can stand in your spot, but stand as still as possible, or as I said, you might lose a limb in the process. Does everyone remember the spell I used with Cole? Hopefully, you were paying attention because you’ll have to use it for this particular game. The objective of the game is to teleport through the destination I will send you into. You must be able to quickly memorize each room, and most importantly, you must stick together and work as a team if you want to win. You may use hexes and spells to attack your other team… in fact, I encourage it. You can stun, attack, or kill. Whichever team reaches the finish line, will be the winners.”
Morgana tentatively raised her hand.
“Yes, Morgana?” Luna asked with a sweet smile.
“How do we know what or where the finishing line is?” the brunette asked in a small voice.
“Oh, trust me.” Luna grinned. “You’ll know it when you see it.”
I looked at my coven and tried to read their expressions. Morgana, Vesta, and Faye all seemed concerned, but unafraid. Akira, on the other hand, was smiling, and I could tell she was filled with a determination to beat these other witches. Not for the sake of a good grade, but because she was not good at losing.
“Any more questions?” Luna asked.
No one said a word, which made the professor smile ever wider.
“Excellent,” the blonde replied. “Now stand up for Satan’s sake. We haven’t got all bloody day.”
“Did you all memorize the spell?” I whispered as my table stood up.
“Of course,” Morgana scoffed.
“We’re not idiots, Cole,” Akira added with an eye roll. “We’ve been paying attention all this time.”
I knew she didn’t just mean this class. They’d been paying attention to every single detail since this semester began. How could they not? They’d been put under immense pressure solely because they were tied to me by blood, soul, and immortality.
We stood up and waited, and Luna’s beautiful face contoured into a deep glare as she observed the classroom. Her eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty longing, and I knew not everyone was going to make it out of this game alive.
“You will be the first group to travel,” she said as her violet eyes met mine.
Of course we were. She was using this game as an excuse to test our abilities and see if we could Shadow travel under pressure.
“I will send you off, but it is up to you to return once you find the finishing line. Do not even try and return before that. If you do, I will be sure you do not make it back in one piece.”
Satan. This woman had more than one screw loose in that beautiful head of hers.
But I was not about to lose this game.
Luna swirled her wand and aimed it at our combined tables. I could feel myself slowly vanishing from the classroom, and my stomach was jumping, tumbling, and flipping. My eyes drifted closed, and I allowed myself to be transported to Satan knows where.
When I came to a sudden stop, I opened my eyes. The cloud of thick, purple smoke evaporated, and my gaze landed on Vesta, Akira, Faye, and Morgana. We were all standing in a circle, in a cold, dark, moldy, and smelly room, but when I took a closer look at our surroundings, I realized it wasn’t just a regular room.
It was a jail cell. We were locked in a stone cell, covered with black bars to shut us in.
“At least that was some smooth landing,” I said as I tried to lighten the mood.
There was no point in trying, though. I could already sense we were in a fucked-up situation.
“Where the hell are we?” Akira whispered as her black eyes darted from side to side, and she clenched her wand in a tight fist.
“It looks like a prison,” Morgana gasped.
Faye didn’t say a word as she reached for the gated door and shook it. Then she yanked her hand away quickly and made a disgusted face.
“What?” I asked.
“I think… there’s blood or mucus on these bars,” she hissed. “Disgusting.”
She showed us her hand, and sure enough, there was a dark liquid mixed with something sleek and thick like glue on her hand.
“Mundus,” she muttered as she pointed her wand at her hand. Her palm became clean again, and she looked back at the rest of us. “Sorry, I’m not trying to waste time. We need to get out of here before the other group comes along and kills us.”
“You really think they would kill us?” Morgana whispered as her blue eyes widened.
“Oh, I have no doubt,” Faye scoffed before she tossed back her long, red hair and tied it up into a practical bun. “Did you see the way they were looking at us? The way they stared at Cole with nothing but hatred? They loathe us simply by association, so they would have no problem killing us, too.”
“She’s right,” I agreed as my heart started to pound in my chest. “Let’s get the hell out of here and find the fucking finish line.”
“Who knows how big this place is?” Akira grumbled. “Let’s stick together and keep our eyes peeled.”
“Agreed,” I replied.
There was a lock on the grimy prison door, and I pointed my wand at it. I knew a simple spell for locked doors and secret passageways, but I had no idea if it would work.
It was worth a shot, though.
“Patentibus,” I said, and I was surprised when the door quickly swung open. I’d expected this to be a little more complicated, but then again, we just arrived here. Who knew what was waiting beyond this point?
“Nice job, Cole,” Vesta remarked.
“Damn.” I grinned. “I didn’t think that would actually work.”
“Only because you have a wand,” Morgana explained. “Prisoners are obviously not permitted to carry wands once they commit a crime, so any spell that is attempted through hands will result in instant death.”
“Noted.” I nodded, and I had to admit I was impressed by her extensive knowledge.
We stepped out of the cell, and it was eerily quiet in the hall we entered. The stone walls and floor were covered in brown stains, which could have either been shit or blood, and there was another cell directly in front of us. I thought I saw bones peeking through a pile of hay in the corner, and I knew this place was filled with malice and death.
“If this is a prison,” I muttered, “where are the prisoners?”
“I think it’s abandoned,” Morgana mused.
“I’m not sure about that,” I said with a frown. “I can feel… something in the air.”
“What is it?” Faye asked as she crowded close behind me.
“I’m not sure,” I answered.
“Great,” Akira sighed. “Are you saying not only do we have to face the other group of witches, but there may be prisoners in here as well? Is Professor Luna deliberately trying to kill us?”
“She’s just testing us like the other professors,” Morgana said a little defensively. “She believes in us. That’s the reason why she put us in here… to test us, like Theodora has been doing.”
“Your blind faith continues to astonish me,” Akira scoffed.
“It’s not blind faith,” the brunette argued and furrowed her brow. “It’s just the reality of our situation. We’re the only ones capable of saving the school, whether you like it or not, Akira, so we must be tested.”
Just then, I heard something, like an echo. I couldn’t be sure what it was, but I knew soon, we weren’t going to be alone.
“Be quiet,” I hissed. “Take your wands out and be ready to fire.”
To my surprise, the witches didn’t argue. Instead, they all whipped out their wands, and we huddled into a circle.
“If you spot anything, don’t hesitate to aim and fire,” I instructed. “There is no room for doubt.”
“Got it,” Akira replied in a firm voice.
Suddenly, a loud echo emerged from an open archway in front of us. It sounded like heavy footsteps, ones that didn’t belong to any witch.
“Come together,” I ordered, “and hold hands.”
“What are you doing?” Morgana hissed. “You don’t even know how this prison is built. How are you going to transport us to another room when you haven’t seen it yet?”
“Just trust me,” I snapped. “I know what I’m doing.”
The brunette huffed and turned to look at the doorway, and then we spotted a massive man, half-goat, and half-human, staring at us.
Morgana’s blue eyes widened in fear as she stared back at the creature. He had grotesquely large dark brown eyes, a gruesome smile, and brown patches of hair that covered nearly his entire face. He was also wearing a black and white striped jumpsuit covered in different colored stains, he was barefoot, and his toenails were brown and yellow.
“Well, what do we have here?” the beast growled. “It’s been a while since I’ve tasted sweet witch flesh. Why don’t you come a little bit closer?”
“Okay, let’s go, Cole,” Morgana whimpered as she snatched the hands of the others.
The beast suddenly charged toward us, but I used my wand to swirl three times at our feet.
“Velut umbra!” I shouted, and I quickly grabbed onto Vesta and Faye’s hand.
A moment later, we all went spinning through the air, and then we landed directly behind the monster. He was past the threshold and didn’t realize we were now standing at his back. So, I shut and barricaded the door with the heavy wooden beam, and the last thing I saw before I closed the door on him were his wide, rage-filled eyes.
As soon as the door was shut, he began to curse and bang on the wooden door, and I knew it wouldn’t last for long.
“Run down the stairs,” I ordered. “Don’t look back.”
We plummeted into the darkness and down the stone steps, but they were covered in a kind of slippery slime that sent Faye tumbling down the rest of the way. The last thing we heard before she crashed at the bottom was her blood-curdling scream.
“Faye!” Morgana shouted.
“Hush!” I hissed. “We don’t know what else is out there.”
“Faye could be hurt, though,” Morgana murmured as we hurried down the stairs.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” I reassured the coven. “Just get down to the bottom, and be quiet about it.”
The brunette nodded hastily, but she still quickened her pace.
When we reached the next landing, the redhead was curled up into a ball and whimpering under her breath as she cradled her ankle.
“Can you stand?” I asked as I lowered myself down to her level.
“Yeah,” she said after a moment, and she quickly wiped the tears from her face. “I’m fine.”
“We have to be quick,” Akira urged as she helped Faye to her feet. “We have to find a way back to the school.”
“She’s right,” Vesta breathed as she tucked a curl of green hair behind her ear. “We need to beat the others to the finish line… wherever that is.”
“Well, it’s not here,” I said. “It’s on the bottom floor… I can sense it.”
“I have to admit I’m impressed with how well your premonition skills have advanced,” Morgana said as she stared at me with inquisitive blue eyes. “For most witches, navigating through here without any prior knowledge would be nearly impossible.”
“Stop kissing his ass, Morgana,” Akira snapped before she turned to me. “You just managed to get us out of that room and through the doorway. Big deal. You know what would really impress me is if you could transport us to the bottom floor. Can you do that before those other bitches find us?”
Her coal black eyes were alight with bloodlust, and as much as I wanted to just transport us to the bottom floor, it was a risk I just wasn’t willing to take.
“No.” I shook my head. “We’re going to go down these stairs to the very last floor, and if we happen to run into anything or anyone… we can hex the shit out of them, understood?”
My coven nodded in agreement, and I took a deep breath before I led them down the stairs.
The air grew colder, and the sound of dripping water echoed all around us. It smelled rank and damp down here, like sewage water combined with spoiled meat. I held my breath until we finally ended up in a small room with a low ceiling and stone walls, and the chamber was bare, except for something that glowed in the corner.
It looked like a star.
“That has to be it,” Morgana gasped.
She was the first to take a step forward, but then she went flying across the small room, and her body slammed so hard against the wall that stones came crumbling down on top of her. She cried out in pain, and Vesta rushed over to her.
“Morgana!” Vesta called out, but then the exact same thing happened to her, and she went flying into the wall next to the dark-haired witch.
Without hesitation, I whipped around and saw the bright orange haired witch smiling at us.
“Oops,” she giggled. “Did I hurt the little sluts? That’s too bad.”
“Fuck you, you tangerine headed bitch,” Akira sneered.
“Oh, ouch.” The ginger grinned. “How about you just shut up and die?”
She extended her wand and pointed it at us, but before she could mutter a word, I pulled out my dagger and threw it in her direction.
The blade struck her right in the chest, and she went flying back with a small groan and landed still on the ground. Blood pooled around her, and then a cloud of purple smoke emerged. The two twins were slowly appearing in front of us, but then they started to scream. They both were missing their arms, and blood was spurting everywhere. Their transportation spell had gone wrong, and the twins screamed so loudly I knew any other creatures that dwelled in this prison would surely hear them.
“Shut up!” Akira hissed as her black eyes darted toward the archway entrance.
The twins still wouldn’t stop screaming, though, and Akira finally had enough.
“Volant!” the black-haired witch screeched with her wand pointed at the bleeding twins.
The two witches were both hit in the chest, and they flew back so hard they broke through the stone wall and dropped out of sight. When I turned to look at Akira, she seemed shocked by what she’d just done.
She had killed two students.
“It was either them or us,” Akira muttered when she caught my eye, and I could tell she was saying this more to herself than to me.
I ran over to collect my dagger from the orange-haired witch’s corpse, but then I heard more heavy footsteps approaching us, and the last witch with light green skin appeared in the archway. She looked at the bloody room, put together what had happened, and pointed her wand at me.
“It’s time for you to die, you bastard,” she snarled through gritted teeth.
“No!” I heard Vesta cry out.
But before the furious witch could kill me, the goat-man appeared behind her and grabbed her throat. Her eyes widened as he lifted her up into the air, and she dropped her wand.
She gasped and struggled in the beast’s grasp, and her eyes were filled with desperation as she stared at us. All her fury had vanished and was now replaced with fear.
“P-Please, help me,” she rasped as she clawed at the goat-man’s hand.
“Not a chance,” Akira scoffed.
Akira pulled me away, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off the begging witch. The beast squeezed her neck with such force and brutality that she turned a deadly shade of red, and her eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets. Finally, there was a nasty snap that echoed in the room, and she went limp as the life left her eyes.
“Your turn,” the beast growled as he tossed the witch’s corpse away.
“Fuck you,” I sneered.
Then we turned and sprinted to the star in the corner, and each one of us placed our hand on the object. Before I could even utter the spell that would shadow port us back to the academy, we all began to spin, and the prison tower faded from view.
We landed back in the classroom and crashed down in our seats, and I looked at the opposite table beside us as my pulse pounded in my ears.
Those witches would never be coming back.
We’d basically killed them all. We had murdered our own kind to survive, and I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about it.
But we’d survived, which was all that mattered.