“Professor.” I frowned. “What can I do for you?”
“Come with me, Cole,” Vanessa ordered. “Right now, we have no time to waste.”
Typically, I would have questioned her, but something told me this wasn’t the best time. So, instead, I simply nodded and slammed the door shut behind me. Then we raced down the spiral staircase, and I kept close to her as we sprinted through the corridors. All the paintings eyed us as we ran, and one of them, a white-haired woman in a moth-eaten dress, even started to wave her veiny fist as we passed her by.
“No running in the corridors!” she demanded.
“Eat my ass, Patricia,” Vanessa muttered under her breath as she ran.
I had no idea what was going on. I’d never seen Vanesa this worked up, so whatever was happening, I knew it wasn’t good.
By the time we reached Theodora’s office, Vanessa was out of breath. Her breasts heaved up and down as she panted, and she wiped at the beads of sweat on her upper brow. The door was closed, and Vanessa straightened herself up before knocking twice. Then it swung open on its own, and a draft blew through the threshold.
“After you,” she said as she gestured for me to go ahead.
As soon as I stepped into the icy, dark room, I spotted Vesta, Akira, Morgana, and Faye all lined up in a row. Instead of their usual school uniforms, they were wearing skin-tight black leggings, flat black boots, and form-fitting black corsets. Their hair was pulled back, and each one of them looked pale, bewildered, exhausted, but also incredibly sexy and seductive at the same time.
Theodora was at her desk, with her hands folded in front of her, but she stood up and smiled when she saw me. The headmistress was wearing a long, deep crimson gown with sharp, pointed shoulder pads. Finger bones dangled from her ears, and she wore a matching red lipstick. Her hair, which was usually in an updo, was let loose in dark curls that reached her waist.
“Ah, Cole,” Theodora said, “we’ve been waiting for you. I was beginning to worry.”
“You may join your coven,” Vanessa added in a firm voice, “go on.”
I awkwardly walked over to the other witches and stood next to Faye.
“What’s going on?” I muttered.
“We’re going on a mission,” Faye whispered back.
“But it’s in the middle of the night,” I said with a confused frown. Then I looked up at Theodora. “Headmistress, this is a bit of a strange time to summon us.”
“Oh, nonsense,” she replied before a coy smile spread across her face. “Come now, what better time is there for a deadly mission?”
“Um, what mission?” I asked.
“Duke Malik keeps a very tight and highly structured magical security system in his realm,” she said. “I think now that you’ve successfully passed several classes, it’s time to put all your knowledge to the test. Think of this as an extreme quiz. I want to see how well you will all be able to work together with the knowledge you’ve acquired through your lessons.”
I tried not to laugh. Every single class had been filled with extreme pop quizzes or unorthodox lessons. What could possibly be any different about this one?
“And just how would we be doing that?” Akira asked before she folded her arms across her chest. “Are you going to be sending us into Duke Malik’s palace?”
“Oh, Satan, no,” Theodora gasped. “You’re definitely not ready for that. No, the first thing you will have to do is break into the grand mansion of a sorcerer named Gregor the Great. A terrible name, I know. But the point is, he has protection from Duke Malik, and his place is crawling with booby traps and tricks. I need something from his study… it’s a black earth stone. It harnesses a power I have longed for quite some time now, and I want you to retrieve it.”
A much different energy instantly filled the air. At that moment, I could sense what each witch was feeling. Akira was overwhelmed with a skeptical suspicion, while Morgana was eager to simply please Theodora, and Vesta and Faye only felt concerned and confused.
Deep down, I was a mixture of everything.
“You want us to steal it, then?” Faye asked after a moment. “What if we get caught?”
“Then they’ll cut off our heads and burn us at the stake,” Akira muttered, “or worse… duh, Faye.”
“Actually, they might torture you, too.” Vanessa grinned as she took a step beside her mother. “If you’re caught alive, that is.”
“Now, now, Vanessa,” Theodora said as she clicked her tongue, “do not feed their minds with unpleasant possibilities… but, yes, I’m afraid she’s right. You must be careful, and whatever happens, do not get caught. It would be better if you died rather than get captured. You will encounter all kinds of deadly creatures and sneaky traps. You must be alert at all times, and for Satan’s sake… do not let your wands down. I know this seems like an extreme way to test your knowledge, but that’s the Scholomance way.”
Morgana suddenly looked less eager now, and far more concerned. Every single one of us was about to be put to the ultimate test once again.
“Now, you will find his study on the top floor of the mansion,” Theodora went on. “At this time of night, I believe he should be deep asleep in his quarters, and the only thing you really have to worry about are the hidden traps, guards, and invisible barriers.”
“Oh, is that all?” Akira muttered under her breath. “What a piece of lemon pie.”
“Now, does anyone have any questions?” Theodora asked in a casual voice, and if she heard Akira’s comment, she was doing an excellent job of pretending otherwise. “Now, I just want to say I do sincerely hope you make it back here alive… this school desperately needs you all, and your journey is not yet over.”
“Thanks, Professor,” I said with a grave nod, “we appreciate that.”
Although she was sending us on another crazy mission, I knew she was only doing it because she believed in us.
Theodora flashed me a quick smile before she focused on my coven.
“When you have found the stone, just use it to shadow transport back into the school,” she instructed. “All of you harbor unique and essential skills, so be sure to work together as a team to make it back here alive and in one whole piece.”
I nodded and turned to my coven. All of them were white as a sheet, but otherwise, they kept their composure well. There were no trembling hands or quivering lips, and they simply nodded in response.
“Is that understood?” Theodora asked, this time with a little more force in her voice.
“Yes, Professor,” we all answered in unison.
“We won’t let you down,” Morgana added.
Something told me the brunette was still more concerned about disappointing the headmistress than worrying about her own safety, but she wasn’t the only one. Even the rebellious and fierce Akira seemed like an eager puppy ready to please Theodora. As long as they had motivation, though, that’s all that mattered.
No one said anything for a long moment, and my adrenaline began pumping through my entire body.
“So… what are we waiting for, Headmistress?” I grinned. “Let’s get a move on.”
The other witches nodded, and we all remained in a straight line in front of Theodora. Vanessa had moved to the back of the room, and I could sense her eyes burning holes into the backs of our heads. I still couldn’t read her properly, so I had no idea if she wanted us to truly come back, or to never return.
“Now, remember everything that you have been taught,” Theodora said as she slowly raised her own wand. “Your lives depend on it… as well as ours. ”
We all took in a deep breath and nodded as she glanced at each of us impatiently and then threw her hands up into the air.
“Oh, for hell’s sake, form a proper circle and hold hands,” Theodora sighed. “You’d better be on your toes once you land. No gaping about like a fish out of water.”
We quickly joined hands and mentally prepared for the nauseating sensation of transporting to begin. We held on tightly to each other before Theodora muttered her incantation, and then everything seemed to spin and turn. The office faded from view, and instead of closing my eyes, I kept them wide open. The beautiful faces of each witch blurred and meshed together as we spun through the portals of the universe, and vibrant colors flowed like water behind us as if we were being rotated through a rainbow.
I couldn’t look away. It was utterly mesmerizing.
Then, finally, the spinning sensation began to slow down, and the colors were replaced with a deep navy-blue sky and fields. We were slowly descending, and when our feet touched the ground, I looked around. Sure enough, we were now in a large, open field, with bright stars that hung high above us in a deep, midnight blue sky. In the darkness, the grass looked almost gray, and the air was bitterly cold, but it was crisp and smelled fresh like dew. It didn’t seem threatening, but still, we were standing in the middle of nowhere and holding hands in a circle.
I stared at each witch, and when no one made a move to open their eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“We’re here now,” I said, “you can open your eyes.”
“Why doesn’t the woman ever use Shadow travel?” Faye grunted as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Why would she?” Morgana said. “She doesn’t need to bother herself with Shadow travel. That kind of transportation is limited and tricky, no matter how skilled you are. She’s the most powerful witch at Scholomance, maybe--”
“Maybe it doesn’t even matter?” Akira snarled. “I think the main thing we have to worry about right now is getting into the damn mansion. I want to get in, grab the stone, and get out of there as soon as possible, if that’s alright with the rest of you.”
“Yeah, but where the hell are we supposed to go?” Faye sighed. “By the looks of it, we’re in the middle of fucking nowhere… the mansion could be anywhere for all we know.”
“Or so it seems.” Morgana grinned. “Never trust the naked eye. It can deceive you in more ways than one.”
We all looked at her in confusion as she waved her wand four times in a circle above her head. The brunette muttered something under her breath, and then her arm shook violently. The wand nearly flew out from her hand, and it jerked her arm toward one single bright star.
Something told me it was the northern star, and when I adjusted my eyes to the darkness and looked down below the star, I spotted rolling hills and something else. Something that was built in between the elevated earth. It looked like a building of some sort, and that’s when it hit me.
“There’s the mansion.” I grinned. “How did you do that, Morgana?”
“Advanced hexes and curses,” Morgana replied as she lifted her chin proudly, “chapter one-hundred-and-two, page ninety-seven.”
We all stared at the bookish witch with profound amazement. She really did know everything this semester, and she’d seriously stepped up her academic game.
“Sweet Satan, woman,” Akira cackled. “I know I give you shit for your constant know it all attitude, but damn, I have never felt more grateful that you’re a nerd.”
“Uhhh, thanks?” Morgana snorted.
“Well… now that we know where to go, we’d better get a move on,” I said. “Theodora insisted this dude would be asleep and his study would be empty, but if morning arrives before us, we’re fucked.”
“Good point.” Faye nodded and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Alright, let’s go… but keep your eyes peeled.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “we have no idea if there could be traps here in the field. It may seem quiet and peaceful, but like Morgana said, we can’t always trust the naked eye.”
Morgana smiled and blushed, while Akira rolled her eyes.
“Fine, let’s go,” the black-haired witch said, “but I’m leading the way.”
“Like hell, you are,” I countered.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a raised brow. “You’re the most valuable one among us… no offense, everyone.”
“I’m going first because my senses of premonition are the strongest,” I argued. “Even you can’t deny that, Akira.”
“Fine,” she sighed and rolled her coal-black eyes, “but if you die, I’ll kill you.”
I laughed under my breath before I took the first tentative step forward, and then we slowly began marching toward the mysterious mansion in the hills. I tried not to imagine what obstacles and encounters we’d find there, but it was a challenge.
Even though it was dark as hell, we collectively decided not to use any fire to guide our way, because that could certainly draw attention from miles away. I stood in front of the group, and my senses were on high alert as we moved ahead. I used my premonition skills to sense if there was any danger lurking nearby, and so far, we were fine, but then, after a mile or so, the air grew chilly, and a violent wind hissed through the grass. My stomach tightened into knots, and my feet stopped moving.
The others stopped behind me and waited.
“Do you sense something, Cole?” Vesta murmured in a low voice.
“Don’t you?” I asked. “Can’t you feel the shift in the air? It’s cold, deadly cold, and I’m sensing a warning about something… ”
“A warning about what?” Faye whispered.
“That’s just it,” I replied with a frown, “I’m not sure.”
The other witches all looked at each other, and not one of them made a move to step forward.
I closed my eyes, relaxed, and focused only on my breathing and the cold, dense air around me. If something was lurking around here, I’d be able to sense it if I focused.
“Cole,” Akira hissed after a moment, “we’re wasting time … do you or do you not sense something approaching?”
Just before she could take a step further, I raised my arm to block her.
“There’s an invisible hole, right here,” I said.
“What?” Akira replied with wide eyes.
“How do you know that, Cole?” Vesta asked, and her silver eyes glinted in the pale moonlight.
“I can feel the shallow earth, the long drop, and the pikes waiting down at the bottom to impale us,” I answered as I opened my eyes. “I can feel it, right in front of us.”
“Is there any way around it?” Faye asked in a quiet voice.
I searched the barrier, but I could sense the danger lurking all around us. Not only were there invisible pits, but other hidden traps as well. The only safe place to transport was to the east, where a forest laid. It would probably take us longer to reach the mansion, but we’d have a better chance of surviving through the woods, rather than through this perilous, open field.
“Follow my lead,” I commanded as I turned carefully to my right. “Keep your eyes peeled, too. Not every danger is invisible.”
My coven nodded, and we started to make our way toward the forest. At first, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, but then as we continued to walk, the strangest thing happened. It felt like, with each step, the forest was growing farther and farther away. I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me, but when Akira sighed loudly and stopped moving, I knew I wasn’t the only one who had noticed it.
“You all can see that, right?” she snapped. “The fucking forest is literally inching away from us each time that we move a little closer.”
“I thought it was just me,” Vesta muttered.
“No,” I agreed as I furiously shook my head. “It’s not just you.”
“Now what?” Akira sighed.
“Cole?” Morgana followed up as she turned to me.
We all stopped, and I looked toward the mansion. It seemed so close, yet so far away. The sky was already beginning to lighten, and I knew that if we didn’t pick up the pace, morning would arrive, and then we’d end up dead.
There was only one other option.
“We could… shadow port,” I suggested.
“You mean shadow travel?” Faye asked before she nervously bit her lip.
“I’m not sure about that, Cole,” Akira muttered, and her black brow furrowed. “That’s a little trickier.”
“Right.” Vesta nodded in agreement. “The only reason we escaped Luna’s test was because we got lucky.”
“No,” I replied as I lifted my chin stubbornly, “don’t say that. We didn’t get lucky, we’re skilled. That’s why we survived that test and all the others. That’s why Theodora sent us here. We’re the best students in the entire fucking academy.”
The witches all inhaled sharply and nodded, and finally, Akira broke into a smile.
“I mean, he’s not wrong,” the black-haired witch boasted. “We’re pretty badass.”
“Exactly.” I nodded. “So, we’re not going to fuck this up. Now, let’s join hands.”
My coven did as I instructed, and everyone’s palms were slick with sweat, but not a single one of them was trembling.
“Velut umbra!” I recited.
Purple smoke appeared around us, and I focused on the trees ahead. The forest that seemed damn near impossible to get to suddenly became clear in my mind. This was our destination, that’s where we had to get to. We all spun in frantic circles, and once again, I kept my eyes open. I watched as the grayish-green plains slowly dissolved, and then they turned into black tree trunks, damp mud, thorny thickets, and spiky branches.
When the movement stopped, we all let go of each other and breathed a sigh of relief.
We were now on the edge of the forest.
“Great,” Akira drawled, “now we’re in a deadly black forest.”
“Better than standing there in the wide open with invisible traps all around us,” Faye retorted.
“True,” Akira said after a long moment. “Okay, now which way do we go, Morgana? Do that trick again.”
Morgana raised her wand and incanted the same spell, but nothing happened. She frowned in confusion and tried again, and still, nothing happened. Her hand didn’t shake, and her wand remained entirely still.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I-I don’t know… ” she replied as she stuck out her lower lip and stared up at the starry sky. “Maybe there’s a forcefield against magic in here.”
“You mean, we can’t use any magic at all?” Akira groaned.
“Calm down,” Morgana scoffed. “I’m sure I can disable it… but it will take a while.”
“Can you do it while we walk?” I questioned.
“Sure, but we don’t even know which way to go.” The brunette shrugged.
I looked up toward the sky, and there, right through the branches, I spotted a bright white light. It was the northern star. Our guide to the mansion.
“Yes, we do.” I smiled. “All we have to do is follow the star, you said so yourself.”
All the witches looked up, and their faces broke into relieved smiles.
“Don’t get too excited just yet,” I warned them. “We’re not there yet, and we also need to keep an eye out for any guards or monsters that might be lurking in the woods.”
“Right,” Faye said, and the rest of them nodded.
I inhaled sharply, squared my shoulders, and took a step forward. I knew we had at least an hour of walking to do before we even came close to the mansion. Theodora didn’t even warn us about what creatures might be lurking in this realm, but I suspected that was a part of her plan.
We carefully and quietly followed the north star, but something was disconcerting about these woods. The air was thick and smelled like a bog. The damp earth squished underneath my boots with each step, and I sunk deeper into the mud.
Suddenly, my entire right leg fell through the mud, and I couldn’t move my left foot. I struggled and yanked, but to no avail, and the other witches gasped as they got stuck, too.
That’s when I realized something. This mud was cursed and alive, and it was trying to swallow us whole.
“We’re sinking!” Vesta cried out.
“Fuck!” Akira yelled.
“Everyone be quiet,” I ordered. “We have no idea what could be listening to us right now.”
“He’s right,” Faye agreed, but her voice trembled. “Morgana… you didn’t by any chance break down that barrier yet?”
“I was getting to it--” the brunette began to answer, but she gasped as she started to sink in even deeper.
“Well, can you get to it a little faster, please?” Akira grunted through her gritted teeth.
Morgana turned pale, and I could see her bottom lip tremble as she muttered a spell under her breath. She was so anxious she was continually making mistakes, though, and I could hear her cursing and repeating the same words over and over again.
“Morgana,” I said slowly, “you can do this, okay? Just breathe and focus.”
The bookish witch nodded and then stopped. She was now waist-deep in the mud, and the others were pretty far along, too. Soon, I’d be waist-deep in the mud, then neck-deep, and then finally, darkness would take over.
We couldn’t let that happen.
Morgana took a deep breath and then closed her eyes. She began reciting the incantation again, and this time, her voice was steady, and her lips stopped trembling. A wind picked up, and it was so strong it blew their hair from their updos. Then she stopped muttering again and opened her blue eyes.
“Facti terrae,” Morgana mumbled.
Suddenly, the earth stopped trying to devour us, and it settled down. We pulled ourselves out of the thick, wet soil, and as the witches wiped themselves off, I stared back up at the sky. It was turning lighter by the minute, and the northern star was beginning to fade.
“Come on,” I urged, “we need to get a move on.”
All of the witches muttered their agreements, and we quickly made our way through the dark, tangled woods. The air was still cold and frosty, and the smell of bog only grew stronger.
That’s when I realized we were walking toward a marshland. I could smell the foul water and the damp, rank soil. Then I pushed apart the thicket, and there, in front of us, was a vast wetland.
“Fuck,” Akira spat and wrinkled her nose. “It smells like shit.”
“Well, it’s the only way to go,” I replied.
Before I took a step forward, though, I stopped the others and looked around. The water was murky and green, and moss floated on the surface. There were also bits of bone floating in the water and lying in the grass. I could sense a warning in the air, and it was telling us to go back, but there was no way we could listen to it.
Not when we’d come this far.
“Follow my lead,” I said in a quiet voice. “This place is filled with tricks and predators.”
“What kinds of predators?” Akira hissed.
Suddenly, something like a giant snake slipped up and down into the green water, like a shark showing off its fin. All the witches gulped, and then Akira nervously laughed.
“I’m kind of sorry I asked,” she joked.
“We just need to be cautious,” I replied, “but quick, too. Sunrise is nearing.”
We moved as swiftly as possible and also kept close to one another. I pictured one of those snakes lashing its tail out and snatching us into the water, and I didn’t want to think about being pulled into the murky bog and never seeing the light again. There was something very dark about this place. Something evil lived down below the water’s surface, and I didn’t want to stick around to find out what it was.
We were halfway through the marshes, and the mansion was growing closer. I was growing excited, but then something caught my attention.
It was music, the most beautifully haunting music I’d ever heard. I realized it was a group of women, and they had perfect voices. My heart beat along to the notes, and I slowly stopped walking.
“Do you hear that?” I murmured.
When I turned to look at the others, they had also stopped in their tracks, and they were all smiling. Their eyes were also fluttering as if they were about to fall into a deep, soothing sleep, and I could feel the same thing running through my mind. All I wanted to do was slip into the water and fall asleep forever.
“Come to us,” the voices sang. “Oh, weary travelers, we can embrace you and take you down to our watery home. We welcome you with open arms. Sleeeeep now.”
Ahhh, fuck. This was definitely bad news.
That’s when I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the water to my right. Then a face slowly appeared, and it sent a cold, menacing shiver down my spine. Before me was one of the most hideous creatures I’d ever seen. It was a woman, but her cheeks were so sallow that she looked more like a skeleton. Her yellow, serpentine eyes bulged from her sockets, and she slowly smiled at me. Her teeth were long, jagged, and yellow, her skin was the same color as the marsh water, and when she pushed herself upward, I saw red, peeling scales attached to her. They spread just below her bony rib cage, and they looked like they were about to fall off.
How could such a beautiful voice belong to such a hideous looking creature?
She continued to sing, and even though I found her physically repulsive, it was impossible to look away. I tried to avert my gaze and look anywhere else, but she was pulling me deeper and deeper into her trance.
The others were just as captivated, too. Vesta was the closest one to the water and the creature, and she extended her purple hand outward as if she were ready to touch the water woman.
That’s when something overcame me. It was a powerful sensation, one that was nearly impossible to ignore. It was as if a sudden urge to protect my coven overpowered this desire to sink into the water and listen to this music forever.
I forced myself to raise my hand, and I pointed it right at the creature.
“Conligo!” I said as a purple bolt of light hit the water woman right in the forehead.
She stopped singing and was frozen in place. Then the music faded away, and my coven shook their heads furiously.
“What the hell was that?” Akira muttered as she palmed her forehead. “I felt like I was dreaming.”
“Nope,” I grunted. “This bitch nearly took us all into the water with her.”
“A mermaid,” Morgana breathed as she tilted her head and studied the frozen creature. “I never thought I’d see one in real life.”
“Aren’t they extinct?” Faye wondered.
“Yeah, but that’s not why I thought I’d never see one,” the brunette replied. “It was because people who encounter one always end up dead.”
“And we nearly did,” I sighed. “Come on… let’s go before we step on any more snakes or encounter any more mermaids.”
“Agreed.” Vesta nodded.
But then, just as we were about to take another step, the mermaid let out an angry screech, and we all covered our ears with our hands.
It was the most hostile, loud, and terrifying sound I’d ever heard. It was a complete contrast to the beautiful song she’d been singing earlier, and it burned my eardrums and made my eyes water.
As we all bent over and covered our ears, I noticed blood was dripping through the witches’ fingers. That’s also when I realized I could feel hot blood trickling down my own ear as well. Just as I thought that my eardrums were about to shatter, I spotted something moving in the water behind the mermaid. It slipped out and under the water, and that’s when I realized it was the massive snake from before.
If I could manage to control it, then perhaps I could use it to my full advantage.
I’d possessed animals before, and I could do it again, even if it killed me.
So, I focused on my breathing and the slick movements of the serpent, and I thought back to that day in the woods when Vanessa and Theodora had commanded us to control those wolf-bears.
As my ears bled and my eyes watered, I waited for the serpent to show itself again. The other witches were crumpled down on the ground with their hands pressed against their ears, and their mouths were open in silent screams.
I knew I had to be fast.
“Come on, you bastard,” I hissed through gritted teeth, “show yourself.”
Finally, as if it had heard me, the snake emerged from the water, and its head was behind the mermaid. It was looking right at me with bright yellow eyes, and that’s when I pulled my bloody hands from my ears and aimed my wand at the snake.
“Fac me parvum rapere de sanguine haec cenet!” I yelled over the mermaid's screeches.
A white glow replaced the snake’s yellow, serpentine eyes, and I smiled to myself before looking right at the mermaid.
“Kill her,” I commanded.
The snake opened its jaws as wide as possible, and with one quick chomp, it devoured the mermaid’s head, and the screeching finally stopped. We all breathed a sigh of instant relief and looked at one another. My coven was still crumpled on the nasty wet grass, and it took them a moment to compose themselves and stand upright.
“That was too damn close,” Akira grumbled. “Fuck marshes.”
“Fuck mermaids,” I added.
“Look!” Morgana gasped with wide blue eyes. “The star has nearly faded.”
She was right. When I looked toward the sky, the northern star had nearly disappeared from view.
“Let’s go,” I ordered. “We’re getting closer.”
Every sensible bone in my body was telling me to turn around, or shadow port back to the academy, but I just couldn’t do it.
I had to see this all the way through.
The fate of Scholomance depended on us.