Now that we were out of the marshes, we only had a small stretch of woodland to cross. The stars in the sky were slowly beginning to fade, and I knew morning was approaching, and quickly.
My heart raced as we marched through the thicket, and I still couldn’t forget the sound of that demonic mermaid’s voice. It played in my head over and over again, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to let it go anytime soon. It had been one of the most terrifying sounds I’d ever heard, and who knew what else lurked in these woods.
“Cole?” Vesta asked as we walked over stone and vines. “You’re being awfully quiet. Is something wrong?”
“Of course something is wrong,” Akira sighed impatiently. “In case you haven’t noticed, Vesta, we’ve been through hell, and not the pleasant kind of hell. We’re all a little shaken up, tired, hungry, and constantly on guard… so yes, to answer your question, something is fucking wrong.”
“Okay, well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Vesta grumbled. “We’ve been through this before, and we’ve beaten the odds.”
“Oh, we’ve been through this before?” Akira snapped. “Tell me, Vesta, when was the last time you had to deal with invisible pits, sinking mud, and then a homicidal mermaid? I’m definitely not exaggerating. This is a fucking mess, and I’m not sure how we’re going to get through this. We haven’t even reached the mansion yet, and we are having problems with the easy part.”
“Well, it’s nothing like the first exam,” Vesta argued. “Now that was hard. This is a piece of pumpkin pie… or maybe it’s more like lime?”
We stopped and turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.
“Okay, fine,” the lavender-skinned witch sighed. “This mission might be just as difficult… but we passed the preschool final exams, so we can pass this, too!”
“Your enthusiasm is truly warming my cold, dead, heart,” Akira grunted and rolled her eyes. “I wonder, have you already forgotten this is just a fucking warm-up? The headmistress wants to see if we can break into some mediocre wizard’s mansion. A mansion, for fuck’s sake! It’s nothing compared to a castle.”
“But it’s still a challenge,” I reminded her, “one that Theodora believed we could accomplish. We shouldn’t be comparing the challenges. Instead, we should be focusing on how to complete this one. Does everyone understand?”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Akira grumbled before she took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “Sorry.”
“Let’s keep going,” I suggested. “I think we’re close to the gates… I can feel it.”
“Not to bring the mood down again, but that brings up another problem we haven’t discussed,” Morgana interjected. “Has anyone even considered how the hell we’re going to get past the gates? They’re probably heavily guarded day and night.”
We all thought about this predicament for a moment. She was right. We had no idea if there were warlocks, witches, or trolls patrolling the grounds.
“I think I have an idea,” Faye broke the silence.
“What is it?” I asked as I turned to the redheaded witch.
“We can distract them,” Faye suggested with her wide green-gold eyes.
“With what?” Akira snapped. “With Morgana reciting the Scholomance encyclopedia of extensive spells and hexes?”
“You know that book was interesting, and it’s not my fault if you couldn’t keep up with it!” Morgana huffed with her hands on her hips.
“No!” Faye interrupted. “Look… I’ve been doing a lot of studying lately on blood possession, particularly with animals. I read all about the ability to control not just one, but several animals at once. I could hunt with a pack if I tried hard enough.”
“Um… that’s pretty advanced stuff, Faye,” Morgana said with a raised eyebrow. “We’re not supposed to attempt that until next semester.”
“I know, but you know how much I love controlling animals,” Faye replied with a shrug. “It’s in my blood… my mother was a shapeshifter.”
“Really?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Cool.” Akira nodded, and she seemed impressed. “I didn’t know that.”
“But that’s still not the point,” Morgana added as she shook her dark curls. “What if you get it wrong? The animals might turn on you and kill you.”
“But I can’t die if Cole is here,” Faye said with a smug smile. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Well, let’s see, you could get seriously wounded, and then we’re stuck dragging you through the mansion?” Morgana replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Or maybe you end up becoming half-animal, half-witch? I’m not advanced enough to mend wounds or reverse spells that go wrong… none of us are.”
“I can do it,” Faye insisted, “just give me a chance.”
“Okay, say you can do it,” I allowed. “What animals are you going to even use to distract the guards?”
“The only thing we’ve spotted was a snake and a now dead mermaid,” Akira scoffed. “One snake isn’t going to kill a handful of guards… and there is no way in hell I’m going to go back and look for it in those marshes.”
“Maybe we don’t need a snake.” Faye grinned, and her emerald eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “How about a herd of tarandrus instead?”
“Yeah, that would be fan-fucking-tastic,” Akira drawled as she rolled her dark eyes, “but where exactly are we going to find one… or ten?”
“What’s a tarandrus?” I interjected.
“That.” Faye smirked as she pointed a freckled finger behind me.
We all spun around, and my mouth dropped open.
There, standing right in front of me, and in between the trees, were a group of six elk-like creatures. They had the body of an elk, with thick light brown fur and heavily muscled torsos, but their antlers were blood-red, and the ends were as sharp as daggers. Their eyes were black and soulless, and they stared long and hard at us. Finally, their mouths pulled back into hideous snarls, and unlike elks, they had pointed, jagged teeth. The leader of the herd, who stood in front of the rest, was the tallest and most robust one of the group. He stood tall and proud, and I sensed he was at a loss. He was trying to discern if we were a threat or not as he met my eyes, and then he slowly padded the ground with his hoof and growled. Puffs of mist emerged out from his nostrils, and he growled even louder as he maintained intense eye contact.
“I think he wants to compete,” I muttered under my breath, “alpha to alpha.”
“Well, that’s fine, I can totally take him on,” Akira replied as she took a step forward.
I rolled my eyes and pulled her back. “I meant me.”
“Oh,” Akira muttered, and her cheeks flushed “My mistake.”
“I don’t think you should, Cole,” Vesta whispered as she reached out and grabbed my arm. “Remember, if you die, we’re all fucked.”
“Um… well, Faye?” Morgana said without breaking eye contact with the woodland creatures. “If you’re going to do something, I think now would be the time?”
“Ah, right,” Faye mumbled before she raised her wand. “I can do this.”
The redhead closed her green eyes and breathed in. The leader of the herd was now growling even louder, and I knew the entire group of them could attack us at any moment now.
I looked up at the sky, which was growing lighter. Time was not on our side, and if she was going to do this, it had to be now.
“Faye?” Vesta whispered in a worried voice. “Do something, please.”
“Don’t distract her,” I ordered, even though she was right. Then I turned to look at the redhead. “You’ve got this, Faye… we trust you.”
Faye nodded and then bit deeply into her own hand. Once she drew blood, she recited the same spell I used to possess the snake, but she added a new verse to the incantation. A wind picked up, and strange voices filled the air. It sounded like ghosts were singing, and a mist emerged from the earth and floated toward the peculiar animals.
Now, the herd of tarandrus were all covered in thick green smoke, and their eyes were only focused on the mysterious mist that swirled around them. When I glanced at Faye, her eyes were turning white and milky. Then a tear escaped from the corner of her right eye, and her hand shook violently as she held onto the spell.
I could tell this was taking away a lot of her energy and strength.
“Come on,” I whispered, “you can do this, Faye.”
We all watched as each tarandrus’ eyes shifted from pitch black to milk-white. The voices began to die down, the smoke slowly disappeared from view, and then each animal knelt down before us as if they were bowing down to Faye.
“She did it!” Morgana clapped. “Great job!”
“Alright,” I said, “command them to take us to the mansion and then have them attack the guards, if there are any.”
Faye looked in my direction, but her eyes were still white and misty. Then she nodded slowly and raised her freckled hand at the elk-like beasts. They all focused solely on her, and I knew she was now their master.
“Lead us to the gates of Gregor the Great,” the redhead instructed. “Once we are there, you must attack and kill anyone who is standing guard.”
The leader of the herd bowed again and then made a deep, low growl. The rest of the herd nodded their massive heads and followed behind him as he galloped right past us, and the beasts sprinted through the trees and headed down a small slope.
“Let’s go,” I ordered, “we can’t lose them!”
We had to be quick on our feet to keep up with the herd as they galloped down the slope and through the rest of the thicket. Faye was having a difficult time controlling the deer and running at the same time, so I quickly scooped her up and ran with her in my arms. We eventually came to a sudden stop once we reached the border of the forest, and through the trees, I saw the rolling hills and the mansion right ahead of us.
The structure was made out of steel gray stone, and the roof was pitch black and shaped like a dome. The building was massive, and it reminded me of a castle rather than a mansion. I could see rows and rows of stained-glass windows just above the towering black gates that surrounded the entire dwelling. I could also spot several men dressed in silver armor patrolling outside the black iron gates. They were armed with crossbows, blades, and other lethal weapons, and it was a good thing we came with reinforcements because there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell we would have been able to take them on with just our wands.
“Well, we’ve finally reached the notorious mansion,” I said as I set Faye down. Then I peeked through the trees to get a better look. “But let’s stay hidden until the herd finishes them off.”
The witches all nodded and hid behind a tree trunk. Then we watched the carnivorous elks as they charged at the group of soldiers pacing back and forth outside of the black gates.
The guards all started to shout orders amongst each other when they realized they were being attacked, and the beasts quickly began to impale the guards with their antlers. Some kicked the life out of others, and they were killing the men, one by one, and rapidly. We could hear the screams of the soldiers as they fought off the herd with their weapons, and while we were winning, not every elk was going to make it out of here alive.
I watched in horror as one of the beasts was shot through the neck by an arrow. It let out a cry of pain, and then Faye crumbled down to the ground and quietly sobbed.
“Get up, Faye,” Akira urged, but not unkindly, “you have to keep in control.”
“It hurts,” Faye whimpered as she cradled her head and rocked back and forth. “You have no idea how badly it burns.”
“I know,” Akira murmured, “but we’re counting on you to keep going.”
“She’s right, Faye,” I said in a soothing voice. “Stand up. You can do this. We believe in you… you can’t let go now.”
The redhead took in a deep breath, nodded, and stood up straight. She then focused back on the herd and began to whisper more commands under her breath.
“Kill the captain of the guard,” I heard her mutter.
We all watched as the leader of the herd kicked back dirt and charged at a tall and muscular guard. The guard quickly swerved out of the way and tried to use his sword to stab the leader, but the animal was too quick. The tarandrus dodged the blade and used his back legs to kick the guard, who went flying forward and landed on his face. His sword escaped from his grip, and that’s when Faye saw her chance.
“Trample him to death,” she commanded, and the creature didn’t hesitate.
The alpha tarandrus charged at the captain and then trampled him. Blood spurted from the man’s mouth, and it only took a couple of moments for him to die.
“The captain is dead!” one of the armored guards yelled. “Retreat! We need reinforcements! Wake up the others.”
The guards all made a run toward the gate and pushed it open, but they left it slightly ajar and slipped through the cracks.
The beasts charged at the entrance and used their antlers to try and pry it open.
“Tell them to stop,” I ordered. “They can step aside now and feast if they wish.”
Faye sighed with relief and muttered under her breath. Then her eyes slowly returned to normal, and she looked at each of us.
“Excellent job,” I praised her.
“Is it safe to go past them, though?” Akira asked. “The animals, I mean… they aren’t going to attack us, too, are they?”
“No,” Faye rasped and slowly shook her head. “I’ve established a temporary bond with them, and besides… they are too busy eating an early breakfast.”
She was right. The creatures were gorging on the remains of the soldiers. They had to struggle to get past the armor and dig into their flesh, but their teeth were so sharp they seemed to manage.
“We need to be quick,” I said. “They will be back soon with reinforcements.”
“So, let’s go.” Akira nodded.
We made a run for the black gates and slipped into the opening the guards had left in their fear and negligence. Then we hurried to a grand door made of cherry wood, but it had heavy metal bolts attached to it. It was at least two stories tall, and something told me a simple unlocking spell wouldn’t work.
“Now what?” Akira asked, and her voice was laced with panic.
“Give me a moment,” I breathed.
“Only one moment?” a deep, masculine voice asked.
“Who said that?” Vesta gasped as she whirled around, and the other witches drew their wands.
“Why, I did, of course,” the mysterious voice chuckled.
Suddenly, the bolts of the door rearranged themselves into something that resembled a nose, a mouth, and a pair of eyes.
“Good morning,” the door greeted. “You don’t look like anyone who’s been in the mansion before. At least not since I’ve been around. May you please state your names and business? Do you have an appointment with Gregor the Great? I must say it’s rather early for visitors… why, it’s not even dawn!”
“Um, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied as I tried not to let my surprise show on my face. “I’m Cole, and these are my companions.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Akira hissed under her breath. “Are you seriously giving away our fucking names?”
“It’s fine,” I growled, and I was trying to give her a hint that we shouldn’t piss this thing off. “He’s a very polite guard… and he simply wants to know why we're here.”
“Precisely,” the door replied. “My name is Melvin, and I’m the newest door guard… which is funny because the master has had three this year! They were just too damn nice from what I heard, always letting in villagers and beggars to have a private council with the master. He truly hates beggars… now, where was I? Oh, yes, now that I have your name, Sir Cole, may I ask what brings you to the wizard’s door?”
“We have an appointment,” I lied. “We might be a bit early, but if you would let us through, I’d truly appreciate it.”
“Oh, I’d love to,” Melvin sighed. “You seem very polite, and I appreciate manners above anything else… but I’m afraid I can’t just let you waltz inside. You could be anyone!”
“And why the hell not?” Akira grumbled. “Come on, let us in.”
“Well, I must say, she’s not very polite,” the door said in a hushed voice.
“Listen you piece of worthless wood--” the black-haired witch started to say, but then I shot her a sharp look, and her mouth closed with an audible click.
“She’s just not a morning person.” I grinned as I addressed the door.
“Well, I never,” he huffed. “First, the guards rush past me without even apologizing for waking me up, and now this? I wasn’t created to be insulted, miss.”
“Give me one moment,” I said before I turned to Akira. Then I leaned close to her and whispered. “Be nice to him… that’s the only way we're getting inside, and time is running out. This is an order.”
Her dark eyes widened as the Blood Pact forced her to comply, but then she slowly nodded in agreement.
“I apologize,” Akira said in a sugary sweet voice. “Like Cole said, I’m not much of a morning person.”
“That’s quite alright,” Melvin responded, “I understand. Now, what brings you here?”
“As I said,” I replied patiently, “we have business with the great wizard.”
“Aye, so you said,” the door responded, “but I’m afraid that answer won’t cut it.”
Akira ground her teeth audibly, and I knew she was doing her best not to lose her temper.
“What will suffice then?” I asked.
“How about this?” the door suggested. “If you can guess my favorite color, then I’ll let you slip inside.”
“Seriously?” Akira groaned.
“One moment, please,” I grinned and turned to face my coven. “If you let me focus, then I’m sure I can guess it.”
“Your premonition skills are not that advanced yet,” Morgana said in a hushed voice.
“She’s right,” Akira snapped, “there are way too many possibilities.”
“I know,” I answered, “but I have an idea… just bear with me.”
With that, I turned back to the door and smiled politely.
“You’ve been so gracious, kind, and patient,” I said as I bowed my head, “but I do have one little request to ask of you.”
“Oh?” Melvin answered. “Well, now I’m curious, what could I possibly do for you besides letting you into the mansion without answering my question?”
“I’d love a hint,” I replied, “just a small one if you would be so kind.”
“Hmmm,” he mumbled, “well… you are a polite young man. Alright! One small hint.”
“Excellent,” I said as I rubbed my hands together.
“The color I love often comes in spring and summer,” he chimed, “and it belongs to something untouchable and vast.”
“Wow, that really narrows it down,” Akira grumbled.
The others shushed the black-haired witch while I ignored her. Then I thought about what color a door could possibly love. It wasn’t as if he’d seen many colors. I looked up at the sky, which was soon about to shift hue. Dawn would break soon, and then a bright blue sky would emerge.
Wait… that was it.
“Blue,” I whispered.
“Sorry?” the door asked. “Could you say that again? I’m afraid I couldn’t quite hear you.”
“It’s blue,” I laughed. “Isn’t it? You were talking about the sky.”
“Ah, alas,” Melvin sighed, “it is the most beautiful thing I get to see all day. Alright, a deal’s a deal. You may come on through!”
“Shit,” Akira muttered, “no wonder he’s the third guard this year.”
“Thank you very much, Melvin,” I said as we walked through the door.
As soon as we passed through the threshold, we were met with a grand hall. The floors were made of white marble, and they shone so brightly we could see our own reflections in it. The walls were also painted white, and dozens of paintings hung at intervals. Then I noticed there was a row of doors toward the end of the hall, past a jewel-encrusted golden chair.
“I suppose this wizard thinks he’s some kind of king,” Vesta said as we quietly jogged down the empty hallway.
“Who cares what he thinks he is,” Akira scoffed. “We’d better pick a door, and quick. Something tells me the guards will be returning in full force soon.”
“She’s right,” I said.
“There are six doors, though,” Faye pointed out. “How do we know which one leads to the study?”
“Cole?” Vesta asked as she turned her silver eyes on me. “Can you feel which one is the correct one?”
I took in a deep breath and stared at all the doors. They were radiating the same kind of blank, mysterious type of energy, though, but I tried harder to focus.
“Something is blocking me,” I mumbled after a moment. “It feels like the same kind of spell that was used in the fields to prevent magic, but this is much stronger.”
“So, there’s no way past it?” Vesta asked as she bit her lower lip.
“No,” I sighed.
Soon, we heard voices echoing from one of the doors. I could hear the many footsteps marching down a flight of stairs, and if we didn’t go through one of these doors soon, we would be caught.
“Hurry,” I urged, “let’s go through the first one.”
“Does that lead to the study?” Faye asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, “all I know is if we don’t go through it, we’re dead.”
“Good enough for me,” Akira replied.
We rushed toward the first door on the right and slipped inside. It was dark, but not pitch-black, and there was enough light hanging from the dim candelabra to see we were inside a kitchen.
And it was one of the grandest kitchens I’d ever seen in my life. Dozens of counters were made of black and white marble.
“Something tells me this isn’t the study,” Faye whispered.
“No shit,” Akira hissed back.
“Wait… do you all hear that?” Faye asked in a quiet tone.
“Hear what?” Morgana questioned.
I strained to listen. At first, I didn’t hear a thing, but then, in the corner of the kitchen, I heard light little snores, and my heart started to beat faster.
“The snoring,” I muttered.
We all slowly turned our heads to see a young woman, dressed in a black and white maid’s uniform, snoring in the corner. She was asleep but sitting on a wooden chair. The woman had light green skin, dark purple hair, and elfish ears, and even asleep, I could tell she had pretty features.
“She kind of looks like you, Vesta,” Faye whispered, “same height and build… just opposite skin and hair.”
“Which is perfect,” I said with a grin.
I was already forming a plan.
“Perfect for what?” Vesta asked with a furrowed brow.
“You’re going to take her uniform,” I said, “and pretend to prepare breakfast.”
“I was afraid you were going to say something like that,” Vesta sighed. “How do you even know this will work? Won’t someone notice me?”
“No one notices the help,” I said, “and even if they do… just make something up. You look like the real maid, so if anyone asks, say you’re related to her.”
Vesta then looked around the kitchen, and her eyes landed on a nearby counter that pressed against the wall. There was a row of kitchen knives hanging above it, and she walked over to snatch one off the wall. Then she cut into her hand, returned to the group, and aimed her wand at the sleeping elf.
The lavender-skinned witch muttered the blood possession spell under her breath, and soon, the maid’s eyes opened wide, and they were white.
“Give me your uniform,” Vesta instructed, “and that key around your neck.”
The maid robotically began to strip naked and soon was only standing there in white panties and no bra. Her breasts were plentiful, and her green nipples were small and perky. She had a fantastic overall figure, and it was hard not to notice or stare.
But now was not the time.
Vesta quickly undressed as well and let her clothes fall to the floor. She was wearing black underwear with no bra, but she had her back turned to all of us as she quickly dressed. Finally, she whipped around and was dressed in the short black skirt, tight ruffled blouse, high-heeled boots, and the golden key necklace.
“How do I look?” she asked.
“Delicious,” I said. “I love the outfit.”
“Cole… ” She blushed a dark plum color.
“I know, later,” I snickered. “Now, tell her to sleep in the broom closet. Morgana, can you turn the clothes into something else?”
The brunette eagerly nodded and took the clothes from Vesta.
“Dissimulato!” Morgana commanded.
The leather outfit quickly morphed into a broom, and it danced into a corner of the room and plopped itself against the wall.
“Go to the closet and fall back asleep,” Vesta ordered once the clothes were taken care of.
The naked woman nodded, headed into the nearest closet, and closed the door behind her.
Vesta neared the closet, ready to use her key to lock her in, but then we heard a group of men’s voices just outside of the door.
Panic swept over each face of my coven, and I had to act quickly.
“Hurry, everyone get into the closet,” I hissed. “Vesta, start cooking or something.”
“I--” she started to say, but then I grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her.
“You can do this,” I said, “just play along… and find out where the study is.”
“Okay.” She nodded.
Just as the door was opening, we all crammed inside the closet and pressed tightly against each other. I glanced down at the sleeping maid and prayed she wouldn’t wake up, now that Vesta had to break the possession bond with her.
I shut the door, lowered myself down to the keyhole, and peered through. Vesta was by a large, antique stove, and it appeared as if she were searching for pots and pans.
A group of three guards stepped inside, and at first, they were just talking amongst themselves.
“Do you think anyone noticed we overslept?” one of the guards yawned.
“Not a chance,” another guard with a blond beard replied. “I think there was some commotion going on at the gates. No one will notice we’re not at our posts.”
“Good, because I’m in the mood for some breakfast,” the first guard snickered.
When they turned to look at Vesta, though, they all stopped in their tracks and stared long and hard at her.
“Hey, you’re not Evangeline,” the guard with red hair said with a frown. “You look like her, though.”
Shit. The help was usually never noticed, but since the maid was hot, I bet these bastards leered at her all day long. I just hoped Vesta could think fast on her feet.
“Oh, yes,” Vesta coughed. “Well, you see, I’m actually her cousin. She got me a position here after my husband suddenly died.”
“So you’re a widow, then, eh?” One of the guards grinned and flashed a missing tooth, and he ran a hand over his oily black hair.
“Back off, Arthur,” another guard with brown hair and a scruffy beard hissed before he looked back toward Vesta. “What are you doing up so early, Miss… ?”
“Madeline.” Vesta smiled. “Well, I thought I’d make a good first impression by whipping up a breakfast for the master. Evangeline said he would be taking his meals in the study today… he’s awfully busy and does not want to be disturbed.”
I smirked. Vesta was a pretty convincing liar.
The actual maid grunted in her sleep, and I quickly glanced down at her. She was breathing deeply and clearly still unconscious, but if she suddenly woke up, we’d all be screwed.
“I hope she doesn’t wake up,” Faye hissed.
“I can fix that for a little longer,” Morgana whispered. “Somnum penitus.”
A small little spark illuminated from the tip of her wand and hit the maid. Her body jerked upward, and she grunted in her sleep. I whipped back around to peek through the hole, and even though the sound hadn’t been that loud, it caught the attention of the redheaded guard.
Fuck.
“Did you hear that?” he asked as he stared right at the door. “I could have sworn I heard something fall.”
Suddenly, the sound of pans crashing down onto the floor echoed in the kitchen, and the guards all whipped around to look at Vesta.
“Whoops,” she giggled before she twirled a lock of her green hair. “I’m afraid I’m a bit clumsy.”
“That’s no problem, love,” the greasy haired one replied, “it’s your first day, after all.”
“Speaking of which,” Vesta cooed as she batted her lashes, “would you be a gentleman and tell me where the study is? I’m new and a little ditsy… so if you don’t specifically tell me how to get there, I’m sure I’ll get lost.”
“Didn’t Evangeline tell you where it was?” the brown-haired guard asked.
“She did.” Vesta nodded before she chewed on her lower lip and stared back at the smitten oily haired guard. “But I’m so forgetful.”
“It’s behind the second door on the right side of the hall,” he answered as his eyes zeroed in on her mouth. “I can wait for you to finish cooking if you’d like, maybe keep you some company?”
“Oh, you’re too kind,” Vesta giggled. “But I’m not very good at cooking when people are watching… it makes me nervous.”
“Well, then.” The guard grinned. “If you ever want to take a break, you come and find me, love. I’ll be patrolling the gate today.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” Vesta tittered.
Before her admirer could say another word, we heard the kitchen door creak open, and each guard turned away.
“Where the hell have you lot been?” an angry voice demanded. “Bloody tarandrus attacked the night guards. We’ve got some hunting to do.”
“O-Oh, right away,” the redheaded man stuttered.
The guards rushed off, but of course, the black-haired guard stood back a moment to wink at Vesta.
“Come by later when this is all taken care of,” he suggested.
“Will do.” She smiled.
Then he took off, and finally, when we heard the door close, we all stepped outside of the closet.
“Now, we can breathe,” Morgana sighed.
“That was a close one,” Akira said as she turned to look at Vesta and then smiled. “Nice work, Vesta.”
“But now what?” the lavender-skinned witch sighed. “How are we going to get to the study as a group? We need to all touch the stone to shadow travel back to the academy, the headmistress said so herself.”
“Why don’t we just send you up there, and you can find the stone on your own?” Akira suggested. “Then we can all shadow travel once you’ve got it?”
“No,” Morgana quickly shot the idea down. “The headmistress clearly said we all need to work together, and something tells me she won’t let us back unless we teleport as a group.”
“Ugh,” Akira groaned and dropped her head back. “You’re probably right… as usual.”
“So, what do we do?” Vesta asked.
Before I could respond, the kitchen door opened again, and we were face to face with an armored guard. His eyes widened as he turned a tone whiter, and he was about to shout until I raised my wand and aimed it at him.
“Stagno!” I recited.
His mouth froze, and his sword went flying from his hand and scattered across the marble floor.
I picked the weapon up and then turned to the others and grinned.
“I have an idea,” I said.