The guard looked petrified as he stood there paralyzed and unable to move. He was a young man with light honey brown hair, a crooked nose, and deep green eyes. He barely had any stubble, and since he still had spots of acne on his oily face, I deduced he couldn’t have been older than eighteen.
“What the hell are we going to do with him?” Akira spat. “We can’t just lock him in the closet with Vesta’s cousin.”
“I think we only have one choice here,” Vesta sighed and rolled her eyes. “We have to kill him.”
I nodded in agreement. There was no time to waste. Besides, I needed his armor because I was already formulating a plan in my mind. I knew how we would get into that damn study, as long as everything went according to plan.
I looked at the coven and then back at the frozen soldier. He was starting to move, and I knew the spell was fading.
It was time.
“Are you going to do it?” Akira asked. “If not, I can.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’ll do it.”
“Are you going to use the killing curse?” she asked with large, eager black eyes. “That would be fun.”
“No,” I disagreed, “I’m not using that unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“He’s right,” Morgana added. “It’s not safe… even for someone as powerful as Cole.”
“Fine,” Akira huffed, “you’re probably right… as usual.”
Morgana smiled and then turned to me with her pale blue eyes.
“Cole, what’s the plan?” she asked. “I know you have one cooking up.”
“I do,” I replied, “but let me take care of him first.”
The witches all nodded as I neared the soldier. His eyes were filled with a childlike panic as I raised the sword, and with one swift slice, I slit his throat. He still couldn’t move, so there was no way for him to reach for his neck to stop the bleeding. His hands were slightly shaking, though, which meant if I hadn’t killed him, he would have screamed loud enough for the entire mansion to hear.
Blood pooled around the soldier, and his eyes slowly drifted closed. He was still standing upright, but then the spell faded entirely, and he nearly went crashing down onto the ground.
I caught him under his arms, though, and then slowly laid him down.
“Good catch,” Faye said. “I’m sure someone would have heard crashing armor if you didn’t grab him.”
“But now what?” Akira grumbled and gestured to the floor. “There’s blood everywhere.”
“I can fix that.” Morgana grinned as she flipped her wand in two circles and then aimed it at the dead soldier's throat. “Sarcio.”
The throat of the soldier began to slowly merge together, and only a hideous scar was left in its place. The spell stopped the bleeding, but there was still a large pool of dark blood left on the sleek kitchen floor.
“Purus,” Morgana recited as she pointed at the crimson mess.
The blood quickly disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. Then the brunette smiled at the rest of us and tucked her wand back into her robe.
“There,” she said.
“You’re brilliant,” Akira laughed, but then her face quickly fell and she turned to look at me with a deep frown. “But now what?”
“Now, we go and get that fucking stone,” I said. “I’m going to pose as a guard, while Vesta carries a tray of food up to the study. I will take you, Morgana and Faye as sex prisoners for the wizard. Hopefully, no one will question it.”
“Seriously?” Akira snapped. “Why do we have to act like the sex slaves?”
“Well, aren’t you mine?” I snickered, and the black-haired witch blushed.
“It’s not like you actually have to sleep with the wizard,” Morgana added. “We just need to play the part.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Didn’t I already tell you you’re mine? I won’t let any other man touch you.”
“Ugh, fine,” the short-haired witch grunted.
“But are you sure this is going to work?” Vesta asked in a low voice.
“No,” I responded truthfully, “but it’s the only shot we have.”
I quickly undressed and removed the armor and clothing the guard had on. There was blood on his chest guard, since Morgana’s cleaning spell had been directed toward the blood on the floor, but it didn’t matter. If anyone questioned it, I would just say I got wounded fighting off the elks outside the gate. As I removed my shirt and pants, I couldn’t help but notice all the women were staring at me with wide eyes, and their mouths slightly parted open.
“What?” I smirked. “You can have some later.”
The women blushed and turned away, and not one of them said a word in their defense, not even the hardheaded Akira.
I chuckled as I put on the last bits of the uniform and then turned to look at each witch.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked.
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Faye replied with a long, drawn-out sigh.
“I still don’t understand why we have to be the prisoners,” Akira grumbled.
“Let it go, Akira,” Faye muttered.
“But--” Akira said until I shot her a look.
“Be quiet, Akira, until I tell you to open your mouth again,” I commanded.
Her lips tightened, and she looked at me with large, angry dark eyes.
“Alright,” I said quickly, “it’s nearly dawn, and who knows when this fucker is going to wake up. Morgana, can you whip up some food using a spell?”
“No,” she said with a frown, “but I can create the illusion of a meal. It will fade after a while… so we have to be quick.”
“That’s fine,” I said, “just do it.”
“Partum speciem mihi,” Morgana muttered.
A plate of scrambled eggs, toast with marmalade, bacon, sausages, and biscuits appeared on the counter, and Vesta quickly snatched it.
“Just how many spells do you know by heart?” the lavender-skinned witch asked.
“Over three-hundred-and-sixty-two.” The brunette grinned proudly.
“That’s oddly specific,” Vesta muttered.
“I wanted to be ready for Scholomance, so I spent a lot of time studying before I was even accepted.”
“Ladies, focus,” I ordered. “Faye, Akira, and Morgana, lower your corsets.”
It wasn’t a request, so they all tugged at their corsets and exposed more of their breasts.
“Now tousle your hair, or whatever,” I added, “look as sexy as possible. Vesta, you can help me move the soldier into that stove.”
My coven did as I commanded them. They quickly fixed their hair, pinched their cheeks for color, and bit down on their lips to make them rosier. They then tucked their wands down their corsets before Vesta and I dragged the dead man into the massive stove and then closed it shut.
“Great,” I replied. “Vesta, I will lead the way. You stay at least a couple of paces behind the group, alright? It would look a little strange if we walk as a whole group.”
“Alright.” The green-haired witch nodded.
We all took a deep breath, and I led the coven out of the kitchen and back into the grand hall, which, luckily, was still empty. A light glow streamed through the stained-glass window and indicated the sun was rising, and quickly.
“Shit,” I muttered to myself. “We have to hurry.”
With quick and light footsteps, we went through the second door on the right, just as the knight had said. When we opened the door, there was a dark, dusty set of wooden stairs that spiraled upward, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling and in the corners.
“He’s not a very tidy wizard, apparently,” Faye whispered as we went up and up the stairs.
“I just hope the study is easy to find,” Morgana mumbled as we continued moving along.
“I hope this illusional plate of food lasts long enough for this plan to work,” Vesta added.
“How about we focus on one thing at a time?” I suggested. “At this point, I’m just relieved no one has stopped and questioned us.”
When we reached an arched, wooden doorway, I felt as if I’d jinxed us. There were three guards standing in a small circle and conversing with one another, and as soon as they saw us, they eyed the witches up and down and slowly smiled.
“Well, what do we have here?” a guard with pale blond hair, whitish-red whiskers on his chin, and dull brown eyes asked.
The other two guards didn’t say a word, but they stared at the women like they were a piece of rare, juicy meat. One man had dark, almost black hair and a round, swollen face, while the other was gangly and bald.
“They are a gift for the master,” I said in a low voice. “They are to be kept unspoiled for his pleasure.”
“Lucky old bastard,” the dark-haired knight muttered.
“The old bastard is still asleep,” the blond one said with a raised eyebrow. “Which is why I find this all to be very… odd.”
“Well, it’s not my fault he didn’t inform you about the gift,” I retorted as confidently as possible. “Some of us are more privy to the intimate details of the master than others… so if you would please stop questioning us and kindly step aside, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
The two guards who stood behind the blond soldier appeared as if they were doing their best not to laugh.
“Fine,” the blond growled, “move on, then.”
I nodded and urged the women to move forward, and Vesta remained behind us and did her best not to make eye contact with the guards as she carried the tray of food.
“Hold up,” the blond guard said. “Who are you? Where’s Evangeline?”
“She’s not feeling well,” Vesta replied in a steady voice. “I’m her cousin, and I was instructed to bring the master his breakfast.”
I slowly walked forward, not sure if I should linger behind or not.
“Well, you’re going the wrong way,” I heard the soldier say. “The master’s bedroom is down the left hall… didn’t your cousin tell you that?”
“She did,” Vesta replied quickly, “but I was told to bring the food to the study today. The master has a lot of work that needs to be done, so if you’ll please excuse me.”
“Wait one more moment,” he said as he gave Vesta the once over and licked his chapped, pale lips.
“Y-Yes?” she stammered, and she stopped cold in her tracks and stared at him with her wide silver eyes.
“Keep it together, Vesta,” I muttered as quietly as I could under my breath. “Do not lose your composure.”
Her posture suddenly improved as she straightened her back and raised her chin. Then she smiled coolly at the guard and gave him the once over.
“I meant to ask, is there a problem?” she asked in a sultry voice.
“No.” The guard grinned. “None at all. I was just about to say that… well, this is a little awkward.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his feet, and I had a feeling where this was going, so I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
“Yes?” Vesta urged.
“I just wanted to tell you I think you’re even more beautiful than Evangeline… and she’s been voted as the prettiest girl in the whole mansion,” he said.
Oh, sweet Satan. This was cringy to watch.
“Why, thank you, kindly,” the purple witch replied with her eyes downcast. “But I’m afraid I must move on if I want to bring the master his breakfast before it gets cold… ”
“Would you care to join me for an ale, later this evening?” he asked.
“Sure,” she accepted quickly, “I’d love to, but I really must be going.”
Vesta gently pushed her way past the guards and briskly walked toward us, and she was smiling proudly as the guards behind her dispersed and headed in a different direction.
“Smooth.” Akira nodded.
“Oh, shit,” Morgana muttered. “Look at the food.”
We all glanced down at the tray, and the meal was slowly beginning to fade away, little by little. Soon, there would be nothing left, but what was worse was that morning had arrived, since I could see the pale dawn light drifting through the windows.
“We have to fucking move it,” I urged.
With the halls now empty, we hurried down the hall, and we came to a stop in front of three doors. One was red, one was blue, and the third was black.
“Fuck!” Akira spat. “Which one is it?”
“Cole?” Vesta asked in a small voice.
“I’m working on it,” I grunted, “give me a moment.”
“We might not have a moment,” Faye said in a high-pitched voice.
She was right. Guards could come charging in at any second, and then we’d definitely be outnumbered and fucked. I had to focus hard. One of these doors led to the study, but who knew what was behind the other two.
I breathed in deeply and stared at the red door, and something dark pulsated through me as I focused on the deep crimson color. It wasn’t the kind of pleasantly ominous feeling I felt when I cast a spell on an enemy or a beast. It was more like a warning sensation, one that penetrated me down to the core.
“Cole?” Vesta asked in a worried voice. “Anything?”
“It’s not the red one,” I answered with confidence.
“What about the blue door?” Akira hissed, and she sounded desperate. “Or the black?”
“Give me a moment,” I repeated through my teeth. “The more you push me, the harder it is to focus, so be quiet.”
The witches shut up, and I turned my attention to the black door. Again, a cold wave washed over me, and I felt nothing but a grave, dark warning in my gut. Whatever was behind that door, it wasn’t going to welcome us with open arms.
Which meant the only choice we had left was the blue door.
I couldn’t sense any energy emerging from that door, but I didn’t have time to focus on it because the next moment, voices echoed from behind us, and my heart began to race and pound violently in my chest.
We were going to be caught and killed if we didn’t take a chance.
“The blue one,” I blurted out and stepped forward.
I pushed the door open, and inside was the grandest office I’d ever laid my eyes on. The ceiling was at least ten stories tall, and dozens of flights of stairs spiraled upward, toward a crystal dome-like ceiling where I could see the warm, golden clouds of the sunrise high above us. The study was absolutely jam-packed with all kinds of strange artifacts, knick-knacks, books, scrolls, and empty cages, and there were rows of golden tables with rolls of parchment laid out and spilled ink and quills all over the place.
It was a chaotic mess.
“How the hell are we supposed to find the artifact in all this?” Akira questioned with her hands on her hips.
I shut the door quietly behind me, and Morgana whispered a spell that would keep the door locked for at least a few minutes.
“Is there a spell we can use to locate the stone?” I asked the bookish witch.
The brunette nodded, aimed her wand high above her head, swirled it three times, and then muttered the incantation under her breath.
“Oh, no,” she groaned after a moment.
“What now?” Akira huffed.
“There is a powerful force in here,” Morgana explained, “one that prevents me from using a simple tracing spell.”
“So, you’re saying we’re going to have to look for it the old-fashioned way?” I asked.
“Precisely.” She nodded.
“Fantastic,” I sighed. “Fine, let’s separate, then. Search every crevice and corner.”
“That could… take a while,” Morgana said while he chewed on her lower lip.
“And we don’t have a while,” Vesta added as she tossed the now empty tray aside.
“It’s the only solution we have right now,” I reminded them. “So, instead of bickering about it, just help me search.”
My coven didn’t look too pleased about my decision, but they nodded anyway and began to frantically search for the stone.
I tried to use my senses to find the precious artifact, but it was difficult to focus. Premonition was a complicated skill. If I wasn’t fully concentrated on the objective, then it was useless to even try. So, I took a deep breath and thought only of the stone and the importance of locating it. I sensed for an energetic pull of any kind, but nothing was guiding me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, breathed in, and focused even more on the stone. Nothing was happening until suddenly, I felt something pulling me toward a crooked bookshelf in the back of the study, at the very end of the room. I raced past the other witches who were busy searching in chests, under desks, in closets, and in between stacks of books.
The moment I reached the crooked bookshelf, something strange happened. The pull had stopped. I couldn’t feel where the stone was, but I knew it was hidden somewhere in the massive bookcase. It was at least three stories tall, though, and searching the entire thing would take ages.
Suddenly, a loud bang made all of us stop what we were doing.
“Unlock the door, you dirty little witches!” a man’s voice yelled. “By order of the guard, I command you to open this door!”
“How did they find out about us?” Vesta cried out.
“Maybe the maid woke up, and they found her?” Morgana suggested.
“We should have killed her, too,” Faye grumbled.
“It doesn’t matter now,” Akira groaned. “The point is, they’re about to break down the door, and we still don’t have the fucking stone.”
“We almost do,” I said over my shoulder as I started to climb the ladder attached to the crooked bookshelf.
“We do?” Faye panted in quick small breaths.
She was panicking. They all were.
There was another loud bang against the door, and the man’s voice echoed through the study.
“This is your last chance to willingly unlock the door,” the soldier called out. “If not, the wizard shall use his great and terrible magic to open it for you.”
“Cole?” Akira groaned.
I scanned the bookcase and focused with all my strength. I kept my eyes straight on the spines of the books and didn’t turn around, even when the banging on the door increased. The soldiers were close to getting inside here, but I couldn’t worry about that now.
I had to solely focus on finding the stone. If I didn’t, we were all dead.
So, I stared hard at the books, and then, suddenly, a strange and new sensation washed over my entire body. It made my head feel as if it were about to split open, and I groaned in pain as I buckled forward.
But I had to fight back the pain and focus on the books.
Just as soon as I thought things couldn’t get any stranger, the room started to shake. It was vibrating so violently it made cracks in the ceiling dome. Then the entire bookshelf started to rattle, and books went flying from the shelves and across the room.
“What the hell is happening?” Vesta cried out.
“Just get down and hide under a table,” I yelled.
The study was falling apart, and I had to be quick. The books continued to fly off the shelves, and that’s when I spotted it.
There, on the shelf right above me, sat a magnificent black stone.
It was glowing like starlight, and this pulsating radiance emanated from it. I climbed another rung of the ladder, stretched out my fingers, and reached for the stone, and as soon as the pads of my fingers touched it, I could sense its power surging through my veins. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before in my life. I took the entire thing in my hands, and I felt like I could never let it go. It held too much knowledge, power, and possibility.
“Cole!” the witches all yelled at once.
“What?” I said as I turned around with the stone in my hands.
Before they could answer, the door blasted open, and blue smoke wafted into the room.
I jumped down from the ladder and ran with my wand extended and aimed at the door.
“Volito!” I shouted, and the guards who had begun to run inside went flying back.
I ran toward the witches, who were still huddled under the table with their arms extended and wands pointed at the door. If we could all place our hands on the stone, then we would be able to shadow port out of here.
I just had to get to them.
I ran hard, but then, out of nowhere, something hit me square in the chest and sent me flying back. I smacked into the solid ground and had the wind knocked out of me. I nearly dropped the stone, but luckily I managed to cling onto it. My wand was still tucked in my sleeve, though, and I couldn’t move my arms to retrieve it.
“Well, well, well,” a deep, croaky voice drawled, “what do we have here?”
I slowly sat up and saw a tall man with long silver hair and a matching beard approaching me. He had a long black robe and sharp, ice-blue eyes, and he smiled darkly as he took a step closer to me. His group of soldiers was right behind him, and they all focused on me.
Gregor the Great looked right at me and then turned to look at the witches.
“Scholomance students, I see?” he chuckled. “I should have known Theodora would send a student to do her dirty work for her.”
“You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” I spat.
“Shall we kill the women?” a guard asked.
“Not just yet,” the wizard replied, “but in good time, you may kill them as you wish.”
The guards all looked pleased and eager at the prospect.
A burning rage coursed through me, and I tried to sit up, but a force was keeping me pinned down. I tried to wriggle free, but it felt impossible.
Then I realized the wizard was using elder magic I’d never encountered before.
“Now, release the stone,” he ordered.
“No,” I grunted.
He extended his bony hand, and I sensed his magic. It was powerful, beyond anything I’d ever felt. He was trying to pull the stone from my grasp, but I fought back. His icy eyes were filled with confusion and anger, and he gritted his teeth and tried to remove the stone from me.
I held it back, though, and one of the guards stepped forward.
“I can stab him, if you’d like,” the man suggested.
“Don’t you dare,” the wizard growled under his breath.
That’s when I realized I was winning. No one had ever been able to block his magic before, and it was killing him.
“You will give me the stone,” the wizard demanded.
“Fuck you,” I laughed.
Then, suddenly, I managed to break free from his bond, and as quick as I could, I used my free hand to pull out my wand and aim it at the wizard.
“Mortuus cadunt!” I yelled without thinking.
I could feel a fragment of my soul slowly draining as I enacted the killing curse. My spell nearly hit the wizard, but he managed to raise his hand and mentally block it in midair. His entire body shook, though, and beads of sweat began to trickle down his forehead. He was pushing against me and losing, and even though the spell was draining my own life-force, I could tell it was slowly eating away at his, too.
Finally, the light from my spell hit him and sent him flying back. He landed in front of the guards, and I took the brief moment to bolt under the table with the others. Without saying a word, we all placed our hands on the stone and recited the shadow travel spell.
The last thing I saw before we vanished from the study was the wizard’s eyes on mine. They darted back and forth, and I knew the killing curse hadn’t killed him. It had just stunned and possibly wounded him.
It didn’t matter, though.
The point was, we were all spinning through the air until we came to a sudden stop. We all landed on a carpet in a warm room, and my eyes grew heavy as the wind was knocked out of me again. Sudden darkness overcame me, and I couldn’t move. I was falling deep asleep, and I couldn’t fight the feeling, no matter how hard I tried.
The last thing I heard was my coven screaming my name.
But they sounded so far away.