“Will he be alright?” a familiar voice asked from above me.
“Oh, yes,” another familiar, but different voice replied. “Stop worrying, now, and give the man some room to breathe.”
I struggled to open my eyes, and when I did, all I saw at first were five murky shadows. Then, slowly, my eyesight adjusted, and I saw my coven all standing around me as I laid in a bed. Theodora was by my side, and it took me a moment to realize I was in the infirmary. I had no idea how I got here, and my mind was cloudy with exhaustion.
“How are you feeling?” Theodora asked in a soothing voice.
“Like absolute shit,” I muttered.
“That’s to be expected,” the headmistress chuckled.
I tried to sit up, but my body refused. All my muscles felt sore, and my entire body ached. My head was also throbbing, and my throat was parched.
“Can I have some water?” I croaked.
Vesta handed me a goblet, and I took a deep sip. I drank the entire cup, and Vesta quickly refilled it for me. I swallowed gratefully again, and finally, I was ready to talk.
“What happened?” I asked.
Theodora and the witches all exchanged looks with one another, as if they weren’t sure who should answer first.
“Well?” I pushed. “Is anyone going to tell me?”
“You passed out,” Akira murmured, “as soon as we landed back in Theodora’s office, you just collapsed, and you’ve been asleep for hours now.”
“And none of you collapsed?” I asked.
“No,” Morgana replied, “but we think it might have been because of the last spell you used on the wizard.”
“The killing curse,” I said slowly as my memory returned. “Did it work? Did it kill him?”
“I’m afraid not,” Theodora said as she shook her head, “but you retrieved the stone, which was the objective I set out for you. Well done.”
“Thanks,” I groaned.
I tried to sit up again, but my body was begging me to stay still. I winced in pain, and Theodora placed a hand on my shoulder, gently pushed me back, and smiled.
“You need rest,” she ordered, and then she looked at the rest of the coven and sighed. “Well, I’m sure you can all look after him for a while, can’t you? I have many things to attend to, so I’ll be in my office if you absolutely need me.”
“Thank you, Headmistress.” Faye nodded.
“Yes, thank you,” Morgana added.
Theodora nodded once and then turned in her skirts and headed out of the infirmary. All the witches turned to me with concern, and I grinned.
“I knew you all loved me,” I teased. “You should see your faces right now.”
“Oh, shut up, Cole,” Akira snapped, “this isn’t a joke.”
“I’m not laughing,” I said.
“Well, I’m pissed off,” Akira replied with her arms crossed.
“Why?” Morgana asked as she blinked her blue eyes at the other witch. “We retrieved the stone, just as Theodora had asked.”
“Yes, but what for?” Akira demanded. “She didn’t even tell us why the stone was so important to her.”
“I’m sure she will,” Morgana said, but I could tell she was unconvinced.
“Who cares?” I scoffed. “The point is we did it.”
“He’s right,” Vesta sighed. “Anyway, Cole should get some rest while he can, our next class is going to be a combined course.”
“What?” Morgana whipped her head around to stare at the green-haired witch. “I didn’t hear anything about that.”
“I overheard Professor Vanessa and Professor Luna talking in the corridor, by the study hall,” Vesta replied. “Apparently, Premonition and Necromancy will be combined this semester.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe to speed up the semester?”
“They want to prepare us for Duke Malik,” Akira muttered, “that’s what it is. Let’s not all stand here and pretend this whole semester has been a normal one. Lessons have flown by, we have been thrown into the lion’s den, and we haven’t partaken in any… traditional quizzes.”
“Akira’s right,” Morgana said as she shook her dark hair. “We’ve been through hell… but so what?”
The others turned to look at her with puzzled expressions.
“What do you mean, so what?” Akira demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I mean, who cares if we’ve been put through all these tests and trials?” Morgana clarified as she lifted her chin. “The point is the headmistress has faith in us. She thinks we’re capable of accomplishing great things and defeating a duke who wants to attack this school. We can’t prove her wrong and start questioning everything now! We have to keep fighting.”
Morgana was right. There was no time to waste wondering why we had to be put to the ultimate test. The point was there was no room for mistakes or defeat.
Scholomance depended on us.
“Well, shit,” Akira muttered with a smile, “as usual, you’re right, Morgana.”
The brunette smiled proudly at us and then turned to focus on me.
“Cole, get some rest,” she ordered, “you’ll be needing it.”
“Will do.” I forced myself to smile.
My coven left me alone to my thoughts, and I tried my best to go back to sleep, but it was useless. I’d rested long enough.
My body ached as I forced myself to get out of bed and head back to my own room. As soon as I pushed the door open, Alexander stood up on my desk, and when his eyes met mine, he squealed with joy.
“Hey, you,” I said before I patted his head. “I missed you.”
The mouse stood up on his legs and placed his hands on his hips before he tapped his foot impatiently on the desk.
“I know, I know,” I chuckled. “I was gone longer than I expected. I hope you’ve been keeping yourself entertained in the meantime.”
Alexander shrugged his brown, furry shoulders and then pointed to his mouth.
“Ah.” I smiled. “I should have guessed you’d be hungry.”
He nodded eagerly, and I laughed.
“Give me one moment to change,” I said.
I was still in my shirt and trousers, so I took a quick bath and then changed into a fresh set of clothing.
Even though Alexander was larger now, he still could fit into my cloak pocket, and I swiped him off the desk and let him climb inside it as I left for the banquet hall.
My body ached with each step I took down the spiral staircase, and by the time I reached the banquet hall, I was grateful to sit down.
My coven all glanced at me in disbelief as soon as I took my seat.
“You should be resting!” Faye gasped, and her freckled face scrunched up in disapproval.
“I’m done resting,” I said as a plate of food slowly appeared in front of me.
I didn’t have a massive appetite, but I knew I should at least try and eat something. So, I slowly cut into the shepherd’s pie on my plate, and I gave Alexander a few bites as well.
“Since you’re up and about, do you want to join us for a study session after dinner?” Morgana asked.
“Sure.” I shrugged. “What are we studying for tonight?”
“We’re preparing for Necromancy and Premonition,” she replied.
A sharp pain tingled in the back of my eyes, and I suppressed a groan. I didn’t want to worry about the others, but Faye had spotted me.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked with a furrowed brow. “I think you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
“I’m fine,” I replied through gritted teeth. “Just stop asking me.”
“Fine,” the redhead huffed. “Suffer in silence for all I care.”
“Thank you,” I chuckled. “I will.”
We ate the rest of our meals in silence, and then we left together for the study hall. Morgana all handed us two books, and we studied for hours. When the words started to blur together and my head ached unbearably, I stood up to leave.
“I think I’m going to call it a night,” I sighed, “I’ll see you all in class tomorrow.”
“Good night,” they all responded.
I left the hall and went back to my room. Alexander was already asleep in my pocket, so I gently took him out and placed him on my pillow before I undressed and tucked myself into the sheets.
When I woke up, I felt refreshed, and luckily the pain in my muscles and bones had totally subsided. I was ready to take on the day, and I was prepared for the final combined class.
I quickly dressed and left Alexander sleeping on the pillow. Then I raced down the spiral steps and headed down the corridors that led to the advanced classes. I wanted to be the first one to arrive.
As soon as I pushed the door open, I spotted Headmistress Theodora and Professor Crimson talking to each other in low voices. Theodora was wearing a bluish-gray dress with a full skirt, a leather corset, and a black choker that had small bones dangling from it. Her dark hair was also pulled up into a tight bun. Professor Crimson was wearing a flaming red dress that matched her hair, and her outfit was a little more revealing. It had a low cut down the front, and it was form-fitting. Her hair was loose, and it came tumbling down her shoulders like a bloody waterfall.
“Ah, Cole,” Theodora greeted. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Better.” I nodded. “Thank you.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” She grinned. “Take a seat wherever you’d like.”
I nodded and headed over to a large desk in the front of the cold, damp room. This classroom was by far the most uninviting room I’d seen in the entire castle. The walls were made out of grimy stone that had moss growing in between the cracks, there were no windows, and the only light in the room came from a simple, dusty, and cobweb covered chandelier. The floors were bare and also made out of pale stone.
The place reminded me of a dungeon or a prison.
Professor Crimson said nothing as I took a seat in a creaky wooden chair, but I could feel their eyes on me as I sat with my back turned to them, though, and it made me uncomfortable for some reason. I mentally shook it off and patiently waited for the other students to arrive. Within minutes, the classroom slowly started to fill up with more witches, and soon, my own coven arrived and took their seats at the table. They all looked exhausted and worn out.
“Didn’t get much sleep last night, I take it?” I asked.
“No,” Morgana sighed before she tied back her long dark hair, “I had strange dreams.”
“Me, too,” Akira grumbled. “It was the weirdest thing… I dreamt we were back in the final preschool exam.”
“I dreamt we were back in the wizard’s castle,” Morgana whispered.
Other witches from a nearby table started to turn their heads and look in our direction until Akira shot them a deadly glare.
“What?” the black-haired witch snapped. “Mind your own fucking business.”
The other students looked appalled and intimidated at the same time, but they didn’t turn around.
“Hey,” Morgana added in a louder voice, “are you deaf? Mind your own fucking business, you cunts.”
“Shit, Morgana,” Akira laughed as the witches finally turned around. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“You’re damn straight I have it in me,” the brunette huffed as she straightened up in her seat.
“Alright, class, everyone be quiet now,” Professor Crimson commanded as she clapped her hands. “We are about to begin.”
Books started to appear on each desk, and strangely, they were half blue and half red with no markings on the front.
“Professors?” Morgana asked with her hand raised high. “What kind of books are these?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Theodora smiled. “Since we are combining classes this semester, we thought we’d create a new textbook.”
“Why are the classes combined?” a witch with long, purple hair and black eyes questioned.
“Because the professors and I thought it would make things a little more challenging for you,” Theodora replied.
I didn’t have to use my premonition skills to know that was a lie. Time was running out, and that’s why these classes were being combined.
“But--” the purple-haired witch started to say until Theodora clapped loudly to cut her off.
“No time for questions, unless they relate to the subject matter of today,” the headmistress reprimanded. “Now, Professor Crimson will begin with the Necromancy half of this lesson.”
She gestured for the flaming red-haired professor to step forward, and Crimson smiled at the class before she cleared her throat.
“Welcome, class,” she said. “I know this is somewhat unorthodox, but I’m excited about this new combination of classes. Now, if you would all turn to page three-hundred-and-forty-eight, we will get started.”
We all flipped to the correct page and landed on a chapter with an illustration of a skeleton rising from its grave.
“We’re going to bring back the dead?” I blurted out loud.
How would this help us defeat Duke Malik?
“In a sense,” Professor Crimson replied with a sharp-toothed smile. “We will be learning how to enter the memory of someone who has passed on into the next life and control them. It is a great tool to use when trying to obtain information from an enemy.”
Theodora glanced right at our table as if to say, “This is especially important for you.”
So, I nodded as Professor Crimson continued.
“The practice has been used since the dawn of time,” Crimson explained. “Our ancestors used it to discover the deepest and darkest secrets of our enemies… and now, we will bestow the gift upon you. Keep in mind, this is not an easy skill to master. Like anything to do with the dead, it can be tricky and complicated to figure out, but I have total faith in you… well, most of you anyway.”
“That’s reassuring,” Akira mumbled.
“So, because we are short on time, I will summarize the chapter for you all,” Professor Crimson went on. “Resurrection and memory intrusion are both equally difficult to master. You will need a steady mindset to be able to successfully resurrect a person or creature. Now, who can tell me what is the most important aspect of entering a dead person’s memory? Yes, Morgana?”
“You have to be able to tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t,” the brunette replied as she lowered her raised hand. “For instance, sometimes, even when dead, a person can be strong enough to fool others with fabricated memories.”
“Precisely.” The professor flashed another sharp, fanged grin. “Can you tell the class of a classic example of this?”
“Well,” Morgana answered in a shaky voice, “there was the case of Madame Petunia.”
“Go on, Morgana,” Crimson urged. “Tell those who aren’t familiar with the story.”
The other witches in the class scoffed and rolled their eyes, but Theodora shot them a sharp glare, and they quieted.
“Madame Petunia was a witch from the seventeenth century,” Morgana explained. “She was a professor of Hexes and Curses, but she desired to teach Necromancy, even though she didn’t possess the right amount of skill to accomplish this. So, she would practice in a secret room of the castle and use human prisoners to practice on. One night, while the Madame was trying to enter the memory of a knight from a human realm, she thought she saw a plan to destroy her home village. She panicked and fled the school, only to find there was no such plan. The village was safe, but since she had left the castle without permission, she broke the Scholomance law that was set for the professors.”
“Which is?” Crimson asked.
“To never leave the grounds unless specifically instructed by the headmistress,” Morgana replied.
“And what happened to Madame Petunia?” Professor Crimson asked with an arched red eyebrow.
“She was burned at the stake,” Morgana murmured and dropped her eyes.
“Exactly,” the red-haired professor chuckled. “So, you see, even the dead can trick you if you’re not careful enough.”
We all nodded, and I could feel the darkness seeping into my chest. Not only was Crimson reminding us Necromancy was a tricky subject, but there was an underlying warning in there, too. She was telling us it was forbidden to deceive the headmistress. If we did, we would die.
I looked at my coven, and they appeared pale and shaken up, but Theodora’s expression never once changed. She remained by Crimson’s side with her hands folded in front of her and a small smile on her pale face. Then her blue eyes met mine for a split second, and I knew she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Now,” Crimson said, “let’s move onto the practical bit, shall we?”
She snapped her fingers, and a cloud of silver mist covered the entire front of the room. The smoke smelled toxic, and it caused the classroom to start violently coughing and hacking. My eyes watered as I tried to gasp for air, but finally, the smoke cleared, and in its place was a human skeleton lying on the desk.
“Now, now,” Crimson said as she waved wisps of smoke away. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Sure, it wasn’t,” Akira muttered under her breath.
“I want you all to pay very close attention to what we’re about to do,” Professor Crimson said.
Morgana tentatively raised a hand up into the air.
“Yes, Morgana?” Crimson sighed.
“I’m sorry, Professor,” the brunette said, “but I thought I heard you say we?”
“Ah, yes,” the redhead laughed, “how silly of me. Headmistress, if you would like to explain your part in this, please feel free to do so.”
“Thank you, Professor Crimson.” Theodora smiled. “I’d be delighted to.”
The headmistress stared at the class with her head held high, and her mouth was set into a tight line. It was if she were trying to read each and every one of us, and when her eyes landed on mine, I noticed the corners of her mouth pulled upward into a small, knowing smile.
“Now,” she said in a loud, clear voice, “we all know premonition also requires immense concentration and focus, and unfortunately, not everyone is capable of advanced premonition. You can be adequate, mediocre, or inept. To be a master at premonition is rare… so do not feel bad if you cannot manage this task on the first attempt. Now, observe as I enact the first part of this spell.”
She walked over to the skeleton, and her hand hovered over the skull. Then she closed her eyes and started to mutter under her breath. Her hand began to vibrate and glowed white, and when she opened her eyes, they turned bright yellow.
The class watched in silence as the headmistress stood there without moving an inch. Her face remained expressionless for two whole minutes before she sighed, and her eyes returned to normal.
“I just entered the mind of this man,” she said, “and I saw a memory from his past… but that’s not all you’ll be learning today. Professor Crimson, would you please step forward and complete your part of the spell?”
Professor Crimson nodded, and when she began to recite her part of the spell, her voice sounded completely different. It was deeper, and it made the entire room shake. We all stared with open mouths as she placed a hand over the skeleton’s chest. The room began to shake even more, and then, the skeleton slowly rose from the desk.
“Face the class,” the red-haired woman demanded.
The skeleton started to rise from the desk, and its skull turned to look at the class. No one said a word as it continued to stare in our direction.
“Iterum requiem,” Crimson recited.
The skeleton then fell backward and didn’t move, and it was as if nothing had ever happened.
“As you can see,” Crimson explained with a grin, “when you combine premonition with necromancy, you can control a dead being and also gain insight into their memory. Now, who would like to go first? Don’t be shy now.”
No one made a move or raised a hand. A heavy silence filled the air, and I knew no one was going to offer, so I did what I had to do.
“I’ll do it,” I said with my hand raised.
“Excellent,” Theodora chuckled. “Come on up, Cole.”
Everyone’s eyes were on me as I slowly stood up and headed to the desk where the skeleton was. The air still smelled putrid and thick with death as I stared long and hard at the skeleton, and then Theodora pulled me aside.
“First, you must seep into its mind and control your thoughts,” she whispered, “then recite the spells “aperire amino” to seep into his memory and “resurgemus” to bring him back to life. Also, since you are a foreign consciousness entering into a memory not your own, you’ll experience it in third person. You’ll be able to witness the full scene, but you won’t be able to interact with anything. Understood?”
I nodded and stared down at the skeleton, and I could already sense something radiating off the bones. It felt like regret, anger, and vengeance. The air was still cold as I placed my hand over the skull, but instead of hovering over it, I pressed my hand against the cold bone.
“Aperire amino,” I hissed.
My hand glowed white, and I could feel myself shaking.
“Hold onto it,” Theodora instructed, “do not let go.”
It felt as if an entire electrical current was coursing throughout my body. I was shaking, but I managed to keep my hand on the skull. I was entering the memory of this person, and I could already sense I wasn’t about to like what I saw. I could feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head, and the room was shaking.
The class completely disappeared, and now, I was in a deep, dark forest. I was running through the woods, and I could hear the sound of drums beating off in the distance. I neared the music, and soon, I came across a field. There were three wooden stakes set up with hay for burning at the bottom, and I saw a crowd of soldiers, all dressed in silver armor with a crest on their chests. They had nasty smirks plastered on their faces, and I stood there, like an invisible ghost, just watching, unable to do anything.
Three women, all wearing dark cloaks with the Scholomance crest, stepped forward. They were all beautiful. One had long, black hair and pale porcelain skin with red lips and rosy cheeks. The middle was lavender-skinned, just like Vesta, only instead of silver eyes she had piercing dark blue ones, and her ears were large and pointed as well. The last one was just as pale as the first witch, but she had starlight white hair and bright green eyes. They were all tied at the wrists with thick brown rope, and three other guards with long swords were leading them to the stakes. The women looked defiant, though, and walked with their heads held high.
The soldier closest to me pulled out a scroll and started to read off it.
“By order of Duke Malik, I hereby sentence you to death,” he said. “May you burn for an eternity in hellfire for the sins you’ve committed against the mortal realm.”
“One can only hope,” the raven-haired beauty answered.
“We cannot wait to be reunited with our master,” the elven witch yelled.
“Shut your mouths, you filthy demonic whores,” a tall soldier with a salt-and-pepper beard spat.
“You will never silence us,” the pale blonde witch sneered.
“We’ll see about that.” The soldier grinned.
The women were led to the stakes, and each one was tied to the wood with thick rope. Then the man with the beard took the fire and neared the trio of witches.
“We’ll see if you’re still smiling in the end.” He smirked.
The witches all glared at the soldier as if they were daring him to light the fire, and he was still smiling as he bent down and lit the pyres, one by one.
The women started to burn, but they didn’t make a sound. I watched in horror as the fire burned through their flesh and bone, and they eventually turned into ashes. The men were all laughing amongst themselves, and I couldn’t stop staring at the soldier with the beard. Not only had he lit the fire, but there was this deep hatred in his eyes that made me loathe him. He wanted the witches to scream in pain, he probably got a hard-on just by thinking about it.
I wanted to kill him.
He was the last face I saw as I was pulled back into the classroom, and everyone’s eyes were on me as I stood there, with my hand shaking over the skeleton.
“It was you,” I whispered as I glared down at the bones. “You fucking bastard.”
“You saw what I saw… didn’t you?” Theodora murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. “You saw the man who lit the fire?”
“Yes,” I hissed back.
“Bring him back to life,” she said, “just as Professor Crimson did.”
For a moment, I didn’t move or speak. I was filled with seething rage, and I could still smell the witches burning.
Crimson neared me and then leaned close enough to whisper into my ear.
“Do it,” the redhead urged, “you know you want to.”
“Resurgemus,” I ordered in a low but firm voice.
The entire skeleton started to vibrate, and then, something odd happened. For some reason, skin, hair, and organs began to slowly form, and the class all gasped as the man who lit the fire slowly began to replace the bare-bones on the desk. He was lying naked, flat on his back, and when he’d fully formed once again, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He couldn’t open his mouth, though, and his eyes darted back and forth in a wild, confused panic.
Rage filled me up, and I started to shake with fury. I wanted to beat him to death with my own hands.
“Unholy hell,” Professor Crimson gasped as she staggered back away from me. “I have never seen such a thing… never in my life has flesh replaced bone.”
When I looked at Theodora, she simply smiled and came closer to me.
“Now, you may command him to do whatever you wish,” she said, “I can sense your rage as if it were my own. Take vengeance upon him. Now is your chance… do not hold back.”
I took in a deep breath and smiled at the man, and his eyes widened in terror as he stared back at me. I could hear him begging for mercy in my mind. His voice was clear and pathetic, but he would not receive one ounce of sympathy from me.
“This is for the women you burned,” I leaned down and whispered into his ear, and then I chuckled darkly.
He tried to thrash on the table, but he couldn’t move. I was the only one who could control him and his actions. So, I pulled my blade from my waistband and then placed it into his hand.
“I want you to sit up,” I hissed, “and I want you to cut your own throat, from ear to fucking ear.”
His eyes nearly popped out from his skull, and his hand moved up to his neck. Then he began to cut his own throat, and a deep, crimson gash opened across his Adam’s apple and up to his ears.
I smiled as I heard him break through the skin, and blood gushed like a fountain. His eyes then rolled back into his head, and he collapsed onto the desk. Blood dripped down his throat and began to form a puddle on the floor, and the entire room was silent.
“Well done, Cole,” Theodora said as she flicked her wand.
The body and blood disappeared and if it were never there in the first place. The class slowly clapped, and then Crimson waved her hands in a sign for them to quiet down.
“I think that will be enough for today,” she said, “let’s all head to the banquet hall for something to eat, shall we?”
The class slowly collected their things and headed out the door. My own coven stared at me, and I realized I’d been standing by the desk the whole time, right next to the headmistress.
“Are you coming, Cole?” Vesta asked.
Before I could respond, Theodora pulled me aside by the crook of my arm.
“Actually, I’ll need to see you outside for a moment,” she said, “it’s important.”
I nodded and glanced at my coven.
“I’ll see you all later,” I said.
They looked both confused and curious, but they knew better than to question the headmistress. As soon as the classroom was empty, Theodora turned to me and smiled.
“Come along,” she said, “I have a neat little trick I want to show you.”
I knew better than to question her further, so I simply nodded as we made our way past the advanced level classroom corridors and down to the castle doors.
We walked past the gates, and then Theodora stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky.
“Beautiful, gloomy day, is it not?” she remarked.
“Sure.” I nodded slowly.
“I love this weather… of course, rain is my favorite, but I’ll take steel gray clouds anyway,” she sighed.
I was dying to ask her where this was going, but knowing her, she would tell me in good time.
“Cole, do you know where the Glasswell Village is?” she asked after a long, quiet moment.
“No, Headmistress,” I said as I shook my head, “I’ve never even heard of it before.”
“Ah, well.” She grinned. “It’s a morbid little town that isn’t too far away from here. They sell some of the best silks and satins in the realm, and once in a while, I like to go over there and spoil myself.”
“That’s… great?” I replied with a furrowed brow.
I was so fucking lost.
“Anyway, what if I asked you to go there for me?” she asked with her head tilted to the side. “Do you think you’d be able to do that?”
“Err,” I trailed, “is this a trick question, Headmistress?”
“No,” she chuckled. “It’s a simple question. How would you find the village when you’ve never even heard of it? You couldn’t shadow travel, so what other option would there be?”
“I’d use my premonition skills,” I said slowly, “although… it would take me a while… hours even. Depending on how far away it is.”
“Precisely.” She nodded. “And when you enter Duke Malik’s realm, you won’t have hours to find his castle.”
“Okayyyyy.” I frowned. “With all due respect, Headmistress Theodora, where is this going?”
She laughed and then pointed her wand up to the sky.
“Inlustris, modo ducturi,” she said under her breath.
I glanced up and watched with awe as a red star slowly appeared high above us.
“Try and follow it,” she said.
When I took a step forward, the star also started to move. It was floating toward the black forest, and when I came to a stop, the star also stopped.
“Unholy shit,” I muttered with a smile. “This is similar to a spell that Morgana used when we were heading to the wizard’s mansion. It’s like a guide.”
“This one is a little different… only those with a talent for premonition can do this,” Theodora said. She then flicked her wand, and the star disappeared. “Now, you try.”
I slowly raised my wand and muttered the same spell. Then I watched as the same red star slowly appeared above us, and my face broke out into a satisfied smile.
“I knew you had it in you,” the headmistress praised me before she tucked her wand away and gestured for me to come to her. “Let’s get you back inside the castle now. You have a lot more reading to get done tonight. I’ve left you another book in your room.”
Of course, she did.
I followed Theodora back to the castle, and we went our separate ways. As she’d promised, there was a massive, green velvet book on my desk when I made it back to my quarters.
The History of Greenwood and Duke Malik.
I opened the book and started to read. This was going to be another long study session, and I didn’t have time for lunch or dinner.
Something told me I needed to finish this book in one sitting, and I wasn’t going to ignore my gut feelings, not when they had been so accurate all this time.
So, I vowed to read this from start to finish, even if my eyes started to bleed.