The possessed knight slipped back into his armor, and as soon as he was fully dressed again, he looked at me with deadpan eyes. He was waiting for me to give him another command. He seemed utterly vacant and expressionless, and I sincerely hoped this last-minute plan would work. I also prayed his guards weren’t too sharp-minded, so they hopefully wouldn’t notice something was off with their commander.
“Listen to me carefully, you will lead us back to your men,” I said in a low voice, “and you will take us all to the village gates. Alive and unharmed. Is that clear?”
“Yes, master,” the man replied in a hollow voice. “I am in your debt and solely loyal to you.”
Fuck, he sounded just like a machine. I worried this might become a problem, but I took in a deep breath and tried to gather what little patience I had left.
“You will not refer to me as master in front of your companions,” I muttered, “you will call me your prisoner, is that understood? Your only job is to bring us to the village gates. Understood?”
I felt like I was speaking to a child, but I needed to be as clear as possible. The last time I used this spell, it had only been for a minute, and all I’d done was force a soldier to commit suicide.
This situation was a little different.
“Yes, prisoner,” the guard growled in a low voice, “I will be sure to fulfill my duty and do exactly what you wish of me. I am at your beck and call. I serve only you. I am your loyal and obedient servant--”
“He sounds like a lobotomized imbecile,” Akira huffed in annoyance. “I’m not sure this is going to work… what if he just drops dead? Or what if his soldiers realize something is very different about him?”
I rolled my eyes. The short-haired witch was still questioning me and my abilities, even after everything we’d been through. If she kept this up, I’d surely lose my patience with her, and I had enough to worry about.
After a moment of deliberation, though, I knew a good way to shut her up, at least for a while.
“Akira, I command you to be optimistic, at least for the next hour,” I said with a smirk. “No bitching, complaining, or whining of any sort. Is that clear?”
Her frown slowly faded from her face, and she relaxed her shoulders. Then her full lips curved into a sweet smile, and she batted her long lashes at me.
“Sure, Cole,” she replied in a tender voice. “I can do that. I’d love to do that… it’s been a while since I’ve tried to be optimistic, and I’ve never said this out loud, but I secretly love trying new things, like that time we had sex in the woods and--”
“I think this version of her is more annoying, actually,” Vesta interrupted.
The others chuckled under their breaths, despite our deadly situation.
“Well, this version of her will have to do for now,” I said. “Now, everyone, quickly take off your cloaks and hide your wands wherever you can on your person. We have to look like non-magical prisoners.”
The coven nodded, and we took off our school cloaks and hid them in some nearby bushes. The possessed guard stood as still as a statue as I buried my wand and dagger in my waistband and untucked my shirt, and the witches all managed to slip their wands down their skirts. Then I looked at each witch and then forced myself to smile reassuringly at them.
“Are we ready?” I asked.
“Of course we’re ready!” Akira grinned. “This is going to be excellent. You’re always full of the most wonderful ideas, Cole.”
“I don’t know about that,” Vesta whispered as she took a step near me, and I cocked an eyebrow at her as she pulled me away from the others. “Cole, I hate to say this, but I think the normal Akira had a point… I’m not too sure about this plan. How long will this death control spell even last?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied with a shrug.
“Well, of course, you don’t, no one knows for certain,” Morgana hissed, and she’d clearly been eavesdropping. “Sometimes it lasts for minutes, sometimes it can last for years. Sometimes, people can live an entire lifetime after they’ve been resurrected. Like most possession spells, it’s effects can vary depending on the host.”
“Well, that’s fucking great,” Vesta groaned before she turned her silver eyes to me. “Cole, what if we get caught?”
“Look, we’re doing this,” I said in a firm voice, “and that’s final. Now, everyone shut the hell up and follow my lead. That’s an order, got it?”
“Yes, master,” my coven replied in unison.
“Yes, prisoner,” the guard added in a stoic voice.
I rolled my eyes. Part of me was doubting this plan, too, but before I could say anything, a familiar, gruff voice called out in our direction.
“Sir Gareth, we must return to the castle! As much as I hate to rush you, the duke made it clear that we must be back in the castle by noon if we’re going to keep to the schedule.”
It was the blond guard, and I could already tell he was going to be difficult to deceive.
I sighed, turned to look at Gareth, and tried to picture how this would play out. I knew whispering orders to him was going to be a challenge, but I had no other choice. I couldn’t mentally command him, so instead, I stood as close to him as possible and whispered my next order.
“We will return to your men as prisoners,” I said. “Act and speak as if everything were normal.”
Gareth nodded deeply, and with the same vacant look in his eyes, he retrieved his sword and led us back to his men. We trekked through the bushes and walked behind him with our hands raised in defense and our heads lowered.
“What in the gods’ names do we have here, Sir Gareth?” the blond knight gasped, and the other men looked equally confused. “Who are these people? Where the hell did they come from?”
“They are my prisoners,” Gareth answered in a clipped tone. “We must bring them to the village gates. They must arrive unharmed and in one piece.”
“But where did they even come from?” his guard questioned with more force in his voice. “One minute you were with the purple whore, and now you bring us a group of prisoners who just happened to appear out of nowhere?”
“We will bring them alive to the village and in one piece,” Gareth repeated. “That’s a direct order.”
“What’s gotten into you, sir?” the blond guard asked with a deep frown.
“I do not know what you speak of,” Gareth answered mechanically. “I am acting normal.”
Fuck.
The blond, suspicious guard turned to look at me and my coven.
“What are your names?” he questioned.
None of us said a word, and the rest of his men looked equally confused as they glanced at each other.
“Well?” the blond pushed.
No one said a word for a minute or two, and I was growing worried. If someone didn’t say something, we’d surely be caught in our lie.
“Are you mute, deaf, dumb, or all three?” the guard snapped. “Speak now!”
Before I could open my mouth to come up with something, Vesta coughed awkwardly and then cleared her throat.
“Um… I’m sorry, but I lied before,” she said in a pleading voice, “I’m a servant of Duke Malik, and I ran away… I also brought others with me. I confessed this all to Gareth after we made love, and he swore he would bring me back to the village to await my fate.”
“Is this true, sir?” the blond guard asked as he turned to the possessed man.
“As I said, I must bring them to Greenwood, alive,” Gareth said, “and in one piece.”
The blond guard’s eyes shifted from Gareth to Vesta, and his mouth curled up in disgust as he stared at her.
“And why should I believe one word that comes out of your whore mouth?” he snarled. “Everyone knows a servant is never to be trusted, especially ones who spread their legs so easily.”
The air had shifted, and I knew something was wrong. I knew this man would be a problem.
“I must bring them to the village in one piece,” Gareth repeated.
The blond guard ignored Gareth, and there was a wild look in his eyes. Then, as quick as a whip, he drew out his sword, and I knew if I didn’t say something, things were going to turn ugly, and real quick.
So, I had to give Gareth one more command.
“Tell him that if he doesn’t obey your orders, you will kill him on the spot,” I whispered with my hand over my mouth. “Kill him if you have to make a point.”
“What the hell did you say, scumbag?” the blond growled as he stared hard at me. “Say it a little louder so the rest of us can hear.”
“I didn’t say anything.” I shrugged. “What would I have to say? I’m nothing but a lowly servant who ran away from his master.”
I smirked at him, and I knew it would get on his nerves.
“Then I should kill you right now.” The blond glared at me, pointed his sword right at my throat, and took a step forward. “If you’re nothing but a lowly servant, then we can always find the duke a replacement. Why wait? We all know what the Duke does to those who disobey him. I’d be doing him a favor if I killed you all now.”
He took a step closer to me, but I stood my ground. I didn’t move an inch, even when he raised his sword high above his head, ready to bring it down on my skull. I stood as still as a statue, and the witches all gasped in fear. Then his silver blade came down like a blur, but just before he could cut my head open, Gareth raised his own sword and swung it in one quick strike.
With one blow, the possessed guard skillfully managed to cut the blond man’s head off. It parted from his neck, fell to the forest floor, and slowly rolled toward us. It stopped, face-up, and his final expression was a mixture of surprise and pain. All the witches, aside from Akira, looked down in disgust, but the black-haired enchanted witch just kicked the head away from her feet and shrugged.
The other knights all looked petrified, and each one of them took a step back, away from Gareth. They turned pale, and each one gulped in fear.
“As I said, we will be taking them to Greenwood, alive and in one piece,” Gareth commanded in his hollow voice. “Is that understood?”
The knights all nodded and kept their mouths in a tight line.
Gareth then turned around, and we followed him through the woods in silence. Our footsteps echoed as we moved at a steady pace, and I occasionally glanced up at the sky, just to make sure the red star was still guiding our way. It was growing closer, and I knew we’d soon reach the outskirts of the forest and arrive at the village.
Soon, the stench of dead leaves and rotting wood disappeared, and the air rapidly grew thick with something else. It smelled like smoke, cooked meat, and burning wood, and I repressed the urge to smile in satisfaction. I knew we were getting closer to the village. This plan had actually worked, and we were nearly there. I just hoped we’d make it before the possession spell faded. Gareth was our only foolproof way of getting through the castle doors.
Please, Satan. Let this crazy fucking plan work.
As we continued to walk through the dead forest, I noticed Gareth was starting to stumble every now and then, and I was growing more and more worried that the spell would diminish at any moment. If this man dropped dead on the forest floor, then we would be seriously fucked. Gareth’s guards may not have been the sharpest tools in the shed, but surely they would figure us out if worse came to worse. We wouldn’t even be able to use our magic because each knight was wearing spell-proof armor, and it was about fifteen men against us five.
All I could do was hope Gareth would last just a little bit longer.
As we followed a stumbling Gareth through the thicket, I couldn’t help but feel as if we were all being watched. I could sense a presence hiding behind the black tree trunks and prickly branches, and when I discreetly turned my neck, a shiver crawled down my spine.
Then I spotted bright yellow eyes following our every move.
There was also a bloodthirsty presence lingering in the air, and I knew the only reason why nothing was attacking us was because we had the knights’ protection. I’d read about the beasts under the spells of the elder gods that protected the Duke’s village. They were magical mutations that could tear a witch limb from limb in seconds. Confronting one at a time was an obstacle, but facing more than one at a time would result in instant death. There was no way around it. These were the deadliest woods known in magical history, and the only reason we were alive was because of this lie we successfully created.
Finally, we came to an opening, and I repressed the urge to sigh with relief as soon as we saw a large green field and a descending hill that led to a large towering black gate in front of us.
“We have arrived at the gates, my prisoner,” Gareth said to me. “Soon, we will be at the castle.”
“What was that, sir?” another knight asked.
I didn’t say a word as Gareth ignored him and headed downhill. We followed him to the gates, which were made of black iron and sharpened at the tips, no doubt to prevent intruders from climbing over. There were two stone towers on the other side of the gate, and I knew there were guards up there. This entire place had an unwelcoming feeling about it, and I could sense poverty, anguish, and hatred lurking behind the gates and within the village. I knew this was going to be a nasty place, filled with religious fanatics and followers, and I suspected the villagers were wallowing in filth, bitterness, and anger, since they had a selfish leader they followed blindly. I almost felt sorry for them, but then I remembered how much they hated my kind, and the feeling quickly disappeared.
Fuck this place, and fuck this village.
As soon as we were in front of the gates, all the knights stopped marching behind us, and I tried not to meet their eyes as I patiently waited. Finally, Gareth looked up and then cupped his hands around his mouth.
“Open the gates!” he demanded.
Whoever was in the towers quickly obeyed his command, and the gates slowly started to pull apart. We followed Gareth inside, with his men not far behind us, and I nearly breathed a sigh of relief as I heard the gates closing. Soon, we’d be at the castle, and then we’d find the duke and kill him.
This plan had actually worked.
I looked around and studied our new surroundings. There were no proper cobbled pathways, only dirt, and the air smelled smoky and foul, like rotten meat was being cooked not too far away from here. Children were screaming as they played through the lanes of the village, and people were randomly shouting off in the distance.
“You will now command your guards to release us,” I hissed at Gareth.
“What did you say?” another guard demanded as he neared me. He had pitch black hair and cold green eyes.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I responded with a shrug.
“Why, you cheeky little--” he started, but Gareth raised a hand to shut him up.
“They will go into the village to carry out their business,” he ordered.
“What?” the dark-haired guard sneered. “But sir, you said they were your prisoners--”
“You heard me,” Gareth replied before he turned to look at me and my coven. “Go ahead.”
“Let’s go,” I whispered to the others, and we left the confused knights by the gate before they could come to their senses and question their captain.
The village was straight ahead, and we walked through the markets, across dirt pathways and past old taverns and other small businesses. Villagers cursed at us as we pushed past them, but we ignored them as we tried to find a good hiding spot to reconvene. Just because we were released by the guards didn’t mean we were safe in this witch hating village.
Finally, we came across a small, gray and white stone house with a chipped roof and broken steps leading up to a blue door. Something told me there was no one inside, so I turned in that direction.
“Follow me!” I said to the others.
I sprinted up the broken steps and pushed the door open, and we all spilled inside. Then we took a moment to steady our nerves. We were in someone’s dirty kitchen, and we could hear shouting outside the small window. There was a table with stacked up plates and empty wooden mugs, and I gestured for the others to hide underneath it.
“Get under there,” I instructed, and we all scooted under the table. “It’s better if no one takes notice of us… we’ll need to come up with a disguise before we head to the castle.”
“What a smart, lovely idea, Cole,” Akira giggled. “You’re always coming up with the best ideas. It is why I love you so much. I’m so happy you are my master.”
The other witches rolled their eyes, but I couldn’t help but snicker.
“Akira, I command you to return to normal,” I said, and the short-haired witch shook her head and looked at each of us in confusion.
“Shit,” she muttered. “Now what the hell do we do? And Cole, don’t ever fucking do that again.”
“Be careful,” I warned her. “Or I’ll do it again.”
The black-eyed witch shut up, but she was right. So far, our situation wasn’t looking ideal, since we still had no way to get into the castle unnoticed unless we came up with a disguise.
“So, part one went according to plan, and now we just need to think of part two,” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “We still have the star to guide our way and make it to the castle before the duke sends his army to Scholomance Academy.”
“We’ll stick out like sore thumbs,” Morgana pointed out as she chewed on her lower lip. “How are we going to make it to the castle without being noticed? Everyone here is dirt poor, and we look like we can at least afford proper clothing.”
“Like I said, we’ll need disguises,” I said after a moment.
“Okay, well, do you have a specific idea?” Faye asked as she rolled her green-gold eyes.
“Give me a moment,” I muttered.
I couldn’t hear anyone or anything outside of the kitchen window, so I crawled out from under the table and looked around. Behind the kitchen, there was another room with a door that was wide open, and I could see a small garden with clothes hanging from a line to dry. They were tattered and old looking, and I knew if we dressed like ordinary mortal villagers, then we’d have a chance of at least getting closer to the castle.
So, I ran back to the kitchen and knelt down to be on level with my coven.
“Come on out,” I ordered, “and be quick.”
The witches all scurried out from beneath the table and followed me through the open back door and into the garden.
“See these clothes?” I said as I pointed to them. “We’re going to slip into those.”
“And what, just walk up to the castle?” Akira snorted. “What makes you think that will even work?”
“We’ll figure out how to get inside once we reach the castle,” I said as patiently as possible. “One problem at a time, Akira. Our first obstacle is walking through this fucking village without being caught.”
“He’s right.” Morgana nodded. “Everyone will be looking at us if we walk around dressed like this. We can’t stand out.”
“Fine,” Akira relented, “let’s just get this over with.”
We scrambled to throw on the commoners’ garb. Most of them were oversized shirts and blankets, but they would do the trick.
“Use the blankets like cloaks,” I instructed, “and make sure to cover your face. Only leave your eyes exposed.”
My coven nodded and wrapped themselves in the clothing, but as soon as we were ready to leave, we heard someone moving around inside the house. An old woman, with gray hair and a long, brown peasant dress was standing in the garden with her hands on her full, fat hips, and a scowl on her face.
“Hey!” she called out. “Thieves! Help, guards, someone help! There are thieves in my garden!”
We needed to shut her up and fast. Luckily, I remembered how we had calmed that monstrous book in class. If it could work on a book, then as Morgana had said in class, it could also work on a person, even if it was only temporary. So, I quickly pulled my wand out from my waistband and pointed it at the old woman.
“Witches,” she breathed in horror as her eyes widened, and it seemed like she was about to scream.
“That’s right, bitch.” I grinned before I flicked the wand. “Tranquillum!”
The old woman’s face glowed, and her thin mouth slowly formed into a serene smile. She no longer looked horrified and angry. Instead, she glanced at each one of us as if we were her grandchildren.
“Well, now,” she sighed, and her eyes were utterly dreamlike, “what are you doing with my old blankets, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“We needed to borrow something to wear.” I smiled. “We knew you wouldn’t mind.”
“Oh, I don’t mind at all.” She waved a hand lazily through the air. “Please, feel free to take whatever you need. In fact, why don’t you all stay for a luncheon? I have plenty of food to share. Or maybe you’d prefer to wear something else? I have a whole chest filled with clothing that you can borrow.”
Morgana pinched my arm to get my attention, and when I turned to look at her, her wide blue eyes were filled with panic.
“We need to go, now!” the brunette whispered. “The spell only lasts for a few minutes, and if we’re still here, she’ll surely draw attention if she starts screaming again.”
“I know.” I nodded before I turned to look at the old woman again and smiled. “Sorry, we have to go. Maybe another time.”
“Oh, of course, dear,” she replied with a broad grin. “I completely understand. You all have a nice day now.”
We quickly threw on the blankets and kept our wands hidden underneath them. Everyone was hooded, and our faces were covered entirely, except for our eyes. I knew that this plan was insane, but it was our only option. Every single guard in the village was probably looking for us by now, but this was our only chance, and we had to take it.
“Let’s go,” I said.
My coven nodded, and the old woman smiled at us with her head tilted to the side as she watched us leave. She even waved as we swept through her small, stone house and out through the front door.
Once we were outside, I glanced up, and the red star was nearly dying as it faintly hung above us in the early morning sky.
“We must be close,” I whispered. “Come on.”
We walked as quickly as possible past the rows of identical houses and small gardens. No one paid us any attention, and soon, we came across a small drawbridge, with murky, gray water running underneath it. We could see the grand castle on the other side, and it was surrounded by a moat, which would make sneaking in more strenuous. I wasn’t surprised to see the duke’s magnificently scaled palace had so many reinforcements to prevent attacks. The castle was breathtaking, and it towered up to at least twenty stories high, with a black iron gate that surrounded the keep. Even if it was the home of our sworn enemy, the castle looked like it came straight out of a fairytale. It stood tall against the bright blue sky and was made of pale stone.
Satan, the structure was built out of perfection, and it appeared as if every single stone were equal in size and shape. The windows were grand and made of stained glass that sparkled even from afar, and I could also see gold statues, placed on each side of the gate, shimmering below the pale sunlight. The expensive and beautiful chateau was a sharp contrast against the dirty and poor village, so the duke clearly used all his finances for personal gain.
“Well, there it is,” Vesta breathed as we ducked into an alley. “But now what? They wouldn’t just let a group of beggars waltz right into the castle. Especially a castle as beautiful and rich as that one.”
“I know,” I groaned and dragged my fingers through my hair. “Let me think for a moment.”
I stared at the bridge and at the dirty water below, and that’s when I had an idea.
“Well, we obviously need to get across this bridge first--” I said.
Akira suddenly took a step forward, but I stopped her from going any further.
“What the hell, Cole?” she demanded. “You just said we need to get across the bridge.”
“Yeah, but not like that,” I replied. “We’re going to go underneath it. Did you honestly think you could just walk over there?”
“We could take on the guards,” she argued as she lifted her chin stubbornly. “Fuck it, I’d rather do that then keep sneaking around.”
“No, we need to sneak in,” I countered. “And swimming past the moat is how we’re going to do it.”
“You mean… ” Faye trailed off as she scrunched up her freckled nose. “We’re going to swim in that water?”
“Oh, hell no, that water looks like shit,” Akira moaned as she squinted her eyes. “Literally… I can see pieces of shit floating on the surface.”
“Would you rather take your chances with the guards who are waiting on the other side?” I asked with a cocked eyebrow. “When they take off that blanket and get one good look at you, they’ll kill you, or worse. Is that what you want?”
The witches’ eyes all shifted to each other. They knew I was right, and this was one the only way inside. We had to be slick, smart, and careful.
“Alright,” Akira finally grunted and averted her coal black gaze. “Fine, let’s go.”
I checked behind us to make sure no one was following or spying on us. Then we slowly made our way down, below the bridge. It smelled strongly of wet soil, fish, and shit, and the witches groaned softly under their breaths as they studied the filthy water.
“Take off the blankets,” I ordered. “There’s no point wearing them now. They will only weigh us down.”
So, we quickly took off our disguises and tossed them into the water. Then we watched as they floated away, and we all took a deep breath before stepping into the water. All the witches looked absolutely mortified as we waded through the mud and slowly submerged ourselves in the gray, stagnant creek, but I carefully schooled my expression.
“This is the most disgusting thing we’ve ever done.” Akira gagged as we swam through the water. “And I’m not exaggerating.”
“Yeah, it’s so disgusting no one in their right mind would do it,” I muttered, “that’s why this is the perfect plan.”
“He’s right,” Vesta said, “so stop bitching, Akira.”
The black-haired witch scoffed but remained quiet until we reached the small patch of land surrounding the outside of the castle. We all climbed out of the water and pressed ourselves against the stone wall, and when I looked down, I spotted a small opening on the side of the castle, which I suspected was one of the garderobes. There was a chute with bars over it, and I knew that would be our only way in. Moss was growing below it, and the stones were slick with grime. The opening was narrow, but it was large enough to squeeze through.
“Morgana, can you get rid of those bars?” I asked. “See that small opening? It’s just big enough for us to sneak through--”
“Oh, hell no, wait one moment,” Akira hissed. “You want us to go through the garderobe chute? Are you serious?”
“Would you rather die?” I asked. “Along with the entire school?”
“Fuck me,” she sighed after a moment. “Do we really have no other way in?”
“We’re already filthy,” Faye grumbled as she gestured to her sordid clothes, “so might as well go through with Cole’s plan.”
Just then, we heard a group of voices just above us, and I gestured for everyone to keep quiet.
“Nah,” a deep voice said. “No one has located them yet, but tell the duke not to worry, I’m sure we’ll catch them soon enough. Once we do, we’ll kill them and continue with the plan to attack the school.”
“You’d better,” another voice answered. “Or you’ll be sorry.”
Heavy footsteps followed, and then silence filled the air.
When I was sure we were in the clear, I turned to Morgana and pointed to the chute, and she nodded and quickly pulled out her wand.
“Evanescet,” she whispered.
The bars disappeared in the blink of an eye, and one by one, we all managed to squeeze through. The stench was overwhelming, and it made my eyes water, but it was the only way in. We climbed up through the drain, which was covered in shit, sludge, and moss. We could hear rats in the distance, and I tried my best not to shiver in disgust each time my hand came into contact with something that squished under my weight. Finally, I could see the light above me. Then I squeezed through the wooden hole and gasped for fresh air as I quietly climbed out of the privy.
“Unholy shit,” Akira panted as soon as we were free, “let’s all agree to never speak of this again.”
I looked around the plain medieval bathroom, and when I glanced down at the wooden platform with a hole in the middle, I still couldn’t believe that’s how we had decided to sneak in.
“Agreed,” I grunted. “Let’s go.”
“Oh, wait,” Morgana said as she looked at each of us. “Mundus!”
A light hit all of us, and I instantly felt cleaner. Then, when I looked down at my white button-down shirt, I noticed it was dry and not covered in shit or grimy water.
“Morgana,” Akira sighed with a small smile, “I love you.”
“Don’t mention it.” The brunette grinned.
“Come on,” I said, “we have to find the duke.”
We quietly slipped through the bathroom door, and we all gasped when we entered the adjoining room. It was a magnificent chamber, covered from floor to ceiling in gold. There were golden dog statues in every corner of the room, a gold chandelier that hung from the ceiling, and even the bedsheets were gold.
“This must be his bedroom,” Morgana whispered in awe, but I could also detect a hint of disgust in her voice. “I bet those other schools provide him with all the riches he could ever want… fucking traitors.”
I looked around, uninterested in his riches, or how he came about them. Then I heard a deep, low growl, and I turned to the others.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered.
“Hear what?” Faye asked with a frown.
“I thought I heard something growl,” I muttered.
Faye opened her mouth to respond, but then she gasped and nearly fell backward.
I turned to see what she was looking at, and for a moment, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Then one of the golden dogs blinked, bared its teeth at me, stood on all fours, and took a step forward. The gold beast was the size of a giant wolf, but its snout appeared twice as large. It was a deadly, but beautiful creature with glossy, gold fur that shimmered as it moved toward us.
My heart started hammering in my chest as I looked around and counted four of the gold beasts in total. My coven and I were all huddled into a circle with our wands extended, and we pointed them at the enchanted creatures.
“Remember that crazy night in the woods?” I said in a low voice as my brain churned through a plan. “Faye, Akira, Vesta… take over the dogs. Morgana, keep an eye on the door. As soon as it opens, lock the door behind the guards. They’re coming… I can feel it.”
“Got it,” Morgana replied with her chin raised.
The largest dog neared me, and I met its shimmering golden eyes. Its stance was confident, and its eyes were filled with a primal bloodthirst. Then I pointed my wand right at it and cleared my mind.
Not only were we faced with the dogs, but I could feel the heavy footsteps and voices of the guards growing louder. They were coming. They knew we were here, and they were ready to kill us.
But I wasn’t about to let that happen.
“We’ll be surrounded soon,” I murmured.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded right now,” Akira gritted out through her teeth. “Cole… what’s the fucking plan?”
“Follow my lead,” I replied. “Take over the dogs like Evanora taught us.”
“Alright.” The black-haired witch nodded.
“Faye,” I added, “are you ready for the ultimate test?”
“Depends,” she answered in a shaky voice. “What is it?”
“I need you to control the dogs while we possess them,” I said.
“That’s not possible, Cole,” the redhead gasped as her green eyes nearly popped out from her head. “We can either do one or the other.”
“I command you to do both,” I growled. “You’re the best with animal control, you can do this. That’s an order.”
“Yes, master,” the redhead replied, and I knew she was under the effects of the Blood Pact now.
So, I turned back to the dog facing me, and it lowered itself into a lunging position. I knew it was prepared to leap right at my throat and kill me, and I could see the eagerness in its eyes. It had been toying with me up to this point, and now it had lost its patience.
The gold dog then leaped toward me, and I pointed my wand right at its chest.
“Anima vestra!” I called out.
The others recited the same spell, and as soon as the pink lights hit the dogs, they all howled and took a step back. They started to shake, and I could feel their life-force surging through my own body. My ears began to pound, and my heart was beating like a hummingbird’s wings. My eyesight became clearer, and all my senses were on high alert. I could also feel my teeth sharpening and my nails growing. Then the golden dogs fell to the floor, lifeless as the statues they started off as.
A moment later, the bedroom doors flew open, and a group of guards were facing us. They all wore golden, spell-proof armor with a crest of a black, naked tree, but that wouldn’t protect them for long.
Not when we harnessed the power of the golden guard dogs.
“Now, Morgana!” I called out.
“Cincinno!” she yelled.
The doors of the bedroom shut themselves, and a clicking sound followed. The guards all whipped their heads around and stared at the doors for a long moment, and finally, a large, bulky man took a step forward and looked me right in the eye.
“Fancy little trick,” he growled, “but you’re no match for our weapons.”
“We’ll see about that.” I grinned before I turned to the other witches.
Vesta, Akira, and Faye all had golden eyes, and their teeth and nails were sharpened and elongated like a wolf’s claws. They were hungry and ready to attack.
“Now, Faye!” I hissed.
The redheaded witch whipped around, and with her new, sharp fangs, she bit into her own skin and drew blood. She then aimed her wand at the carnivorous golden dogs and muttered the blood possession spell. A wind picked up, and the golden dogs slowly stood and faced the guards with white, soulless eyes.
“Kill them,” I ordered.
Then we all lunged for the guards.
My eyes landed back on the head guard, and I grinned before I attacked him. He tried to swing his sword in my direction, but I was too quick. With my newfound instincts, I could predict his every step and swing, so I tackled him down to the ground, and his sword went flying from his hand. His eyes widened in shock as he reached up to grab at my neck, and he curled his fingers around my throat to try and stop me from biting his face off. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I fought back, and my heart pounded in my chest. I could also hear the other witches fighting, and with Faye’s mind control, the golden dogs were simultaneously digging into flesh and devouring the guards.
As I looked back at my prey, I widened my jaw and felt hot blood coursing through my body. It felt like every nerve inside me was on fire as I overcame the guard’s hold on my neck, and his arm began to tremble as I slowly bent down and neared his throat.
With all my strength, I managed to lower myself down to his Adam’s apple. Then he lost his grip on me, and I opened my mouth and bit down as hard as I could. I ripped the tender skin at this throat and tore him open. Warm, salty blood filled my mouth, and I swallowed his flesh. Dark, nearly black blood seeped from his wound, and he stared up at the ceiling in disbelief and gurgled his last breath.
I thought we had killed each guard until I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around, and a man who was severely wounded but still alive struggled to rise. He was right behind Akira, and when he sat up, he pulled out a dirk. Then he raised his bloody, trembling arm, and was ready to stab the short-haired witch while her back was turned, since she was too busy eating her kill to notice anything.
“Akira, look out!” I called out.
As soon as she raised her head, the guard brought down his weapon and stabbed her right in the middle of her back. She howled like a wild dog in terrible pain and whipped around in a feral fury. Then she pounced on the guard and dug her fingernails into his eye sockets. She used her sharpened claws to scoop out his eyeballs, and he cried out in pain as she plucked them out from his skull. She dangled them in the air as if to tease him, even though he couldn’t see a thing, before she lowered them into her mouth and ate them.
“Delicious,” she purred as she licked her mouth.
I turned to find another enemy, but I saw the rest of my coven had taken care of everyone. The guards were now dead, and our animal instincts and unnatural power had faded away. All the witches were breathing hard and had blood dripping from their mouths and hands, and the golden dogs had also stopped eating and turned to look at Faye.
“Morgana,” I said in a deadly calm voice, “open the door.”
“What?” she asked as she turned to me with a frown. “But--”
“You heard me,” I cut her off.
I was tired of playing around. I was ready to face this maniac once and for all. I’d been training and preparing for ages now, and it was time to put my knowledge to the ultimate test.
The brunette nodded, obediently raised her hand, and pointed her wand at the large, golden doors. Her eyes were filled with panic, and her full lips were pale. I knew she was consumed with fear, and I couldn’t blame her.
We all knew who was waiting on the other side.
“Patentibus,” Morgana muttered.
As soon as the doors swung open, darkness swept over the room. The daylight that had been peeking through the windows vanished, and the air grew frigid and icy cold. Frost started to seep up the walls, coat my eyelashes, and cling onto my skin, and when I breathed, a cloud of silver mist emerged from my mouth. The dead guards all turned purple, and their skin cracked as if they were made out of marble. Within moments, I couldn’t feel my fingertips or my skin. I couldn’t feel anything except this pure, evil cold.
Then a shadow appeared at the threshold, and a man, hooded and cloaked, glided through the doors.
“We finally meet, Cole,” his voice echoed.
He then pulled back his robe to reveal himself, and my mouth parted in surprise when I realized I wasn’t looking at a man.
I was looking upon the face of a monster.
“I’m Duke Malik,” the beast said with a wicked grin. “Welcome to my castle… students of Scholomance.”