Scholomance students gathered all around us when we landed in the banquet hall, and their cheers and applause were deafening.
I’d been squeezing the key so hard I managed to reopen my wound, so when I opened my hand to stare down at the artifact, dark blood coated the entire thing.
We slowly sat up, and witches clapped our backs and cheered as we stood on shaky legs. The air felt cheerful until I glanced around the hall and met a pair of dark eyes. The Mors Academy professor was glaring right at me, and his eyes screamed murder. I could feel his hatred and ill-intent from across the massive hall, and if he could get away with it, I knew he would kill me with his bare hands.
When I averted my eyes away from his cold ones, I spotted Malcolm. He was giving me the same menacing look, and I briefly wondered if he was the only one who made it back alive. He stood among his classmates, and not one of them smiled or cheered. They remained still, with their arms crossed and shadows over their faces.
“Well done, Cole,” a familiar voice said.
The soothing voice broke me away from my trance, and I turned to see Theodora smiling at me.
“Thank you, Headmistress.” I grinned.
“The key, if you please,” she said as she extended her hand.
I dropped the bloody key into the palm of her hand, and she nodded. Then she turned aside and faced the sea of cheering Scholomance students. In the crowd, I spotted the unattractive headmistress and the Vipera academy. Those witches remained neutral faced as they lightly clapped, aside from Nyx, Ash, Esther, and Lena, who were huddled together with venom in their eyes.
“Now,” Theodora roared with her arms up in the air. “There will be a dinner tonight to honor those who made it back alive and in one piece, as well as the victors, of course.”
The witches applauded even harder, and I wanted to smile, but for some reason, the thought of eating held no appeal to me. Instead, I wanted to return to my room and do some research in those ancient books. I felt as if there was something Theodora wanted me to find, but I had no idea what.
When Theodora turned around, I leaned forward to whisper into her ear.
“I think I’m going to slip off,” I muttered.
“Is everything alright?” she asked as she glanced at me.
“Yes, I’m just tired,” I lied.
“I’m sure you all are.” She nodded before she turned back to stare at the crowd before her. “The contestants shall go and rest and clean up before dinner is served.”
“Thank Satan,” Akira muttered beside me.
Theodora turned to face me and winked. “You don’t have to attend if you don’t feel up to it.”
“Thank you, Headmistress.” I smiled.
I marched past Theodora and gestured for my coven to follow, and the crowd parted for us as we made our way through the banquet hall and toward the doors. When we slipped out and closed the door behind us, I could hear the students return to their cheering and chattering.
My coven and I headed to our room, and minutes later, we passed by a sleeping Alexander on the common room couch.
The women split off to go to their own room, and I headed to my own quarters. Once inside my bedroom, I cleaned myself up and put on a fresh set of clothing, and then I sat down at my desk and studied book after book. The thought of joining the others for dinner did cross my mind once or twice, but I was determined to find what I was looking for. I knew as soon as I came across it, my instincts would tell me.
When I came across a deep, green velvet book, I narrowed my eyes at the title.
“Pracpeditis Numidarum Inferorum Animas Excitat,” I read aloud.
I opened the book and realized it was the study of tethered souls. Theodora had mentioned something about the stone in her office that allowed Wicca to communicate with souls torn in between worlds, and as my eyes devoured the information, I came across a chapter that explained an ancient method for summoning lost souls.
I had to draw a pentagram on the floor and place a candle at each corner, so I found an old piece of chalk in one of the drawers, and I began to follow the instructions in the book. When I was done, I placed a candle on each corner and read the incantation.
“Ego te ab ignotis,” I chanted.
Nothing happened, and I cursed under my breath.
“Ego te ab ignotis!” I repeated, only much louder this time.
The air remained still, and when it was clear the spell didn’t work, I shut the book in frustration and tossed it back onto the desk.
I was thinking about going down to the banquet hall until there was a gentle knock on the door. I quickly strode to the threshold and turned the knob, and my mouth hung open as I stared at the vision before me.
Akira was standing there, and coincidently, she was wearing a pentagram leather shaped bra that exposed her creamy and perky breasts. Her dark nipples glowed under the candlelight, and the only other things she was wearing was her school-girl mini skirt and blocky, black high-heels. I could see the edges of her black underwear peeking through the top of her skirt. The lacy fabric hugged her sharp hip bones, and blood rushed to my cock at the sight of her.
“Hey,” she purred.
Her dark eyes were lined with a thick, black eyeliner that reminded me of a wild, feral cat, and her red painted lips parted open as she eyed me from head to toe.
“You weren’t hungry, I take it?” I smirked.
“I was hungry.” She grinned. “But for something else. Remember how you promised me some cream if I was a good girl?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
“I think I’ve been a good girl for you. So, now I want all your cream.” She reached up and chewed on my earlobe while her hand found its way down my pants, and then she gently grabbed my cock and began to rub the shaft.
“I want you to fuck me until I’m screaming your name,” she whispered into my ear. “The way you took control like that in the game, all I could think about was fucking your brains out while we were out there.”
“I--” I started to say, but then she bit down on my lobe hard enough to draw blood.
“You don’t talk unless I say so,” she purred. “This time, I want you to do as I say.”
There was something so incredibly sexy about her demand for control, so I smirked, grabbed her by the waist, and yanked her forward.
“I’ll allow it,” I growled. “But I’ll decide when it’s my turn.”
“Deal,” Akira breathed before she licked my bottom lip.
Her full lips pressed against mine, and her wet, hot tongue slipped into my mouth. Her kiss grew more demanding, and she pressed her naked breasts against my chest as she snaked her tongue with mine.
I reached under her skirt, and I gently pulled down her small black thong. Once it had slid down her long legs, she kicked them free.
“Now, undress,” she ordered me with an arched eyebrow.
I was growing more and more aroused by her demanding attitude, and as soon as I stripped naked, she pushed me back into my room and down onto the bed before she climbed on top of me. Then the short-haired witch spread her legs apart and placed one on each side of me. Her wet pussy hovered over my erect, throbbing cock, and she grinned as she remained perched over my splayed body.
“Ooooh,” she cooed, and she stared down at my rock-hard shaft with excitement in her dark eyes.
“Well?” I asked and smirked. “Are you just going to stare at it?
Akira bent down and locked eyes with me before she began to lick the tip of my dick. Her lips curled into a small smile as she slowly took me inside her mouth, and she moaned as she bobbed her head back and forth. Her red tongue ran from my base to the tip, and pleasure coursed through me. I let out a ragged breath before she planted a small kiss on the tip of my cock, and I let out a groan as she hoisted herself upright and licked her lips.
“Now, I want you to rub that hard cock against my wet pussy,” she hissed. “Don’t put it in until I beg you to.”
“As you wish,” I chuckled.
I reached down and teased her wet folds with the tip of my cock, and the more I neared her wet hole, the more she moaned and gasped. I tapped her with my mushroom shaped head, and she began to get closer and closer, but each time she did, I pulled away just in time.
“N-Now,” she panted and arched her back so her leather wrapped tits pushed into my face. “I can’t wait any longer. Cole, I want you to fuck me.”
“Actually.” I grinned. “I think I’ll wait a little longer.”
“Noooo," she groaned as she writhed on top of me. “Cole, please, please, fuck me now. It’s throbbing so badly, it hurts. I need you inside me.”
“Beg me,” I ordered. “Beg me until I do it.”
“Pleeeeeease,” she mewled and started to rock against my throbbing shaft. “Please, Cole. Please, Master, fuck me, hard. I need you to be deep inside of me. I need your creamy cum filling up my pussy.”
“Good girl.” I grinned before I slowly slid inside her.
Akira’s dark eyes closed, and she slowly parted her red lips as I pushed in deeper. A guttural groan rattled out of her throat as I bottomed out in her pussy, and then she grinned in pleasure when I grabbed onto her sides and dug my nails into her skin.
I moved her body in faster motions, and she gasped and slammed her hands down on my chest. Her nails were now biting into my flesh, and when she opened her black eyes, she stared deeply into mine. There was something so erotic about how she refused to break eye contact as she rocked back and forth, and then she slowly licked her lips and moaned quietly before leaning down to whisper into my ear.
“Satan, your cock fills me up,” she panted. “I want all of you inside me. Don’t you dare stop what you’re doing.”
“Shut up and ride my cock,” I breathed.
“Make me,” Akira panted. “Make me shut up, Master.”
With our sweat coated bodies still connected, I reached up and stuck my thumb into her mouth. She gently sucked on the appendage and smiled before she nibbled on it. Then I pulled out my thumb and gently wrapped my hand around her pale neck.
“Tighter,” she panted.
I flexed my fingers, and her pussy clenched as she sped up her movements. Her tits bounced in their leather, pentagram harness as she thrust against me wildly, and her cheeks flushed a deep red as her breathing grew more demanding. Then her moans became louder, and her eyes widened, and I knew she was at her threshold.
“I order you not to cum yet,” I said as I grinned and gripped her harder.
“No,” she panted, “Cole, don’t be a son of a bitch--”
“I command you,” I growled.
A sharp moan escaped her lips as I thrust deeper into her, and she bit down on her lower lip and drew blood. The crimson liquid trickled down her chin, and I reached up to lick it off her. She tasted so salty and sweet, and as I moved her up and down my cock, she leaned over, bit down on my shoulder, and moaned for more.
“Cole,” Akira whimpered as she bounced in a rough and wild rhythm, but I kept my grip on her hips tight as I guided her up and down my cock. Her juices were flowing like rain and puddling on my stomach and balls, so I knew she was near orgasm.
“Do you want more?” I teased. “What if I stopped right now? What would you do?”
“D-Don’t stop,” she growled. “I’d fucking kill you if you stopped.”
I chuckled, and as she bounced up and down, I grabbed her leather bound breasts. She groaned and panted as her movements became erratic, and I harshly pincher her pebbled nipples to make her go crazy. I could feel my own orgasm bubbling to the surface, but before I exploded inside her, I whispered into her ear.
“Cum now,” I demanded. “And cum as hard as you can.”
“Cooolllleeeeeee!” Akira screamed out a long moan, and her wet, hot pussy clenched and unclenched as I began to spray my seed deep into her womb.
“Yesssss,” I growled as I grabbed her ass and pulled her down harder onto my cock.
“Ohhhh, soooo muchhhhh, Coleeeee.” The black-eyed witch gasped for air as she collapsed against me, and my cock throbbed and poured my cum into her spasming pussy for several minutes.
It really felt like I’d painted the inside of her pussy with a gallon of my cream, but finally our climaxes ended, and we both gasped for breath as she fell against my chest.
“Damn,” she whispered.
“Did you get all the cream you wanted?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Akira purred into my ear. “Lots of cream. I’m filled up to the brim with you. Fuck. Your cock is still really hard inside of me.”
“Well, if you had told me you wanted to be filled up more, I could give you more.”
“I want more,” she whispered as she pulled her face away from my ear so she could look at me. “Make me cum again, and cum deep inside of me again.”
“I give the orders,” I laughed.
“Please, Cole,” she whined. “You still feel so hard and hot in me. I want to be flooded.”
I didn’t say anything else, I just flipped her over onto her back and began to plow into her tight body again. She was wetter than a lake during a rainstorm, and every thrust inside of her tight tunnel caused a bit of my sperm to drip out of her and trickle down to her puckered asshole.
Finally, Akira’s moans and orgasm peaked again, and we both cried out as our releases flooded her tunnel once more.
“Fuck,” she gasped after we had both come down for a second time. “I think this is the most you’ve ever put in me.”
“Let’s see,” I said as I slid my cock out from between her tan pussy lips.
As soon as my cock had left Akira’s accepting body, her tunnel let out a cute little gasp, and then a river of my cum flowed out of her and dripped down onto the bed.
“Yeah,” she laughed as she leaned her head up. “Look at that. My entire body is filled with your cream.”
“Hmm,” I moaned. “Looks like I did a good job. Makes me wonder how easily you would bear me a child.”
Akira’s dark eyes opened wide as she stared at me.
“Cat got your tongue for once?” I snickered.
“Do… is… is… that what you want?” she asked. “I thought you were joking last time.”
“Oh, the four of you will give me children soon,” I said. “Your bodies and wombs belong to me, after all, and our brood will be very powerful.”
“Okay,” Akira whispered hesitantly.
“How do you keep from getting pregnant?” I asked.
“It’s a ritual every morning,” she explained.
“So, I could order you not to do the ritual tomorrow, and you’d probably become pregnant?” I asked.
“Well… ” she hesitated. “If your seed took in my womb.”
“Seems like there is plenty of my cum dripping out of you,” I chuckled as I gestured to her well fucked pussy.
“Yes,” Akira whispered, as her cheeks began to flush a bit. “It would take.”
“I think you’ve hated me the most,” I said. “But now… I dunno… I--”
“Please, Cole,” she whispered meekly.
“Please?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow.
“Please don’t command me to speak the truth,” she whimpered. “That is what you are about to do, isn’t it?”
“Ahhh,” I chuckled. “But now I have to. Akira, do you want to feel my child growing in your womb? Do you want to give me a baby?”
“Yessss,” she gasped, and then her hands moved to cover her mouth as her eyes narrowed at me.
“That’s what I thought,” I laughed again. “I wondered as much when you kept begging for my cream.”
“Fuck you, Cole,” she groaned through her fingers covering her mouth.
“Your spicy words lack a lot of conviction now that I know you really want my baby,” I laughed, and then I rolled over onto my back and pointed at my half-erect cock. “Lick me clean, and then you can go back to your room and rest.”
“Yes, Cole,” Akira said, and then she came up onto her elbows so she could take my tip into her mouth.
Out of all my women, Akira had the most aggressive and greedy mouth, and she tended to moan and whimper dramatically whenever she had my cock between her lips. In half a moment, I was hard as a steel rod again, and ten minutes later I was gasping as my third orgasm of the night poured down her esophagus and into her stomach.
“Now, you are clean,” she muttered as she licked the last drops of my cum out of the tip of my cock, “and I’m filled everywhere.”
“You did well,” I sighed as she lifted herself off me and flashed me a satisfied smile.
“What… what about this?” she asked as she pointed to the white cream trickling down her quivering thighs.
“You can perform your ritual tomorrow,” I said. “As I said before, we have a few things to do before I want you all to become pregnant, but you all will give me children… eventually.”
“Yes, Cole.” She smiled at me, and I guessed she was a bit relieved.
“You may go to bed now,” I dismissed her. “Give me a kiss first.”
“Have a good night, Cole,” she said before she kissed me. “That was amazing.”
“You’re fucking right, it was.” I grinned.
Akira bit down on my lip right before she pulled away and winked. Then she skipped toward my bedroom door and left, and I suspected she forgot her underwear on the floor on purpose.
I chuckled to myself as the door clicked shut behind her, and then I closed my eyes and leaned back into my pillow. The room still smelled of sex, and I grinned before I fell into a deep, satisfying sleep.
When I woke up, I felt utterly refreshed. I pulled off the covers and headed into the bathroom, naked, and I ignored the burnt-out candles and the pentagram on the floor on my way in.
Just because I failed the spell the first couple of times, didn’t mean I was ready to give up just yet.
“Would you care for a quick bath to start off your day, sir?” Cordelia asked, and her disembodied voice echoed through the empty bathroom.
“Yes, thank you, Cordelia.” I smiled. “That would be fan-fucking-tastic.”
The tub filled up with baby-blue water and bubbles, and when it was full, I dipped myself into the bath and let the water work its magic. All my muscles instantly relaxed, and I wished I could have stayed in longer, but our next class was Advanced Bone and Necromancy, and I didn’t want to even entertain the idea of being late.
So, I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my waist, and when I returned to my book, Alexander was lounging on my desk. I guessed he spent the night in the common room, and as soon as he saw me, his small nose twitched in the air.
I’m not sleeping in that bed until someone changes those sheets, he huffed. I could hear everything from the common room, you know. You humans are loud and take too long, in my opinion.
“Sorry about that,” I chuckled. “Cordelia, could you please change the sheets while I’m away?”
“Of course, sir,” she replied. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Alright, thanks,” I said before I rubbed Alexander’s ears, “I’m off… try not to get into too much trouble.”
Have fun, he responded in a sleepy voice.
I shook my head and headed down to the common room, and I found my witches all seated comfortably on the sofa and sipping on tea and coffee. They raised their heads and smiled when they saw me, aside from Akira, who decided to discreetly flash me a wink instead. Images of last night popped into my mind, and I had to take in a deep breath to try and regain my self-control, even though part of me just wanted to fuck her brains out all over again on that sofa.
“Did you sleep well?” Morgana asked, and I shook my head to clear my dirty thoughts before I stared at the beautiful bookworm.
“Did I sleep well?” I repeated. “Uhm--”
“I mean, you didn’t eat dinner, so I can’t imagine you had a good night,” she interjected.
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” I replied with a repressed laugh.
Akira chuckled and looked away.
“Hey, we should probably get going,” Faye said as she looked at the clock. “I want to be there early before the other team shows up.”
“Why?” Morgana asked.
“To remind them we’re better than they are at everything,” the redhead responded with a sly smile.
“I like the way you think.” Akira smirked and nodded in Faye’s direction.
“Well, let’s go, then,” Morgana said before she grabbed her books and pulled her long, curly hair back into a bun.
We left the common room and headed down to Professor Crimson’s classroom, and when we reached the doorway, I couldn’t help but take a step back and study the new room.
The walls were a ruby velvet, and the floors were sleek cherry wood. Blood red carpets covered the floor, a fireplace sat on the right side of the room, and a giant black iron candelabra hung above us. The professor’s desk was a massive piece of wooden furniture that took up most of the room’s front, and it had lion legs and a glass surface, with plenty of drawers on every side. There was also an enormous painting of another witch with bright red hair and a long dark gown that hung behind the desk. No doubt, it was someone who was related to Crimson. Possibly a mother or grandmother, since she had the same red hair and red eyes.
When I looked toward the back of the room, I spotted hundreds of books along the walls, and beneath the books were rows of long desks made out of dark redwood. Several witches had already arrived, and they were quietly taking their places.
“What a room!” Morgana exclaimed as we took our seats. “This is my favorite one so far.”
“It’s a little tacky,” Akira scoffed, and she rolled her eyes and flipped back her short hair. “You just like the books.”
“I--” Morgana opened her mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut when her pale blue eyes fixated on something by the door.
We followed her gaze and figured out what had grabbed her attention. The opposite Scholomance team was standing in the threshold, and each one of them glared or sneered in our direction. None of them said a word as they slowly headed to a desk by the back of the room, so I guessed their neutral attitude toward us during the ball had diminished.
I knew they wanted to be as far away from us as possible.
“Wow,” Akira snorted. “What the hell did they expect us to do? Just hand them the key? I don’t understand why they’re acting like a bunch of juvenile bitches.”
“Yeah, what happened to Scholomance students unite?” Morgana giggled.
“It was all troll shit,” Akira growled. “Let’s forget it. All we have to do is put up with them during class and private lessons.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Let’s all just be mature and civil about the whole thing. It will make life a little easier. By the way, I’m mostly talking to you, Akira.”
“What?” she asked with an innocent face. “Me? Are you insinuating I’m the one who always starts a fight?”
Each of my witches tilted their heads at her, and she burst out into laughter.
“Okay,” she sighed. “Fine, I’ll behave… but only because you asked me to, and I want to be a good little girl for you.”
“Thank you,” I snickered.
As more students poured in and took their seats, the room quickly began to fill up. Professor Crimson was the last one to walk in, and her long, red hair caught under the candelabra light. The stands gleamed like wet blood as she stood by her desk with her hands folded delicately in front of her, and she was wearing a long, deep red gown with a plunging neckline that showed off her small but perfectly perky tits.
“Welcome, class,” she purred. “I’m pleased to see you all here this morning. Now, there’s no time to waste. The first subject we will be tackling is a Wicca’s resurrection. Now to start off with, who can tell me a little bit about a Wicca’s resurrection?"
Morgana’s hand shot up into the air, and Akira chuckled. I could hear some other witches sigh with irritation, but the brunette didn’t seem to care.
“Yes, Morgana?” Crimson smiled. “Go on, dear.”
Morgana cleared her throat and straightened her back before she delivered her response.
“Wicca resurrection is unlike any other type of resurrection because it is considered far more dangerous and difficult than mortal resurrection. Some would even argue that raising a Wicca from the dead is considered blasphemy.”
“Which is why we only bring back a certain kind of Wicca.” Professor Crimson nodded. “When practicing these spells in a classroom, we always use a witch who has committed treason as the test subject.”
Crimson flicked her wrist, and dark red smoke appeared at the front of the class. When the mist parted, there was a long wooden table by Crimson’s desk and a corpse lying on top of it. The body was half-decayed, and it made the entire class smell like rancid meat. Witches pinched their noses and grunted in disgust, and Crimson rolled her red eyes.
“Oh, please,” she sighed. “I’m sure you’ve smelled worse. Now, Morgana, could you tell the rest of the class what must be done to resurrect a Wicca? What is the first step?”
“You must retrieve something from the dead subject,” Morgana explained. “Some people choose to pull out a tooth, or maybe a strand of hair--”
“Or even an eye,” Crimson suggested before she dug her fingers into the witch’s eye-socket.
The professor smiled as she proceeded to yank out a half-rotten eyeball, and the nerves dangled in the air before she dropped the eye into a small cauldron.
“Now, what’s next?” Crimson asked.
Morgana opened her mouth to speak, but Penelope’s voice broke through the air.
“You need the Herb of Hades,” the orange-haired witch said, and when I turned to look at her, she was smirking at our table. “And plenty of it.”
“Well, done, Penelope.” Crimson nodded.
The professor grabbed a jar from one of her desk drawers and set it down in front of the class. Then she lifted the lid and pulled out deep blue herbs.
“Now, don’t be shy when you add this key ingredient,” she said as she let the herbs fall into the cauldron. “We have plenty in stock, and the more you use, the more likely you’ll be able to successfully revive your host.”
The class took notes with their quills and parchment, and when the ingredient was added, Crimson flashed the class another smile.
“And who knows what the final ingredient is?” Crimson asked.
“Persephone’s flower,” Penelope and Morgana answered at the same exact time.
“Correct,” Crimson chuckled. “Well done, ladies.”
Morgana turned around and shot the orange-haired witch a dark look before turning back around to watch the professor. Crimson pulled out another jar from her desk, and this time, she also withdrew a handful of vibrant red flower petals and let them fall into the cauldron.
“Now, once everything is combined, you light it on fire,” she said before she pointed her wand at the cauldron. “Observe. Illuminana.”
The fire from her wand quickly lit the cauldron, and bright orange and yellow flames sparked upward. Curls of smoke rose to the ceiling, and the room now smelled less of death and more of life. The flowers spread a lovely scent across the room, and I could hear witches breathing in deeply.
“Yes, it’s a wonderful smell, isn’t it?” Crimson purred. “It’s often referred to as the scent of life.”
The witches all nodded in approval as she stirred the contents with a large wooden spoon. She then took a spoonful of the brew and headed over to the dead witch.
“As you pour the concoction into the mouth of your host, be sure to recite the spell,” Crimson instructed.
She began to pour the brew into the parted dead lips of the witch, and every student watched her wide, eager eyes. Finally, the professor took a step back and set the spoon aside before she aimed her wand at the dead witch.
“Revenite!” she roared.
The room grew cold, and the candle lights above us flickered. Then everyone gasped in awe as the dead, rotting witch slowly sat up and stared at us with one, pale green eye. Her skin was still half-rotted, and her mouth was partially gone, only to reveal half a yellow jaw bone and a set of brown teeth. Her empty eye socket was bleeding, and when she opened her mouth to speak, greenish-brown vomit spurted out, and maggots crawled through her spew.
The classroom groaned as the smell of bile and decay filled the air again, but the professor clicked her tongue.
“Yes, well,” Crimson sighed. “No one said bringing back the dead was a clean and tidy task, now did they?”
The dead witch turned her attention to me, and a cold chill coursed through my body as she continued to stare right at me. Then she slowly lifted a broken finger and pointed in my direction.
“Lilith!” she croaked.
Crimson’s beautiful face fell, and as her eyes darted from the witch to me, I could also feel everyone’s gaze as the resurrected witch continued to point right at me.
“Lilith,” she said a little louder.
I stared at her with nothing but morbid curiosity and confusion. I could see a deep fear in her remaining eye, and what remained of her lips trembled. Then she started to shake, and she brought her decaying knees up to her chest.
“Lilith!” she screamed.
The resurrected witch began to rock back and forth and muttered the name over and over again, and everyone stared at me as Crimson rushed to her desk and pulled open a drawer. She retrieved a knife with a golden hilt, and as quick as lightning, she cut the witch’s throat from ear to ear. The dead witch’s eye went wide with surprise and pain, and the last thing she did was point to me and gurgle the name “Lilith” one more time.
A deadly silence filled the air, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was in shock and bewilderment, and it took me a moment for me to compose myself.
“Ah, well,” Crimson said breathlessly. “Sometimes they can return with strange notions and behaviors… no need to be offended, Cole.”
I nodded but didn’t believe a word she said, and I could tell by my coven’s stares that they didn’t buy it, either. I felt like the entire classroom was burning a hole into the back of my head as I just sat there, but I refused to meet their gazes. Not that it mattered, but I knew this little incident would just give them something else to gossip about.
Crimson cleared her throat and slowly waved her wand in a circle. Red smoke appeared, and it engulfed the dead witch. In the next moment, she was gone, and only Crimson was standing at the front of the room.
“I think that’s enough for one day,” the professor said in a shaky voice. “We can continue the lesson tomorrow.”
The class grunted and groaned before they shut their books and slowly headed out of the room. I started to pack up my own belongings, but then Crimson glided over to our table.
“We will practice before class tomorrow at the crack of dawn,” she said. “You and the other team. Understood?”
“Yes, Professor.” Morgana nodded.
“Very well,” Crimson said with a forced smile before she looked at me. “I must apologize again for that little show… I wouldn’t pay it any mind. A Wicca’s resurrection can be tricky.”
“Of course,” I replied. “It’s no problem, Professor.”
She eyed me curiously before I grabbed my books and headed out the door. My coven followed me out into the busy corridor, and as soon as we found a quiet corner, I turned to look at them.
“Well?” I asked. “What’s the consensus?”
“I didn’t believe her,” Akira scoffed with a black arched eyebrow. “Did any of you?”
“Not for a second,” Morgana agreed.
“Do you realize what this means?” I asked. “It means we’re going to have to search through those books for someone named Lilith.”
“What makes you think we’ll find anything in there?” Akira asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s a common name in ancient lore, you know. How would we even know what we’re looking for?”
“Trust me,” I said, “you can call it a premonition or just a feeling, but I know the answer will be in one of those books. And when we find it, I’ll know it.”
The witches all exchanged anxious looks with one another until Morgana shook her dark hair.
“Okay,” she sighed. “Let’s do it.”
We skipped lunch and headed down to the secret room behind the study hall bookcase. We read by candlelight for hours, and I was one the verge of giving up when I came across a small brown leather book without a title.
When I opened the front page, I noticed it had been ripped in half. Only the top half remained, and my eyes skimmed over the handwritten cursive.
This diary belongs to…
And then the page ended. Whoever had access to these books clearly didn’t want me or anyone else to find out who this diary belonged to. I cursed under my breath but shoved the journal into my pocket anyway.
“What’s that?” Morgana asked with red-rimmed eyes.
She was the only one who’d stayed up to keep searching. The others had all fallen asleep, and I allowed it because I knew they were still exhausted from the last game.
“It’s a diary,” I replied.
“Well, who does it belong to?” she questioned. “It must be someone important if you’re taking it.”
“Lilith,” I answered.
“What?” she gasped. “You mean you found her name, and you didn’t say anything?”
“No.” I shook my head. “The first page is missing. I don’t know who it belongs to.”
“Then how do you know?” she asked with her head tilted.
“Just a feeling,” I sighed. “Come on. Let’s wake up the others and go to bed.”
“Cole--” she started to say, but I stood up and roused the other witches from their sleep before she could argue. Then I convinced them all to go to bed, even Morgana, while I stayed down in the cellar.
I didn’t plan on leaving this room until I found some answers, and I’d read the whole damn diary if I had to.