When I woke up, the smell of sex and perfume still lingered in the air, and flashbacks of last night replayed in my mind as I stared down at my women. There were two different arms draped over my chest, one purple and the other as pale as snow. It was Vesta and Akira, and they were both smiling in their sleep. Their warm, naked bodies were pressed against my bare skin, and their lower halves were tucked neatly under the silky covers. The two of them reminded me of a pair of perfectly carved statues, deep asleep and in their own little world, and their thick, luscious eyelashes were like silken curtains as they shielded the women’s beautiful eyes from the pale light of morning.
Without disturbing the two witches, I glanced at the right side of the bed, where Morgana and Faye also appeared to be grinning in their sleep. Their long, contrasting locks were cast over the pillow like spilled buckets of red and black licorice ropes, and their vanilla-hued, perky breasts were slowly heaving up and down with each contented breath they took.
All my women were mesmerizing, and I could have stayed like this all morning, but I knew we had to get up.
Still, I wanted to take another moment to relish in their warmth, beauty, and devotion. My coven’s pleading voices echoed in my mind as I remembered the different ways they moaned and begged for my cock all night long. Each witch had been just as obedient and submissive as I wanted her to be, and the more I looked at their naked bodies, the more I wanted to ravish them all over again.
But there wasn’t any time for that, at least not this morning.
So, I finally shook myself out of my trance, because I knew it was time to seize the fucking day. I sat up and gently pulled away from my women’s tight embraces, and then I ran my fingers through Vesta’s green locks while I simultaneously rubbed Akira’s silky skin.
“Good morning, everyone,” I whispered. “It’s time to wake up.”
I smiled to myself as my women stirred awake, and they all had flushed faces, messy hair, and glassy eyes. Pale sunlight streamed through the stained-glass window and across their angelic faces, and the women blinked groggily at me before they yawned and slowly sat up.
“Oh, shit!” Morgana gasped as she came fully awake, and her blue eyes snapped wide open. “We’re going to be late for class!”
“No, we’re not,” I chuckled. “Take it easy, Morgana, we have plenty of time.”
“How do you know that?” Akira grumbled as she smushed her face into her pillow, and her voice was still thick with sleep. “There isn’t even a clock in here.”
“I just know.” I shrugged. “You can call it intuition or premonition.”
“Don’t even say the p-word,” Faye grunted, still half-asleep.
“Faye, I thought you enjoyed premonition?” Morgana asked.
“I do, to a certain extent,” the voluptuous redhead sighed. “Theodora can be a little too intimidating, though, you know? Besides, the use of animals is rare during premonition courses, and you know how much I love working with beasts and creatures of all kinds.”
“I suppose,” Morgana responded as she ran her fingers through her luscious brown curls and scooted over to the edge of the bed.
The bookish brunette was the only one getting out of the covers, and she plastered her feet on the floor and then began searching for her clothes. We watched in amusement as she struggled to find her underwear, and after looking behind the pillows, under the bed, and on the floor, she finally threw her hands up into the air.
“I guess they’re gone,” Morgana huffed.
“Don’t be a drama queen,” Vesta giggled. “A missing pair of panties isn’t the end of the world… you know in some realms, witches run around in the nude. I think that sounds incredibly liberating.”
I smirked at the thought. I’d certainly like to visit one of those realms someday.
“Also…” Faye purred as she gestured to the brunette’s thighs, “you are leaking.”
“Ahh,” Morgana sighed as we all looked down between her legs where a stream of my pearl-colored cum was dripping out of her pussy lips and cascading down the milky skin of her smooth thighs.
“Don’t let any of it go to waste,” Akira growled.
“I’m not going to,” Morgana huffed as she used her finger to collect all of my sperm, and then her blue eyes locked onto mine as she urgently licked my juices from her fingers.
“Good girl,” I purred as I watched her enjoy my taste.
“Why don’t you just get a fresh pair in the other room?” Vesta said after we had all watched Morgana’s display.
“Because who knows what time it is?” Morgana licked her lips and crossed her arms over her bare breasts. “You’re all acting as if we have the entire day to waste in bed.”
“If only,” Akira growled before she nibbled on my earlobe.
“Speaking of being in bed.” I grinned. “Don’t forget about Penelope. I want her, and you four will fulfill my desires. Understood?”
“Yes, master,” the coven replied in unison.
“That’s my obedient girls.” I nodded with a mischievous smirk.
“Always.” Vesta smiled in return.
I loved to hear those compliant words. I could instantly feel blood rushing to my cock, but as much as I wanted to burrow myself into the warm, soft sheets and fuck these women senseless over and over again, I knew we had to haul ass.
“Okay, Morgana is right,” I said. “We should head to Advanced Premonition because Theodora won’t tolerate anyone’s tardiness, including ours.”
“Fineeeeeeee,” Akira groaned long and loud as she shoved herself upright. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Morgana.”
“I’m not wearing any. Remember?” The brunette stuck her tongue out.
“Behave, ladies,” I chuckled.
“Yes, master,” they all replied.
So, we all clambered out of bed and got dressed, and when we headed downstairs into the common room, we were met with a comical sight that made us snicker and giggle.
Our familiars were gathered up into a furry love pile by the fireplace, and most of them were deep asleep. Alexander’s black, furry, rabbit body was pressed against Morgana’s fluffy raccoon, while Akira’s Komodo dragon was curled up into a blue ball and sleeping on top of Faye’s ferret. Last but not least, Vesta’s chevrotain was on her back, and her small feet were twitching as she whimpered and snored in her sleep.
“Did you all get a good night’s rest?” I smirked.
Alexander was the first one to lift his head and blink at me with his blood-red eyes.
As a matter of fucking fact, he said, I did. Don’t tell the others, but I think I have an actual shot with Silvia. I’ve always had a thing for plump, sexy raccoons.
“Easy there, buddy,” I snickered. “I’m not sure if that will work.”
“What did he say?” Faye asked as she pulled up her red locks and twisted them into a messy bun. “I wish I could listen to every familiar I came across… I do sincerely believe that animals have a stronger sense of the universe than we do.”
“That’s lovely Faye, but who cares if we’re going to be late?” Morgana wailed. “Can we please just go?”
“Chill your neurotic ass, will you?” Akira sighed. “Look at the clock, we still have ten minutes.”
“I don’t care,” the brunette huffed. “Let’s go!”
“She’s right, we probably should.” I nodded.
“Yeah, before she has a fucking nosebleed,” Akira grumbled.
“Ha, ha,” Morgana replied as she rolled her eyes.
We hastily gathered our books and bags and bid our familiars a quick goodbye before we crashed through the door. Then we followed Morgana through the corridors, and I stifled a laugh each time she skipped to gain a little more speed. She apparently didn’t remember to put on any panties, because we all had a fantastic view of her tight creamy ass as she ran ahead.
“Do you think we should tell her?” Akira giggled as if she could read my mind.
“Nah.” I grinned.
We were halfway down the corridors when someone suddenly turned a corner and nearly crashed into the overanxious Morgana.
“Fuck,” the brunette gasped as she stumbled back away from the person, and it didn’t take long for me to recognize that it was Vanessa.
This morning, the professor was dressed in a long, flowing, deep purple gown made of satin fabric, and her neck was covered by a high collar made of a silk-like material and trimmed with black lace. Her dark-chocolate hair cascaded like a dark waterfall over her shoulders, and the locks tumbled down to her slim, hourglass waist. She was standing in front of Morgana with a slight scowl plastered on her gorgeous face, and her pale, delicate hands were folded neatly before her.
“You need to be more careful, Ms. Morgana,” Vanessa growled.
“A-Apologies, Professor,” Morgana stuttered with her head bowed low. “We just didn’t want to be late.”
“No matter,” Vanessa coldly droned. “Anyway, I was just about to fetch you. We have a meeting to get to before your next premonition class. So, follow me, please, and be quick about it for hell’s sake.”
“Yes, Professor,” we replied.
I thought it was strange that we would have a meeting right before class, but I knew better than to question Vanessa about it. So, we all walked in silence as she led us past the same, eerie portraits and down to Theodora’s office, and the professor knocked three hard times before we heard the headmistress’ sultry and resilient voice from within.
“Come in,” Theodora ordered.
We all exchanged confused glances with one another before Vanessa pushed the door open, and when we stepped inside, the air was warm and inviting… until I saw the company that took up the entire back of her office.
“What?” I growled. “What the actual fuck is he doing here?”
It was the Mors Academy headmaster, and he sneered when he caught my eye. His pallid, sallow skin reminded me of old, soiled parchment, and his long, untrimmed coarse black beard nearly reached his naval. He was a hideous looking man, but perhaps the most disturbing thing about him were his small, black beady eyes. They remained expressionless, just like the erect line of students who stood behind him like a row of obedient soldiers.
I counted ten warlocks, and they were all dressed up in their white suits with the school crest sewn into their breast pockets. It was difficult to believe they wanted to engage in another round, especially since, just yesterday, I’d murdered the previous Mors team during the third game of the Ludi Mortiferum. Well, I’d killed Bram, but Malcolm was still alive. Technically, at least. I’d driven him mad, though, and the revenge against those asshole warlocks still felt oh, so sweet.
“Easy there, Cole,” Theodora replied with pursed, red lips, and I saw she was sitting at her desk and dressed in a gown similar to Vanessa’s. The only difference was that her dress was sapphire blue, and her inky hair was up in a curly updo. “Headmaster Ravana is still our guest, remember?”
“Of course, Headmistress Theodora,” I said, and I plastered on a forced smile. “Please accept my most sincere apologies.”
The Mors students and their jerk of a headmaster still rubbed me the wrong way, but I knew I couldn’t let them see it. So, I folded my hands behind my back, widened my faux grin, and just kept picturing Bram’s corpse impaled upon golden lances and Malcom’s blank stare after I’d driven him mad.
This did wonders to improve my mood, and my smile became less fake and more sincere.
Theodora nodded gravely, and her blue eyes focused on my coven. Then she averted her gaze toward the door and back to her daughter.
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“The Vipera women should be here at any moment.” Vanessa nodded. “I also left a note with the other Scholomance students, so it shouldn’t be too long now.”
“Let’s hope,” Theodora replied with a tight smile. “I have a class to teach, you know.”
“I am well aware of that, Headmistress--” Vanessa answered, but her words were cut short when there was a quick rapping on the door.
“Come in!” Theodora called out.
When the door opened, both groups of women hesitantly entered the office with wide eyes and curious stares. My gaze immediately fell on Penelope as she led her team to another space in the back of the office, and the blue Vipera witch, Nyx, also guided her women to another corner of the room.
The Viperas’ mannish headmistress also stomped into the office with her oversized boots, but not one of the Vipera women looked in our direction as they took their places. Everyone was deadly silent as they waited for Theodora to explain why we were all here, but then the Mors headmaster shot me a smirk.
What the hell was going on?
“Let’s make this quick, shall we?” Theodora sighed. “We have decided to make a few changes for the final game. We will start training with two groups of five from each school, and when we approach the last trial, only seven people in total will compete from each academy. Is that understood?”
Everyone, aside from the Mors headmaster, blinked in shock, but they eventually nodded because I knew not one person would dare to argue with her.
Once Theodora’s decision was made, her word was set in stone.
I stole a quick glance at the Mors headmaster, and his cold, beady black eyes bored into mine. I could feel his contempt and hatred for me, but I maintained a calm demeanor. There was no way in hell I would give the bastard the satisfaction of thinking I was somehow intimidated by him or the new rules.
I was fucking ready for anything.
“Perfectly understood, Professor,” I answered with my chin raised.
No one else said a word, and when the silence became too awkward, Theodora cleared her throat and stood up from her desk.
“Well, then.” She grinned. “That’s settled. I’ll see you Scholomance students in class, and I’ll dismiss the rest of you. Go on, shoo!”
We all bade Theodora goodbye, and just before the Mors Headmaster took his leave, he glowered in my direction with his ratty, beady eyes. His thin, greasy lips curled up into a dirty smirk, and then he finally left the room with his students close behind him.
When the room was virtually empty, I reached for the door, but then Headmistress Theodora’s next words cut into the air like a knife.
“Cole!” she called out. “Stay behind for a moment, will you?”
My coven raised their eyebrows at me before they quietly left the office, and Theodora gracefully sauntered over and gave me the once over now that it was just the two of us.
“I know what you’re thinking.” She smiled.
“What?” I arched an eyebrow. “That this is a massive pile of troll-shit?”
“I would have put it in more eloquent words, but yes,” she chuckled. “I know you’re displeased.”
“With all due respect, Professor,” I said, “Mors Academy shouldn’t even be allowed to take part. The headmaster wanted me dead by the end of the last game, and you know it. That’s why he let Malcom and Bram duel me. Why would you let him stay?”
The headmistress glanced around the room with tight lips and narrowed eyes, and I had a feeling she was checking to see that no one else was around. When she turned to look at me again, her eyes were filled with unsettling concern.
Something was definitely up.
“Cole,” she said, “what I’m about to tell you must remain a secret… you may tell your coven, but not another living soul. Am I clear?”
“Crystal clear,” I assured her.
“Good,” she answered. “Now listen to me, closely. I’m sure you’ve noticed we’ve been using more traitorous witches, rather than humans, for our private lessons.”
“Yes.” I nodded slowly. “I have noticed that, actually.”
“Well, I believe more and more witches have been turning toward Elder magic,” she sighed. “I fear these schools, both the Vipera and the Mors Academies, are turning toward blasphemy.”
“You mean--?” I started, but she sharply cut me off.
“Yes, Cole,” she replied. “I have my suspicions, but I cannot say for certain. I hoped that by using criminal witches as test subjects for the games, it would burn some fear and reason into these other students. There are dozens of schools aligned with us, and other headmistresses who I’ve developed the closest bonds with all believe there are traitors in our alliance. Academies that have chosen to betray our dark lord and embrace the horrific elder gods who wish to destroy all life. Now, it’s up to me to find out which ones, and I’ve had my eyes on Mors and Vipera for quite some time now.”
“Satan,” I breathed. “As scary as that is, it’s still a clever plan, Headmistress.”
“But not foolproof,” she replied, “which is why I’m telling you this now. I will need you and your coven to serve as my eyes and ears during these ‘games.’ Will you be up to the task?”
“How could I ever say no to you?” I flashed her a cocksure smile.
Theodora’s secret shocked me, but I knew I had to maintain a cool presence for her. She was depending on me, and I wouldn’t let her down.
The headmistress stared at me for a long moment before she chuckled under her breath and placed a hand on my shoulder. Then she gently squeezed it before gazing at the door.
“You’d better get to class,” she said, “I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, Headmistress.” I nodded.
I left the room with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and her words burned into my mind as I trudged down the corridors. It was infuriating to think traitors were possibly roaming through the hallways and eating in our banquet halls, and it blazed my every nerve on fire, but I pushed through the feeling and headed to class.
I’d have to tell the others soon, but there was no time to explain before class, even though I knew my women would want to know what Theodora had to say as soon as possible.
When I finally reached the open door of the premonition classroom, my jaw nearly hit the floor. Then I stepped past the threshold, craned my neck to stare up at the ceiling, and gazed in wonder at the vision above me.
Theodora had truly outdone herself this time.
The ceiling was painted royal gold, and there were hazy crimson clouds with malicious looking children flying through the sky. The cherubs had angelic faces, but their chubby bodies were a ghoulish shade of green, and black bat wings supported them.
The intricate ceiling wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention, though. An enormous black iron chandelier dangled from above us with hundreds, if not thousands, of tall ebony candles that lit the room. They cast a warm glow on the students, and the air smelled of pinewood and dying roses.
The floor was a sleek, ink-black marble, the desks were the same texture and color, and I also noticed the seats were made of red, soft velvet. Students were leaning back with satisfied smiles plastered on their faces, and I knew they were enjoying the new comfortable chairs.
When I spotted my coven, they all grinned and gestured for me to come and join them.
“So, what happened?” Akira asked as soon as I sat down.
“I think that’s a conversation best saved for a later time,” I muttered.
“What do you mean?” Faye questioned with an arched, red eyebrow.
Before I could respond, a purple cloud of smoke erupted right next to the black wooden desk at the front of the room, and as the wisps of smoke dispersed, Theodora stood there with a proud smile on her face.
“Welcome, class,” she said, “to Advanced Premonition! I hope you’re all ready for a very trying but rewarding experience.”
“Always,” Morgana sighed dreamily under her breath.
The bookworm already had her quills, books, and parchment out, and Akira playfully rolled her eyes at the brunette but then quickly turned her attention back to Theodora.
“Now, we will first begin with a brief introduction.” The professor smiled. “Who can tell me a little about divination?”
As per usual, Morgana’s hand shot up into the air like her life depended on it, and we couldn’t help but chuckle under our breaths.
“Yes, Miss Morgana?” Theodora asked.
“Generally speaking, divination is the practice of acquiring knowledge about the future through magical skill,” the brunette responded with her chin raised, “but just because a witch can utter the correct spell, doesn’t mean that she… or he… can successfully gain insight into the future. Not everyone is born with the skill, and sometimes magic can backfire.”
“How so?” Theodora questioned.
“Occasionally, visions acquired through divination can deceive you,” Morgana replied. “This can trick a witch into seeing an incorrect future, or even drive them to madness.”
“Very well put.” Theodora nodded. “Now, with that out of the way, I will warn you all this class will certainly push your limits. Do not be upset if you cannot master the skills on the first try. It takes years of practice, but we all must begin somewhere, correct?”
Everyone muttered their agreements, but I could feel a shift in the air. They were all worried because, deep down, every single witch wanted to prove their worth to the headmistress.
“Well, without further ado.” Theodora grinned and raised her hands. “Let’s get started.”
The headmistress extended her right hand outward and stared long and hard at a tall, black cabinet placed near the front of the room. The wardrobe door swung open, and a small cauldron, a jar of herbs, and then something that looked like pickled organs came floating through the air and toward her desk. Students smiled as objects bobbed in the air and landed gracefully on Theodora’s desk, and when the ingredients were neatly situated on the table, I leaned forward with anticipation.
“Now, first things first,” Theodora said. “Open your books to page three-hundred-and-seventy-two.”
We turned to the page, and the first thing I saw was a sketch of a man splayed out on a table. He was bound to the table with rope and was stark naked, and his eyes were open wide with fear as two witches hovered above him with malicious smiles on their flawless faces. The witches were sticking needles into his eyes and cutting him open from his neck down to his penis. The instructions were written in red cursive on the side, but before I could read them, Theodora called my name.
“Cole,” she said in a sweet voice, “would you care to read the page aloud?”
“Of course, Professor.” I nodded as I glanced at the text. “According to advanced divination, one must be able to take the life of an unwilling host and harvest their life force for their own gain. One must replace the organs of the victim with new tissue that has been soaked in one’s own blood and mixed with the hellbine herbs.”
“Now, I have two needles.” Theodora grinned. “Both made from unicorn bone. The only thing we seem to be missing is a host!”
The headmistress snapped her fingers, and clouds of smoke wafted above everyone’s desks. Manlike screams filled the air as naked hostages appeared out of nowhere and were splayed out on the tables, and my coven and I had our own test subject spread out on our elongated desk, with his arms and feet bound by rope. He squirmed on the table, and my coven all scrunched their noses in disgust as they stared down at him. He reeked of piss and shit, his eyes were red-rimmed, his skin was sallow, and it was clear he hadn’t had a proper meal in months. He was all skin and bones, and it surprised me that he had enough energy to even wriggle around.
“Please!” he wailed. “Let me go!”
When I glanced back at Theodora, she was standing by her desk with her own hostage pinned down. She snapped her fingers, and then everyone received their own cauldron, two needles, pickled organs, and a jar of herbs.
“If you carry out the experiment successfully, you will have accomplished the first step toward achieving divination greatness,” Theodora said with her chin raised. “And now that we have all we need, the real fun can begin.”
“No, pleeeeease!” her victim protested. “Please, have mercy on me!”
Theodora rolled her eyes and flashed the class a mischievous smile. Then she stared down at the man and shook her dark curls as if she were annoyed with a misbehaving child.
“I know they can be noisy little pests,” she sighed. “If you want to sew their mouths shut, you may, but I prefer to hear them suffer since they burned, tortured, and mutilated our Wicca sisters.”
“Fuck, yeah.” Akira grinned. “I’m down with that. Let the motherfucker scream.”
Our test subject turned his head and shot the short-haired witch a petrified stare. Akira then flashed him a menacing smirk, and her black eyes were filled with nothing but bloodlust and contempt.
It was fucking hot.
“No, no, no,” the man wailed. “I did nothing of the sort. That woman is lying! I swear to God.”
“You truly expect us to believe that shit?” Vesta growled as she leaned forward and bared her teeth. “Your kind is even more pathetic than I thought. You’re nothing but a bunch of inbred liars and witch-killers.”
There was venom in the purple witch’s silver eyes, and I knew my women were all itching to tear this bastard apart. When I looked down at the man, he continued to wriggle around the table and beg for his life, and it was absolutely pathetic. I felt no pity for his filthy ass, and I couldn’t wait to make him fucking bleed.
“Now, pay close attention to what I’m about to do,” the headmistress ordered in a firm voice.
Theodora took the two bone needles from her desk and then stuck both of them into the eyes of her victim. He cried out in agony and wriggled on the table, and then a thick trail of blood pooled down from his eyes.
“You bitch!” he shouted as he bucked against his restraints. “You’ve blinded me!”
“Tut, tut,” she replied in a sing-song voice. “No need for foul language.”
Theodora then strode over to the other side of her desk and pulled out a sharp dagger. It was a beautiful weapon with a hilt made of bone and gold, and it somehow gleamed like the sun under the small amount of candlelight. The headmistress then raised the blade high above her head for all the class to see and smiled.
“I prefer to use a dagger to cut my victim open, but the rest of you will use your wands to do this next part,” she explained. “Understood?”
“No, please,” the man on her desk sobbed. “I’ll do anything!”
Theodora ignored his pleas, and she proceeded to cut him open from his neck down to his torso and stopped just above his penis. He screamed so loudly, I was sure glass would shatter, and several witches laughed and snickered as his pathetic cries turned into manic sobs.
“Now, you must take one needle from the eye and prick your finger,” Theodora explained. “Be sure to get nice, thick droplets and squeeze it into the pickled organs. It is key to remember that the first drop is always the most important one.”
The class watched as Theodora pricked her own finger and then squeezed the blood into the jar. As time passed, the man’s cries grew quieter, so we all knew he was close to death. When Theodora was finished, she took the hellbine herbs and sprinkled them into the jar of pickled organs. Then she took a step back and smiled at the class with her bloody hands folded neatly in front of her.
“Now together, we will begin removing the organs from our host and replacing them with the pickled ones,” she explained. “But first, you must stick the needles into your subject’s eyes. Go on now! Don’t be shy.”
Since the bone needles were right by my side, I snatched the pair and then stood up. The man on our table gaped at me with horror, but right before he could plead with me again, I swiftly stuck the two needles into his eyes. They slid in easily, like a hot knife through butter, and he screamed and sobbed as bloody tears poured down his sallow, sunken face.
He wasn’t the only one, though. The entire room echoed with a chorus of painful cries, and it brought a small, satisfied smile to my face.
“Excellent.” Theodora clapped once everyone had completed the first part. “Now, mix your blood and herbs into the pickled organs.”
Morgana unscrewed the jar, and then a strong, pungent smell hit us all at once.
“Oh, Satan,” Akira grunted as she pinched her nose. “That smells like shit.”
“Specifically like newt-shit,” Faye commented, “but as smelly as it is, it makes for great forest fertilizer.”
“Thank you for that snippet of enlightening information, Faye.” Akira rolled her dark eyes. “It still smells like shit, nonetheless.”
“Well, what did you expect it to smell like?” Morgana asked. “Come on, let’s just do this.”
Morgana dashed the herbs into the jar and then looked at me with her big sky-blue eyes.
“You should go first, Cole,” she suggested. “Your blood is probably the strongest out of all of us here. There’s no point denying it.”
“I wasn’t going to.” I shrugged as I took one needle out of our host, and he screamed even before I entirely plucked it out of his eye.
“Gods, please stop!” the man wailed and begged.
“Shut the hell up,” I warned him. “Or I’ll sew your lips together with poison vines.”
He clamped his mouth shut, and I pricked my finger with the sharp unicorn bone. Blood trickled down my finger, and I squeezed the crimson droplets into the jar. When I was done, I passed the needle around the coven, and once we had poured our own blood into the mixture, we knew what the next step was going to be.
We had to cut the bastard open.
“I’ll do the honors,” I offered as I pulled out my wand.
“Go for it,” Faye urged as her green eyes sparkled with delight. “I love watching you work.”
“Me, too,” Vesta added, and her plum colored lips spread into a sadistic grin. “It sends a lovely shiver through my entire body…. it’s almost erotic in a way.”
I nodded and then aimed my wand at the pathetic, squirming man. He couldn’t see a thing, but I had a feeling he knew the worst was yet to come.
“No,” he whimpered. “Please, don’t… I beg you for forgiveness!”
“Too late,” I hissed. “Secare!”
Bright light hit his throat, and his screams turned into a loud, gurgling sound as I dragged the spell downward, all the way from his Adam’s apple to his navel. Then his skin split open like a ripe melon and revealed his gory insides. His heart and lungs were pounding slowly, and his intestines spilled out from the opening like a blood-soaked snake and then landed on the marble floor with a splattering sound.
“Right, now you may remove all the organs, except for the heart,” Theodora stated. “That little gem must go inside the cauldron, but only once the other organs have been removed and replaced.”
Everyone then rolled up their sleeves and dug their hands into their subjects. I was elbow deep in warm blood and guts, and by the time I detached a massive lung, his heart finally stopped beating, so I knew the man was dead.
“Hell, it took him a while to die,” Akira growled as she tossed his liver aside into a tall pile of bloody organs.
“I bet Theodora placed a life extending spell on them before class.” Morgana grinned. “Just to keep them alive for some fun.”
“Cool.” Faye nodded as she took out a kidney and stared at the organ with fascination. “Hey, I have a question for you, Morgana.”
“Yeah?” the brunette replied without looking up.
“Why do we put needles into their eyes?” the redhead asked. “I mean, what was the point? We didn’t even harvest the eyes.”
“Oh, honestly, do any of you read the chapters before class?” Morgana sighed.
“No, because we have you,” Akira chuckled. “A breathing, walking library of endless information.”
“I know that was meant to be an insult,” Morgana huffed, “but I’ll take it as a compliment. Anyway, the reason we use needles is because we have to blind the hosts before we harvest them. It’s an ancient tradition.”
“Fascinating,” Vesta murmured, and her silver eyes were sparkling under the candlelight. “So, why do we save the heart for last? It has always been my favorite organ to work with…they are usually so pure and full of hate.”
“That will be the ultimate step before we enact the spell,” Morgana explained. “Theodora will show us once we empty this thing out.”
It was as if Theodora had heard Morgana from across the room because the headmistress lifted her bloody hands into the air and clapped.
“Attention, everyone!” she bellowed. “Now that you’ve harvested the organs, it’s time for the last couple of steps before we recite the incantation. First, you must fill the hollow body with the pickled organs and then remove the heart and place it into the cauldron.”
We did as instructed, and it took us a moment to remember exactly where everything went. It was like trying to solve a bloody puzzle, but I had to admit I was having a fantastic time. I placed the liver and lungs inside the body, while the others replaced the intestines, stomach, and other missing parts. When there was nothing left but the heart, I pulled apart the ribcage and ripped the muscle out of the body. I then dropped it into the cauldron, and we waited for the rest of the class to catch up.
“Is everyone ready?” Theodora finally asked.
We nodded, and Theodora smiled at the students.
“Now after this demonstration, you’ll aim your wand at the heart and repeat after me,” Theodora instructed as she pulled out her wand and directed it at her own cauldron. “Ignis prudentia!”
A blue light lit the cauldron on fire, and deep sapphire flames emerged from the pot, towered upward, and almost touched the ceiling. The students oohed and ahhed at the incredible sight, and then the body on the table caught on fire. A cerulean inferno devoured the man, and wisps of smoke wafted toward Theodora. They seeped up her nostrils and into her eyes, and she breathed them in deeply as if she were inhaling an intoxicating drug.
When the flames came to a stop, Theodora focused on the class and then stared at each student. She studied us and furrowed her eyebrows as if she were trying to make a tough decision, and when she finally turned to look at my table, her ice-blue eyes focused on Morgana.
The bookworm gulped, loud enough for us to hear, and it made the headmistress break out into a wide smile.
“Why, Miss Morgana,” she purred. “You’ve forgotten something rather important today… something you usually put on before the rest of your clothes… how very risqué of you.”
Akira stifled a laugh as Morgana turned beet red, and the brunette squirmed in her seat and avoided looking at Theodora, or anyone else for that matter.
“I will never forget this moment,” Akira wheezed as quietly as possible.
“Please, shut up,” Morgana moaned before she bowed her head low.
I could tell she wanted to shadow port the hell out of here, but Akira was right, this shit was hilarious.
“Now, moving on.” Theodora clapped. “The next thing you will do is enact the spell, and then you will split up into pairs or groups and ask each other whatever you want. See if you can gain a clear insight into your partner, and if you can’t… well, do not fret. There will always be a next time.”
“Cole,” Akira said before any of the others could say a word. “Do you want to pair up?”
“Sure.” I shrugged with a relaxed smile. “Why not?”
We huddled close together, and then we all repeated the spell with our wands aimed at the cauldron. Blue flames engulfed the dead man on the table, and then his heart. A moment later, smoke seeped up my nose, and it didn’t smell like blood or guts. Instead, the scent reminded me of pinewood and dead leaves, like a deep, dank forest.
As the smoke grew thicker, I could feel the life force of this unknown man coursing through my veins and pumping boiling hot blood into my heart. I suddenly felt more alive, and when the smoke dispersed, I stared at Akira. Her purple lips weren’t moving, but I could hear bits and pieces of her mind. Soon, I could hear full-on sentences, and I listened carefully to whatever the black-eyed witch was thinking.
Damn, I wish Cole would fuck me on this table. I would love to be covered in human blood while he plows me from behind.
“Fuck, Akira,” I chuckled. “Even in front of everyone?”
“Wait, what?” she asked with her lips slightly parted. “You heard that? As in… every single word?”
“Yep.” I smirked. “Every. Single. Word.”
“Satan,” she said as her cheeks burned red. “I wasn’t ready, okay? It was a passing thought.”
“Whatever you say,” I snickered. “Look, why don’t you try me? I’ll think of a color, and you try to guess what it is.”
The short-haired witch then narrowed her dark eyes at me while I thought about the color blue. As she stared into my eyes, I felt as if she were trying to see into the inner depths of my soul, and after a minute, her breathing grew more intense. She turned a deeper shade of red, and sweat dripped from her brow before she started panting. She pressed her red fingers against her temples and then left bloody fingerprints along her skin as she pulled them away.
“Satan, don’t kill yourself over it,” I muttered.
“I can’t see anything,” she groaned. “You’re like a black fucking fog that I can’t see into… wait, is the color black?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Sorry, it was blue.”
“Broom fucker,” she hissed as she slammed her bloody palm down on the desk. “Fine, why don’t you try me again? I’ll think of a color.”
I nodded and then narrowed my eyes at her, and the short-haired witch tried to remain expressionless as I stared deeply into her black eyes. I didn’t hear her voice this time, but then I saw a river that ran deep with blood. The grass that surrounded the water was also red, and the sky was ruby with dark, crimson clouds that matched the classroom ceiling.
“Red.” I shrugged. “Am I right?”
“Correct,” she grunted as she leaned back against the velvet chair. “You know, it’s annoying how good you are at everything.”
“I think you secretly love it,” I whispered as I edged a little closer to her, and even after being drenched in blood and guts, Akira still smelled like roses and lavender. “In fact, it turns you on.”
“Whatever.” She smirked as she crossed her long legs.
“Are you two done?” Vesta asked before she whipped around and stared at us.
“I guess I am.” Akira nodded with her arms folded in front of her. “I didn’t see shit.”
“Me, either,” Vesta sighed. “How desperately unfortunate.”
“I guessed what animal Morgana was thinking of.” Faye smiled, but then the redhead’s grin faltered. “Although… it could have been a lucky guess.”
“Well, what animal did you picture, Morgana?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“A raccoon,” she muttered, and I couldn’t help but break out into laughter.
“Out of all the beasts, creatures, and animals in the realms, why would you choose your own familiar?” I snickered.
“Honestly, I was so nervous about succeeding that I blanked out,” Morgana moaned. “It was the only thing I could think of on the spot!”
The beautiful brunette then placed her head into her hands and let out a long, drawn-out sigh, as if it were the end of the world.
“She’s upset because she didn’t guess my creature,” Faye whispered, even though everyone could clearly hear her.
“Chill the fuck out, Morgana,” Akira snorted. “You heard Theodora. If we don’t succeed the first time, there will still be plenty of time to practice. Besides, we all know Faye has a natural born talent for animals.”
“I know,” Morgana pouted with her rosy lips. “I just don’t like to fail.”
“Yeah, we know,” Akira grunted under her breath.
“Enough, everyone,” I ordered, perhaps a little too loudly.
The witches all clamped their mouths shut and gazed at me with wide, obedient eyes.
“Look,” I went on, “we need to stay focused on what’s important and boost each other up as much as possible. That’s the only way we’re going to get through this final game. Got it?”
“Yes, master,” the coven answered in unison.
“Good.” I nodded.
Before my coven could utter another word, Theodora clapped her hands together, and the entire classroom went deadly silent. The headmistress then flashed us a slight grin and gestured toward the classroom door.
“Most of you are dismissed,” she chimed. “Those of you who need to stay behind, you know who you are.”
“Shit,” Vesta hissed as she glanced down at her blood drenched uniform. “Are we seriously not going to get cleaned up before the private lesson?”
“Is that a problem, Miss Vesta?” Theodora asked with her head tilted to the side.
Satan, this woman had the ears of a fucking bat.
“O-Oh, no,” the green-haired witch stuttered. “Not at all, Headmistress.”
“Perfect.” Theodora smiled. “Now, Penelope, why don’t you and your group come forward and take a seat next to Cole’s coven? Professor Vanessa should be here at any moment.”
I watched the orange-haired witch closely as she sauntered over to the table beside ours, and her posse obediently followed her before they quietly took their seats. When I turned to my coven, I noticed Akira staring intently at the other group with furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown.
“Hey, psst!” the black-eyed witch hissed as Theodora cleaned up her desk. “Carrot head! Over here!”
Penelope rolled her eyes and turned to look at our table, and as I stared at the orange-haired witch, with her long, slim legs and small waist, I couldn’t help but picture her underneath me, naked and begging for my cock to be inside her pussy and my seed deep in her womb.
I vowed to myself it would happen soon. I already had four gorgeous women under my thumb, so why not make it five?
Why not every beautiful witch at this school?
Why not every witch who served Satan?
“What do you want, Akira?” Penelope growled.
“Lose the fucking attitude, bitch,” Akira sighed. “I just want to ask you a question.”
“All right, so ask,” Penelope replied as she rolled her brown eyes.
“Theodora mentioned this morning at the meeting that there would be two teams of five for each school,” Akira began. “Why don’t you have a fifth member?”
“Well, tryouts for the other schools already took place, before the crack of dawn this morning,” the orange-haired witch stated. “Theodora also explained to us privately that we didn’t need an extra team member. She’d just eliminate two of us before the final game, and by two of us, I mean, two of my team. Something tells me she would never dare try and break up your precious coven.”
“Damn.” Akira nodded slowly. “Sucks for you.”
“Bite me, Akira,” Penelope scoffed.
“Maybe later,” the short-haired witch retorted, and then she stuck out her tongue.
“Easy, Akira,” I reminded her, and when she turned to look at me, her dark eyes softened.
“Sorry, master,” she muttered.
As we sat in our seats, Penelope stared at us with folded arms while the other members of her team whispered anxiously amongst each other. I studied Beatrix, with her golden-brown locks and creamy skin, and then at the attractive twins with their short dark hair and streaks of pink and blue.
I could make them all mine if I wanted to, but first, I needed Penelope. She would be the key to expanding my coven, and it would take some time, but I knew she would eventually give in.
My train of thought was broken when the door suddenly swung open, and when I turned to see who it was, I saw Vanessa standing there with a small frown on her flawless face.
“Ah,” Theodora said as she threw her bloody hands into the air. “There you are.”
“Are they ready?” Vanessa asked in a stoic voice.
“Yes, I believe so,” Theodora responded with a slight nod.
Vanessa snapped her fingers as she went and stood in front of Theodora’s desk. Then she stared long and hard at us and raised her chin.
“Stand up,” she ordered. “We’re shadow-porting out of here.”
“Where are we going?” Morgana asked.
Vanessa shot the brunette a frigid glare, and Morgana swallowed hard.
“Not that I’m obliged to answer your question, Miss Morgana,” Vanessa spat, “but we’ll be heading into the Cavae Terrace.”
The witches around me all gasped and covered their mouths with their hands.
“What is that?” I questioned when no one explained the destination.
“It’s an abandoned realm,” Vesta whispered. “Its soil is said to be soaked with witches’ blood… it’s a notorious place, filled with hungry shadow demons and other soul-devouring beasts.”
“Which is perfect for practice.” Theodora smiled. “So, stop your chitter-chatter, and let’s go.”
My heart raced as I stood up and then joined the others who were gathered in a circle. Theodora and Vanessa stared at each other before the headmistress lifted her wand into the air and recited the spell. Purple smoke swirled around our feet, and then the classroom slowly vanished from sight.
In the next moment, everything turned black, and my blood ran ice cold before we even landed in the other realm.
I knew we were in for another extraordinary, but life-threatening, lesson.