When I woke up, both witches were still deep asleep on my shoulders. Vesta looked like a sleeping, lavender goddess, and her dark eyelashes fluttered as she slowly breathed in and out. Her long, green hair was spilled over my chest, and her locks smelled of roses and sunflowers. When I turned to look at Morgana, I noticed her face was still flushed, and as she breathed softly, her full breasts heaved up and down in a seductive, slow motion. The three of us had one hell of a night, and a part of me wanted to stay like this forever, but I knew we needed to get up.
We had a full day of studying and class ahead of us, after all.
“Time to wake up, ladies,” I said as I gently pulled my arms out from underneath them.
They both stirred awake and then rubbed at their sleepy eyes before looking around the dusty cellar.
“What time is it?” Morgana groaned as she slowly sat up.
“Nearly dawn,” I answered. “At least, I think so… you should probably sneak back to your rooms before other students start waking up and wandering through the halls.”
“Good idea,” Vesta dreamily sighed. “I’d rather not waltz down the corridors dressed only in a cloak.”
“Are you sore?” I asked them as a wide smile spread across my lips.
“Yes, master,” Morgana admitted as her cheeks flushed. “It feels… wonderful, though.”
“Yes,” Vesta sighed. “The three of us enjoyed a beautiful night. The slight pain reminds me of the endless pleasure. Please destroy my pussy anytime you wish, master. I am made to pleasure you.”
“Good,” I purred. “Now you both may return to your rooms and prepare for the day.”
The two witches both stood up and then reached down to plant a kiss on each of my cheeks before they limped out of the cellar. I sighed and then stretched out before I looked around the dusty room. Advanced necromancy was our final class before the last game, and I could only imagine what today would bring.
Before I returned to the common room, I decided to read for a little while in my cellar’s privacy, but it wasn’t long before my eyesight turned blurry, and my stomach started to grumble.
“I think that’s enough reading for one morning,” I muttered to myself.
So, I sighed, closed the book in my hands, and then stood up. I dusted myself off, and when I passed by the mysterious lady in the portrait, I didn’t pay her any attention. Maybe if I ignored her, she’d finally start to talk. I knew deep down it was a strange sense of logic, but for some reason, I felt it was the best course of action to take.
I bolted up the stone stairwell and then headed through the bookcase and past the vacant study hall, and when I reached the corridors, I noticed they were also empty, which meant my premonition senses were correct. I still had plenty of time to get ready before class began. So, I made my way to the common room, and strangely, when I stepped inside, no witches or familiars were present.
I shrugged it off and then sniffed at my dusty shirt. That cellar was a bit dusty, and I still smelled of musky, delicious sex, so I headed up to my own bedroom to clean up. As soon as I opened the door I saw Alexander centered in the middle of my bed asleep, so I quietly chuckled to myself as I snuck into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind me.
“Would you like me to draw you a bath, sir?” Cordelia asked as soon as I began to undress.
“Yes, please.” I nodded. “Make it hot, too.”
“As you wish, sir,” she crooned.
Cordelia filled the tub with colored water and sweet-smelling brews, but I didn’t even wait until the bath was completely full before I slipped in. I soaked my sore muscles, and when I’d had enough of the heated water and oils, I carefully stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. Then I ran my fingers through my damp hair, and when I was back in the bedroom, Alexander was hovering above the bedside table with a grin on his face. His large, leathery wings were slowly flapping, and they echoed in the air like a steady heartbeat.
I think I’m finally getting used to this, he said.
“Well done,” I answered. “We’ll be flying over the grounds and into the clouds in no time.”
I’m just trying to prepare us for the final game, he remarked. It’s going to be a bloodbath if we’re not careful.
“Yeah, no shit,” I grunted before I sat down on the edge of my bed. “Sometimes, I wonder if we’re truly ready.”
You are, he reassured me. I’ve seen the way you fight and look after the others. We’re all going to be fine… and we’re going to kick ass and win!
“Thanks, man,” I chuckled. “So, how are you going to spend your day?”
Working out these wings, he replied. Obviously.
“Ah.” I smirked. “How foolish of me to ask… it’s not as if you used to spend your days constantly sleeping and eating.
To be fair, it smells like you spent your day fucking, he grunted.
“You are correct.” I smiled and shook my head at myself before I stepped into my neatly folded outfit. I buttoned up my crisp, white shirt and then stepped into my dark slacks. Finally, I slipped on my leather boots and tucked my wand into my waistband before I wrapped my cloak over my shoulders.
“Well, I’m off to my final class.” I grinned with confidence. “Wish me luck.”
You don’t need it. My wolverine familiar winked.
I took in a deep breath and then headed down the stairs and into the common room. I saw all the witches sitting down on the sofas, talking and nibbling on biscuits and marrow tea, but when they heard me coming down, they stopped chattering.
“Ah, Cole,” Vesta purred as she demurely glanced in my direction. “We were beginning to wonder when you’d show up.”
I smiled at the beautiful, lilac-colored witch, but as I turned away to glance at the others, I noticed Morgana was missing.
“Where’s Morgana?” I asked.
“She’s in the infirmary,” Faye responded as she tossed back her luscious red hair, “checking up on Silvia.”
“I hope she’ll be fine,” I sighed before I sat down next to the redhead. “She wasn’t looking too well last night.”
“Oh, she’ll make a speedy recovery.” Faye smiled. “She’s a mons bear.”
“A what?” Akira asked as she bit into a biscuit.
“It’s a stone-hearted bear,” the redhead explained. “They are incredibly resilient, and it will take a whole lot more to kill her.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said before I took a sip of tea. “Hopefully, it won’t distract Morgana today. We need to be at the top of our game.”
“Ah, yes,” Vesta sighed as she crossed her long, lavender legs. “The final game…it’s approaching sooner than I expected.”
“Yeah, no shit, it’s tomorrow,” Akira snorted. “Satan, I don’t even know if I’m ready.”
“Don’t say that,” I ordered as I remembered Alexander’s words of encouragement. “We need to keep a positive fucking attitude. If we don’t, it will hinder our premonition abilities, remember?”
“Yes, master,” the coven replied in unison.
“Excellent,” I said as I set my teacup down.
I quickly ate a few biscuits and dusted the crumbs off my pants before I swiftly stood up and packed my bag. The others did the same and then collected their own books, quills, and parchment.
“Let’s go,” I commanded.
All the witches nodded, and then we swept out of the common room and through the bustling corridors. It didn’t take us long to reach Crimson’s classroom. The walls were made out of a blood-red velvet, and the floor was sleek and dark. Grand red and gold rugs were splayed out on the wooden floor, and a magnificently large black iron chandelier hung from the scarlet ceiling. Large-scaled oil paintings of various women with bright red hair and eyes were plastered all over the classroom, and students were staring at the artwork as they slowly situated themselves near the black wooden desks. Everyone was chattering carelessly amongst themselves, and not one of them seemed worried or concerned, but then again, why would they?
They weren’t about to face the deadliest game yet. To them, today was just another day, and tomorrow would only be another entertaining event.
“How positively macabre,” Vesta hummed as she twirled around in one graceful swoop. “I love this room… it’s deeply romantic, but in a bloodthirsty way. It reminds me of Cole’s savage and possessive love for us.”
“Yeah.” Akira nodded. “I can see that.”
“You are too cute, Vesta,” I chucked.
Then we all edged closer toward the front of the room and took a seat at an elongated, empty desk, but as we settled in our places, I continued to glance toward the doorway. Morgana still wasn’t here, and I was beginning to worry.
As I stared at the threshold, Penelope and her group waltzed inside, and when they spotted us, they flashed us all a small smile before they took their places at a table next to ours.
“Hey, Cole,” Penelope called out as she leaned toward our desk. “Where’s Morgana?”
“Still in the infirmary,” I answered. “Checking up on her familiar.”
“Poor thing,” Beatrix said as she shook her light-brown curls. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“Me, too,” I replied as I looked toward the door.
Right before the clock struck at the hour, Morgana came rushing in with flushed cheeks and sweat on her brow. She slammed herself down in her seat without even looking at us, pulled out her books and quill, took a deep breath, and then lifted her pale blue eyes to look at me.
“Silvia is fine,” she said in a low and trembling voice.
“Then why are you behaving so oddly?” Vesta asked with a perfectly arched green eyebrow.
“Because I ran into the Mors Headmaster,” the bookworm answered. “He kept asking about you, Cole… but he specifically asked me if you changed your mind yet?”
“He had no right to corner you like that,” I growled, and I balled my fists by my side and tried to keep my temper in check. “I’ll talk to Theodora tonight.”
“And say what?” Faye questioned.
“I’ll voice my concerns,” I replied. “I’ll tell her I don’t think his team should be involved with Scholomance any longer.”
Before the others could respond, there was a sound at the door, and when we all craned our necks to turn around, we spotted Professor Crimson. She was dressed in a long, velvet, and satin red gown with a full skirt and a cinched waist. Her voluptuous breasts were spilling out of her tight corset top, and the only bit of jewelry she was wearing was a simple black choker. Her blood-red hair was pinned up into an intricate bun, and small ruby curls fell across her vibrant, ruby eyes and heart-shaped face.
“Good morning, class,” she drawled. “Welcome to Advanced Necromancy.”
“Good morning, Professor,” the class answered.
“Everyone, please open up your books to page three-hundred-and-forty-three,” she instructed as she headed toward her desk.
We did as we were told, and when I flipped to the correct page by using the motus incantation, I was surprised to see nothing but a simple instruction page. The title read, The basics of Bone Reading 101.
I sat back in my seat and felt perplexed, since I figured Professor Crimson would want to cover something more intense than a simple bone reading chapter. The final competition was tomorrow, so it left me feeling confused, but I wasn’t teaching the class, so I kept quiet. I listened intently as Professor Crimson began to explain the differences between bone consistency, color, density, and size. Each bone had a story to tell, and she took her time explaining how crucial it was to pay close attention to the tiny details. Cracks could symbolize an upcoming challenge, and holes represented loss. A part of me wanted to toss a tin of bones across the desk and question whether we would win the final game, but I set the thought aside as Crimson dismissed the rest of the class.
Both Scholomance teams remained in their seats as we watched the last student leave the classroom. After Professor Crimson shut the door, she turned to look at us with her hands neatly folded in front of her, curled her red lips into a smile, and then waltzed back to her desk.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering why we had such a basic lesson before the final game,” she said as she looked at each of us.
“Well,” Morgana squeaked softly, “it did seem a bit unusual--”
“Oh, well, not to worry.” Crimson smiled. “We’ll be attempting something exceptional for your private session.”
All the witches sat up a little straighter in their seats, and then their beautiful faces all broke into excited smiles.
“Oh, I wonder what it could be?” Vesta pondered as her silver eyes sparkled under the chandelier light. “I hope it’s nothing too grotesque… working with the dead isn’t exactly my forte.”
“Do you think we’ll have to face an undead army?” Akira questioned with a broad smile. “I’d love to kill some resurrected bitches.”
“Maybe we’re going to learn how to communicate with dead creatures?” Faye wondered. “Oh, I have so many dead pets I’d like to talk to if I had the chance.”
“Maybe--” Penelope started, but then there was a sudden noise at the door.
We all turned to look toward the clamor, and Vanessa was standing there in the doorway with a disapproving frown on her porcelain face. She was dressed in a simple black and silver dress with a high lace collar and pearl buttons. Her dark, straight hair hung over her shoulders like an ebony curtain, and her lips were painted a deep, blackish-red.
“I seemed to have crashed into your skeleton, Professor Crimson,” Vanessa said with as much patience as she could muster. “I wonder what it was doing in front of the damn door.”
“Ah,” the ruby-haired witch hummed as she placed a slender finger on her bottom lip, “sometimes it likes to move around when no one is watching… I had the bastard in the closet just a moment ago.”
“I see… well, perhaps you should place a locking curse on your closet,” Vanessa chided with an arched eyebrow.
“Perhaps.” Crimson shrugged, clearly unbothered. She then turned to look at the two teams, and her smile widened. “Anyway, are you all ready?”
“Yes, Professor,” we answered.
“Excellent,” Crimson bubbled. “Now, for this afternoon, Professor Vanessa and I will be showing you how to communicate with dead blood relatives. It is a useful skill when you need advice from someone wiser beyond your years, but it also requires immense premonition skills combined with necromancy--”
“With all due respect, Professors,” Penelope interrupted, “but why is Professor Vanessa here when the Headmistress is the premonition master?”
“Because she’s swamped,” Vanessa snapped and narrowed her ice-blue eyes, “and quite frankly, you’re wasting everyone’s valuable time by asking questions, Miss Penelope.”
“Apologies, Professor,” Penelope muttered with her eyes lowered.
Vanessa nodded gravely before she glanced at each one of us. When her pale blue eyes fell on mine, her frown deepened, and then she sighed.
“I forgot about you,” the short-tempered professor grumbled. “I suppose you might have to sit this one out, since you obviously don’t have a famil--”
“With all due respect, Professor,” I interjected, “I’d rather give it a shot… you never know what could happen.”
“Very well,” she scoffed, “but don’t be surprised if all you see is an empty, cold, dark slate of oblivion.”
“That’s fine with me.” I shrugged. “I’d rather do that than just sit here and watch.”
Vanessa opened her full mouth, no doubt to make another snide comment, but Professor Crimson came forward and clasped her hands together.
“Okay, not that we’ve settled that,” she started, “let’s begin!”
“Everyone turn to the last chapter of your textbooks,” Vanessa instructed as her mouth pursed into a thin line, “and be quick about it.”
We did as we were told, and when I looked down at the chapter, I quickly studied the sketch of the skeleton and the heart next to it. The instructions seemed short and straightforward, but I knew it would take the others a long time to nail this lesson. Premonition wasn’t the most natural subject, especially when combined with another topic, so I knew some of the women were already squirming in their seats just thinking about it.
“Firstly, you will all need to sit as far away from each other as possible,” Vanessa snapped. “Now, get to it!”
Everyone sprung out of their chairs and found an empty table to sit at, and as soon as we were all situated away from one another, we kept our mouths in a tight line and focused on the two gorgeous, but intimidating, women.
“The first thing you will need is a bone,” Crimson chirped as she pulled out her wand and then aimed it at her cherry wood armoire.
She recited a spell under her breath, and a moment later, a large glass jar slowly began to unscrew itself, and finger bones began to bob in the air and toward each student. I watched as a scrawny bone hovered over to my seat, and when it placed itself on the desk, I knew whoever this once belonged to had suffered a terrifying and painful death.
I could feel it in my own bones.
“Now that you all have one in front of you,” Crimson began, “you will need to cut yourself and spill blood over the bone.”
“And once you have completed that task, you will need to recite a simple spell,” Vanessa explained in a tight, sharp tone, “but before you do that, you must free your mind from any restrictions or hesitations. You should all know this by now, but I still feel compelled to constantly remind you.”
Vanessa was clearly on edge, and I wondered if it had anything to do with tomorrow’s final game.
Was she nervous about it?
I shook the thought out of my head and concentrated on the bone in front of me. It was slim, cracked, and tinted a sickly shade of yellowish-green. I tried not to assume the worst about my particular bone, even though it was in terrible condition, and according to the lesson, that wasn’t a good sign.
“Now, the spell you must recite is, ‘lungo veteremque,’” Crimson instructed. “It’s a simple spell, but be sure to focus.”
When no one made a move to begin, Vanessa dramatically tossed her hands into the air.
“Well, begin, for fuck’s sake,” she fumed. “What in Satan’s name are you waiting for?”
I frantically stared down at my slender bone and took in a deep breath. Then I raised my left hand into the air, and with my other hand, I pointed at my open palm and narrowed my eyes.
“Secare,” I whispered.
My hand quickly split open as soon as the light hit it, and I squeezed every precious drop of blood onto the bone. Once it was soaked, I wiped my hand on my trousers and took in another deep, steady breath, but I didn’t even bother to look at the other witches as they began to recite the incantation. I had to solely focus on my own progress, and who knew if I’d actually make any?
“Lungo veteremque,” I whispered as I stared at the bloody bone.
The air was still and calm, but nothing inside me seemed to be changing. I knew I didn’t know much about myself, but I desperately wanted Vanessa to be wrong. I didn’t want my past to be empty, so I focused even harder. In the next moment, my head felt as if it were going to split open, and soon, there was a chorus of voices inside my head. They were all chanting my name, and it made my skull pound with sharp, intense pain.
Cole, Cole, Cole!
I took in another deep breath and then tried to push the mass of voices out of my mind and just focus on one. I could hear one louder than the rest, and I decided to home in on her. She sounded familiar, and my heart pounded faster when I realized it was the woman from my dreams.
I could never forget that voice.
Cole, you must be wary, she said. You must be careful as you step ahead… I’ll be with you to guide the way… even if you can’t always hear me.
“Wait,” I said aloud. “What’s your name?”
The air grew still, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping against my chest.
I felt as if a wisp of my life had been sucked right out of me, and when my heart slowly returned to a steady pace, it was like the vital organ was sinking into the pit of my stomach.
“Satan,” I breathed.
I looked around the classroom at the other witches, and each one had a different expression and reaction on their faces as they slowly returned to reality. Some had tears streaming down their faces while others were white-washed and trembling.
“Well, judging by the looks on everyone’s faces,” Vanessa bellowed, “I think it’s safe to say it worked. You may all retire to your quarters now. I know it wasn’t a life-threatening lesson today, but you’ll have plenty of chances to die tomorrow… and I’m not saying that to be cruel or harsh. It’s just the hard truth. Now, off with you all and get plenty of rest. Ivy, Iris, would you two please stay behind for a moment?”
The duo exchanged remorseful glances with one another before they slumped their shoulders and obediently remained in their spots. A part of me felt sorry for them, but then again, the decision was probably for the best. If they couldn’t cut it during practice, then the game would tear them apart.
We slowly left the classroom and all huddled into a group outside the doorway. Then Penelope looked into my eyes and then down at her feet before she spoke.
“So, I guess tomorrow is the day, huh?” she asked.
“You suppose correctly,” Akira added in a faint voice.
“Well, I guess since it’s obvious Ivy and Iris didn’t make the cut, so we’ll be seeing you lot tomorrow morning,” Beatrix said with a forced smile. She then extended her hand and looked deeply into my eyes. “I know we’re going to be on the same team, but I still want to wish you the best.”
I took her hand in mine and then smiled.
“May dark fortune find the both of you.” I nodded.
“And may Satan watch over you,” Vesta purred as she tossed back her long emerald hair. “May the darkness take over your souls before we enter the unknown.”
“Lovely prayer, Vesta.” Faye smiled softly.
“Thank you,” the elvish witch replied as she primly nodded. “I try to make everything beautiful.”
“Come on,” Morgana sighed. “We’d all better return to our rooms, or perhaps the banquet hall.”
“I’m too nervous to eat,” Akira grumbled. “I think I’ll just rest instead.”
“Me, too,” Faye added before she turned to look at the two new official members of our team. “Have a good night.”
“Thank you,” Beatrix and Penelope responded in unison, and then they turned on their heels and disappeared down a corridor.
“That was an intense lesson,” Morgana sighed as we headed back to the common room.
“Who did you end up hearing?” Vesta asked as she floated down the hallway.
“My grandmother,” Morgana answered in a dejected tone. “You?”
“My mother,” Vesta drawled. “She was quite beautiful and a very talented musician and artist.”
“She sounds like she was lovely,” Faye remarked with a kind smile.
“Who did you hear, Faye?” Akira asked.
“My great uncle, Fawn.” The redhead grinned proudly. “He was an exceptionally talented man and born to run through the forest. He could communicate with over three-hundred wild species.”
“Cool.” Akira nodded. “I would have liked to meet him.”
“Who did you see, Akira?” Morgana questioned.
“Uh, my father,” the black-eyed witch answered, and her gaze darted off to the side. “We didn’t always get along, but he was all I had… he was a total hard-ass, though.”
“Which explains a lot,” I said as I playfully nudged the short-haired witch.
“Shut up,” she giggled.
The coven’s spirits were starting to lift until Morgana pinched her eyebrows together and stared at me the moment we were inside the common room.
“Wait, Cole,” she breathed. “What about you? Did you hear anyone?”
“I did.” I nodded slowly. “It was the woman from the painting. Again.”
“Satan,” Akira sighed. “So, you are related to her… but how?”
“I’ll worry about that after the game,” I answered in a firm tone. “Which reminds me… I need to speak with Theodora. You should all rest while I’m gone.”
“Yes, master,” my coven replied before I turned on my heels.
I left the common room and quickly headed through the corridors and down to Theodora’s office, and as soon as I was in front of her door, I knocked three hard times.
“Come in,” her voice echoed.
I stepped inside, and she was at her desk furiously scribbling something on the longest piece of parchment I’d ever seen. It snaked all around her feet, and it was probably thousands of words long.
“Cole,” she drawled without looking up, “what can I do for you?”
“Headmistress,” I said as I cleared my throat. “I think you should consider removing Headmaster Ravana from the academy. He approached Morgana and asked her about me. As I said before, he wants me to become a warlock, and I think he is in league with other non-satanic believers--”
“I’m well aware,” Theodora answered before she finally looked up.
“Then why are you still permitting him to roam the castle?” I demanded with furrowed eyebrows.
“Because the High Court will not believe such a heinous accusation without solid proof,” she said. “It’s like trapping a spider in its own web… it seems impossible, but all it takes is the right trick.”
“The High Court?” I repeated with wide, curious eyes. “With all due respect, Headmistress, what the hell is the High Court--?”
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Theodora tutted. “At least, not for now.”
“So, that’s it?” I asked. “Are we just going to let Headmaster Ravana be? What if--”
“For now, Cole,” she answered in a patient tone. “You are overwhelmed, and I can’t allow that before the game.”
“I know,” I relented with a long sigh.
“But I know just the trick for that.” She grinned.
The headmistress glided over to her fireplace and grabbed a goblet from the mantlepiece. Then she snatched a silver pitcher and poured a dark liquid into the cup before handing it to me.
“Drink up,” she urged. “It will help calm your nerves.”
I looked down at the sweet-smelling brew and then took a small, tentative sip. It tasted absolutely divine, and it was cold as it seeped down my throat. Before I could take another sip, though, something strange started to happen. Everything suddenly became blurry, and the last thing I saw before the world went black was Theodora’s beautiful face smiling down on me.