As with any form of shadow-porting, the world spun, twisted, and violently somersaulted before we all landed with a painful crash on what felt like cold, wet cobblestones. My coven and I moaned and grunted with pain as we slowly stood up on trembling legs, but Vanessa and Theodora remained poised and as graceful as ever. The mother-daughter duo stood tall and proud before us, and they gazed into our eyes with placid smiles and hands neatly folded in front of them as we quickly struggled to compose ourselves.
I took a quick glance around and was surprised to see we were in the middle of a vast, emerald green forest with a cobblestone pathway leading somewhere up north. The pale sun seeped through the mass of trees, and the white-wine colored beams of light cast a warm glow on my skin as I squinted my eyes to see what laid ahead. All I could make out were towering, lazy willow trees, vast green groves, jade-colored leaves, and exotic looking birds with three eyes and black and white feathers. As we stood to our feet and collected our scattered belongings, the ill-disposed birds cawed furiously in our direction, as if to tell us to back the hell off.
“Those are tresoculos,” Faye whispered into my ear as the birds flew in circles above the trees. “They are perfectly harmless… unless, of course, you happen to be a juicy wart-worm.”
“Interesting,” I muttered as I clutched my leather bag.
As we stood in the middle of this cryptic, but beautiful, forest, I glanced at my women and tried to read them. I knew deep down they were over the moon about this impromptu adventure, but still, they remained expressionless. Vanessa loathed any displays of exhilaration, which was why my witches were doing their best not to expose their feelings. Even so, deep down, I knew they were beyond thrilled, and that sent a course of pleasure running through my body like an electric current.
“Well, we can’t afford to dawdle,” Theodora chimed in a sing-song voice. “Let’s get a move on, shall we?”
No one said a word, and only a few witches nodded in response, so Vanessa’s beautiful face scrunched up into an expression of distaste and annoyance.
“Now you’re all suddenly mute as a mule… move onward, and be quick about it for once in your lives,” the beautiful professor grumbled. “We have no time to waste. Sunset is just around the corner, and I do not fancy walking around aimlessly through the dark.”
“Err, Professor,” I said as I took a small step forward. “When we left the academy, it was still morning.”
Vanessa rolled her pale blue eyes and looked like she was about to tear me a new asshole before Theodora gently stepped forward and placed a hand on her exasperated daughter’s shoulder. Immediately, Vanessa clamped her red mouth shut and cast her eyes downward, like she was suddenly ashamed.
“Like with many other realms in our worlds,” Theodora began as her eyes found mine, “time moves differently here. There is no morning or afternoon in Tempus… only evening and nightfall.”
“Interesting,” I replied after a moment.
“It truly is.” The headmistress nodded. “Now, let’s get going, shall we?”
Theodora and her daughter both spun on their heels and then followed the cobblestone pathway through the emerald grove, and we treaded through the lush thicket and past ancient towering trees. The air smelled like jasmine and pinewood, and I was beginning to see why the others had deemed this realm as one of the most stunning in all the worlds. We hadn’t even reached the court, and already, I was amazed by the tranquility and dark, sensual energy of this woodland. It felt like I was pulled into a trance or an addicting fever dream I didn’t want to wake up from. The air even seemed lighter here, as if the clouds had descended from above and were floating alongside us as we ventured deeper into the enchanting, evergreen forest.
“What a gorgeous woodland,” Vesta sighed in a dream-like voice. “I could just build a small cottage and create my own brews and potions until I grow old and gray… that wouldn’t be such a terrible way to live, now would it?”
“No, but it would be boring as hell,” Akira chuckled under her breath.
“Say what you will,” Vesta pouted with her purple chin raised, “but I think it would be a dream come true… so long as you were all there with me, of course.”
“Well, well, well,” Penelope said as she clucked her tongue, “I never realized how sentimental you were, Vesta.”
“I’m many things,” Vesta remarked with a proud glint in her silver eyes. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Oh, we know you’re many things, Vesta.” Morgana smirked playfully. “You’re a goddess, a great elvish beauty, a mesmerizing enchantress…”
“Ha, ha.” The lavender-skinned witch smiled. “You may be attempting to mock me, but you know deep down you speak the truth.”
“Of course, we know that, Your Majesty,” Akira snickered and curtsied.
“Do you think we’ll run into any mulier venatione cervorum?” Faye questioned out of the blue, and the rest of my coven and I stared at her for the impromptu segue.
“Mulier… venatione…what?” I asked as we walked carefully behind Vanessa and Theodora.
“Mulier venatione cervorum,” the redhead said as if repeating the name would somehow make me understand. “Deer women?”
As usual, the redhead only pictured the possible creatures that could be dwelling within the secret hideaways of the woods.
“Deer women,” I repeated with a slow nod. “Sounds… hot.”
“Oh, yeah,” Akira quipped, “sounds like the best of both worlds--”
“Oh, for hell’s sake,” Vanessa’s shrill voice echoed through the air, but she didn’t even bother to turn around, and neither did the headmistress. “Could you refrain from the trivial discussion and keep up silently? We’re nearly there, and I want you to be prepared to greet the ladies of the High Court… which means, no jokes, no senseless questions, no gawking… just please, do your best to represent Scholomance to the best of your abilities, understood?”
“Yes, Professor,” we obediently answered.
We took the hint to remain silent for the rest of our journey, and by the time we reached the edge of the enchanting forest, the air had grown thicker with fog, and the sun had turned a deep, blood orange color.
Then Theodora pushed the last branches out of the way, and my breath caught in my throat at the magnificent view in front of me.
Just a few miles ahead laid the grandest castle I’d ever seen in all my adventures. The palace was so tall, its gothic arched towers were looming high into the thick, crimson evening clouds above us. Each ebony black stone was perfectly even and rectangular, and massive, stained-glass windows with various Wicca depictions could be seen clearly, even from afar. Many of them included powerful witches casting spells on villages or entering battle with the elder gods.
From the edge of the woodland, I could sense the ancient power that consumed the castle, and I was immediately drawn into its carnal magic and morbid mystery. Then, as we drew closer and closer, I spotted large, black crows with red eyes, perched among the gloomy gargoyles and stoic statues that surrounded the shadowy palace.
“Unholy shit,” I whispered. “Now, I understand.”
“We told you,” Morgana whispered by my side. “It’s darkly captivating, is it not?”
“Truly and devastatingly beautiful,” Vesta purred. “Its unholy grace is evident in every curve of the spires and ramparts. Ahhh, I cannot wait to get closer so I can study its graceful architecture up close.”
“We’ll be there soon,” I said.
We were only a few miles away from the castle, and no drawbridge or gate was surrounding the fortress, which I thought was a little strange. Why would one of the most renowned realms in the Wicca world be left seemingly unguarded?
Then, as if some other force had gained insight into my thoughts, a screeching wind swept across us and nearly sent me flying backward, but as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished within the blink of an eye.
“Shit!” Akira cried out as she wrestled the hem of her skirt back down. “What was that?”
“They know we’re here,” Theodora replied in a calm, unmoved voice. “Do not worry… just follow my lead.”
We all nodded gravely before Theodora and Vanessa took heavy steps forward, and we followed their lead. As we ventured closer toward the grand, iron arched doorway, the blood-red sky suddenly turned pitch black, and a painful, agonizing scream filled the air. The screech clearly did not belong to any Wicca, but to an enormous, bloodthirsty beast, and as a full, golden-yellow moon slowly rose into the murky, black sky, I saw two impressive shadows fly across the palace and then land on opposite sides of the castle. When I adjusted my eyes and focused on the mysterious, grandiose silhouettes, I realized they were a pair of dark, scarlet-black dragons with glittering scales on their exposed bellies, and their grand wings were tucked neatly behind their backs as their shimmering, slit-shaped eyes focused on us. They were so still, they almost seemed like they were a part of the castle, and it was both breathtaking and unnerving.
“Unholy Satan,” Vesta breathed, “they’re magnificent.”
“I’ve never seen such a stunning creature,” Faye added with wide, golden-green eyes. “Iron-blooded dragons are the rarest animals in all the realms--”
“And the most lethal,” Theodora reminded us. “So, stay close.”
“Of course, Headmistress,” I answered when no one else said a word.
My heart beat faster as we followed the two superior witches down toward the iron doors, and I could feel hot blood coursing through my entire body as we edged closer and closer. Each step was more cumbersome than the last as I kept my eyes focused on the two beasts we moved toward, but I refused to break eye contact with them in case they took it as a sign of weakness.
Finally, when we reached the doors, Theodora glanced up at the castle, raised her hand to grasp the golden knocker, and struck the door, three solid times. Then she took a small step back, and for a moment, nothing happened.
No one dared to move, speak, or even breathe. I could feel my heartbeat pulsating in my eardrums, and then the ground abruptly began to tremble. My coven nearly fell back from the sudden jolt, and in the next moment, two clouds of deep, gray smoke appeared in front of us.
Once the mist cleared, we were staring at two gorgeous women with enormous, feathered black wings and glowing blue eyes. They had ebony, pin-straight hair that reached their bare toes, and they were as pale as snow. They both donned long, velvet black robes, and their full lips were as dark as black blood. Their eyes were expressionless, and there was something incredibly unsettling about how their faces were set in stone.
“Greetings,” Theodora said in a sing-song voice. “How are you faring on this dark, Satan laden night?”
“We are bathed in His unholy glow,” they answered simultaneously. “As is His wish.”
Their voices were like deep, dark echoes, and the duo reminded me of a pair of hellish angels stuck in the belly of a deep, dank cave. Their glowing blue eyes slowly shifted from Vanessa and Theodora to my coven, and when they focused on me, it felt as if they were peering into my mind’s eye and the deepest chasms of my black soul.
“You’ve brought a slightly larger audience than we anticipated, Theodora,” the dark pair echoed. “We asked you for the mortal man, and no one else.”
“Where he goes, his coven follows,” Theodora calmly answered. “You’re free to examine them if you wish.”
“We will test all of them.” The twins nodded gravely. “Including the man.”
“Very well,” Theodora replied before she slowly turned around to face us. “Would you all kindly take a step closer to the Angeli Mortis?”
I could hear each of my witches gulp before they slowly nodded and then stepped closer toward the two beautiful, but terrifying creatures. Meanwhile, I stood in the middle of my coven with my chin raised, and I tried to prepare myself for whatever was about to happen.
The bewitching beings peered deeply into our eyes, and then they began to chant in a language I’d never heard before. A piercingly icy wind picked up and then swirled around our feet as the women leaned in closer. They opened their red lips wider, and as a chanting melody escaped from their mouths, I felt like my soul was somehow being pulled out of my body. It was as if a million different entities were invading me all at once and trying to pick apart my brain. I nearly opened my mouth to protest, but I stopped myself because whatever they were doing, this was clearly the only admission to get inside the castle.
This was their gate and source of protection, and it was more powerful than any type of physical forcefield.
Once the invasive feeling subsided, and I could feel myself returning to normal, the two creatures closed their mouths and slowly nodded in Theodora’s direction.
“They passed,” their voices resonated. “They may enter now.”
“Thank you.” Theodora nodded in gratitude.
The headmistress and her daughter then turned around and smiled passively at us.
“Are you ready?” Theodora asked.
When no one answered, I took a small step closer toward her, and with my chin raised, I flashed her my most confident grin.
“Hell, yeah, we are,” I said.
“Excellent,” she answered with a proud smile.
As soon as the headmistress turned around to face the two women, they disappeared from view as wisps of smoke. Clearly, their work here was done, and the moment they vanished, the grand iron doors slowly parted open, and it felt as if we’re about to enter a magnificent cave. I couldn’t sense anything or anyone within the black void, but I obediently followed Vanessa and Theodora as we stepped inside the castle.
Once everyone was inside, the doors slammed shut behind us, and though I couldn’t see them, I could feel my women jolt with fear and apprehension.
“Do not show weakness,” Vanessa snapped quietly.
“Apologies, Professor,” I heard Morgana’s whisper echo throughout the room.
It was still pitch-black inside, but I could sense other manifestations here with us. I swallowed hard and then glanced up as if by some miracle, there would be an ember of light to shine down on us.
“Whatever is the matter?” a deep, feminine voice asked from within the black void. “Do you fear the dark… or is it the unknown which unnerves you?”
No one said a word, not even Vanessa or Theodora, and as the silence grew heavier with each passing second, I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
I asked you if you were afraid of the dark, the same voice suddenly intoned inside my head.
I sucked in a sharp breath of air and then relaxed my shoulders. I wasn’t about to let her question go unanswered, but I wasn’t going to let my voice quiver, either.
“No,” I said in a firm, clear voice. “I do, however, prefer to see whomever it is I choose to converse with.”
For a moment, I thought Vanessa or Theodora was going to reprimand me for my somewhat snippy response, but instead, the room filled with soft laughter.
“Very well, then,” the same voice answered. “Illuminana.”
At once, the entire room filled with firelight, and it took me a long moment to adjust to the view before me. Then I had to stop myself from letting my jaw fall to the marble floor, but I’d never seen such a room before.
The chamber was even larger than the banquet hall and three or four classrooms put together. The stone walls were painted in various shades, mostly black, amber, scarlet, and gold, and each stone was molded and carved into a different shape. The floors were made of silver and black marble, and there was a red pentagram painted right in the middle of the room. Grand, black stone archways covered the ground floor, and hundreds of oil paintings hung on the multi-colored walls.
When I glanced upward, I couldn’t even see the ceiling. There were just hundreds, if not thousands of red candles hovering above us like a fiery cloud. The air was scented with roses and spices, and there was one massive stained-glass window plastered at the very end of the room. Dark silk curtains covered most of the window, though, and marble statues were situated at each corner of the room.
But despite the grandiosity, luxury, and dark beauty of the magnificent room, what truly caught my attention were the nine witches standing behind black, towering marble podiums.
Each witch looked to be no older than Theodora and no younger than Vanessa, and they glared down at me with suspicious eyes and firmly set mouths. They were beautiful women, but they were also intimidating, and I could feel their resentment, skepticism, and doubt radiating off their bodies like the smell of freshly blooming flowers.
There was one woman, though, who differed from the others. She stood in the middle of the room behind the tallest podium, and as I stared into her eyes, I couldn’t get a read on her. Her hair was a pale blonde, and her eyes were as bright as the emerald green forest we’d just marched through. Then she smiled down at me with a perfect set of gleaming, white teeth
“So,” she said as her vibrant, snake-green eyes bored into mine. “This is the man who supposedly saved Scholomance… How do you do, Cole? Please, come closer.”
“I’m well, thank you,” I said as I cleared my throat and took a step toward her. “I truly appreciate you taking the time to see me and for allowing my coven to come along with me.”
“Wait,” a woman with long, deep red hair spoke up, and she narrowed her eyes at me intently. “Is it safe to allow him to approach? Doesn’t he look like--”
“Quiet, Anne,” the blonde woman snapped, and then she turned to me and forced herself to smile. “I am the head of the court, Madame Mara Soulton… I’m sure your coven knows this, but I am familiar with your circumstances, and I know your knowledge of our world is still in some ways… limited.”
“Yes, I’m afraid I’m still learning about your world,” I admitted, “but may I say that each day is an unholy blessing.”
“How so?” Madame Soulton asked with a pale arched eyebrow.
“You have all welcomed me into your world, and each day, I have learned something new and remarkable,” I explained. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in all the worlds.”
The court all cast a variety of different expressions toward one another. Some of the witches looked pleased by my response, while others remained skeptical or even disgusted by the mere sight of me.
“From your silver tongue drips honey,” Mara replied after a long minute, “but even the sweetest savor can be laced with venom… I’m afraid that while we are grateful to you for defeating a corrupt headmaster, saving Scholomance, and slaying an elder goddess, you must still prove your worth for the war to come.”
It took all my willpower not to laugh in their terrifyingly beautiful faces, but instead of demonstrating any sign of irritation or resentment, I simply forced myself to smile and then gently bowed my head.
“What would you have me do?” I asked.
“Tomorrow at first light,” Mara began, “you will face Amon… one of our fiercest creatures from the deepest bowels of hell. If you can defeat the beast, we will accept sister Theodora’s words that you may be of worth to us. Then we shall discuss what can be done to prepare Scholomance for the elder gods.”
My coven began to gasp and mutter amongst themselves until Vanessa furiously quieted them down.
“May I ask why?” I said once heavy silence filled the room once more.
“You may ask,” Mara said with a faux-sweet smile, “but I am under no obligation to answer you.”
“With all due respect, Mara,” Theodora interjected as she brushed past me. “Why would you summon him all the way here if you didn’t believe in his worth or my claim?”
“Satan,” the pale-haired woman chuckled. “I am surprised at you, Theodora. You never questioned the ways of the court before. Why start now… and why is it on behalf of this… man?”
“Because Cole has gone far above and beyond to protect the witches of Scholomance,” the headmistress proclaimed in a slightly raised voice. “He has proved his worth on more than one occasion, yet you want him to face an unbeatable creature. It seems as if you are, in fact, not respecting my words and claim.”
The women of the court all gasped in unison, except for the high and mighty Madame Mara. She simply stared at Theodora with no expression on her beautiful face, and then her lips curled up into a small, mysterious smile.
“It has already been decided, Theodora,” she said before she raised a small, wooden mallet and then hit her podium with a light tap. “This has little to do with you, and everything to do with a male who seems to have worked his way into your academy. Of course, if what you say about Cole is true, he won’t have a problem proving his power to us. We shall reconvene here tomorrow at first light. Now, the maids will all show you to your separate rooms.”
With those words, the women of the court all floated down from their podiums and left in different directions.
At first, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, and I wasn’t sure how to react or what to say. Even Theodora seemed to be at a loss for words, which was very unusual for her.
“Well,” Theodora said after a long moment, “you heard Madame Mara.”
“But, Headmistress,” Morgana breathed, and her blue eyes were dark with despair, “how can you allow Cole to fight Amon?”
“I do not have a choice in the matter, Miss Morgana,” Theodora sighed with her eyes downcast. “And neither do you… So, I suggest we all do as instructed and retire for the night. I know you’re not tired, but Cole will need his rest and strength, considering he has just recently recovered.”
My coven all nodded slowly in response, and even Vanessa looked slightly taken aback and concerned.
I took a deep, slow breath and then forced myself to meet Theodora’s pale blue eyes.
“Do not worry, Headmistress,” I answered with my chin raised. “Whatever this Amon is, I’ll kill the motherfucker twice over.”
To my surprise, Theodora tossed her head back and laughed as if she might bust a gut.
“Oh, Cole,” she said once she caught her breath. “I do admire you for your confidence… and by Satan… you will defeat the beast. I am sure of this as well.”
“Yeah,” Akira added in a small voice. “You’ll kick its ass.”
“We believe in you, Cole.” Morgana smiled with sparkling, blue eyes. “You’ve never let us down before.”
“And you won’t start now,” Penelope remarked.
“Amon may be one of the deadliest creatures known to the Wicca world,” Faye said with a slight tremor in her voice, “but I’m sure you will kill it with no problem.”
“What even is A--?” I started to ask, but then the sound of someone clearing their throat made me stop cold.
When I turned around, I saw a row of identical-looking women with pale skin and short dark hair standing in a line, like a row of pallid ducks, and they were all wearing matching white and red uniforms with small black aprons tied around their tiny waists.
“If you would follow the servants to your quarters, please, and quickly now,” one of the women said, “that would be most appreciated. The man will follow me.”
“Why can’t the women stay with me?” I asked with an arched eyebrow. “We’re a coven after all.”
“It is not customary,” one of the maids answered in a tight tone. “We don’t allow men and women to share quarters.”
I didn’t want to start an argument with the women of the High Court, so I simply nodded in agreement and bade everyone a good night. Once everyone left, I followed the pale and dangerously thin maid down a series of curved corridors, and finally, we reached a tall, wooden door with a silver, crystal knob.
“This is you,” she said in a stoic voice. “Good night.”
For some reason, she refused to meet my eyes, even as I nodded in gratitude, and as soon as I pushed the door open, she swept up her skirts and practically flew down the corridor.
I shook my head and then stepped into my chambers. The room was modest for such a lavish castle, and I had no doubt this space once belonged to a maid or servant of some kind. The small, narrow bed was placed against the stone wall, and there was a small bowl and a pitcher of water for me to clean myself up with set on a small, wooden vanity table. There were no carpets on the floor, or curtains hanging from the small, arched window. The room was bare, cold, and mean, but I didn’t care.
I sighed and then undressed before I slipped under the rough, dusty quilt of my cot-sized bed. Then I closed my eyes and tossed and turned before I fell into a deep sleep. I didn’t think I’d be able to catch a wink, but perhaps Theodora was right. My body was still recovering, and I relished in each hour of sleep I was able to gain. I didn’t want to picture what exactly I would be fighting at first light, but images of mysterious beasts managed to penetrate my mind’s eye as I slumbered.
Finally, there was a harsh knock on the door, and it quickly roused me from my sleep.
“It is nearly light,” the maid’s voice from last night said. “You need to return to the courtroom in ten minutes. No more, no less.”
“Understood,” I mumbled loud enough for her to hear.
As soon as the sound of her footsteps disappeared down the corridor, I flipped the covers off me and splashed my face with the tepid water from the pitcher. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, ran my fingers through my hair, put on a fresh shirt, and wriggled into a pair of wool trousers from my bag. Then I slipped on my boots and tucked my wand into my waistband before I pulled the door open and took a deep, steady breath.
Satan only knew what fresh hell these women had planned for me, and I had a feeling they were eager to see me fail, but I would show them. I would prove my worth, just as I’d done countless times before, and it would take a lot more to bring me down.
I was not ready to die, and I vowed to Satan today would not be that day.