It felt like there was a high-pitched ringing in my ears after Vanessa uttered those words. I could barely hear myself think, and my mouth was as dry as a desert. The room was filled with a heavy silence, and even Professor Evanora seemed too stunned for words.
When I finally found my voice, I stared long and hard at Vanessa.
“What happened?” I asked faintly. “Please, by Satan, tell me she’s alive.”
“Yes, she is, but Mors students attacked her,” Vanessa replied in a shaky voice. “They must have come after her for the books. I-I heard a commotion coming from her office, and after I summoned the other professors, we all barged in, but then they shadow-ported out of there before we had a chance to capture or kill them.”
“What about our defenses?” Evanora asked with wide, disbelieving green eyes. “We put up a forcefield to prevent anything like this from happening.”
“They must have found a way to break through,” Vanessa admitted with an exasperated sigh and defeated shrug.
The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I focused solely on Vanessa.
“Can I see her?” I asked.
The beautiful, but stone-cold professor stared into my eyes, but then she slowly began to nod her head.
“Yes,” she said as she swallowed hard, “in fact, she asked to speak with you. Come along… she’s in the infirmary.”
The dark-haired professor swept out of the room, and I pushed myself out of my chair, rushed out the door, and ran to catch up with her. She wouldn’t turn back to glance at me as she raced down the corridors, and when we finally reached the infirmary doors, she pushed them open with all her strength.
As soon as I stepped into the large, sage-smelling room, I spotted Theodora half-tucked into a bed near the back of the room. She turned to look at me, and for a moment, I was shocked to see how pallid and sickly she appeared. I wasn’t used to seeing her in such a state, and something inside me broke as I stared at her red-rimmed eyes and cracked pale lips. There were also bruises and deep cuts along her beautiful but pale and exhausted face, and she was wearing a simple, white nightgown that was plastered against her gleaming, sweat-covered skin.
“Cole,” she croaked with a tired smile. “I was hoping to see you.”
“Headmistress,” I breathed before I rushed over to her side, and Vanessa quickly followed. “How are you holding up?”
“Oh, I’ve been better,” the headmistress chuckled lightly.
“Is there anything I can do for you, Mother?” Vanessa asked as she lowered herself next to Theodora.
“No,” the older witch tutted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’ll be quite alright, dear.”
“Vanessa said Mors students attacked you in your office,” I growled. “Just say the word, and I’ll return to their school and kill every last motherfucker who laid a hand on you.”
Theodora’s face immediately lit up, and then she began to chuckle until it turned into a weak cough.
“Mother--” Vanessa started until Theodora raised a hand to cut her short.
“I’m fine,” she said in a stern voice. “I just need rest… would you mind giving us a moment alone?”
Vanessa shot me a cold glare before she turned her attention back to her mother and gently nodded.
“Of course,” she finally agreed. “I’ll be outside if you need anything.”
I watched as Vanessa slowly pulled herself upwards and headed for the exit. Before she left, though, she shot me one last scowl and then gently closed the infirmary doors behind her.
“She worries about me too much,” Theodora sighed once she was gone. “I’m afraid it’s her only weakness.”
“Can you blame her?” I asked as gently as possible. “With all due respect, Headmistress, you look like hell, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. What exactly did they do to you?”
Theodora’s tired, pale blue eyes lifted to meet mine, and she let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Well,” she began, “I was busy going over the new schedule in my office when suddenly, there was a giant cloud of purple smoke, and I was faced with twenty or so Mors students, demanding to know where I kept the forbidden books. When I refused to say a word, they attacked me with elder magic. As much as I hate to admit it, it was an unfair confrontation. I was completely outnumbered and lucky the other professors came in when they did. Those students might have been strong, but they were no match against my most experienced professors, and they knew it. So, they fled.”
“I see…” I muttered as a burning rage coursed through my body. “Well, what can I do for you? I’ll do anything.”
“I don’t want you to seek revenge,” she said in a soft voice. “Not yet… for now, what I want you to do is go back into my office and open the fireplace. There, you will find the forbidden books. In the same place you went through when you first visited that bastard, Ravana, for dinner, do you remember?”
“Yes, I remember.” I nodded.
“Well, what I want you to do is read up on ancient premonition magic,” she continued, “we both know it’s your strongest ability, and given my weakened state, I want you to teach tomorrow’s class. Can you do that for me, Cole?”
Shit.
Teaching a class was one thing, but teaching an entire room about ancient magic no one was familiar with was another thing. I’d probably have to stay up all night reading, but how could I deny Theodora? So, instead of expressing any sign of concern, I simply smiled and nodded my head.
“Of course,” I said as I brushed a sweaty strand of hair out of her face. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
Theodora’s face broke into a weak smile before she slowly sighed with relief and pointed to the doors.
“Then, what are you waiting for?” she asked me in a gentle and amused tone. “Get to it… there is plenty of material for you to cover.”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I responded with a firm nod. “I won’t let you down.”
“You never do.” She smiled.
I bade her a quick goodbye before heading toward the doors, and then I made my way down the corridor. As I turned a sharp corner, though, I nearly collided into someone, and it made me jump back. Then Vanessa’s furious blue eyes met mine, and I took another small step back and raised my hands in defense.
“Apologies, Professor,” I said with a small, forced smile, “I’m just in a bit of hurry.”
“So it would seem,” she answered in an icy tone of voice. “What did my mother ask of you?”
“She wanted me to return to her office,” I replied. “She needs me to look over the forbidden books regarding premonition magic.”
“Of course,” she said with a small nod, and for once, there was no malice or jealousy in her voice. “Well… good luck. I’ll be seeing to it that our forcefield will be rebuilt. It is not an easy endeavor to accomplish, especially when dealing with elder magic, but perhaps we can find another alternative.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed.
The beautiful professor regarded me coolly before she bit her lip and looked away. I could tell she was in pain and doing her best not to show it, but right now, I could see right through her, and I knew she hated every moment of it.
“Well, I’d better get to it,” she snapped before she whipped around, headed down the corridor, and disappeared from view.
I inhaled deeply before I headed off in a different direction. I wanted to let my coven and the others know what I was about to do for the rest of the night since they probably had hundreds of questions, so, before I made my way down to Theodora’s office, I headed for the banquet hall.
When I pushed the massive doors open, hundreds of eyes landed on me, and then witches began to feverishly whisper amongst each other. I ignored them, scanned the room, and spotted my coven sitting with Nyx, Beatrix, and the twins in the back, and as I approached them, they stood up and began to address me all at once.
“One at a time,” I sighed as I sat in my chair and looked down at my full plate of food. It looked like spiced, mysterious meat and a side of mashed pumpkins topped with red walnuts.
I had absolutely no appetite, but I knew I had to eat something.
“Is the headmistress going to be okay?” Morgana asked with wide blue eyes.
“Yes,” I answered, “she’s strong as hell… and there’s no way a group of Mors students would be able to make her talk. Fucking idiots.”
“Did they find the books?” Morgana asked, and her face turned slightly pale.
“No,” I answered, “thank Satan.”
“Were any of them killed or taken as a hostage?” Akira snarled and clenched her fists. “I fucking hope so.”
“Theodora said they shadow ported right out of the office as soon as the professors rushed in,” I explained, “so, no.”
“Broom fucker!” Akira growled and banged her fist on the table.
“Are we going to seek revenge?” Penelope asked with a raised, orange eyebrow.
“Theodora didn’t approve of the notion at this time,” I sighed. “So, that would be another no.”
“Why not?” Nyx asked as she leaned closer toward me. “If I were her, I’d want to tear that treacherous school apart, brick by brick.”
“She must think it’s a waste of time and energy right now,” I responded. “We’d do better to practice our own defenses and prepare for an even greater attack.”
“That certainly makes sense,” Vesta purred before taking a small bite out of a cherry. “I’m inclined to agree with her.”
“But what can we do to help?” Faye questioned as she looked around the table. “Is there anything we can do, master?”
“Get some rest,” I said as I began to eat my dinner as quickly as possible. “I’m going to be going over the premonition book tonight. Theodora wants me to teach the class, and I’ll read until sunrise if I have to.”
“Can you even do that?” Beatrix asked as she brushed a strand of golden-brown hair out of her dark eyes. “I mean, I understand time is of the essence, but can you really retain so much information overnight?”
“Especially defense against elder magic,” Nyx added. “Those ancient texts were forbidden for a reason, or did you forget?”
“Hey!” Penelope interjected, and her brown eyes narrowed sharply. “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?”
“Carrot head has a point,” Akira agreed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Cole has been able to conquer anything and everything thrown his way. If you were a part of the coven, you’d know that.”
Akira’s words echoed in my mind as I stared at the women who were not a part of my unholy, immortal coven, and I especially found myself deeply fixated on Nyx, with her velvety blue skin, small, protruding red horns, and piercing plum colored eyes. At that moment, I realized she would make an excellent addition to my coven, and I vowed to make her mine.
It would only be a matter of time.
As the others quietly discussed the possibilities of tomorrow’s class, I quickly finished the rest of my plate and then stood up to briefly address the others.
“Take it easy tonight,” I reminded them. “We’re going to have another long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I want each of you to be on the top of your game. You did well out there today.”
“Thank you, master.” Faye blushed.
“Yes, thank you, master,” Vesta added as she tossed back her gleaming, green hair. “We appreciate your confidence in us.”
“And we’ll continue to make you proud,” Morgana said with her chin raised high and determined.
“No matter what,” Penelope agreed.
“I have no doubt.” I smiled as I looked at each beautiful and willful witch at the table. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
I quickly left the table, and as I headed toward the doors, I could feel countless pairs of eyes on my back, but I chose to ignore the feeling and head straight down to Theodora’s office. When I pushed the door open and stepped inside, I was shocked to see the chaotic mess before me. Her beautiful wooden desk was shattered to pieces, and her books were splattered all across the floor. The window at the back of the room was broken, too, and it looked like a complete war zone.
I took a deep breath, stepped over the clutter, and then began to move the artifacts on the fireplace mantelpiece. Luckily, not one of those belongings had been touched or harmed, and finally, when I moved the golden clock, the fireplace made a low grumbling sound before the stones began to rearrange themselves. Cool air blew in my face as the icy opening presented itself to me, and there, lying in the middle of the secret passageway, was a tower of crimson-colored books. It would have been easy to miss, but with my sharp eyes, I immediately spotted the books’ dim outlines.
“Found you,” I whispered to myself as I stepped inside the dark, narrow alley. Then I pulled out my wand and lifted it above my eyes. “Illuminana.”
My wand glowed brightly as I ventured toward the books. I only needed to find the text on premonition, so after a minute of scanning the golden writing on each cover, I found what I was looking for.
“Ancient spells of premonition and foresight,” I read aloud. “Bingo.”
I took the heavy book and left the others in their hiding place. I assumed Theodora only pulled them out whenever a professor needed them for a class, so I promised myself once I finished studying, I would return the book to its rightful place.
I left the cold tunnel and then closed the entrance to prevent the icy wind from blowing air through the already chilly office. As soon as the stones rearranged themselves back into their prior position, I aimed my glowing wand at the fireplace.
Motus.
A small ball of fire flew from my wand and then erupted in the hearth, and as the room began to heat up, I stared at the mess on the floor and focused on moving the books and clutter back to their usual spots.
“Motus,” I repeated aloud.
In the next moment, the hundreds of scattered books hovered back over to the unbroken shelves, and goblets and other artifacts rearranged themselves back onto different surfaces. The only things that remained untouched were the ripped velvet chairs and Theodora’s desk, and I wondered for a moment if I could rearrange the broken bits and pieces back into place.
There was only one way to find out.
“Motus,” I echoed.
Slowly, the broken bits of furniture began to rumble and then reposition themselves in the air. Bits and pieces of flying wood started to stick together, like a giant puzzle, and even shards of colored glass spread all across the floor started to assemble themselves back together again.
As soon as the materials stopped moving, and all was quiet, I pulled back my shoulders and stared at the improvement before me. Everything was back in their rightful places, and it seemed like nothing had happened at all.
“Perfect,” I muttered to myself.
Now that everything was tidied up, I took a seat by the fireplace and opened the dusty book. Clouds of smoke rose into the air, and after I waved it away, I placed the heavy book on my lap and then stared at the first chapter. The illustrations were made of gold and crimson ink, and they were all incredibly intricate and detailed. Each spell and potion appeared to be incredibly challenging and unlike anything we’d covered before. The dialect was slightly different for certain spells, too, and I knew deep down tomorrow was going to be a challenge, but I didn’t let that deter me.
We had to push ourselves, now more than ever.
I continued to read until it felt like my eyes were going to bleed and boredom would kill me, but then I found myself completely immersed in a specific chapter. It explained how to perceive the weaknesses, desires, and disabilities of ancient elder creatures, as well as any other being, and I couldn’t stop reading. I thought it was both useful and fascinating, but eventually, sometime in the middle of the night, I felt the urge to get up and stretch my legs. So, I placed the book carefully on Theodora’s desk and paced slowly around the room. I stared out the window, and then my eyes fell toward the forest, and I thought about Alexander and if he’d be up for some premonition practice. I desperately needed to get out of this office for a while, and if I was going to take a break from reading, then I needed to be practical. Besides, if I wanted to teach to the best of my abilities, I’d need to practice the craft and not just read about it.
I turned away from the window, opened the fireplace back up, quickly placed the book back onto the pile, closed the opening, and made my way out the door and to the common room. Since it was sometime in the middle of the night, all the familiars seemed to be in a deep, peaceful sleep, and I smiled when I spotted Silvia and Alexander curled up next to each other by the fireplace, while the others had found their own spots somewhere on the sofas.
I slowly and quietly approached the sleeping Alexander and then lightly tapped on his head.
“Hey,” I whispered, “Alexander, wake up.”
What? he groaned, and even in my head, his voice was thick with sleep. It’s still dark… isn’t it? What the hell do you want?
“Yeah, it’s dark, but so what?” I murmured. “It’s never too early or too late to practice some forbidden magic, am I right?”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, he growled.
“I’m dead serious,” I answered. “Come on, get the hell up. I need you as a backup to practice something new.”
Fiiiiiiiiine, he whined before he gently pulled himself away from the sleeping Silvia. The things I do for you.
I watched as he stretched out his paws and his back legs before extending his massive black, leathery wings. His glowing red eyes met mine, and then his lips pulled back into a small smile.
“Ready?” I grinned.
Fuck, yeah, he said, what are we waiting for?
I chuckled as we both headed for the door, and we made our way through the corridors, past the grand front doors, and toward the towering, black iron gates as quietly as possible.
So, what’s the plan exactly? Alexander asked as we headed for the forest. Are we just going to wander the grounds while you practice your magic, or what?
“I just read about ancient premonition magic,” I explained. “I want to see if I can successfully wander through the woods predicting who or what is in my path… but more importantly, I want to find a creature I know nothing about and see if I can defeat it.”
But can’t you do that already? Alexander asked. I thought you could predict danger before it happened.
“This is a little different,” I said. “With this spell, I can summon beings to my will, and also peer into the weaknesses and desires of any creature I cross… just trust me, I know it sounds complicated, but you’ll understand when you see it.”
When we entered the black thicket of the dark woods, I pulled out my wand and kept it extended in front of me. It lit the way as we trekked through the forest, and Alexander flew closely by my side.
I can’t believe we’re out here looking for danger when we could be snuggling with our women, Alexander grumbled.
“I’m sure these woods don’t possess anything I can’t handle,” I whispered. “Stop being a little pussy.”
I’m not! he barked back.
I chuckled under my breath but kept my eyes and ears on high alert. I knew looking for danger seemed like a foolish thing to do, but it was the only way to test out my abilities and see if I was truly capable of teaching tomorrow’s lesson. As I listened to every chirp, growl, and subtle noise around me, I thought about the book. I’d learned how witches had been able to sense the smallest elements in the earth, such as dying roots or spoiled vegetation. It was all about being able to manipulate the elements and open my mind to everything surrounding me. I could even cause trees to split open or flowers to sprout from the earth if I wanted to.
All it took was practice and patience.
For now, though, what I wanted to do was find a creature I knew nothing about and see if I could defeat it by sensing its one true weakness or desire. The incantation required to detect disadvantages and desires from an unknown creature was a seemingly simple one. I just had to open my mind and recite the word ‘apertum.’ Then my mind would become one with my surroundings. It seemed easy enough, but it was known to cause witches to spontaneously combust, and I didn’t fancy the idea of having my head explode like a ripe melon.
So, I had to be careful when using it.
I still don’t know what we’re looking for, Alexander sighed.
“We’re looking for something mysterious,” I explained as patiently as possible. “I’m trying to see if I can find something I’ve never seen before, and then use the incantation to learn everything about it in seconds… wait, stop.”
What? he asked, and there was a trace of panic in his voice.
“There’s something in that tree over there,” I said slowly, “I can feel it.”
Alexander hovered a little closer to me and then squinted his ruby-red eyes in the direction I was pointing.
I stared long and hard at the tree trunk and studied its bark, the leaves, the dirt beneath it, and I knew, something dark and cruel lived within its confinements.
What is it? Alexander asked.
“I’m not sure,” I responded.
Well, you’d better find out… and quickly.
In my mind, I saw the silhouette of something that resembled a beastly sized man and a ghoulish goat. It was a faun, if I recalled correctly. I remembered seeing pictures of the creature in the Book of Beasts, but I never read the entire chapter.
“I’m pretty sure we’re dealing with a faun… and a pretty large one at that,” I replied with a small smile.
So, you know how to kill it? Alexander asked.
“Nope,” I said. “I may know what a faun looks like, but I have no idea how to defeat one.”
How’s that a good thing? Alexander cried out in a clear panic.
“Because it will give me a chance to practice the spell,” I replied coolly. “Just fucking relax, will you?”
Before Alexander could snap back at me, we heard deep, cackling laughter, and then the tree bark slowly split apart. Out from the opening sauntered a towering, pale-skinned hoofed man with curled horns on the top of his head and long, greasy silver-green hair. His eyes were bright, piss-yellow, and there were deep red carvings all over his leathery skin. He only wore a loincloth, and his chest was muscled, toned, and tattooed with markings.
When his eyes met mine, his thin lips pulled up into a small smile, and then he chuckled again.
“Well, well, well,” he croaked. “I must say… a late-night dinner seldom comes wandering into my neck of the woods.”
“Hey,” I warned with my wand extended. “Stay back, or I’ll blow you to fucking pieces.”
He stopped in his tracks, and as I stared into his yellow orbs, his smile only grew.
“What?” the faun laughed as he took another step closer toward me. “Are you afraid?”
Cole? Alexander groaned. What the hell are you doing? He’s coming right at us… should I kill him or not?
“No,” I replied to both Alexander and the faun.
The creature took another step closer toward me, and I could feel greed radiating off his body like an overpowering stench. I needed a clearer indication of what he wanted or feared because I knew it wasn’t just my blood he craved, he also yearned for something else.
Something far more valuable.
So, I stared at the beast, and then, without breaking eye contact with him, I uttered the incantation in my head.
Apertum.
Suddenly, a wave of information hit me all at once. I sensed gold, jewels, the most beautiful furs, lavish banquets, grand balls, glittering diamonds, and majestic paintings. So, this fucker craved riches.
But at the same time, I could also feel his deepest fears… which turned out to be the sun.
I smiled to myself because I was beginning to form the perfect plan. This faun would be an ideal creature to keep within the castle for practice, since I’d never seen his species before, and I knew the professors would appreciate a new addition to their collection. So instead of killing him by summoning the sun, which would take up too much of my time and energy, I’d lure him back to the castle.
“Why are you grinning like a mute fool?” the faun growled before taking another small step toward me.
“I know what you desire,” I said, “it’s riches… gold, diamonds, jewels, and silver… correct?”
“And so, what of it?” he snarled. “I don’t suppose you’re carrying something valuable with you? Maybe your little pet has a gold tooth? I’d love to rip his jaw open and find out.”
Cole, Alexander whimpered in a concerned voice. I don’t like this.
“No, we don’t have anything valuable on us, but I can lead you to great, majestic riches,” I explained as I ignored Alexander. “All you have to do is follow me.”
“Is that so?” he growled before he took another step closer toward me.
“Keep your distance,” I warned him. “I’ll kill you in a blink of an eye if I have to.”
“Now, why would you so generously offer me riches?” the faun asked in an amused voice. “Doesn’t seem right to me... especially when you keep threatening to kill me.”
“The gold I speak of is locked up in a castle,” I lied. “I need someone to help me break inside… we can then split the treasure. Or, I can kill you here on the spot. Your choice.”
“Oh?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Hmmm, is the castle nearby? I never walk farther than I have to, dinner comes from my bark and branches, since I feast on birds and worms. This tree is all I know, and I seldom leave its warm confinements, unless I have to.”
“It’s not too far behind me.” I grinned. “In fact, it’s just a short walk.”
“Well, perhaps I can help you out, then,” he said, and his yellow eyes flashed with greed.
Got him.
“That’s what I thought,” I chuckled. “Alright, come with me… but stay where I can see you. I’ll tell you where to go.”
The faun chuckled under his breath as I gestured for him to move forward, and he squinted at me and then licked his thin lips as he marched ahead with his back slightly hunched forward.
What the hell are you doing, Cole? Alexander asked.
“You’ll see,” I mumbled under my breath.
“What did you say?” the faun asked as he slowly turned around to face me.
“Nothing,” I said, “I’m just mumbling to myself.”
“And I thought I was crazy,” the faun muttered as he shook his head.
I ignored his comment and kept my wand aimed at his back as we moved onward. He was a slow creature, but it didn’t matter. If anything, it bought me a little more time to fully formulate a plan. I’d lure him down into the forbidden dungeons and then stick him into one of the cells. I’d fight him if I had to, which would probably be the case once he figured things out, but I wasn’t worried about that. I just needed to test out my knowledge, and so far, things were working out smoothly. If I could keep up this farce, we’d make it back to the dungeon with no problem.
Then I felt something cold press against my skin like a thousand needles, and my heart quickly sank to the pit of my stomach as my fingers tingled. My mouth went dry, and I cleared my mind as best as I could.
Apertum.
At the next moment, I sensed something massive coming toward us, and whatever it was, it was twice the size of the faun in front of me and five times bigger than Alexander. I couldn’t sense what it was exactly, but it was running toward us at an incredible speed, and even the earth felt as if it were shaking, but neither the faun nor Alexander seemed to notice. This was different from anything else I’d experienced before, and whatever this beast was, I knew the entire forest feared it.
“Stop,” I ordered in a rushed voice.
Alexander immediately came to a halt, but the faun continued to march onward as if he didn’t hear me.
“I said, stop!” I repeated with more urgency in my voice, but the stubborn faun refused to listen. “Hey! Stop!”
“Why the hell should I stop?” he growled, but then he came to a halt and turned around to face me.
Before I could say another word, a colossal shadow sprouted from behind him, and then two large paws grasped onto his leathery neck. The faun’s eyes widened in shock as a mysterious, black, and hairy creature began to twist his throat all the way around like he was an owl, and then the beast slowly started to tear his head from his body. Blood spurted from the opening like a crimson fountain and splattered across my face like raindrops, and then the faun’s headless body fell to the forest floor.
Whatever had killed him still held onto his head, and as I raised my glowing wand into the air, I saw a pair of brilliant, red eyes staring right into my soul.
It felt as if death itself were looking me right in the face.