“Everyone, be quiet!” I ordered, and the screaming came to a dying halt.
My heart was beating in my throat, and I strained my eyes to get a better view of what we were dealing with, but it was nearly impossible to see anything ahead. The sunset-hued sky had quickly darkened, and now we were surrounded by thick, unforgiving black clouds. Whoever shot that arrow was hiding behind a mass of ebony clouds, and if we didn’t act quickly, another one could pierce any witch it so desired.
“Cole!” Faye shouted as her massive green dragon hovered by my side. “What do we do? We’re completely exposed out here.”
“Follow my lead!” I yelled. “They’re trying to use the clouds to mask themselves, but I have an idea. Just fly behind me and keep your eyes peeled!”
“Yes, master,” the redhead answered before she looked at Professor Evanora, who was not too far away from us.
“Cole, what are you doing?” the pink-haired professor bellowed. “We can’t see a damn thing.”
“I know!” I called out.
I was about to change that.
I stared at the charcoal black clouds and at the yellow lightning, which was beginning to split through the dark sky. Another arrow whipped past my ear, but I refused to let these motherfuckers use the elements as their advantage. So, I stared at the dim clouds with all my mental strength and willed them to do my own bidding.
Apertum.
Suddenly, the sky morphed from a deep, unsettling gray to a vivid scarlet, and then the thick, black clouds turned as clear as water. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared at the vast, flying army in front of us, and as they drew even closer, my breath caught in my throat while my palms grew slick with sweat.
Hundreds of soldiers with shimmering gold breastplates were soaring through the bright sky on giant, winged white horses. They were all armed with bows and arrows and led by a giant man with pale blond hair and a deep scar across his face. His glowing green eyes met mine for a moment, and then his face broke into a venomous smirk. He raised his fist into the air, and his army all notched their arrows at once.
“Dive!” I commanded as I quickly whirled my head to look behind me and raised my own hand. “Now!”
As I willed my flying beast to plunge himself downward, the rest of the witches followed, and when I glanced upward, I saw a rain of arrows soar through the clouds. We needed to get closer and use our dragons to our advantage, so I stared down at my obedient beast and then pressed myself against his scale-covered back.
“I haven’t seen you breathe fire yet,” I said, “but if you can… now would be the ideal time to do it.”
My beast made no immediate indication that he understood me, and for a moment, I was at a loss for what to do next, but then he suddenly heaved himself upward, and we were soaring right for the army.
“That’s it,” I encouraged him, “burn them all!”
“Cole!” I heard Faye scream as I sped toward our enemy.
Before any of the soldiers could notch another arrow, a deep resonating growl rumbled through my dragon’s entire body, and he suddenly grew hotter. His scales nearly burned my skin, but regardless, I continued to press my frame against his.
Then he let out a ferocious roar before flame spurted out from his massive maw and began to set the flying army on fire.
Terrified screams echoed through the sky as my dragon scorched a handful of men and their horses. The smell of raw, burning flesh instantly filled the air, which caused the other dragons to crave for their own fresh blood. In the next moment, all of our giant, unwavering beasts began to tear through the men and their horses, and when I glared at the leader of the group, his eyes shot daggers in my direction. I swerved my dragon toward him and his own flying creature, and then fire erupted from my dragon’s massive snout and nearly scorched the son of a bitch, but he managed to dive out of the way at the last possible second.
A few other soldiers followed his lead, but now, we had the upper hand, and he knew it.
“Burn as many as you can!” I ordered without turning to look at my own army. “Command your dragons to breathe fire, and they will obey! Quickly! Take them all out!”
Soon, massive balls of fire began to soar through the sky as the other witches commanded their own dragons to scorch the elders and their flying creatures. Some dragons even began to snatch the magnificent white horses and clamp down on them with great and powerful jaws. Blood, fire, and gore fell through the sky like rainfall, and agonizing screams echoed as the glorious chaos ensued.
The elder army realized too late that they were nothing compared to our beasts, and in the blink of an eye, the small militia leader disappeared as he dove downward and carefully avoided the flames and jaws of our superior creatures.
I thought about flying after him, but I couldn’t abandon the women while they took care of the rest of the elder legion, so I chose to remain behind and take care of the rest of these motherfuckers.
“Master, we’re overpowering them!” Faye called out with pride, and she looked like a fierce warrior goddess as she sat astride her dragon.
“We’re not in the clear just yet,” I yelled back. “Let’s rid the sky of every single one. Watch my back while I bend the elements to my will, and then charge at them with all you’ve got!”
“Yes, master!” Faye shouted, and her green-gold eyes were brimming with determination and bloodlust as if she were one with her dragon.
As my beast soared through the air and I focused on the scarlet sky, Faye and Evanora whipped past me with their own obedient dragons and began to tear through the army without an ounce of mercy. Faye cried out in fury as her beast ripped horses and men apart and tore them into shreds, and her fiery red hair had gone undone and was soaring behind her like a mass of bloody ribbons. She whipped through the clouds and smoke with feral willpower I’d never seen before, and her dragon’s outstretched wings knocked over men and sent them falling to their deaths. Other witches followed behind her, and charred, blackened bodies began to fall down into the earth as we rid the skies of our foes.
Evanora was demonstrating the same resolve as she swerved and dived through the red-hued sky, and she burned the remaining elders who were desperately trying to guide their horses away from our dragons.
As my army ripped the elders into shreds, I glanced up at the clouds and willed them to do my bidding. I wanted blood to fall from the sky and stain the eyes of the elders. I wanted to drench them in my wrath.
Apertum.
Thick, crimson droplets began to pour from the sky, and I willed the rainfall to cascade over our enemies. Their glowing eyes were now tainted with blood, and their white mares were stained scarlet. The metallic smell of blood mixed with the stench of raw flesh enticed our beasts to attack with even more fervor, and they ripped the remaining soldiers into bits and pieces. As the dragons devoured our enemies, they roared with greed and satisfaction, and their war cries were as loud as thunder.
“We did it!” Faye cheered as she soared by my side.
When I turned to look at her, the beautiful redhead’s face was completely stained with ash and blood. I couldn’t even spot one freckle on her face, but she didn’t seem to care.
I opened my mouth to respond, but a violent shiver crept up my spine, and it nearly knocked me off my dragon.
“Fuck,” I said through gritted teeth.
“What’s wrong?” Faye called out with wide, panicked eyes. “Cole, say something!”
“What’s going on?” Evanora demanded as she flew to my side.
Pain continued to pierce my skull and send vicious shivers coursing through my entire body, and I could barely see anything in front of me, except for our dragons’ shadows and the glowing outlines of crimson clouds.
Then the world before me shifted until I was looking down at Scholomance, and the castle was being overrun with elder armies, mortal men, and other beasts. I could see them running across the grounds and using spells to try and bring down the stone barrier Vanessa and I created, and I saw the same leader in my mind’s eye, with the pale hair and piercing green eyes, leading men, elders, and beasts into the academy. It was a horrific image, but soon, the picture in my head vanished, and my eyesight had returned to the fiery, red sky, filled with ferocious dragons ripping the last soldiers into bits and pieces.
“Cole,” Faye shouted as she hovered next to me, “say something! Even through the blood and ash, your face is paler than snow, and I’ve seen that look in your eyes before. Was it another vision?”
“Yes,” I finally managed to respond. “We need to return to the grounds and quickly. These men were just a diversion.”
Evanora, who was within earshot, glanced at me with wide, fearful eyes, but then she shook her head and looked around at the witches who were soaring through the sky.
“We need to head back to Scholomance!” she roared. “The others need our help now!”
It would be a waste of energy to try and shadow port everyone plus their scaled-steeds back to the academy, so all the witches turned their attention to the pink-haired professor and commanded their beasts to follow us back to Scholomance. We sped through the air, and the hot wind whipped across my face as I guided my small legion back to the grounds.
When we finally found ourselves soaring across the black forest near the academy, I could make out a variety of creatures and men galloping on horseback toward the castle from the opposite direction we had flown. On the other side of the school, I thought I saw another group of men with vast golden and silver wings flying through the sky and charging toward Scholomance. There were other soldiers with them, too, and they were flying on the same white, magnificent winged horses we’d just encountered.
Altogether, there were probably thousands of soldiers and beasts on both land and sky.
“Cole!” Evanora cried out. “You need to warn the others inside and prepare them for immediate battle… we will take out as many enemies in the sky and ground, but the others must be warned. Hurry!”
I nodded firmly in her direction and then glanced at the blood-soaked Faye.
“I’m coming with you, master,” she said before I could utter a word. “I need to fight by your side.”
“And you will,” I reassured her. “Come on, let’s land these dragons on top of the wall. There’s one more thing I have to do before we enter the castle.”
The redhead nodded as we separated ourselves from the pink-haired professor and the army of flying witches. I hated to depart from them, but I knew with Evanora leading them, they were in good hands.
As the elders and their army drew closer to the castle from the north, I guided my dragon to perch himself on the edge of the stone wall we created. Faye landed by my side, and we both took a moment to catch our breaths and think of what to do next. As I sat on my beast and looked down at the countless men, elders, and creatures making their way toward the castle wall, and then at the numerous attackers filling up the red sky, I closed my eyes and summoned my deadly half.
Wherever you are, I began, we need you to take your army and attack those who wish us harm. I order you to do whatever you must do to kill our enemies.
Within seconds, the air grew colder, and then I was gazing upon my crimson brother. His horns were flaming, and his eyes were even brighter than the sun. I squinted as I stared upon his unholy and magnificent glory, and as he floated before me like a red ghost, the other black silhouettes joined him, and the sky before us was packed with our shadowy soldiers.
“Go,” I commanded him, “lead the others to slaughter as many enemies as you can, both on land and in the sky.”
My scarlet double took a deep bow before he slowly turned to look at the other shadows, and then in a blink of an eye, he soared away from us with the other ghostly doppelgangers right behind him. I watched as the army of shadows descended upon the troops who were making their way to the wall, and I could hear a chorus of screams as our silhouettes began to swarm down on our enemies and hack them into bloody chunks before they devoured their souls.
Faye slowly turned to look at me, but before she could say another word, I pulled out my wand and whispered into my dragon’s ear.
“Watch over your brothers and sisters and the witches they carry,” I commanded, and then I turned to look back at the redhead.
“Prepare yourself,” I warned her, and before she could ask what for, I raised my wand into the air. “Hos parere imperio.”
The two of us were wrapped up in a cloud of purple smoke, and seconds later, we found ourselves inside the banquet hall. As soon as the other witches saw our blood and ash-covered faces, they collectively gasped, and panic filled the air as they began to shout question after question.
“Silence!” I roared at the top of my lungs.
The room grew deadly quiet, and Vanessa was the first to stand up from her seat and rush to our sides. I noticed her black wolf Isabelle was trotting by her side, and it reminded me of Alexander. We’d need the familiars’ help when the time came, but for now, we needed to organize the witches.
“What must be done?” the dark-haired professor asked. “Where is Evanora?”
“She is leading the others to attack our enemies in the sky, with our shadow doubles’ help,” I explained. “We need to armor up, grab weapons, and place distinct groups throughout the castle.”
Akira, Morgana, Penelope, Vesta, and Nyx were already behind Vanessa, and they heard every word. Their eyes were filled with panic, but it was swiftly replaced with fortitude and a thirst for our enemies’ blood, and I could sense their tenacity like a spiced perfume radiating off their skin.
“I’ll make sure every witch is wearing her armor,” Vesta said in a hasty tone.
“And I’ll hand out the weapons as quickly as possible,” Akira added.
“We’ll help,” Morgana and Penelope said in unison.
“So will I.” Nyx nodded before they all dispersed and began to hand out weapons and armor.
“I’d better gear up as well,” Faye said before she ran off to follow the others.
“Cole, you’ll need something to wear as well,” Vanessa said as she looked at me from head to toe.
“I’ll do that in just a moment,” I answered. “Look, we both know the wall is not going to hold up forever, and the dragons and shadows can only take out so many enemies. I saw thousands of elders, men, and beasts making their way here, like an ocean of chaos, and the waves are about to hit our shores. You need to go and divide the students… make sure each professor leads each legion like a general, and I’ll do the same with my coven.”
“Alright,” Vanessa responded with a firm nod. “Be careful, Cole, and may Satan protect you and yours.”
“You as well,” I replied before I placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. “Do not worry… we’ll be celebrating with food and wine by nightfall. You’ll see.”
Vanessa forced herself to smile at me, but then an unusual sound echoed outside of the castle.
I turned to look at the stained-glass window and noticed the shadow of the stone wall had disappeared, but my senses told me it was still standing.
“What the hell?” I muttered before I parted from Vanessa and edged closer toward the window.
I peered through one of the light-colored pieces of glass and caught a glimpse of the stone wall. My breath instantly caught in my throat, and my eyes went wide when I realized what was happening.
The elders had used their powers to completely turn the stone into ice, and I knew it was about to explode into a thousand shards.
“Everyone, get down!” I screamed.
Witches immediately went flying to the ground for cover, and as my own body landed with a thud on the cold, hard floor, the window exploded, and shards of glass and ice flew through the air and pierced the walls and tables like daggers.
To my horror, a few witches couldn’t get down in time, and pity ran through my body as I watched a large piece of glass pierce a witch right through the center of her throat. Her pink eyes went wide with pain and surprise as dark blood poured down her sage-green skin, and she gargled for her last breath, collapsed to the floor, and then turned to look at me before the life completely drained away from her eyes.
Fury coursed through my veins, and when the turmoil came to a standstill, I slowly stood up and looked outside the broken window.
An elder, wearing a smug grin across his angelic face, hovered on top of his glowing, white horse, and when his piercing eyes met mine, he lifted a hand and pointed in my direction.
Before he could utter an incantation, I whipped out my own wand and aimed it at his head.
“Your little rod is no match against our elder magic, you poor pathetic fool,” his magnificent voice echoed as he lowered his hand and began to chuckle. “You are nothing.”
“Fuck you, bitch,” I muttered before I narrowed my eyes sharply in his direction. “Dissulto!”
A vibrant red flash of light left the tip of my wand and nearly sent me flying back, but I maintained my stance and watched with pure satisfaction as the spell hit the elder right between his eyes and sent him flying off his horse and down to the ground below.
The sound of his terrified scream echoing through the air filled me with joy until he smashed into the courtyard below and splattered into bits.
“I bet you weren’t expecting that, you stupid motherfucker,” I growled under my breath.
I turned to look back at the glass and ice-covered banquet hall, and all eyes were on me. Some women were already geared up with armor and weapons, but several others weren’t.
“Don’t just stare,” I ordered in a hasty and impatient tone. “If you’re not wearing your armor, find some and then head off into your assigned group with your professor.”
The women quickly snapped out of their dazes and began to scramble around the disordered room to retrieve any kind of defense they could find. When everyone was armored up and carrying a weapon of their choosing, the professors quickly pulled them into their groups, and Beatrix nodded in my direction as she joined Professor Crimson. The twins ended up pairing off with Professor Luna, and the armed and garbed women who were recently resurrected were also separated into equal groups to follow the professors.
As I marveled at our new recruits, a tall, blonde, and beautiful woman I’d never seen before stopped fiddling with her blade and lifted her vivid, ice blue eyes to stare at me. Her dark pupils were in the shape of vertical slits, and when she gazed upon me, I felt as if I were under the trance of a mesmerizing snake. Then the corners of her pale pink lips twitched upward, and she smiled softly before she approached me.
“You,” she purred as she stared into my eyes. “Cole, is it?”
“Yes.” I nodded, and I noticed when she spoke, her bright pink tongue was forked at the end.
“My name is Circe, and I just wanted to say,” she began in a soft voice, “well… before we split off into battle, I wanted to thank you for bringing us back to life. Even in death, my sisters and I craved vengeance against the elders, and we are eternally grateful for what you’ve done to bring us here. We will do whatever we can to protect you and yours.”
“Thank you.” I grinned. “May Satan protect you out there. I hope to see you again, soon.”
“You, too,” she replied with a demure smile before she turned on her heels to join the others.
When everyone else was divided and organized, I turned to look at my own coven and Nyx.
“Summon your familiars,” I ordered before I snatched a breastplate off a table and fastened it around my chest. It was a tight fit, but it was better than nothing.
The women collectively nodded and then closed their eyes.
I willed myself to connect with Alexander, and when our minds were tied together like a knot on a string, I summoned him to meet us here in the banquet hall.
Alexander, I said, I need you to fight by my side… and bring my dagger with you. The castle is under attack. Hurry, there is no time to waste!
For a moment, there was no reply, but then his familiar voice rang inside my head like a clear echo in a cave.
I’m on my way, Cole! he answered.
Before Alexander and the other familiars arrived, Vanessa glided toward me and intently focused on my eyes.
“I know we’ve already wished each other good luck, but I wanted to inform you that I’m taking my defense team to the southside of the castle,” she explained. “Crimson will cover the east and west with her students and her resurrected army. Luna will shadow port herself to the rooftops to ensure the shadows are taking care of the skies, while her group will guard the north end of the castle--”
“Perfect,” I cut her off in a rushed voice. “We will cover the main entranceway and try to kill as many enemies who dare to enter through the front doors.”
“Won’t you need more backup?” she inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, don’t worry, Professor,” Nyx drawled as she took a step closer toward Vanessa. “Those fuckers won’t know what’s about to hit them. Trust me.”
“Alright,” Vanessa responded slowly as if she wasn’t sure if she should press the blue witch for more information. She then glanced at each of us and offered us a small, reassuring smile. “Good luck.”
“Thank you, Professor,” we answered.
As the groups of students and the professors fled the banquet hall to take their positions, Penelope’s red panda, Alexander, Silvia, Ursula, Damien, and Lily all swarmed inside and obediently stood by us. Then Nyx’s fiery red falcon soared high above us in magnificent circles before it perched itself on her shoulder.
“What’s up, Trixie?” the blue-skinned witch asked as she gently petted her familiar on its crimson head. “Ready to fuck shit up?”
“She’d better be,” Akira muttered as she pulled out her wand.
“It’s a he, actually,” Nyx said in an unbothered tone.
“What?” Vesta laughed, and the melodic sound of it was at odds with the chaos around us. “But Trixie is a girl’s name.”
“I was high when I named him.” Nyx shrugged. “He seemed cool with it, so I didn’t bother changing it.”
“But--” Faye began until I cut in sharply.
“Focus, everyone,” I reminded them.
“Yes, master,” my coven answered.
Cole, Alexander’s voice echoed in my head, and my flying wolverine-like familiar hovered over me and carefully dropped the blade into the palm of my hand. I have your blade.
“Thanks, Alexander,” I answered before I took in a deep breath, sheathed my weapon, and then turned to look at each witch. “Are we ready?”
“Let’s go kick some elder ass.” Akira grinned.
I nodded, and then the women followed me as I fled through the banquet hall with Alexander hovering loyally by my side. We could hear echoes above us in the castle’s upper levels, and I knew by now, some of the soldiers had already broken inside. I prayed to Satan the others were holding their own, and I tried not to dwell on the worst possible outcome.
We would beat them.