Chapter 13
“Which class are we heading to?” Circe asked as we ran down the hallway and past a series of empty rooms. “I never know where we’re going!”
“Shadow with Professor Luna,” Morgana huffed as sweat dripped down her brow, “and we cannot be late!”
“Yeah,” Faye panted as we ran even harder. “It’s a general rule never to be late to class, but Professor Luna is one teacher you’d never want to cross.”
“Why?” Circe wheezed. “Is she as ill-tempered as Vanessa?”
“No,” Akira answered through labored breaths, “but she’s certainly crazier.”
“Yeah, she’s not all there,” Vesta added in a smooth voice. “So… be prepared for some weirdness.”
“Actually…” the black-eyed witch chuckled under her breath. “You two might get along.”
“Hmmm,” Circe answered with a small smile. “Well, now I’m very excited.”
“We’ll see about that.” I grinned when we finally reached the classroom door. “Here we are.”
I pushed the door open, and when we stepped inside, our eyes fell upon a glittering classroom with sleek black floors and twilight blue walls. The desks were made of ebony wood, and a massive silver and diamond chandelier dangled from the ceiling. The dim candle light reflected off the hovering ornament and cast a ray of glowing specs across the walls. The classroom was already filled with students, and the only empty desk I spotted was at the very back of the room.
“Wow,” Circe breathed in fascination as she gazed around the class. “Oh, look! An owl!”
When I followed the blonde’s serpentine eyes, I spotted Silverstone, Luna’s loyal white familiar, perched on her velvet desk chair. Its shimmering eyes met ours, and it cooed like it was telling us to take a seat, and the entire class began to giggle as it continued to spurt deep hoos in our direction.
“Oh, shut up,” Akira mumbled. “It’s been a long night.”
“She can’t understand you, remember?” Faye rolled her golden-green eyes.
“I don’t give a shit,” the black-eyed witch snapped. “She’s annoying as fuck, and I like telling her to shut up, even if she can’t understand one damn word.”
“Now, that’s not a very polite way to speak to my darling, is it?” Professor Luna’s voice echoed through the classroom.
In the next second, a great cloud of smoke erupted in the middle of the classroom, and when the mist cleared, Professor Luna stood in its place. This morning she was dressed in a long silver gown with a deep plunging neckline, lace sleeves, and a wide shimmering skirt, and her flowing, luscious pale blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders and down to her slim, hourglass waist. Her lavender eyes glowed with mischief as she regarded the entire classroom with her hands folded neatly in front of her, and as she studied the room, her owl flew onto her shoulder and rubbed its head along her chin.
“Yes, that’s a very wise idea, isn’t it?” the pale blonde Professor purred as she petted her owl. “You’re just full of brilliant ideas, aren’t you, my darling?”
“What did she say?” Circe asked with wide serpentine eyes.
“She wants to know why you aren’t in your seats,” Luna answered without meeting Circe’s eyes, “so she suggests you all sit at a table before I lose my patience.”
“I can’t even remember what my familiar looked like,” Circe remarked as she ignored the professor’s warning. “I think it might have been a snake… or a cougar. One or the other.”
Professor Luna abruptly stopped petting her owl and turned to study Circe with wide, curious eyes.
“You’re a strange one, aren’t you?” she asked with a pale arched eyebrow. “I like that… what’s your name?”
“Circe,” the blonde serpentine witch responded. “Please forgive us for almost being late, but we spent the night in a frozen realm where a group of sirens tore into their former master and ate him down to the bone, and then we had to--”
“Err, Circe,” Morgana whispered in an awkward voice. “I think we’d better take a seat and let Professor Luna carry on with the lesson.”
“Oh, right!” Circe smiled. “Sorry about that… I guess I’m still rusty when it comes to picking up on social queues.”
“No fucking shit,” Akira snickered under her breath.
“Do not fret,” Luna answered with twinkling lavender eyes. “I’d love to chat with you sometime, though, outside of class… but as Miss Morgana wisely pointed out, it’s time for class to begin.”
“Thank you, Professor,” I said as I tried to lead Circe away from Luna. “We’ll be taking our seats now.”
“Lovely idea,” Professor Luna answered with a tiny nod. “I see one table at the back there… I know you normally like to sit up front, but since you were the last ones to arrive, it will have to do.”
“Yes, Professor,” we responded in unison.
We quickly turned around and headed toward the only available desk in the classroom, but as soon as we took a seat, something grabbed Circe’s long blonde hair and tugged.
“Ouch!” the blonde witch cried out. “What the hell was that?”
“What was what?” Professor Luna asked with wandering eyes. “Did something creep into the room again? Damn boggarts.”
“Err… no,” I said slowly. “Actually, I think it was something else--”
“Hey!” Circe shrieked again as something pulled even harder on her hair. “Whatever it is, it has something against my beautiful mane. Please, stop! I just grew this back.”
“Oh, it must be my bitch of a shadow, huh?” Luna demanded with her hands on her wide hips. “Why don’t you show yourself, you little pest! We know it’s you! Just because you don’t have hair doesn’t mean you can go around making people bald. Come on out now! I’m not in the mood to play games.”
A disturbing giggle filled the air, and in moments, a shimmering dark shadow appeared by Circe’s side. Its black, misty fingers reached for her golden-blonde hair again, and its long digits were like wisps of smoke as they slowly curled around one of her long locks.
“Look out!” I warned. “She’s about to snatch you again, Circe.”
“No!” Circe hissed as she tried to swat at the shadow. “Shoo!”
Another snicker echoed from the shadow, but before it could tug on Circe’s mane, Professor Luna’s eyes narrowed at her silhouette, and the room quickly darkened. Soon, a deep rumbling sound echoed throughout the classroom, and the desks and chandelier began to tremble. An icy sensation instantly filled the air, and I could feel goosebumps prickling along my skin as Professor Luna’s eyes began to blaze a pale green.
“Enough,” the blonde professor growled, and deep, unwavering contempt sparkled in her glowing eyes. “You obey me, remember?”
The shadow moaned in protest, but it slowly floated away from Circe and hovered by Professor Luna’s side. It bowed its shadowy head in shame and remained still and steady, ready to obey her next command.
In seconds, the room slowly returned to normal, and a pleasant warmth radiated through the air. I could hear several students breathing sighs of relief like they half-expected Professor Luna to explode with rage, or perhaps they thought her shadow would cause some deadly mischief.
“Please, do not be so rude,” Professor Luna demanded as she wagged a finger in her shadow’s murky face. “We need to treat our students with respect… even if they can be extremely irritating.”
An awkward air filled the room as the students looked at each other with raised eyebrows and small frowns.
“I wonder who she’s referring to specifically,” Akira chuckled under her breath.
“Oh, no one in particular, Miss Akira, do not worry,” Professor Luna responded without looking at the black-eyed witch, and Akira blushed a deep shade of crimson. “Anyway, let’s carry on with the lesson, hopefully without any shadowy disturbances, shall we? Now, to begin, who can tell me what sustains a shadow… Miss Morgana?”
“Oh!” The bookish brunette gasped. “A-Apologies, Professor, but I didn’t raise my hand--”
“But you know the answer?” the blonde professor asked with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you?”
“Err… yes…” Morgana answered in a small voice. “I’m just not used to--”
“Then for hell’s sake!” Professor Luna yelled as she dramatically tossed her hands into the air. “What is it?”
“Err, blood!” Morgana blurted out in a nervous voice. “Blood keeps a shadow alive… or as alive as they can be.”
“Right!” The erratic professor grinned. “See? I knew you knew the answer. Anyway, as Miss Morgana just said, shadows need blood to stay alive, so I figured we would join our advanced and ancient shadows on a little hunting expedition. Now, prepare yourselves for a little trip!”
Before anyone could respond, Professor Luna snapped her fingers, and when the world stopped spinning, we were standing in the middle of a deep green forest.
The pale morning sun seeped between the black tree trunks, a light silver mist spread through the pine-scented air, and fragments of light blue sky hovered above us, but just barely. The vast canopy of leaves included various shades of green, and the floor was littered with fallen foliage and thick woven roots.
The air hummed with the natural voices of the woodland, and I could sense life all around us. A light melody filled the tranquil ambiance, and as I looked around, I thought I spotted glowing, rainbow-colored flecks against the black bark.
“Woodland fairies,” Faye whispered into my ear like she could read my mind.
“Wow.” I whistled as I looked around the enchanted emerald forest.
“It’s so beautiful,” Vesta breathed as she gazed around the woods with her rosy-pink lips slightly parted open. “I could paint a picture of it and hang it up in my bedroom… it’s absolutely mesmerizing.”
“It’s quite stunning,” Faye agreed as she brushed a loose strand of red hair out of her green eyes. “Judging by the trees… I’ll bet there are several species of newt living here… maybe even pixies.”
“I think there’s also a special kind of cinnamon root here,” Nyx said as she sniffed the air. “If you brew it right, it can cause the coolest hallucinations.”
“Why would you want to hallucinate and destroy your brain cells?” Akira snorted with a raised black eyebrow.
“Because it’s fun.” The blue-skinned witch rolled her indigo eyes. “Duh… Satan, Akira, don’t suck the life out of everything… you’re just like a sacculus.”
“Don’t you mean succubus?” Akira cackled. “If so, I’ll take the compliment.”
“I said what I said--” Nyx argued with furrowed eyebrows until Morgana snapped her head in their direction.
“Shhh!” the brunette hissed. “We need to pay attention, be quiet!”
Morgana was right, because when I turned to look at Professor Luna, she was eyeing our group with an impatient arched eyebrow.
“Now, are we ready to continue?” the pale-haired witch purred as she studied us and tapped her foot against the forest floor.
“Yes, Professor,” we responded.
“Good,” the lavender-eyed witch snapped. “Now, I’ve relocated the shadows and sent them here… which, let me tell you, was no easy endeavor. Now, who wants to guess what we’ll be doing next? Any wild guesses or educated assumptions?
“Hunting!” Morgana said as her hand shot up into the air.
“Precisely.” The pale-haired professor grinned from ear to ear. “Now, I think this lesson should be quite entertaining as well as educational. So… the first thing you’ll need to do is summon your shadows. I’ve been reading the ancient texts from dusk until dawn, and I’ve come across a word that is supposed to summon your deadly half in one swift command, no matter where they are. I know you’ve been able to call upon your double before, but this is a new and more sophisticated method I want you to learn by heart. Any questions?”
“Yes!” Circe called out as her hand shot up. “I do! Professor, I have a question!”
“I can’t wait to hear this,” Professor Luna chuckled before her eyes fell upon the blonde witch. “What is it?”
“I don’t have a shadow,” Circe answered with wide serpentine eyes. “I’m not even sure if I ever had one. So… I guess my question is… who do I summon?”
“Ah,” Luna responded as she rubbed her chin. “Well, I suppose we have time for a small ritual. Come over here, Circe.”
A wide smile broke across the serpentine witch’s face as she approached the professor, and Luna patiently stood between two trees and waited until Circe was right by her side.
“Now what?” Circe asked with wide eyes.
“Now, shadow splitting is no easy endeavor,” Professor Luna warned the eager witch. “There’s a good chance it could kill you, and even though I just met you, I sincerely hope you don’t die trying to accomplish this… and believe me… I don’t say that to everyone.”
“Oh, I really hope I don’t die as well.” Circe nodded quickly. “Especially since I just came back from the dead… and I don’t feel as though the humor in the irony is worth it.”
“Indeed,” Professor Luna agreed with wide lavender eyes. “Alright, first things first… in order to split from your shadow, you must raise your wand high above your head and recite the words, ‘qui vocat umbra mea.’ Do not cloud your mind with any doubt or fear as you do so. Understood?”
“Yep!” Circe answered with a bright smile.
Without any hesitation, the golden-blonde witch raised her wand high into the air and repeated the spell in a firm, clear voice. Once the incantation left her lips, the air grew ice-cold, and a cloud of darkness overtook the bright emerald forest. Then the trees began to sway violently in the blowing wind, and we all watched as inky smoke seeped out of Circe’s wand and began to take a womanly form.
“Take control of her,” Professor Luna commanded under her breath. “Speak the word: ‘vinculum.’”
“Vinculum!” Circe repeated in a confident voice.
The shadow double screamed as Circe continued to stare at it with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, but from where I stood, I knew the blonde witch held no fear in her heart. She’d seen death once before, and deep down, I knew she wasn’t afraid to die.
Which only made me feel more attracted to her.
The serpentine witch’s shadow cried out again, and as it did so, a flock of birds shrieked in surprise and flew up into the clouds. Circe’s dark double was edging closer toward her, but the blonde witch didn’t falter or show any signs of backing down.
“Vinculum!” Circe shouted again, and there was no trace of fear or doubt in her soothing voice. “You are mine to command, slave! Obey my every whim and desire, or so help me, I will send you back into cold, numbing darkness!”
Gasps filled the air as Circe’s shadow immediately cowered back and lowered its wispy head. Then the darkness of the forest quickly evaporated, and pale, warm sunlight quickly returned and washed over us. A sense of calmness filled the void. Everyone was incredibly quiet as the air settled, and the shadow patiently hovered by Circe and awaited her next command.
“Oh, well done there, Miss Circe!” Luna clapped with excitement. “That was most impressive.”
“Thank you, Professor.” Circe grinned, and her serpentine eyes sparkled with pride. “Perhaps I was a shadow master in my previous life, and I didn’t even know it.”
“You never know,” the lavender-eyed witch laughed. “Well, now that we’ve covered that, let’s move on to the hunt! Firstly, for you to call upon your shadow, you must shed yourself of any doubt and fill your heart with the wrath of Satan. Let the darkness penetrate your soul and overcome your mind. Then, when you feel like you’re ready, you must mentally utter the words, ‘nunc apparet.’ Is that clear?”
“Yes, Professor,” we answered in unison.
“Great,” she said as she looked around the crowd of students. “Well, what are you all waiting for? Summon them, for hell’s sake! Circe already has hers… just do it!”
As I looked around the sea of students, there was no way to tell if anyone was summoning their other half, but I wasn’t going to just stand here and wait to find out. So, I closed my eyes and took in a deep, steady breath before I willed the dark lord to take control over my senses and penetrate my heart.
When I felt like I was ready, I uttered the words inside my mind.
Nunc apparet.
In mere seconds, my crimson silhouette swept like a bolt of lightning through the trees and hovered in front of me like a blood tinted phantom. His glowing eyes bored into mine, and as he floated in front of me, I couldn’t help but stare at his protruding horns and wonder why I was the only one with a horned shadow.
“Well done, Cole!” Professor Luna cheered. “Now, what are the rest of you waiting for? Summon your damn doubles so we may proceed with the lesson!”
It took them another minute or two, but the rest of the students silently eventually called upon their shadowy silhouettes, and soon, we were surrounded by flying dark doubles.
“Excellent!” Luna squealed as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “Now, this next part may be a bit more complicated, but what we’re going to do next is bind ourselves to our doubles. I know the concept seems redundant, since technically your shadow is a part of your soul, but you must understand that once a shadow is split from your consciousness, it develops immense powers far beyond your own. By binding ourselves to our split selves, we are inheriting their energy for as long as they will allow, and it’s important we learn how to connect with our shadows and not let them overpower us. Now, it will be a little painful, and it will feel invasive, but if done correctly, the discomfort won’t last awfully long, I assure you. It’s almost the same feeling you experience when you bond with your familiar… a little strange at first, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.”
“Um, Professor, has this ever been done before?” Beatrix asked as her wide eyes darted around the students. “I’m just curious.”
“Nope,” Professor Luna answered with a light chuckle, “but there is a first for everything, right? Now, I believe the incantation is ‘tena corpus tuum.’ No, wait, sorry, actually it’s ‘teneat corpus tuum.’ I think.”
“We’re all going to die,” Akira muttered.
“Does everyone think they’ve got it down?” the blonde professor asked as she blankly stared at the sea of students.
“Yes, Professor Luna,” everyone responded at the same time.
“Fantastic,” Luna giggled with delight. “I cannot wait to see how this turns out… go on and tether yourselves to your shadows when you’re ready! But don’t take too long now! Time is of the essence.”
Everyone slowly turned to look at their shadowy silhouettes, and as my horned double hovered in front of me, I carefully studied his wispy, red shadow and wondered what it would feel like to be tethered to his misty and hellish form.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” I said as I stared into his glowing yellow eyes. Then I took a slow, deep breath and aimed my wand right where his heart would be if he had one. “Teneat corpus tuum.”
In the next moment, a bright yellow flash hit him in his translucent chest, and suddenly, I could feel my body jerking forward. It felt like I was floating away for a second, and I could feel myself drifting into my double’s body. The sensation was fleeting but still uncomfortable, and when I stared down at my new form, I was surprised to see my own body. The only physical difference was the red mist emitting from my flesh like a scarlet glow.
However, despite the minor change on the outside, I felt completely different on the inside. My lungs, heart, and muscles seemed stronger, like they were made of the purest and sturdiest form of metal or steel. My senses were also in overdrive, and I could hear everything around me. I could listen to the insects crawling along the forest floor, the birds nesting in hidden branches, the fawns hiding behind their mothers, and the fairies spying from their groves.
“Unholy fuck, Cole!” Akira gasped when she looked at me. “You look hot! You should see yourself with those horns.”
“She’s right, and your eyes are truly captivating,” Circe added as she narrowed her serpentine gaze at me. “What a lovely shade of red.”
“My eyes are red?” I asked with a half-smile.
“Go and see,” Faye said as she pointed to a small puddle of water not too far away from us.
When I lifted one of my legs to walk over to the water, my body jerked upward, and I found myself drifting toward the puddle instead of walking.
“Whoa!” I breathed. “This feels incredible.”
It does, doesn’t it? a voice that sounded exactly like my own asked. Just wait until you see what else we can do.
I nearly jolted from surprise because I had no idea my shadow would have a voice, let alone a voice that sounded exactly like mine.
Before I could respond, I was already hovering over to the small shimmering pool of water, and when I glanced down, my entire body was floating in the air while bright red smoke wafted from my skin like I was half-ghost and half-man.
But what really stood out to me were my soulless red eyes and giant curled horns, and the more I stared down at my new form, the wider my smile grew. To my pleasant surprise, my teeth had also been sharpened and were as long as wolf fangs, and when I studied my hands, I noticed my nails were longer, like a bear’s claws.
As I admired my new form, I could feel another sensation taking over my body. This was a feral feeling I’d never felt so intensely before, and all I knew was that I needed to sink my teeth into some warm, raw flesh. The feeling was so overwhelming, I could hear my heart and blood pumping inside my ears, but if I was going to rummage for meat, I didn’t want to experience it alone.
“I order you to morph with your doubles,” I growled as I turned to look at my coven. “We’re going on a fucking hunt.”