Chapter 18
I thought I’d misheard them for a moment, but when I saw the small, sympathetic smiles on their faces, I knew they weren’t joking. These women were seriously planning on sending me to hell.
I had so many questions, I didn’t even know where to begin.
“To hell?” I repeated with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “I mean no disrespect, but… what the hell do you mean I’m going to hell? Are you planning on killing me and then resurrecting me after I’ve visited the afterlife? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Both women started to laugh, but when they realized how serious I was, they quickly composed themselves, and their expressions turned to stone.
“My sincerest apologies, Cole,” Theodora said in a grave tone as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a laughing matter at all… but rest assured, we would never dream of killing you.”
“The very idea is completely absurd and almost comical,” Professor Crimson added with a tiny nod. “You’re probably the most powerful student we have. We wouldn’t dream of ending your life… even if we do ask you to do dangerous things every now and then.”
“Then what is going on?” I demanded in a sharp tone. “You’re not making very much sense right now.”
“Well, Cole, as you know, I have been aiming to increase our Scholomance student body count,” Theodora explained as her blue eyes locked onto mine. “If we’re to fight in a war against the elders, then the academy needs more Wiccas, and I’m afraid we must resort to collecting women from another rather… desperate source… so… we need you to go down to the first sphere of hell and retrieve the souls who dwell down there.”
“Excuse me?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Yes, you heard us correctly,” Crimson sighed. “Now, retrieving souls from hell is much different from resurrecting bodies from the dead or turning sirens into witches. It is far more difficult, and only those with exceptional premonition and necromancy skills may achieve this, and it just so happens you possess both.”
“Which is why your coven cannot come along,” Theodora added in a stern voice. “I know it seems strange, and I cannot explain everything in full detail, but please trust me when I say that only you can make this mission possible. Your coven may be strong, and your pact makes them immortal, but just because they’re unable to die doesn’t mean they can’t be trapped in hell. It would be wiser for you to go alone and not risk a terrible fate for them.”
“There are certainly fates worse than death,” Crimson added.
Before I answered, I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. This seemed like a completely wild scenario, but I had to keep my cool and remind myself Theodora always had my best interests at heart, and if she believed I could do this, then I’d do whatever I could to protect and aid Scholomance.
Even if it meant literally going to hell.
“Alright,” I said as I looked at the two beautiful women. “So… what do we have to do? I can only imagine this won’t be an easy endeavor.”
“Well, first of all,” Professor Crimson began, “let me explain what kind of souls linger in the first realm of hell. These souls belong to Wiccas who no longer have physical bodies left in this world, and they are trapped there. The first realm is reserved for those who either didn’t commit enough evil deeds in their lifetime or died before a great accomplishment could be achieved. It is not as dreadful as purgatory, but still, it is not what a Wicca truly desires.”
“And all Wiccas desire--?” I started, but Theodora cut in before I could finish.
“To be reunited with Satan,” she finished. “Yes. Our lord Satan does not dwell within the first realm of hell, and if you gently remind the women of that, they will surely listen to what you have to say. They might act as if they don’t care, but trust me, all Wiccas desire the same thing. So, do not be fooled by anything they have to say.”
“Understood,” I replied as I looked between the two women. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“Yes, these women will be extremely skeptical of you,” Professor Crimson warned. “This ritual has not been performed for centuries, and most of the history behind this ancient spell revolves around fables and Wicca folklore… so we’re taking a leap of faith here.”
“Not to mention the fact that you’re a man,” Theodora continued as she rubbed at her temples. “They will not take kindly to that… all forms of mankind who dwell within the first realm of hell are there as prisoners. They serve as entertainment for the women, and I’m sure you can only imagine what they do to them for fun.”
“What about warlocks?” I asked with furrowed eyebrows. “Do they not also go to hell?”
“There is a different realm for warlocks,” Professor Crimson explained as she ran a hand through her flaming red hair. “We don’t know much about it, since it is not of our concern, but the point is you’re a male Wicca, and they will find that hard to believe at first. In fact, you will have to use all your power to persuade them you’re telling the truth.”
“So, I’ll have to prove myself,” I said with a long, drawn-out sigh. “Got it.”
“Precisely,” Theodora confirmed with a firm nod. “This won’t be the first time you’ve had to prove your worth, and I promise it won’t be the last.”
“I believe you,” I said without missing a beat, “and I’m not afraid.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, even though you should be--” Professor Crimson added, but Theodora shot her a cold glare, and the redheaded professor clamped her mouth shut and looked down at her feet.
“What Professor Crimson means to say,” Theodora said through gritted teeth, “is that you should be wary and extremely cautious. These women are full of tricks and deceit. They will want to keep you there for their own entertainment, just like the other men who dwell there.”
“Understood,” I replied. “Now, what do we have to do to send me there… I assume it will not be as easy as shadow porting. Correct?”
“You assume correctly,” Professor Crimson chuckled. “We will need to perform an ancient ritual… I found it after spending many long nights reading through the forbidden books. The ritual itself is easy enough to enact, however, we have no idea where you’ll land once we send you there. It could be in the actual pit of hell… or somewhere nearby.”
“So be it,” I answered with my chin raised. “I understand the risks, and I’m still willing to go.”
“We knew you’d say that.” Theodora flashed me a small smile.
“Okay… let’s do this, then,” I said as I exhaled long and hard. “What are we waiting for?”
“Not just yet, Cole,” Theodora said as she shook her head. “First, you must learn the spell which will bring you and these women back, both in body and soul. This is the only way to leave hell, and the incantation only works on those who are willing to return to the living world… it will not work on those who wish to remain in hell, so you must be persuasive. Again, you must remind them that if they wish to live their afterlife in the heart of hell with their lord and master, they must follow you back into the living world and complete a truly evil deed.”
“Alright,” I said with a small sigh. “Understood.”
As the women explained the task at hand, I realized this mission seemed to be growing more complicated by the second, but I reminded myself I had to keep a cool and level head.
The fate of Scholomance was counting on me once again.
“Now,” Professor Crimson continued, “the spell you must recite when the time is right is ‘alio forte tuus dabit tibi.’ Repeat it so I can ensure you know it. I realize you’re incredibly talented when it comes to spells, but I’d rather play it safe. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “Alio forte tuus dabit tibi.”
“Excellent,” Headmistress Theodora responded with a proud grin, but then her features faltered, and her smile turned into a small frown. “Now, for the actual ritual. Cole… are you ready? Obviously, once we begin, we cannot turn back.”
“Yes,” I said without breaking eye contact with her. “I’m ready… can you please let the others know where I’m going? I don’t want them to worry… or try to find me.”
“Of course, Cole,” Theodora responded as she continued to stare deeply into my eyes. “Crimson, will you please retrieve the blade?”
Without a word, Professor Crimson waltzed over to Theodora’s desk and pulled open one of the drawers. I was surprised when the redheaded professor retrieved my bonded weapon, and when her bright red eyes met mine, her lips curled up into a small, knowing smile.
“We took the liberty of taking your weapon,” Crimson explained as she returned with the blade, placed it carefully into my hand, and took a small step back. “You’re going to need it for the ritual.”
“Cut as deeply as you can into the palm of your hand,” Theodora instructed. “You need to draw as much blood as possible.”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I said before I pressed the tip of the blade into my skin and dragged it across. I winced as my flesh split open, and deep warm blood began to drip down my wrist and spill onto the floor.
“Perfect, now keep the weapon on you… ” Crimson said as I tucked the blade into my waistband, “and squeeze your hand tight. Try not to waste a drop.”
I nodded and closed my hand while Theodora retrieved the book from her desk and returned to face me.
“Now, please stand in the middle of the room,” Theodora instructed before her eyes landed on the cluttered, bloody desks. “Oh, one moment, please.”
As Theodora stared at the messy furniture, all the desks suddenly shot toward the walls to create a wide-open space in the middle of the room, but when I made a move to step toward the center, Theodora grabbed my arm to stop me.
“Just one more second, Cole,” she muttered. “Hos parere imperio!”
I watched as a giant cloud of purple smoke erupted in the middle of the room, and when the mist cleared, a three-horned goat was standing in its place. It was a well-fed creature with gleaming deep brown fur mixed with a few small black patches on its hide and legs. As it stood there, dumbfounded and confused, its black eyes wandered curiously around the room before it bleated and tossed its head back, as if to ask what the hell it was doing here. As the animal grew more nervous, I noticed that no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t move its hooves, so I assumed it was placed under some kind of spell to keep it in place.
“Alright Cole, now before you take another step, please take off your shirt,” Theodora ordered. “Once you do, kneel in front of the goat and remain completely still.”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I answered as I quickly began to unbutton my shirt.
Once I finished fumbling with my buttons, I quickly tossed the blood-stained shirt aside, but I couldn’t help but notice the women’s eyes trailing down my body, and it sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. As much as I relished in their apparent appreciation for my half-naked physique, I had more important things to concern myself with, so I quickly shook my head and focused my attention on the task at hand.
“Alright,” Theodora breathed as she looked away. “Cole, please do your best not to move once we begin the ritual… you must stay as still as possible. One small twitch of your hand or even a parting of your lips could ruin the entire ceremony. Understood?”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I said as I neared the goat. “I’ll be as still as a statue.”
“Excellent,” Theodora commended, and she gestured for me to step near the trembling animal.
As I situated myself in front of the terrified, crying goat, its black eyes stared deeply into mine before it tossed back its head and bleated so loud, I thought the entire castle would hear.
“Filthy animal,” Professor Crimson sneered as she regarded the small beast with nothing but utter contempt.
“Don’t worry,” Theodora muttered. “We’ll be rid of it soon enough. Now, let us begin… time is of the essence.”
“Yes, Headmistress,” the redheaded professor answered with a small bow.
I remained as still as stone as I watched the two women approach the quivering beast with cold, calculated eyes, and I barely breathed as Professor Crimson neared the screaming animal. I watched with morbid fascination and a tint of arousal as the gorgeous, bright-haired professor pulled out a sharpened dagger from her long, red sleeve and held it with such a firm grasp that her knuckles turned white. Meanwhile, Theodora flipped through the ancient book in her hands, and as she began to recite the incantation, Crimson placed the knife under the animal’s throat, and before it could cry out one more time, she sliced the three-horned goat’s throat with one quick and precise slice.
The defenseless beast barely had time to jerk as the blade cut deeply into its flesh, and when the blood spurted out like a red fountain and coated my entire face and upper body, I didn’t budge an inch. I watched as the goat dropped dead to the floor while its tongue lolled out of its mouth, and blood continued to pool around my knees, but still, I didn’t dare move.
“Et suscipe benedictionem hanc sanguinem, dominus tenebris,” Theodora chanted as the room quickly darkened and grew ice cold. “Hoc incolumi anima primo gradu inferiori!”
A gust of violent wind swept through the room, and it nearly knocked me off my knees, but I managed to keep myself upright. As the sinister chill crept up my spine, I fought against the icy, invisible fingers that curled around my throat and threatened to choke the life out of me. The sensation was overwhelming, but I used all my strength to fight against it and stayed still. I knew if I even coughed or sneezed, I could destroy the entire ritual, and I refused to falter now, even if every bone in my body was begging for warmth.
“Totum lumen ad suos amores infernales,” the beautiful headmistress continued in a voice that didn’t sound like her own. “Non est alienum in magna potentia Dei!”
A shrill, high-pitched scream echoed through the dark classroom, and when I lifted my eyes to look at Theodora, her eyes went completely black, and a green glow was emitting from her skin as she continued to chant in a deep, echoing voice. Professor Crimson was fighting against the wind that swept through the room, and her bright red hair was flying into her face as she struggled to remain on her feet. As she did her best to stay upright, I noticed her red lips had turned a pale blue as her teeth violently chattered, and her body trembled from the unforgiving cold.
“Unum erit omnibus nobis!” Theodora’s commanding voice echoed. “Exaudi preces meas tenebris et clamat!”
As the headmistress continued to spurt the unholy words of the ritual, the floorboards began to shake, and the walls were trembling as the room grew as cold as death. I could feel furious shivers running up my spine, and it took all my willpower to not react to the violent cold.
“Nunc accipere eum in tenebras brachium tuum!” Theodora’s sonorous voice bellowed before the entire room vanished from view, and I could feel myself twisting and turning through unknown realms.
As soon as I was thrown into a vortex of the unknown, I could feel my chest tightening and hot bile rising up into my throat. The feeling was incredibly different from mere shadow porting, and this ritual was far more violent, demanding, and unpredictable. For a moment, I thought I was going to pass out before I even arrived in hell.
Which was something I never thought would cross my mind.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I came to an abrupt halt and landed with a painful thud against something that felt like grainy powder. My entire body ached with terrible pain, it felt like my skull had been split in two, and I could taste metallic blood in my mouth. It took me a long, grueling moment before I found the strength to slowly sit up and open my eyes, and then, when I did, I found myself sitting on a stretch of black sand. There were ebony grains for as far as the eye could see, the sky above me was a deep shade of crimson, and the clouds were as dark as the earth beneath me. Small bolts of lightning lit up the sky, but there was no trace of thunder or rain.
In fact, there was no sound at all.
The air was incredibly still, silent, and unnervingly calm, and I wondered for a brief moment if Crimson and Theodora had sent me to the wrong place. I looked down into the black sand, and my stomach coiled with concern as I searched for any signs of life.
“Hello?” I called out. “Is anyone there?”
When nothing happened, my concern intensified as my throat tightened, but then I thought I heard a rumbling echo in front of me, and I watched with fascination as the sand rose from the earth and began to construct a solid black door.
I winced as I reached behind me to grab my wand, which was tucked safely next to my dagger, from my waistband, and as I took a couple steps forward, I made sure to keep my weapon aimed true and steady. Wherever this door may lead, I knew unwavering danger and darkness lurked behind it, and as crazy as this whole idea was, I also knew I had to keep a calm and level head. If I showed any ounce of fear or doubt, I knew I’d be dead within a matter of seconds.
Go inside, the woman from my dreams suddenly urged. You have no other choice, Cole.
“Easy for you to say,” I chuckled aloud. “Have you ever been to hell?”
That’s a discussion for another time, her soothing voice resounded inside my head. Just trust your instincts, Cole. They’ve gotten you this far, haven’t they?
“I don’t even know how far I’ve really gotten,” I replied as I reached for the sleek, black door knob but hesitated. “Death may be behind this door for all I know.”
That is true, she answered, but you have faced that many times before.
I took in a deep breath as her wise words rang through my head. She was right, I didn’t have another choice, and I’d already come this far.
The time to act was now, and there was no more time to waste.
I took a deep breath and reached for the door again, but when I touched the doorknob, the metal quickly scorched my skin. I instinctively flinched backward, and when I looked down, my entire palm was bright red and already covered in boils and scabs.
“Fuck,” I growled. “What the actual fuck--?”
Before I could finish my thought, a shrill chorus of giggles filled the air, and even though the sinister sounds should have sent shivers up my spine, all I could feel was my blood boiling.
“Oh, you think this is fucking funny, huh?” I snapped as I clutched onto my burned hand. “Let’s see who’s laughing once I get inside.”
Another round of high-pitched laughter filled the air, and whatever invisible entities were watching, they were clearly fucking with me. My patience was wearing incredibly thin, and I wasn’t in the mood to play any more games.
“Fuck this,” I growled as I stared at the knob.
Since there was no way I could physically touch it, I decided on pursuing another course of action, so with all my willpower and internal fervor, I summoned my inner darkness and narrowed my eyes at the fucking door. I willed it to open, and even though anything could be behind it, I refused to let any ounce of fear seep into my mind.
I was going to walk through the door, and not even Satan could stop me.
Modus antiquorum.
In moments, the door burst wide open, and the doorknob shattered into a thousand shards of metal. I took a small step back, and once the air settled, I stared inside the opening.
To my surprise, there was only darkness within, and a cold numbing breeze blew into my face when I slowly stepped inside the void.
But when my foot passed the threshold, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the unknown. I was so shocked by the sudden sensation, I didn’t utter a word, and as I continued to fly downward, darkness enraptured my entire body until I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the end.