Chapter 4
“Headmistress!” I blinked in surprise. “You arrived sooner than I expected.”
Theodora was dressed in a simple black-and-white velvet gown with red trimming on the hem. Her dark hair was drawn up into a tight bun, and her face was clean of any makeup, but she was still as beautiful as ever.
“But of course,” the headmistress answered with a small, coy smile. “I certainly hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”
“Of course not, Mother,” Vanessa said without making eye contact. “It’s just Cole.”
“Then I presume you won’t mind if I steal him away?” Theodora asked with her head tilted to the side.
“Not at all,” Vanessa replied in a rushed voice. “Please, go ahead.”
“Will you be alright?” I asked as I turned to look back at Vanessa.
The professor’s flawless face contorted into a small scowl, but she knew better than to tear me a new one in front of Theodora, so, instead, she flashed me a tight smile and lowered her eyes.
“Yes, Cole,” she said through her teeth. “You can leave now… I’ll be perfectly alright.”
“Are you sure?” I pressed as I stared at her pallid skin and weary eyes.
“Yes!” she snapped before she awkwardly cleared her throat. “I said I was alright… no need to waste any more breath on the matter.”
In response, I just sighed and shook my head before I gently pulled away from Vanessa’s bed and headed toward the door. When I approached Theodora, her gentle eyes examined me from head to toe before she stepped aside and gestured for me to leave the chamber.
“I’ll be back to check on you momentarily, Vanessa,” Theodora purred in a soothing voice before she softly shut the door behind us.
“Will she be fine?” I asked in a hushed tone. “She’s still looking rather pale, and we both know she’d rather die than admit she needs help…”
“Oh, she’ll be quite alright,” Theodora said as she waved her hand dismissively in the air. “I’ll give her a little something to revive her when I get the chance. Now… according to Madame Soulton, we have plenty to discuss, don’t we?”
“More than you know, Headmistress,” I groaned as we headed down the dimly lit corridors. “Before you arrived, I had a vision, right in front of Madame Soulton, in fact. I think she thought I was about to turn into a rabid wolf… or at least, a part of her wished I did so she could blast me into smithereens.”
“What was the vision?” Theodora asked with knitted eyebrows.
“It was of Scholomance,” I explained as we quickly headed down a flight of stairs, “but everything was designed in elder fashion. The walls were white as snow, and there was lively music, blooming flowers, flying serpens, and clear blue skies--”
“Disgusting,” Theodora spat with venomous eyes. “What else?”
“There was a woman speaking to me,” I continued as we approached her office door. “At first, she spoke in the same voice as the woman from my dreams and the painting, but then, it turned deeper.”
“What did this woman promise you?” Theodora asked as she pulled a large gold key from the inside of her dress and then unlocked her door. “I assume she tried to seduce you with something?”
“As a matter of fact,” I responded with a slow nod. “She did.”
“What was it?” the headmistress inquired as we stepped inside her warm, glowing office.
“Riches, power, women, and domain over all the realms,” I explained. “She wanted me to rule as an elder.”
“Anything else?” Theodora asked before she headed toward her desk and unlocked another drawer.
Before I answered, I watched as the headmistress retrieved something round and covered with a small silk sheet of dark fabric. When she revealed the mysterious object, I narrowed my eyes in confusion and stared at the black murky orb in her hands. It appeared to be crafted from black-and-silver marble, but deep inside the sphere, I could see wisps of smoke swirling around like a midnight sky was trapped within.
“What is that?” I asked as she carefully placed the cryptic orb on her desk.
“It’s a pila fortunae,” Theodora replied with a puckered forehead. “It can help answer several of our burning questions… only those who possess the greatest skills in premonition may seep into its mysterious mists… but before we proceed… I need to know what else this woman showed you. It’s crucial that you tell me everything, Cole.”
“She showed me the inside of another castle,” I said as I stroked my jaw. “She explained that this grand palace could be mine if I decided to join the elders and not only that, but I could be the new king to a beautiful elder queen.”
“And what did this queen look like?” Theodora pressed as she placed her hands onto the orb. “Did she show you?”
“Yes, and she was stunning,” I answered truthfully. “She had long, golden-brown hair, multicolored eyes, rosy lips, and pale cheeks. Her features were soft and doll-like… and her eyes… there was something about her eyes--”
“Her eyes,” Theodora repeated with a hard swallow. “Were they a cross between gray and green? Bright as a sea of silk and silver, yet just as green as raw jade or pure emerald?”
“Yes,” I answered without missing a beat. “It was the most unusual color I had ever seen… there were no words to truly describe it.”
“Well, Cole, I’m afraid the woman you saw in your vision was the same woman who penetrated your mind,” Theodora said after a pregnant silence.
“What?” I frowned. “You mean… she was basically offering herself to me?”
“Precisely.” The headmistress nodded as she continued to stare at the ebony-and-silver sphere on her desk. “Her name is Samara, and I believe your mind isn’t the only one she pierced. If what I’m sensing is correct… she was the one behind the bloodbath in the banquet hall.”
“Are you saying she was able to achieve all that mayhem on her own?” I gawked with wide eyes. “Then why didn’t she just do the same to me?”
“Cole, we both know how powerful you are,” Theodora responded without meeting my eyes. “Especially when it comes to matters of the mind. You are probably a delicious challenge to her… and she has certainly set her sights on you.”
“What else do you know about this bitch?” I growled as I visualized the bloodstained hall all over again, and boiling rage coursed through my body. “Please… tell me everything, Headmistress.”
“She was once a powerful Wicca,” Theodora began, “and she was seduced by elder power… this was long before I became the Headmistress of Scholomance, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. After she betrayed her sisters, she remained dormant for years, but now, things are clearly different. Her power is immeasurable, and she knows it.”
“She was once a Wicca?” I breathed in disbelief. “I mean… I’ve heard of women turning toward the elders, but still… it confuses me.”
“I know,” Theodora said with a sideways glance. “None of us expected it at the time… she was one of the most loyal witches I knew, and she was destined for greatness… in fact, she could have been the head of the High Court.”
“Fuck,” I grunted as I rubbed at my temples. “So, we’re dealing with someone who possesses a deep knowledge of our magic?”
“Yes,” the headmistress replied. “Which is what makes her even more dangerous than any other elder we’ve faced before.”
“Shitttt,” I growled, and I could feel the cords in my neck going rigid. “Well… there must be something we can do. Everyone has a weakness… we just need to find out what hers is.”
“Ah.” Theodora grinned before she pulled away from the pila fortunae. “It just so happens I already have the answer to that.”
“Really?” I smiled, and I could feel hope swelling inside my body like a pounding river. “What is it?”
“Long ago, before Samara gave her heart to the elders, she chose to entrap her dark soul within three golden artifacts,” Headmistress Theodora said with moonlit eyes. “She knew that by locking away her power, she would always have a bond with the Wicca way of life.”
“But why secure her power if she chose to turn to the light?” I asked with furrowed eyebrows. “Why not let it die along with her old way of life?”
“I think a part of her could never let go of her dark glory,” Theodora explained. “She was a powerful woman, but also arrogant and proud… and now, her conceit will be her downfall.”
“Well, this is fantastic news!” I breathed as I ran my fingers through my hair and paced around the office. “All we have to do is collect the artifacts and then destroy them? Right?”
“Yes, but they cannot be destroyed until you’ve acquired all three,” Theodora replied with a small frown, and when I saw the sudden, dark cloud that passed over her face, I knew we had a problem.
“What?” I asked in a soft voice. “What are you not telling me?
“Well… it’s not as simple as it sounds,” the headmistress sighed before she sat in her chair and rubbed at her temples. “First, I don’t know exactly where the artifacts are located… that will be up to you to figure out. Second… the spell required to destroy the unholy artifacts requires a sacrifice.”
“What kind of sacrifice?” I asked, and for some reason, I could feel my heart thumping violently against my chest as I waited for her response.
“That can only be revealed once you retrieve the artifacts,” Theodora said with a long, drawn-out sigh. “I know that’s not the answer you’re looking for, but it’s the only one I can give you.”
“So, this entire mission is basically a gamble,” I said as I studied the tangerine-hued flames dancing in the hearth. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“That’s the gist of it,” the headmistress answered with a tight-lipped smile, “but it’s the only way to stop her. The artifacts, whatever or wherever they may be, will be the only key to her destruction.”
“I understand,” I murmured.
I took a moment to simmer in my thoughts. I knew my coven would be prepared to join me on this seemingly impossible mission, but still, there were so many unanswered questions. Where the hell would we even begin to hunt for the first artifact? And if we found it, how would we locate the second and third? Finally, what in hell’s red soil would we have to sacrifice to destroy this Samara woman?
“Cole, I know you’re concerned,” Theodora cooed in a gentle voice. “You would be a fool not to be worried… it’s too much to ask from a student, even one as powerful as yourself--”
“I’ll do it,” I interjected. “Of course, I’ll do it… as long as I can bring my coven and whomever else I choose.”
Theodora’s soul-searching eyes filled with instant relief as the corners of her lips pulled up into a small smile. Then she stared long and hard at me before she beckoned for me to come closer to the desk.
“I have an idea,” she whispered as I took a step toward her. “I think together, we can vaguely sense where at least one artifact is located… it won’t be precise, but it’s better than nothing. Agreed?”
“Certainly.” I nodded quickly. “What do you need me to do?”
“Come and press your hands against the orb,” Theodora instructed as her blue eyes studied the pila fortunae. “Open your heart to the darkness and let it wash over your entire body and soul… close your eyes and feel it in your bones… seep it in like a dying rose thirsts for water… can you feel it?”
I closed my eyes and could feel the air shifting, and as a frigid, bone-numbing breeze swept through the room, I took a deep breath while my entire body pulsated with violent shivers. I felt my heart splitting open to allow the eternal darkness to pour through, and when it felt like my body and soul were confined to Satan and his unholy doings, I nodded my head. Then Theodora put her hands on mine and guided me toward the pila fortunae, and when I pressed my hands against the cold marble, I felt a jolt of energy coursing through my veins and seeping into my bloodstream.
“Just like that,” Theodora whispered. “Keep your eyes closed… do not open them until I tell you to… then, when you’re ready, repeat after me, ‘ergo animus ad esse aperta quaestiones.’”
“Yes, Headmistress,” I muttered with my eyes tightly shut, and I took another sharp breath before I pressed my fingers more firmly against the orb. Then I calmly repeated the words. “Ergo animus ad esse aperta quaestiones!”
The room grew cooler, and a chill crept through my bones as raw energy seeped through my fingertips and flowed through my entire body.
“Can you feel something?” Theodora asked after a long moment. “I think I can sense an object…”
“I feel… a pull toward something locked,” I answered. “I feel like we’re looking for something that requires a key or code… what do you feel?”
“The same thing,” she remarked after a pause, “but that doesn’t help us much. It could mean a number of things.”
“Wait… now I feel something different… I think I can feel the earth beneath my feet,” I said in a rushed voice, “it feels like I’m walking barefoot through a woodland… the soil is cold, damp, and black as night… and the sky is as silver as steel.”
“Good…” she murmured after a long moment. “I can feel the same… and the sun… it’s pale as white wine… it’s washing over the pine trees and dead leaves…”
“Yeah,” I sighed as I pressed my hands more firmly against the cold marble. “I can feel the cool rays on my skin… like an early winter morning. I can smell the dew on the grass and the scent of spicy pinewood is drifting through the air.”
“I can sense the exact same thing,” Theodora muttered, “but like I said, it isn’t giving us a clear enough picture… these are just simple clues… you can open your eyes now. I fear we’ve achieved all we can.”
When Theodora pulled away from the marble, I could feel the entire room fill up with warmth, and when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the distraught look on the headmistress’ face. Her eyes were filled with dread, and the deep frown on her face made my stomach coil and drop.
“What is it, Headmistress?” I asked. “I know we weren’t able to gain a full picture of what we were searching for or where it’s located, but surely there is something else we can try? You’re the most powerful Wicca there is… I know you must have another plan in mind.”
“In fact, there is,” Theodora replied after a moment. “It’s an ancient incantation, from the old texts… it hasn’t been practiced for years.”
“So, what are we waiting for?” I asked with an encouraging grin. “Let’s give it a go.”
“While I do appreciate your enthusiasm and vigor,” Theodora replied with a tiny smile. “It’s still a risk.”
“Well, what isn’t?” I lightly teased.
“I mean that if we attempt this other spell, Samara might be able to sense us,” the headmistress clarified. “She might know we’re on to her, and she could use her powers to sway us in the opposite direction… she could send you to Satan knows where, and you’d never know how to return to Scholomance--”
“Fuck her,” I answered without thinking. “It’s you and me… together we’re fucking unstoppable. I say we give it a go and surpass that treacherous bitch. What do you say?”
“Very well, Cole,” she chuckled as her white-washed face lit up with hope. “We’ll try it your way… but we must be careful.”
“Understood.” I nodded.
Theodora quickly turned her attention to the fireplace and narrowed her eyes at the artifacts on her mantlepiece. As the gold clock, candle, and other objects moved into various positions, the hearth itself slowly began to slide apart. No matter how many times I’d seen her secret passageway open, I still watched in fascination as the stones carefully rearranged themselves and gently pulled apart to reveal a deep, black opening.
“Allow me,” I said when everything grew still, and I stepped inside the narrow and dank tunnel.
“Thank you, Cole,” Theodora cooed from her desk.
As predicted, there stood the small pile of ancient books in the middle of the passageway, and the premonition book rested on the very top.
“Don’t mention it,” I replied as I curled my fingers around the book and tucked it under my arm.
When I marched out of the dank tunnel, I gingerly placed the textbook on her desk and took a small step back as Theodora used her mind to open the book to the correct page.
“Ah, here we go,” Theodora hummed as she traced a slender finger along the brown page. “The ancient mirror spell… we’ll need a cauldron full of unholy water, a pinch of sea salt, a dash of ginger-root, and a teaspoon of elder blood… this spell should give us a clearer image of what we’re looking for and where it’s located.”
“Elder blood?” I repeated with raised eyebrows. “With all due respect, Headmistress, do we have any elder blood?”
“Never underestimate me, Cole.” Theodora grinned as she pulled a small necklace from her bosom and dangled it in front of me.
I took a moment to study the gold charm. It was shaped like a small teardrop, but when I looked closer, I noticed it had a small screw on the top, like a locked vial.
“Shit,” I chuckled. “Do you always carry that with you?”
“But, of course,” she answered as she fiddled with the charm in between her fingers. “You never know when it can come to use… now, let’s not waste any more time, shall we?”
Before I could say another word, Theodora snapped her fingers, and a cloud of smoke erupted on the desk. When the shimmering mist cleared, a black cauldron filled with water, a small vial of salt, and a jar of ginger-root were situated neatly on her desk.
“Now what?” I asked in an eager tone.
“Patience, Cole,” Theodora gently reminded me. “We must take our time with this… it hasn’t been enacted for years.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “You’re right.”
“Now…” Theodora purred as her blue eyes darted across the page. “First, we must add the sea salt to the unholy water…”
I watched with wide eyes as the headmistress carefully added a pinch of salt into the cauldron, and as soon as the salt touched the water, it began to bubble violently like it was on fire. Stale smoke wafted up my nostrils, and I coughed as the room clouded with thick, heavy smoke.
“Nasty, I know,” the headmistress commented as she waved her hands in front of her face. “Now for the ginger… Cole, would you please cut the root into two equal halves and slip it into the brew?”
“Of course,” I coughed.
I unscrewed the jar of ginger root, and after I placed the small stock of ginger on the table, I pulled out my wand and strained to look past the thick smoke.
“Secare,” I said as I carefully guided the wand along the root and cut it in half.
“Lovely,” Theodora remarked as I slipped the two perfect halves into the cauldron.
When the root sunk to the bottom of the pot, the thick smoke slowly started to disappear, and I felt relieved as I breathed in the fresh air. The water didn’t change color, but the reflection was as clear as a mirror when I peered into it.
“And now the blood?” I asked as I stared back at myself.
“Now the blood,” Theodora confirmed as she unscrewed the gold vial from her neck.
I watched as the headmistress carefully tipped the pendent into the cauldron and let three, fat, equal drops of blood drip into the water.
“Now repeat after me and be quick!” Theodora demanded in a rushed voice. “Ostende nobis quid hoc sit sanguis tempore videre! Mentes nostras perdidit secretorum patere!”
I repeated the incantation word for word, and when the spell left my lips, a violent wind swept through the entire office and nearly knocked us off our feet.
“Hold on!” Theodora screamed over the howling wind. “It will feel like shadow porting… but stronger! Take my hand!”
The water bubbled and steam blurred my vision as I snatched Theodora’s outstretched hand, and I could feel the office vanishing from view as we both tumbled into an unknown and possibly deadly world.