Chapter 14
I stirred in my sleep as the dream woman’s soothing but urgent voice echoed through my head, but when I tried to move, it was like my body was made from the purest, most indestructible marble. Something in me had shifted since we took out the elder scouts, and deep in my bones, I felt even stronger than before. I was imperishable, and I knew Samara could feel my newfound strength as well, even if her presence was absent from my mind. Somewhere and somehow, I just knew she was fuming with rage and biting her nails down to the nubs.
As I moved my body some more, my mind came alive with spirit, and it was like an unholy god had seeped into my bones and turned me into someone or something far more superior than anything that had ever walked the realms. My brain felt like a thousand different currents of lightning were pulsating back and forth through it, and suddenly my view went dark again.
I was viciously tossed into another world, and everything became a wash of white, rose-pink, and lilac hues. It was nauseously beautiful and holy, and it made me want to retch my intestines out. I loathed everything. The smell, the sounds, even the air itself. Everything was too perfect, too mundane, too fucking sacred and pure.
A mass of silver, pink, and white clouds surrounded me like vines wrapped around an ancient stone column, and the air felt soft, almost like I could fall right through. Everything was both cool and warm at once, and blue butterflies and the scent of wildflowers filled the air. I was sick to my stomach as other sweet and timid creatures flowed past my face and tried to land on my skin.
Welcome, the woman from my dreams echoed.
“Where the hell am I?” I asked. “I hate every inch of it.”
This is the elder heaven, the woman from my dreams explained, even though she was nowhere in sight. I remember hearing tales of it, but it’s been so many years. This is what I can recall, and it might not be the exact same, but this will give you an idea of what to expect. Of course, it will not be easy to reach. First, you and your women will have to pass its golden gates, and once you make your way past that barrier, you will have to fight your way to find Samara. She will have an army, one greater than anything you’ve encountered before.
“I knew reaching her would be complicated but can we defeat them?” I asked.
It will take everything I’ve taught you, in addition to the other abilities Theodora, Vanessa, and the other professors have shown you. It will truly require everything you have.
“I see,” I muttered as the saintliness penetrated my bones and caused my head to shake. “This is going to be one hell of a battle… isn’t it?”
Indeed, it will, she sighed. That is why I must return you to the world of the living. Before you go, please heed my warning and make sure the others are prepared to fight tooth and nail. The potion concocted by your clever Penelope has already seeped into your bloodstream. She is more powerful than she realizes, and her brew was more permanent than she thought. All of your witches possess skills of their own, and together, I believe you may be the first witches to ever pass by the golden gates of heaven.
At that moment, pride swelled in my heart. My women were not only creatures of beauty but also wit, unwavering intelligence, and good humor. I truly loved them for everything they were, and I was lucky to have them fighting by my side.
“You’re right, we’re capable of anything,” I responded aloud. “Together, I vow we can overcome the greatest of obstacles.”
Samara has more surprises up her sleeves. Before you reach the gates, there will be many obstacles to look out for. Not everything is what it seems. Now that I’ve shown you a glimmer of what you’re about to face, it’s time to wake up, Cole. You must reach the gates of the elder heavens, and the sooner you carry on with your quest, the better.
Before I could reply, my body jerked upward, and my eyes were wide with attention and determination. My breathing was rapid, and sweat dripped from my brow. The inside of the tent spun, and my entire body felt like it was being pricked and prodded with searing-hot needles. My head was going to split in two, but I pushed the feeling aside and quickly roused the other women awake.
“Hey,” I said in a raised voice. “Wake up. That’s an order.”
The women groaned in retaliation but couldn’t disobey a direct order, so they quickly sat up and fiercely rubbed the exhaustion from their eyes. Then they looked around the tent and smiled at the crumpled-up clothes on the grass. It was warm, and the smell of sex still lingered in the air.
“What’s going on, master?” Faye purred before she stretched out her lean arms.
“The woman from my dreams spoke to me,” I responded as I gently shook my head. “We just need to get a head start for the day and follow the compass. She said we’re nearing the elder heaven’s gates, but we must be careful. Samara could have countless traps waiting for us.”
“Agreed,” Akira yawned before she tossed off the covers and began to dress. “The sooner we can face Samara head-on, the better. I’m so ready to see her submit herself to us. I want that bitch… err, I mean… troublesome woman down on her knees and begging for our master’s cock. Once we slaughter her elder angels, of course. Satan, I really can’t wait!”
“I can tell,” Marina chuckled with glimmering eyes. “You’re always ready for a hardcore showdown, aren’t you, Akira?”
“Fuck, yeah, I am,” Akira giggled without hesitation. “Blades, wands, fists… I don’t discriminate when it comes down to a good, dirty fight.”
“That’s what I love to hear.” I grinned before I brushed Akira’s black, knotted hair out of her face and kissed her warm cheek. Then, while the others fumbled with their clothes, I finished dressing and pushed back my dark hair. “Well, I’m ready. I’ll see you all outside. I imagine Vanessa and Isobel are already up.”
“Yes, master,” the others said as they continued to get dressed.
When I stepped outside, none of the familiars were standing guard, but I did see the professor seated in front of her tent with her back turned to me. Her dark hair was pulled into a long fishtail braid, and loose, thick strands of hair swayed each time a strong gust of wind blew across the field. I couldn’t see her face, but I knew her features were set in stone.
“Good morning, Cole,” she said without turning around. “How did you sleep?”
“Fairly well for the most part,” I answered, “but the woman from my dreams warned me we’d see the golden gates of the elder heaven soon.”
“I imagine she said it wouldn’t be easy,” Vanessa mumbled. She still hadn’t turned around to look at me, and neither did Isobel.
“Where are the familiars?” I asked as I stared at the back of her dark wolf, who looked like a marble statue facing the sunrise.
“I let them roam for food,” the professor replied as she continued to stare at the rising sun. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s been a long while since we’ve had a proper meal.”
“No, you’re right,” I chuckled before I pressed a hand on my stomach and then glanced at the other tent. It’d been days since we had a proper meal, and I was starved. “Are the others awake yet?”
“They are,” the professor responded, and this time, she turned her head so her ice-blue orbs were fixated entirely on me. “You seem… well-rested.”
“I am.” I smirked lightly. “I know we still have plenty to worry about, but I know we’ll figure it all out, little by little.”
“Yes.” Vanessa nodded in agreement. “We’ve been doing quite well if I do say so myself.”
“Agreed.” I smiled before I sat down next to her and marveled at the bright, tangerine sun. It was nice having a civil conversation with Vanessa, and I’d realized lately we’d been getting along more and more. When I looked at her profile, she still wouldn’t look at me, but it didn’t matter. I knew she was listening to my every word. “How long do you think it will be until we reach the golden gates of the elder heaven? We both know that’s where the last artifact is, and we both know that’s where we’ll finally have to face Samara and her unwavering holy magic.”
“I have no idea how much longer it will take or what else we’ll have to face,” Vanessa replied as her gaze continued to fixate on the burning sunrise. “As you said, the woman from your dreams said it would be soon. She’s always vague, isn’t she? In the meantime, all we’ll be able to do is pray to Satan to help us keep our strength.”
“That’s very true,” I said before I stared at her perfect profile and took a moment to appreciate her natural but intense beauty. “As I said, I have faith in us and the coven.”
“So do I,” she replied without an ounce of resentment in her voice. “I just tend to prepare for the worst at times. Life, no matter how strong one’s faith is, can also be unexpected. There are twists and turns we are sometimes not prepared to face or counter, and it can be a shock when such a challenge is staring you dead in the eyes. It truly makes us realize just how strong and powerful we can be.”
“And what do you do when life’s unwavering gaze has its hold on you, Vanessa?” I whispered.
“You either run or face it,” she said in a faint voice, “and by Satan, I’d sooner die than run from my fears. Since I was a little girl, I’ve been taught to stare danger dead in the eyes.”
“I’m not surprised,” I said. “I have a feeling you were already born with a remarkable spirit, and with Theodora as your mother and teacher… I genuinely believe there isn’t anything you can’t do.”
“Thank you, Cole,” she said as she looked back at me, and her gaze was steady and penetrating.
After a few moments of staring at one another, I smiled, and we didn’t say another word until the other familiars came padding or flying from their hunt. Meanwhile, the women slowly began to slip out from their tents to join us. Their faces were red and their eyes droopy with sleep, but when they saw our loyal creatures carrying an abundance of treats to choose from, their faces quickly lit up.
I spotted various goodies, including wild rabbits, baby boar, elk strips, golden ducklings, and plump juicy doves. Everything was already marinated with fresh, salty blood, and my stomach growled as I looked at their spilling insides and shredded skin.
“Wow,” I said before Alexander perched himself on my shoulder. “You certainly outdid yourself this time, didn’t you?”
We figured you deserved a treat, Alexander chuckled in my head. After yesterday, you’re going to need your strength.
“Thanks, man.” I grinned, and my stomach rumbled even louder as I pictured the cooked, juicy meat melting in my mouth. “We really will need our strength for this next fight.”
“Alright, let’s stop diddle dawdling and prepare these raw meats,” Vanessa suggested in a firm voice. “Then we’ll get a move on.”
Vanessa lifted her wand in the air and spun it around in three perfect circles above her head, and suddenly the tents were gone, and a giant burning pyre with a heavy black cauldron appeared before us. The thick metal pot hovered above the burning wood, and I could already see bubbles brewing on the surface.
As the water grew hotter, Revna used her ancient, wild spell to carefully skin each animal before we hoisted it over the sweltering pot. The animal chunks were cut using the ‘secare’ spell by Morgana, and portions of various meats were tossed inside the cauldron at random. Vanessa cast another inaudible spell under her breath, and soon, the air smelled like a thick creamy carnivorous stew.
“Hmmmmm,” Penelope moaned before she licked her lips. “I’m starved.”
“I’ll bet,” Vanessa replied as she used her wand to magically stir the stew. “After what I heard last night, I can imagine several of you need… replenishments.”
The women who visited me late at night didn’t say a word, but I could see the corners of Akira’s full purple pout were desperate to etch into a smirk. Instead, the raven-haired beauty turned aside and coughed like she was suppressing a small laugh.
Morgana discreetly nudged the black-haired witch in the ribs, and her blue eyes focused on the impromptu breakfast instead.
“Smells so delicious,” Morgana said in an overexaggerated voice, and we all knew she was just trying to change the subject.
“Indeed,” Vanessa replied in a stoic tone.
Once the meal was finally prepared, we began to dig into our fresh kill, and we ate as much as we could before we prepared ourselves for the journey ahead. I had no idea where we were exactly, but I knew the compass was still pointing us in a steady direction. Every time I lifted the withered wooden lid, the needle continued to aim northwest, and I decided it would be best to travel by foot. The dragons had been helpful beings, but I knew it would be best to keep low to the ground and remain as inconspicuous as possible.
I couldn’t say why exactly, but I sensed something about the vast, blue skies. I felt like their thick clouds and unpredictable wind would be a dangerous route to take.
“Alright,” I said before I licked my lips. “Let’s get moving.”
“Sounds perfect,” Vanessa responded before she waved her wand, and everything she’d summoned into existence disappeared in the blink of an eye. “Lovely.”
I nodded in Vanessa’s direction before I led the women forward and followed the compass. We walked onward, and the familiars who traveled by ground treaded alongside their masters while the others flew liberally in the sky and kept a lookout.
“Be careful, Alexander,” I said when I gazed up at his dark, hefty body. He continued to dive over and under clouds, and sometimes I could feel his magnetic spirit, ready to take on the entire fucking world.
I am careful, he replied in a soft voice. Don’t worry about me, Cole. Worry about you and your women.
“Just remember, we have no idea what kind of dangers could lurk high in the skies,” I said, and I knew I sounded like a worried mother.
I know, he responded in my head. I won’t travel any higher than the clouds. Promise.
“Good.” I nodded before I looked down at the compass, and unexpectedly, the silver arrow began to whirl in racing circles. “Whoa… what the hell?”
This was different from anything it had ever done before. Up until now, the compass felt like a peaceful artifact, ready to gently guide us along our way, but now I was feeling an unfamiliar presence radiating from it.
“What’s wrong, master?” Revna asked.
“It’s the compass,” I said as I raised my hands in the air, and everyone came to a sudden stop. “It’s doing something odd…”
“What?” Vanessa demanded impatiently. “Be more precise, for hell’s sake.”
“I don’t know,” I began with furrowed eyebrows. “I’ve seen it spin before, but never like this. It’s going mad.”
“Do you feel a warning presence coming from it?” Circe asked as she peered over my shoulder.
“Something like that,” I said with a long, exasperated sigh. “Something doesn’t feel right… like it’s telling us we need to stop.”
“We can’t just stop,” Vanessa argued. “Didn’t we all agree we should always keep moving whenever possible?”
“I know,” I said, and when I looked up to stare at the professor, her eyes were sharp with determination, “but you have to trust me, Vanessa. I can feel like something is dangerously wrong.”
Once again, you’re right, Cole, the woman from my dreams echoed in my head. I can feel the sky splitting in half.
“Fuck,” I cursed, and the women jumped up in surprise.
“What’s wrong, master?” Penelope frowned. “Is it about the compass again--?”
“Perhaps,” I cut her off. “Something is on the way, and whatever it is has been crafted by Samara and will show us no mercy. Something in my gut tells me she’s used a great deal of strength to bring it to life.”
“But what is it, master?” Akira asked. “And how are we to escape it?”
Before I could answer, the bright blue canvas above us quickly turned dark, and the clouds parted open to reveal a white hole in the sky. There was no light coming through, but it was so bright, it was almost unbearable to look at. Then the sound of thunder penetrated our eardrums and made us cover our ears.
“Fuck!” Circe cried out over the overwhelming sound.
Uh… Cole? Alexander said in a cautious tone in my head. I-I think I see something breaking through the hole.
I shielded my eyes and squinted as I tried to figure out what the hell Samara had coming through this heavenly barrier. For a moment, I feared I might go blind, but as I stared harder, I saw groups of white-winged creatures soaring from the portal in the sky. They weren’t serpens, their bodies were too small, but still, their wings were massive and jagged at the tips. Their eyes were a bold shade of burning blue, and when they cried out in unison, it made a ringing sound in my ears.
Unholy shit, Cole, Alexander breathed in disbelief. I know it’s difficult to see with the light, but look closer… these creatures look exactly like me!
“Fuck, I can’t see shit,” I muttered in impatience, and Morgana whipped around to look at me.
“Oh, how forgetful of me,” she said before she slapped her hand against her forehead. The bookish brunette then waved her wand in the air above her head in four perfect circles. “Claritudo!”
A bright cloud of silver, shimmering smoke spun around us, and when it neared me, I could see transparent wisps that resembled bony fingertips with long nails were about to plunge into my eyes.
“What is this, Morgana?” Beatrix asked in a high-pitched voice.
“Don’t worry,” the bookish brunette reassured everyone. “It will help us see clearer…”
“Well, it better take effect soon,” Vanessa said quickly. “Whatever is coming from the skies, it’s getting even closer.”
Before I had a chance to glance up, the smoke entered my eyes, and for a moment, it stung like needles. I grunted and squeezed my eyes shut before I shook my head, and when I opened them again, everything turned clearer than before.
“Unholy fuck,” I muttered as I looked up at the sky. My vision was impeccable, but there was no time to appreciate it because Alexander was right.
Up, high in the sky, there was a stream of flying wolverine-like creatures soaring toward us and cawing viciously. They had their talons out and were ready to tear us into pieces, and their eyes were filled with bloodlust as they came at us at lightning speed, but Alexander was too quick.
Cover me, Cole! he screamed in my head before he charged at one creature who was at least twice his size.
We pulled our wands out and prepared ourselves to kill these mysterious white beings, but the last thing I heard before all hell broke loose was a faint, cackling noise in the back of my head.
It was Samara, and I knew she was sitting back and preparing herself to enjoy the bloody show.