Chapter 2
“So, you know why I’m here?” I asked as she swiftly closed the door behind me.
“I can guess,” Theodora began, and her piercing blue eyes bored into my soul. “Satan, it feels like it’s been far too long since we’ve talked. Privately, I mean.”
“It does feel like an eternity,” I sighed as I studied her sharp features.
“Please, take a seat by my desk,” Theodora suggested.
I nodded in her direction and took a quick look around before I sat down. A crackling fire was burning in the hearth, and it cast a warm glow over the entire room. There were two glasses of wine on her desk and a long roll of fresh parchment with a feathered quill by its side. The room was cluttered with knick-knacks, books, cauldrons, potions, and empty vials, and from the looks of it, the headmistress was hard at work. Not only was her office showing signs of wear, but the headmistress was dressed in a silky but wrinkled nightgown, and there were soft gray shadows under her eyes. I could tell she was deprived of sleep, but it didn’t matter. She was just as beautiful as ever.
“Now,” Theodora said as she stood before me. “Would you care for a glass of wine before we begin? You might need it.”
“No, thank you,” I responded with a tight smile. “I’d rather sit down and chat if that’s alright with you.”
“But of course,” Theodora replied as she took a seat by her desk. “Go on.”
“Well, first of all, Samara and I were just attacked by the Elder Lord,” I started with the most immediate issue.
“What?” the headmistress breathed as she stilled. “Are you--”
“I’m fine, we’re fine.” I waved her off. “Samara thinks it was because he still had a… connection to a piece of her soul, but we’ve since severed that connection, and kicked his ass in the process.”
“My…” Theodora said as her blue eyes studied me, and her concern was replaced by pride. “I expect nothing less. You truly have become so much more powerful since you arrived.”
This was it. This was where I demanded my answers.
“Yes,” I began slowly, “about my arrival… and my power…”
“What about them?” she asked, but something glinted in her gaze as she leaned forward, and it almost looked like excitement.
“Samara has told me something,” I said. “She believes I’m destined to become the ruler of Scholomance and that I’m really--”
“Wait,” Theodora cut me off, and now I knew there was eagerness in her eyes. “Please understand that I’ve followed orders this whole time.”
“Orders?” I asked. “Who has ordered you to--”
“I have been ordered to show you this way…” she said as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“By who? Ordered what?”
“By you, Cole. Long ago. This is what you told me to do.” The headmistress smiled before she lifted a hand and pointed at me. “Nos in tempore!”
Suddenly, the room disappeared from view, and I could feel my body leaving this world and seeping into another one. Everything twisted and turned, and my vision quickly became a maddening blur until we finally came to a complete stop. When I adjusted my eyes, I realized we were in a deep, dark, but familiar forest. The air smelled crisp, but there was also a hint of blood blowing in the wind. It took a moment, but I finally realized we were in the heart of the Scholomance woodland.
“Can you see?” she whispered.
“Yes,” I said, “but--”
“Just watch, Cole,” she said as she gestured to the trees. “All will become clear, and all will change after this.”
“I know where we are, but something feels different,” I said as a chill crept up my spine. “What’s going on?”
“We’re in the past,” Theodora responded as her eyes darted in every direction. “This woodland was always cursed, mostly because of the blood which was spilled on this particular night.”
“And which night is that?” I asked as the shiver intensified.
“The night your mother died,” Theodora said after a prolonged silence.
I could feel my throat tightening in response, and I couldn’t even begin to form words as I stared at the headmistress. My world started to viciously spin, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be physically sick.
“My… my mother?” I breathed, and my mouth was as dry as sandpaper.
I’d spent countless nights imagining what my life looked like before I came to Scholomance, but no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t remember a damn thing. I’d wondered for too long where I originally came from, and now, I was finally beginning to get answers.
“The woman in your head,” Theodora explained with a sympathetic expression. “And the woman from the painting. You know by now they are the same woman… and she is the one who birthed your mortal form into this world. I was there on that night, and now, we have returned.”
“What?” My heart hammered violently in my chest. I almost couldn’t believe how many times the woman had slipped into my mind, and never once did she even hint at being my mother. “If that’s the case… where is she?”
Before Theodora could respond, a painfully shrill shriek filled the air, and it made my blood run instantly cold. I couldn’t feel my fingers or any bones in my body, and I spun wildly as I tried to figure out where the sound was coming from.
“It’s happening,” Theodora said as she looked past my shoulder and off into the distance. “Come. Follow me.”
I swallowed hard before I trailed after Theodora, and we wove through the blackened trees and growing mist. My stomach sank with each step, and my head continued to swerve around in vicious circles. A cold sweat broke across my face, and my hands were trembling as I tried to steady my rapid breathing. I didn’t know what to say, and if I spoke, I wasn’t sure if my voice would come out clear or quivering.
Finally, we came up to a cluster of rose bushes, and Theodora placed a hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed, but even her soft touch couldn’t bring me any comfort.
“Now, Cole,” she whispered. “I want you to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see. Take a deep breath before you look over the bushes. Your mother is there, and I know you’ll want to save her, but trust me when I say, there is nothing you can do. I’m sorry. The past is behind us, and it’s set in stone.”
“Understood,” I replied, and I was surprised at how steady my voice sounded.
“Alright,” Theodora sighed before she retracted her hand and slowly turned her head to look over the bushes. “Let us hope we both can…”
I followed her gaze, and my mouth dropped open at the gruesome sight before me. There, only a few feet away, laid the woman from my dreams. Her legs were spread far apart, and her gown was soaked in blood as she laid in the middle of a bloody pentagram drawn in the middle of the dirt. Another woman’s back was turned to me, but I didn’t need to see her face to know it was a younger Theodora.
“Push!” the other Theodora cried out. “Push, Lilith! Don’t you dare stop!”
“I-I can’t!” the woman from my dreams screamed, and it sent a murder of crows squawking and flying high into the air. “The pain! It’s too much!”
“You’re so close!” Theodora yelled. “I can see the head! Just one more push, make it count, Lilith. Use the strength he’s bestowed upon you!”
“I-I don’t think I can do it… I-I’m fading,” the woman panted, and her face was a dangerous shade of white. “I don’t think I can make it.”
“You cannot give up now!” Theodora encouraged. “Not when you’re so close! Keep going! Satan is with us. He is inside of you. So, push!”
The woman stared at Theodora, nodded, and with one more scream, she pushed until a small body slipped from her wide opening and into Theodora’s arms. The headmistress carefully tore the hem of her gown and quickly wrapped the squealing baby in a tight swaddle. The little creature was covered in grime and blood, and its face was scrunched up in protest as it tried to wriggle out of its confinements.
“Unholy hell,” I whispered to myself. It was strange to see myself so young and vulnerable and through my own eyes.
When I looked at the woman, relief and love radiated from her exhausted face, and I could tell she was itching to hold me. Theodora was just seconds away from handing the newborn baby over to her, but before she could, another moan escaped from Lilith’s lips.
“Theodora… it’s time,” Lilith breathed, and her voice was utterly broken. “I can feel my spirit waning. Will you do your part?”
“Yessss,” the other Theodora hissed. “I will bring him back to us when the time is right, as well as you.”
“I believe you, Theodora,” Lilith groaned as her face scrunched up with pain. “Thank you for staying loyal to me and the Dark Lord… one day, you will be repaid. As he has promised you… He will give you everything you desire…”
“I just desire to serve him,” Theodora said in a gentle voice. “Goodbye, my friend. Just let the darkness take over your mind and soul.”
“I-I-I’m ready,” Lilith sighed, and this time, there was a glint of acceptance in her eyes. “The pain… I almost can’t feel it.”
“It’s nearly over,” Theodora cooed. “Go to sleep now.”
Lilith weakly nodded in agreement and closed her eyes. Then a cool breeze swept past us, and it sounded like a long, drawn-out sigh. Lilith was no longer moving, and her skin was glistening, pale, and waxy. She looked like a bloody statue, and despite the gore that covered her skin, she appeared peaceful.
“I’m sorry,” the other version of Theodora whispered before she snapped her fingers, and Lilith’s body disappeared.
Suddenly, the baby started to violently squeal in Theodora’s arms, and the younger Theodora bounced it up and down before she fled deep into the woodland.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“You’re about to find out,” Theodora responded before she snapped her fingers, and we were wrapped up in another cloud of purple smoke.
We were on the outskirts of the black forest, and from a fair distance, I saw Theodora running with the baby in her hands. Then she stopped in her tracks and crouched down into the dirt before laying the baby carefully on the ground. My other self squealed and cried out in protest, and my tiny fists were bunched up in the air as I kicked, thrashed, and screamed.
“Cum virtute forti ego tenebrae super me lavabantur,” Theodora said in a loud and commanding voice. “Accipe puerum ad a diversis mundi omnino nostra!”
Lightning suddenly split the sky, and the sound echoed all around us. It felt like it was coming from the ground and surging up my legs, and the sensation made my entire body shake. A violent storm was brewing, and when I looked up at the sky, a small tornado was beginning to form.
“Per meo verbum, anathema sit!” Theodora cried out. “Et salvus revertetur ad nos in ipso noctis tenebris magicae et sanguis ruinam!”
The baby was crying almost as loud as the wind, and I watched as the sky came down and devoured the squealing infant whole. I sucked in a breath of air and clenched my teeth as I watched myself disappear from this world.
“Where did you send me--” I started to ask, but then an intense pain pounded in my temples.
“You’re about to find out,” Theodora whispered. “My lord.”
I suppressed a scream and pressed my palms against the sides of my skull, and then my knees gave out. I fell to the ground, and a cold sweat broke across my forehead. I thought I was going to be sick, and my vision blurred as my world twisted and turned.
Then, suddenly, all I saw were flames. They were consuming me, but the fire didn’t hurt. In fact, it was intoxicating, like a drug slowly taking effect over my mind. I could hear a chorus of voices in the distance, and they were all whispering different words and phrases. It took a long moment, but soon I realized it was the sound of prayers and spells. They echoed all at once, and they sent a rhythmic pounding in my heart. I felt completely energized all of a sudden, like I was ready to take on anything.
My lord, Satan, Dark One, Satanas, the voices repeated over and over again.
The names of Satan rang through my mind, but suddenly, another image came to view. I held my breath and tried to focus on what I was looking at, but I’d never seen such a strange land before. There were buildings as tall as the clouds, and they were all silver and identical. There wasn’t any grass around, and the ground was solid and black with strange yellow markings. Moving objects sped across the black-and-yellow ground, and it seemed like there were people inside of the strange boxes.
“What the hell is this place?” I asked no one.
Then I saw myself in the distance.
Except, I didn’t look like me.
I was wearing a black jacket made of leather, with an odd-looking belt. My hair was shorter, and my clothes differed greatly from my usual attire. I barely recognized myself, and I seemed to be smoking something small and white, like a tiny roll of ivory parchment. I stood in front of some kind of shop with clear glass windows, rather than stained ones, and in bold letters, the sign above the door read: Tattoo Jungle. Some of the strange markings I’d always had painted on my skin peeked out from underneath the collar of the shirt I wore beneath the leather coat, and all of the sudden I knew the images were called tattoos.
This is where I sent you, Theodora’s voice echoed through my head. Your body needed time to gestate and gain power without fear of your enemies finding you. It is a world devoid of magic, both holy and unholy. A realm named “Earth.”
“I-I think I remember,” I stammered, and as I spoke the words, a wave of memories flooded my mind.
Suddenly, I recognized this world. Like Theodora said, it was called Earth and a city named New York, and no one concocted potions or recanted spells, and if they did, they were considered a freak. The buildings I saw were skyscrapers, and the speeding objects were called cars, and people drove them on roads. I recalled being a teenager and living in different homes. I grew up in an orphanage and frequently got in trouble with the authorities, and when I grew up, I owned a tattoo parlor.
It’s all coming back to you, isn’t it? Theodora asked.
“Fucking hell,” I said aloud. “Yeah… I remember it all.”
Good, she said before I was swept back into a void of darkness.
When the light returned, however, I was inside my bedroom rather than Theodora’s office.
“How do you feel?” the headmistress asked before she took another step closer to me.
“I’m not exactly sure,” I responded as I looked down at my hands. “I think I feel the same, but also, something is different. It’s terribly difficult to explain.”
“I understand, my lord,” Theodora replied as she studied me from head to toe.
“My lord,” I repeated with a small smile. I liked the sound of that. “So, I am Satan.”
“Yes,” Theodora responded, and her usually stoic expression suddenly became vulnerable and plaintive. “And I have served you faithfully for many, many years, Dark One. In order for you to fully reincarnate, I had to follow every one of your orders. You told me to send you off to be safe and bring you back when it was time, and you commanded me to hold back the answers to all of your questions until you were strong enough to protect yourself against the most powerful of enemies. I’ve done exactly as you asked, and now you are here, and now you know.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Had I always known? Were the clues there the whole time?
Smoky memories tugged at my mind. I heard voices speaking a demonic language. I remembered a world of white clouds and endless music. I remembered a world of endless fire and screams.
I remembered Lilith spreading her thighs and begging to serve me in life and death.
But these thoughts left my mind almost as soon as they came, and they seemed like memories of memories of memories. As if it was someone else telling me a story they heard from another person.
“Why don’t I remember this?” I asked with a frown. “I actually don’t seem to remember anything before my time on Earth.”
“It will come back to you soon, my lord,” the headmistress assured me. “Once you have fully awakened your power.”
“That makes sense,” I mused before another thought occurred to me. “But why did Lilith give birth to me in the middle of the woods? Alone, aside from you, of course. Why couldn’t I have been born in Scholomance? You said I told you to send me away to keep me safe, but safe from what?”
“We had to hide your birth, from both holy and unholy members,” Theodora explained with a sigh, and she rubbed a tired hand across her face. “Not everyone believed Satan would return to us in the flesh, especially in the form of a male Wicca. The professors were skeptical at best, and the High Court downright mocked the very idea. But I believed. You came to me in dreams before Lilith got pregnant, and you told me we were both your chosen women. Her to birth you, and me to protect your mortal form. Then she came to me herself and confessed she’d had the same dreams. She soon started showing signs of pregnancy, even though she swore upon Hell itself she’d never lain with a man, and then you spoke to me even when I wasn’t sleeping. You whispered in my ear about the dark new dawn you would bring, and I knew you were our Dark Lord who would save us from our holy enemies.”
“But the others couldn’t be convinced?” I asked. “The High Court?”
“No.” Theodora shook her head. “And you warned me there were elder spies in the Wicca ranks, those who sought to undermine your dark supremacy, so I stopped bringing the subject up and vowed to keep you and your mortal existence a secret until the time was right. It was the safest option. After you were born, in addition to hiding you, I placed a memory charm on the professors, members of the High Court, and anyone who could remember Lilith. I wiped her from existence so no one would go looking for her, or for you. It took your help, of course, but together, with you in my mind and heart, we were able to keep you safe and bring you back when the Wicca world needed you most.”
“I see,” I murmured, but my mind was still swimming as it tried to process all this information. I’d come to the headmistress for answers at long last, and here they were, but it was a lot to wrap my mind around. I knew what she was saying was the truth, I felt it resonate through my very bones and blood, but until a few minutes ago, I was just Cole.
Now, I was the Dark Lord, Satan, the black messiah of Wicca-kind.
One question suddenly sprung to the forefront of my thoughts, and it rolled off my tongue in the same breath.
“So, what now?” I asked as I looked back at the headmistress. “What was our plan after you brought me back to Scholomance, and I amassed enough power to be ready?”
A broad smile stretched across Theodora’s face, and dark glee glittered in her eyes. “The plan is to bring all of Elder-kind to their knees and establish your dark reign for millennia to come.”
“And how are we going to do that?”
“Do you remember the two Defero stones I asked you to retrieve?” she questioned.
“Yes.” I nodded. “What about them?”
“There is a third and final stone,” Theodora explained. “It will bring back anyone from the dead… as long as the most powerful being in the universe wields it.”
I pursed my lips and thought about the sacrifice Lilith had made for me. She died giving me life, and I knew deep in my heart, I had to do whatever it took to bring her back. This was her reward for her unwavering loyalty.
“I’ll find the stone,” I declared as I met Theodora’s eyes. “Just tell me where I have to look.”
“The stone and her body lie deep within a tomb,” the headmistress explained, “but there is more to it than finding Lilith.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“If we are truly to defeat the Elder Lord and all of his holy followers, we will need to unite every Wicca available for the impending war,” Theodora explained. “But you and I both know witches can be a selfish, stubborn, bloodthirsty lot.”
“True.” I smirked. “And you think they won’t be able to work together to accomplish our goals.”
“Not without a leader,” the headmistress said with a smile. “Not without you, Dark Lord.”
“But you said none of the High Court believed you the first time about my rebirth,” I pointed out. “And then you wiped their memories of Lilith.”
“Of Lilith, yes, but not of you,” Theodora corrected. “Not completely. The rumor that the Dark Lord will one day be born again is still whispered about in shadows. We just need to prove he is you.”
“How?” I asked.
“By performing a series of Dark Miracles,” she said. “These unholy acts, including the resurrection of your dear mother, will unlock the full extent of your power. The tasks will be extremely difficult, out of the ability of any other Wicca, but if you can do this, then there will be no question of the extent of your power. All will know you’re the Dark Lord. All will know you are our god reborn. You’re nearly there, and once you do this, not even the High Council will be able to deny your rule.”
I thought about the thousands of witches in Scholomance, the other Academies, and the High Court, and then I envisioned them all bowing on their knees before me. The image filled me with dark satisfaction, and a sharp smile spread across my face.
“Very well,” I responded as I carefully studied Theodora’s sharp features and bright-blue eyes. “I will complete these Dark Miracles and lead Wicca-kind to war against the elders. We will destroy them once and for all.”
“As you say, and so it shall be, Dark One,” the headmistress intoned in a deferential voice.
It was simultaneously strange and not to hear the older Wicca defer to me, and I wondered if some of my memories from before my time as human were filtering back to me. Maybe not full memories, but at least sensations. This woman had been a loyal and devoted servant of mine since her birth, and I studied Theodora for a long moment in a new light. Satisfaction welled up inside me, and a smirk tugged at my lips.
“You’ve done well, Theodora,” I purred. “I may not fully remember our interactions before my birth, but I can feel I am well pleased with you.”
Theodora’s mouth parted open as her eyes widened, and then she slowly got down on her knees and bowed her head. An older, darker part of me knew this was where she had always belonged, and the last strangeness I felt at having the headmistress bow to me faded.
“I hope that is true, my lord,” she muttered with downcast eyes. “I am here to serve you for all eternity. I know I have frustrated you during your time here, but that was because of your commands. Every secret I kept was for you. Everything I did was for you, so I do hope I have honored your dark will.”
“You have,” I said before I placed a finger under her chin and raised her face to meet my gaze. “And you deserve a reward for your hard work. Name it, and I will grant it.”
“It is the thing I have always asked of you, my dark lord.” She took a deep breath.
“Oh?”
“You do not remember.” She bowed a bit lower. “Last time… well… I understand why you picked Lilith. I understand why you asked me to instead take the seed of the powerful warlock so I could make Vanessa.”
“Wait, I did?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “You said you loved me so much, you wanted my lineage in a second fertile womb for you to impregnate, so I made her for you. But… my original desire still burns within me, my dark master. You picked Lilith instead of me, but… you did promise me that when you returned…”
“I would give you a child,” I finished.
“I would never ask for anything, except for this,” she breathed, and before I could reply, she swiftly continued. “I want you to fuck me and plant your unholy seed deep in my womb. I want to become a part of you for all eternity and serve you in every way possible, and I want to help grow your unholy empire until all of the realms are under your dominion. I am yours to command, Dark One, both in body and soul. And my womb is ready to receive your dark seed.”
Her confession sent a bolt of lightning down my spine and straight to my dick, and my blood began to bubble with desire.
“Rise,” I ordered, and Theodora quickly stood on her feet. “You have served me well, Theodora, and I’d be more than pleased to make you mine.”
“Then please fuck me, my lord,” Theodora begged, and her eyes were glittering with lust and devotion. “I’ve dreamt of this moment for years, and now, I feel like I can barely breathe. I need you. I need you deep, deep inside me. I need your sperm flooding my womb. I need your baby.”
“Then you will have what you desire, my Wicca,” I growled before I took a small step back, “Undress for me. Show me the body I will fill with my demonic children.”