Chapter 4
When I woke up, Theodora and Vanessa still had their warm bodies pressed against mine, and both women were sound asleep. The last eight or so hours felt like an incredible dream, one I’d been waiting an eternity for, and I was still pleasantly sore.
I carefully pulled my arms from underneath each woman and stretched my limbs out until the feeling returned. The sun was pooling inside my bedroom, and the burning rays cast a warm orange glow on every piece of furniture. The day felt incredibly promising, and I desperately wanted to get out of bed and seize the beautiful morning.
“My lord?” I heard a sleepy voice croak, and when I glanced to my side, Theodora was looking at me with clear blue eyes. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a slumbering demon.” I grinned. “And yourself?”
“The same,” she replied, and then she stretched out her arms. “Vanessa, are you awake?”
“Yes,” the professor mumbled in a low voice. “I am.”
“Good,” the headmistress responded. “Now, let’s get up. We have work to do before Cole begins his most important journey.”
“Yes, Mother,” Vanessa replied, and this time her voice was much more alert.
“Cole,” Theodora purred, and then she looked deeply into my eyes. “When the time comes, you will feel my presence, but for now, please enjoy your morning. Hos parere imperio!”
A deep cloud of purple smoke engulfed me, and when it vanished, I found myself completely alone in my room. I took a deep breath, and then I padded barefoot over to the bathroom.
“Good morning, sir,” a familiar voice echoed through the bathroom when I stepped inside. “Shall I prepare your bath?”
“Yes, thank you, Cordelia,” I said.
“I’ll add a special ingredient to it, just for you,” the ghost-maid responded.
“Thank you,” I chuckled. “I appreciate it.”
“But of course, sir,” she replied, and then the water began to run.
Lavender-hued water ran through the tub, and when it was filled to the brim, small rose petals appeared on the surface, and the entire room smelled of flowers and lemon. I quickly undressed, and I couldn’t wait to slip deeper into the warm water.
I breathed a sigh of relief and submerged myself in the tub, and all the tension and hurt instantly left my body as I breathed in the spices and herbs. My muscles loosened, and the fog in my head immediately cleared.
Yet, even as I submerged myself in the blissful water, I couldn’t help but feel a heavy weight on my heart and mind.
I was Satan. The Dark Lord who responded to unholy prayers and used supreme power to protect those who believed in the darkness. I was a leader of the highest position and power. I didn’t remember anything of my past demonic self, but I swore I would do everything and anything to protect my loyal followers. There was no other choice, and by the time I stepped out of the tub, it felt like I was a completely different person.
“Thank you, Cordelia,” I said as I rubbed my neck, and for once, there were no knots or kinks. “I hope I’ll see you again soon.”
“Are you traveling again?” the ghost-maid asked. “I thought you just returned.”
“We did,” I sighed, “but it turns out we’re leaving again.”
“Well, I hope you return soon, sir,” Cordelia responded after a long moment. “You haven’t been back for a very long time.”
“I know,” I said. “I hope so, too.”
I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped back into my bedroom, and there was a fresh shirt, trousers, and a cloak waiting for me on the bed. I quickly got dressed, and when I was finished, I headed out the door and downstairs to the common room. By the time I got there, the women were already seated and eating a full breakfast. I thought for a moment about telling the coven I was Satan, but I wanted to wait for the right moment. My women and I had just returned from an arduous journey, and they deserved to enjoy this moment of tranquility before I laid out my entire destiny, which included them as well. So, I told myself to wait just a little longer, and I took a look around the room. The familiars were all gathered around the fireplace, and when Alexander saw me, he flew over to perch himself on my shoulder.
Master, he said. What’s wrong?
“Is it that obvious?” I chuckled.
It’s written all over your face, he responded.
“It turns out we’re leaving,” I sighed quietly so the witches wouldn’t overhear me yet. “We have another mission to accomplish.”
And accomplish it, we will, Alexander said in a firm voice. Wherever you go, we will follow.
“Thank you, Alex,” I said. “I appreciate that.”
“Appreciate what, master?” Akira asked after she swallowed a bite of toast and glanced over at me.
“Nothing.” I smiled. “Just talking to Alex.”
“Aren’t you hungry, master?” Penelope asked with an arched orange eyebrow. “Cordelia prepared quite the feast.”
“She’s right.” Marina grinned before she took another serving of eggs and placed them on her plate beside what looked to be a helping of small, fresh fish, still in their scales. “I never knew food on land could be so delicious, but I also miss the taste of the sea sometimes. You should have some, master.”
“No,” I said, even though the platter of breakfast was more than mouthwatering. “I don’t have an appetite. Besides, it’s a beautiful day, and the faster we leave this common room, the better.”
“Where are we going?” Samara asked, and her ocean-hued eyes glittered with curiosity.
“You’ll see.” I rubbed my hands together and stared at the two new additions to our unholy coven, and then a thought occurred to me. “But first, Samara, Revna, Beatrix, and Marina, I want you all to follow me.”
The four witches exchanged looks before they stood on their feet and stared at me. The four of them were dressed in the standard Scholomance outfits with their short dark plaid skirts, white button-down blouses, and knee-high black socks. Their hair was pulled back into long fishtail braids, and their cheeks and lips were tinted with a hint of rouge. They all furrowed their eyebrows, but despite their anxious demeanors, there was a glint of eagerness in their eyes.
“What’s going on, master?” Revna asked.
“I’m going to make rooms for the four of you,” I stated. This was the perfect way to welcome them into their new home and set them at ease before I shared my revelation. “Now, come along.”
The four women laughed with excitement and followed me up the small flight of stairs, and when we were facing the row of bedrooms, I swung around and grinned at all four of them.
“Which room will you create first, master?” Samara asked with an arched eyebrow. “Not that it matters… I’m just curious. Even when I was a student here, I never had my own room.”
“I’ll do all four at the same time,” I responded with a lazy shrug.
“Can you really make four rooms at once?” Revna gasped, and her blue eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
“Well, we’re about to find out,” I chuckled. “Just stand back and watch.”
The women did as I instructed, and when I was ready to evoke my almighty magic, I raised my hands in the air and closed my eyes. I pictured the four women in the back of my mind, and as I thought of them in their entirety, I took their auras, their interests, and their presences and forged it all into material objects. My head spun in furious circles, and my mind conjured up about a hundred different items, colors, patterns, and of course, four wide-open spaces to exist in between Morgana and Akira’s bedrooms.
It took a minute or two, but even with my eyes still tightly shut, I knew their doors must have appeared because of the small surprised gasps I heard. I smiled to myself, and when the air stilled, I peeled my lids open and stared at the four new doors with gold plaques plastered on each one. Each bedroom door bore the name of its respective owner in beautiful cursive handwriting, and a heartwarming sensation filled my chest as the four women jumped up with glee. I knew it was still going to take a while to feel comfortable, but I was doing all I could to make them feel like they were at home.
“Who would like to see their room first?” I asked as I glanced at the four women.
They looked at each other and seemed to consider the question, but then Samara spoke up.
“If I may, master, I think Revna and Marina should see their rooms first,” the former goddess said. “Since they are new to Scholomance entirely.”
“O-Oh, right,” Beatrix gasped, but then she nodded her head in agreement. “Yes, while I am very excited for my new room, the school itself isn’t new to me, so I don’t mind waiting a moment.”
“Well?” I asked as I looked between the wild witch and former siren.
“She can go first,” Marina said and gestured to Revna. “I also don’t mind waiting, master.”
“Alright, Revna,” I said as I stared at the wild Wicca. “Do you want to take a look at your new bedroom?”
“Yes, master,” the dark-blonde witch breathed before she placed her hand on the doorknob and gently pushed it open.
The four women gasped with surprise and awe when a light-blue bedroom opened before us. There was a giant bed in the middle of the room with a sky-blue cover and icy, blue-toned sheets, and it was adorned with fluffy white pillows, four towering bedposts, and a cream-toned fur blanket. There was also a grandiose wooden bookcase in the corner and a small closet by the bed, and when Revna pulled the closet door open, there was a silver and gold bow and a long leather quiver with matching arrows inside.
“Unholy fuck,” she breathed before she reached inside and picked up a random arrow. She twirled it between her fingers and then turned to look at me with awe and gratitude bright in her eyes. “Thank you, master.”
“Of course,” I said before she placed the arrow back in its quiver and then closed the door. “I’d do anything for my coven.”
The women continued to marvel at a large, multi-patterned handwoven rug beneath our feet, and against the wall, there was a small wooden desk by the window with a dark velvet chair. The floors and walls were made of sleek mahogany wood, and there were rows of strange ornaments, like bear claw bones, woven circles, and foxtails nailed by the wild woman’s bed.
Revna breathed in and out in astonishment, and I knew the dark-blonde witch adored every tiny detail because she didn’t say a word as she studied her new belongings and bedroom.
“Wow,” Samara exhaled. “This is an incredible creation, master.”
“It truly is gorgeous,” Revna added as her dark-blue eyes wandered around the room in amazement. “I-I almost can’t believe it’s mine, and the desk is lovely. It will allow me to write letters to my sisters in the village. They will certainly want to hear about all our adventures. But enough about me. I want to see the other rooms, too!”
“Well, would you like to see your room now, Marina?” I asked the former siren.
“Yes, master.” She smiled as a blush tinted her cheeks. “I would like that very much.”
The witches followed me next door, but then I gestured for Marina to open it, and she looked positively giddy as she skipped forward and turned the handle.
The room on the other side of the threshold was a study of blues. Navy-blue rugs covered parts of the mahogany wood floor, and the canopy bed was draped in silk curtains in sky-blue and teal. Accents of white furniture and decorations were scattered here and there, like shells and spirals of glass that looked like icicles, and the effect was somewhere between a sandy beach paradise and the cold icy realm where I’d first met Marina. The room also smelled faintly salty and cool, and the former siren took a few steps forward with awe written all over her face.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Oh, master,” Marina breathed as she turned back to face me, and there were actually tears in her eyes. Then she threw herself at me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pressed salty teary kisses all over my face as we spun around. “Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so much. This is truly the best thing anyone has ever done for or given me. Thank you, master. Every day I am eternally grateful that you saved me from my former master, and just being by your side is reward enough, but this…”
“You deserve it,” I said with a smirk, and I caressed her cheek before I set her back on her feet. “You are one of my loyal women, and you get the perks that come with such an honorable position.”
“Thank you, mast--” Marina started to say again, but then she glanced over my shoulder, and her eyes went wide as she gasped. “Is that a pool?”
“Go look,” I chuckled and nudged her in the direction of the second doorway off to the right. I knew how much being in the water relaxed the former siren, so I made sure to install a huge pool and hot tub in her bathroom.
Marina giggled as she skipped off to go investigate, and the other witches trailed after her. They spent a few minutes laughing together and sticking their toes in the water to splash each other, but soon they all looked up at me leaning in the doorway.
“Can we see the next room now, master?” Marina asked with a radiant smile. “I don’t want to waste all our time here.”
“Any time spent with any of you is not a waste of time,” I assured her, but then I nodded over my shoulder. “But yes, we can see the next room, but the question is whose?”
“Beatrix,” Samara replied instantaneously.
“M-Me?” the timid-witch squeaked. “I-I don’t mind--”
“No, you’ve been loyal to our master longer,” the former goddess said, and she cast the shy brunette a reassuring smile. “I am more interested in getting to see your room, Beatrix.”
“O-Oh.” Beatrix blushed and dropped her eyes. “W-Well, if you insist, I guess we can go to my room.”
“Lead the way,” I said and gestured for her to go first.
Beatrix swallowed sharply, but then she walked past me out of the bathroom, led us out of Marina’s chamber, and led us to the next door in the hallway. The brunette stared at her prettily written cursive name for a long moment before she reached out, turned the knob, and swung the door open.
The room itself wasn’t over the top, but then again, neither was the timid brunette. Bookshelves covered most of the walls, much like in Morgana’s room, but upon closer inspection, I noticed almost all of the tomes had to do with charms. There was also a large table along the far wall with a built-in shelving unit beside it, and I could see magical odds, ends, and ingredients stashed in bottles along the shelves. The bed was large and draped in pale-silver silken sheets and pushed up beside the large picturesque window, and the piles of pillows pressed against the headboard were different hues of muted maroon.
Beatrix inhaled sharply as her eyes roamed around her new chambers, and then she took a tentative step into the room, then another. She wandered over to the bookshelves and trailed her fingers along the spines, and then she made her way to the table and its shelves of ingredients.
“Oh, master,” the charm-witch breathed as she picked up some of the vials and studied what was inside them. Then she turned to me, and a wide, uninhibited, radiant smile spread across the usually shy witch’s face. “Charms and potions sometimes go hand in hand, so this setup is perfect if Penelope and I want to work together on something new.”
“Well, I’m glad Penelope will like it, but I’m more interested in what you think at the moment,” I chuckled. “Do you like your new room?”
“O-Oh, yes, of course, yes, I love it!” Beatrix blurted out, and she clutched her vials to her chest in an endearing movement. “Thank you so much, master, I could not have asked for anything better.”
“Good.” I smiled. “I’m glad.”
My women and I spent a few minutes taking the tour of Beatrix’s room, but then the charm-witch turned to Samara with the same bright smile that hadn’t left her face.
“Now, it’s your turn!” the brunette giggled.
“I’m sure your room is going to be absolutely lovely,” Revna added.
“Yes, why don’t you take a look at yours, Samara?” I suggested. “That way, you can tell me if it suits you or not.”
“I’d love to, master,” the former goddess answered before she slowly turned around and headed past the threshold.
We silently followed Samara out the door, and when she opened her own bedroom, the bright morning light was already seeping in through the stained-glass window. Her chamber was made out of gold and velvet, and pale fur carpets were splattered on the dark, sleek, wooden floor. Purple satin sheets covered the top of the bed, paired with an arrangement of full, fluffy pillows, and countless furs were plastered across the covers, too.
The rugs were as white as snow and looked just as soft, and a small study section was by the window, with a tall bookcase and a gold-toned desk. The room was elegant, sophisticated, and simple, and I could tell by the sparkle in Samara’s eyes that she was utterly in love.
“Incredible,” she whispered before she twirled around the room. “This is far more beautiful than any of my old chambers. I’m absolutely enamored. Thank you, master! I adore it.”
“I can tell,” I chuckled before she leaped onto her new bed and started to pet the pillows. “Take a moment to enjoy it but remember there is plenty more to see.”
This morning, I planned to take the two new witches for a small tour around Scholomance before we left the grounds. I wanted them to have a feel for their new home before they wandered around the halls with hundreds of curious, and possibly judgmental, students. I remembered what it felt like to be an outcast and hated by almost everyone, and I didn’t want that for either of them.
“Alright.” Samara smiled before she clambered off her bed. “I’m ready, master. Let’s go exploring.”
“Oh, yes, let’s!” Revna grinned with her chin raised. “I can’t wait.”
“Follow me, then,” I responded, and it was difficult not to smile at either of them.
The four witches nodded in agreement, and the doors closed on their own as we walked out into the hall. Then we went down to the common room, and the rest of the coven was still seated on the sofa and nibbling on their breakfast. No one seemed to be engaged in conversation as they ate in silence, but when they heard our footsteps coming down the staircase, the witches whipped around and stared at us with curious eyes and lopsided smiles.
“Are you pleased with your new rooms?” Akira asked after she swallowed a large bite of toast.
“Oh, yes, our master did a splendid job,” the wild woman replied. “Would you care to join us while we tour the castle?”
“Sure!” Morgana smiled from ear to ear. “We don’t have class for another hour, and if there’s anything you should see, it’s definitely the library and study hall.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Nyx snickered, but Morgana didn’t pay the smoking witch any mind.
“I think the grounds are worth seeing as well,” Penelope added as she twirled a bright orange lock around her finger. “There’s a maze we could show you. It was used during something we called The Exams. All first-year students have to go through it, but by Satan’s luck, and Cole’s influence, neither of you will have to endure it.”
“Oh, she’s right,” Vesta purred. “It’s a headache, to say the least.”
“I only remember bits and pieces of my exams,” Circe chimed in as she narrowed her serpentine eyes. “But it was quite painful and bloody from what I recall.”
“Awful,” Beatrix breathed with a pale face and wide eyes. “I barely survived.”
“Well, I guess Revna should count her unholy blessings,” Samara said before she awkwardly glanced down at her feet. “I, on the other hand, also remember having to go through The Exams. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
“Ah,” Akira said after a long and somewhat awkward pause. “Duh, of course, you had to go through it. Sorry, I guess we forgot.”
“We apologize,” Nyx yawned and then gave us a sleepy smile.
“It’s alright.” Samara shrugged. “It was many years ago, so I’m not surprised you forgot.”
“Well, if we’re going to explore as much as we want to,” I began before I glanced at each woman. I’d given the coven their moment of peace, but it was time to get to business. “We need to go, but before we do, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it, Cole?” Morgana asked in a much more dramatic tone. “Whatever it is, it seems serious.”
“It is,” I said. “Look, I know it’s not ideal, but I wanted you to know we’ll be leaving Scholomance again.”
“Why?” Circe asked, and her forked tongue slithered out of her mouth. “Not that I’m questioning your decisions, master. I’m just curious.”
I swallowed hard as I stared at the serpentine Wicca, and I decided that if I was going to tell them the truth about myself, the whole truth, the time was now.
“Because I am Satan reborn,” I explained as calmly as possible. “And to unlock the full extent of my power and convince all of Wicca-kind that I am the Dark Lord, I must complete three unholy tasks, including the resurrection of my mother. She’s the woman from my dreams, and she sacrificed her life to bring me into this world. I have seen it.”
At first, the women said nothing. They simply stared at me with gaped mouths and wide eyes, and I could feel thick tension and revelation filling up the room. None of the women seemed to be even breathing, and then Morgana let out a squeak as her legs trembled.
“Unholy hell,” Akira finally muttered before she collapsed down on her knees and bowed her head. “My lord… we beg your forgiveness for any past insults we placed upon you.”
“Yes, we most certainly do,” Vesta purred before she also got down on her knees, and the rest of the women followed.
“The Dark Lord is our master?” Nyx murmured with dilated, glassy eyes that stared up at me in awe. “This is… way fucking awesome.”
“Awesome?” Morgana squeaked again from where she was practically pressing her forehead into the ground. “N-Nyx, don’t be disrespectful--”
“No, it’s okay,” I chuckled in a dark, husky voice. “I think it’s pretty awesome.”
Nyx flashed me a starry-eyed, stoned grin, and Penelope shyly raised her head up and met my gaze.
“M-Master?” she stammered. “If I may ask a question?”
“You may.” I nodded.
“W-Well… why didn’t you tell us sooner about who you really were?” she asked before she quickly dropped her chocolate-brown eyes. “N-Not that I’m questioning your judgment, m-my lord, I just… wish we could have known sooner so we could have worshiped you properly.”
“To put it succinctly, I didn’t even remember myself until very recently,” I said, and then I reached out, slid my finger under her chin, and lifted her gaze to mine. “I never lied before, I truly did not remember my past until Samara, and then Theodora, helped me remember.”
“You knew?” Beatrix gasped as her head whipped around toward the former elder goddess.
“Yes.” Samara nodded. “Or at least strongly suspected. Why else do you think I was trying to defeat him so badly when we were enemies?”
Beatrix just gaped at the former goddess until I cleared my throat.
“But, rest assured, Penelope,” I said as I smirked down at the orange-haired, potion making prodigy. “You’ve treated me just fine. I am well-pleased with you and all of your coven sisters. Your fierceness, loyalty, and dark devoted hearts have made me proud to call you my own.”
“T-Thank you, master,” the orange-haired witch breathed as she stared up at me with adoration.
“I knew there was something special about you, my lord,” Circe purred from where she knelt, but because of her forked tongue, it sounded like a low seductive hiss. “I knew it from the moment you breathed life back into my broken body.”
“As did I,” Marina said, and the former siren flashed me a grateful smile. “I knew I would submit myself to your power the moment you saved me from my cruel former master.”
“And I am very glad I did,” I said as I aimed my smirk at the two witches, but then my eyes roved across the line of women kneeling at my feet. “I am very glad for all of you. You each have your unique talents and skills, and coupled with our blood pact and my own power, we will bring the Elder Lord and his kingdom to their knees.”
“We are here to serve you for all eternity, master,” Faye whispered in a broken voice, and tears of joy sparkled in her emerald eyes. “We will follow you to the very ends of the worlds if we have to.”
“Do you ask anything else of us, my lord?” Revna questioned, and I could see eagerness and desperation to please me sparkling in her sapphire-colored eyes. “We’ll do whatever you ask. We are mere servants to your dark will.”
That includes me, Cole-- er, Dark One… errr, Satan? Alexander said in my head, and I glanced over to see all the familiars bowing to me in respect, too. I’m sorry if I ever pissed you off… or acted like a shit… or didn’t listen.
“All is forgiven,” I assured my familiar, but I shifted my gaze back to my coven. “For all of you. So, rise. The past is the past, and I want to look forward to a wonderful and dark future. Things may be different from now on, but I am still your master. Obey my every whim, and once we defeat the Elder Lord and his minions, you will all sit at my side as my powerful, unholy dark brides.”
“Brides?” Morgana gasped as she and the others scrambled to their feet, and the bookworm’s beautiful blue eyes nearly popped out of her pale face.
“Of course.” I smirked. “And the mothers of my future offspring.”
“That sounds like a beautiful dream, master,” Vesta purred as she batted her silver eyes at me and chewed on her plump violet-colored lips.
“A dream I plan to soon make a reality,” I declared with authority ringing in my voice, but then another thought occurred to me, and a smile tugged at my lips. “And maybe sooner than I think, since I’ve already expanded our coven even further.”
“You have?” Akira grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. “May I guess as to who?”
“You may,” I chuckled.
“Vanessa,” the black-eyed witch immediately snickered. “I could see her resolve weakening by the day when she was traveling with us.”
“I can’t blame her, our master is very alluring,” Circe said, and her serpentine eyes glittered with desire as she raked them up and down my form.
“Is it true, m-my lord?” Beatrix stammered as she twirled a lock of brown hair around her finger. “Did the professor submit herself to you?”
“Yes.” I smirked. “Vanessa is a part of our family now… as well as her mother.”
“What!” all the witches gasped at once.
“No way!” Nyx breathed with glassy eyes. “The headmistress? That’s even more fucking awesome. Do you think this means Vanessa will have less of a stick up her ass now?”
“After last night, which is when I assume she became one of us,” Akira said in a sly voice. “I’m sure she’s feeling waaaaay less tension.”
“Akira…” Morgana said with a cute little frown. “She’s still our professor.”
“So what?” The dark-eyed witch shrugged. “Vanessa may be a professor, but our master is the Dark Lord. He outranks her and the headmistress now… wait, does this mean we don’t have to go to class?”
“What?” Morgana gasped, and her hands shot up to cover her mouth in horror. “Noooooooo. We have to go to class.”
“Oh,” Marina pouted. “I was just starting to enjoy the classes.”
“Don’t worry, you can still go to class,” I laughed. “Well, perhaps save Samara, since she’s just as powerful as the professors. But, for the rest of you, I want you all well-prepared for the coming battles, so you’ll learn all that Scholomance has to offer. Understood?”
“Yes, Dark Lord,” my coven answered diligently.
A grin spread across my face. I liked the way that sounded.
“Err, master?” Revna spoke up, and she even adorably raised her hand like we were already in a classroom. “I-I do not wish to sound ungrateful or hurried, but--”
“You want to see the rest of the school and grounds?” I finished for her with a smile.
“Yes,” the wild witch murmured, and she blushed as she averted her gaze. “If that pleases you, my lord. I just… wish to see your home.”
“Making you happy pleases me,” I said as I reached out and cupped her warm cheek. “So, if you want the rest of the Scholomance tour, that is what we shall do.”
“Thank you, master,” Revna breathed before I swooped down and pressed a kiss to her rose-pink lips.
“Alright, are we ready?” I asked as I pulled away from the blonde and faced the rest of my coven, who nodded in response. “Then let’s get going.”
“Oooh, I’m so excited to see your school,” Revna giggled as we walked toward the door, and the wild witch was already several steps ahead of us. “I can hardly wait!”
“Okay, hold your centaurs,” Akira laughed as Revna yanked open the door. “We’re coming.”
With that, we left the common room and wove through the corridors as the bright morning sun rose higher and higher. As we ventured toward our first and closest destination, the two new additions occasionally stopped to stare at the live paintings, but no one said anything until we reached the doors of the study hall.
I could feel Samara and Revna breathing heavily behind me, and when I pushed the doors open, a fresh breeze swept across our faces and through our hair. The air in the study hall was cool, and everything smelled like pinewood and roses. Of course, no one was awake, and it was strange to see the vast room so cold and empty, but there was something so serenely calm about the large, vacant chamber.
“Wow,” Samara said before she reached up and caressed one of the marble demon statues. “It looks so different… it feels completely different, too.”
“Does it?” Morgana asked as she carefully studied the former goddess. “In what way?”
“It’s like being inside a waking memory,” Samara said without looking away from the demonic statue. “I can’t explain it, but it feels like I’ve strolled into some kind of strange, inexplicable dream.”
“How many years has it been since you last stepped foot in Scholomance?” Akira asked, but the question lacked the black-eyed witch’s usual sharpness. She merely sounded curious, and I was proud my coven was welcoming the former goddess so well into our ranks.
“Too many to keep count,” Samara replied with a long, heavy sigh. “My holy magic kept me alive for so long. I was essentially immortal. I couldn’t tell you how many years it’s been exactly. Many thousands.”
“It must feel so strange,” Faye commented as she brushed back her long, blood-red hair. “I couldn’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through right now, Samara.”
“Yeah,” Marina added. “I mean, I know I felt like a fish out of water when I first arrived, but you were actually here, years and years ago. What a strange feeling, indeed.”
“Well, I appreciate your empathy,” Samara said after a moment, and then she forced herself to smile. “But it’s alright. Cole has been making the transition as smooth as possible.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I grinned. “Now, let’s keep going. We still have more to look at--”
“Like the library?” Morgana asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Morgana, you already know what the library looks like,” Akira chuckled in a light-hearted tone. “Why are you acting as if you’ve never seen it before?”
“Because Revna hasn’t!” the bookworm replied with bright eyes. “Duh! It’ll be like seeing it for the first time all over again.”
The other witches giggled as we left the study hall and quickly made our way to the library. Morgana eagerly walked by my side, and when we approached the towering entranceway, she pressed her palm against the door and shoved it open.
“This is it!” she squealed before we walked past the threshold.
Like the study hall, the library was eerily quiet and empty. The bookcases towered three stories tall, and there was a burning fire already glowing in the fireplace. It cast shadows over the red floors and wooden walls, and the air smelled of worn-out pages, smoke, and moth-eaten velvet.
“What an amazing collection,” Samara breathed, and her ocean-hued eyes sparkled in amazement. “It’s still as magnificent as I remember.”
“Really?” Morgana asked. “Has nothing changed?”
“Well, there are some differences,” the former goddess explained. “The collection has most certainly expanded. I think Theodora added a new level if I’m not mistaken.”
“This is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen,” Revna murmured with her mouth agape. “I-I’ve never seen so many books. And we’re allowed to read… all of them?”
“Mostly,” Morgana pouted. “There are some forbidden tomes…”
“That’s never stopped us before,” Akira snickered under her breath.
“And I don’t think much is off-limits to us anymore,” I added with a smirk. “So, Revna, you may read to your heart’s content, and let me know if the professors say anything to you.”
“Thank you, master,” the wild witch said as her sapphire eyes glittered with happiness.
The women took their time to explore the books, and when they were done, we headed out and took a moment to stand in the hallway.
“Where shall we go next?” Revna questioned as she skipped slightly ahead of me.
“Where would you like to go?” I asked. “We only have about thirty minutes left before you need to head to class.”
“Are you not joining us, master?” Akira asked with a black arched eyebrow.
“I’m Satan,” I reminded her with a broad smile. “What else would there be to learn? I’ve decided Samara and I are exempt from any more lessons, but we still have some time to kill.”
“If that’s the case, I’d love to check out that maze you spoke of,” the wild Wicca replied with a broad smile. “It sounds almost dangerous.”
“I haven’t seen it, either,” Marina said with fluttering purple eyes. “I’d love to see it.”
“Ooh, maybe I could get some ingredients for this potion I’ve been trying…” Penelope muttered almost to herself, and her brow wrinkled as she seemed to mentally go through a potion recipe.
“Then let’s go.” I smirked. “It’s on the border of the academy grounds, and it will take some time to get there, but it will be nice to get some fresh air.”
Revna squealed with excitement, and Samara chuckled as I led everyone out of the castle and across the vast green plains that led to the maze. Suddenly, a deep, strange sensation coursed through my entire body as we neared the massive maze, and when the sun rose even higher, the feeling grew far more intense. Each step I took felt painful and forced like I was pushing against an invisible wall.
“Shit,” I muttered to myself.
My head quickly started to spin, but thankfully, the moment was fleeting, and I soon felt like myself again.
“Are you alright, master?” Circe asked in a gentle voice, and she narrowed her serpentine eyes at me. “You looked quite pale for a moment there.”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied, even though I was still dizzy.
“Are you sure?” Akira asked, and her eyebrows were furrowed with concern.
“I-I just feel a little strange, like--” I said, but an image of Theodora suddenly sprung to mind.
“Master?” Revna asked when I didn’t say another word.
“Unholy hell,” I said as I saw the headmistress in my head, as clear as day. “We’ll have to postpone the maze tour until later. We need to get to Theodora’s office. Now.”
“What about class?” Morgana asked as she bit her lip.
“If Cole says we need to go to the headmistress’ office, then that’s where we go,” Akira said in a firm voice. “Let’s go.”
Without another word, the coven and I turned around and headed to Theodora’s office. My footsteps were heavy as we strolled through the corridors, and as we walked, I wondered what this new sensation was. I could feel Theodora’s presence, and the pull was so strong I stopped in my tracks and envisioned the office with all of us inside. Then, before I knew it, I could feel my body transporting through space. My stomach twisted and turned, but when everything grew still, we were exactly where I envisioned us.
Vanessa and Theodora stood by the headmistress’ long desk, and the first thing I noticed was how different Vanessa looked when she wasn’t in one of her gowns. Instead, she was dressed in dark velvet pants, knee-high leather boots, and a dark-red corset. Her white tunic was tucked into her pants and bodice, and her long dark hair was tied into a neat fishtail braid. Her face was free from any makeup, and she also wore a long, emerald-green cloak. She looked like she was prepared to trek through the deepest woodland and ready to face the cooler and harsher weather.
“Ah, there you are,” Theodora said as she closed the door behind her and looked at each woman carefully. “Now, are you ready to begin your next quest? If you thought you’d seen it all before, I’m afraid you’re in for one hell of surprise. ”