Chapter 5
“Yes, Headmistress,” my coven dutifully responded.
“We’re ready,” Akira affirmed with her chin raised.
“Great.” Theodora smiled. “I suppose we’re sisters now, bound by blood and incredible power. Now that our connection has deepened, I’ll be able to aid you all more. No matter where you are, I’ll sense your distress if you find yourselves in a prickly situation. Understood?”
“Yes, Headmistress,” the witches repeated.
“Not only do we understand,” Penelope added, and the other women all turned to look at her, “but we vow with all our might and hearts to not fail you. There is no doubt in my mind.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Theodora purred, and her eyes were glittering with pride. “Now, I’m sure you’ll want to know where I’ll be sending you--”
“The thought did cross my mind,” Circe interrupted as she looked at Vanessa from head to toe. “It looks like Vanessa is prepared to walk through a frost-bitten woodland.”
“That’s a surprisingly accurate description of where we’ll be going,” the professor said in a steady voice. “We’ll be shadow-porting to a realm known as the Gorean region. It’s a vast, deep woodland, home to creatures forged by holy and unholy magic. It’s considered a dangerous realm, but the true peril lies on the borders. There are clusters of soldiers, once considered great and powerful centaurs, who now trek through the woods on a pile of bones. They smell flesh like a wolf smells blood, so we’ll need to be careful. There will be eyes on us at every turn.”
“Once you reach this realm, my master, you’ll then complete three unholy tasks or rather, three Dark Miracles,” Theodora continued as she met my gaze. “First, you have to trespass into an elder kingdom and transform their holy river into a poisonous river of blood. Then you must raise all the unborn children from the dead and unleash them upon the masses. This plague will not only kill an elder king and send a message to the Elder Lord, but it will also be the beginning of unlocking your undeniable power. Then you must break into the Holy Assembly and destroy all its members. It is a palace filled with holy and powerful believers of the elder lord, similar to our High Wicca Council. And finally, for the third Dark Miracle, you will have to enter your mother’s tomb and find the last Defero stone and the body of Lilith. Once she has risen, this will also break the memory spell placed on the teachers, and all of Wicca-kind will have no choice but to bow to you, Dark Lord. This is your unholy plan that has taken decades to come to fruition, master, and I cannot wait to bear witness to your dark glory.”
“I understand, Theodora,” I replied for the coven, and then I flashed the sultry older witch a smile. “We’ll venture quietly and carefully, and I will return victorious and bathed in the blood of our enemies.”
“I would expect nothing less, master,” she purred, but then her eyes suddenly darted back and forth like a frantic bee. “Wait, how silly of me, we’re missing something.”
Theodora snapped her fingers, and suddenly a thick cloud of mist surrounded us. When the fog cleared, the familiars were floating or crawling around the office, and even if I couldn’t understand all the creatures, I could tell they were surprised and perhaps even a little agitated.
Hey, Cole, Alexander said before he flew over and hovered by my side. Are we leaving now?
“Yes,” I confirmed, and when I glanced at everyone, pride swelled deep in my heart.
A part of me still couldn’t believe how far I’d come. When I first arrived at Scholomance, I was alone and hated by nearly everyone. No one even looked in my direction, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d survive behind these walls. Now, I’d learned I was Satan reborn, and even the headmistress of the academy was a member of my unholy coven. I owned her soul, along with all these other women, and together, I knew we’d be able to face the Elder Lord and his holy army.
“I have two gifts for you, my lord,” Theodora said with her head held high. “I hope they will please you.”
“I’m sure they will,” I responded.
Theodora smiled and snapped her fingers, and two artifacts appeared in midair. It was the golden key and the undying compass from my last quest. They both hovered above my eyes, and I immediately noticed something was different about the needle of the compass. It was bright gold, and when Theodora smiled at me, I knew she must have sensed my question.
“The needle’s been replaced with a fragment of the crown Samara submitted to you,” Theodora explained. “You’ll never feel lost with this around your neck.”
“Thank you,” I said before I took the compass and wrapped the cold chain around my neck.
“Now, before I send you away,” the headmistress continued. “We need to change your clothing and provide you with provisions. I won’t be sending anything your way once I transport you. Any outside magic can be easily detected, and it would be unwise to test the magnitude of the Elder Lord’s abilities.”
“Agreed,” I said in a firm voice.
“Now, hold still, please,” Theodora responded as she rolled up her sleeves and flicked her wand in our direction. “Verto!”
A sapphire-blue light soared through the air, and when it washed over us, I could feel the fabric on my skin shifting into something different. The feel of soft cotton suddenly turned into delicate velvet, and the cloak clasped around my shoulders felt lighter.
When I looked at the other women, they were all dressed in the same fashion as Vanessa. They all wore either black or brown knee-high boots, belts with hooks on them to carry weapons and other supplies, long cloaks, and waist cinching corsets.
“I look sexy,” Nyx chuckled as she looked down at her bulging blue breasts.
“Practical,” Vanessa said before she looked at her mother with her chin raised. “I believe we’re ready to go, Headmistress.”
“Agreed,” Theodora said before her bright, sky-blue eyes looked deeply into mine. “Now, travel only during the day. If darkness takes over, find seclusion and wait it out. Understood?”
“Do not worry, Theodora.” I smirked. “You know I will not fail.”
“Apologies, my lord,” she murmured as she sheepishly bowed her head. “I have worried for you for so long--”
“And that time is over,” I cut in with authority ringing in my voice, but I smiled to let her know I was not upset over her devotion. “The time has come for me to embrace my destiny and my power.”
“Of course,” the headmistress said with a faint smile of her own. “I have the utmost faith in you, Dark One. Now, everyone, close your eyes. This won’t be an easy ride.”
Before we were sent away, I took one more glance around the office and briefly wondered when we would return. I missed these stone walls, morbid paintings, curious students, and quirky professors. We’d barely been back, and already, we found ourselves on the brink of another mission. As my eyes wandered around the warm, safe office, I also questioned how long it would take to retrieve Lilith and bring her safely back to Scholomance, but the time for questions was over.
It was time for action.
“Hos parere imperio!” the headmistress cried out.
Once the incantation was complete, a deep-purple cloud washed over us, and Theodora completely disappeared from view. My body violently twisted and turned through endless and mysterious realms, and as we ventured into the unknown, heat rose up my neck, my ears pounded, and my heart hammered in my chest. It took a long moment before my feet were planted firmly on the ground, and when the purple mist cleared, a chilling wind brushed across my skin and pierced my bones. Then I looked up at the sky, and it was a mix between rose-pink and tangerine-orange. Time must have moved differently here, and I guessed it was early morning. A cluster of deep-brown trees surrounded us, and their long, spider-leg branches were adorned with wispy, dying leaves. Rotted foliage littered the forest floor, and the layer of leaves reached past my ankles. My coven looked around suspiciously, and several of them scrunched up their noses and made small gagging noises.
“Do you smell something?” Circe questioned as she pinched her nose.
“Fuck,” Marina coughed. “It’s worse than a dead school of fish.”
“I-It smells like… something fetid,” Beatrix gagged, and when another gust of wind whipped past us, I smelled it.
The stench was overpowering, and bile churned in my stomach. We covered our mouths, and when I narrowed my eyes and stared off into the distance, I thought I saw something hidden beneath the leaves. It took a moment, but I soon realized it was a bloody, greenish hand. The fingers were sticking out, and they looked stiff with missing or blackened fingernails. Whoever this hand belonged to, they must have died days ago.
“Shit…” Akira muttered after she followed my steady gaze. “This isn’t good.”
I took a small step forward to further inspect the mysterious hand, but then I nearly tripped over something bulky buried beneath the leaves. When I glanced down, I flinched because a pair of brown, vacant eyes were staring back at me. Even at first glance, I knew life had been drained from them a long time ago, and the notion sent a horrible chill down my spine.
“What is this?” Faye gasped with bulging eyes. “It’s like we’re--”
“In an unmarked graveyard,” Vanessa finished. “We need to move. Now.”
Before we could agree with her, the sky immediately darkened, and the wind grew sharper and louder. I sensed something watching us, and whatever it was, it was drawing closer and closer. I immediately gritted my teeth and quietly reached for my wand, and as soon as my fingers wrapped around the wooden hilt, a voice erupted from the trees and sent another violent shiver through my body.
“Well, well, well,” it cackled. “What do we have here? A group of wanderers, alone in the forest? What a lovely treat indeed.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken,” I growled, and I could feel everyone’s bodies tensing up. “We’re not a group of mere wanderers.”
“Then whom am I speaking to?” the voice asked.
“Your worst fucking nightmare,” I answered as the sky turned pitch black.
Whoever this was, I already knew they possessed both unholy and holy magic, and even if I couldn’t see them, I sensed they were the same bone-riding creatures Theodora warned us about.
I realized at that moment, if the headmistress warned us not to tackle these creatures head-on, then I knew we had met one hell of a match. The air continued to grow colder, and a thick dark mist swept across our eyes and swirled around our ankles.
What the fuck is going on, Cole? Alexander asked as the wind grew stronger. I can barely see a damn thing.
“Right there with you,” I said while I stared off into the distance. “Clearly, these assholes need the darkness to fight. They’d rather cower in the shadows than fight fairly.”
“We can fight in any element,” the deep voice growled over the wind. “You dare question our authority?”
“Then why do you need the mist to shield you?” I sneered in the hopes of making these creatures show themselves.
“You dare to question us?” the voice cackled. “I can’t tell if I’m impressed or sickened by your confidence.”
“You should be fearful,” I snarled. “Now, show yourself.”
“I think not,” the voice replied, and another deep growl resonated in the air.
The sound echoed like a chorus of drums, and the sky started to crack with bright-yellow lightning. Heavy rainfall swiftly began to pour from the heavens, and the sounds of a growing storm surrounded all of us.
“What the hell is going on?” Nyx demanded as she squinted into the gale. “I can’t see a fucking thing!”
“The creatures Theodora spoke of, they must be a band of wild ghouls!” Morgana shouted. “They turn invisible and use the elements to do their bidding! Be careful. If they get too close, they can kill you with just one slash from their fingernail.”
The rainfall quickly intensified, and each rush of thunder sent a deeper shiver down my spine. I whipped my wand out and narrowed my eyes in every direction as I tried to see past the heavy rain, but there was nothing in sight. My vision must have been deceiving me, though, because I thought I heard a deep, hungry growl somewhere nearby. Then, before I knew what was happening, I was violently pushed back into the dirt.
“Master!” Vanessa screamed.
The others cried out in protest when I slammed hard against the ground, and searing pain shot through my body. I could barely breathe as cold mist completely shrouded me, and there was weighted pressure on top of my chest. It felt like a heavy animal with four paws was on top of me, and whatever it was, it smelled of wet fur and metallic blood. Invisible claws dug into my flesh, and my lungs were threatening to combust under its massive weight.
“Don’t try to cast any spells on it,” Morgana warned. “If we do, it will hit Cole!”
“Well, fuck,” Akira screamed, and her voice was laced with panic. “Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Just stand by and watch?”
“That’s exactly what you’ll do,” I grunted, and it took all my willpower to speak. “I’ve got this.”
Whatever was on top of me, it was using its time to taunt me, but that was its fatal mistake, so I reached up with my free hand and grasped something that felt like a thick, furry neck. A deep growl reverberated over the sound of thunder, and I pressed as hard as I could against the transparent tissue. The more force I used against this invisible enemy, the more determined it grew to overcome my hold and snap at my neck. As the seconds ticked by, I could feel it growing more and more impatient, but still, it was no match for me. The firmer I pressed against its nape, the more it whimpered and grunted in protest.
“Get… the… fuck… off,” I snarled as I pressed my thumb on what seemed like the center of its throat.
The invisible creature felt like it was leaning forward, and as it tried to reach for my face, I could hear its hungry growls and feel the thick drool dripping from its mouth. It desperately snapped and wriggled furiously against my grip, and I’d had enough, so I reached down into my waistband and wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my bonded blade. I knew even if this creature was invisible, it could still die by the end of my unholy weapon, and with all my strength, I retracted the knife from its sheath and thrust it upward into the air.
Suddenly, a rain of thick blood poured on top of me, and it filled my mouth and slipped down my throat as I yelled with fury. I coughed and choked on the salty liquid, but my grip never loosened. The more I pressed against the creature’s neck, the more its body twitched in my hold, and I never stopped twisting or turning the blade into what felt like meaty flesh. With my hand still around its thick invisible neck, a drawn-out sound echoed louder than the blaring wind, and finally, I could feel my attacker’s body go limp and collapse by my side.
I scrambled to my feet, and when I glanced down at the ground, something was slowly starting to appear. It took a moment or two, but then I realized what it was.
There, dead on the wet leaves and dead bodies, was a blood-soaked dog. Its muzzle was covered in clumps of blood, its throat was split open, and its eyes were lifeless and blankly staring up at the black sky.
“Well done, master!” Revna commended before she scowled into the tree line. “See? Our master can defeat any enemy! Whether he can see them or not!”
“Because he is the master of all darkness,” Marina added, and the former sounded proud of her declaration. “The one and only Satan. Lord of evil and creator of all unholy power!”
“No!” a chorus of voices screamed all at once, and then the first voice emerged from the darkness.
“How dare you!” he snarled. “You’ll pay greatly for this, filthy Wiccans! Kill them all!”
The ground started to violently shake, and the air seemed to flicker before a group of green-skinned and horned creatures abruptly appeared and came riding toward us. They were seated upon dead, bony horses with bright white eyes, and each time their skeletal horses breathed, their wide nostrils flared, and smoke puffed from their open jaws. Their hooves clattered against the ground, and soon, we were surrounded by countless soldiers.
Their leader was at the front of their command, and he wore dark-red armor with gold embellishments splayed on his helmet and sword hilt. They were marked in a language I’d never seen before, and the rest of his uniform reminded me of elder armor. More growls reverberated through the air, and I knew it had to be the sound of their invisible hounds by their sides.
“Draw your swords!” he cried out, and then his men released a bloody war cry as they swung their weapons in the air. “Attack!”
I gripped my wand tightly before I raised it above my head and aimed it at the incoming group of soldiers. Then I called upon the darkness and willed the elements to obey my unholy command.
I was Satan reborn, and I would give these fuckers one hell of a show before they died.
“Motus!” I cried out.
A bright light, as yellow as lightning, suddenly slipped from the heavens and came down upon a massive cluster of soldiers. The spell violently knocked several ghouls off their bone-like horses, and the light burned them up from the inside out. Intestines exploded from their bellies like wet, red snakes, and the smell of charred, raw flesh filled the air and wafted up my nostrils. The echo of dying screams quickly followed, as well as the sound of bodies hitting the earth. I managed to destroy at least half the army with my spell, and we were just getting started.
“Revolo!” Vanessa yelled with all her might.
A purple light exploded from the tip of her wand and flew in the army’s direction before they could regroup. The powerful incantation hit a long row of men, and they soared off their horses and disappeared into the storm. My women were determined to see these fuckers fall, and before I knew it, all hell broke loose.
“Dissulto!” Morgana screamed.
“Secare!” Akira shouted.
“Glacio!” Circe roared.
My women didn’t hold back, and dozens of voices echoed above the sound of beating rain. I smiled as bursts of lights escaped from our side and flew toward our attackers all at once. Everything became a blur of blood, spells, and rainfall, and it was nearly impossible to see. Rain pooled in my eyes, but I still flicked my wand and sent incantations to and fro.
The women fought relentlessly, and when only one soldier was left standing, I took a step closer toward him and his beast and raised my magical weapon.
“Dissulto!” I yelled before he could open his mouth.
Red light burst from my wand and hit the ghoulish leader right in the center of his chest. Both he and his beast soared backward and flew through the air until his back slammed against a tree, and he slumped down to the ground. His animal disintegrated into a thousand bony pieces, and dark-green blood trickled down his nose as he raised his head, but I knew he still had some fight left in him.
“You,” he growled as rain poured down his green skin. “I don’t care what it takes, but I’ll take you down, even if I die doing it.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” I grinned. “Come at me.”
The leader’s eyes met mine right before he sprung to his feet and ran toward me with a small dagger drawn, but not one of my women made a move since they knew he was mine for the taking. I let him come closer, and when he was only a couple inches away from plunging his weapon inside me, I pulled out my knife and stuck it deep into the side of his gut.
The soldier choked on his blood and slumped forward as I twisted my knife in deeper. The sound of his pained grunts felt like ecstasy as the life slowly left his eyes, and he struggled to breathe.
“Enjoy wherever the afterlife takes you,” I growled in his ear before he fell backward.
As he laid on his back and stared up at the sky, everything slowly stilled, and the heavy rain stopped pouring. I took a deep breath of the smell of burned and bloody bodies, but the scent brought a smile to my face.
We’d won.
“We’re getting better at taking on armies, aren’t we, master?” Akira chuckled with pride. “What was that… us against two dozen?”
“At least,” I replied as I looked at each marvelous witch. “Well done.”
Suddenly, the compass around my neck started to violently beat against my chest, and when I pried the lid open, the golden needle was spinning like crazy. I studied the arrow and waited for it to stop, but it just continued to spin.
“Where is it pointing?” Vanessa asked after a minute or two.
“I don’t know,” I said as I narrowed my eyes at the relic. “It hasn’t stopped yet.”
“That’s strange,” the professor remarked. “It should have stopped by now.”
“I know--” I said, but before I could utter another word, the golden arrow came to a sudden halt. “Wait… it’s pointing west.”
“Excellent,” Vanessa sighed. “At least we know where we’re going.”
“Agreed,” I said as I looked up and studied the dark wood ahead of us. “We’d better get going, though, we have no idea how long it will take to reach this holy kingdom.”
“Yes, master,” my coven responded before we picked up our feet and headed west.
Alexander flew ahead, and the other familiars followed us as we trekked through the woodland for what seemed like hours. A slight sweat broke across my face, and my feet ached, but I refused to take a break. When the sun started to turn a bloody shade of orange, I knew we needed to pick up the pace and get the hell out of this mysterious domain.
“Alex,” I said, and my loyal beast flew to my side. “Can you take a look above the trees and see how far away the kingdom is?”
Sure thing, Cole, he answered.
My familiar soared upward, and when his body swept past the canopy of dark trees, something brushed over my body, and it felt like the wind was being knocked out of my chest. My head spun, and my breathing grew faster like I had just finished running through the forest.
“Master?” Penelope said as she slowly blinked. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m not sure,” I groaned as I pressed my fingers against my throbbing temples. “It feels like the woods are disappearing from view.”
“What is taking its place?” Vanessa asked. “Focus carefully.”
“I think whatever Alex is seeing,” I replied after a long moment. “I can see green marshes ahead, and beyond that, a cluster of hills and behind that, there’s a palace surrounded by small wooden and stone houses. It’s a large kingdom, and the castle is one of the tallest buildings I’ve ever seen. Well, at least in this world.”
“In this world?” Morgana asked. “What do you mean, master?”
“Never mind,” I said, and I knew the conversation regarding Earth would need to be saved for another time.
“Do you still feel sick, master?” Penelope asked.
“The world is still spinning,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong with him, Vanessa?” Circe asked with a pale arched eyebrow.
“Nothing is wrong,” the professor responded. “It’s just that your bond with Alexander is complete. Your vision can now be reversed.”
“Unholy hell, that’s pretty fucking cool.” I grinned wildly, but then I quickly composed myself. “Er, anyway, we’re nearly there. Once we reach the borders of the forest, we should cross the marshes as soon as possible. If we’re quick enough, we’ll reach the outskirts of the kingdom before nightfall.”
“Lead the way, master.” Faye nodded.
Together, we reached the forest’s borders, and by the time we stepped past the woodland’s threshold, the sun was setting beyond the horizon. The sky burned a bright orange, and at first, the emerald-hued marshes seemed tranquil, but when I took a deep breath, the stench of rotting water slipped up my nose. The air was foul, and something was definitely amiss. A series of intense shivers ran down my spine, and my feet and fingers were tingling with anticipation.
Then I looked at my coven, but their faces were suddenly blank, and their mouths were parted open. They reminded me of marble statues, and slowly, their eyes were dimming and being replaced with a burning bright light. Even the familiars were frozen in place, and their eyes were turning the same shade of white. I couldn’t understand what was happening, but whatever it was, I knew it was taking over the women’s bodies and souls.
Before I could cry out to them, there was a resounding chorus of laughter, and when I whipped around to find where it was coming from, I saw thousands of snake-like eyes peering out from the marshes.