Chapter 17
“Fuck this!” Circe screamed at the top of her lungs. “Flatus!”
A surge of lime-green light exploded from the serpentine witch’s wand and lit the group of women on fire. They screamed for mercy and waved their bodies in the air like manic ghosts, but I knew the flames wouldn’t be enough to kill them.
“You’ll pay dearly for that,” one of the burning women warned in a high-pitched voice. “Proelium!”
A tangerine-hued light slipped from the bony hand of the woman and shot through Circe like an arrow. The spell caused the blonde witch to soar backward and smack her head against the wall, and when her body slumped down, blood was smeared on the stone.
Rage coursed through my body like a river of fire as I glared at the ugly heathen who hurt my lover, and I used all my anger to wield my next spell.
“Secare!” I yelled as an explosion of light escaped from my wand.
The woman’s bright eyes widened with terror before my powerful incantation cut her head from her body, and it rolled across the floor. The hood was pushed back to reveal a bony face with dead gray eyes and a parted, thin mouth. Even in death, terror lingered in her lifeless orbs, and when the other women realized their counterpart was truly dead, an icy chill swept through the room and made every hair stand on end.
“Volar!” Morgana shouted before the deadly women could enact their next attack.
The group of hooded figures tried to dodge the brunette’s attack, but not all of them were quick enough. Most swerved out of the way in time, but one was hit in the middle of her chest and flew backward until she hit the wall with the same impact they inflicted on Circe.
“Ha!” Akira snapped, and there was a dangerous glint in her black eyes. “Take that, you hideous, heinous cunts! Dissulto!”
The black-eyed witch’s spell shot from her wand and smacked one of the other hooded women right in between her glowing eyes. The phantom-like creature shrieked in surprise, and her face exploded into bits of dust and blood.
The rest of my coven started to blast a series of incantations, and it was an explosion of color all around. Lights were blinding everyone as the spells swerved in every direction and pierced our enemies or other corners of the room. The hooded women fought back, though, and I knew they wouldn’t rest until we were dead.
Or worse.
“Kill the women and animals, but leave the man to me!” one skeletal woman screamed in a painfully loud voice. “I want to tear him limb from limb. I want to drink his blood and drown in his soul! Nooooow!”
“Caedes!” the other hooded heathens shrieked at the same time.
A storm of lights blasted from their hands and shot right at my coven and the familiars, and the spells blasted everyone backward until they hit their heads hard enough to splatter walls with blood. Then the room fell silent, and the eerie quiet enraged and disturbed me all at once.
To think someone would harm even a hair on my women’s heads made me want to draw blood, and I’d had enough of fighting.
As the thought rang through my head like a bell, a sense of certainty, and then realization, washed over me. I’d been fighting my way through every obstacle of this tomb to unlock my potential and prove my power as the Dark Lord, but I didn’t need to prove it to myself.
I knew who I was. I was Satan, and my power was incredible.
All I had to do was claim it.
Darkness writhed through my veins like an evil, living thing, and my power swelled to the surface like a cresting tidal wave. I locked eyes with one of the hooded figures, and I bared my teeth in an animalistic snarl.
“Enough,” I hissed low and quiet, and I could feel the rage slipping through my body like a molten flood of lava. Then I lifted my arm, aimed my palm at the skeletal women, and raised my voice until it boomed like thunder. “By my unholy command, I command you to stop!”
Suddenly, all of the floating women froze in mid-air, and they gaped at me with wide, curious eyes. Everything became still, and no one dared to say a word, at least for a few moments.
“What is happening?” one of them finally whispered, and when they looked at each other, a deep realization etched across their faces.
“No one can control us.”
“We are the spirits sent from hell to guard the body that lays deep in this tomb.”
“No one can give us a command… except for…”
“That’s right,” I said with my shoulders pushed back. “I am Satan reborn, and your lord and master. From this moment onward, you will listen and obey my every order. Now, bow.”
The echoes of my authoritative voice reverberated around us, and the host of skeletal spirits all dropped their eyes and heads in unison. Gone was their hostility, replaced by deference and obedience.
As it should be.
“Yes, master,” the ghostly women responded in unison. “The passageway is yours.”
“Good,” I growled, and then I waved my hand at them. “Now, return to Hell and deliver a message throughout my dark kingdom.”
“What message is that, O Dark One?” one of the spirits asked.
“Tell them Satan has returned.” A dark grin stretched across my face. “And soon, we will ride for war against all elder kind.”
“Thy dark will be done, my lord.” The host of women bowed low once more before they turned into a cloud of smoke, and the room settled into a hushed, reverent silence.
Now, only one final Dark Miracle stood between me and reclaiming my throne.
Soon, I would be unstoppable.
Cole? Alex’s wounded voice crept into my head. A-Are you alright?
“I’m fine,” I said, and when I turned around, the others were slowly sitting up as they rubbed the back of their heads.
“W-What happened?” Beatrix asked as she blinked dazedly at where the ghostly host had been. “Where did they go?”
“Did you kill them all, master?” Vanessa looked impressed as she wiped some dirt off her porcelain cheeks.
“No,” I said. “There was no need to.”
“Uhhhh, what do you mean?” Akira snorted, and she winced as she pressed at a bruise above her eyebrow. “They were totally trying to kill us.”
“Their duty was to protect this tomb from any intruders,” I corrected, and I shot the dark-eyed witch a smirk. “Then I realized that I was not an intruder. I was the master, and they had no choice but to bow to my will and let us pass.”
“Incredible, my lord,” Vesta purred, and her silver eyes glinted with lust and admiration.
“The power radiating off you is delicious, master,” Samara added, and a small smug smile pulled at her full lips.
“Fucking hell,” Penelope groaned as she stood on her feet and looked around. “D-Do you think that’s it, then?”
“Yes, for now.” I nodded. “But it doesn’t mean we’re safe.”
We’d been going through this tomb for hours, perhaps days, and by this point, we’d exerted so much power and energy. It was an unholy blessing we were still alive and capable of wielding such incredible strength.
But then again, we weren’t ordinary witches, and now it was time to enact the third and final unholy miracle.
“I think I know where Lilith’s body is,” I said as I looked behind the women and at the bloodstained wall. “I can feel her presence like a ghost, hovering over my head.”
“Then we’ll follow you, master,” Vanessa remarked. “No matter where we have to go.”
“Or who we’ll have to fight.” Revna smirked.
“And no enemy will stand in our way,” Faye added with a bloodthirsty smile.
I stared at my beautiful coven and the furry familiars, and pride and affection swelled in my chest. Every word they spilled was the truth, and I knew they would do whatever they could to help me establish my undying power and reign over the universe.
“You mean everything to me,” I said as I looked around the group, “and my love for you is undying.”
“As is ours for you, Dark Lord,” Nyx said with her horned head bowed low.
“But still,” I began, and they all stared at me with curious eyes. “I must complete this next part alone. This is my task to enact, and it will be the final step to achieving my greatness.”
“Understood, master,” Morgana whispered, and she lowered her blue eyes in deference.
“We’ll stand aside for this one.” Circe nodded.
The rest of the coven agreed before they parted into two groups, and when the pathway was clear, I slowly walked up to the wall. Then I pressed my hand against the cold, rough texture and took a long, deep breath. My mother’s body was in there, and I could feel her presence like I used to in my head.
Before I could open the wall, though, I knew I needed the other two Defero stones. Normally, I would have asked Vanessa to summon her mother with her mind, but this time, I knew I held the power to communicate with the headmistress all on my own.
“Theodora,” I muttered. “We’re here… down in the depths of the tomb you created, and we’ve bypassed every deadly creature in our path. We’ve overcome every obstacle, and the time to reap our reward has come. Now, you must provide me with the other two stones. I know it will take a great amount of power to do so, but I have all my faith in you.”
It would be my pleasure, my lord, Theodora’s voice rang through my head. I will need your help, though.
“And you shall have it,” I said aloud. “Just tell me what you need.”
Repeat this incantation after me. Per voluntatem Dei omnipotentis, lapides isti in unum ad verum et non transisset per potentiam.
I repeated each word aloud and felt a swell of pressure against my heart and a pounding in my temples. My body shook with unholy power, one I’d never experienced before, but I gladly welcomed the sensation. My eyes stung as my throat closed up, and my head grew dizzy, but I didn’t let the sudden pain show on my face. I just maintained my balance as the other two Defero stones slowly appeared at my feet.
“Now, what must I do?” I whispered as I stared at the beautiful relics.
What does your heart tell you? the headmistress asked. Whatever it says, follow it. Your power exceeds mine…
I nodded, took a deep breath, and studied the two stones. Then I leaned down and placed the third beside them, so they were all perfectly situated in a row. As I looked at the precious relics, with their glittering texture and undeniable power and beauty, I felt a deep force slipping into my bones and taking over my mind.
Then a chorus of mysterious voices, ones I welcomed, slithered into my head like snakes in a garden. They hissed, and the sound of their inaudible whispers sent a pleasant shiver down my body. I could feel myself growing stronger, ready to enact anything I desired, and the power was intoxicating, like the sweetest drug to ever be created and consumed.
“Per testamento meo, et ego convocabo omnes tenebrae,” I said, and my voice was a deafening echo that made the walls shake. “Et aperire ostium revelare hoc petere me potestatem immortuorum!”
The floor began to tremble, and everything around me turned cold like death was trying to wrap its fingers around me. I welcomed the feeling, and nothing could stop me now.
I was Satan, and my eternal and formidable power would be revealed to the entire universe.
A bright-red light glowed underneath my skin, and when I looked up at the door, my black shadow was slowly growing a pair of horns. My breathing intensified, but my hands were steady as I looked back down at the three stones.
It was time.
I looked back up at the wall, and when I pressed my hand harder against the surface, it slowly parted in two. Inside the adjoining room was a long brown box, sealed with a gold lock and surrounded by candles. Dust settled in the air, and when I took a step forward, something swelled in my chest. It took a moment, but I realized it was devotion. The kind I felt for my coven, and the closer I edged toward the closed casket, the more the feeling grew.
“You can take a step closer,” I said over my shoulder to my coven. “I want you to watch this.”
Are you sure, Cole? Alexander asked.
“Yes,” I whispered before I placed my hand on the cold coffin.
“We’re right behind you, my lord,” Marina breathed.
“No matter what happens,” Vanessa added, and her voice was tinged with awe.
I nodded and stared down at the lock. It broke off with an audible snap, and the most intense and painful sensation flowed up my arm and shot into my brain. The pain was so fierce I bit down on my lip and drew blood as I shook my head. Then violent images sprouted into my mind, and there was no pushing them out.
I heard the cries of thousands, if not millions, of witches as they were burned, tortured, and brutally murdered. From the first dawn up til now, I felt the agony of every woman who had succumbed to the wrath of the elders. Their painful screams made my heart bleed, and my eyes nearly welled with tears as I experienced every stab, burn, and loss of dignity. They begged, cried, and screeched for my mercy, and it killed me that I was not there to answer their dying prayers.
I gritted my teeth, and instead of pushing the chorus of voices away, I welcomed them. They deserved to know their lord was listening, even after death. It pained my heart, but I couldn’t regret anything. At that time, I wasn’t able to save them, but it was for a purpose, and tonight, I was ready to fulfill my destiny. I vowed then and there when this war between elders and witches was over, I would find any lost Wiccan souls and return them to hell, where they would feast, fuck, and live in sin for all eternity.
I would never leave another Wiccan soul to be taken by the elders. Now that I knew the truth, I would do everything in my power to avenge and protect my people.
But first, I needed to bring my unholy mother back to life.
“I’m here,” I whispered before I began to curl my fingers along the heavy lid of the coffin. “I’ve come to save you, Lilith.”
When I lifted the lid off her casket, I took a deep breath and forced myself not to step back. Lilith’s bones were lying there in her narrow confinements, yellow and broken. She still wore the same bloody gown she had on when she gave birth to me, but that was all that remained beside her bones. I thought back to the painting in the cellar beneath the study hall and recalled the beautiful woman in the golden frame. I remembered her brilliant blue eyes, jet-black hair, pale, glowing skin, and lovely face. There had to be a way to bring her all back, and if I listened to my power, I would surely find a way.
“Master?” Beatrix murmured behind me. “Do you know what needs to be done?”
“I will soon enough,” I said before I slowly breathed in and looked down at her bones. “Are you ready, Lilith? It’s time to come back to us… it’s time for you to come back to me, but this time in the flesh.”
I took another deep breath and studied every inch of her decayed bones, and the coven and familiars were as quiet as the dead as they waited for me to enact the final Dark Miracle.
It was time.
I closed my eyes and listened to the dark powers flowing through my veins and in my black heart. I knew they would guide me and help me understand how to use the Defero stones to bring Lilith back, both in flesh and soul. The darkness was here to help me, and if I focused intently enough, the deed would be done.
“May the darkness of my undeniable power revive the Wicca named Lilith from the world of the dead,” I whispered as I hovered my hand over her body. “Grant her the strength to return to us, complete in bodily form and with all her powers and senses. It is her time to return, for I am Satan, the unholy king of darkness, and I command it!”
A burning light suddenly radiated from the stones and cast a rainbow of dark colors to spread across the coffin and Lilith’s frail bones. Then a series of mysterious voices spoke in the ancient tongue and pierced my mind like a dozen blades all at once. They stabbed, pricked, and ached, but the moment was over as quickly as it had begun. Then a different sensation overtook my body, and it swelled in my heart and mind and burned like a bright light. The power of hell and pure unholy supremacy overtook me and swallowed me like an ocean wave, but I longed for the feeling. It didn’t knock me back, but instead, it made me feel invincible.
Then the power exploded out of me like a shockwave, and I could see it ripple out like a stone had just been dropped into a lake.
When I looked down at Lilith, her bones began to glow, and slowly, her body started to change. Soft, pale flesh, white as snow, bloomed to life along her yellow bones and spread out like spilled paint. Then long black hair started to grow from her bare skull, and fully-fleshed features formed along her face. Dark silken lashes appeared along the edges of her eyelids, and the transition made my heart beat wildly in my chest. Then she laid there, in her full form, with eyes tightly shut and rosy red lips curved into a peaceful smile.
“Lilith?” I said in a soft voice. “Can you hear me?”
For a moment, she looked like a doll. Too fragile to touch, but also as strong as steel. With a trembling hand, I reached over to touch her, and when I pressed my fingertips along her cold skin, her eyes slowly parted open.
Then I stared into her clear blue eyes, and I saw myself in her.
The woman from the painting, the woman from my dreams. Lilith, my mother and most devoted subject. She was finally alive again.
The witches behind me gasped, but no one said a word as Lilith slowly turned her head to face me and gently grinned with her blood-red lips.
“Cole,” she whispered in her soothing and familiar voice that I missed so much. “You did it. You brought me back.”
“I did, as I promised,” I breathed, and my chest swelled with a different kind of love I never felt before. “C-Can you sit up?”
“I believe so,” she said.
When she rose from her deathbed, my coven took a small step forward and surrounded me. They were clearly at a loss for words, and I couldn’t say I blamed them. I was also stunned, and I still tried to wrap my head around the fact that not only had I completed all three Dark Miracles, but I also had a mother now.
“I-It’s an honor to meet you,” Beatrix said in a small voice. “Oh, great and unholy mother of Satan.”
“We’d been wondering about you for a long time now,” Akira added, and her black eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity. “How are you feeling?”
“Strange,” Lilith replied as she studied her beautiful hand with her long and slender fingers. “How long has it been? I believe I was supposed to be here for twenty-five years.”
“That would be correct,” Vanessa said in a tone she reserved only for Theodora and me. “You were placed here, by my mother, Headmistress Theodora of Scholomance.”
“Ah,” Lilith purred as her bright eyes studied Vanessa from head to toe. “You are the spitting image of your mother, Vanessa. A true beauty and one hell of a Wicca.”
“Thank you.” Vanessa blushed. “You do me a great honor, Lilith.”
“The honor is mine.” Lilith nodded as she looked at each woman and the familiars. “I recognize all of you since I was with Cole in spirit as much as possible. He loves you all dearly.”
“As much as we love him,” Penelope said, “and we shall love you, too.”
“Thank you.” Lilith smiled, but then a terrible noise reverberated through the chamber, and her expression sobered. “There will be time to talk, but I fear it is not at this very moment. Now that I have risen, the tomb will collapse into oblivion. We need to get out of here.”
“But how?” Circe questioned, and her forked tongue flickered out of her mouth nervously. “We can’t turn back.”
“No, but we can do this,” Lilith said before she stood up and grabbed my hand. “Everyone, join together in a circle and close your eyes. Together, we will use our powers as well as Cole’s Satanic might to get out of here.”
The witches nodded in agreement, and Lilith turned to look at me with a calm smile and bright, adoring eyes.
“I know what to do,” I said.
“Then show us your power, oh Dark One,” she murmured.
I nodded, closed my eyes, and willed us to leave this vicious tomb and return to the surface. I inhaled, and a new kind of power pounded through my veins and urged me to rise with the women and animals to the light. A spinning sensation soon took over my body, but instead of tumbling aimlessly through time and space, we remained connected and shot upward. It felt like we were flying rather than shadow porting, and when I opened my eyes, we were back on the rocky surface.
My women and the familiars gasped and opened their eyes, and it took everyone a moment to adjust to the light. A bright sun was burning high above us, and we all breathed a heavy sigh of relief as we looked around.
We finally did it. We were out of that forsaken tomb, and with Lilith no less.
However, our moment of victory was short-lived.
Another violent and pounding sensation penetrated the earth, and it felt like an army was headed our way. My vision narrowed, and when I stared off into the distance where the Holy Assembly’s ruined palace was situated, I saw a cloud of smoke drawing closer.
“Everyone, stand your ground,” I said in a steady voice. “It appears we have company approaching.”
“Master?” Vanessa asked with furrowed eyebrows. “Is it the elders?”
“Yes, it seems the Elder Lord has discovered what happened at the Assembly and sent reinforcements,” I explained. “They’re coming, and we’ll be outnumbered. But what they don’t realize is that they’re about to face me, and now my full powers have been summoned to the surface.”
“Fuck.” Penelope softly whistled. “I almost feel sorry for them. They have no idea what they’re about to get themselves into.”
“Damn straight.” I smirked before I raised my palm and prepared to bring hell down on the army of elders headed our way quickly. “Now… watch as I unleash my undying and unholy wrath.”