Chapter 3
Time was of the essence, and after the unwelcome visit from Utulah, I knew we needed to act quickly. The sea of witches in the hall continued to cheer and celebrate, but they’d have time to celebrate properly once all of this was over.
“Silence!” I yelled across the hall as I brought my audience to attention. “I understand what just occurred was a lot for some of you to take in, but we cannot stop and think about that right now. We must continue on with our original plan, and you all must share my words with every realm.”
I scanned over the rows upon rows of women, and then I noticed a younger witch near the front as she tentatively raised one hand. Her hand hovered an inch above her head, and she glanced at the people around her with a look of uncertainty on her face, almost like she was unsure whether or not she could speak once I had spoken.
The witch had poker straight, black hair, and I remembered having her in my bed a week ago, but her name was lost to me. Her vibrant, green eyes looked glassy, as if the witch was holding back tears, and then I recalled that after I’d filled her womb, she’d begged me to do it once more so she could be sure she would bear my child. Her emotions had been so raw that I’d indulged her at the time, and I climaxed a second time deep inside of her accepting body before moving onto the next woman.
“Yes?” I asked.
“U-Um… D-Dark Lord,” she stuttered. “I have a question…”
“Speak,” I ordered.
“O-Of course…” the witch mumbled again. “Um… I wanted to ask where exactly we’ll be going?”
I paused for a long second as I took in the silence around me. I thought my request was easy to understand, but it seemed like I’d spoken an entirely different language to this witch.
“Lucie?” I suddenly recalled.
“Yes, my dark lord,” she said as a happy blush came across her face. “You remembered me…”
“Miss Lucie, how long have you been at Scholomance for?” I questioned as I crossed my arms over my front.
“Th-this is my third term, sir,” Lucie answered quietly as she dropped her head into her chest.
“Speak up when you’re talking to our Dark Lord, girl!” Professor Vanessa shouted out from behind me. “Your master and the father of your future child asked you a question!”
Lucie’s head shot up, and her entire body tensed as if a vibration had raced through her blood. I recalled what it was like to be on Vanessa’s bad side, and Lucie could have been dead in a second had she not been careful.
“Of course, Professor.” Lucie’s bottom lip quivered. “I’m sorry, Dark Lord, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
I peered over my shoulder to see the unamused look on Vanessa’s face, and then I saw how her icy-blue eyes never looked away from the witch in the crowd. I turned back to look at Lucie as I returned to my original question.
“Lucie, I said you’ll be visiting every realm,” I frowned. “What causes you such confusion?”
“There are so many realms,” she said as she played with a lock of her hair. “I understand what you said, but surely there aren’t enough students here to visit them all?”
My loud laugh reached every inch of the hall. I heard the giggles that came from my coven, but the rest of the crowd stayed quiet. Had this been Vanessa’s class, then I imagined Lucie wouldn’t have lasted much longer, but I gave my women a bit more of a chance before death became their punishment.
“I suppose you’ll have to work quickly then, huh?” I smirked. “Now! Everyone, stand up!”
There was a flurry of activity as all the witches completed my command. I heard the sharp scrapes as the chairs were pushed across the stone floor, and I patiently waited until the entire academy stood together in neat lines.
“As Lucie pointed out, there are many realms, so you won’t just be visiting one,” I explained. “I’ll put you all into groups, and you all must work together to deliver my word. Do not arrive at a realm with the intention of fighting them, that’ll only cause more issues. Does everyone understand?”
“Yes, Dark Lord,” the entire hall replied in unison.
I spent the next ten minutes sorting everyone out. I placed Luna, Evanora, and Crimson in three of the groups, and then I told seven of my coven to join other squadrons. Faye, Vesta, Akira, Beatrix, Penelope, Vanessa, and Revna instantly complied and chose a selection of students to travel with, but the rest of the groups had enough higher-tiered students to run the pack sufficiently.
“Be prepared to battle all sorts of weather,” I said once everyone was ready. “You’ll face the chilling snow, the blistering heat, and everything in between. Each group will visit at least two realms each, and you cannot return until your job is complete, and you’ve made the non-believers believe. Luna, Evanora, and Crimson, your groups will visit three realms. Luna, I want you to be the one to visit Utulah, but the rest are up to you.”
“Thank you, Dark Lord,” the three professors said with a nod.
Once the three professors had picked their chosen realms, I went around each group and assigned them two destinations each. Some of the students looked excited at the thought of traveling, others were slightly more hesitant.
But I didn’t care about that.
As long as they completed their missions, and didn’t cause more issues, then I’d be happy with their work.
“Now, go!” I cried out. “Spread the word! Tell the worlds I am Satan reborn!”
The groups all held hands, and within seconds, clouds of purple mist formed around every group as they shadow-ported to their assigned realms.
I turned to face the remaining professors once the hall was empty.
“I want you all to stay here,” I ordered. “We cannot leave Scholomance empty, especially after what happened with the warlocks.”
“Of course, master.” They nodded their heads.
“My coven and I have our own duties to complete,” I said as I glanced toward my women. “Lilith, you must tell me right away if we need to return.”
“You know I will, my lord.” Lilith smiled. “Be careful during your travels. Now more than ever.”
“Where are we going?” Nyx asked with a frown.
“There is one realm I didn’t assign to the groups, and it was for a specific reason.” I smirked. “Tempus.”
“The High Wicca Court,” Morgana gasped.
“Correct.” I nodded. “We need to make sure the memory charm that Headmistress Theodora had placed on them has been disabled, and it’s time they see the truth, too.”
“Satan, I cannot go there like this!” Marina screeched as she pulled at her dirty clothes. “Please, Cole, please say we have time to freshen up?”
“Like they’d care if you’ve ripped your fucking tights,” Nyx snorted.
“I’m sure they’ve seen much worse over the years.” Circe rolled her eyes.
“Marina’s right,” Samara spoke up. “We need them to respect Cole, but there’s no way they’ll take us seriously if we arrive with blood in our hair and dirt on our faces.”
“Very well,” I sighed. “You all have twenty minutes to freshen up, but if you’re not ready in that time, then I’ll leave without you.”
The words had barely left my lips before the women vanished into thin air.
They knew I wouldn’t have left without them, but sometimes I had to light a fire under their asses if I wanted them to be quick. Women loved taking time with their makeup.
“Cole,” Professor Olivia said as she came over to me. “Do you not wish to freshen up, too?”
“Do you see me as a mess?” I smirked.
“Of course not, master,” she replied and placed a gentle hand on my cheek. “But like Miss Samara said, these women need to take you seriously.”
“And?” I scoffed. “They’ll soon see who I am. I could have goblin shit on my face, and they’d still treat me with respect.”
The professor nodded at my words and returned to stand beside Theodora, but as I thought over what she’d said, I found myself rubbing at the dirt that I knew covered my face. My hair and clothes could wait until later.
Exactly twenty minutes later, my coven returned to me in fresh clothes and clean faces. Samara had restyled her hair into a neat ponytail, and two neat plaits hung over Marina’s shoulders. They always looked beautiful, but I had to admit, the brief wash was probably a good idea.
“Are we all prepared?” I asked, to which my coven nodded. “Perfect. Then let’s go.”
A simple flick of my wrist caused the purple smoke to appear, and it smothered us as we spiraled and somersaulted through the world, and it felt as though only seconds had passed before we arrived in Tempus.
I landed firmly on my feet, and so did Nyx, Morgana, and Samara, but Marina and Circe landed hard on their backs, and they each let out painful sighs as they absorbed the impact. We arrived on a cobblestone pathway in the middle of the beautiful, emerald-green forest, and it instantly brought me back to the first time we’d visited the High Wicca Court.
“Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” Marina said as she rubbed the back of her head.
“Neither will I,” Circe agreed. “I’m surprised I haven’t broken a bone yet.”
“You’ll soon find the right way to land,” Samara said with a smile. “You have to think about what you’re doing as you travel, and prepare yourself for the landing.”
“Right, let’s go,” I ordered as I began the walk across the dark pathway.
Every realm runs differently, and in Tempus there was no morning and afternoon, so it lived in a constant state of evening and nightfall. I knew it was only going to get darker, and I wanted to be inside by the time the sun had fully set, so I led the way as my coven followed willingly behind me.
“This realm is gorgeous,” Circe commented. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how good this place smells.”
“Pinewood and jasmine,” Morgana said as she happily sniffed the air. “Apparently, these forests hold plants and wildlife you won’t find anywhere else. There is a reason why the air and energy is so tranquil around here.”
“Alright, bookworm,” Nyx scoffed. “I don’t think Circe needed a damn lesson on Tempus.”
“I was just saying…” Morgana groaned.
“Thank you, Morgana, I appreciate you telling me.” I heard the smirk in Circe’s voice. “Nyx, what do you know about Tempus?”
I left the witches to their conversation, picked up the pace, and followed the pathway further through the forest. It wasn’t our first time visiting the High Court, but I wondered if I’d ever get used to the feelings that washed over me as we traveled.
Circe was right, it truly was a remarkable place, and I knew I’d spot new things every time we came here. Like how the clouds had a purple tint to them as they shined in the fading light of the dying sun. And even though the sun was barely visible on the horizon, the deep, blood orange color stained the rest of the sky around it. It was a mosaic of various colors that ranged from dark to light, and I believed those shades alone helped to create the addictive, dream-like trance that washed over everyone who came here.
It didn’t take us long to reach the grand castle, and a smile ran from ear to ear as I took in the mesmerizing sight.
The gothic towers traveled high into the sky, and the stained-glass windows were illuminated against the black brick. I noticed the same black crows with the ruby-red eyes which always sat beside the gargoyles and various statues, and the history of the place was felt everywhere I looked, whether it was the Wicca portraits created in the windows, or the interesting architecture of the castle. Even if I wasn’t aware of Wicca history, the High Court painted such a picture that it wouldn’t have taken long to learn the entire story.
“Stay close,” I whispered to my coven. “Do we all remember who greets us at the door?”
“Oh, Satan, the dragons,” Morgana mumbled. “I’d forgotten about them.”
“They should remember us from when we came with Theodora and Vanessa, but that doesn’t make them any less lethal,” I explained. “Stay close, and allow me to do all the talking.”
As I’d expected, the magnificent iron-blooded dragons swooped through the sky the moment we arrived outside the castle doors. The black beasts took their spots beside the castle, and they both kept their piercing eyes on us as we took a small, silent step forward.
I grasped the golden knocker and struck the door three times, and then I waited for someone to answer.
We hadn’t been requested to arrive, nor had we informed the Wicca women of our travels, so I was unsure how they’d react when they noticed us outside. I recalled the test we had to pass last time in order to enter, but I assumed it wasn’t going to be the same this time.
Before I could muse some more, a gray mist surrounded us as two black-winged women appeared between myself and the iron door. Their faces were expressionless, as always, and not a single strand of ebony hair blew out of place as they glanced over us.
“Good evening,” I said politely. “We wish to speak to Madame Soulton. If she is available, of course.”
The winged women slowly tilted their heads to the side as they scanned their eyes up and down my body.
“The male witch has returned,” their shared, chilling voice was dark and deep.
“I have, as well as my coven.” I looked at the women who stood behind me. “But it is of great importance we speak to Madame Soulton.”
“You realize you cannot get in without being invited,” the pair said in unison. “The High Wicca Court is not a place to go for a fun day out.”
“I understand that,” I urged. “But soon you’ll see why we needed to come here. So, I please ask you to allow us to enter and speak to the women inside.”
I didn’t want to tell this winged pair I was Satan reborn. I knew they wouldn’t believe me, and they’d only trust the story if their leaders were the ones to inform them.
The worst thing we could do was to show weakness, so I straightened out my posture and crossed my arms firmly over my chest. These winged women were a source of protection for the High Court, but if they refused, then I would have been happy to show them just how powerful I was compared to them.
It seemed as though hours had passed, when in fact it was only a matter of minutes, and then the women stared me straight in the eyes as they spoke their next words.
“You may enter,” they said slowly.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
The women disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the iron door instantly began to open. I took the first step into the darkness, and my coven followed on behind me, but we all kept as silent as possible. The smallest noise echoed around the room, and it only added to the instantly tense atmosphere.
“Cole,” a deep, yet familiar voice boomed through the darkness. “What a surprise to see you here.”
Although I couldn’t see her, I recognized the voice to be that of Madame Mara Soulton
“Will we always meet in the dark?” I chuckled.
Madame Mara laughed in response, so at least she hadn’t found my comment to have been rude or distasteful.
“Illuminana,” she whispered.
The entire room lit up with a burst of light, and once my eyes adjusted to the change in lighting, I realized the room had been redecorated since the last time we were here. The red pentagram still remained in the center of the marble floor, and the oil paintings were still the same, but the walls had changed. I remembered the stone walls used to be black, red, and gold, but now they’d been painted a deep purple with a few silver stones dotted around.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Nyx said with an impressed look on her face.
“Thank you, Miss Nyx,” Madame Mara replied. “We prefer to change the colors around every so often.”
I glanced up at the ceiling and noticed the giant array of lit candles that bobbed freely in the air, but like the walls, they’d also changed color. The candles had been red before, but now they were as dark as the night sky.
Madame Mara returned to her place at the end of the large room, behind her marble podium, and I noticed the skeptical looks on the faces of the eight other women who stood beside her. Anne Willmore, for one, looked at me with narrowed eyes, but she never said a word.
I knew her feelings toward me would soon change drastically when she realized who I was.
“Now, Cole, we’re interested to know what’s brought you here,” Madame Mara spoke again. “I see that you’ve been busy, and Scholomance has a lot to thank you for.”
I thought over my words for a second and then spoke in the firmest voice I could create.
“A lot has happened in the last several weeks, which I’m sure you’re aware of,” I began.
“We are.” Madame Mara nodded.
“Well, I came across a realization.” I smirked. “I recently visited a time in the past, long, long ago. I saw images of a woman, laid out in a pentagram as she brought a child into the world. As she brought Satan into the world.”
“How dare you--” one woman spoke up from behind her podium.
“Hush,” Madame Mara cut off her words. “Cole, please, continue.”
“That child was me,” I said as I looked at every woman in turn. “That was my mother I saw, and my birth I witnessed. For I am Satan reborn, and we have come here today to help you realize what is true, what is real, and who your master is: me.”
“I don’t believe it,” a second woman sneered.
“Believe it,” I urged.
“He’s telling you the truth,” Samara said as she stood beside me. “Do you not think it’s strange the first powerful witch to be summoned in five-hundred years is Cole? The abilities and powers he holds? It all makes sense.”
“We would certainly know if you were Satan reborn,” Madame Mara replied with a slight frown. “Something like that would not have slipped past us without us realizing.”
“But that’s the thing,” I continued. “Headmistress Theodora placed a memory charm on yourselves and the other professors who knew of my mother. She was the only one who truly knew who I was. She hid me to keep me safe, and only brought me back when the Wicca world needed me the most.”
“Who is your mother?” Anne asked. She tilted her head to the side, and her deep red hair brushed against the podium.
“Lilith,” I answered.
The same clenched feeling appeared in my chest as I spoke my mother’s name, and I thought of the sacrifice she’d made for me and the look I witnessed in her eyes as she gave me life.
The row of women all stayed quiet as they digested my words. It was strange. The professors of Scholomance had regained their memories almost immediately, but the same hadn’t worked with the High Court, and that confused me. I wasn’t aware how long the charm worked for, or how easy it was to break, but I had a feeling those who were affected perhaps had to see me in the flesh before the charm fully vanished.
Then I thought I noticed a small smile curl across Madame Mara’s lips, which was promising, and a sign my theories may have been correct.
“Theodora kept you safe,” the head witch spoke quietly, and her voice was soft and gentle.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I told her to keep me safe until I was ready to be brought back. I spent my time in a realm called Earth, with no knowledge of my true potential or where I truly belonged.”
“Lilith…” Madame Mara paused. “I recall that name. It’s vague, but it feels familiar to me.”
“You all knew of Lilith before this,” I explained. “She was the most potent Wicca of all time, and my chosen vessel, hence the need for her safety and protection. When she died giving birth to me, Theodora made you all forget about Lilith so as to save her tomb from being discovered. I have since resurrected her, and she walks this world once again.”
“Yes!” a woman instantly shouted from the far end of the row. “I remember! I do!”
The other High Council witches all turned to look at the ecstatic woman, but their faces still held the same confused expressions. I knew it wouldn’t have been easy to get them to understand, but I knew it would happen in time.
“Lilith visited the Dark Lord in his dreams,” Morgana said calmly as she stepped forward. “She’s assisted him with every challenge he’s faced. Cole knew nothing of this figure in his dreams, but it all made sense when he remembered his past.”
“Describe her to me,” Madame Mara ordered. “Help me paint a picture.”
“I look a lot like her.” I smiled. “Her hair is long and black, her eyes are pale blue. There is a portrait of her in Scholomance, which you must have noticed.”
Madame Mara was silent once again, but then her emerald-green eyes grew wide, and it looked as though she’d seen a ghost, a figure from her past which had been long forgotten.
“I do remember,” she whispered. “I can see that portrait in my mind, but until now I never knew the woman who sat inside. It’s Lilith. It’s been her all this time.”
“I, too, remember,” another woman spoke up.
“As do I,” Elena Sharpe said quietly.
“And me,” Anne added.
It took a few minutes for all nine women to fully recall my story, and to believe my words, but the feeling in the air changed as soon as the ninth woman announced her belief.
“Things are still vague, but it all makes sense now.” Madame Mara shook her head with bewilderment. “It explains what you’ve managed to do during your time at Scholomance, and how easily you defeated Amon. We never thought you’d defeat someone as tough as him.”
“I always said you reminded me of someone…” Anne hesitated. “And now it all fits together. You’re… you…”
“Our Dark Lord.” Madame Mara fell to her knees and bowed her head.
The other eight women followed their leader, and soon I had every one of them bowing at my feet. They kept their heads low and their arms outstretched, and I thought I heard the faintest, softest sob coming from one of the High Council members.
That was easier than I’d expected it to be.
“Will you ever forgive us, Dark Lord?” Madame Mara asked. “For the things we’ve put you through, and the things we’ve said?”
“Of course,” I said smoothly and crouched down to place my hand on Mara’s head. “Your tests made me stronger, and helped me see my true potential.”
One by one, the women straightened up and glanced at me with looks of undying love. A few had tears that rolled down their cheeks, whereas others were on the brink of crying.
“Thank you, thank you.” Anne held out her hands to take my own. “I cannot express the feeling that’s raging through my blood right now. Our lord has returned.”
“I have.” I smiled. “I have returned, and soon we’ll have every being in every realm understand I am Satan reborn.”
“We will assist you with that,” Madame Mara insisted. “We will do everything in our power to stand and fight beside you.”
The council stood back up, but they never stepped away from me. Then the rest of my coven joined us, and I spotted the relieved smiles that every woman wore.
“Now, what can we do for you, my lord?” Elena asked. “Please, allow us to prepare a feast for you all. Or at least allow us to offer you a goblet of wine to gently sip on?”
I hadn’t given my hunger much thought since the warlocks had exploded their way into Scholomance. A lot had happened since then, and it wasn’t until Elena had mentioned food that I noticed the pains in my stomach.
“Some food would be great,” I answered. “But I don’t require a full banquet.”
“Nothing is too much for you, my lord.” The brunette smirked.
My coven and I took a step back as Madame Mara walked further into the grand room. Then she raised one hand in the air and clicked her fingers loudly, and suddenly a group of six maids instantly ran into the room and stood at attention.
“Our Dark Lord needs food,” Mara announced. “Have the room prepared instantly. He does not wish to wait.”
I didn’t know if the maids caught onto what Madame Mara had called me or not, but they simply bowed their heads and ran back in the way they came, so I assumed these maids were used to obeying every command without question.
The blonde-haired witch turned to face me with one hand on her chest. “If you would please follow me?”
“Of course,” I said.
Madame Mara led us through two large, red oak doors, and into a part of the High Court I’d never seen before. It was somewhat like the hall we’d just been in, apart from the fact that it was smaller and without the marble podiums. A grand, wooden table ran across the center of the room, but only nine seats were placed around the side.
I was about to mention the lack of chairs available, but then Madame Mara gave a quick twist of her wrist, and the entire table grew larger and longer. More seats appeared out of the air, and by the time the transformation was complete, the table ran from one wall to the other, and the new chairs were nestled in neatly beside the existing ones.
“Satan,” Marina gasped under her breath.
The maids then ran into the room with their arms loaded with gold plates, and each stack of plates had a mountain of silverware balanced on top. The servants worked quickly as they ran around the table and set up a plate and cutlery at each place, and once the places had been set, the maids returned with candles and golden goblets. They made the entire process look easy, and I knew Madame Mara had the ability to complete the job with a twist of her wrist, but the maids were there to do a job, and they never once complained.
I took the seat at the head of the table, my coven sat on either side of me, and the High Court Council took the seats at the far end of the table. Mara twisted her wrist again so the goblets instantly filled with a thick, glorious red wine, and the third and final twist caused a mountain of food to appear up and down the table.
I spotted roasted chicken, beef, mashed potatoes, an assortment of greens and other vegetables, and the shiniest, smoothest gravy I’d ever laid my eyes on. Despite the fact I’d said not to create a banquet, I was suddenly pleased they had done so. My mouth salivated at the scent alone, and the hunger in my women’s eyes told me they were all thinking the same thing.
“Please, begin,” I ordered.
There was a flurry of activity as everyone grabbed some food, or handed their plates back and forth to collect trimmings of meat. Marina took my plate from me to fill it with food, and I took a long, hard sip from my wine as she did so.
No one said a word as we dove into the feast, and my expectations were correct. It was the greatest meal I’d ever had.
“My lord.” Madame Mara paused to wipe her mouth with a linen napkin. “I’m sure you are aware, and I’m sure you understand, that we wish to follow you in any way we can, but there is one thing I wish to ask.”
“Go ahead,” I said as I drank more of my wine.
Madame Mara slowly flattened her napkin across her lap and then looked up to catch my gaze. Even with the distance between us, I noticed the look of desperation, lust, and need that coated her green eyes.
I knew exactly what she wanted, and I would have been a fool not to accept it.
“I will make one thing clear,” I continued. “You all exist to serve me, and in turn, I will protect you. But as well as that, I desire to create a wondrous number of offspring, so I will soon fill every woman in this room with my seed. You will all bear me children and increase the strength of my empire until I possess all of the realms, the heavens, and hell.”
I caught the satisfied looks that ran from witch to witch, but I was more interested in finding out how they’d look as they laid bare and ready before me.
And how my name sounded as they screamed it around the entire High Court.
“Now.” I smirked. “As soon as we’ve finished eating, I’ll be sure to show you exactly what I mean.”