Chapter 5
“Cole…” Samara’s voice sounded faint and distant. “Are you okay?”
“Dark Lord, can you hear us?” Circe asked.
“I don’t think he can,” Marina added.
But I could hear them, only just.
It was like my head was underwater, and my women were standing on the surface. The premonition was so strong that even I had trouble adjusting to it, and it took my all to force my way out of the warped feeling in my head and return to the surface.
“Something’s coming for us,” I mumbled as I opened my eyes.
“Who?” Morgana urged.
“I don’t know, but it’s powerful,” I said as I looked at my coven in turn.
“What can we do, my lord?” Mara asked as she placed one hand on my shoulder.
“I need to get a better look at the threat before we can make a plan,” I said with a firm nod.
Then I took several deep breaths, closed my eyes softly, and focused solely on the premonition.
Periculum.
The images were vague at first, and it took a second for my eyes to focus, but then it all played out as clear as day. I saw the dark brick walls of Vipera, the vibrant green leaves of the trees that surrounded the castle, and then I saw the stampede of warlocks as they raced toward the building. I forced my mind to dig deeper, but I couldn’t get a closer look at the warlocks, so I had no idea which realm they seeped from.
But the school was under attack, and I needed to get there before the premonition became a reality.
“It’s Vipera,” I said as I forced myself away from the vision.
Then I glanced over at Nyx and noticed the stunned look on her face. The witch had a bunch of red grapes in her hand, and she dropped the fruit to the floor as she understood what I was saying.
“We have to do something,” she urged. “Cole, we have to warn them!”
“I know,” I said calmly. “Fear not, Vipera will be safe. I promise you that.”
Morgana placed an arm around Nyx’s shaking shoulders, but as I thought about what to do, one of the High Council members came up beside me.
“Dark Lord.” Effie smiled. “Save Vipera from whoever threatens them. We’ll be sure to spread your word and your greatness.”
I glanced around the other eight witches and noticed they all had the same expressions painted onto their faces. I needed to be sure I could trust their loyalty toward me before I impregnated any of the others, and this seemed like the perfect way to do so. If they stuck to their word, and made others believe I was Satan reborn, then that would prove their loyalty.
“Unless you feel Vipera could use our help?” Bella suggested.
It was the first time I’d properly heard the quiet witch talk, apart from when I fucked her brains out, so it surprised me that she’d offered up a suggestion.
“No, I will handle the threat on Vipera,” I said. “The academy may not be as strong as others, but I need you to spread the word. Every creature, big or small, needs to know the truth.”
“Of course, Cole.” Opal nodded. “You can trust us with your news.”
“Thank you,” I responded.
Then I turned back to see my coven and noticed the look of pure fear that ran across Nyx’s face. The Vipera students had been a family to her before she’d made the transfer to Scholomance, and the academy ran through her ancestors. I would have wanted to save the school regardless, but Nyx’s fear and pain only made the desire stronger.
We’d saved Vipera from King Donovan before, and now it was time to save them once again.
“Let’s go,” I told them. “We might not have much time.”
I took one final look at the High Council and offered them a smile and a wink before my coven grasped hands. Then I pictured the academy clear in my mind, and we began our transportation to Vipera. The purple mist grew around us as my head began to spin, and only seconds passed before we all twirled and rolled through the air.
I peered around our surroundings as we landed neatly in the new realm, but I was pleased to see the serene and calming nature of the school. The warlocks were still to attack, but I hoped we’d arrived with enough time to get the academy prepared for the invasion.
I also had to make sure Scholomance was on high-alert, just in case the same group, or others, were going to attack my academy, too, so I closed my eyes, relaxed my body and mind, and reached out to Lilith to share the news with her.
Lilith, I thought. Vipera is under attack by a gang of warlocks. Be sure to be on alert in case they come for Scholomance, too. I cannot see much, but I can see the group sprinting toward the castle.
I received a response a few seconds later.
My son, Lilith’s voice seeped into my mind. I passed your warning onto Theodora, but she already had a similar premonition, and Scholomance is not the target for today. I see the warlocks headed in your direction are far stronger and more powerful than the ones we dealt with in Scholomance. I see they are not alone, but the creatures are unclear to me just now.
“The warlocks aren’t alone,” I informed my coven. “The entire school could soon be outnumbered.”
“The professors in this school are as wise and talented as our own,” Nyx said as her eyes shone confidently. “The warlocks may think they’ll catch the academy off-guard, but with the right protections, we’ll be one step ahead of them.”
“I’m sure we can come up with something.” Morgana smirked.
“Those fuckers won’t know what’s hit them,” Samara added.
“Nyx, lead the way,” I ordered.
Then we started off through the emerald forest in the direction of the black castle. It was a completely different sight than the last time we’d been here, but at least the school had been rebuilt after the attack from King Donovan. The sky above was stained blood-orange in color, but the darkened, red clouds made me see a storm was brewing, and in more ways than one.
I trusted Lilith’s advice, and her premonitions were never wrong, so as I wandered through the thick forest, I thought about my next plan. If there was a chance the school could be outnumbered, then we’d need more people. My coven and I were strong enough to face whoever came at us, but I only had half of them with me. The other half of the coven were off in different realms spreading the word that I am the Dark Lord, but Vipera needed them more than the other worlds did.
“I’m going to summon the others to return to us,” I announced as I held back a branch for my women to walk under.
The branch was as thick as my arm, and it had sharp, blade-like spikes dotted all over it. I could just imagine the wounds the spikes would cause. Fortunately, there was just enough space for me to safely grab onto the wood, and Nyx went first, followed closely by Samara.
“Whatever you think is best for Vipera,” Nyx responded. “We’ll always trust your judgement, master.”
“You said the professors here are powerful, and I believe that, but there’s always room for more,” I said.
“Is it safe to remove them from their assigned groups?” Morgana asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “Each group was made up with higher-tiered students, so it should make no difference either way.”
“Where should we do it?” Marina asked as she crouched under the branch. “I don’t think a forest is the safest place for them to land on.”
“No, it’s not,” I agreed. “We’ll keep walking for now, and see what we come across.”
Morgana followed behind Marina as they cleared the branch without any trouble, and then Circe was the last one to step past the obstacle. She seemed slightly more hesitant than the others, but after some reassurance, Circe crouched down, shuffled her feet across the forest floor, and slowly made her way past.
“Fuck,” Circe sighed as her hair got caught on one of the spikes. She smoothed it out with her fingers, but it left a giant tuft of hair in the middle of her head. “Damn, I wanted to look good for the headmistress.”
“You should be lucky you still have a scalp.” Morgana frowned. “I’ve seen what these trees can do to someone.”
“But what’s the headmistress going to think when I can barely make it out of the forest?” Circe asked.
“I’m almost certain your hair will look worse than that after this battle.” Nyx rolled her eyes.
“I also doubt the headmistress will turn us away just because a strand of hair is out of place,” Samara laughed.
“Well, I’m sorry some of us like to make an effort with their appearances,” Circe retorted as she narrowed her serpentine eyes. “How about I shove a branch into your head and see how you like it?”
“Okay, enough,” I said with both hands in the air. “Let’s keep walking. If you three bicker anymore, I’ll have to discipline you.”
“Yes, Master,” they said in unison.
I spotted the side look Circe sent Nyx and Samara, but then the blonde witch untied the elastic that kept her ponytail in place, combed through her hair with her fingers, and left her hair draped over her shoulders.
It took a few more minutes before we left the darkness of the forest, and we found ourselves in an open, grassy area in front of the academy. It seemed like the perfect place to summon the rest of the coven back to us, and it gave me time to inform them on what was happening before the school could panic.
“We’ll do it here,” I said as I came to a halt.
I briefly heard Marina and Samara mutter something, but I focused on the transportation spell before I fully heard what the women spoke about. I pictured the second half of my coven in my head, and I envisioned their beautiful, glorious faces as clear in my mind as possible. Then, once that was set in stone, I willed my women to join us before the Vipera Academy.
A purple mist instantly formed around us, and I watched in delight as my women joined us one by one. I noticed Akira returning first, followed instantly by Vanessa, Penelope, Faye, Revna, Vesta, and Beatrix. Like with all shadow-porting, some of the women landed perfectly on their feet, whereas others lost their balance and fell back on their pert asses.
“Unholy Satan,” Beatrix gasped as she stood from the grass. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Master, are you okay?” Vanessa asked as she stepped over toward us. “Why have you summoned us?”
“One minute I was in the middle of Hovanna, and the next I was on my back side,” Akira snickered. “A slight warning could have come in handy, Cole.”
“I’ll rub your ass later.” I grinned. “I’ve brought you all here for a reason. Vipera will soon be under attack, and we must prepare everyone before it happens.”
“Who is attacking?” Penelope asked. “Did you get a name?”
“No, I just know a group of warlocks is headed this way,” I replied.
“Do we have a timeframe to work with?” Vanessa queried as her eyebrows creased together. “Did you collect any information from the premonition?”
“Nothing,” I sighed. “It could be in five minutes from now, or it could be as the sun rises tomorrow morning. All I know is they won’t be alone, and they’ll arrive with other unknown creatures. I’ll try the periculum again, and see if I can get more answers.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Vanessa agreed.
I closed my eyes again as I repeated my movements from the High Court.
Periculum.
The first thing I spotted were the high walls of the castle and the same stampede of warlocks. I focused on the sky to try and work out the time of day, but the dense cloud cover didn’t give me much to work with. I abandoned the sky and then focused on the stampede, and I noticed a blur of activity toward the back of the warlocks. The beings were large, but that was all I could make out.
“Nothing,” I said as I broke free from the spell. “It’s like they’re hiding their travels, and they don’t want anyone to find out the smaller details. Someone in their ranks must be powerful, if they’re able to block my abilities.”
“What about time?” Vanessa asked. “Did you get that far?”
“Not even that.” I shook my head. “The sky looks the same as it does now, which could mean a few things. Either it’s happening right now, tomorrow afternoon--”
“Or that’s part of their illusion,” Faye finished for me.
“Exactly,” I replied. “If they can hide certain aspects from the minds of others, then they have the ability to hide the time and day of the attack.”
“Which means we need to get a move on,” Vanessa urged. “Get the school together, place a guard over the building, and head on from there.”
“Let’s go.” I smirked.
“Fuck, yeah!” Akira cheered. “We’ll burn these motherfuckers to the ground and play in their ashes! No one will get past us. Satan, this is so much better than Hovanna!”
“What was Hovanna like?” I heard Vesta ask as we continued our walk toward the school. “I’ve always wanted to travel there. Apparently, they make the most beautiful jewelry.”
“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” Akira chuckled. “My group and I were too busy completing our jobs to really examine the marketplace.”
The women proceeded to discuss their various missions as Vanessa and I led the group toward the castle. I occasionally referred back to my periculum, in case anything caught my interest, but I never spotted anything new. The sky was the same, the stampede continued to sprint, and the creatures never freed themselves from their blurry coating.
But if these warlocks thought they could pull the wool over my eyes, then they had another thing coming.
Like Akira said, we’d soon be playing in their ashes as the final warlock died.
It felt as though no time had passed before we arrived outside the walled courtyard. A few of the students roamed the open area, and they gave us strange looks as we wandered through the iron gates, but they quickly scurried away when they caught my glance.
“Nyx!” a voice suddenly shouted from somewhere nearby.
“Fuck, Nyx, is that you?” a second voice cried out.
I turned to look at Nyx and noticed the confusion on her face, but that expression quickly changed into a large, bright smile as she recognized the voices.
“Go to your friends,” I told the blue-haired witch.
“Thank you, master.” She smiled.
Nyx ran off in the direction of her friends, and the rest of us followed on behind her.
Two women were found resting up against one wall. One was smaller than the other, with purple hair that curled at her ears, pale lavender skin, and an abundance of black makeup painted across her face. Her eyes were burnt orange, but there was a glaze across them which told me she’d been smoking something strong.
The second, taller witch, had blood-red hair in two plaits that ran down to her slim waist, and she, too, had a face covered in dark makeup, but a silver barbell was pierced through the bridge of her nose. Her eyes matched the color of her hair, and they held the same glaze as the smaller witch.
“Dark Lord, this is Harmony and Gianna.” Nyx pointed to her friends in turn. “Fuck, it feels like years!”
“Dark Lord?” the short one, Gianna, copied with a frown.
“Oh, shit, yeah, that might take some explanations,” Nyx laughed.
Harmony then slipped a brown pipe from her robe, placed it in her mouth, and inhaled deeply. A bright blue smoke blew from her lips, and it formed the perfect circle as it settled in the air. The smoke held a subtle, floral scent.
“So, what’s brought you back to your old stomping grounds?” Harmony asked before taking another hit from the pipe.
“Um…” Nyx hesitated and then looked at me. “Shall we tell them? It might help spread the news.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “The word needs to get around, so the more help, the better.”
“Basically, Vipera is under attack,” the horned witch told her friends. “We don’t know when, or by who, but we need to prepare for it.”
“Damn, another attack?” Harmony groaned. “We’ve only just recovered after fucking Donovan left his mark.”
“Yeah, the new headmistress is still learning everyone’s names.” Gianna snickered.
“Regardless of that, we need to warn the school,” Nyx replied. “Now, how high are you right now? Are you level-headed enough to help us tell the students?”
“I can still see out of one eye, so I’d say I’m good,” Harmony giggled, but then she caught my narrowed gaze and instantly stopped laughing. “I’m kidding, by the way, I have perfect vision.”
“Good,” I sighed. “Nyx, we need to go. You can see your friends again later.”
“If they survive…” Akira whispered under her breath.
“Of course, master.” Nyx nodded.
“He’s got you wrapped around his pinky,” Gianna barked out a laugh. “I never knew you obeyed commands like that.”
“He’ll have you all wrapped around his cock,” Vanessa sneered. “Stupid girls. Don’t say idiot things in front of our master.”
I smirked as I noticed the look of fear in the girls’ eyes. Vanessa could terrify a troll if she tried hard enough.
But as much as I wanted to hear Vanessa terrify Gianna and Harmony some more, I knew we didn’t have the time for it.
“Okay, let’s keep moving,” I ordered. “Nyx, can you lead us to the headmistress’ office?”
“Sure, follow me,” she said.
We left the girls by the wall, but I noticed they both pulled out their pipes before we fully walked away. I wondered if they’d actually complete their tasks and assist us with telling the school, but I soon realized it didn’t matter. Once the headmistress knew of the attack, the entire school would be pulled together regardless.
Nyx took us to the large, black, iron doors at the front of the school. The doors had two snakes carved into the wood, and the eyes of the snakes looked like tiny red rubies. Scholomance had gargoyles which guarded the front gates, so I instantly knew the snakes worked the same way, and that no one could enter the school unless they knew how.
In between the two snakes was a small, silver circle, and Nyx slotted the tip of her wand perfectly in the center.
“In lumine lunae, peto ut liceat intrare,” Nyx announced perfectly.
The snakes’ eyes suddenly shone brighter, and the rubies began to turn in their sockets. I heard the mechanism churning inside the door, and once the rubies had rotated three times, they returned to their original positions and changed from bright red to bright yellow. Then the doors clicked open without an issue, and they pulled apart without anyone having to touch them.
“You have to do that every time you step outside?” Faye asked.
“Satan, I don’t have the patience for that,” Akira added with a soft laugh.
“No, it’s only if others arrive, like us,” Nyx replied. “But I’m no longer a student in this school, so we had to go the long way.”
“Are you sure we’re allowed to do this…?” Beatrix asked cautiously.
“Yeah, shouldn’t we have asked the headmistress to meet with us first?” Penelope added.
“Oh, stop worrying!” Nyx scoffed. “Everyone around here knows me. Plus, Cole will soon be their master, too, so they won’t turn him away when they find out.”
“Only if you’re sure.” Beatrix shrugged.
“Look, it’s too damn late to do anything since we’re here anyway,” Vanessa jumped in.
“Also, how would we get the invitation created in such short notice?” Akira asked. “Because I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t going to wait for owl mail to come in first.”
“Fine, I guess you’re right,” Penelope sighed. “Okay, let’s continue.”
The corridor that led off from the main door was long and dark, and only a few candles lit the way. I noticed several portraits were dotted along each wall, but I never stopped long enough to look into the artwork properly. There were also a few closed doors in between the paintings, but they never gave me a clue as to what hid behind each door.
Then we reached the end of the corridor, and I noticed two smaller, similar-styled corridors that disappeared into separate directions of the castle, but Nyx headed for a grand staircase and didn’t hesitate to take the first step. The light increased, so my eyes soon adjusted to my surroundings, and soon the candles were replaced with glittering chandeliers. There was a clear difference between the previous corridor and the current hallway, and it almost looked like we’d entered a completely different building.
A red velvet carpet covered the floor, the walls were all made from deep, brown oak, and an arched window at the far end allowed the afternoon sun to seep in through the glass. I heard the murmur of voices that whispered through from nearby rooms, and each door we passed had plaques attached to them which allowed us the chance to work out where we were. We passed a few classrooms, a common room, and even the nurse’s ward.
“Hey!” a loud voice suddenly shouted from the opposite end of the hallway. “Who gave you permission to enter?”
The woman up ahead of us was as tall as she was wide. Her brown hair was slicked back into the tightest knot on her head, and her face had been creased into a permanent scowl. I’d never seen a woman that size before, so I instantly knew it had to be some sort of security for the headmistress.
“We’re here to see the headmistress, Gail,” Nyx said as she stepped forward. “You remember me, right?”
I heard the sickly-sweet voice Nyx created, so I could just imagine the innocent look on her face.
“I remember you left us for another school,” Gail sneered. “Unless you have your invitation, then you must leave. Immediately.”
“Oh, I have the invitation right here!” Morgana spoke up from the back of the group. “Nyx asked me to keep it safe.”
“Er… yeah, I did!” The blue witch tried her best to play along.
“Let me see,” Gail said in a monotone voice, and she motioned Morgana forward with a large, fat hand.
“Credere quod non est verum,” Morgana whispered under her breath.
I heard the loud gulp as the bookish brunette cleared her throat, but despite how terrified she may have felt, the witch slipped through the crowd and walked toward the rotund woman as confidently as possible.
I noticed a subtle yellow glow appeared around the witch, and then as she reached Gail, the yellow glow grew larger as it covered her entire body.
“See?” Morgana said as she held out her hand. “The invitation is right here.”
Gail grabbed a handful of air from around Morgana’s hand, held her fist up to her face, and then handed the air back to the witch.
“Very well,” she sighed. “This way, please.”
Morgana turned around to face us with a relieved smile, and she waited as we caught up with her.
“What the fuck just happened?” Circe gasped quietly once Gail was moving down the hall.
“That was exceedingly quick-thinking.” Vanessa nodded her head approvingly. “She’d made Gail believe what isn’t real, so to her it looked like she’d read the invitation.”
The giant woman turned down a separate corridor, and her loud footsteps left a trail for us to follow.
“Cole,” Samara said as she grabbed my elbow. “Any more news on the incoming trouble? Can you feel if they're close?”
“No,” I sighed. “I’d more than likely get a feeling when they’re about to attack, but there’s been nothing yet.”
“But what about the illusion the warlocks have set up?” Vesta joined in. “Do you think that would affect anything?”
“I doubt it,” I replied. “I’d managed to catch onto their threats to begin with, and I managed to see them charging toward the school, so that wouldn’t have happened if they wanted to hide completely.”
Then I watched up ahead as Gail came to a halt outside a golden door. The rims of the door were made from dark, stained wood, and the plaque in the center announced that we’d arrived at the headmistress’ office.
Headmistress Quinn.
It was my first time meeting the headmistress after the previous one had died in King Donovan’s attack, so I had no idea what to expect, or how this woman would act.
“Your visitors have arrived, miss,” Gail mumbled as she walked further into the room.
“Visitors?” I heard a sweet, bird-like voice reply. “I never planned for anyone to visit me today.”
“Shit, we’re going to get caught,” Beatrix panicked as her light-brown eyes went wide.
“How realistic was that fake invitation, Morgana?” Akira asked. “Because we could soon have another battle on our hands.”
“Just stay quiet and allow me to do all the talking,” I said as I stepped closer to Quinn’s office.
“I read their invitation,” Gail continued. “Students from Scholomance, it said you awaited their arrival.”
“Very well…” Quinn replied skeptically. “I suppose you can let them in.”
I knew we had to keep our wits about us, but I also knew this woman wasn’t stupid, and she’d instantly catch onto the lie. I just hoped we could pass on the message before she called Gail back into the room.
I sauntered into the room first, followed by the rest of my group.
Headmistress Quinn’s office was as grand as Theodora’s. It had a stained wood flooring, a high ceiling, and the four walls were painted dark green. Various bookshelves were propped up against the walls, and I also noticed two paintings which both held female figures, but I didn’t know who those women were. A rectangular, emerald rug ran underneath the grand oak desk, and peering over the top of the desk was Quinn herself, just as small and as bird-like as I’d imagined.
Quinn looked older than Theodora, but not by much. Her bright blonde hair had been tied into a neat knot on the top of her head, and a pearl necklace ran around the base of her neck. Her dark brown eyes looked slightly too small for her face, and her lips were pursed together as a frown marred her forehead.
Headmistress Quinn stood from her desk as we all piled into the room, which gave me a better look at the tiny woman. She wore a black, velvet dress with long, billowing sleeves, and a lace neckline. An emerald-green belt was wrapped around her waist, and it matched the rug and the walls, so I had a feeling it was her favorite color.
“Have we met?” Quinn asked as she looked us over.
“Headmistress, I appreciate you seeing us today,” I began as I closed the distance between us. “My name is Cole, and this is my coven. I’m sure you’ve heard my name already, seeing as we saved your school from King Donovan.”
I’d been tempted to tell Quinn I was the Dark Lord straight off, but that would have taken time we may not have had, and we needed to get to the important information first.
“Yes, your name is familiar to me,” Quinn said with a frown still firm on her face. “But I don’t understand what brought you here today, especially with a false invitation…”
“Because we came with vital news,” I explained. “I apologize for the fake invitation, and for working our way up to your office, but if we hadn’t come now, then it could have been too late. Headmistress Quinn, Vipera is under attack. Warlocks have planned to charge through these walls, and I couldn’t sit back and allow that to happen.”
“What do you mean it’s under attack?” she asked. “How do I know to believe you?”
“Because Cole is the most powerful and talented Wicca this world has ever seen,” Vanessa spoke up.
“Ahh, Vanessa, I never saw you there.” The headmistress smirked.
“You know of Cole and his powers, and Vipera wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.” Vanessa strolled across the office to stand beside me. “You’ll be making a huge mistake if you don’t listen to what he has to say.”
It came in handy that Vanessa was the one to step forward. Quinn knew of Theodora and the professors at Scholomance, so she knew to trust Vanessa.
“Okay, then.” The bird-woman shrugged. “Master Cole, tell me everything you know. Even the smallest of details.”
“My periculum incantation showed me a large group of warlocks headed in this direction, but they’re not alone,” I said. “Unfortunately, these are powerful warlocks, and they have managed to create an obstruction. I cannot see when they’ll arrive, or who they’ve brought with them, so they could attack at any moment.”
“But you’re sure they’re not alone?” Quinn queried.
“I couldn’t have been more certain,” I said with a straight face. “You need to gather the school together, and you need to do it now. The warlocks could be on their way right now, and if that’s the case, then your entire school will be destroyed before you even make it down the stairs.”
I knew Quinn could hear the threat in my voice, which made her take me seriously. The small woman stood for the beat of a second, and then she ran behind her desk and grabbed her cloak and wand.
I let out a sigh of relief, but I knew I wasn’t going to fully calm down until the warlocks had been defeated.
“Follow me,” she ordered. “Quickly, come on.”
Quinn didn’t have to tell me twice.
We all ran from the room, and as Quinn ran toward the staircase, she held her wand up to her mouth and began to talk into it like a microphone.
“Everyone must meet me in the Grand Hall immediately,” her voice echoed around the entire castle. “I repeat, immediately.”
“Fuck, yeah, this is what I’m after!” Nyx said excitedly as we ran.
“I can feel the adrenaline in my veins!” Revna cried out.
We followed Quinn throughout the castle and through the various corridors until she reached two red, wooden doors with golden handles that looked like two snakes in a striking position.
But before Quinn could open the doors, a painful sensation shot straight through my body. It felt as though it pulsed from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
“Fuck!” I cried out as I grasped onto my chest and crashed against the doors.
“Cole?” Vanessa asked as she held onto my arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Is he okay?” I heard Quinn ask as I attempted to battle through the pain.
“This can’t be good,” Revna muttered.
“Quick, help him to the floor,” Vanessa ordered. “Quinn, warn your students. I have a feeling this is the beginning of it all.”
I let out a monstrous roar, and despite the love and care of my women, I couldn’t focus on anything apart from the burning pain. I felt as they lowered me to the ground, and the cold stone underneath me helped to sooth the fire that raced through every muscle and bone in my body.
Then, suddenly, the pain slowly drifted away, and I heard the familiar voice of my mother as it seeped into my mind.
Dark Lord, it’s too late, Lilith told me. The warlocks have arrived, and the creatures are far more terrifying than I’d first imagined. I kept my eye on them, but they never dropped their guard until now. Do what you can, my son, and protect Vipera.
“They’re here,” I said as I caught my breath. “The fight starts now.”