“Cole, only you would dare speak to me in such a blunt manner.” She grinned. “I appreciate your candor… it certainly is a breath of fresh air, considering that everyone else is constantly brown-nosing me.”
“Please, I meant no disrespect, Headmistress,” I replied with my hands raised in defense. “I was simply speaking my mind.”
“And I appreciate that,” she laughed. “Of course, they may have their own quarters. Let’s go inside and see what we can do, shall we?”
“Excellent.” I grinned.
We stepped past the common room threshold and then headed into the women’s pathetic bedroom. The longer I stared at it, the more severe my frown became. These were my women, and they deserved their own chamber.
As soon as Theodora stepped inside their shared bedroom, she tutted and then looked around.
“Well, now I see why you wanted to give them a little treat,” she remarked. “I had Vanessa take charge of the room structure and decor… I swear, that child of mine can be extremely petty. No matter, though, we can fix this.”
Theodora pulled out her wand and then waved it around the room. The entire bedroom slowly faded from view, and then a dark cloud began to obscure my vision. As I stood there in the foggy blackness, I heard squeaking and banging, as if heavy furniture was being rearranged.
When the smoke finally cleared, the bedroom was gone, and instead I was standing in front of four different doors with golden plaques plastered on each one. I took a step closer, and I noticed each sign had a different witch’s name engraved on it. The first door was Faye’s, and I gently pushed it open to reveal a beautiful, emerald-colored bedroom. The floor was even made out of green wood and covered with a large patterned rug. The bed was as large as mine, and the quilt appeared to be made out of satin and silk. Large, strange, and exotic plants hung from the ceiling, and vines were wrapped around the bedposts, like long, green snakes. It was perfect for the nature-loving redhead, and I knew she would be delighted once she saw it.
“Lovely, isn’t it?” Theodora asked.
“Very.” I nodded. “She will love this.”
“Just wait until you see the others.” She smiled proudly.
I stepped out of Faye’s room and then wandered into Morgana’s. As I expected, the room was covered from floor to ceiling with books. The walls were hollow and made out of shelves that housed at least a hundred different novels, encyclopedias, textbooks, and more. The entire bedroom was decorated in a red and gold scheme that reminded me more of a royal library than a bedroom, but it would be absolutely perfect for the ambitious bookworm.
When I peered into Akira’s new room, I wasn’t surprised to see everything was jet black. Her bed covers, her rug, the walls, and even the floor were all painted ebony, and there were candles everywhere. The room smelled of lavender, just like Akira, and I knew the black-eyed witch would be thrilled once she stepped inside.
Finally, I opened the door to Vesta’s room, and it was a much simpler chamber than the others, but just as grand and comfortable looking. Her king-sized bed was made of silver and lavender silk, and the rugs were sage green like her hair. Dozens of forest and landscape paintings hung upon the walls, and each work of art was even more splendid than the last, and I could easily imagine spending a day studying each painting. There was also a large wardrobe pressed against the right side of the room, and it was made of beautiful oak wood with intricate carvings and writing.
“It’s all elvish,” Theodora said as I stared at the script.
“It’s beautiful.” I grinned. “They will love it.”
“Would you like a change of adornment in your quarters as well?” the headmistress asked with her head tilted to the side.
“No, thank you,” I responded gratefully. “I’m comfortable with my room the way it is.”
“Very well,” she replied. “Now that we’ve updated the accommodations for the ladies, I suggest you get some rest. You’ll be needing it.”
My thoughts exactly.
I bade Theodora a good night before she slipped out through the common room doors. When I was alone, I sauntered back to my own bedroom and found Alexander already deep asleep on the foot of my bed. So, I stripped off my clothes, slipped into the warm, secure covers, and fell into a deep sleep.
Before I opened my eyes the next morning, I felt someone’s warm body pressed against my skin, and something heavy was on top of me. I slowly peeled my eyes open, and the first thing I saw was a black ball of fur curled up on my stomach. Alexander was deep asleep and snoring, and when I turned to my right, I saw a sleeping Akira. Her short, black hair was splayed over the pillow, and she had a pale arm draped over my chest. Her lips were still smudged with dark, purple lipstick, and her thick, black eyelashes fluttered with each deep breath she took.
“Good morning, everyone.” I smirked.
Alexander didn’t even bother to move, but Akira did stir in her sleep. She slowly peeled her black eyes open and then squinted at me.
“Oh, demon fucker,” she grumbled as she pressed a hand against her forehead. “My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“How much wine did you have last night?” I chuckled.
“Enough to wander into your room and not remember it,” she admitted. “Satan, I have no idea how I’m going to get through the rest of today.”
“Maybe a strong cup of spiced coffee would help?” I suggested. “Cordelia, would you please prepare a hearty breakfast for us? We’ll certainly be needing our strength today.”
“It will be in the common room table in just a moment,” the ghost maid replied.
“Unholy hell.” Akira flinched. “Sometimes I forget the old hag is in here.”
“I heard that,” Cordelia grumbled.
I laughed and slowly sat up, but as I moved, Alexander twitched in his sleep and then turned to look at me with narrowed, red eyes.
Gee, thanks for waking me up, he grunted.
“Hey, you’re the one who decided to sleep on top of me,” I countered.
How could I resist? he asked. As soon as I saw her crawl into bed, I knew I had to get as close to that tight ass as possible.
“Sorry buddy, but I don’t think you’re her type,” I retorted.
“What did he say?” Akira grunted before she gently pulled away from the sheets and then plastered her feet on the floor.
“He just fancies you,” I snickered.
“Well, can you blame him?” She winked. “I’m fucking gorgeous. Now, where is my dress?”
“Probably on the floor,” I responded.
I studied her pale, athletic build as she quickly grabbed her dress from the floor and wrapped it around her semi-naked body. The only thing she had on was a pair of black lace panties, and her bare breasts popped out of her gown as she bent down to look for something else.
“What are you looking for?” I asked.
“My heels,” she said, “they’re not in here. Oh, well, fuck it. I’ll see you in the common room?”
“Sure.” I nodded.
The short-haired witch scurried out of the room, but not before she planted a quick kiss on my cheek.
Hey, what about me? Alexander asked in a whiny voice before she shut the door.
“Something tells me she’s not into bestiality,” I said as I tossed the covers off.
Too bad, he answered as he hopped down onto the floor.
I quickly dressed in a fresh set of clothing before I headed to the common room for breakfast. The room was still empty, and even the familiars were nowhere in sight. However, the coffee table was covered in an assortment of different breakfast items that made my mouth instantly water. There were lemon cakes, pumpkin pancakes, phoenix eggs, freshly baked rolls of bread, and a pitcher of freshly squeezed wild-fruit juice.
“Hell, fucking, yeah,” I muttered to myself before I sat down, and out of habit, I looked up into the air and smiled. “Thank you, Cordelia.”
“Of course, sir,” she answered obediently.
I waited for the others to join me before I dug in. As soon as I heard doors opening and then small bursts of laughter, I knew the coven was awake and ready to conquer the day. I could hear them rushing down the stairs, and when I turned to look at my gorgeous group of women, they were all grinning from ear to ear.
“Cole!” Morgana was the first to exclaim. “You truly outdid yourself this time.”
“The rooms are absolutely amazing!” Faye squealed, and a toothy grin split her freckled face. “Thank you so much.”
“Yeah, you really nailed our personalities in those rooms.” Akira grinned. “The plants in Faye’s room were perfect.”
“And the elvish elegance of Vesta’s bedroom was a glorious reflection of her aesthetic spirit,” Faye added. “Not to mention the books in Morgana’s room… you really went out of your way for us. Thank you, master.”
“Don’t thank me.” I smiled. “It was all Theodora’s doing.”
“But you were the one who made it happen,” Vesta replied.
“Yeah, don’t be so fucking modest, Cole,” Akira said as she hopped down the stairs.
“I’m just glad you like them,” I answered.
“We love them,” Morgana added as they all took a seat. “And look at this breakfast!”
“You’re certainly spoiling us,” the redhead giggled as she sat beside me.
“You are my women, so I just want to be sure you have everything you need and more,” I replied. “Now, eat up, we have another class to get to.”
“Yes, master,” Faye purred as she licked milky-white cream off a small cake and then sucked on her slender finger while eye-fucking me the entire time.
I smirked as she teased me, and I desperately tried to fight off the urge to fuck her right then and right there.
We still had a class to get to, and fucking like a pair of wild rabbits could wait.
We all enjoyed our fabulous breakfasts and then quickly headed out the door and into the hallways. As we strolled down the corridors, I noticed several witches walking with their hands pressed against their temples and disgruntled looks on their white-washed faces. Last night must have taken a toll on them, and I wondered how they would get through their day with pounding headaches and sour stomachs.
“Looks like they had too much to drink,” Morgana noted as we headed toward Advanced Shadow.
“No shit,” Akira remarked under her breath. “I can feel their pain.”
“Well, no one told you to drink five whole goblets of black wine,” Faye remarked.
“Whatever.” The black-eyed witch shrugged. “I had a good time.”
“From what you can remember,” Morgana giggled.
Akira rolled her eyes before she pushed the Shadow classroom door open, and when we stepped inside, we were met with a vivid, midnight blue room. The ceiling was painted like the night sky, the desks were all sleek black and elongated, and the floor was made from white marble and covered in thick, black bear rugs. Luckily, we were the first ones to arrive, and we had the option of sitting wherever we desired.
“So, what do you think Professor Lunatic will have in store for us this morning?” Akira grinned as we all sat down.
“Akira!” Morgana gasped, and the bookworm’s eyes widened as if the short-haired witch had just insulted her entire bloodline.
“What?” Akira smiled, clearly proud of herself. “It’s a term of endearment.”
“You’re lucky no one else heard that,” Morgana lectured.
“Oh, come off it,” Akira replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I bet you ten gold coins she would love that nickname.”
“That’s not the point,” Morgana huffed.
Akira paid no mind to the bookworm’s reprimand as she pulled out her books and then splayed them on her side of the desk. We all followed suit and pulled out our own textbooks and neatly laid them out on the table. Soon, other students began to swarm the classroom, and Penelope and her group crossed the threshold. Beatrix and Penelope both stared at our table before they decided to lead the twins to a desk right beside ours, and as soon as they were situated comfortably in their seats, Penelope turned to look directly at Akira.
“How are you feeling this morning, Akira?” she asked with a sweet smile.
“None of your--” Akira began, but then she shot me an apologetic look and cleared her throat. “I’m fine, why do you ask?”
“I just saw you drinking quite a bit last night.” The bright-haired witch shrugged. “You must have a terrible hang-over.”
“I’m feeling fantastic, actually,” Akira replied with a saccharine smile.
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Beatrix added suddenly, and the light-haired brunette leaned forward and flashed our entire table a bright, flawless smile. “I heard today’s lesson is going to be rather challenging, so you’re going to need all your wits about you.”
“What did you hear?” Morgana asked quickly.
“Nothing much.” Beatrix shrugged. “Only that Professor Luna is going to be tearing us in two… so to speak.”
“What do you mean--?” the bookworm pushed, but then the classroom door suddenly swung open by itself.
The entire class went deadly silent and focused on the door. A moment later, a dark blue shadow sneaked inside, and it was shaped like a woman. Not just any woman, though. This shadow resembled Professor Luna to the point where it could have been her twin. The only difference was the shadow’s features seemed darker and more feral. It grinned maliciously at the classroom as it glided inside and then hovered by Luna’s desk, and no one said a word as the beautiful phantom floated through the room.
“Get back here!” we heard the eccentric professor’s voice booming from outside. “Right now!”
The shadow placed a slim finger against her lips as if to tell the class to be quiet, and witches giggled as the shadow flew up to the ceiling and then floated near the chandelier hook. Her small, smoky hands began to grasp onto the hook, and for a split second, I thought she was going to try and unlatch the massive piece of furniture and have it come crashing down onto the students.
Other witches must have come to the same conclusion because their giggles quickly turned to terrified gasps and small screams. Then I heard something smack against the door, and when I turned to look at the source, I saw Luna, dressed in a long, deep velvet blue gown with her pale hair plastered over her glistening face.
“Get down here this instant!” she shrieked. “You sneaky little bitch!”
I glanced back at the shadow, and she slowly shook her head and then placed a hand over her mouth as if she were silently giggling.
“You have until the count of three,” Luna warned. “One… two… two and a fucking half…”
The shadow finally swept down from the chandelier and hovered over Professor Luna with her head hanging low as if she were ashamed. The blonde witch muttered something under her breath before she pulled out her wand and then aimed it at the feisty little shadow version of herself.
“Forma reditus,” Luna grunted.
The room began to shake and darken, and then the shadow let out a high-pitched squealing sound as it began to disappear. Luna’s lavender-colored eyes softened as soon as the shadow was gone, and the class returned to normal.
“Apologies, class,” the blonde professor breathed. “Shadows can be nasty little shits. Anyway… let’s begin! Today, we’ll be discussing shadow splitting. Who can tell me a little bit about shadow spells?”
There was a long awkward silence before Morgana’s hand slowly lifted into the air, but so did Beatrix’s.
Luna grinned and then looked between the two brunettes with playful eyes. She pressed a finger against her mouth and tapped along her bottom lip.
“Hmmm,” she drawled. “I think I’ll have to go with Beatrix. Sorry about that, Miss Morgana, perhaps next time.”
“Damn,” Morgana muttered as she brought her hand down.
“Go on then, Miss Beatrix,” Luna urged. “We
haven’t got all day!”
“Err, well, shadow spells should only be used by the most experienced Wiccas,” the light-haired brunette began. “Tearing your own shadow from your body is not only an exhausting experience, but also a dangerous one.”
A long pause followed, and then Luna dramatically threw her hands up into the air.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense!” she sighed impatiently. “Why are they so dangerous, Miss Beatrix?”
“B-Because they embody our darkest desires, our wild instincts, and most of all, they crave to be free from us,” Beatrix clarified. “They long to be their own entity, and sometimes, they are willing to kill us for it.”
“Precisely.” Luna nodded. “As you saw, my bitch of a shadow tried to get away from me and teach me a lesson… and she might have gotten away with it, too, but I know how to handle her naughty little ways, and that’s only because I have the experience.”
The class all nodded and then waited for Luna to say something else, but she simply stared at us with her vacant, purple eyes.
“Um, Professor?” Morgana asked after a long, awkward moment. “Are you alright?”
“Huh?” The blonde witch blinked. “Oh, right, sorry! I was lost in my own thoughts. Anyway, dark forms, which are what we formally call our shadows, are tremendously difficult to manipulate since each one has a defiant personality. It takes an immense amount of mental strength to control them. So, for this class, we will be working with a duplicate shadow, instead of our own dark forms. Now, Miss Morgana, can you tell us what a duplicate shadow is?”
“Of course, Professor,” the intelligent witch replied with her chin raised. “They are temporary spells which mimic dark forms. They have the same traits on a superficial level, but they are slightly easier to control and less deadly.”
“Well explained.” Luna nodded. “Now open up your books to page… five-thousand-three-hundred-and-seventy… four? If my memory serves me correctly.”
My table all exchanged half-amused looks with each other before we flipped to the page, and it turned out the wacky professor’s memory was indeed impeccable. It must have been the correct page because the illustration demonstrated a shadow erupting from the tip of a witch’s wand and seeping up toward the ceiling. The dark form had a conniving look on its dark face, and its eyes were black and soulless.
Scholomance 4 Page 6