by Logan Jacobs
“Good morning, class,” she greeted. “Please open your textbooks to the correct page.”
We went through the lesson, and I followed closely as we learned more about reading bones and clearing our minds before reciting the incantation.
The professor then practiced with each of us, one by one. She used numbered cards, turned facedown, and it was up to us to predict which number was on the card.
“Nine,” Morgana said when her turn was up.
The professor lifted the card and flipped it over to reveal the number nine.
“Well done.” Theodora smiled.
When it was my turn, she placed the card down on my table, and I took a deep breath, cleared my mind, and concentrated on the card.
For some reason, I wasn’t picking up on any number at first, so I remained calm and tried to focus on the card.
But there was nothing.
I heard the girls snickering, and for a moment, my heart sank. I thought I had messed up, but then something hit me.
What if it was blank?
“There’s no number.” I smiled and opened my eyes. “It’s a blank card.”
Theodora smirked and turned the card over, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was completely blank.
The girls gasped, and I felt a wave of satisfaction wash over me.
“Very few witches guess this card correctly,” Theodora said as her light blue eyes studied me closely. “Most assume they can’t read it, and give up. Well done, Cole.”
“Thank you.” I grinned.
I could feel Morgana fuming by my side, and when I glanced at her, she had her arms crossed, and her pretty face was scrunched up.
“Dumb luck,” she whispered when Theodora was out of earshot.
“You’ll get the hang of it soon.” I smirked. “Hopefully, anyway.”
“I do have the hang of it,” she snapped, and her blue eyes were as cold as ice. “Don’t patronize me.”
“Don’t underestimate me,” I countered.
“Class,” Theodora’s voice boomed across the room, “please pay attention to what I have to say next. It involves the quiz.”
Everyone squirmed in their seats, and all eyes were on the professor. This quiz was the hurtle we had to clear to move on to the next class and come that much closer to the final exam.
If we failed, like everything else at Scholomance, we were dead.
“Tomorrow, you will be teleported to a mythical village in another realm with no money or tools,” Theodora started. “You will have to find your way to the casino to win money, using your skills of premonition to gamble. You must earn money through your acquired skills, and it’s also important that you do not get caught. If you’re caught cheating, you’ll be killed. I’ll explain everything in further detail tomorrow morning.”
“How will we find the casino?” Faye asked, and her green eyes were bright with alertness.
“That’s all up to you,” Theodora replied. “You will need to work as hard as possible to pass this quiz. If you thought that Blood Magic was difficult, then you’re in for a rude awakening.”
I thought I heard Morgana gulp, and when I looked at her, her face was ashen, and she was sweating. Her face was no longer rosy, but it was completely flushed. She was absolutely terrified, but so were the rest of us.
Well, maybe except Sweeny. It was hard to read her expression, what with all the scar tissue.
Theodora finally dismissed the class, and we all filed out of the room. The witches were silent as they walked down the hall ahead of me, and I knew they were all contemplating Theodora’s words and the quiz ahead of us.
Because just like everything here in the academy, this quiz was a life or death situation.
Which gave me an idea.
“Hey, wait up!” I called out as I jogged to catch up with the women.
“Ughh, what does he want now?” Akira complained.
“Just ignore him,” Sweeny growled, and the scarred witch quickened her pace. “Maybe he’ll take the hint.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I smirked as I poured on a bit of speed, pulled out ahead of the witches, and cut them off.
They staggered to a stop and glared at me.
“What do you want, Cole?” Morgana demanded with a frown. “We need to go study.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I was studying the other night, and I came across a mention of this spell called a blood pact. Do you know it?”
The women turned to look at each other with puzzled expressions.
“No, what is it?” Faye grumbled, and I could tell it bothered her that she didn’t know the answer.
“I think I’ve heard about that before, but I can’t remember the details,” Morgana admitted as her brow furrowed.
“Well, from my understanding, it’s a spell where witches bind themselves under one master witch, and they all achieve immortality as long as they serve the master.” I grinned.
“Annnnddd?” Faye raised a red eyebrow.
“I think this could be the secret to us passing the exam,” I continued. “You all can form the pact with me and be immortal. Then, as long as you protect me, we can pass the final test super easy.”
The witches blinked at me for a long moment before they shared a look, and then slow smiles crept across their faces.
“Oh, really?” Akira laughed, and her coal black eyes were alight with cruel malice. “How interesting, Cole. So, we should just submit to you?”
“Sure,” I answered. “I’m the one who figured out the spell. Imagine being immune to damage. It’s crazy powerful.”
“But then you are our master?” Morgana snickered.
“Well, I’m not sure how that part works exactly,” I admitted. “But the spell does seem to indicate immortal witches are bound to the master one.”
“This sounds like the perfect way to make sure we pass and you fail,” Akira cackled. “Thanks for the tip, idiot. By Satan, you are so fucking stupid. You think we’d just form a blood pact with you? An idiot man?”
I wanted to burst out laughing now. They were making this too easy.
“We should go about this together.” I cocked an eyebrow at the dark-haired witch, but it was a struggle to keep my face straight.
“No thanks,” Faye giggled. “We’ll be just fine on our own. But thanks again for the tip. We’ll go find this spell, see what it actually does, and then one of us will take this master role.”
The redhead winked and blew me a kiss, and the rest of the witches tittered as they slipped past me and continued down the hall.
I smirked to myself as I watched them go. I knew they wouldn’t find shit in the library.
It was too late for them. The Blood Pact was in my possession and beyond their grasp now, so they had no chance of all of them making it through the final exam alive.
Unless they begged me for my help, of course.
Chapter 9
I stayed awake reading until the candles completely burned out.
I’d been memorizing the Blood Pact ritual for hours now, and I was absolutely worn out. My eyesight was blurry, my head ached, and my body was sore, but I was determined to memorize the entire thing. I was so focused on the ritual, I didn’t even get a chance to sleep a wink. I knew the Premonition quiz was coming up, and I knew I should have tried to get some rest, but I simply couldn’t.
I learned the Blood Pact was a complicated and lengthy process, but I also knew it was nothing I couldn’t handle. After hours and hours of memorizing words I’d never read before, I looked at the fireplace. I finally felt satisfied that I knew the pact by heart, so I sighed and headed toward the fire.
I knew what had to be done next.
The pages had to be destroyed and burnt into pieces. The vision had been clear, and I would have been a fool not to listen.
So, with heavy and tired eyes, I looked at the pages one more time. The words were now ingra
ined in my memory. I was the only one out of our group who found the pact, and those witches were in for a rude awakening.
Without further hesitation, I tossed the papers into the fire, and I watched as they burned and crumbled into black ashes. As the pages disintegrated into nothingness, a smile spread across my face, and I imagined those witches looking for the spells, only to find them missing.
The girls would be furious, and once they figured out the mastermind behind the missing pages, they would come crawling to me for help and beg me to become their master.
And I couldn’t wait for that moment to come.
Pale sunlight poured into the bedroom, and colors from the stained-glass window danced around the room. I knew it was time to head to class, so I went to the bathroom and splashed my face with ice-cold water. Even though my body was sore, and my head was aching, and my eyes burned, I was ready to go to class. By all rights, I should have been exhausted, but I was strangely excited. The quiz itself sounded invigorating and adventurous, and I’d finally get out of the castle and explore another aspect of this strange and thrilling world.
There was no trace of fear within me. I was ready.
When I left the bathroom and edged toward the velvet chair to switch into a fresh set of clothing, I was surprised to see a black button-up shirt instead of a white one. The letter S for Scholomance was embroidered on the upper chest pocket, and there was a new cloak with the same stitching on it.
“What the hell is this? I breathed, but then a shrill voice cut into the air like a knife.
“That is the quiz attire, sir.” Cordelia’s voice echoed in the room.
“I didn’t wear this during the Blood Magic quiz,” I said with a confused frown.
“That’s because you didn’t leave the grounds, and because no one wants to waste a good uniform on a student who may not even pass the first quiz,” she explained.
“Fair enough.” I shrugged. I was about to unbutton my shirt, but I could feel her eyes still on me, even if I couldn’t physically see her. “Are you going to stick around to watch me change, Cordelia?”
“No, sir, I suppose I will leave you to it,” she replied in an echo.
I paused and looked around before my fingers played with my top button. There was no way to tell if she actually left the room, so I just shrugged it off. I quickly changed into the black button-down shirt, a pair of wool trousers, and my black leather boots.
Then I took my dagger, wiped it down, and tucked it away. My blade had become like another limb. I felt naked without it, and I vowed to take it everywhere.
I took one last look in the mirror before leaving my room, and I appeared refreshed despite my lack of sleep. My eyes were bright and clear as if I’d just had a full night of rest. My pale skin was flushed from the chilly water, and I smiled back at my reflection. The look I gave myself in the mirror suggested I was ready for anything.
So, I quickly snatched my cloak and swung it over my shoulders. Then I slipped on my boots and headed out the door, down to Premonition class.
I was ready to ace this fucking quiz.
The halls were empty as I headed past the ever-watchful paintings, but I wasn’t surprised to see no one else was in the corridors. I’d left early, maybe too early, but I wanted to arrive before anyone else.
When I entered the Premonition classroom, Headmistress Theodora was seated at her desk with an open book in front of her. Today, she was dressed in another elegant gown made from a dark, blood-red material, and her dark hair was half pinned back with curls that hung over her shoulders and ran down to her waist.
“Ah, Cole,” she said without looking in my direction. “I take it you didn’t get much sleep last night, did you?”
I stopped at the threshold and stared at her with curiosity.
“How did you know I--” I started to say, but then I broke into a soft chuckle. “Wait, that’s right. You know everything.”
“Flattery will only get you so far,” the older witch laughed. “No, Cole, I’m afraid I don’t know everything … in fact, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot,” I said as I took a seat in front of her and patiently waited for her question.
Theodora was still reading her book, and only when she finally turned the page did she glance up to meet my eyes.
“How do you feel about today’s quiz?” she asked.
“Pretty good.” I shrugged. “I am as prepared as I can be.”
“Well, I have faith in you, and you’ve adapted quite well to our way of life.” She nodded slowly. “It’s most impressive.”
“Thanks,” I answered, and I lifted my chin with pride.
She seemed to be the only one who thought so highly of me, and I was grateful for that.
“Oh, I’m not the only one.” She smiled and winked at me.
My mouth parted slightly, and I raised an eyebrow in her direction.
“Did you just … ?” I asked, but then I stopped myself.
Of course, she just read my mind.
“Not every Wicca can do what I do,” Theodora chuckled, “so don’t get too excited about reading thoughts. It takes years of practice, and when I say years, I mean decades.”
“Well, who knows.” I raised my hands and grinned. “Maybe I’ll be reading your mind sooner than you think.”
“We’ll see about that,” she laughed, “but I’m happy to see that confidence. You’ll be needing it during the quiz … and the final exam.”
I nodded and wondered about the exam once again. It was approaching. I only had three more classes left, and from what I experienced, they passed by quickly.
So, I had to be quick-witted, able to think on my feet, and determined as hell to pass these classes.
A moment later, I heard footsteps approaching, and when I looked at the door, Akira was standing at the threshold. Instead of wearing her black and white plaid skirt and her buttoned-down white shirt, she was only wearing black. She wore a short ebony skirt with matching knee-high black socks and a pair of ankle-high, black leather boots.
“Oh, you’re here.” The black-haired witch shot me a dirty look, and as she took her seat, I noticed her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot.
“Of course, I’m here,” I replied in a relaxed tone. “Where the hell else would I be?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Akira snapped, and she looked agitated as hell. Not only were her eyes red and puffy, but her pretty face was set in a grimace, and her arms were folded tightly across her chest.
“Well, good morning to you, too, Akira.” Theodora smiled and quirked an eyebrow. “I trust you had a good night’s rest?”
Akira shot her head up and looked between the two of us, but her mind was clearly somewhere else.
“O-Oh, yes, I did,” she finally said with a forced smile. “Thank you, Headmistress.”
“Good, because your life depends on it,” the older woman replied.
Theodora was a difficult woman to read. On the one hand, it seemed she wanted to see us all succeed, but I also had a feeling that no tears would be shed if the weakest link failed.
This was purely about talent and the ability to survive. I knew that from day one.
Akira forced herself to smile back at the headmistress, but then I caught a glimpse of fear in her coal-black eyes. She was absolutely terrified, and she probably wasn’t going to be the only one.
I secretly watched her from the corner of my eye as she fiddled with her short strands of black hair and kept her eyes lowered on her desk. Her long, ebony lashes were like curtains, and it was like she knew that I knew she was afraid, and it humiliated her.
We waited in silence for the rest of the witches. Faye soon came crashing into the door, and she looked utterly disheveled.
“Ouch,” she grunted as she rubbed her ankle.
The headmistress laughed gently and then craned her neck to look at Faye.
“Keep your eyes peeled, Faye,” Theodora advised. “We can’t have you hurting yo
urself before the actual quiz begins.”
“Err, yes, Headmistress,” the redhead replied in a quiet voice. “I’m fine.”
But she didn’t look fine. Her red hair was tangled and tied back into a messy ponytail, her black knee socks were uneven, and her cheeks were a flaming scarlet.
“Let’s hope so,” Theodora said with her hands clasped in front of her. Then she glanced at the creepy cuckoo clock that hung just above her desk. Every time it hit the hour, a small bird skull would pop out and croak like a frog.
It was almost time for class to officially begin.
“Where on earth are the others?” Theodora sighed.
“I saw Vesta, Sweeny, and Morgana on the way here,” Faye said quickly. “They should be here soon.”
“What were they doing?” Theodora inquired in a firmer voice.
“Ugh … t-they wanted to do a little more reading before the quiz,” Faye muttered, and she averted her green eyes. “They also had trouble forging their weapons, so … ugh … ”
She turned a bright shade of pink and looked down at her desk, unable to finish, and I suspected she felt like she was snitching on the other women, even if that hadn’t been her intention.
Headmistress Theodora clucked her tongue and shook her head. “They should have completed their weapons ages ago.”
We continued to wait, and finally, before the clock struck nine, the three remaining women appeared at the door, and each one of them looked tired and annoyed. Their hair was tousled and tangled, and heavy, bruise colored dark circles sat under their eyes.
“Finally,” Theodora sighed. “Please, take a seat, ladies.”
Each girl nodded and took their respective seats, and Morgana trembled as she collapsed next to me. Her chair legs shook slightly, and her light blue eyes darted back and forth with nerves.
These women were entirely on edge.
“Now, before we begin,” Theodora said in a clear, loud voice, “I want everyone to close their eyes and take in deep breaths. Feel the evil energy that’s all around you. Embrace, absorb, and welcome it into your soul. May the darkness find you and guide your way on your journey.”