Scholomance 1

by Logan Jacobs

  “Don’t worry,” Faye said. “There is no way he’ll find the books before we do.”

  “You’re right,” Morgana sighed.

  “Come on,” Vesta said, “let’s get some studying done. Then let’s search the library before we go to bed.”

  I heard them all take a seat and open their books, and I managed to sneak out through the back door of the study hall.

  I grinned the entire way back to my room. I couldn’t understand how these witches continued to underestimate me. I’d proven myself time and time again, yet they still had no idea what I was truly capable of.

  But they were about to find out.

  The final exam was only a couple classes away, after all.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning, everyone looked exhausted, and the classroom was quiet, almost too quiet. There was an unnerving presence in the air, and I knew everyone was on edge.

  Usually, the witches would engage in small talk, but this morning, no one even spoke. In fact, they weren’t even able to look at each other. There was just too much pressure all around us, and the air felt tense, to say the least.

  But I was feeling pretty damn good, actually.

  Like the rest of the witches, I carefully studied the chapters, and re-read the same material I’d already memorized. Everyone had their noses buried in their books, and they silently absorbed all the information as quickly as possible, just to make sure they knew what they had to do before the quiz. This academy made it clear that a lot of the skills we acquired were not obtained through traditional classroom lessons, but much of it was derived from our own ability to study, hard and fast.

  Either you pushed yourself to study and perform on the spot, or you failed. It was cutthroat and intense, but it certainly motivated me.

  I kept my eyes glued to my book, but every once in a while, I looked up and stared around the room out of curiosity.

  When I glanced at the beautiful witches, Sweeny not included, I realized they must have stayed up all night studying. Everyone had dark circles under their eyes and were clearly hellbent on cramming their asses off before Luna showed up. Each witch looked pale, exhausted, and worried, and I had a feeling the witches were not only concerned with their classes, but also with the Blood Pact.

  They had no idea where the copies could be, and even though I was planning to reveal what had happened to them, I was still waiting for the right moment to do it. They didn’t deserve to know what I’d done just yet. Watching them squirm was quite satisfying, especially after all the shit they had been putting me through.

  They hated that I was able to exceed in every lesson, and it killed them to see a human man with more natural talent than them.

  But as confident as I was about my classes, I wasn’t about to sit back and relax, especially not now, since we were getting closer and closer to the final exam. I hated to admit it, but part of me was just as anxious as the witches. Every day here felt like a life or death situation, and there was no time to mess around or get too cocky because, with each passing day, time was running out.

  I shifted in my seat, and I could feel Faye’s frustration. The redhead huffed in aggravation and then turned to look at me with fire in her golden-green eyes.

  “Could you please stop moving around so much?” she hissed.

  “I barely moved an inch,” I snapped. “Just because you’re so goddamn worried about the quiz doesn’t mean you should take it out on me, got it? I’m not in the mood for your usual bullshit.”

  Her mouth tightened into a thin line, and she turned up her small buttoned nose.

  “Who the hell said I was worried?” she spat. “Don’t assume things about me.”

  “Oh, please, it’s written all over your face,” I scoffed. “You can’t fool me.”

  “Just mind your own business,” the redhead growled, “and worry about your own progress.”

  “I’m cool as hell.” I smirked. “I’m not even breaking a sweat.”

  That was only partly true, but there was no way I was going to admit any anxiousness.

  “Of course, you are,” Faye snapped, a little louder than she intended to. “You’ve been able to glide right through these classes and quizzes with no issue, and you make the rest of us look like shit. I’m sick and tired of it, and I know the rest of us are, too.”

  Her irate voice carried, and when I glanced around the room, the other women were staring at us. I turned back to look at Faye, who was red in the face with her arms crossed.

  “Well, it’s not my fucking fault you suck,” I pointed out. “Is it?”

  “It’s a complete and total--” she began, but someone from behind us slammed their book shut so loud it made Faye jump up in her seat.

  We both turned around to see Vesta, and she was glaring at us with her burning, molten-silver eyes.

  “Will you two shut the hell up?” she demanded. “The rest of us are trying to focus.”

  “Sorry,” Faye mumbled and dropped her gaze.

  I scoffed, rolled my eyes, and turned back to my book. Screw these witches. I wouldn’t let them distract me from what was really important.

  We all studied until we heard the front door swing open, and then Luna grinned in the threshold, with her mystical eyes sparkling in our direction. Her long, white hair was pulled up into a bun, and skeleton bones dangled from her earlobes. She was wearing a dark, plum-colored robe and a gown underneath that was adorned with silver, shimmering stars.

  “Good morning, students,” Luna greeted. “It’s good to see you’re all getting as much reading done as possible. Are we ready to tackle today’s challenges and face the quiz?”

  “Yes, Professor,” everyone replied simultaneously.

  I was fucking ready.

  “Alright, excellent,” Luna said as she slammed her book down on her desk. “Today, we will be harnessing our power to teleport short distances and retrieve the shadows of humans to use as minions. This will be your quiz. You’ve had plenty of time to study, so if you fail, that’s that.”

  I heard Faye gulp as she adjusted in her seat, and when I discreetly glanced at her, I could see her forehead was gleaming with sweat, and she was doing her best to remain calm. Her attractive face was set in a neutral expression, but I could hear her nervously grinding her teeth. Then I looked at the other witches, and everyone was squirming in their seats, with their mouths set in tight lines.

  “My, my, my,” Luna tutted in a sing-song voice, “I can feel the anxiety from here, ladies. As servants of the dark powers, you must learn to control those feelings. It’s a sign of weakness, and I have no wish to see such feebleness in my classroom. So, sit up straight and pay close attention to what I have to say.”

  “Apologies, professor,” Faye said in a shrill voice, and then she sat up in her chair and raised her chin. “We’ll do better. We’ll prove our worth.”

  “I’d like to hope so,” Luna answered with a pointed look. “I don’t have to remind you that all your lives depend on it. Now, please close your books.”

  We all shut our textbooks and tucked them under our desks. Then no one moved. We all just stared at Luna. Each one of us was waiting for her to say something or do something, but she didn’t move. She just stood there in front of the classroom and smiled at each and every one of us.

  Finally, the white-haired witch strolled over to the back of the classroom and looked up toward the window that hung high above the desks.

  We all glanced at each other in confusion. There was no way she could actually see out the window. It was placed at least a few feet above her, but she was still standing there as if she was gazing right through it.

  We all just sat there and stared while we waited for something, or rather, anything, to happen.

  “What is everyone looking at?” a voice asked from behind us.

  We all whipped around to face the front of the room, and my mouth fell open. Luna was standing there, with her arms folded across her chest and a small smile on her fla
wless face. When I turned back to look at the window, the other version of Luna started to slowly dissolve into a cloud of light purple smoke.

  Now, that was pretty fucking awesome.

  The class clapped, and Luna waved her slender hand in a dismissive swoop.

  “Enough showing off.” She smiled, twirled a finger in her hair, and playfully smirked at us. “Now, this process requires immense focus and intense concentration. I know many of you are overwhelmed, but you cannot let external forces detriment your ability to teleport or steal a shadow. You need to open up your mind and allow the wickedness to take over your thoughts.”

  We all nodded, and Luna started to pace across the room. She stared at each and every one of us, and then took in a deep breath.

  “Let’s begin,” she instructed.

  The white-haired witch snapped her fingers, and then a cloud of smoke appeared at the front of the classroom. Again, a row of chained men materialized, and they looked even thinner and filthier than the last batch we saw. They struggled to stand, and I knew they were already dying. The men ranged from all different ages. Some had white, thinning hair, while others had full heads of natural colored locks. What they all had in common, though, was they were skin and bones with rib cages that protruded from their chests. Their eyes were all red-rimmed and yellow, and their skin was sallow and ashen.

  I could feel the decay wafting off them from here.

  “Vesta, come up here, please,” Luna requested.

  I turned around and watched as Vesta slowly stood up, and I saw her light purple hands shaking. She slowly walked up to one of the prisoners and then looked toward Luna.

  The professor smiled and nodded.

  “As a little treat, I’ll let you pick whichever prisoner you’d like,” the white-haired witch instructed. “Go on, now, don’t be shy. Use what you’ve learned from yesterday.”

  Vesta nodded, and we could all hear her take in a deep breath. Then she looked down the row of men and finally decided on a man with greasy black hair and large, red-rimmed blue eyes.

  “Please, don’t!” he wailed and tried to back away, but he only rattled his shackles and stumbled into his fellow prisoners.

  Vesta didn’t even flinch before she raised her hand in the air. Then she muttered the spell under her breath and placed her small hand on his forehead.

  The man started to shake and grew so thin that his bones stuck out. Within moments, his eyes grew dark and rolled into the back of his head, and finally, a thick, dark black cloud of smoke left his mouth and started to float above Vesta as the man collapsed into a pile of skin and bones at her feet.

  “Well done, Vesta.” Luna grinned. “You may collect your prize.”

  The lavender-skinned witch nodded and held up a green jar. She lifted the lid, the shadow seeped into the pot, and Vesta slammed the cover over the top.

  “Take a seat,” Luna said.

  Vesta sat down, and she smiled with pride and satisfaction evident on her face. Then all the witches took their turn, but when it was my turn, Luna raised her hand.

  “No need, Cole,” she chirped. “I know you’re capable of retrieving a shadow.”

  “But--” I started to object, but Luna simply snapped her fingers, and the last prisoner’s neck snapped with a loud crack.

  She then waved her hands, and the bodies of the men disappeared as if they had never been there in the first place.

  “Cole,” Luna said, “I’d like you to be the first one to try and teleport. Please stand up.”

  I stood up, and I was slightly annoyed I didn’t get a chance to steal a shadow, but I knew I had to listen to Luna.

  “I’m ready,” I said with my chin raised.

  “Perfect.” She grinned. “Stand there in the corner, please, and transport yourself to the study hall.”

  I walked over to the corner, faced the wall, and stood there, still as stone. I remembered everything I’d read and then took in a deep breath as I pictured absolute darkness.

  “Me avolare,” I whispered.

  My body slowly felt as if it were levitating, and I grew lightheaded. Everything around me started to spin, and the classroom slowly dissolved. Then everything vanished, and it was like my body was falling down a deep hole.

  I didn’t scream or move. I just held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. When everything started to slow down all around me, I felt my feet and body grow steady.

  I was no longer floating, or at least, the sensation of floating and spinning had stopped.

  “Well, fuck,” I whispered.

  When my eyes opened, I was no longer in the classroom. I was in the middle of the dark wood, and there was no sign of daylight anywhere. The air was frigid, and the wind screamed and blew through the naked trees above me.

  Ahh, fuck. This was definitely not the study hall.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  I took a step forward, and the dead leaves and broken twigs crunched under my boots as I slowly walked through the black woods. I reached down to pull out my dagger, but my hand just glided through it, as if it was made of smoke.

  Or as if I were a ghost.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  This was new.

  I shook my head and pushed myself to move forward. I needed to know what the hell was going on. Nothing made sense. I should have just transported myself into the study hall, not into the middle of the fucking woods. I looked up at the full, yellow moon, and as a murder of crows flew high above me, they cawed wildly like they were trying to warn me about something.

  I might have been a shadow, but the night was icy cold, and it penetrated me down to the bone. A foreboding chill coursed through my body as I walked on. I had no idea where the hell I was going, but I knew I needed to keep moving forward.

  Something was pulling me, like an external, dark force that was strong, angry, and hungry. So, I followed it and embraced it. I walked past the black tree trunks and dark shadows, and after a few minutes of walking, I heard a noise from afar. The sounds were faint, and I couldn’t make out what was going on ahead. When I got a few steps closer, all I could see was a fire ahead of me. Then I heard the sound of drums beating, and it matched the pounding of my heart.

  Something dark and violent was going on, and I needed to get closer to it. I wondered if I came across a group of people, would they be able to see me?

  I had no idea. When I placed my hand on one of the trunks, my hand went right through it. I was here, but I wasn’t. It was the strangest sensation.

  I shook my head, walked through the trees, and headed toward the noise in a straight line.

  Finally, I found the source, and my breath caught in my throat.

  I immediately noticed four cloaked figures with torches in their hands. I couldn’t see where the drum noises were coming from, but I didn’t care. My mind was too focused on the group of cloaked women, who were standing on top of the Wicca circle. When I looked down, I saw the markings on the dirt, the same markings I saw that night I killed the wendigo.

  The sacrificial circle.

  As mesmerizing and mysterious as the cloaked women were, they weren’t what truly caught my attention. What really caught my eyes was the tied-up, young woman who was lying right in the middle of the circle. She was surrounded by the torches of firelight, and her mouth was covered with a red cloth. Her ankles and wrists were bound with thick rope, she was wearing a bloody, white gown, and her large brown eyes were filled with pure panic.

  She knew her life was about to end. I could feel it from here as I silently watched her squirm and wiggle.

  What the fuck was going on?

  “Would you like to do the honors, Theodora?” a hooded figure on my right asked. Her voice was deep and menacing, but what really shocked me was hearing the headmistress’ name.

  I held my breath as I watched Theodora slowly pull back her hood.

  Her face was younger, and she looked exactly like Vanessa. Her youthful and beautiful features were glowing under the fir
elight, and a cruel and excited smile spread across her lips as she looked down at the tearful woman.

  “You shouldn’t waste your tears,” she muttered in a maternal voice. “What you’re doing will benefit us all … you should be honored.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes off Theodora as she leaned down and whispered something else into the tied-up woman’s ear. Whatever she said, I couldn’t make it out from here, so I took a step closer, but it just sounded like another Latin incantation I couldn’t quite make out.

  The bound woman let out a muffled scream, and tears welled in her eyes as she thrashed and struggled to untie herself. It was useless, though. Her fate had already been sealed. She was going to die right here, under the full moon and surrounded by fire.

  I desperately tried to understand what was going on. First, I’d managed to block out the sun, and now I’d somehow managed to transport myself into another time? What was the purpose? I had so many goddamn questions, and I knew no one would be able to answer them.

  I held my breath as Theodora slowly pulled out a dagger from underneath her cloak. The weapon was shaped like a lightning bolt and was as large as my forearm. The blade gleamed under the firelight, and I watched in fascination as Theodora lifted it high above her head and then swiftly brought it down and plunged it into the young woman’s chest.

  She died at once.

  The group of women started to chant while Theodora held onto the hilt. Blood dripped from the dead woman’s chest and seeped into the naked earth below her.

  Then, as I watched, the markings in the dirt slowly began to burn a vibrant orange, and they started to flow toward the feet of the witches. The women continued to chant, and even though their faces were mostly covered, I could see multiple pairs of bright orange eyes glowing underneath the black hoods.

  I couldn’t say how I knew for sure, but I knew they were absorbing the life out of the woman. They were stealing her youth and her vitality.

  I watched with fascination, and the witches cackled with satisfaction as the orange glow continued to flow in their direction. Theodora’s hands were still on the hilt of the dagger, and her palms were glowing as well.