Scholomance 1

by Logan Jacobs

  It was the least Theodora could do. I knew she knew everything about me, and she was just waiting for the right moment to reveal the truth.

  But that was a matter I could worry about later. Right now, I had to focus on completing this Blood Pact. I was exhausted, worn out, and desperate for sleep, but I knew this had to be done.

  “You know,” Akira suddenly sneered, “we wouldn’t even be here if we’d found a copy of the pages on our own.”

  “Yeah, I imagine so.” I smirked. “Finding a copy would have been truly impressive, though, since I burned them all days ago.”

  All the witches gasped, and they turned to look at each other with quizzical and horrified expressions.

  Before any one of them could open their mouths to curse or yell at me, I raised my hand up to stop them.

  “Look, just admit you’re only jealous I got there first. I knew you’d cut me out if you found the Blood Pact without me, so I decided to beat you at your own game. Now, do you want to pass the final exam or not?”

  All the witches groaned with defeat and distaste, but they finally nodded their heads in agreement.

  “Alright, then,” I said as I rubbed my hands together. “Let’s get started.”

  I took a seat in front of the circle so I could look at every woman. Then I inhaled a long, deep breath and stared at each witch carefully. After this Blood Pact was complete, we would be bound for life to one another.

  “Are we ready?” I asked in a low voice.

  They all nodded their heads and stared at me.

  “I don’t know exactly what will happen after I perform the rite,” I started, “but the description made it clear I would be your master. You would be immortal as long as you obeyed and protected me. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, fine.” Akira cleared her throat. “Just get it over with.”

  “You all sure?” I raised an eyebrow as I looked at each of them.

  “What … uhhhh … exactly does ‘master’ mean?” Faye asked. “Does that mean we have to have sex?”

  “Oh,” I snickered. “Yeah. I’m totally going to fuck each of you. A lot. But don’t worry. Both Akira and Vesta have enjoyed the experience.”

  Faye and Morgana turned to Akira and Vesta. My two lovers’ faces briefly blushed red, and there was silence for a few moments. Then Vesta cleared her throat.

  “It felt really good,” she admitted.

  Faye and Morgana turned to Akira, and the coal-eyed woman glared back at them.

  “Just fucking do it,” Akira groaned. “We are already here. Would you rather be dead or have a bunch of orgasms? It’s not a fucking hard decision.”

  “Fine,” Faye groaned as she looked at me.

  “I guess we have no choice,” Morgana said and bit her pink lower lip.

  “You have a choice.” I shrugged.

  “Let’s just get started,” Morgana huffed as her blue eyes glared at me.

  I was going to have a lot of fun making her bitchy mouth moan in ecstasy.

  As long as we lived through the final exam.

  I still had my dagger tucked into my waistband, and I slowly pulled it out. All their eyes focused on the weapon, and I glanced at each witch with a raised, skeptical brow.

  “Everyone must use their own blood bonded weapons for the first step,” I said. “I hope you have them on you.”

  The witches all slowly nodded again and retrieved their blades from their cloaks, and I inspected each one under the candlelit chandelier that hung above us.

  Akira’s dagger was a small, curved blade with a black bone hilt. There were no carvings on it, though. It was just a short and simple weapon.

  Faye wielded a straight-bladed knife with a red-painted handle, and I noticed she had carved a small “F” at the bottom of her hilt.

  Vesta held a green and silver hilt with a medium-sized pointed blade that reminded me of a muskrat knife.

  And last but not least was Morgana’s weapon. It was a thin blade, thinner than everyone else’s, and it bore a simple black hilt longer than the knife itself.

  None of these weapons were even remotely impressive, and I knew without me, they would probably die during the final exam.

  “The first thing we’re going to have to do is cut into our skin,” I explained. “The deeper the cut, the stronger our bond.”

  I winced slightly as I dug my sharp blade into the palm of my hand, and dark blood seeped from the wound and dripped down my wrist as I cut deeper.

  The others took their weapons and quietly cut into their own hands as deeply as possible.

  “Now, listen carefully,” I breathed. “You must take your blood and draw a small pentagram on the floor. Do not let the angles of your drawings touch each other. We all must have our own separate markings. Got it?”

  The witches nodded gravely and began to draw a pentagon with their blood. Once that step was complete, I crossed over my own pentagon and went into the bare, middle area of the circle where there were no markings. Then I bent down, drew a simple, upside-down cross, and returned to my place.

  “Now what?” Akira asked.

  “Quiet,” I muttered. “Everyone close your eyes.”

  The witches all glanced at each other before they did as I commanded. Everyone was breathing steadily, and when I was sure they all had their eyes tightly shut, I closed mine, too.

  “Keep your eyes closed and join hands,” I instructed.

  We all reached for each other’s hands, and our sticky, warm blood merged with each other.

  “Hold on tight,” I said, “and breathe in. Do not focus on anything except the darkness. Absorb the dark spirits that constantly surround us and allow them to penetrate your minds and souls.”

  I could feel the air growing colder, and I knew the next step was approaching. The last and final step.

  “Vocavi, et tenebras petere quod sit conjunctio fiet, et anima per sanguinem,” I chanted.

  I summon the darkness and ask that we may be bonded by blood and soul.

  The floorboards started to shake, the walls vibrated, and I could feel the energy flowing through each of our hands.

  But we weren’t done yet.

  “Hae mulieres serve meus, et me in vita mea voluntati parere,” I chanted as the power built in my chest. “Say it! Say you serve me!”

  “Si audierint et observaverint illum sicut animam meam in dominum!” Vesta gasped as a static noise began to crescendo in the room.

  “Si audierint et observaverint illum sicut animam meam in dominum!” Akira growled, and the noise grew louder.

  “Si audierint et observaverint illum sicut animam meam in dominum!” Faye groaned, and the room started to rock like it was a boat in an ocean storm, and the static noise was the wind.

  “Si audierint et observaverint illum sicut animam meam in dominum!” Morgana shouted over the chorus of the black magic storm.

  “Et nos in viam diabolum malum,” I continued.

  I will the devil to guide us and lead the way to evil.

  “Nos gratias ago vos omnem virum robustum,” I finished.

  We thank you, almighty one.

  The room continued to shake, and even with my eyes shut, I could feel the candle lights fading and the energy growing darker but more powerful. Our joined hands started to tremble, and it was like an electric current was flowing through our linked palms.

  “Don’t let go,” I commanded. “Not until the pact is complete.”

  The current flowing through us was painful, and I could hear glass shattering around me and books falling from my desk onto the floor. No one winced or screamed, though, and we just held on as tightly as possible.

  Finally, the small earthquake dissipated, and the room grew warm, calm, and steady.

  “It’s done.” I exhaled as I slowly opened my eyes. “It has been done. We’re connected now, body and soul. And you are all immortal as long as you keep me alive.”

  “I don’t feel any different,” Vesta said with a frown.

&nb
sp; “Look at your hand,” Morgana suggested, and they all looked down to see that the cuts on their palms were now healed.

  Except my wound was still bleeding.

  “I guess it did work,” Faye said as she glanced at my hand. “How does the master thing work?”

  “I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “Should I give you an order?”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Akira groaned.

  “Stand up and raise your right foot in the air,” I commanded her.

  “Fuck you, Col--” the black-haired witch started to say, but her ebony eyes opened wide.

  Then she suddenly shot to her feet and raised her right foot into the air so it was about level with her left knee.

  “Are you fucking around?” Morgana gasped.

  “N-N-No,” Akira stuttered, and her face paled.

  “Raise your foot higher,” I ordered, and then Akira brought her foot up so it was level with her narrow hips.

  “Raise your foot above your head and point your toe at the ceiling,” I commanded with a grin.

  The four women let out a gasp as Akira’s leg stretched up in a classic ballerina pose so she was doing the splits, and her lithe body was tense as she held the position.

  “I … I can’t control my body,” Akira gasped. “Cole, please let me lower my leg.”

  “Lower your leg,” I laughed, and she let out a gasp as she brought her foot back down to the ground.

  “By Satan,” Faye growled as her green eyes glared at me. “Does this mean Cole can just tell us what to do whenever he--”

  “All of you get on your knees.” I smirked.

  Instantly, the four beautiful women knelt before me.

  “Huh,” I said as I reached out to run my fingers through Faye’s silky red hair. “This is far more powerful than I expected.”

  “So, we are your fucking slaves now?” Akira hissed.

  “I warned you this would happen,” I muttered as I ran my hand down Faye’s chin and then lightly rubbed my thumb across her full red lips.

  “W-W-What are you going to do?” the redhead gasped, and her green eyes opened wide with a mixture of fear and desire.

  “Your nipples are getting hard,” I chuckled as I glanced down where her breasts pushed against her thin shirt.

  “Fuck you, Cole,” Faye groaned. “You can’t do this to us. We--”

  “I can do whatever I want,” I sighed as I moved my finger away from her mouth. “All of you can stand up. I’m done playing with you. For now.”

  The four women jumped up to their feet, and then they each glared at me.

  “Look,” I sighed. “We are all stronger now. I know you don’t like that I’ve got control over you, but I’m confident you’ll be happy we all live through the final exam. It’s going to be impossible for us to die.”

  “We may be stronger now and technically immortal,” Akira whispered, and her coal black eyes were wide, “but that doesn’t mean we still can’t be killed tomorrow.”

  She was right. If I was ever killed, the witches would die.

  “But now that we are connected,” I said, “it means that, together, our powers will be stronger. Oh, and just as a reminder, if anything happens to me, the same will happen to you. Because I’m the master, and I hold the power here. So, it’s in your best interests to protect me.”

  “Don’t remind us,” Vesta growled.

  Everyone sat in silence for a long moment, as if still trying to understand what had just happened. I didn’t necessarily feel any physically different, but I knew I was forever changed.

  And so were the rest of the witches.

  Because they were my witches now.

  “We’d better return to our rooms,” Morgana finally said, and her blue eyes wouldn’t meet mine.

  I looked down at my bloodstained floor and my broken window.

  And then something hit me.

  “Since I’ve done this for you,” I said, “you’re going to have to do a little something before the exam.”

  “And what is that?” Vesta sneered as she folded her arms across her chest, but the expression carried little heat since the witches had basically all been defeated by me.

  “Collect all the ingredients for each spell,” I ordered, “including a human heart.”

  They all stared at me with loathing in their eyes, but finally, Vesta dropped her shoulders and sighed.

  “Fine,” she agreed. “We’ll do that. See you tomorrow.”

  I nodded, and Akira glared at me.

  “Have a good night’s rest, Cole,” she grumbled.

  “Awww, how sweet of you,” I snickered.

  “I do not wish you well because I care about you,” she scoffed. “I’m simply looking out for myself and the others.”

  “Understood,” I replied. “You do the same. Everyone needs to be at the top of their game tomorrow morning. Our lives literally depend on it. Gather the components and then get a good night’s rest.”

  The witches nodded in agreement and left my room, and as soon as I was alone, I took off my boots and trousers and climbed into bed.

  I hoped I would be able to get a good night’s rest. Like I’d said before, my life literally depended on it.

  So, the moment my head hit the soft pillow, I quickly fell asleep.

  The next morning, I woke up covered in sweat. I felt as if I’d suffered from a night of terrifying dreams, but I couldn’t be sure. When I thought back on it, everything was blurry. All I could remember was a dark forest and a pair of red eyes following my every step.

  I sighed and swung my legs out of bed.

  Today was finally the day.

  I rubbed my eyes and stared around my bedroom. I was surprised to see the window had repaired itself after last night’s magical earthquake, and the books were also back in their places. I rubbed the back of my neck and didn’t dwell too much on it. I needed to only focus on the exam.

  So, I quickly headed into the bathroom and splashed my face with icy water. When I returned to the bedroom, there was a small pile of new clothes on the velvet chair. I spotted a black, high collared shirt, a pair of black trousers, and a new pair of polished leather boots. I dressed as quickly as possible and was about to walk out the door until a breeze filled the room. It made me stop in my tracks, glance around, and look up at the ceiling. The candles were out, and I knew I recognized the familiar chill that filled the room.

  “Cordelia?” I called out. “Is that you?”

  “Why, yes, it is, sir,” her disembodied voice replied. “Would you care for a hearty breakfast this morning? It would help you build up some energy before the exam, I guarantee it.”

  I nearly flinched at the old woman’s shrill voice. It was louder than usual and higher-pitched, but I had to admit, breakfast before the exam actually sounded like a perfect idea. For once, I was actually grateful for her constant spying. As creepy and invasive as it was, it came in handy today because I was absolutely famished.

  “Sure,” I said as I approached my desk. “I’d love some. Thanks, Cordelia.”

  “Excellent,” she responded.

  I took a seat and waited for a moment, and then a white plate and golden goblet slowly started to appear on my desk. The meal looked absolutely scrumptious, with a poached egg, rye toast loaded with butter, baked beans, bacon, and fresh wild fruit.

  A napkin and a golden fork and knife sat beside the plate, and I dug into the food. My mouth instantly watered when I tasted the soft eggs and buttery toast. This was probably the heaviest breakfast I’d eaten since I’d been here, and I enjoyed every bite of it. I then took a gulp of whatever was in my goblet, but I nearly spat it out when I tasted how bitter it was.

  I thought it was going to be pumpkin or orange juice, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. In fact, it tasted like sour grape juice.

  “What the hell is this?” I coughed.

  “Apologies, sir, for the taste,” Cordelia said, “but the brew will help keep you alert. It is like a coffee, only stronger. I s
uggest you drink up.”

  I had a feeling Cordelia had my best intentions at heart, so I forced myself to drink the rest of the vile beverage. It left a sour taste in the back of my throat, but at least it would keep me awake.

  When I was done, I buttoned up my shirt to the very top of the collar and swung my black velvet cloak over my shoulders. Then I grabbed my black, bone-hilt dagger, and I stared long and hard at the weapon. It had helped me quite a bit since I acquired it, and I hoped it would help me survive this goddamn exam.

  Who knew what I was about to get into?

  I closed the door behind me as I left my bedroom. I hoped I would be able to see my room again and that this wasn’t the last time I’d be walking down these stairs and past the creepy paintings that followed my every move.

  I headed down to the Hex and Curse classroom, which was the only class that had been held in the dungeon. When I arrived, all the witches were lined up in a row. Vesta had on a silver cloak, Akira wore a deep emerald green one, Faye wore crimson to match her hair, and Morgana sported an ebony black cloak. All of our cloaks had the letters “S” for Scholomance sewn into the breast pocket.

  Vanessa, Luna, Crimson, and Headmistress Theodora were all standing in a line in the front of the room. They all wore the same dark cloaks and had the hoods pulled over their heads. The candles in the room were all glowing, and it felt as if we were about to be sacrificed. The air was heavy with tension and a tinge of fear.

  I stood next to Vesta and faced the professors and headmistress. Then I folded my hands and lowered my head, just as the other witches were doing.

  “Where is Sweeny?” Morgana whispered to Akira, who was standing right beside her.

  “I don’t know,” Akira hissed.

  “There’s no need to whisper,” Vanessa spoke up in a loud volume. “I was wondering the exact same thing.”

  “She’s on her way,” Theodora said in a confident voice. “I can feel her coming down the stairs as we speak.”

  Just as the headmistress predicted, the dungeon door swung open, and Sweeny appeared in a brown cloak. Her mouth hung open as she panted and struggled to catch her breath.

  “I’m sorry--” the scarred witch began, but Vanessa raised her hand.

  “No need to apologize,” she said. “You made it here before time was up, so there’s no need to burn you at the stake.”