by Logan Jacobs
When I reached Theodora's door, I tried to pull it open, but it was locked, so I banged on it like a madman.
“Headmistress?” I called out. “Headmistress, please open up! I need to talk to you! Please, it’s urgent!”
After a long moment, the door swung open, but instead of staring at the headmistress, I was looking at a younger and angrier version of her.
“What the hell do you want?” Vanessa sneered.
She was dressed for the ball, but it was difficult to focus on her eyes when half her perfect creamy breasts were spilling out of her black corset dress. Her cheeks and lips were rosy red, and she looked incredible, but as usual, her beautiful face was turned up into a bitchy scowl.
I tried to focus on her face, but it was difficult when her voluptuous chest was heaving up and down in anger.
“Hello?” she snapped. “Are you deaf? What do you want? You should be in the banquet hall.”
“I need to speak to Theodora--” I panted as I shook my head and snapped back to reality.
“I think you meant to say, Headmistress Theodora,” Vanessa corrected with her chin raised. “You disrespectful--”
“Let him in, Vanessa,” I heard Theodora call out. “It’s quite alright.”
Vanessa’s mouth snapped closed, and her lips set into a tight line before she shot me another glare. Then she glided out of my way and finally let me in, and I lightly brushed past her before I approached the headmistress.
Theodora was at her desk drinking a goblet of wine and searching through a pile of old books. I couldn’t help but notice she was also dressed in a black Victorian-style gown, and I quickly wondered why she wasn’t at the ball. The very same ball she’d boasted about and demanded we all attend. It just didn’t sit well with me, and I knew something wasn’t right.
I could feel it.
“Cole, what brings you to my office?” she asked as her eyes found mine. “You should be celebrating with your fellow students.”
“I should be telling you the same thing,” I replied with a cocked eyebrow. “Why are you hiding out here?”
“Hiding? How dare you speak to the headmistress that way!” Vanessa growled behind me, but Theodora raised a hand to stop her.
“That’s quite alright,” she tutted as she gave me a quick once over and then focused on her daughter. “Vanessa, you may join the others in the banquet hall. I shall be up there, momentarily.”
“But--” the angry woman argued.
“I said I’d be there,” the headmistress repeated with a little more firmness in her voice. “You may leave us.”
“Yes, Mother,” Vanessa muttered.
Vanessa shot me another dirty look before she left the office. As soon as she shut the door, the air grew heavy with silence, and all I could focus on was the crackling fire, but I quickly snapped out of it.
“Headmistress,” I began, “something strange happened in the banquet hall, and I think you need to know about it.”
“Oh?” she asked as she tilted her head. “And what might that be?”
“It was the strangest thing, but when I looked at the headmaster of the Mors Academy, I thought my skull was going to split in half,” I explained. “I’d never felt anything like it before, not from looking at another person. What was it? I know you know… your premonition skills are greater than any other living Wicca.”
She narrowed her pale blue eyes at me as if she were trying to assess the situation. Then she took in a deep breath and sighed.
“Cole,” Theodora said, “I think you should know by now I can’t answer that for you. Warlocks are powerful… and there could be several reasons why you felt what you did. I’m sure he is a tad bit resentful toward you, considering you beat his students today.”
“Well, with all due respect, Headmistress, what can you tell me?" I demanded. “Every time something strange happens to me, no one is there to give me a straight answer. Like, take for example, that day in Vanessa’s class when we were learning about the killing hex? Everyone’s rose died, but mine went up in flames. Vanessa said I had the aeterna ignis, and that’s what caused the flower to catch fire, but I don’t even know what that means--”
“It means eternal fire,” Theodora supplied.
“But what does that mean, and what does it have to do with me?” I asked.
“It means you have more power than most,” the headmistress answered as she leaned forward in her chair. “There will be many spells in your life that will not affect you the same way it affects others, and you must learn how to control it.”
“But why?” I pressed. “Why me?”
“Ah, now that.” She smiled. “That you must answer for yourself.”
“But how--”
“Did you know the study hall has a secret passageway?” she asked out of nowhere.
“Um… no… ” I replied slowly.
“Most people don’t,” she answered.
I was about to question her more until something on her desk caught my eye. It was a solid black stone, and I realized with a jolt it was the same stone we had stolen from Gregor the Great’s mansion.
“Here’s another question I’ve been dying to ask you,” I said as I pointed to the stone. “What the hell is that? And why is it so important?”
“It’s called a Defero.” The headmistress grinned. “It is used to communicate with those who are tethered in between worlds.”
“And you’re trying to reach someone in particular,” I mused. “Someone you know who’s been lost and in between worlds for a long time.”
“Something like that,” she said with the same serene smile on her face. “Anyway, I suggest you head back to the ball. Your coven will be wondering where you are.”
“Headmistress--” I started, but she was already standing up.
“I’ll see you down in the banquet hall shortly,” she purred. “Take your time, though. The halls are dark at night, and it’s easy to get turned around.”
“Alright.” I nodded slowly. “But you’ll keep an eye on the Headmaster of Mors Academy?”
“Both eyes, if I can spare them.” She smiled at me as I headed over to the door, and I shook my head as I left her office. Obviously, she wanted me to go into the study hall and find the secret passageway, but why? And why could she never be direct with her answers or wishes?
I sighed and rubbed at my face. There was no point in dwelling over questions that would never be answered. So, I quickly made my way to the study hall and ignored the paintings that scolded me for running through the corridors.
As soon as I was inside, I stopped dead in my tracks. The study hall was massive, and I had no idea where the hell I would start looking for a secret entranceway. There were thousands of books in here and hundreds of tables, so I sighed and slowly began to walk through the hall. As I glided through the empty study hall, I opened my senses up to feel for anything out of the ordinary. The air felt calm here, though, and nothing weird caught my attention as I walked past several tables and bookshelves. It just seemed like an empty, cold hall.
“Shit,” I muttered.
I took in a deep breath and tried again. I walked past the windows and focused on my heartbeat and the musty air around me, but I wasn’t picking up on anything.
I was ready to give up when something in the air suddenly shifted. It felt as if a cold gust of wind came from out of nowhere and was urging me to move to the very end of the room. So, I followed the feeling and went to another wooden bookcase. It looked just like the others, but I knew there had to be something different about it. It was screaming at me without even making a sound, so I stared at the books and traced the edges of the spines before I gently pulled each one back. I tilted every book, but nothing happened. I’d expected there to be a secret entrance behind this bookcase, but maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me.
“Fuck,” I hissed.
I was about to give up and turn around, but something caught my eye. It was a bright blue book entitled, “Mysteri
ous Mermaids and Troublesome Tooth-fairies, Volume One.”
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it. The strange thing was it clearly belonged to a set, but there was only the one. I pulled it back, and nothing happened, so I took a step back and glanced at all the spines.
Then I smiled when I spotted the same shade of blue, three books away to the right.
It was the same book, only this was volume two. Why the hell would they be separated like that? There had to be a reason. Without further hesitation, I reached out and pulled both books back at the same time. At first, nothing happened, and my stomach turned with disappointment, but when I pulled my hands away, there was a low rattling sound as the bookcase vibrated and slowly peeled open. A gust of freezing wind and thick dust hit me in the face when the bookcase had opened entirely, and I stared into the darkness in front of me and grinned.
I’d found it.
“Illuminana,” I muttered with my wand raised.
A bright light sprang from the tip of my wand, and all I saw was a stone stairwell that led down to another floor. I stepped past the threshold, and the sound of dripping water echoed all around me as I slowly made my way down to the mysterious level. I heard rats squeaking and scurrying past me as I crept lower, and by the time I reached the last couple of steps, the air had grown thick, and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. I briefly wondered when the last time someone had been down here, and I guessed it had been at least ten or twenty years judging by the accumulated cobwebs, dust, and grime.
I finally found the last step and looked around me. There wasn’t much down here, and the only choice was to walk down a narrow corridor that led to an arched wooden door at the end of the hall. So, I took in a deep breath and headed in that direction with the wand to guide my way. A few moments later, I pushed the heavy door open, even though I half-expected it to be locked. As soon as I was inside, a chilly wind swept over me, and I could have sworn I heard a woman whisper my name. An icy shiver crept up my spine, and the hairs on my arm stood on end.
I knew I wasn’t alone.
“Who’s there?” I said aloud. “I heard you… show yourself.”
There was no answer.
“I know you’re there!” I shouted.
Still, nothing.
I sighed and shook my head. Then my light spell faded, and I cursed under my breath.
“Illuminana,” I repeated.
My wand lit up the room, and I quickly scanned my surroundings. I’d been so distracted by the sound of my name, I didn’t even realize I was in a small bedroom. There was a small, dusty cot pushed up against the wall with a moth-eaten blanket on top of it, a tattered carpet covered the dirt-covered floor, and there were melted candles and shattered plates on the ground. It was a pathetic little room, but the most interesting thing were the mountains of antique-looking books that towered up against the pale stone wall.
“Cole,” the same voice suddenly whispered.
I whipped around, but I didn’t see anything or anyone.
“What do you want from me?” I growled.
There was no answer. All I could hear were the rats that continued to scurry around in the shadows.
I shook my head and tried to ignore the heavy feeling in my chest. Instead, I turned my attention to the books. Someone must have lived down here and spent hours studying these books. Whoever they were, they were a dedicated student. There were at least a hundred books here, and when I stepped closer to get a better look at the tomes, I realized they were ancient. I could tell by the worn-out leather, peeling titles, and tattered brown pages.
I found myself pulling a deep red book from the top of a pile, and a smile broke across my face when I read the title.
How to Overcome Obstacles of Unimaginable Proportions: A History of the Ludi Mortiferum
I almost couldn’t believe it. Theodora knew these were down here, and that’s why she’d sent me here.
So, I quickly tucked the book under my arm and glanced at the next book underneath it. I realized it was another advanced book of hexes and spells to help students survive the games, and I smirked to myself as I grabbed that one and then another one underneath it. Then I quickly realized there were too many books to carry with me at once. I’d have to bring the others down here to study instead. Maybe Morgana would know a way to quickly spruce the place up?
I made up my mind that I would return later, so I gently placed the books back onto the dusty pile. I did, however, decide to take a couple of books with me. One was about advanced hexes and curses used in the games, while the other was the first one I’d picked up. With my books in hand, I was ready to leave. I had spent too much time away from the others, and they were probably worried about me.
As I slowly turned around, though, I heard my name again, only this time, it was much louder and angrier. My heart hammered against my chest, and beads of sweat collected on my forehead.
“Cole!” a woman’s voice echoed around me. “Cole, come here! Let me see you.”
I glanced around the empty room and opened my mouth to speak, but no words escaped my lips.
“You look so young and promising,” the voice hissed from everywhere and nowhere. “Let me look into your eyes.”
“Oh, yeah,” I snickered. “The freaky voice wants to look into my eyes. How about you go fuck yourself?”
There was no answer this time, but a strong gust of wind nearly knocked me off my feet. I almost dropped my wand, but I managed to quickly compose myself and stand straight. Then I pointed my wand in front of me, and again, another gust of wind blew past me. I couldn’t say for sure, but it felt as if the wind wanted me to leave this pitiful little bedroom. So, I took in a deep, steady breath and followed my instincts. I headed back out into the corridor and followed the gust, but when I was by the stairwell, the wind completely stopped. I looked around and tried to figure out what the hell I was looking for, but all I saw was the narrow passageway and pale, cracked stone walls.
“What the hell are you trying to show me?” I asked aloud. “Huh? What the fuck do you want?”
Again, there was nothing. There was no response or sign that someone or something was down here with me.
Maybe I was going insane?
I shook my head and thought about heading back up the stairs until something caught my eye. It was a painting of some kind half-covered by a tattered cloth. It hung by the stairwell, and I could feel the dark energy radiating through the hall coming from it. I’d nearly missed it because the fabric was the same color as the wall.
“That’s it,” the voice murmured into my ear. “Just a little bit closer.”
I didn’t answer her. Instead, I extended my fingers and reached out to pull the fabric away, but when I did, I flinched back from a sharp heat that burned at my fingertips. Then I dropped the cloth, and my mouth hung open as I stared at the grotesque portrait before me.
It was a monstrous-looking woman with deep green, cracked skin. She was covered with boils and bumps, and maggots crawled through the crevices. Her eyes were drooping, and it appeared as if they were melting out of her sockets. Her teeth were brown and broken, her nails were long and piss yellow, and she had thin strands of dark hair along her scalp. She was ancient, hideous, but there was something preventing me from covering her back up.
I tried to look away, but before I could turn around, another gust of wind made my skin prickle and my neck hairs stand up. I waited, and slowly, before my eyes, the painting started to change. The woman’s green, decayed skin was gradually turning into a soft, creamy white, but that wasn’t the only thing changing. Her skeletal face slowly dissolved into a youthful visage, and thick black hair started to grow from her head and tumbled over her shoulders. Then her drooping eyes morphed, and they were suddenly the brightest and lightest shade of blue I’d ever seen.
When the transformation was complete, I took a small step back. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful and somewhat familiar, but the strangest thing was she lo
oked a lot like myself, and when I stared into her ice-blue eyes, I knew where I’d seen her before.
She was the woman from my dreams. Unmasked and uncloaked.
“You,” I whispered. “It’s you.”
Chapter 9
I opened my mouth to speak again, but I could utter no words. I was in a daze, completely mesmerized by the portrait in front of me, and I stared deeply into this mysterious woman’s eyes. They were cold, ice-blue orbs that penetrated my soul at first glance. The more I looked at her, the more I realized there was something truly remarkable about her, and I wished I knew what it was.
“I know you can see me,” I said after a minute of hard silence. “What do you want from me?”
The woman didn’t say a word, so I continued to stare at her.
I knew she could speak. All the paintings in the castle were alive, so what made her any different? True, the transformation had been a new experience, but it didn’t change the fact she could speak to me if she wanted to. I couldn’t understand it. She’d been calling me to her, and now, she was as silent as the grave. It was a strange turn of events, and with each passing minute, I grew more impatient.
“Come on,” I whispered after another long moment. “Speak… I know you want to. What is it you want to tell me? I’m here.”
I strained to listen, even for a whisper, but all I could hear was the sound of water dripping and rats squeaking. The air remained the same, and there were no gusts of wind or whispering of any kind.
She was gone.
I sighed and threw the cover back over the portrait. There was no point lingering down here in the cold while asking myself the same fucking questions over and over again. Who was this woman? Why was her portrait hidden deep beneath the castle? Why did I keep seeing her? What did it mean? I promised myself I would eventually find out who this woman was, but for now, I had other things to take care of.
I stared down at the book in my hands and decided to return to the common room. I didn’t want to head back to the banquet hall. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts, and I knew the coven would know something was up as soon as they saw me. Our bond was growing stronger every day, and I wasn’t in the mood to explain myself.