Scholomance 3: The Devil's Academy

by Logan Jacobs

  Vanessa turned to look at us with a proud smile on her face, and I saw she hadn’t been affected by the rain or sleet at all. She was dry from head to toe, but the other witches, including myself, were absolutely soaked.

  “T-That w-was i-i-incredible,” Morgana said through chattering teeth.

  “It’s not as simple as it looks,” Vanessa tutted. “It takes immense concentration and willpower. Your mood will determine what affect the spell will have once it is enacted. Now, who would like to begin first?”

  Morgana and Penelope both raised their hands at the same time, and Vanessa looked between the two and finally pointed at Penelope.

  “Come here,” she ordered.

  The orange-haired witch smirked and took a step forward, and Morgana did her best to hide her disappointment while the other witch stepped up.

  “The first thing you will have to do is magically cut your hand open,” Vanessa said, “and you must be able to transition from one spell to the next while proclaiming the full blood curse.”

  “Yes, Professor.” Penelope nodded.

  “Stand straight and focus on the air around you,” the older witch continued. “You must be able to work under pressure and not be distracted by external factors surrounding you… and when you’re ready, say: ‘interficiam carne mea, mutata tempestate.’”

  “Alright,” Penelope responded in a shaky voice.

  It seemed as if her confidence had evaporated into thin air.

  “Be sure to picture exactly what you want,” Vanessa instructed. “You can make anything happen… you are solely in control.”

  Penelope nodded her orange head and swallowed hard.

  “This should be good,” Akira muttered next to me. “She’s trembling like a fucking leaf.”

  Penelope stood as still as her nerves would allow and raised up her hands in the same way Vanessa had, but she was visibly shaking as she incanted the spell. Still, we all watched as the sky turned a darker shade of gray and small droplets of rain poured down from the sky.

  “Good,” Vanessa muttered. “Now, let’s try and make things a little more difficult.”

  Vanessa raised her hands again, and this time, a horrible wind picked up, and it nearly knocked us all over. I tried to steady myself, and I watched as Penelope almost let go of her wand.

  “Fight it!” Vanessa roared over the hurricane. “You must be able to overcome it!”

  I watched as Penelope struggled to raise her hand again, but I could tell the witch was a bundle of nerves and was struggling to focus.

  So, I raised my own wand and aimed it at the black clouds above us.

  “Onterficiam carne mea, mutata tempestate,” I muttered.

  I could feel a gash cutting across my palm, and hot blood dripped down my wrist as I raised my hand and pointed it at the violent sky. In my mind, I pictured snowfall, and I saw a thick white blanket of snow covering the grass all around us. I imagined frozen lagoons, bare trees, and a silver sky, and as I thought about all this, the hurricane started to come to a gradual halt. I could feel the air settling, and everyone breathed in awe as the sky lightened, and snow began to fall down.

  “How lovely,” Vanessa said as she looked up at the sky. “Although, technically, it wasn’t your turn, Cole.”

  “I just thought I’d help her out.” I shrugged. “No harm done.”

  “I had it, asshole,” Penelope grumbled and rolled her eyes.

  “No, you didn’t,” Akira muttered. “You are lucky Cole decided to save your bitch ass.”

  “Why don’t you say that to my fucking face, you--”

  “Anyway,” Vanessa hissed, “perhaps I overestimated you all… let’s try again with something a little simpler.”

  She conjured up a small cloud in the sky, and each witch took their turn to change the cloud into an unusual color. Akira managed to turn her cloud into a crimson red, while Vesta turned hers into the same color as her skin. The others managed to morph theirs into other colors, including azure blue, rose-pink, and key-lime pie green.

  “Well done,” Vanessa said once we all completed our transformations. “Now, let us return to the academy.”

  “Professor,” Ivy spoke up, and she twirled her blue streak of hair around her finger, “can’t we practice more?”

  “I think we’ve covered everything we can cover for today,” Vanessa replied. “I’ve done what I can, the rest is up to you.”

  Before anyone could argue, she flicked her wrist and shadow ported us all back to Scholomance. This time, we all landed on our feet, and Vanessa was already sitting at her desk.

  “Off with you all, now,” she said and pointed to the door.

  Penelope, Ivy, Iris, and Beatrix all left the room, but my coven still lingered behind.

  “What are you still doing here?” Vanessa sighed. “I thought I made it clear the lesson was over for today.”

  “Oh, Professor,” Morgana whispered. “Aren’t we going to go over more spells before the game tomorrow?”

  “What makes you think that?” the sharp-featured witch asked with her head tilted to the side.

  “Well, yesterday--” Morgana started.

  “That was yesterday,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I have other work to attend to. I’m sure if you continue to study your books, you will find everything you need to know. I would flip to chapter eighteen, page thirty-six in Weather for Wicca.”

  We all exchanged a knowing glance with one another and smiled. Then we left the classroom, skipped lunch, and headed down to the secret room to study. I ignored the painting, and we immediately began searching for the book Vanessa mentioned.

  “I found the book,” I announced after a few minutes.

  I flipped through the pages until I found the page Vanessa mentioned, and the chapter went into great detail about weather transformations. According to the book, Wiccas were able to transform the weather since the first dawn, and these types of spells were used during battles and as ways to control villages. They could cause droughts, floods, and other extreme forms of weather.

  “Hey,” I said, “it says here we can drain oceans and create deserts.”

  “With the same incantation?” Akira asked.

  “Yes,” I replied. “We can do almost anything… so long as we can maintain focus.”

  “Let’s sneak outside and practice,” Vesta suggested with glittering eyes.

  “Good idea.” Akira grinned. “But let’s not do anything too dramatic.”

  “Agreed,” Morgana nodded. “We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention.”

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  We left the room, and as we headed to the stairs, I was tempted to look behind the cloth again, but instead, I left her alone.

  The halls were empty since it was supper time, so we quietly walked down the corridors, slipped down the stairwell, and headed outside. It was sunset, and the sky was a dark mixture of pinks and reds.

  “Perfect timing for a little bit of practice,” I said as I looked up at the sky.

  “You go first,” Faye suggested as she pushed me forward. “Let’s see if you can turn the sunset into night.”

  My coven all grinned in excitement as I took a step forward, and then I raised my hands and recited the spell. Blood dripped down my hand as I stood there and took control of the sun. I pictured nightfall, and I saw the stars in the sky as clearly as if it were right in front of me. As I stood there, the sun began to seep below the horizon at an incredible pace, and then I thought I heard a voice calling out to me.

  Cole, it whispered. Can you hear me?

  It was the woman’s voice, and her smooth and light tone made my hair stand on end. Suddenly, my head started to feel as if it were about to split open, but I gritted my teeth in agony and struggled to focus with all my might.

  Cole! she said a little louder.

  Storm clouds started to appear out of nowhere, and the air grew chillier. Lighting cracked in the sky, and a heavy wind picked up. I
had no control over what I was doing, and the more she spoke to me, the less in control I became.

  “Cole, what are you doing?” Faye shouted over the storm.

  “Cole, stop!” Akira demanded.

  I couldn’t stop, though, even if I wanted to. She was in control now, and as hard as I pushed her away, she wouldn’t quit. My head grew lighter, and as everything became blurry, I could barely hear the other witches calling out my name.

  All I could hear was that woman’s voice right before my entire world went black.

  Chapter 12

  Sudden and overwhelming darkness took over my body and soul. It felt as if I were sinking into the depths of a black ocean, and the harder I tried to swim to the surface, the more useless it became. I was drowning, and I could barely breathe. I could practically taste the saltwater as it flooded into my lungs, and I knew it was just an illusion and that I needed to open my eyes, but no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible. My mind was pure black, and all I could hear was the mysterious woman’s voice as she repeated my name over and over again.

  Cole, she whispered. Wake up, Cole.

  I wanted to tell her I was trying, but it was no use. My mouth was clamped shut, and my body felt heavy as lead. Panic built up inside me as the darkness continued to swallow me whole. Her voice became more distant, and I wanted to reach out and find her, but she was nothing but an echo.

  Finally, when I thought I would never wake up, someone clutched onto my shoulder and gently squeezed.

  “Cole,” a familiar voice said. “Can you hear me?”

  To my surprise, I managed to force my eyes open, and when I did, I saw my coven. They were staring at me with concerned expressions and trembling lips. I looked down and saw I was tightly swaddled in one of the infirmary cots. My head was throbbing, and the last thing I could remember was being outside and in the middle of a brewing storm.

  “Oh, thank Satan, he’s awake!” Morgana breathed. “You had us worried there for a moment.”

  Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and her skin was flushed. All the women had their hair pulled back and were wearing the same cloaks we’d worn during the first game. That’s when I shot up with a terrible realization. Today was the day of the second game of the tournament, and I would never be able to forgive myself if we missed the second game.

  “Did I wake up too late?” I breathed. “Did we miss the second game?”

  “No,” a voice by the doorway said. “Not yet, anyway.”

  We all turned our heads to see Vanessa standing at the threshold of the infirmary, and she was wearing a dark plum-colored gown with full, multi-layered skirts and thick black gloves. The professor looked irritated, which wasn’t unusual, but there was something dark and furious in her ice-blue eyes. Her red lips were set into a tight line, and when she looked at me, it was if she were glaring at a filthy gnome.

  I’d angered her, and I had a feeling it had something to do with the fact I was lying in this bed.

  “Hello, Professor,” I muttered.

  “What the hell happened?” she demanded. “All I told you to do was practice! Not put yourself into a coma.”

  “I was actually hoping someone else could tell me what happened,” I said, and I was mildly annoyed with her overly bitchy attitude. “The last thing I remember was trying to control the sunset, but then something… or rather someone took over my mind, and then it’s nothing but a blur from there on.”

  “Who was it, Cole?" Morgana whispered with excitement in her blue eyes. “Was it that woman? The one from your dreams?”

  Morgana was quick as a whip, so I nodded slowly, and she put a hand to her mouth. The rest of the coven, though, still appeared unsure about this mysterious woman who haunted my dreams and invaded my mind without warning.

  “What woman?” Vanessa snapped. “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “Cole believes there is a woman from a painting who has been visiting him in his sleep--” Morgana started to explain, but I had to cut her off. There was no time to discuss this right now, and I knew Vanessa was running thin on patience.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “We need to get to the game.”

  “Are you positive you’re up for it?” Vanessa asked with furrowed eyebrows. “You were knocked out cold.”

  “I can do it,” I replied in a firm voice.

  True, I felt like a storm of heavy stones had rained down onto me, but there was no way I could forgo the game. It was going to be difficult, though. My head was heavy, and there was a stinging sensation behind my eyes as I raised my body upright. My arms trembled from the effort, and I nearly collapsed back into the bed as I sat up, but I didn’t give a damn. I couldn’t let my coven down, and even if it killed me, I’d win this game.

  “Very well,” Vanessa said, even though she didn’t look happy, “it’s your choice.”

  “You’d better get dressed.” Morgana smiled faintly. “We need to be down in the banquet hall--”

  “In ten minutes,” Akira finished for her. “So, haul that ass.”

  I nodded as Vanessa and my coven left the infirmary, and then I sighed and forced myself to get out of bed. I was wearing some kind of white nightgown, and my uniform and cloak were neatly folded in a chair by the bed. I smiled as I picked up the clothes, and I suspected Cordelia had something to do with the convenient change of clothing.

  As I bent down to pull off the gown, though, a sharp pain shot through my body.

  “Shit!” I muttered.

  I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. Every bone ached as I stood upright and got dressed, and I hoped by the time we entered the tournament, I would be feeling better, but that was a slim possibility.

  As soon as I stepped out into the corridor, Morgana slipped me something into my hand. It was cold and small, and when I looked down, it was a vial, filled with a dark blue liquid.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “It’s a remedy,” she whispered. “Technically, we’re not supposed to take anything before a game, but I figured we could make an exception for you.”

  “You were the last person I’d expect to break a rule.” I smiled as I tilted my head back and drank the sour brew. “Thanks, though… I appreciate it.”

  “Right?” Akira smirked. “I almost didn’t believe her when she first suggested it.”

  “Alright, I get it,” Morgana huffed before she took the empty vial from my hands. “I’m the tedious rule follower. Anyway, you guys go on. I need to hide this.”

  We did as she asked and made our way down to the banquet hall, and some of the portraits cheered as we passed them.

  “Even the paintings want us to win,” Faye giggled.

  “Don’t even say the word painting,” I grumbled under my breath,

  “Oh, right.” The redhead blushed. “Sorry, I forgot.”

  “It’s fine,” I sighed. “It’s my own problem… one I’ll have to deal with later.”

  “Your problem is our problem, Cole,” Vesta sighed, and the other three witches nodded.

  “Yes,” Morgana agreed. “You are our master, and you give us power. We need you.”

  “Alright,” I said as I smiled at them. “Thanks.”

  When we reached the banquet hall doors, Morgana had returned to us. Clearly, she’d run the entire way because she was breathing heavily, and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Damn, woman,” Akira said, “breathe… we still have five minutes before Theodora announces the trial.”

  “I-I-I’m trying,” Morgana panted.

  “In and out.” Faye smiled.

  Morgana wasn’t the only one who needed to breathe, so I took in a long, deep breath and instantly relaxed. Whatever Morgana had slipped me was already beginning to work. I could feel the ache leaving my head, and the pains in my body were slowly fading away.

  At this moment, I was ready to take on whatever the game had to offer.

  “Let’s go,” I said. “Morgana, I order you to relax. Be
confident, alright?”

  She nodded in my direction, and her breathing became steady and quiet.

  I looked at each witch and grinned. “We’ve got this.”

  Then I pushed the heavy doors open and took in the sight before me.

  Students were lined up against the walls, and the moment we stepped inside, everyone’s eyes turned to us. I lifted my chin proudly, and we made our way to the front of the room and joined the other three groups. I turned to glance at the Vipera academy, and I noticed Nyx and Esther were smiling in my direction. Ash and Lena, however, had their focus elsewhere. No matter where they looked or how they grinned, I could see their competitive nature shining through them. They were here to win or die, and they weren’t the only ones.

  The other Scholomance group had their heads held up high, and they grinned maliciously when they saw us approaching them. The Mors team, though, now with one less teammate, didn’t even bother to acknowledge us. They simply stood there with their chins raised and shoulders pushed back. Their headmaster, however, glared right at me as we stood in our assigned spots. I tried to ignore his glare, but it felt as if it were penetrating my soul.

  I did my best to shove the notion aside and focus on what was ahead of me.

  Headmistress Theodora nodded in our direction and flashed me a small smile. She was wearing a long gold and black gown, and her long dark hair was spilling over her shoulders. Vanessa stood by her mother, and as usual, she didn’t look pleased. Her pale blue eyes darted over to my direction, and her expression remained as cold as ice.

  I looked away and fixated on the sea of Scholomance students staring at us with wide, eager eyes and broad smiles. Some were even carrying little flags with the Scholomance crest on it and wearing small golden pins.

  “Welcome, all!” Theodora grinned. “To the second Ludi Mortiferum game!”

  Thunderous applause followed, and the headmistress had to settle everyone down.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she said with the same smile, “I know it’s all incredibly exciting, but we must get to it. The objective of this game requires quick-wit, patience, and willpower. The teams will be sent to a mysterious realm where they must locate an extraordinary cave. Inside that cave lies an even more extraordinary artifact that will shadow port them back to the academy. Obviously, the first team to retrieve the key wins. Now, let us commence!"