Scholomance 7: The Devil's Academy

by Logan Jacobs

  “I’ll help you,” she said as she turned to focus on the cave stone wall. “Let’s bust this fucking cave open, shall we?”

  I steadied myself as we both narrowed our eyes at the stone wall, but before I could utter the incantation under my breath, Vanessa grabbed my hand. The feel of her soft skin against mine sent a sudden shiver up my entire body, and when I turned to look at her, she met my eyes for a brief moment and pursed her lips.

  “Our joined powers will burst it like a melon,” she said in a low, firm voice. “Let’s just get it over with, shall we? I don’t want to have to touch you for any longer than necessary. Now, together, let’s recite the motus incantation out loud.”

  “Fine,” I agreed. “On the count of three?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “But before we burst it open… I’d like to thank you for saving my life back there.”

  “Of course, Vanessa,” I said as her throat bobbed up and down, and I knew it had killed her to say the words. “Now, let’s do this. One… two… three!”

  “Motus!” we yelled at the same time.

  The cave wall ruptured open, and bits and pieces of rocks flew in all directions, so we had to duck out of the way as particles of dust drifted in the air and into our eyes and lungs. We struggled to breathe and stand upright as rays of sunlight spilled in through the wide opening, and when the pale sun entered the belly of the cave and struck the oncoming gargoyles, they all stopped dead in their tracks while their eyes burned bright yellow. Terrible screams erupted from their thin, stone lips, and sunlit cracks spread through their entire bodies like glowing veins covering every inch of their rocky frames. Finally, they cried out one last time in unison before they crumbled into piles of rubble, and soon, all was still and calm again.

  “Fuck,” Akira panted as we stared around the cave. “W-Was that it? Do you think Samara is finished with us?”

  “For now,” I breathed as I turned away from the disintegrated gargoyles and glanced back at the opening.

  When I stared at the world beyond the dark and dank cave, I felt a light sensation flowing through my body, as if starlight had replaced my blood and was now coursing through my veins and enlightening my black soul. I squinted as I stared at a glowing sun that shone like pale yellow diamonds through the cave, and I couldn’t see anything beyond the light. A strange wave of curiosity and tension weighed heavy in the air as I gazed long and hard at the opening, and every inch of my body longed for me to step outside and see what laid beyond the glowing light.

  “The holy light of the hybrid woodland,” Morgana panted in a dreamlike voice. “We made it… I almost can’t believe my eyes.”

  “I hate to say it… but the light is so beautiful,” Vanessa whispered. “I feel like bathing in it.”

  “It’s so lovely, it almost feels forged,” Faye sighed as her golden-green eyes reflected the diamond-bright light.

  “It’s like the perfect blend between elder and Wicca magic,” Nyx gawked, and her indigo eyes shone even brighter than usual as her familiar perched himself on her shoulder. “Satan… it’s glorious, isn’t it? I feel like I’m inhaling a new and incredibly intoxicating drug.”

  “It’s more gorgeous than I ever anticipated,” Akira said, “and all I can see is fucking light.”

  “Let’s step outside and see it for ourselves,” I said as I continued to stare out of the cave. “If we think it’s beautiful from the inside, just imagine what it looks like outside of this deadly, gargoyle filled cave.”

  “Agreed,” Penelope said with her chin raised. “Let’s go.”

  “Cole and I will lead the way, though,” Vanessa said before she held out a hand and stopped the orange-haired Wicca from stepping past her. “It may be gorgeous from within, but that’s exactly how it kills people. Samara chose this realm for a reason, so let’s remember to keep our eyes peeled and our senses on high alert.”

  “Yes, professor,” the women responded in unison.

  “We’ll be on the lookout,” Akira said in a confident voice. “We won’t let any of Samara’s dirty tricks get to us… no matter how beautiful, right, Vesta?”

  “Of course,” the elvish witch replied in a sharp tone. “Just because something is beautiful doesn’t mean it isn’t deadly… I mean, look at me.”

  “We’ll be fine, professor,” I said. “I guarantee it.”

  “I know,” Vanessa said with a gentle smile that surprised the hell out of me. “I know I may be tough on you all, but you’ve managed to come this far, and I know together, we will find the first artifact… now, let’s cut the sentimental shit and go onward, shall we?”

  We nodded in agreement before Vanessa and I headed past the mouth of the cave, and when we stepped out, everything suddenly became brighter and turned as clear as crystal water. My mouth dropped open as I stared at the glowing, emerald green forest Theodora spoke of before our journey, and the entire woodland was filled with towering pine trees and a glittering, jade thicket that spread as far as the eye could see. Sparkling fireflies and various colored birds soared through the lavender-hued sky and past the thick, honey-toned branches, and the soil was rich, dark as spiced coffee, and covered with small, colorful roses. The flowers were scattered all along the forest floor, like a rainbow across an ebony sky, and every time we took a step forward, the ground felt soft, like we were walking on clouds.

  “Unholy shit,” Akira muttered as her black eyes scanned our surroundings. “Even the air smells like perfume… take a whiff.”

  The black-eyed witch was right. Everything smelled of jasmine, mixed with the aroma of fresh, exotic fruit. The air was cold, too, like a newborn spring breeze coming to life after a brisk winter. I felt a strange sense of peace tinged with a deep feeling of apprehension as we walked through the woodland with our wands pulled out and aimed in front of us. The deeper we ventured, the louder the forest grew. Birds chirped, and the sound of wildlife became more distinct, but so far, there were no obvious threats in sight.

  “Remember what I said,” Vanessa muttered under her breath as she kept her wand aimed straight in front of her. “It may be as lovely as an oil painting, but there are dangers designed specifically against our kind lurking in every corner as we speak.”

  “We know, Prof--” Morgana began, but then a deep chuckle erupted from somewhere.

  We quickly stopped in our tracks and began to swerve in every direction.

  “Look at them,” said a beautiful but masculine voice, clear as the wind. “They look so deliciously delicate, don’t they?”

  “Hmmmm,” another male voice purred. “Pleasantly divine, Eric.”

  “Where is it coming--” Marina began, but Vanessa swiftly lifted her hand up into the air.

  “Quiet,” the professor snapped as her sky-blue eyes darted around the trees. “Don’t say another word.”

  We were as silent as the dead as we strained to listen, but only the comforting noise of the forest fell upon us again. Still, through the quiet chirping and the woodland souls of elder and Wicca creation, I could feel something heavy pressing down on us like an invisible blanket. I knew there were elder creations closely watching us, like a starving lioness observing a lame fawn from a distance, ready to pounce at any second and kill for her young.

  I heard something, Cole, Alexander’s voice whispered inside my head as he hovered above me. I can hear giggling. Cole, don’t be fooled by the silence... you’re certainly not alone. Something deadly is watching you... a group of them… perhaps more.

  “Alexander says he can still hear something, even if we cannot,” I muttered as the group turned their heads in all directions and kept their wands held up in front of them.

  “Lily agrees,” Faye whispered in a faint voice as she stared down at her white, loyal ferret. “She can feel something rattling beneath the soil.”

  “So does Silvia,” Morgana breathed in a fear-stricken tone.

  “Such brave… or perhaps reckless little witches,” a mysterious voice snickered. “Look ho
w far they’ve come. We haven’t seen any of their kind for years now, and I can’t help but wonder what made them venture so deep into the woods? Do they not know they are not welcomed here?”

  “Indeed,” another voice chuckled, and when I thought I saw a tree moving, my heart stopped.

  Behind the trunk was a slender man with shoulder-length, golden-blond hair and elongated ears. He was dressed in armor and wore leather sandals and trousers. His eyes were wide and bright blue, and his smile was as broad and cruel as a hungry wolf as he studied us from behind the golden-brown tree.

  “Elves,” Vesta hissed when she followed my eyes, and there was murder in her voice. “Elder elves.”

  “I didn’t even realize that was possible,” Marina hissed as she twisted her head in furious circles.

  “They can turn anyone into an elder,” Vanessa explained under her breath. “Just like we turned you from a siren into a Wicca.”

  “Look, how lovely!” another smooth, deep voice cooed. “I can see one of our kind… a princess, even! Look at the way her eyes glitter like the mountain river and her skin sparkles like the purest satin.”

  “Perhaps we can turn her into one of us,” chuckled another elf, and when I whipped around, I realized we were entirely surrounded by elves with beautifully crafted weapons. They had all emerged from their hiding spots, and now, I knew they were done taunting us.

  Fuck, Cole, Alexander muttered inside my head as he flew upward. There has to be at least twenty of them… no… wait… you’re completely surrounded.

  “I know,” I answered under my breath.

  No, Alexander said with more urgency in his voice. What I meant to say was… you’re surrounded by an entire army of elder elves.

  My heart stopped when I realized my familiar wasn’t exaggerating. When I slowly turned around and studied everything and everyone in sight, it dawned on me that we were entirely outnumbered. There weren’t twenty of them.

  No, there had to be at least a hundred.

  “Everyone, keep your wands extended,” Vanessa growled as she kept her wand aimed at the growing number of elves. “These creatures are sleek and cunning… as I’m sure you know, Miss Vesta.”

  “Aww,” an elf with very prominent ears and deep-red lips snarled. “Did you hear the compliment she just paid us? Perhaps we should take it easy on them?”

  “No,” the blond one answered, and I realized his armor was tailored differently from the rest. His breastplate was gold rather than silver, and his sword, leather sandals, and silks looked slightly more expensive than the rest, which led me to believe he was their leader. Then a shit-eating grin spread across his glowing face, and he raised his hand into the air and displayed his palm like he was preparing to cast an elder spell on us. “Let’s take our time and kill them nice and slow for Samara. Rumpio!”

  A blast of yellow, sun-bright light erupted from the palm of his hand and came soaring in our direction, but before it could turn us into smithereens, Vanessa lifted her wand into the air and screamed.

  “Clypeus!”

  Suddenly, an invisible wall spread around us like a watery dome and protected us against the explosive incantation. Vanessa’s barrier was so powerful, it sent the elf’s spell ricocheting through the woodland, and when the light bounced off trees, bark went shattering in different directions, and several elves had to duck out of its way. As Vanessa brought her hand down, the barrier broke, and her face went three shades paler than usual as sweat broke out across her forehead.

  “Damn her,” Vanessa hissed. “I’m weaker than usual…”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, “My coven is strong.”

  Then I spotted a redheaded elf from the corner of my eye as he took the opportunity to attack. He quickly raised his arm and aimed it at Vanessa, but I didn’t waste any time sending a spell of my own in his direction.

  “Dissulto!” I yelled, and a bright-crimson light surged from my weapon and hit the elf right in the chest.

  He flew backward and soared miles through the air until his body was impaled on a sharpened extended tree branch, and as his body hung there for all of us to behold, his companions reddened with anger and turned to face us.

  Then the blond leader raised his hand up into the air, and his eyes narrowed in our direction.

  “Attack!” he cried out. “Show them no ounce of mercy!”

  As a cluster of elder elves pulled out their weapons and started to run toward us, others raised their hands and began to send spells in our direction. The women were already prepared, though, and they defended and attacked with their own powerful incantations.

  “Alex--” I began, but my wolverine-like familiar was already on the prowl and thirsting for elder blood.

  Way ahead of you, Cole, my familiar’s voice resounded through my head. I’m about to tear these fuckers apart, starting with those pointy ears of theirs.

  As he flew toward the elders, the other familiars followed suit and began to attack without a hint of hesitation or mercy. Vanessa’s wolf tore out throats, Akira’s Komodo dragon poisoned elder elves with his venomous fangs, and Faye’s ferret dug her claws into their vibrant eyes. Silvia the bear and Penelope’s red panda tore heads from shoulders, and Trixie and Alexander flew toward men with their talons extended and tore into muscles and bones.

  “Use every spell you can,” I called out as I turned to look at my coven and the others. “Kill every motherfucking elder in sight!”

  As the women screamed out spells and blasted through the woodland Elven army, I sent magic coursing through the forest, and I quickly realized the army was still drawing closer.

  And with their weapons and numbers, I knew we’d need to find a way to take them all out at once, because the cold, hard reality was that there was no way we could fight them all with simple spells. No, we’d have to use a greater force of power if we were going to defeat an elder army on our own.

  As I struggled to think of a plan, a sudden, giant snarl reverberated through the skies, and when I looked up, I nearly dropped my wand from shock.

  “Is that--?” I began as a shadow crossed over us.

  “A serpen,” Vanessa finished, and her face turned whiter than milk. “Yes.”

  As the growl deepened, scorching flames descended from above and headed right at us, but I narrowed my eyes and quickly opened my heart to the Satanic darkness around us. It was incredibly difficult, more so than usual, and I knew it was because of the elder power placed here by Samara.

  But I refused to give in and allow a fiery death to rain down upon us, so with all my might, I willed the fire to stop right before it touched us, and as my anger boiled through my veins like a looming storm, I could feel my own blood turning to flame and venom. I glared at the elvish men who were nearing us, and when I had total control, I willed the fire to go flying in their direction.

  Motus.

  In seconds, the hovering crimson cloud of flames quickly soared toward the elders, and then the fire swept over them all like Satan’s breath and burned a significant number of them to a crisp. Black skeletons combusted into ashes, and not one of them had time to scream as their corpses scattered through the air.

  Fire to dust, the woman from my dreams said with pride. Burn them all, but first, destroy the serpen!

  I craned my neck to study the skies, and as I stared up at the massive, holy creature, I had no idea how I was going to kill such a magnificent beast on my own. But then, when I remembered what Theodora had said about shifting all elements, including flesh and organs, I stared at my bloodthirsty familiar, and a crazy but plausible idea sprung into mind.

  “Vanessa,” I said as I turned to the professor who was busy casting spell after spell. “Take my hand and focus on Alexander. Now!”

  “What?” she snapped without looking at me. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “We need to destroy the serpen,” I explained in a rushed voice, “but I’ll need your help… we need to use the ancient spell of modus to grow Ale
xander to the beast’s size.”

  “C-C-Cole,” Beatrix stuttered as she tried to keep blasting through curses. “Is that even possible? Volant!”

  “Well, we have no other choice but to try,” I said as I looked at Vanessa’s wide, confused eyes. “Are you willing to do that, Vanessa? Because, honestly, this might be our only solution.”

  “Fine,” the dark-haired brunette snapped before she grabbed my hand. “Together!”

  We both took a deep breath, and as we squeezed each other’s hands, we focused on Alexander and his body. In my mind, I pictured him growing in size and stature, enough to defeat a giant fire-spewing serpen who dominated the skies. I willed him to become greater than he already was, and with all hell’s power, I longed to see him tear the serpen into bloody ribbons.

  Uh, Cole? Alexander’s trembling voice rebounded inside my head as he stopped attacking the elders and hovered mid-air. W-What the hell is going on? I feel like my insides are shaking, and everything is changing!

  “Just relax,” I said as I gritted my teeth, and my breathing grew more labored.

  Vanessa’s body was also trembling as she gripped my hand, and together, we focused on Alexander as we muttered the spell together.

  Modus antiquorum.

  When the incantation echoed through the air, Alexander dropped a bloody limb from his claws, and his entire frame violently trembled as he grew ten times his size. His black, muscular body expanded until trees began to rip from the earth, and elders screamed in terror as my familiar’s growing frame crushed any elves who tried to escape his transformation.

  His great, bat-like wings turned to the size of a full-grown dragon’s appendages, and more and more trees were torn from their roots and then went flying through the woodland as he grew magnificent in size. Each echoing crash sent a satisfying shiver down my spine, especially when I saw the look on the elder elves’ faces as they watched my familiar become greater than any dragon in Wicca or elder existence.