by Logan Jacobs
Then she screamed out in agony, and her face turned deathly pale as she fell forward and into my arms.
“Headmistress?” I cried out as I caught her. “What’s wrong?”
Fearful eyes turned to Theodora as the headmistress breathed heavily in my arms and tried to look up at me with wide, panic filled eyes. Her entire body was violently trembling as she sucked in quick breaths and grasped tightly onto my arms.
Finally, she caught her breath and managed to stand upright before she turned to look at the sea of women all gawking helplessly in our direction.
“The Vipera Headmistress,” Theodora gasped as she placed a hand over her heart. “She’s already dead. King Donovan and his army have already penetrated the walls of Vipera.”
When I looked over at Nyx, her indigo eyes were swelling with horror, and I could feel a sudden shift in the air. It felt as if someone had knocked the wind right out of me as I stared at the resilient but slightly worried women before me.
“Then we need to leave,” I finally declared. “Right now.”
It was time to go to war.
Chapter 22
As Akira and Vesta ran off to fetch the weapons and armor, I glanced at the professors and took a deep breath. I saw the muddled confusion and concern embedded deep within their eyes, but I still knew they were prepared for anything.
Even if the possibility of death lurked on the horizon.
“It seems we have no time to devise a proper plan,” I explained in a rushed voice. “So, we won’t be flying the dragons directly to Vipera… we clearly don’t have enough time. Headmistress Theodora, if we work together, surely we can transport every dragon, shadow, and Wicca all at once?”
“It can be done,” Theodora answered as she chewed on her bottom lip, “but it certainly won’t be easy… in fact, it will take a great sum of power and energy.”
“It’s our only chance,” I said as I glanced around the room. “We’re running out of time and options, Headmistress.”
“I know,” she sighed, and her blue eyes darted around the banquet hall. “This is certainly not how I wanted things to pan out, but perhaps the dark spirits have another plan for us.”
“We’re here!” Vesta called out with Akira by her side. “We come bearing arms!”
Together, the two witches commanded a stream of weapons and armor to float into the banquet hall, and as they narrowed their eyes at the artifacts of warfare, they managed to guide them toward the tables and then carefully set them down. As I stared at the weapons, I spotted silver daggers, gold lances, longswords, granite-tinted axes, and other deadly arms I knew the women could handle.
Even if we were acting with haste, we wouldn’t be traveling unprepared.
“Excellent!” Theodora cried out as she clasped her hands together. “Now, everyone, gear up and be quick about it… time is of the essence.”
Without missing a beat, all the women gathered around the table and began to dress in shimmering gold and silver armor. As they quickly adorned themselves with assorted weapons, I followed suit and grabbed the largest silver breastplate I could find and secured it across my waist with brown leather straps.
“Um, Headmistress?” Beatrix peeped as she struggled to secure her own armor across her voluptuous breasts.
“Yes, Miss Beatrix?” Theodora responded as she stared at the light-haired witch with curious eyes.
“I-I-I think I know a protection charm…” she stuttered as a deep blush crept across her cheeks. “I’d been reading about one used during the First Dawn… you know, when witches still garbed armor?”
“And?” Theodora gently pushed.
“I-I think I can cast it upon our breastplates,” Beatrix struggled to explain. “It won’t protect us from all sorts of spells, but I think it would be better than nothing.”
“Well, then.” Theodora smiled with shimmering eyes. “What are you waiting for? Cast it upon the women.”
“Err,” Beatrix said in a faint voice as she glanced around the room. “Excuse me? Everyone…?”
“Hey!” I cried out in a commanding voice, and all motion stopped at once. “Beatrix believes she knows of a charm that will keep you safe from certain spells. Once you have put on your armor, gather around her… Beatrix, do you think it will take long?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s a very simple incantation.”
“Perfect,” I replied as armored women started to approach the light-haired brunette.
When everyone was dressed and geared up, we huddled in a group and faced Beatrix and Theodora, but before the knowledgeable charm witch cast her spell, she turned awkwardly to look at the older woman.
“Headmistress?” she asked in a quiet voice. “Are you not going to gear up as well?”
“I’m afraid not,” Theodora responded with a small smile. “It is seen as a weakness for the leader of a Wicca legion to garb themselves in armor. But please, do not concern yourself with my well-being. I can take care of myself. Now, go on and enact the charm if you please.”
“Err, right,” Beatrix muttered before she cleared her throat and stared upon the crowd. Then she raised her wand, aimed it above us, and closed her eyes. “Praesidio!”
Suddenly, a blast of shimmering purple light spurted out from the tip of her wand and exploded right above us, and witches gasped and awed as the light turned into glittering specks that fell upon us like snowfall and coated our armor.
“I don’t feel any different,” Akira grunted by my side.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to, Akira,” Morgana huffed. “It simply coats the armor. Duh.”
“Thank you, Miss Beatrix.” Theodora smiled. “Now, before we go, you’d better place the charm on yourself.”
“Oh, right.” Beatrix blushed before she repeated the incantation above her head.
“Alright,” I sighed as I turned to look at my coven and Circe. “Are you ready to kick some elder ass?”
“Absolutely,” Circe said as she bounced on her feet. “I’m thoroughly excited.”
“Of course, you are,” Akira snickered.
“I swear, when this is over, I’m smoking an entire bowl of pixie hash,” Nyx muttered as she adjusted her breastplate.
“Oh, master… before I forget,” Vesta purred as she reached behind her waistband. “I brought your bonded weapon… after you collapsed, I took it and put it in a safe place for you.”
“Thank you, Vesta.” I winked before I took the blade from her delicate hand and sheathed it. “I don’t know what I’d do without any of you.”
“Of course, master,” the elvish witch responded as she blushed a deep lilac-rose.
“Now, I need you all to quickly ensure everyone is geared up and ready to go,” I instructed before I looked around the banquet hall and spotted the pale-blonde Shadow professor, “and while you do that, I need to have a brief moment with Professor Luna.”
“Yes, master,” my women echoed as I parted from them and approached the Shadow professor.
“Ah, Cole,” Luna said as soon as she saw me. “I assume you’re about to ask me about the shadows?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact… I am,” I replied. “Will you be able to transport all the shadows from their dwelling within the woods? Last time we had to go to them… but perhaps we can bring them here to save time?”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll be able to manage, Cole,” the blonde-haired Wicca responded in an offended tone. “I just need a little room to breathe… summoning your own shadow is one thing, but summoning groups of shadows all at once… that’s something else entirely. It’s an ancient incantation that takes an immense amount of energy and power, and although shadows are ours to control by nature, they are complicated beings, and the longer they thrive outside of our bodies, the more they try to become their own being entirely. But it’s me… and really, there’s nothing I can’t handle.”
I was about to offer her my help, but judging by her cocked eyebrow and the hand on her hip, I had a fee
ling she wanted me to take a step back and let her work. So, I raised my hands in defense and took a small step back.
“I’ll let you work your magic then,” I said, “but please be quick about it.”
In response, Luna glared at me, rolled up her sleeves, and glanced around the room before she took in a deep breath. She then tilted her head back and raised her hands high into the air.
“Ego convocabo omnes untethered vocem meam obumbratio,” the blonde-haired professor chanted as the room quickly darkened, and a deep green hue swallowed the banquet hall whole. “Adhuc enim, et non ex nobis pars obliviscatur eius.”
In moments, everything trembled, and a deep chill swept through the entire room and killed all the candles. Then a giant black cloud spewed in the air and drifted toward the center of the room. When it finally cleared, a deep groan sounded and penetrated my eardrums, and then thousands of black silhouettes were flying through the hall and drifting like black ghosts above our heads. Through the dark fog, I spotted one enormous crimson shadow hovering closer toward me, and when his glowing eyes bored into mine, I felt the strangest sense of comfort wash over me.
Now, after everything we’d been through, he felt like my unholy guardian, ever watchful and diligent, even if he was technically a part of me. It was the oddest connection, but I didn’t question it any further because we had another battle to win.
“Hello, brother.” I smiled as I stared upon his red, ethereal magnificence. “We need your help once more. War is on the horizon, and I will need you to fight for me, along with all your shadow sisters. When we leave the Scholomance dwelling, I give you permission to rip through the throats of elder men and other soldiers who fight by their side. Then, when the time is right, I will call upon you to help me, but in the meantime, kill as many enemies as you can. That’s an order.”
Without missing a beat, my ghost-like companion bowed before me, and for a moment, I wondered if I was imagining things. His horns looked even larger than the last time I saw him, and I wondered if he could be growing in both strength and power, but I knew that was a conversation for another time.
“Look, the dragons are outside!” Faye cried out as she and Professor Evanora ran into the banquet hall.
I was so deeply immersed with the other tasks at hand, I didn’t even notice that my redheaded Wicca and the pink-haired professor had left the room and summoned the great beasts.
“Well done!” Theodora and I responded at the same time.
I felt a swell of pride as the winged beasts growled with feral grace outside of the academy, and as I gazed upon the thousands of armed women and our shadow doubles, I knew we’d be able to burn those elder bastards to charred smithereens.
They had underestimated us once more, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on their angelic fucking faces when they realized we’d built an entire army.
“The dragons are ready to taste blood and scorch flesh,” Evanora’s voice echoed with absolute pride. “I think we should leave soon… they are growing more impatient by the second. I can feel it.”
Evanora was right. Although we didn’t have time to formulate a proper plan, I knew we were fucking ready to take on the elder asshole king and his bastard minions. Time might not have been on our sides, but we had other and more powerful reinforcements to fight with, and the only thing we had left to do was to shadow port the hell out of here and get to Vipera.
“Headmistress,” I said as I stared at her beautiful but exhausted face. “Excuse me for being so forward, but I think we’d better get our asses to Vipera.”
“Agreed,” Theodora said without hesitation. “Now, for this shadow transportation, we’re going to need more than two minds to send everything and everyone to the Vipera realm. Cole… you and your coven must join the professors and me in a line. Then we must link hands… I know it will be difficult to transport everything and everyone when you’ve never been to Vipera’s realm, except for Nyx, of course, so that is why we must connect to one another so my knowledge might transform into your consciousness. Once that is accomplished, you must focus on the women before you… the shadows above us… and the dragons swarming around the castle just outside. Then utter the shadow porting incantation when I say so. Understood?”
“Yes, Headmistress,” we answered all at once.
As Theodora instructed, we all linked hands and formed a line in the front of the room, and I could feel everyone taking in a deep breath as we welcomed the darkness into our hearts. We stared upon the armed and armored women, and they all studied us with wide eyes and tightly pursed lips as they grasped firmly onto their weapons and wands. As I continued to peer into their warmongering eyes, I took another deep breath and welcomed Satan into my core. Then, before I prepared myself to utter the words which would send us off into the heart of battle, I prayed to the dark lord to watch over the women and protect my coven.
I knew He would be with us every step of the way.
Once my heart was open to deep, utter darkness, I closed my eyes and felt Theodora’s knowledge coursing through my hands, up to my arms, through my veins, and into my vast, open mind. As the image of the Vipera Academy pooled into my consciousness, I could feel searing power crawling beneath my skin and penetrating my bones, and I equipped myself to gather all our reinforcements to this other realm.
“Now!” Theodora bellowed.
“Hos parere imperio!” we all shouted at once, and then the entire packed banquet hall disappeared from view.
My body violently tossed, turned, and tumbled through realms, and when the world came to a halt, we all landed feet first on the outskirts of a cold, misty emerald green forest. The women, dragons, and shadows were surrounding us, and everyone took a brief moment to catch their breaths and look around.
The sky above us was deep, burnt orange, and the clouds were as red as fresh blood. The pine trees behind us were a pale olive-green, and a light film of snow coated their leaves. The soil beneath us was as black as night, but specks of frost made it appear like it was covered with diamonds.
As beautiful as the scenery was, what truly caught my attention was the towering charcoal-black castle in front of us and the giant, white beasts that were flying around it. Parts of the academy were on fire, and the mysterious, ivory creatures were perched on pointed towers while others were flying near the ground. It seemed like the winged creatures were scouring for witches to snatch from the earth and tear them to pieces like terrified lambs. Even from afar, we could hear screaming, and the smell of smoke was wafting through the evening winter sky.
My heart sank because, as fast as we had acted, I knew we couldn’t save everyone.
“What are those creatures?” Beatrix breathed as she stood by my side. “I’ve never seen them before.”
“Serpens,” Faye said in a small, terrified voice. “They are ancient, holy white beasts… made from the blood of dragons but transformed to obey elder orders. I never thought I’d see one in my lifetime.”
The creatures were unquestionably enormous, even from afar, and it was clear to me that they once derived from dragons since there were certain similarities in their features. Both were covered from head to toe in shimmering scales, but these elder-made creatures possessed ivory white scales, and their necks were slimmer and longer than a dragon’s. Their wings were different in form as well, and they resembled elder feathery appendages more than anything. As far as I could tell, these serpens did not breathe fire, but I could still tell they were swift, deadly, and cunning animals. Elders garbed in shimmering armor were sitting on their steeds and carrying bows and arrows as they flew through the sky, and they killed witches who were fighting for their lives by windows and on the roof.
“Well,” Akira sighed as she stood diligently by my side. “It seems they upgraded from a herd of horses to a cluster of serpens…”
“And, so what?” Professor Evanora smirked with her chin raised. “I say we attack them with our dragons and see just whose beasts are more powerful.”
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br /> “Meanwhile, I will take those who choose to bond with their shadows, and we will tear through the hallways and rip the elders apart,” Luna added as she looked at Crimson and Olivia.
“I’ll join you, Luna,” Crimson said as she stared at the dark shadows. “I harbor more skill when it comes to shadows… the abilities between shadow and necromancy are immensely similar, as you know.”
“Of course.” Luna nodded. “Olivia? Will you join the dragon riders?”
“Yes,” the silver-haired professor responded. “I am an excellent rider if I do say so myself.”
“Very well… in the meantime, I will shadow port myself and the armed women inside the castle,” Theodora said, and for some reason, I could feel my heart drop with terrifying dread because I could sense what she was about to say next. “Should I run into the king… I cannot say what will happen, but I will use all my power and might against him.”
“Headmistress?” I asked with raised eyebrows. “No… the king wants me… I can’t let you fight him in my stead.”
“Cole,” Theodora said in a firm voice. “We have no idea what Satan plans for my fate… now, forget about me and focus on your task. For now, you and the others will ride the dragons and rid those bastards from the sky. Then… you may enter the castle and do whatever must be done inside the walls of Vipera. Do not question my commands, for even if you are powerful, I still hold more experience than you.”
I thought about arguing with Theodora, but I knew better than to contradict her wishes. After all, she was still my headmistress, and the last thing I wanted to do was disobey or disrespect her wishes in front of the others.
“Yes, Headmistress,” I answered after a moment before I turned to our gathered army and raised my voice. “Come on! All those who will ride the skies with me… climb onto a dragon and let’s get a move on! We have blood to spill, souls to take, and beasts to tear apart.”
As the women cried out in a bloodthirsty roar, my crimson double hovered in front of me, and his eyes glowed with savagery and a thirst for elder souls. Without sharing a word, I knew what he was thinking. Even after voicing my orders, he still wanted to bond with me and combine our abilities, but now was not the time.