by Logan Jacobs
Lovely, isn’t she? the woman’s voice hummed inside my head. I can tell by your silence that you desire her. Look at her… she has all the riches she could want, yet why does this queen seem so miserable?
It was true. The elder woman was breathtakingly beautiful, but she seemed lost. Her eyes were glassy, and her lower lip trembled like she was on the verge of crying her eyes out.
But I was no fool, and I needed to escape.
Now.
“You think I could be fooled by mere beauty?” I scoffed. “She’s an elder, and there’s only one thing an elder craves.”
And what is that? the woman demanded in a sharp tone. Do you think you know everything there is to know about us? I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, Cole. I think you could find true happiness here. Just let go of the world you cling so desperately to and open your mind to something entirely different.
Hot rage coursed through my body as this woman continued to taunt me. I knew deep in my heart that she was not the woman from my dreams. This stranger may have sounded just like my inner guardian, but there was veiled venom behind each word she sputtered, and I’d be damned if I fell for her tricks.
“I’m not falling for your words,” I sneered. “No matter how sweet you attempt to make them sound. Now… I command you to leave. This is my mind, and I refuse to let you take over my head any longer.”
My, my, my, her voice chuckled as it grew darker and deeper, and right then and there, I knew for certain this wasn’t the woman from my dreams. You truly are a difficult one to sway, Cole… but don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.
Before I could answer, the stunning hall and its elder queen quickly vanished from view, and soon, I could feel myself drifting into another world as the woman’s cackling echoed through my mind. The world went black once more, and everything became still and cold as stone.
When I finally came to, I was lying on the frigid floor, and Madame Soulton had her wand pointed right in between my eyes. Her blonde eyebrows were furrowed, and her lips were puckered as she looked deeply into my eyes, and a part of me thanked Satan she didn’t stun me, or worse.
“Cole?” she whispered as her snake-green eyes studied every inch of my body. “What happened to you? For a moment… I feared you might turn rabid.”
“No… I’m still sane,” I grunted as I struggled to sit up. I debated telling her the truth about my vision but swiftly decided against it. If I were to tell anyone about what had just occurred, it would either be Theodora or my coven. “I-I suppose the excitement of everything just got to my head… but I swear, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you’re well enough to see Vanessa?” the blonde Wicca demanded as she tucked her wand into her skirts. “If you’re not able to, then perhaps you should return to your quarters.”
“No,” I replied in a firm voice. “I’m alright.”
The head of the High Court swallowed hard before she gently shrugged her shoulders and then opened the door. The first thing I saw was Vanessa, asleep in a grand, ebony silk bed with tall mahogany wooden posts. Her dark hair was splattered across the pillow, and her face was paler than usual, though it bore her familiar scowl.
Before I stepped any closer, I took a quick moment to study her bedroom, and I immediately noticed how it perfectly matched her dark personality and attire. All the walls were painted midnight black, and the floors were covered with thick, crimson-patterned rugs. There was a crackling fire brewing in a grand, golden hearth to the right, and to the left, there were rows and rows of books situated on a massive golden bookcase. Vanessa’s loyal wolf familiar was curled into a ball on the foot of her bed, and the animal carefully studied the two of us as we stood at the threshold. Then the professor finally opened her eyes and saw the two of us, and her face twisted with confusion and impatience.
“With all due respect, Madame Soulton,” the dark-haired professor coughed as she struggled to sit up and cover herself with the sheets. “I would have preferred if you knocked… I could have been indecent.”
“Apologies, Vanessa,” the blonde woman answered with a small nod. “I didn’t want to bother you, considering your current state. However, we’ve run into a slight problem--”
“What is he doing here?” Vanessa interjected in a sharp tone, and her ice-blue eyes glared daggers at me. “I’m sure whatever it is, it doesn’t require Mr. Cole’s presence… this is all very inappropriate, you know. I’m not in a position to speak with students.”
“I’m here to tell you we have a severe problem,” I said before Madame Soulton could reply. “The minds of Wiccas have been infiltrated, and tonight, I’m afraid we lost a few women… clearly, the elders have made their move, and now, it’s time we made ours.”
“What?” Vanessa snapped as she sat up even higher. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that the elders are using their powers to take over the minds of Scholomance students,” I began. “There was a bloodbath in the banquet hall when we turned against each other, and I believe Headmistress Theodora should be informed… immediately. However, Madame Soulton thinks we should wait until morning.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but Vanessa’s face quickly turned two shades paler than it already was. Her penetrating blue eyes darted between Madame Soulton and me, and I could practically see the frantic thoughts in her head as they bounced back and forth like a bee trapped inside a goblet.
“Cole is right,” Vanessa finally muttered. “As much as it pains me to admit… we need Headmistress Theodora back. Right now.”
“She asked not to be disturbed--” Madame Soulton began until I spun around to face her.
“Look… I understand you’re the head of the High Court,” I snarled, “but what the hell is wrong with you? We need Theodora here, right now! We both know she needs to return to Scholomance, and she wouldn’t give a damn about being disturbed.”
“Excuse me?” Madame Soulton snapped with fierce eyes. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner--”
“He has a point,” a terse and familiar voice interjected from behind us, and when I spun around, I was surprised to see all the professors and the rest of the High Court women standing behind us. When Professor Olivia took a small step forward, her silver eyebrows furrowed as she studied Madame Soulton from head to toe. “Madame, I understand you want to take care of the situation on your own… but with all due respect, the Headmistress should be here. This is her school after all, and we all agree she would be most displeased if we waited a moment longer.”
“You all seem to be forgetting that I am the head of the High Court--” Madame Soulton began in a tight voice.
“Regardless,” a redheaded woman of the High Court interrupted. “She needs to be here. Right now. We normally would never go against your word, Madame, but these are dire and unprecedented times.”
I could almost feel the furious fumes radiating off Madame Soulton’s slender body, but when she exhaled and turned back to me, I knew she finally saw reason.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll summon her… but the rest of you should keep yourselves busy in the meantime. I’d rather Theodora not have to look upon her mutilated students as soon as she arrives. Understood?”
“Yes, Madame,” the women answered in unison.
Madame Soulton firmly nodded in my direction before she snapped her fingers and vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. When she was gone, the other women all turned to look at one another before they slowly regarded me.
“Cole, perhaps you should go to your room?” Professor Crimson suggested with twinkling, red eyes. “You can speak with Headmistress Theodora in the morning.”
“I’d rather wait for her here,” I replied with my chin raised. “If that’s alright with Professor Vanessa, of course.”
All eyes quickly turned to the ill-tempered Vanessa, and when I studied the drained professor, it was almost impossible to read her expression. Her face was as blank as a sheet of fresh parchment, and he
r eyes were vacant, but finally, she weakly shrugged and stared coldly in my direction.
“It’s fine by me,” she answered in a faint voice. “Please, ladies… go and take care of the banquet hall. Madame Soulton was right… the last thing Theodora would want to see is a banquet hall stained with her students’ blood. Especially when we were meant to be celebrating a victory.”
“Of course, Vanessa,” Professor Luna responded before she reached for the doorknob and slowly closed the door.
When we were finally alone, the air was thick with tense silence, and I stared long and hard at Vanessa before I slowly approached the bed. Her wolf glared right at me with bright eyes, and a low growl resonated in her chest as I drew even closer, but I didn’t falter, and that seemed to agitate her even more.
“Shhhh, Isobel,” Vanessa purred. “It’s alright, my love… he may be a man, but he means no harm.”
Her familiar studied me again before she slowly lowered her head, closed her bright eyes, and seemed to fall asleep.
As I took a seat next to the loyal beast, I gently started to pet her head, and her large ears twitched as she softly rumbled in her sleep.
“She may be protective, but she still likes you,” Vanessa commented in a flat voice. “I have no idea why, though.”
“Well, at least she does,” I lightly joked as I stared into Vanessa’s pastel-blue eyes. “In all seriousness, though… how are you feeling, Professor?”
“How does it look like I’m feeling, Cole?” the impatient Wicca snapped as she pulled the covers tightly across her chest. “First, I was possessed, and now this? I feel like there’s never a moment to breathe… it seems that with each passing moon, the elders grow thirstier for Wicca blood.”
“I understand,” I replied in a soft voice, “but you know that together, we can defeat anything, right?”
“With Satan by our side,” Vanessa sighed after a long moment. “I believe so.”
“Then stay strong,” I chuckled. “You’re one of the toughest women I know… and soon, you’ll be fighting by our side once more. I’m sure of it.”
After that impromptu compliment, I half-expected Vanessa to tell me to go to hell, or at least to get out of her room, but to my surprise, she blushed a deep shade of crimson and looked down at her hands.
“Thank you,” she muttered before her blue eyes flicked up to meet mine. “Cole, I--”
Before she could finish her train of thought, there was a gentle knock, and when we both looked toward the door, Theodora stood at the threshold and stared at the two of us with a small smile on her face.
“I’m back,” she seethed as she folded her hands neatly in front of her. “Now, let’s plan our revenge against those sons of elder bitches, shall we?”
Chapter 4
“Headmistress!” I blinked in surprise. “You arrived sooner than I expected.”
Theodora was dressed in a simple black-and-white velvet gown with red trimming on the hem. Her dark hair was drawn up into a tight bun, and her face was clean of any makeup, but she was still as beautiful as ever.
“But of course,” the headmistress answered with a small, coy smile. “I certainly hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”
“Of course not, Mother,” Vanessa said without making eye contact. “It’s just Cole.”
“Then I presume you won’t mind if I steal him away?” Theodora asked with her head tilted to the side.
“Not at all,” Vanessa replied in a rushed voice. “Please, go ahead.”
“Will you be alright?” I asked as I turned to look back at Vanessa.
The professor’s flawless face contorted into a small scowl, but she knew better than to tear me a new one in front of Theodora, so, instead, she flashed me a tight smile and lowered her eyes.
“Yes, Cole,” she said through her teeth. “You can leave now… I’ll be perfectly alright.”
“Are you sure?” I pressed as I stared at her pallid skin and weary eyes.
“Yes!” she snapped before she awkwardly cleared her throat. “I said I was alright… no need to waste any more breath on the matter.”
In response, I just sighed and shook my head before I gently pulled away from Vanessa’s bed and headed toward the door. When I approached Theodora, her gentle eyes examined me from head to toe before she stepped aside and gestured for me to leave the chamber.
“I’ll be back to check on you momentarily, Vanessa,” Theodora purred in a soothing voice before she softly shut the door behind us.
“Will she be fine?” I asked in a hushed tone. “She’s still looking rather pale, and we both know she’d rather die than admit she needs help…”
“Oh, she’ll be quite alright,” Theodora said as she waved her hand dismissively in the air. “I’ll give her a little something to revive her when I get the chance. Now… according to Madame Soulton, we have plenty to discuss, don’t we?”
“More than you know, Headmistress,” I groaned as we headed down the dimly lit corridors. “Before you arrived, I had a vision, right in front of Madame Soulton, in fact. I think she thought I was about to turn into a rabid wolf… or at least, a part of her wished I did so she could blast me into smithereens.”
“What was the vision?” Theodora asked with knitted eyebrows.
“It was of Scholomance,” I explained as we quickly headed down a flight of stairs, “but everything was designed in elder fashion. The walls were white as snow, and there was lively music, blooming flowers, flying serpens, and clear blue skies--”
“Disgusting,” Theodora spat with venomous eyes. “What else?”
“There was a woman speaking to me,” I continued as we approached her office door. “At first, she spoke in the same voice as the woman from my dreams and the painting, but then, it turned deeper.”
“What did this woman promise you?” Theodora asked as she pulled a large gold key from the inside of her dress and then unlocked her door. “I assume she tried to seduce you with something?”
“As a matter of fact,” I responded with a slow nod. “She did.”
“What was it?” the headmistress inquired as we stepped inside her warm, glowing office.
“Riches, power, women, and domain over all the realms,” I explained. “She wanted me to rule as an elder.”
“Anything else?” Theodora asked before she headed toward her desk and unlocked another drawer.
Before I answered, I watched as the headmistress retrieved something round and covered with a small silk sheet of dark fabric. When she revealed the mysterious object, I narrowed my eyes in confusion and stared at the black murky orb in her hands. It appeared to be crafted from black-and-silver marble, but deep inside the sphere, I could see wisps of smoke swirling around like a midnight sky was trapped within.
“What is that?” I asked as she carefully placed the cryptic orb on her desk.
“It’s a pila fortunae,” Theodora replied with a puckered forehead. “It can help answer several of our burning questions… only those who possess the greatest skills in premonition may seep into its mysterious mists… but before we proceed… I need to know what else this woman showed you. It’s crucial that you tell me everything, Cole.”
“She showed me the inside of another castle,” I said as I stroked my jaw. “She explained that this grand palace could be mine if I decided to join the elders and not only that, but I could be the new king to a beautiful elder queen.”
“And what did this queen look like?” Theodora pressed as she placed her hands onto the orb. “Did she show you?”
“Yes, and she was stunning,” I answered truthfully. “She had long, golden-brown hair, multicolored eyes, rosy lips, and pale cheeks. Her features were soft and doll-like… and her eyes… there was something about her eyes--”
“Her eyes,” Theodora repeated with a hard swallow. “Were they a cross between gray and green? Bright as a sea of silk and silver, yet just as green as raw jade or pure emerald?”
“Yes,” I answered without mi
ssing a beat. “It was the most unusual color I had ever seen… there were no words to truly describe it.”
“Well, Cole, I’m afraid the woman you saw in your vision was the same woman who penetrated your mind,” Theodora said after a pregnant silence.
“What?” I frowned. “You mean… she was basically offering herself to me?”
“Precisely.” The headmistress nodded as she continued to stare at the ebony-and-silver sphere on her desk. “Her name is Samara, and I believe your mind isn’t the only one she pierced. If what I’m sensing is correct… she was the one behind the bloodbath in the banquet hall.”
“Are you saying she was able to achieve all that mayhem on her own?” I gawked with wide eyes. “Then why didn’t she just do the same to me?”
“Cole, we both know how powerful you are,” Theodora responded without meeting my eyes. “Especially when it comes to matters of the mind. You are probably a delicious challenge to her… and she has certainly set her sights on you.”
“What else do you know about this bitch?” I growled as I visualized the bloodstained hall all over again, and boiling rage coursed through my body. “Please… tell me everything, Headmistress.”
“She was once a powerful Wicca,” Theodora began, “and she was seduced by elder power… this was long before I became the Headmistress of Scholomance, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. After she betrayed her sisters, she remained dormant for years, but now, things are clearly different. Her power is immeasurable, and she knows it.”
“She was once a Wicca?” I breathed in disbelief. “I mean… I’ve heard of women turning toward the elders, but still… it confuses me.”