by Logan Jacobs
I watched as the orange-haired witch pulled out her blade and carefully carved into the bright-red bark, and when she managed to snap off a chunk of wood, pale-white paste began to ooze from the tree like pus from an open wound.
“Oh, shit,” Penelope hissed before she handed me her blade. “Please, hold this for a moment, master.”
I took the blade from her, and then the orange-haired witch pulled a small glass vial from in between her breasts and began to collect the paste as it seeped down the red bark. When it was full, she corked the glass shut and tucked it back into her dress.
“There we go.” She smiled as she turned to me and took her weapon back. “Now all we have left to collect are the petals. We’re looking for a giant, red flower with butterfly-shaped petals. If you see one, let me know. They blend in well with their surroundings, you know, in case a predator like ourselves are lurking about.”
“Alright… now just out of curiosity, how often do you carry vials between your breasts?” I joked as we turned around and began to scour the forest floor for the flower.
“It’s always good to be prepared,” Penelope chuckled as her wide, dark eyes skimmed the earth. “Right? You never know when you’re going to have to brew a special drink or in this case, a meager rabbit stew.”
“I wholeheartedly agree,” I said as my eyes landed on a large, bright butterfly-shaped flower, hidden beneath red vine-like bushes. “Look… I think I see the flower.”
“Where?” Penelope asked before I pointed to the plant. “Oh, that’s it! Brilliant eyes, master.”
Penelope carefully treaded toward the flower before she carefully plucked the oversized petals and gently slid them into her dress pocket. She then turned to me and flashed me a bright, proud smile.
“Ready to head back?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, master,” she responded before we marched back to join the others.
By the time we returned, a small fire was crackling, and the women appeared to be in deep discussion over a small, bubbling cauldron, but when they heard us approaching, they whipped their wands out and spun to face us in unison.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Vanessa grunted before she retracted her wand and safely tucked it back into her skirts. “It’s a good thing I looked before I blasted you into shreds.”
“How’s it coming along?” I asked as I ignored her comment.
“We’ve just been waiting for you, master,” Circe replied as she raised the skinless rabbit up into the air and smiled. “Doesn’t it look cuter without the fur?”
“Err… sure,” I chuckled. “Where did you get the cauldron?”
“Vanessa conjured one up,” Marina explained, and when the dark-haired professor shot her a glare, the purple-haired Wicca cleared her throat and looked down in shame. “Err… apologies, I meant Professor Vanessa.”
“Okay, great,” I said. “We’ve got the ingredients, so I suggest we give Penelope room to work. We can even scavenge for some potatoes, carrots, or anything to add a bit more flavor.”
“Yes, master,” my coven answered in unison, while Vanessa simply shook her head and sighed.
“Fine, but please, make it edible, Miss Penelope,” the dark-haired professor said with an arched eyebrow. “Just because I’m hungry doesn’t mean I’ll eat absolutely anything.”
“Of course, Pro--” Penelope began until we heard a deep humming noise echoing all around us.
Everyone was on their feet in the blink of an eye, and fingers were discreetly curled around blades and wands. I glanced frantically around the red woodland as I tried to figure out where the hell the noises were coming from.
“May we have a taste?” chuckled an older woman’s voice that sounded like it was coming from right behind me. “We’re sooooo hungry.”
“Not hungry… famished!” shrieked another mysterious voice before it broke out into hysterical laughter.
“I’m sure you are,” Akira said through her teeth as her black eyes darted back and forth like a wasp. “Just not for fucking rabbit.”
“What are you doing so deep within the Redwood?” cackled another shrill voice. “Don’t you know? It’s unwise to venture deep into the crimson forest… shadowy creatures are lurking in every corner and crevasse.”
“Why don’t you just show yourselves?” I demanded as I whipped around. “Or are you that afraid of us?”
“Not at all,” another voice said, and when I turned to face a nearby tree, I nearly jumped back as a pair of eyes stared right at me.
“Did I startle you?” the same voice asked, and as their eyes blinked, I took a small step back and looked at all the other trees surrounding the group.
Each one had a pair of vibrant, sun-yellow eyes staring right at us, and suddenly a chilling wind swept over us and blew out of the fire we had brewing. I could feel my blood turn to ice as I glanced around the darkening wood, and as menacing laughter filled the air, all the hairs on my skin stood on end.
“Ligni cutis,” Vanessa hissed as she pressed her back against mine. “Take out your wands. If we’re going to leave this forest alive, we’re going to need to use magic. No blade will take out these bitches.”
My heart began to thump wildly inside my chest as I slowly pulled out my wand. Soon, pairs of arms and legs began to emerge from the bark, and once we were surrounded by a group of towering, ghoulish-looking women with long arms, bark-like skin, and black claws, I knew Vanessa was right.
Blades wouldn’t suffice. We’d have to use magic to fight our way out of this one.
Chapter 9
“Aww, what’s wrong?” a haggard woman with rough, bark-like skin and yellow eyes chuckled. “Did you truly think you were alone in the deep belly of the Redwood? How silly of you, little darlings.”
“Um, Morgana?” Marina whispered as she took a step back, and we formed a tight circle with our backs pressed against each other. “What the hell are these things?”
“Are you deaf?” Vanessa spat before Morgana could respond. “I just told you!”
“You said the name,” the former siren panted, “but that doesn’t help me much.”
“Ligni cutis,” Morgana repeated in a raspy voice. “They take the form of trees, but they’re hags who wear the skin of bark to protect the forest… just another form of Ibridas.”
“Yeah, keep up, fish brains,” Akira huffed as she kept her wand aimed high and steady. “Let’s just focus on killing these things, shall we?”
“Wait a second… did that little bitch just call us hags?” one of the hideous creatures cackled in a shrill voice. “I think we should teach her a lesson on manners, don’t you?”
“Indeed,” another bark-skinned woman croaked as her yellow eyes peered at the bookworm, and she pointed a long, black claw in her direction. “Sortis!”
Before anyone could blink, a deep gash sliced across Morgana’s throat, and we all gaped in horror as she wrapped her hands around her neck and dropped to her knees. Thick crimson blood seeped out from between her fingers and dripped down her neck, and her blue eyes widened with pain and surprise as she clutched onto her fresh wound.
“Morgana!” Faye screamed before she turned her attention to the group of haggard women and narrowed her golden-green eyes in anger. “Secare!”
A bright light hit the woman who attacked Morgana, and she howled like a fierce winter wind as her branch-like arm fell from her body and soaked the ground with blood.
“Noooooo!” the armless woman shrieked. “What have you done? Heathens! Wiccas! Unholy Spawn!”
“Kill them all!” another cried out. “Don’t just stand there! Attack them! What in God’s name are you waiting for?”
“Keep your spells simple!” I yelled as we aimed our wands in front of our eyes and shielded the bleeding Morgana with our bodies.
“Yes, master!” my coven shouted before they commenced their attack.
Blasts of light immediately spurted in all directions as we wildly attacked the gaunt tree-like wome
n with common but potent spells.
“Volant!” Akira screamed as her incantation hit a furious-faced crone, sent her flying back into a tree, and smashed her into bits of bark.
“Glacio!” Penelope hollered as she froze another creature in place, and it shattered into a thousand shards of icy bark.
“Stupefaciunt!” I shouted before I hit another hag who raised her hand into the air and nearly cast another spell on us.
The red bark-like women all shrieked with surprise and terror as we continued to cast spell after spell on them.
“Necro!” another hag shouted, and a sharp spurt of light went flying in Marina’s direction, but Vesta quickly shoved her out of the way and was hit in the chest instead.
“Argh!” the elvish witch groaned as she looked down at the gash in the middle of her chest, but her enraged silver eyes quickly flicked up, and she didn’t waste any time to point her wand in her confused opponent’s direction. “Illuminana!”
Flames blasted from Vesta’s wand and set the tree-like woman on fire, and in seconds, the hag was burnt to a crisp while her companions gawked in horror.
“That spell should have killed her!” another crone squawked. “Why aren’t they dying?”
“We should leave!” screamed a hag with one missing eye and branch-like fingers. “They’re immortal!”
“That’s right, you ugly bitches!” Akira shrieked before she blasted another woman into splinters. “By the time we’re done with you, you’ll make some good fucking firewood for our feast!”
The hideous women all cried out in terror as they struggled to run back into the woods, and we killed a few more as they retreated until there was nothing left but bloody wood scattered all around the crimson forest floor.
“Well done,” Vanessa gasped as she twirled in a full circle to make sure nothing else was in our midst. “That wasn’t the cleanest fight I’ve been involved in, but at least no one is dead. How are you, Miss Morgana?”
“F-Fine,” the brunette gurgled as dried blood coated her neck and the corners of her chapped lips.
“Here,” Vanessa said in a surprisingly gentle tone. “You may not be dead, but your throat is still split right open… take this.”
We all watched as the dark-haired professor lowered herself down to her hem and carefully ripped a long piece of fabric from her gown. She then gently tied the dressing around Morgana’s neck and smiled when she stepped back.
“Not my best work,” Vanessa said, “but not half-bad, either.”
“Your wound will heal soon,” Akira cooed as she brushed back Morgana’s long, brown hair. “But trust me… it’s not a fun process, but it’s better than being dead.”
“Thank you,” Morgana rasped as she looked between Vanessa and Akira. “I appreciate it.”
“I’ll try and make an herbal paste for you,” Nyx suggested as her indigo eyes studied the crouched brunette. “It will make you see purple clouds for a minute or two, but the sensation will pass.”
We chuckled as the bookish brunette nodded in agreement, and when she was standing upright, Vanessa took a deep breath and looked around.
“Well,” the professor began with a long sigh, “at least they didn’t ruin our stew… seems untouched to me.”
“I’d better add the special ingredients to it, then,” Penelope sighed before she headed toward the small cauldron. “Let’s pray nothing pops out at us again while I do.”
“And I’ll make the paste,” Nyx suggested as she stared at Morgana and then at Vanessa. “Don’t worry, all I need is a little grim-root. I won’t be going anywhere.”
“Excellent, Miss Morgana, you may rest while we get to work,” Vanessa ordered as her eyes fell on the dead rabbits. “Once we get some stew in you and you’ve had a bit of Nyx’s paste or whatever she called it, I’m sure you’ll be feeling like yourself once again.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Morgana croaked as her fingers traced along the velvet tie around her neck.
“Don’t worry about it,” Vanessa replied as she dismissively waved her hand through the air. “It’s nothing, really.”
“It’s something,” I remarked as I stared deeply into the professor’s pale-blue eyes. “I’m glad you’re here with us.”
“Don’t get sentimental with me now, Cole,” Vanessa scoffed as she walked away from the group. “You’ll make me lose my appetite.”
I chuckled to myself as the professor returned to the pot, and when she was out of earshot, the others all turned to look at me with a small smile.
“She totally loves us,” Nyx giggled. “You can so tell.”
“Yeah, but let’s not rub it in her face, horn-head.” Akira smirked as she gently nudged the sapphire-skinned witch in her ribs. “Come on, let’s collect these dead bitches and use them for firewood.”
“Ooooh, yes, let’s!” Circe nodded in agreement. “I bet their blood will add a sweet and salty kick to the stew.”
“I said let’s use them for firewood, but knock yourself out,” the black-eyed witch chuckled. “Just please don’t make it more blood than stew.”
“I’ll try, but no promises,” the blonde Wicca joked.
We fetched bits of bark and began to toss them into the pile of wood beneath the boiling stew, and I couldn’t help but notice that each time I neared the cauldron, Vanessa would lift her eyes away from the brew and stare at me. There was no obvious menace or irritation behind her glare, and a part of me longed to seep into her mind and just take a peek at what she was thinking. The woman was certainly an enigma to us all. One moment, she was bitching at us, hurling insult after insult, and then she would do something uncharacteristically kind, like dress Morgana’s wound and urge her to rest.
Perhaps Nyx was right. Maybe Vanessa did care for us more than she let on?
As we all did our part, Vanessa, Circe, and Penelope took care to craft the brew, and by the time it was finished, the smell of sweet meat mingled with vegetables and spices wafted through the cool forest air and overwhelmed the senses.
“Alright,” Vanessa said in a firm voice, “hurry up, let’s eat before it gets cold. We still have plenty of walking to do.”
We gathered in a circle around the pot, and Vanessa closed her eyes and began to mutter something under her breath. In seconds, a small wooden bowl and a spoon appeared in everyone’s lap, and it took me a moment to lift my head and look at the professor.
“What?” Vanessa snapped with a fierce glint in her eyes. “Do I really have to repeat myself again? Hurry up and eat! Remember, we’re not only eating to fill our bellies, but we need to absorb Miss Penelope’s concoction as well.”
Each woman quickly and silently took turns to fill her bowl, but Circe didn’t hesitate to speak while enjoying her stew.
“Professor?” the serpentine witch asked as she blew the steam away from her spoon. “May I ask how you can conjure up items like that without using a great amount of power? I’d like to learn how to do it… I’m sure I was able to in my past life.”
“I’m sure you were able to as well,” Vanessa grunted before she shoved her spoon into her mouth.
“So?” Circe pushed, clearly not getting Vanessa’s obvious hint.
“So what?” Vanessa sighed as she rolled her eyes and then glared at the blonde witch.
“When will I be able to conjure up artifacts?” Circe questioned with her bright, serpentine eyes. “Which professor will teach us?”
“No professor can teach you the art of summoning simple objects with your mind,” Vanessa muttered as she stared down at her thick stew.
“Only the headmistress can,” I said, and when Vanessa’s eyes met mine, I felt a sudden shiver course through my body.
“That’s right,” she said after a long moment, and we still hadn’t broken eye contact. “It takes great skill and practice, but not so much power necessarily. You’ll learn once the time is right.”
“Well, I can’t wait,” Circe commented as her bright eyes landed on Vanessa’s w
olfish companion. “I can’t wait for a familiar as well… I wonder what mine was in my previous life.”
“Something talkative, I imagine,” Vanessa commented under her breath.
“How are our familiars chosen, anyway?” Marina questioned with a raised purple eyebrow. “I’d love to master the art, but I haven’t had a chance to conjure up one.”
“And you won’t until Professor Evanora believes you’re ready,” the professor remarked in a stern voice. “A familiar is one of the most complicated tricks of soul magic. A true familiar embodies all of your deepest traits and reflects your feral nature. They grow as you do, and if raised correctly, they will follow you to the death.”
She’s not wrong, Alexander said as he perched himself on my shoulder and stole a bite of rabbit from my stew. Hmmm, tasty!
“Take as much as you want,” I chuckled as he pecked down and snapped up another generous chunk.
“Did Satan have a familiar?” the former siren asked before she took another bite of her food.
“What is this?” Vanessa snapped. “Six-hundred-and-sixty-six questions?”
“I’m sorry,” Marina mumbled as her eyes wandered around the group. “I’m still new to this world. I just want to know as much as possible.”
“I’d actually like to know as well,” I offered before Marina flashed me a grateful smile.
“Different books tell different stories,” Vanessa sighed after a minute. “Some believe he carried a serpent around his neck while others believed it to be the three-horned goat, but no one knows for certain. It still remains to be one of the most unanswered questions of all time.”
“Why does Cole’s familiar embody different animals?” Marina asked as we finished our meal. “From what I’ve seen, he’s the only one with an animal that seems to reflect varied species.”
“I do not know,” Vanessa huffed. “There is plenty about Cole I cannot explain.”
“That makes two of us,” I remarked as I studied the remnants in my bowl.
