by Logan Jacobs
“Could you please just be quiet?” Penelope snapped. “Let Cole focus.”
“But--” the blue-skinned witch started to say until I raised a hand to cut her short.
“She’s right,” I said. “Please be quiet… I’m trying to think.”
“Fine,” she answered with a long, drawn-out sigh. “I’m sorry. I’ll be chill. I’m just nervous.”
“It’s fine,” I muttered as I tried to study each book in view.
After quickly glancing at row after row of books, it felt as if they were collectively mocking me. There were countless amounts of them, and Theodora didn’t even mention what they looked like or how many there were in total.
Thirteen, a familiar woman’s voice echoed in my mind. Thirteen red books.
I chuckled and then shook my head at myself. The woman from the painting was still a mystery to me, but she was willing to help me whenever I desperately needed it, so I couldn’t complain too much.
Thank you, I said.
Of course, she responded, but you must hurry… they are looking for you, and they’re getting closer.
I nodded to myself and then searched the bookshelf for each red spine I could spot. Then I pulled all the red books I could see, and even though I grabbed more than thirteen, I began to hand them out to my coven.
“Everyone, grab a couple of books,” I ordered as I tucked two underneath my arm.
The others followed my lead, but as we were collecting the books, there was a loud crash by the archway, and when we looked up, a group of warlocks was headed right toward us. There were about five of them, and they were all wearing their hideous white suits and had their hair slicked back.
As soon as they saw us, their eyes darkened, their frowns deepened, and I could feel their hatred and contempt for us radiating off their bodies like a noxious odor.
“It’s him!” a dark-haired warlock snarled as he glared at me with nothing but pure disgust. “Kill him and his bitches!”
As soon as the command left his lips, another warlock with ginger-blond hair raised his wand in my direction, but before he could open his mouth to utter a spell, I lifted my own wand even higher into the air and pointed it right at him.
“Stupefaciunt!” I cried out.
A red blast of light hit the ginger-haired warlock straight in the chest, and he went flying backward and crashed into a bookcase. Then the entire thing came colliding down on him and crushed his bones. His bloody hand peeked out from underneath the clutter, and it slowly twitched before it went completely still.
I didn’t even have to tell the others to attack and protect the books. Each witch began to blast spells in the warlocks’ direction, and we dodged their attacks as best we could.
“Conligo!” I snarled.
My light hit the dark-haired warlock, and he froze in place before he stared at me with wide, vacant eyes.
“You bastard!” One of his counterparts attempted to take a step forward and aim his wand at me.
“Volant!” Morgana cried out before he could utter another word.
The warlock was not prepared for the brunette’s swift and sudden attack, and he was sent flying through a stained-glass window. His cry echoed through the air until his body hit the ground, and then his fellow classmates turned to us in horror and fury.
“Kill every single one of those fucking bitches,” another warlock with deep green hair commanded. “Now!”
Without hesitation, we shot countless spells at the warlocks, and the room was filled with an array of violent bursts of color as we blasted through the damn study hall. We were picking the warlocks off one by one, but surely, more would arrive. The noise would have alerted the castle, and we were running out of time.
“Why the hell haven’t we shadow ported out of here yet?” Nyx screamed over the commotion. “This shit is not cool!”
“Good question!” Morgana shouted back.
Then, as if Theodora had heard her, a great cloud of smoke surrounded us, and we soon found ourselves spinning through the air once more. I kept the textbooks clutched tightly against my chest as we traveled back to Scholomance, and soon, we all came crashing down into Theodora’s office. The room was warm and inviting, and there was a small fire crackling in her fireplace, so it took me a moment to steady my breathing and accept we were no longer in danger.
“Ah,” Theodora purred as we slowly stood up. “You made it back in one piece. Well done.”
The headmistress was seated at her desk, but she was wearing a different gown from the last time we saw her. It was a long flowing dress and made entirely out of red velvet. Her hair was also loose, which was unusual for her, and her face was a little pale. I knew she’d been worried about us, and it must have kept her up nearly all night. When I glanced at the stained-glass window, it was still dark, but who knew what time it was? We’d been gone for at least several hours.
“You can let the books go now,” Theodora said with a small smile on her face.
I looked down, and I didn’t even realize I’d been clutching onto the books for dear life. Each witch had been doing the same damn thing, and we all chuckled nervously at each other as we slowly loosened our grip on them.
Theodora glanced at each one of us, and her eyes twinkled with pride and joy.
“Motus,” she uttered.
Then the red books hovered from our grip and began to float over toward the headmistress, and she smiled in satisfaction as each book drifted over to her desk.
“Well,” she said as she glanced at each one of us, “I’d say you’ve all had quite a trying night. You should catch a few hours of sleep since your next class will commence in just a few hours.”
“Sounds good.” I nodded before I turned to the others.
“Oh,” Theodora purred as we turned to leave, “Penelope, I think you’ll be relieved to see your new quarters have been moved up into the suite. You’ll find all your belongings in there as well.”
“Oh!” she gasped as she brushed back a strand of orange hair. “Thank you, Headmistress.”
“Yes, of course,” she answered as she dismissively waved her hand. “Honestly, it was nothing. What you all did for the school was remarkable, and I wouldn’t even know how to begin to thank you for your bravery and comradery. Now that we have the books, I think it’s safe to say our new lessons can officially begin.”
“That means a lot, Headmistress.” I nodded in gratitude. “We’d do it all over again if we had to.”
“Oh, I know,” the dark-haired headmistress replied with her chin raised, and her pale eyes wavered around the room until they landed on me. “Cole, would you mind staying behind for a moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you before you head off.”
“Of course,” I agreed.
The others all flashed me a small smile before they quietly left Theodora’s office, and as soon as they closed the door behind them, the headmistress turned to look at me with a pair of glittering, curious eyes and a small, unreadable smile on her face.
“So, tell me,” she began. “What else did you obtain other than the books?”
I smirked and looked into her sky-blue eyes before I answered.
“Well,” I answered slowly, “it wasn’t good news.”
“That much was to be expected,” she responded in a tentative tone. “What did you find out?”
“Apparently, Mors Academy is trying to rebuild,” I started. “They are in the process of selecting a new headmaster, and… apparently, they are preparing to build an army to serve an elder king.”
“Was his name Donovan?” she asked in a faint voice. “Or as they so beseechingly refer to him as ‘Donovan the Great?’”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “We took a warlock as a hostage and interrogated him, and he spoke briefly about the king.”
“Satan,” Theodora sighed as she rubbed furiously at her temples. “Alright… thank you, Cole.”
“But, Headmistress,” I implored. “Who is he?”
�
��He was once a great warlock, but then he turned to the elder gods,” she explained in a tired voice. “That was a very long time ago… he has been dormant for years, but now, he’s apparently finally decided to emerge from the shadows.”
“Well,” I said before I took in a deep, slow breath, “I suppose all we can do for now is prepare for him.”
“Exactly,” she agreed with a serene smile. “Now, off to bed, you’ve only got a few hours to sleep before the real lessons begin.”
“Of course,” I replied before I gently bowed. “Goodnight, Headmistress.”
“Sleep well, Cole,” she said before I turned around and headed straight out the door.
As I walked down the empty corridors of our academy, I couldn’t help but think back to the Mors school. They seemed to be disorganized and in the process of rebuilding, but still, how long would it be before they began training with elder magic? Once their new headmaster took over, then what?
I tried not to dwell on the possibilities that I could not control and instead focused on what could be done to train the Scholomance witches against elder magic. We finally had the books we needed, and now, I just had to rely on the professors and Theodora’s capability to teach the students to the best of their ability.
When I stepped inside the common room a few minutes later, my entire coven turned to face me with broad and proud smiles.
“Cole!” Penelope was the first to exclaim. “Come and see my quarters… it’s magnificent.”
I chuckled under my breath and then nodded at the eager orange-haired witch.
“Sure,” I agreed. “Let’s have a look.”
“It’s a… pretty room.” Akira grinned mischievously. “You know, it kind of looks like a fairy threw up in there.”
“I feel inclined to disagree, Akira,” Vesta purred. “It’s rather feminine and elegant. Of course, it’s not as sophisticated as mine, but still, it harbors a certain charm.”
“It could also use more books,” Morgana added, “but still… it’s quite a nice abode.”
I laughed as Penelope rolled her mahogany brown eyes and then gestured for me to follow her up the stairs.
“It’s amazing, Cole,” she breathed as she hopped up each step like an eager bunny. “Just wait until you see it for yourself.”
“I can’t wait,” I answered with a smile.
Finally, we reached a wooden door with orange carvings engraved along the golden doorknob, and when the bright-haired witch pushed it open, I was amazed to see a beautifully decorated, blush pink bedroom. There was a grand bed situated in the middle of the room, and the silk sheets were rose-pink, while the pillows were a mauve purple. The carpet was gold and pink, and it had intricate patterns flowing across the fabric that stretched across the entire cherry wood floorboards. There was a tiny desk by a small, arched stained-glass window, and on top of it were stacks of small vials, potion bottles, and rolled-up scrolls. A forest of herbs hung from the ceiling along with chains of necromancy bones and dried up twigs.
It looked like part bedroom, part potion lab, and part greenhouse.
“I’d like to be able to create my own spells, someday,” Penelope whispered as she followed my eyes to the desk. “Sometimes, when I have a spare moment, I like to write down lists of ingredients and then brew them to create something special.”
“That’s fantastic,” I said as I turned to her. “How come you never told us before?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I just never thought it was a big deal… it’s a silly hobby.”
“If you end up creating a new spell or potion, then it sure will be a big deal,” Morgana said as she and the rest of the coven stood in the doorway and marveled at the rosy pink room.
“I doubt it.” The bright-haired witch blushed modestly. “As I said, it’s just a hobby.”
“Don’t say that,” I said as I playfully nudged her. “You may be on to something, and the rest of us wouldn’t even know it.”
“Thanks, Cole.” Penelope smiled. “Not only for saying that, but for this room as well. I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s yours, so I like it.” I smiled at the orange-haired beauty, and she grinned back as her cheeks turned red.
“What are the plans for the rest of the night?” Morgana asked. “I’d like to get some study time in.”
“Of course, you would,” Akira snickered.
“Well…” I yawned as I made my way back into the hall. “Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pretty fucking tired.”
“Same here,” Faye added before she rubbed at her eyes. “I’m going to call it a night.”
“I guess I should rest also,” Morgana sighed. “Good night.”
“Good night,” I said as the brunette and redhead headed into their own rooms.
“Night.” Penelope smiled before she closed the door on us.
As soon as she shut the door, Vesta and Akira exchanged coquettish grins with one another before they eyed me up and down.
“Master?” Vesta purred. “May we join you in bed?”
“We’d love to keep you company until sunrise.” Akira smirked. “Who needs rest, anyway?”
As I stared at the two carnal witches, I could feel the duo’s arousal radiating off their bodies like a heatwave. I didn’t even have to reach between their legs to know they were wet with desire and aching to have me inside them.
Any exhaustion I’d experienced a moment ago vanished within the blink of an eye.
“Of course.” I grinned. “Let’s go.”
I followed the two witches down the stairs, and I could already feel myself growing hard as my eyes traced every curve of their perfect bodies. As soon as we reached my bedroom, the two witches closed the door behind them and waited patiently for me while I sat down on the edge of my bed and studied them.
Vesta’s silver eyes were filled with longing and desire, while Akira’s black orbs emitted feral passion and impatience, and I chuckled as I slowly began to unbutton my shirt and then kick off my shoes.
“Were we feeling lonely tonight?” I teased as I tossed my shirt on the floor.
“Master,” Vesta purred before Akira could even part her purple lips. “After the way you took control back there in the Mors Academy… all I could think about was returning to Scholomance and climbing onto your cock. My body aches and yearns for your touch… please do not deprive me any longer.”
“I see,” I growled, and then my eyes landed on Akira. “And you?”
“I just want you to fuck my brains out until I can’t feel my pussy anymore.” The dark-eyed witch grinned. “Then I want your precious, unholy seed to fill up my empty womb, master.”
“Is that so?” I chuckled. “If that’s the case, then I’ll give in to your wishes… but first, I want you to undress each other… and slowly… I’ll even allow you to tease each other a little before we begin.”
“Yes, sir,” they both purred before they turned to look at each other.
Vesta was the first one to reach over and then slowly unbutton Akira’s white blouse. She took her time with each button, and occasionally, she would flash me a small smile. When she finally reached the last button, she carefully pulled back Akira’s shirt and let it fall to the floor.
Akira chuckled as she stood there half-naked with her perky breasts exposed and illuminated under the dim candlelight, and as Vesta began to kneel before Akira, the black-eyed witch’s breathing grew more rapid with excitement.
The lavender witch softly giggled as she hooked her purple thumbs along the edges of Akira’s black plaid miniskirt and then gently began to pull them down while she kissed the other woman’s pale thighs.
“Hmmmm… That’s nice…”Akira smirked as Vesta planted small, butterfly kisses along her long, pale legs, and when her skirt was all the way down, Vesta began to slowly reach up toward the black-eyed witch’s dark, lace underwear. Before she gently began to pull down Akira’s panties, though, the elvish witch shot me a small, sexy
smile.
“Does this please you, master?” she purred.
“It does,” I breathed, and I could feel the blood rushing to my cock. “Pull them off… and then taste her.”
“Yes, master,” the purple witch murmured as she slowly pulled down Akira’s underwear.
“Fuckkkk…” The black-eyed witch shuddered with pleasure as soon as she was naked, and my cock throbbed as I stared at her slim, athletic build and the small strip of black hair in between her legs. Akira looked down at the purple witch and then smiled before Vesta gently grasped her by the thighs and edged closer to her pussy. Akira moaned as soon as the purple witch stuck her tongue in between her legs, and my cock twitched with anger as I watched the dark-haired witch shudder with feral pleasure.
“Ooooh,” Akira groaned. “Fuuuuuckkk. Soooo goooooddd.”
“You get so wet,” Vesta purred between licks. “It’s already running down your thighs.”
“Yeahhhh…” Akira wove her slender pale fingers through Vesta’s light green hair and gently tried to force her to go in deeper, but I held a hand up in the air.
“Enough,” I growled. “I said she could taste you… nothing more. Don’t be too hasty, Akira, or you won’t get what you came here for.”
“Noooo, master,” the black-eyed witch pouted with her plump purple lips. “I’m sorry… I got carried away thinking about your cock inside me while she licked me.”
“Well, I know how you can make it up to me.” I smirked. “I want you to undress Vesta and… I’ll tell you what to do once she’s naked.”
“Yes, master,” Akira replied in a soft voice. “I’ll do whatever you wish of me.”
“Good girl,” I said as I watched the two witches from my bed.
A naked Akira inched closer to the elvish witch and then slowly began to unbutton her blouse. She was a little rougher with the buttons, and as soon as she reached the last one, she practically tore the shirt off Vesta.
I allowed it, though, not only because it was a turn on, but because I knew Akira was incapable of hiding her impatience and eagerness for my cock.
