Scholomance 6: The Devil's Academy

by Logan Jacobs

  “Wow,” I heard one of the sirens whisper to another. “They’re also quite beautiful, aren’t they?”

  “Thank you very much, dear,” Theodora chuckled. “Let me be the first to welcome you into our academy. I should love to give you all a proper tour when the appropriate time arises, but for now, my daughter will show you all to the infirmary and provide you with warm clothes, food, and any other comforts you may desire. The castle is your home now, so please make yourselves as comfortable as possible.”

  “T-Thank you, Madame,” Marina said as she tried to cover up her bare body. “We appreciate your kindness--”

  “It’s Headmistress,” Vanessa snapped with cold, narrowed eyes. “Not Madame.”

  “It’s quite alright, Professor,” Theodora said in a softer tone. “They’re new and probably freezing. Please… attend to their needs and be quick about it.”

  “Yes, Headmistress,” Vanessa muttered before she clapped her hands, swung her skirts, and then headed down the hall. “Follow me! Quickly now, we don’t have all day!”

  Despite the urgency and tact in Vanessa’s stern voice, all the women turned to look at me as if they needed permission to follow the professor out of the banquet hall.

  “Go ahead,” I urged in a soft voice. “You’ll be fine.”

  “Thank you again,” Marina whispered as she stared deeply into my eyes. “We will never forget this.”

  “She speaks the truth,” Ava added. “We are indebted to you for all eternity.”

  “You’re welcome.” I smiled. “Now, go on… rest and recover… I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon.”

  As I watched the former sirens leave the banquet hall, an overwhelming sense of pride surged through my entire body, and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I imagined these new women roaming the halls of Scholomance.

  I was still deep in thought until Headmistress Theodora waltzed over to me and flashed me a small, proud smile.

  “Well, I’m certainly glad to see you all in one piece,” Theodora remarked as she folded her hands neatly in front of her. “How did it go?”

  “Lovely,” Circe said before anyone else could respond. “They tore their master, Bo-something into bloody ribbons. I haven’t had that much excitement since I died!”

  “Where will you put them, Headmistress?” Morgana asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “We shall place them in the preschool courses,” Theodora explained. “I think that would be the wisest course of action to take,”

  “Ahh,” I said. “And since we need to focus on recruiting, maybe the punishment for failure shouldn’t be death, but more training?”

  “Hmmmm…” Theodora hummed as her eyes fixed onto me. “Perhaps we can provide a few more safety nets in the classes. Now, if I were you, I’d hurry out of here. Your next class is about to start.”

  “Oh, Satan!” Morgana breathed with wide eyes. “We’d better go! Err… excuse us, Headmistress!”

  I stifled a laugh as the bookish brunette ran out of the banquet hall, and we had no choice but to follow her because Theodora was right. Even though we’d just defeated a sea master and transformed dozens of sirens into Wiccas, we still had to carry on with our class schedule, just like any other ordinary students.

  Even if we were far from ordinary.

  Chapter 13

  “Which class are we heading to?” Circe asked as we ran down the hallway and past a series of empty rooms. “I never know where we’re going!”

  “Shadow with Professor Luna,” Morgana huffed as sweat dripped down her brow, “and we cannot be late!”

  “Yeah,” Faye panted as we ran even harder. “It’s a general rule never to be late to class, but Professor Luna is one teacher you’d never want to cross.”

  “Why?” Circe wheezed. “Is she as ill-tempered as Vanessa?”

  “No,” Akira answered through labored breaths, “but she’s certainly crazier.”

  “Yeah, she’s not all there,” Vesta added in a smooth voice. “So… be prepared for some weirdness.”

  “Actually…” the black-eyed witch chuckled under her breath. “You two might get along.”

  “Hmmm,” Circe answered with a small smile. “Well, now I’m very excited.”

  “We’ll see about that.” I grinned when we finally reached the classroom door. “Here we are.”

  I pushed the door open, and when we stepped inside, our eyes fell upon a glittering classroom with sleek black floors and twilight blue walls. The desks were made of ebony wood, and a massive silver and diamond chandelier dangled from the ceiling. The dim candle light reflected off the hovering ornament and cast a ray of glowing specs across the walls. The classroom was already filled with students, and the only empty desk I spotted was at the very back of the room.

  “Wow,” Circe breathed in fascination as she gazed around the class. “Oh, look! An owl!”

  When I followed the blonde’s serpentine eyes, I spotted Silverstone, Luna’s loyal white familiar, perched on her velvet desk chair. Its shimmering eyes met ours, and it cooed like it was telling us to take a seat, and the entire class began to giggle as it continued to spurt deep hoos in our direction.

  “Oh, shut up,” Akira mumbled. “It’s been a long night.”

  “She can’t understand you, remember?” Faye rolled her golden-green eyes.

  “I don’t give a shit,” the black-eyed witch snapped. “She’s annoying as fuck, and I like telling her to shut up, even if she can’t understand one damn word.”

  “Now, that’s not a very polite way to speak to my darling, is it?” Professor Luna’s voice echoed through the classroom.

  In the next second, a great cloud of smoke erupted in the middle of the classroom, and when the mist cleared, Professor Luna stood in its place. This morning she was dressed in a long silver gown with a deep plunging neckline, lace sleeves, and a wide shimmering skirt, and her flowing, luscious pale blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders and down to her slim, hourglass waist. Her lavender eyes glowed with mischief as she regarded the entire classroom with her hands folded neatly in front of her, and as she studied the room, her owl flew onto her shoulder and rubbed its head along her chin.

  “Yes, that’s a very wise idea, isn’t it?” the pale blonde Professor purred as she petted her owl. “You’re just full of brilliant ideas, aren’t you, my darling?”

  “What did she say?” Circe asked with wide serpentine eyes.

  “She wants to know why you aren’t in your seats,” Luna answered without meeting Circe’s eyes, “so she suggests you all sit at a table before I lose my patience.”

  “I can’t even remember what my familiar looked like,” Circe remarked as she ignored the professor’s warning. “I think it might have been a snake… or a cougar. One or the other.”

  Professor Luna abruptly stopped petting her owl and turned to study Circe with wide, curious eyes.

  “You’re a strange one, aren’t you?” she asked with a pale arched eyebrow. “I like that… what’s your name?”

  “Circe,” the blonde serpentine witch responded. “Please forgive us for almost being late, but we spent the night in a frozen realm where a group of sirens tore into their former master and ate him down to the bone, and then we had to--”

  “Err, Circe,” Morgana whispered in an awkward voice. “I think we’d better take a seat and let Professor Luna carry on with the lesson.”

  “Oh, right!” Circe smiled. “Sorry about that… I guess I’m still rusty when it comes to picking up on social queues.”

  “No fucking shit,” Akira snickered under her breath.

  “Do not fret,” Luna answered with twinkling lavender eyes. “I’d love to chat with you sometime, though, outside of class… but as Miss Morgana wisely pointed out, it’s time for class to begin.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” I said as I tried to lead Circe away from Luna. “We’ll be taking our seats now.”

  “Lovely idea,” Pro
fessor Luna answered with a tiny nod. “I see one table at the back there… I know you normally like to sit up front, but since you were the last ones to arrive, it will have to do.”

  “Yes, Professor,” we responded in unison.

  We quickly turned around and headed toward the only available desk in the classroom, but as soon as we took a seat, something grabbed Circe’s long blonde hair and tugged.

  “Ouch!” the blonde witch cried out. “What the hell was that?”

  “What was what?” Professor Luna asked with wandering eyes. “Did something creep into the room again? Damn boggarts.”

  “Err… no,” I said slowly. “Actually, I think it was something else--”

  “Hey!” Circe shrieked again as something pulled even harder on her hair. “Whatever it is, it has something against my beautiful mane. Please, stop! I just grew this back.”

  “Oh, it must be my bitch of a shadow, huh?” Luna demanded with her hands on her wide hips. “Why don’t you show yourself, you little pest! We know it’s you! Just because you don’t have hair doesn’t mean you can go around making people bald. Come on out now! I’m not in the mood to play games.”

  A disturbing giggle filled the air, and in moments, a shimmering dark shadow appeared by Circe’s side. Its black, misty fingers reached for her golden-blonde hair again, and its long digits were like wisps of smoke as they slowly curled around one of her long locks.

  “Look out!” I warned. “She’s about to snatch you again, Circe.”

  “No!” Circe hissed as she tried to swat at the shadow. “Shoo!”

  Another snicker echoed from the shadow, but before it could tug on Circe’s mane, Professor Luna’s eyes narrowed at her silhouette, and the room quickly darkened. Soon, a deep rumbling sound echoed throughout the classroom, and the desks and chandelier began to tremble. An icy sensation instantly filled the air, and I could feel goosebumps prickling along my skin as Professor Luna’s eyes began to blaze a pale green.

  “Enough,” the blonde professor growled, and deep, unwavering contempt sparkled in her glowing eyes. “You obey me, remember?”

  The shadow moaned in protest, but it slowly floated away from Circe and hovered by Professor Luna’s side. It bowed its shadowy head in shame and remained still and steady, ready to obey her next command.

  In seconds, the room slowly returned to normal, and a pleasant warmth radiated through the air. I could hear several students breathing sighs of relief like they half-expected Professor Luna to explode with rage, or perhaps they thought her shadow would cause some deadly mischief.

  “Please, do not be so rude,” Professor Luna demanded as she wagged a finger in her shadow’s murky face. “We need to treat our students with respect… even if they can be extremely irritating.”

  An awkward air filled the room as the students looked at each other with raised eyebrows and small frowns.

  “I wonder who she’s referring to specifically,” Akira chuckled under her breath.

  “Oh, no one in particular, Miss Akira, do not worry,” Professor Luna responded without looking at the black-eyed witch, and Akira blushed a deep shade of crimson. “Anyway, let’s carry on with the lesson, hopefully without any shadowy disturbances, shall we? Now, to begin, who can tell me what sustains a shadow… Miss Morgana?”

  “Oh!” The bookish brunette gasped. “A-Apologies, Professor, but I didn’t raise my hand--”

  “But you know the answer?” the blonde professor asked with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you?”

  “Err… yes…” Morgana answered in a small voice. “I’m just not used to--”

  “Then for hell’s sake!” Professor Luna yelled as she dramatically tossed her hands into the air. “What is it?”

  “Err, blood!” Morgana blurted out in a nervous voice. “Blood keeps a shadow alive… or as alive as they can be.”

  “Right!” The erratic professor grinned. “See? I knew you knew the answer. Anyway, as Miss Morgana just said, shadows need blood to stay alive, so I figured we would join our advanced and ancient shadows on a little hunting expedition. Now, prepare yourselves for a little trip!”

  Before anyone could respond, Professor Luna snapped her fingers, and when the world stopped spinning, we were standing in the middle of a deep green forest.

  The pale morning sun seeped between the black tree trunks, a light silver mist spread through the pine-scented air, and fragments of light blue sky hovered above us, but just barely. The vast canopy of leaves included various shades of green, and the floor was littered with fallen foliage and thick woven roots.

  The air hummed with the natural voices of the woodland, and I could sense life all around us. A light melody filled the tranquil ambiance, and as I looked around, I thought I spotted glowing, rainbow-colored flecks against the black bark.

  “Woodland fairies,” Faye whispered into my ear like she could read my mind.

  “Wow.” I whistled as I looked around the enchanted emerald forest.

  “It’s so beautiful,” Vesta breathed as she gazed around the woods with her rosy-pink lips slightly parted open. “I could paint a picture of it and hang it up in my bedroom… it’s absolutely mesmerizing.”

  “It’s quite stunning,” Faye agreed as she brushed a loose strand of red hair out of her green eyes. “Judging by the trees… I’ll bet there are several species of newt living here… maybe even pixies.”

  “I think there’s also a special kind of cinnamon root here,” Nyx said as she sniffed the air. “If you brew it right, it can cause the coolest hallucinations.”

  “Why would you want to hallucinate and destroy your brain cells?” Akira snorted with a raised black eyebrow.

  “Because it’s fun.” The blue-skinned witch rolled her indigo eyes. “Duh… Satan, Akira, don’t suck the life out of everything… you’re just like a sacculus.”

  “Don’t you mean succubus?” Akira cackled. “If so, I’ll take the compliment.”

  “I said what I said--” Nyx argued with furrowed eyebrows until Morgana snapped her head in their direction.

  “Shhh!” the brunette hissed. “We need to pay attention, be quiet!”

  Morgana was right, because when I turned to look at Professor Luna, she was eyeing our group with an impatient arched eyebrow.

  “Now, are we ready to continue?” the pale-haired witch purred as she studied us and tapped her foot against the forest floor.

  “Yes, Professor,” we responded.

  “Good,” the lavender-eyed witch snapped. “Now, I’ve relocated the shadows and sent them here… which, let me tell you, was no easy endeavor. Now, who wants to guess what we’ll be doing next? Any wild guesses or educated assumptions?

  “Hunting!” Morgana said as her hand shot up into the air.

  “Precisely.” The pale-haired professor grinned from ear to ear. “Now, I think this lesson should be quite entertaining as well as educational. So… the first thing you’ll need to do is summon your shadows. I’ve been reading the ancient texts from dusk until dawn, and I’ve come across a word that is supposed to summon your deadly half in one swift command, no matter where they are. I know you’ve been able to call upon your double before, but this is a new and more sophisticated method I want you to learn by heart. Any questions?”

  “Yes!” Circe called out as her hand shot up. “I do! Professor, I have a question!”

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” Professor Luna chuckled before her eyes fell upon the blonde witch. “What is it?”

  “I don’t have a shadow,” Circe answered with wide serpentine eyes. “I’m not even sure if I ever had one. So… I guess my question is… who do I summon?”

  “Ah,” Luna responded as she rubbed her chin. “Well, I suppose we have time for a small ritual. Come over here, Circe.”

  A wide smile broke across the serpentine witch’s face as she approached the professor, and Luna patiently stood between two trees and waited until Circe was right by her side.

  “Now what?” Circe as
ked with wide eyes.

  “Now, shadow splitting is no easy endeavor,” Professor Luna warned the eager witch. “There’s a good chance it could kill you, and even though I just met you, I sincerely hope you don’t die trying to accomplish this… and believe me… I don’t say that to everyone.”

  “Oh, I really hope I don’t die as well.” Circe nodded quickly. “Especially since I just came back from the dead… and I don’t feel as though the humor in the irony is worth it.”

  “Indeed,” Professor Luna agreed with wide lavender eyes. “Alright, first things first… in order to split from your shadow, you must raise your wand high above your head and recite the words, ‘qui vocat umbra mea.’ Do not cloud your mind with any doubt or fear as you do so. Understood?”

  “Yep!” Circe answered with a bright smile.

  Without any hesitation, the golden-blonde witch raised her wand high into the air and repeated the spell in a firm, clear voice. Once the incantation left her lips, the air grew ice-cold, and a cloud of darkness overtook the bright emerald forest. Then the trees began to sway violently in the blowing wind, and we all watched as inky smoke seeped out of Circe’s wand and began to take a womanly form.

  “Take control of her,” Professor Luna commanded under her breath. “Speak the word: ‘vinculum.’”

  “Vinculum!” Circe repeated in a confident voice.

  The shadow double screamed as Circe continued to stare at it with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, but from where I stood, I knew the blonde witch held no fear in her heart. She’d seen death once before, and deep down, I knew she wasn’t afraid to die.

  Which only made me feel more attracted to her.

  The serpentine witch’s shadow cried out again, and as it did so, a flock of birds shrieked in surprise and flew up into the clouds. Circe’s dark double was edging closer toward her, but the blonde witch didn’t falter or show any signs of backing down.