Scholomance 6: The Devil's Academy

by Logan Jacobs

  When the spell left her red lips, an ear-splitting screech instantly filled the air. The entire class groaned, and when I looked up, a bat inside a gold cage was violently trembling. Its shrill cries penetrated our eardrums right before it burst into a cloud of red gore and tiny bones.

  “Ewww,” Akira snickered. “That was fucking awesome.”

  “I hope everyone was paying close attention.” Theodora smiled as cages of different animals floated down and were set in front of us.

  When my cage landed on my desk, I saw a starved, withered rat scurrying around in a frantic circle, and when its beady eyes looked into mine, it opened its ugly mouth and snarled at me, like the pathetic thing stood a chance.

  “Alright,” Theodora said as she folded her hands in front of her. “Go on, then… destroy whichever animal has been set in front of you using the ancient motus spell.”

  Before I even had a chance to utter a word, I heard a small explosion from behind me, followed by a short scream.

  When I whipped around, a witch with short, dark-green hair trembled in her seat and was covered in thick red blood and brain matter. Next to her, a headless student was splattered over the desk as wisps of smoke seeped out from her gory opening.

  “Oh, dear,” Theodora sighed as the decapitated body finally slumped to the floor. “I supposed she didn’t pronounce it correctly… see what I mean? Now, please proceed with caution. I don’t want to lose any more witches, for Satan’s sake! We are trying to grow the academy!”

  My entire table gulped as they stared down at their trapped animals, and before anyone could utter a word, I leaned in and beckoned them to come closer.

  “You’re going to be fine,” I reminded them. “You have the pact to protect you… and Beatrix, Circe, you two will do an excellent job as well. Just focus, okay?”

  “You’re right, master,” Faye said, and her mouth was set into a firm line. “I’m not afraid.”

  “Neither am I,” Akira added with a fervent nod. “Let’s fucking do this.”

  “Yeah,” Circe chuckled before she rolled up her sleeves and tossed back her beautiful blonde hair. “I died once, and it wasn’t so bad… if I die again, then it’s Satan’s will.”

  While the others prepared to utter the spell, I narrowed my eyes at the pathetic rat in front of me and willed it to blow up into a million bloody pieces. I thought of nothing except the blood running through its tiny veins, and I pictured its beady eyes popping out of their gooey sockets. I relished in the thought of its small, fragile bones exploding into a thousand pieces, and when I felt like I was ready, I took a deep breath, and then the corners of my lips pulled up into a grin.

  Modus antiquorum.

  In seconds, the filthy, starved rat started to shake within its confinements, and its small withered body burst into countless bloody bits and pieces. Gore, blood, and bone splattered all over my desk, shirt, and face as a putrid stench wafted through the air, and the others all stared at me with wide, delighted gazes.

  “Well done, Cole!” Theodora praised with bright, gleaming eyes.

  “Master!” Akira grinned. “That was amazing.”

  “Give it a try,” I suggested as I wiped a severed rat tail off from my table. “It feels incredible.”

  The other women narrowed their eyes at their own confined animals, and without further hesitation or an ounce of fear, they focused on their target. Within seconds, each small animal combusted into a cloud of red smoke.

  The rest of the students took notice, and quickly, the classroom was covered in splashes of animal blood.

  “Fuck, yeah!” Penelope shrieked with pride. “That did feel amazing.”

  “It almost felt like an orgasm,” Akira added with a small smirk. “Just not as great, of course.”

  “I want to do it again,” Circe giggled. “Satan, I can’t remember the last time I felt so powerful.”

  “Now that we’ve all mastered the art of ancient motus… let’s move on, shall we?” Headmistress Theodora purred. “As Morgana mentioned, another ability we’ve covered is the art of retrieving secrets and information through touch. We’re all familiar with ‘secretum mentis’… now just imagine what can be possible when touch isn’t even required? All you have to do is open your mind to the darkness and mentally utter the words, ‘aperire secreta.’ Then all secrets you wish to obtain shall be revealed.”

  As the headmistress smiled coyly around at the class, she snapped her fingers, and in the next moment, a giant cloud of purple smoke erupted near her desk. The smoke cleared after a few seconds, and in its place was a warlock tied to a chair. He had deep, plum-colored hair, sallow skin, and red-rimmed brown eyes, and he was covered in blood, dirt, and Satan only knows what else.

  “No!” The filthy warlock squirmed as he looked pathetically around the room. “Please, let me go!”

  “And where would you run off to?” Theodora asked in a saccharine tone. “Your entire academy is gone. We’ve ensured each brother of yours met a terrible, cruel, and unforgivable end.”

  When the headmistress uttered those words, she turned around to meet my gaze, and I saw the corners of her lips twitch up into a small smile. Then she flashed me a discreet wink before she turned to look back down at the warlock.

  “You’re lying!” he spat as saliva dripped from the corners of his lips. “Why should I believe a word you say?”

  “I don’t give a damn what you believe,” she chuckled, “but I will believe anything that comes out of your mouth… and trust me when I say… the pain you’re about to endure will be like nothing else you’ve ever experienced.”

  “Wait… no!” he screamed, and the veins in his forehead began to visibly throb.

  “Tell me… when did your beloved and deceased headmaster decide he was going to worship the elder gods instead of our one true lord?” Theodora asked with her head tilted to the side. “There’s really no point in lying… none of your comrades are alive.”

  Instead of being smart, the idiotic warlock spat at the headmistress’ feet and narrowed his eyes as he glared up at her.

  “Fuck you,” he growled. “I’d rather die.”

  “Oh,” Theodora said in a sweet voice. “That’s perfectly alright with me…”

  We all held our breath as the headmistress raised her hand into the air and aimed it right at the warlock. His pale, sallow face quickly grew red, and his features twisted into an expression of pure pain and undeniable anguish.

  “Now,” Theodora purred. “Let’s try this again. When did Headmaster Ravana decide to turn to the elders?”

  “H-H-He… changed the curriculum during m-m-my preschool year,” the warlock stuttered. “I-I-I… that’s all I know… please.”

  “It doesn’t even matter.” Theodora smiled. “Now… let’s send you back into the dungeons. We’re running low on your kind.”

  “Wait, no!” he squealed like one of the mice inside the cages. “Please don’t send me ba--”

  Before he could finish his plea for mercy, Theodora snapped her fingers, and the treacherous bastard was sent back into the dungeons to suffer and rot.

  “Well, now that we’ve covered two crucial components of ancient premonition,” Theodora said, “I think we’d better end the lesson there.”

  A chorus of disappointed groans filled the air, but Theodora paid no mind to it. Instead, she turned to her desk and began to look through her book, which was odd, since the class was supposedly finished.

  “Excuse me, Headmistress?” Circe said with her hand raised up into the air. “What about the other two abilities?”

  “We’ll try and cover that as well,” Theodora answered with a small smile. “In time… but for now, practice what we’ve already learned.”

  The class murmured their agreements, and we spent the rest of the class period practicing our spells on different creatures of various sizes.

  Finally, Theodora clapped her hands and looked around the classroom. “I think we’ve exercised enough of your power
and energy for one class. Now, off with you all. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  As students began to collect their belongings and head for the door, my coven took their time to pack their quills and parchment.

  “I’m starving,” Akira said as she brushed a chunk of furry flesh out of her hair.

  “Me, too,” Faye grunted, and she pressed her hand against her stomach. “That spell really drained me.”

  “Yeah, we just had a huge breakfast,” Nyx mumbled, “but for some reason, I feel the need to gorge on a whole unicorn.”

  “Even the horn?” Circe giggled.

  “Sure, why not?” the blue-skinned witch chuckled.

  “I used to collect dead unicorn horns and hooves,” the serpentine witch sighed. “Now, the more I think about it, the more I’m craving meat.”

  “Let’s just get to the banquet hall before you eat each other,” I laughed.

  “Cole,” Headmistress Theodora interjected. “Would you stay behind? I need to speak with you.”

  “Sure,” I said as I looked at the others. “Go on… I’ll meet you later.”

  The women nodded in agreement, but I could see a mixture of curiosity and confusion in their eyes as they slowly left the classroom. When we were alone, I turned to look at Theodora, and I thought I recognized the sparkle of mischief in her pale blue eyes.

  “What’s going on, Headmistress?” I asked as I set down my bag on a nearby desk.

  “Well,” Theodora began, “Perhaps Professor Crimson would like to explain.”

  When I turned to the doorway, I saw the necromancy professor standing at the threshold, and she wore a long red gown that was the same shade of ruby red as her hair. She had her hands folded in front of her, and a small smile crept across her face when she met my eyes.

  “Hello, Cole,” the redheaded professor purred. “Are you in the mood for a little adventure?”

  “Err… well… where am I going?” I asked with an awkward smile. “I need to know that before I can answer.”

  “You’re going to hell,” both witches responded in unison, and my heart just about stopped inside my chest.

  I could feel the smile on my face die as I dropped my belongings, and a cold chill swept over my entire body. No Wicca as far as I knew ever ventured to hell and lived to tell the tale.

  Chapter 18

  I thought I’d misheard them for a moment, but when I saw the small, sympathetic smiles on their faces, I knew they weren’t joking. These women were seriously planning on sending me to hell.

  I had so many questions, I didn’t even know where to begin.

  “To hell?” I repeated with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “I mean no disrespect, but… what the hell do you mean I’m going to hell? Are you planning on killing me and then resurrecting me after I’ve visited the afterlife? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  Both women started to laugh, but when they realized how serious I was, they quickly composed themselves, and their expressions turned to stone.

  “My sincerest apologies, Cole,” Theodora said in a grave tone as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a laughing matter at all… but rest assured, we would never dream of killing you.”

  “The very idea is completely absurd and almost comical,” Professor Crimson added with a tiny nod. “You’re probably the most powerful student we have. We wouldn’t dream of ending your life… even if we do ask you to do dangerous things every now and then.”

  “Then what is going on?” I demanded in a sharp tone. “You’re not making very much sense right now.”

  “Well, Cole, as you know, I have been aiming to increase our Scholomance student body count,” Theodora explained as her blue eyes locked onto mine. “If we’re to fight in a war against the elders, then the academy needs more Wiccas, and I’m afraid we must resort to collecting women from another rather… desperate source… so… we need you to go down to the first sphere of hell and retrieve the souls who dwell down there.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

  “Yes, you heard us correctly,” Crimson sighed. “Now, retrieving souls from hell is much different from resurrecting bodies from the dead or turning sirens into witches. It is far more difficult, and only those with exceptional premonition and necromancy skills may achieve this, and it just so happens you possess both.”

  “Which is why your coven cannot come along,” Theodora added in a stern voice. “I know it seems strange, and I cannot explain everything in full detail, but please trust me when I say that only you can make this mission possible. Your coven may be strong, and your pact makes them immortal, but just because they’re unable to die doesn’t mean they can’t be trapped in hell. It would be wiser for you to go alone and not risk a terrible fate for them.”

  “There are certainly fates worse than death,” Crimson added.

  Before I answered, I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. This seemed like a completely wild scenario, but I had to keep my cool and remind myself Theodora always had my best interests at heart, and if she believed I could do this, then I’d do whatever I could to protect and aid Scholomance.

  Even if it meant literally going to hell.

  “Alright,” I said as I looked at the two beautiful women. “So… what do we have to do? I can only imagine this won’t be an easy endeavor.”

  “Well, first of all,” Professor Crimson began, “let me explain what kind of souls linger in the first realm of hell. These souls belong to Wiccas who no longer have physical bodies left in this world, and they are trapped there. The first realm is reserved for those who either didn’t commit enough evil deeds in their lifetime or died before a great accomplishment could be achieved. It is not as dreadful as purgatory, but still, it is not what a Wicca truly desires.”

  “And all Wiccas desire--?” I started, but Theodora cut in before I could finish.

  “To be reunited with Satan,” she finished. “Yes. Our lord Satan does not dwell within the first realm of hell, and if you gently remind the women of that, they will surely listen to what you have to say. They might act as if they don’t care, but trust me, all Wiccas desire the same thing. So, do not be fooled by anything they have to say.”

  “Understood,” I replied as I looked between the two women. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Yes, these women will be extremely skeptical of you,” Professor Crimson warned. “This ritual has not been performed for centuries, and most of the history behind this ancient spell revolves around fables and Wicca folklore… so we’re taking a leap of faith here.”

  “Not to mention the fact that you’re a man,” Theodora continued as she rubbed at her temples. “They will not take kindly to that… all forms of mankind who dwell within the first realm of hell are there as prisoners. They serve as entertainment for the women, and I’m sure you can only imagine what they do to them for fun.”

  “What about warlocks?” I asked with furrowed eyebrows. “Do they not also go to hell?”

  “There is a different realm for warlocks,” Professor Crimson explained as she ran a hand through her flaming red hair. “We don’t know much about it, since it is not of our concern, but the point is you’re a male Wicca, and they will find that hard to believe at first. In fact, you will have to use all your power to persuade them you’re telling the truth.”

  “So, I’ll have to prove myself,” I said with a long, drawn-out sigh. “Got it.”

  “Precisely,” Theodora confirmed with a firm nod. “This won’t be the first time you’ve had to prove your worth, and I promise it won’t be the last.”

  “I believe you,” I said without missing a beat, “and I’m not afraid.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear, even though you should be--” Professor Crimson added, but Theodora shot her a cold glare, and the redheaded professor clamped her mouth shut and looked down at her feet.

  “What Professor Crimson means to say,” Theodora said through gr
itted teeth, “is that you should be wary and extremely cautious. These women are full of tricks and deceit. They will want to keep you there for their own entertainment, just like the other men who dwell there.”

  “Understood,” I replied. “Now, what do we have to do to send me there… I assume it will not be as easy as shadow porting. Correct?”

  “You assume correctly,” Professor Crimson chuckled. “We will need to perform an ancient ritual… I found it after spending many long nights reading through the forbidden books. The ritual itself is easy enough to enact, however, we have no idea where you’ll land once we send you there. It could be in the actual pit of hell… or somewhere nearby.”

  “So be it,” I answered with my chin raised. “I understand the risks, and I’m still willing to go.”

  “We knew you’d say that.” Theodora flashed me a small smile.

  “Okay… let’s do this, then,” I said as I exhaled long and hard. “What are we waiting for?”

  “Not just yet, Cole,” Theodora said as she shook her head. “First, you must learn the spell which will bring you and these women back, both in body and soul. This is the only way to leave hell, and the incantation only works on those who are willing to return to the living world… it will not work on those who wish to remain in hell, so you must be persuasive. Again, you must remind them that if they wish to live their afterlife in the heart of hell with their lord and master, they must follow you back into the living world and complete a truly evil deed.”

  “Alright,” I said with a small sigh. “Understood.”

  As the women explained the task at hand, I realized this mission seemed to be growing more complicated by the second, but I reminded myself I had to keep a cool and level head.

  The fate of Scholomance was counting on me once again.

  “Now,” Professor Crimson continued, “the spell you must recite when the time is right is ‘alio forte tuus dabit tibi.’ Repeat it so I can ensure you know it. I realize you’re incredibly talented when it comes to spells, but I’d rather play it safe. I’m sure you understand.”