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Scholomance 9 Chapter 6
🕑 Added 2021-04-03 16:00:05 +0000 UTC“Take whatever he has on him,” a chilling voice croaked from behind me, and whoever it belonged to still had his icy, skeletal fingers wrapped tightly around my throat. His grip hardened, and I gritted my teeth in disdain and repulsion as he leaned closer to whisper into my ear. “We’ve been following you for a while now, and any man who can afford more than five wives must be a very, very wealthy fellow.”
The alleyway was dark, but I could still see another cloaked figure about to reach inside my waistband.
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” I growled through my assailant’s tight grip, and before either of the thieves could respond, I threw my head back and hit my captor with all the strength I could muster.
A loud, satisfying crunch followed, and he howled before he released me. His counterpart, whose back was now turned to the opening of the alleyway, tried to run at me, but before he could, I saw a flash of movement from behind him. Then I heard the faint sound of a blade retracting from a sheath, and suddenly, my opponent stopped right in his tracks as his glowing eyes widened with surprise and agony. He fell down to his knees as blood dripped from the corner of his pale, thin lips, and when I looked behind him, Akira stood there with a satisfied grin on her face.
The black-eyed beauty quickly pulled out her blood-covered blade from my attacker’s back and kicked him so he would land face-first into the filthy cobblestone street. Then she spat on his corpse, and when her eyes lifted to meet mine, she swiftly pointed behind me.
“Master, look out!” she warned.
I quickly yanked out my own blade, twisted around, and stuck it right in my first attacker’s gut. Even in the shady alleyway, I could see his glowing eyes widen like dinner plates, and I pushed the weapon deeper into his soft flesh. He spurted a mouthful of blood and spittle in my face, and as I plunged my dagger even further, the glow of his eyes slowly began to fade. Finally, I wrestled my knife out of his stomach, smiled, and took a step back as he fell dead to the ground.
“Fuckers,” I grunted before I wiped my blade off on my dark cloak and then tucked it back into my waistband.
“Master,” Morgana panted as the other women ran up behind Akira, and judging by their drawn weapons, each one was prepared to take out whatever had pulled me into the darkness. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” I said, and a bigger smile spread across my face when I looked at Akira. “Thanks for that.”
“Of course, master,” the confident Wicca replied before she also sheathed her own blade. “Besides, I’d never miss a chance to stab a holy worshipping motherfucker.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Vanessa ordered in a sharp tone. “We need to keep going before the sun sets.”
We nodded in agreement, but when we stepped back into the dim light of the street, Faye took one look at me and gasped under her breath.
“Hold on,” she said before she took a step closer toward me. “You have blood all over your face, master.”
The redhead softly rubbed her thumb along my rough, scaled skin, and I couldn’t help but stare at her gorgeous, glowing hazel-green eyes. Even under her fish-like facade, I could see her beauty and dark grace, and my heart beat wildly for her as she continued to touch me.
“Thank you,” I said after she took a step back and smiled at me.
Before Faye could even answer, Vanessa sighed impatiently and looked toward the sandstone castle.
“Keep your sentiments for later,” she snapped coldly. “We’re running out of time.”
“Professor,” Penelope said as we headed toward the palace, which was only a few more leagues away. “What will we do if we can’t reach the room in time? What if we’re caught?”
“Then we fight,” I replied before Vanessa could open her mouth. “As we’ve done many times before.”
“Cole’s right,” the professor responded, and I knew it pained her to admit it aloud. “We’ll have no other choice. Let’s just thank Penelope and Beatrix for their combined magic, which has gotten us this far. I’d rather take on a league of royal soldiers than an entire city.”
“Agreed,” I said as we marched onward, and when I glanced up at the orange-hued sky, Alexander and the other familiars were still following us. “Alex, how much farther do you think we’ll have until we reach the palace?”
I’d say about another half hour on foot, he remarked. Too bad you can’t fly, huh?
“How will we enter the palace?” Revna asked in a quiet voice since more and more merchants appeared from their shops as they cleaned up whatever they had displayed outside. “Do we have a plan, or are we going to make it up as we go along?”
“I think I have an idea,” Penelope piped up in an eager voice. “I’ve noticed this kingdom is filled with too many villagers. Surely, they pay visits to the prince to beg for food, shelter, or whatnot. What if we go in and plead to have a word with him? We can say our house is on the brink of falling apart or something along those lines. At least it will get us inside.”
“That’s a clever idea, Miss Penelope,” Vanessa said even though she looked at Vesta as we started to pass by more lavish looking shops and well-built houses. “And if that doesn’t work, I’m sure Miss Vesta can use her charms to sway the guards for an audience. Remember, as I said, this prince is spoiled and greedy, but he’s still a man and, like all men, can be deceived easily by a pretty face. Just be sure to ask him about the room.”
“Do you think you can handle that job, Vesta?” Akira chuckled in a playful tone. “It might be the hardest one yet.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’m up to the task, but thank you for asking, Akira,” Vesta replied before she teasingly stuck out her tongue. “In fact, I bet I could persuade him to go to hell and back for me if I asked.”
“Let’s hope that’s actually true,” Vanessa said in a more serious tone. “It might be our only hope.”
We walked the rest of the way in silence, and the closer we ventured toward the towering, sea-stone palace, the more elegant the houses and shops became. I looked down at our mediocre clothes and mud-covered boots, and I knew the prince would believe we were indeed in need of help. Even if he seemed like a royal asshole, it would be worth a shot.
Finally, we reached the castle’s bridge, and I could see a line of peasants already forming outside of the palace and waiting to gain entrance. Hideous, scaled-covered women were shouting with crying babies in their hands, and I also noticed several elderly men with farm animals trying to reason with two guards standing outside the portcullis.
The castle itself was simple in structure, with only four towers, and every stone was equal in size and shape. It was a plain palace, and the only form of decoration I could see were the many stained-glass windows, which depicted sirens, whales, kraken, and other deep-sea creatures. Even though they were busy pieces of artwork, the glass colors were muted, and they barely sparkled under the glowing sunset.
We gathered around the crowd building outside of the gates, and I craned my neck to look at the two guards who were doing their best to push back the pleading peasants. No matter how much they cried or begged, the two scaled soldiers didn’t show an ounce of mercy. Neither of them wore helmets, and one had pale hair while the other had locks as black as night.
“Please, for God’s sake, let me in!” one woman with bright yellow eyes, a long red braid, and teal-scaled skin wailed. In her arms, she carried a small baby that resembled something between a shark and a human. “I need to speak with the prince! My husband died trying to find sea-glass for us to keep our home, and now--”
“Silence!” the guard with the lighter hair roared. “The prince will see no one tonight! Go back to your homes! That’s an order!”
“But we need to see him!” a young man with bright orange hair yelled, but when he tried to run past the guard with dark hair, the soldier quickly pulled out his sword and pierced the peasant with his blade.
Women screamed, and others took several steps back as the young man fell to the ground in a pool of his blood. The soldier didn’t look slightly bothered as he stared at the other villagers and raised the bloody weapon into the air.
“By God, I swear the same thing will happen to the next idiot who tries to surpass me,” he shouted, and it didn’t take long for the other villagers to quickly begin vanishing from sight.
We stood still as the peasants swarmed and pushed past us, and when they were all gone, the two guards narrowed their eyes in our direction and then looked at each other with broad grins.
“Are you hard of hearing?” the pale-haired soldier asked as he stared right at me with furrowed eyebrows. “Get the fuck out of here before I gut you next.”
“But I have something to offer the prince,” I said, and I could feel Vanessa shifting uncomfortably by my side.
I knew this wasn’t part of our original plan, but I had something else in mind.
“And what could that possibly be?” the dark-haired guard demanded. “If it’s not sea-glass, then you might as well leave now.”
“Is the prince in need of maids or servant girls?” I asked, and the two guards stopped smiling at once.
“He has plenty,” the pale-haired one scoffed. “Now, leave. This is my last warning.”
“But are they as beautiful as my wives?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, and when I turned to the other women, I beckoned them to take a couple of steps closer. “Take off your hoods.”
“Yes, husband,” they answered simultaneously, and when they fully revealed themselves, I heard both guards gasp with surprise.
“Look at them,” I bragged. “Have you ever seen such wondrous beauties before?”
The women, including Vanessa, didn’t hesitate to come forward, and when the guards took another moment to study them under the glowing sunset, they swallowed hard before they looked cluelessly between each other.
“Come back in the morning, and perhaps you can have an audience with the prince--” one began, but I raised my hand to cut him off.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” I said in my most confident voice. “I will be looking to sell them elsewhere, and if you do not accept my offer now, perhaps you can take it up with your prince once I send him a letter from afar, telling him his two guards refused to accept a handful of the fairest women imaginable.”
Again, the soldiers looked at each other with confused glares, until finally, the one with the raven-hair shook his head and sighed.
“Fine,” he snapped before he sheathed his longsword. “Follow me.”
I internally breathed a sigh of relief before the darker one whistled, and the wooden portcullis slowly began to rise. I could sense the women’s tension as we walked after the guard, and I could feel the other soldiers’s eyes on us as we ventured into the palace yard. Beyond the gates and green grass, there were two tall wooden doors with gold shells as knobs, and when the guard knocked hard on the doors, it took a moment for them to part open.
A brisk air whipped past our faces as we strolled inside the bare, great hall of the castle, and the first person we saw was a young man seated at the very end of the room. It was the ruler from my earlier vision. He sat upon a ridiculously tall, gold throne adorned with two tridents on each side, and two soldiers were standing next to his throne, while a handful of others were positioned behind him.
The prince looked to be at least sixteen years old from the doorway, which would account for the arrogant, spoiled aura I sensed from him earlier, but it was difficult to tell with these fish-like species. He had curly, dark, navy-blue hair, bright round eyes, and salmon-pink tinted scaled skin. His features were plain, he was narrow-shouldered, and even though he was sitting down, I knew he was a short man.
When we first entered his grand hall, he looked bored to tears, but when he saw the women without their hoods, his glowing blue eyes quickly lit up, and he straightened himself in his royal chair. He gazed upon the transformed witches with parted lips, and before we were even halfway across the hall, he stood up, hopped off his throne, and took several steps closer.
“Well, what do we have here?” he asked, and his voice was unbearably high-pitched. “I’ve never seen such beauties before in my lifetime.”
“This man has come to offer you his wives, oh great and holy king,” the guard said before he kneeled, and we all did the same. “Please, my prince, I know you requested not to see anyone tonight, but when I saw these women, I had to bring them to you. I hope I made the right decision.”
“Indeed, you have,” the young, repulsive prince purred as he rubbed his scaled chin. “Well done, Alon. You and Bellus shall be rewarded greatly for this. May the Lord bless and keep you both.”
“T-Thank you, my prince,” the guard stuttered before he bowed again and slowly retreated from the grand hall.
The other soldiers in the room did their best to remain straight-faced as the prince marveled at the beautiful women, but I could see the longing, envy, and admiration in their bright eyes as they studied the witches.
“May I just say,” Vesta purred before she took another step closer and then curtsied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my prince.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” the prince replied with a greedy grin. His eyes then turned to me, and he slowly began to rub his hands together before he licked his lips. “So, tell me, how much do you want for them?”
“I don’t desire jewels or riches,” I explained in a steady voice, “but I would like to see the secret room of realms that everyone speaks of.”
A collective gasp from the guards instantly filled the undecorated grand hall, and the prince’s eyes narrowed at me in confusion and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a tint of humor.
“Wait,” he chuckled as his small shoulders shook. “You must be jesting. These women are worth at least a two-story home of your own or even three bags of silver and gold. Why in elder heaven would you want to see a room rather than spoil yourself with riches, stability, and luxury?”
“Because I am a curious man,” I said in the politest voice I could muster. “I have been searching every holy land for mysteries and surprises, and when I first heard of your secret room of realms, I knew I needed to see it for myself. Ever since I was a boy, it was all I wanted.”
The prince stared long and hard at me before his face broke into a broad smile, and all I could see were his blood-red gums and small, sharp teeth. Then he began to laugh and shake his little head.
“Well, I suppose you have a deal,” he chortled. “Any other conditions or requests? This is your only chance.”
“I’d like to see it with my wives,” I said. “Just us, alone together for one last time as I gaze upon the room.”
“Hmmm,” the prince pondered as he clicked his tongue. “How about this? I will join you while you gaze upon the room, but I’ll only give you one minute.”
“My prince, you cannot go without your guards for one moment--” one of the soldiers interjected, but the prince shot him a deadly glare.
“I can take a shit without your company, Igor,” the arrogant prince snapped. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’m not going to miss it. Look at these women. I’ll never find such beauties in this or any other sea-dwelling realm again. We’ve already searched far and wide, and I’m sick of it. I want a woman in my bed, or in this case, several of them.”
“But Prince Solomon, I implore you to see reason--” the guard tried to insist, but after the prince spun his head and snarled, the soldier quickly shut his mouth and looked down at the floor.
“That’s more like it,” Solomon sneered. “I’m the ruler of this kingdom, and since my name day will be celebrated in three days, I will take these gifts early, before I am crowned king.”
“Sounds like we have ourselves a deal, then.” I grinned.
The presumptuous prince took another step forward and attempted to grab Vesta by the arm, but I swerved in front of her and forced myself to smile down at Solomon. The guards immediately seized their swords’ grips and prepared to unsheathe their weapons until I raised my hands in defense.
“Prince Solomon,” I said as I looked back down at him. “If you’d please. I’d rather see the room before I allow you to touch any of my wives. As a holy and benevolent ruler, I’m sure you understand.”
At first, the prince looked offended, but when Vesta cleared her throat to get his attention, his face lit up once more, and the tension in the air immediately settled.
“I would also love to see the room if it would please you, my prince,” the lavender-scaled witch purred in her demure and soothing voice. “Would you please take all of us before we are yours forever?”
“Yes, alright, let’s get this over with,” he said, and I could see the deep, searing lust in his glowing eyes. “Follow me.”
The guards clenched their jaws as we followed Solomon through the grand hall, past a large set of doors, and then up an elegant, marble staircase. The young prince eagerly ran to each step as if his life depended on it, which was an unholy blessing for us because I could see the sunlight dimming even through the stained-glass windows.
“We’re almost there,” Prince Solomon panted, and when we arrived on the first floor in front of a silver and gold door, the one I saw in my vision, he reached into his silk trousers and then pulled out a large, gold key. “I always keep this one on me. You’re lucky. Not many people have ever laid eyes upon this room.”
“Well, bless you for showing us, Prince Soloman,” I forced myself to whisper, and I could feel beads of sweat dripping down my forehead as I anxiously waited for him to open the door.
When he finally unlocked the mysterious room, the two-toned door swung open, and we found ourselves marveling at a small chamber filled with deep purple velvet walls and decorated with gold trimming and a white marble floor. There was a miniature gold column in the middle of the room, and on top of it rested the black marble orb.
That’s it, the woman from my dreams echoed. Kill the prince and place your hands on the orb, Cole.
“Is it to your liking?” the prince asked with a toothy grin. “Is it everything you dreamed it would be?”
“Most certainly,” I replied in a steady voice.
My hand made its way to my dagger as I prepared to plunge it deep inside the young prince’s chest, but then his eyes suddenly bulged from his sockets as he stared behind me. He raised a trembling hand and pointed in the women’s direction, but before he could scream, I pulled out my bonded blade and stuck it deep inside his heart.
The prince instantly lost his footing and knocked himself backward onto the gold podium, and my eyes widened in horror as the orb fell to the floor. I quickly retracted the blade from his heart, and the sound of the ball breaking in two echoed loudly enough for the entire castle to hear.
“Did you hear that?” a random voice called out.
“Check on the prince!” another yelled in terror.
When I spun around to face the other women, I saw both Nyx and Vesta were turning back into their former selves.
“Looks like we’re not going anywhere,” I growled as the footsteps coming up the staircase grew louder, and I pulled out my wand. “At least not yet. First… we’re going to have to kill every guard inside this holy fucking palace.”
