Scholomance 9 by Logan Jacobs (inspirational books to read txt) 📗

swirling clouds deep inside the heart of the relic. I could feel its surging power flowing through my body, and as I gripped it, the compass shook violently against my chest.

“How do you know where we’re supposed to go, master?” Vesta asked in a soft voice. “I do not mean to question your power, but I am curious how this orb works.”

“He’s developed a connection with the compass and the orb,” Morgana answered before Vanessa could say anything. “All he has to do is open his heart to Satan and pray for the knowledge to take us where we need to go.”

“She’s right, as per usual,” Vanessa said as she rubbed tiredly at her face. “Cole, we trust you to take us wherever we need to go… but before we leave, I’d like to say one thing.”

We waited a moment before the professor cleared her throat and looked down at her feet. Whatever she had to say, it was clearly painful for her to get the words out.

“Professor?” Beatrix prompted in a kind tone. “Whatever it is, you can say it.”

“Yes, well,” Vanessa coughed, and her cheeks blushed a deep shade of crimson. “I’d just like to say that… I appreciate what you did back there, Cole… and Penelope. If it weren’t for you two, I would’ve died. So, I suppose what I’m trying to say is… thank you.”

“Of course, professor.” Penelope smiled, and the color had finally returned to her face. “We’d do anything to keep you safe. We consider you one of us.”

“Thank you, Miss Penelope,” Vanessa replied in a quiet voice. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here, shall we?”

I smiled as the professor looked to me, and then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as my fingers tightened around the cold orb. I could feel the compass beating against my chest like a second heartbeat, and as I held onto the power between the two objects, I summoned the dark lord to come to my aid and help me see where we needed to venture to next.

I clung onto the orb with my eyes still tightly shut, but I could see something in my mind. At first, it was an obscure vision, but then it slowly turned into a vast beach with snow-white grains of sand and a lilac-colored sky with rose-pink clouds. The landscape was filled with a holy presence, and it pierced every bone in my body while simultaneously sending a nauseating feeling into the pit of my stomach.

Sudden surety settled into my gut. That is where we had to go, and the moment I had the thought, a string of words popped into my head.

Uti potestate mea regna monumenta nobis sanctae nulla magicae.

The incantation felt intrinsically intertwined with the presence of the orb, and I knew it was the spell needed to get us to that disgusting holy realm.

I took another deep breath and tried to calm my wildly pounding heart. Then I urged Satan to come to my aid, and when I sensed his unholy power taking over my entire soul, I opened my eyes and looked at the others.

“I know where we have to go,” I said. “Now, everyone, hold onto each other and open your hearts to Satan. I’ll do the rest.”

“Yes, master,” my coven responded while Vanessa nodded her head in agreement.

I cleared my throat, and with my fingers pressed tightly against the cold orb, I closed my eyes again and uttered the incantation.

“Uti potestate mea regna monumenta nobis sanctae nulla magicae!”

Suddenly, a great cloud of silver and black smoke surrounded us, and when the green fields disappeared from view, I could feel myself shifting in between realms. It felt like my skin was melting from my body, and my head began to pound uncontrollably. My entire body was on fire, and when I tried to open my mouth to breathe, I couldn’t feel any air going in or out of my lungs.

Finally, everything came to a standstill as my body returned to normal, and I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Then the orb melted in my hands like black ink, but no one except me noticed. The rest of the women stood still in a circle with their hands tightly held together, and the familiars were as steady as stone as they remained positioned behind the Wiccas. No one dared to open their eyes until I cleared my throat, and when each woman slowly peeled their lids open, they gawked at the sight before them.

“Unholy hell,” Beatrix gasped with curious brown eyes. “What is this place?”

“It must be the Regnum Caelorum,” Morgana breathed in awe. “I’ve read about these realms. Every step we take according to the compass will guide us higher to the elder ecstasies… until we reach the elder heaven.”

“Well, fuck,” Akira whispered before she placed her hands on her hips and rocked on the balls of her feet. “So… we’re really almost there.”

“It would appear so,” Vanessa agreed in a faint voice. “We must be careful. There could be eyes watching us right now as we speak. Cole, what does the compass say?”

I flicked open the compass around my neck and stared intently at the spinning arrow. It was whirling frantically until it came to a sudden halt, and according to the relic, we’d need to keep walking northwest down the crystal white beach.

“Follow me,” I said in a firm voice. “I have no inkling of where this compass will lead us to next, but as Vanessa said, we need to keep a sharp eye out. Something tells me Samara has many more tricks up her sleeve, and the closer we get to reaching her, the more determined she will be to see us fall.”

“So, let’s prove her wrong,” Penelope said with her chin raised. “I’m not afraid of her.”

“Neither