Lilith's School of Warriors & Wizardry

Chapter 3

As I walked with Apollo and Kamari towards the hedge maze, I couldn't shake off the feeling that the headmaster's words were meant for me.

"Do you think the maze will be tougher this year since the headmaster's watching?" Kamari asked as we rounded a corner.

"Maybe. But what I do know for sure is that bodies will drop tonight." Apollo said.

The thought of people dying twisted my stomach into uncomfortable knots. Unfortunately, not clearing the maze did not mean that you would drop out of Lilith's. Not getting through the maze meant death. It didn't spare anyone. You either get out or die trying.

The three of us and the rest of the first-years stepped outside onto the castle grounds. The chilly night breeze kissed my forehead. We took the scenic route to the maze.

"This view would make one think they're going to heaven," Apollo sighed. "Until they enter the maze. Then, all hell breaks loose."

"Honestly, I don't understand why we have such a cruel testing process in place," Kamari scowled. "My cousin-brother died last year trying to get through the maze. The only thing left of him were two toes and half of his right ear. Can you imagine that?"

She shuddered, and I wrapped a comforting arm around her. "I'm sorry that happened to your brother."

"It still haunts me to this day," she said, her voice trembling. "He was only sixteen, like you and me."

We walked the rest of the route in silence. Once we reached the entrance of the maze, Professor Daugherty pulled out a list of names.

I stared up at the big iron gates, my mouth drying. The gates looked menacing. What if I die in there?

Kamari noticed my worry and took hold of my hand. "You'll make it. We all will. Right, Apollo?"

Apollo nodded firmly, but his eyes were filled with doubt.

"I hope my guide is not a dumbass," Kamari muttered, causing me and Apollo to laugh.

"Kamari Almilla. Are you here? Please come forward." Professor Daugherty's voice rang in the air.

Kamari jumped. "Oh my gosh, wish me luck!"

"Good luck! See you on the other side!" I gave her an encouraging clap on the shoulder.

"Go crush it, hon. You got this!" Apollo grinned at her.

"Your guide will be Saphina Elowri, a second-year fairy," Professor Daugherty continued.

A beautiful girl with deep blue eyes and blonde hair stepped forward with a smile. I watched as she hugged Kamari.

"Oh my gosh, she's the Saphina Elowri!" Apollo whispered excitedly into my ear.

"You know her?" I asked. I wondered how Apollo knew everyone already.

"Know her? Sweet baby of Hecate, what rock have you been living under, Rheya?" He widened his eyes at me, his jaw slightly slack. "She's the Fae princess!"

I stared at him in shock. "Holy crap."

He merely shook his head in response.

"Apollo Minguwu. Please step forward!"

He gave me a quick hug before leaving.

"Your guide will be Bellamy Lowe, a second-year werewolf."

Bellamy, a tall, broad-shouldered, olive-skinned werewolf, stepped forward. He tried to do a complicated handshake with Apollo but failed miserably. Apollo's blush was blinding. After a few more names and pairings, I heard my name being called out.

"Rheya Za'ra Lamont, please step forward."

As soon as my surname rolled off Professor Daugherty's tongue, all heads snapped in my direction. Whispers about my family broke out. I avoided people's eyes and headed straight for Professor Daugherty.

"Your guide will be Ciel Nightingale, a second-year vampire."

Several gasps erupted in the air, including my own.

Ciel stepped forward and offered me a hand. "Shall we?"

I took his hand without any complaints. I couldn't believe what was happening. My stomach clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Kamari and Apollo threw me wolfish grins as I passed by them.

"Listen up, new students!" Professor Daugherty's voice took on a sombre tone. "The maze is no game. I hope you're all aware of what you're getting into. If anybody has second thoughts, leave immediately. If you want to be a student here, you must prove yourself."

She flipped a couple of pages of the book she was holding and continued.

"The rules are simple: Use your magic and strength to minimise the threat to your life. Inside, multiple things will attack you. It can be anything, from lightning, tornadoes, and tsunamis to something as deadly as the horned devil."

An involuntary gasp escaped my lips. Horned devils were the evilest creatures to ever exist. They were pests that came directly from Inferno. In ancient times, they were used to torture humans and supernaturals alike. They fed off of fear, and their bites could cause powerful hallucinations.

Ciel leaned closer to me. "It's not that bad. She's just trying to scare you."

I looked up at him. "Well, then, mission accomplished."

He let out a low chuckle. His voice was deep and manly, but it had a tinge of softness to it.

Professor Daugherty continued with the rules. "You're allowed to kill anything that crosses your path, as long as it isn't another student. Is that understood?" She narrowed her eyes at the scared first-years.

A unanimous yes, ma'am, resounded all around.

"Guides: you're prohibited from using your powers. Each of you will be enchanted with a protection spell to save you from incoming attacks in case your partner is incapable of fighting back. If a first-year dies, their guide will be teleported outside the maze."

My heartbeat quickened at the thought of someone dying. I knew it was inevitable. I glanced at Kamari and Apollo. They both gave me reassuring smiles, which I returned. Once all the rules were discussed, Professor Daugherty gave us a few minutes to strategize with our guides.

"Follow me," Ciel said as he led me to the lake. "We can talk freely here. There aren't many people out here at night."

"Why is that?" I asked, my gaze drawn to the shimmering water and the glowing vegetation around the lake.

"The merfolk of the lake love playing pranks," he grinned, "but sometimes they take it too far."

I nodded my head in understanding as he continued. "First things first, you'll need to change into more appropriate clothing."

I looked down at myself and fiddled with the hem of my cotton shirt. "I don't think fashion should be either of our priorities right now."

He tried not to smile, but his upper lip twitched slightly, giving him away. "You're going to need clothes that allow you movement, something you can stretch in. Do you have something like that?"

I sighed, throwing open one of my bags. "Does this work?" I pulled out a pair of stretchy pants and a top and waved them in the air.

He nodded in response. I waited for him to excuse himself, but all he did was stand there and look me straight in the face.

"Turn around so I can change," I muttered, feeling a blush creep up my neck.

"I'll just close my eyes," he smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

"What?" My lower jaw sank to my chest.

He put his hands up in mock surrender and laughed airily. "Relax, I'm only joking." He turned away from me to give me some privacy.

"I didn't know you were capable of jokes." I quickly stripped out of my old clothes and slipped into my new ones. "You can turn around now."

He studied my outfit briefly and gave me an approving nod. "Not bad."

The way his gaze raked over every inch of my body sent goosebumps down my spine.

"We should probably start strategizing if you wish to live through this," he chuckled, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head to clear my mind and nodded. "You're right."

"Since I've been through the maze, I know how to get out," he stated, his demeanour becoming much more serious. "You can't predict what the maze decides to throw at you: earthquakes, smoke ghosts, corrupt wood nymphs, and yes," his eyes bore into mine, "the infamous horned devil."

I sucked in a breath of air at the mention of those monsters. He sensed my fear and rested a hand on my shoulder as a means of comfort.

"None of this is predictable. So, if you want to beat the maze, you have to be prepared for anything. Let me tell you all the advantages that the others have over you. You're a witch, correct?"

"Yes." I croaked. I cleared my throat and repeated myself in a clearer voice, "Yes."

"What element are you?"

"I'm a fire witch," I answered, raising my palm and conjuring sparks at the tips of my fingers.

"Fire. That's good; powerful," he bobbed his head. "How many offensive spells do you know?"

Shit. Embarrassment filled my chest as I avoided his gaze. How do I tell him that I've barely had any magical training?

"Rheya?" He tapped my arm to get my attention. I looked up into his questioning eyes. "Well?"

"Um, about two or three?"

His eyes widened slightly, and his lips pursed together. He stared at me blankly. "Is this a joke?"

I grimaced at his disbelief. "My life has been, um, sheltered. I wasn't allowed to do much magic back home because of my family, you know."

His stoic eyes softened. "It's okay. We'll make do with what little you know."

I smiled at him gratefully. Usually, people would make fun of me for knowing the bare minimum of my abilities. Ciel was different.

"As I was saying," he cleared his throat and continued, "the dragons, obviously, have the biggest advantage here."

"Right!" I chimed, "They can bloody fly and shoot fire! So unfair!"

"Right, but their disadvantage is their size, especially when in dragon form or with their wings out. You're much smaller, which means you're more agile on your feet. You can also easily hide behind or under things or squeeze into small spaces."

I nodded, taking in every bit of information and embedding it permanently in my brain. I needed to know people's weaknesses, or I would never make it.

"Next, the Sirens. Their voice is their biggest weapon," he said, tapping his throat to emphasise. "They can emit a hypersonic blast of concussive force strong enough to shatter objects as tough as concrete."

"The hyper what now?" The words tumbled out of my mouth as I tilted my head in confusion.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, he continued. "It doesn't matter. Just know that without their voice, they're powerless. Until they unlock their magical element. Which they will, at some point along the course of the maze."

"What about the werewolves? And the vamps?" I asked.

His eyebrows knitted together as he answered my question. "Although it pains me to say this, the vampires and werewolves are equally matched. They'll put up a fight, but not all of them will make it. There are just too many ways to kill us."

"Oh!" I grinned. "I always thought vampires were stronger."

"Moving on," he continued, briefly rolling his eyes at my comment. "Fairies have the power of glamour. They can make you see what they want you to see. They camouflage right into their surroundings without anyone even noticing a thing. But this only lasts for a short while. Their powers are exhaustive. They need to recharge it every time they use it."

Before I could open my mouth to make another comment, he held up a slender finger in my face and kept talking.

"The last and only creature you need to be really wary of is the Kitsune. Their fox spirit thrives in chaos. They can not only conjure fire and lightning; they can also absorb them. They can also penetrate your mind and create powerful illusions."

"But we aren't allowed to attack fellow students, right?" I questioned. A lot of what Ciel was telling me sounded like something I should be aware of happening to me.

"Incorrect," he retorted. "You cannot kill fellow students."

"Holy crap!" My eyes widened as I realised what this meant for me. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

My gaze frantically darted across his face as I watched the corners of his lips lift in a smirk.

"When you get to the end, anyone can harm you just enough to be the first person to make it out. It's all about who beats the maze first. Nobody cares about the rest."

My heart pounded in my chest, alerting me to the danger I was getting myself into. But also, the barbarism of hurting my fellow classmates made my heart bleed. "That's terrible..."

"No, that's how cutthroat this school is. Do you understand what you need to do now?"

I nodded hesitantly. If push came to shove, I'd have to harm my classmates.

"There's just one thing I need to do before we go back," he said, his voice tuned down to a whisper.

I stared up at him questioningly. He took a step forward, inching closer to me. A shadow passed over his face—something dark and sultry. It made goosebumps rise up the back of my neck. He gently grabbed my shoulder and leaned in. My heart nearly beat out of my chest, and judging by the smile forming on his lips, I was sure he could hear it. My skin, where his hand rested, sizzled with electricity.

He reached for my chin and tilted my head upwards such that I was looking directly into his gorgeous green eyes, which were pulsating with a desire for something carnal, almost animalistic.

"I need some of your blood."