“Did you hear that?” Ashlee asked Kyle, frozen in her spot. Everyone stopped, staring in the direction she was looking.

“Hear what?” Kyle asked, exchanging glances between her and the emptiness she was fixated on.

“The metal. The liquid. And…” She halted, losing herself in the senses.

“And what?” Cassandra stepped forward, curious about what she was hearing that they couldn’t.

“And the blood. I can smell it. Human blood,” she whispered, stepping toward the bushes, already suspecting what it might be.

“I didn’t expect too many guests tonight, but I’m glad you’re here.” The Devil Mother appeared from the other side, accompanied by some of the witches.

Ashlee’s attention shifted to her. The Devil Mother was strange and ancient. But why did those witches keep staring at her as if they’d devour her at any chance?

The Devil Mother studied Ashlee. She stared for a few seconds, her smile widening. “Why don’t you all come inside?” she suggested. Everyone agreed and followed her.

“She’s weird,” Ashlee whispered to Kyle, pouting at the Devil Mother.

Kyle chuckled. “Don’t annoy her. If she hears it, even I won’t be able to save you,” he responded, whispering back.

“Who cares!” Ashlee huffed. The Devil Mother chuckled. She could hear them gossiping about her, but she didn’t mind.

“Zelda!” The Devil Mother called out. The nerdy witch appeared with a blank expression, like the others.

“We have some guests tonight. Would you mind preparing for their stay?” The Devil Mother asked her politely. Without a word of protest, Zelda nodded, giving Ashlee one of the eeriest looks before walking away.

“I think all of them hate me,” Ashlee whispered to Kyle.

“Stop overthinking. They don’t,” Kyle replied, reassuring her, holding her hand throughout the walk into the academy—The Witch Academy.

“It’s really old and unique,” Ashlee muttered aloud without realizing it, staring at the sculptures of the devil carved into the walls.

“Pardon us. We didn’t know about your preference. If we had known beforehand, we would have chosen another place,” the Devil Mother apologized for the lack of a welcoming atmosphere.

“No… No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Ashlee stammered, becoming awkward. “I mean, it’s beautiful. I like antiques. They’re lovely. Sorry to offend you.” Ashlee apologized, her face paling.

They already didn’t like her much, and this was just adding fuel to the fire.

“Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding, and thank you for the compliment.” The Devil Mother chuckled politely. She led them to her cabin—the largest room in the academy, filled with all sorts of books. Some were forbidden, others just regular.

“Wow.” Ashlee gasped, looking around. It must’ve had more books than any library.

“Please, have a seat,” the Devil Mother invited Cassandra, Kyle, and Ashlee. Ashlee sat closest to her, as instructed by Cassandra.

“So, what do I owe for this visit?” the Mother asked, gazing at Cassandra, smiling warmly at her.

“Mother, help us. You might already know. Ashlee is a werewolf. We’d like to know more about it. She’s different from the others,” Cassandra began the series of questions.

“She sure is different and special,” the Devil Mother said, her gaze resting on Ashlee.

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Ashlee nodded awkwardly. “Thank you,” she stammered, unsure if the Mother meant it as a compliment.

The Mother sighed. “I can sense none of you have figured out her true identity, right?”

Cassandra and Kyle nodded. Ashlee remained silent. The Mother could sense Ashlee knew something about herself but wasn’t sharing. So, she didn’t push her.

“It’s alright. Let me start by saying she’s a Primordial werewolf.” The Devil Mother cleared the confusion, only to raise a new one.

“But aren’t they extinct?” Kyle asked, recalling what he knew from the books.

“No. They’re not. They simply stay away from the outside world, in their own secluded realm,” the Devil Mother corrected him.

“What are Primordials?” Ashlee asked, confused, tilting her head, furrowing her brows.

“They’re beings with powers like none other. They are the second most powerful entities to exist,” the Devil Mother explained.

“I’m powerful?” Ashlee pointed at herself in disbelief.

“Yes, you are. Even as a half-blood. You are blessed by someone with greater power. I don’t know yet whose orders you follow, but I can assure you, you are powerful and blessed. You have more strength than me.” The Devil Mother smiled weakly, unsure if she should have revealed that.

Ashlee burst out laughing. “I have more strength than you? You’ve got to be kidding me.” She couldn’t bring herself to believe her words.

The Devil Mother stood and walked toward the bookshelves, pulling out one of the old tomes. She sat back down, placing the book in front of them.

“This is what you are.” The Devil Mother raised her eyebrows, silently urging Ashlee to read the book for herself.

Ashlee swallowed and moved toward the book. She picked it up, scanning it as quickly as she could. She was astonished by the detailed descriptions of each Primordial being.

“Now tell me, child, what are your powers?” The Devil Mother asked, placing her hand on Ashlee’s hand, resting on the book.

Ashlee’s eyes widened. She could see it now. She could see the mother casting spells on her. Manipulating her, making them suffer, until she completely breaks down.

“It was you,” Ashlee breathed, her voice icy. Without hesitation, she looked at the Devil Mother.

“W… What are you talking about, Ashlee?” Kyle asked, trying to calm her before she lost her composure.

“It was you who put a spell on me. You…” Ashlee shouted, standing up abruptly, pulling the Mother’s hand off her. “You manipulated me to run away from there. You were the one who wanted me to leave him.” She spoke, her eyes devoid of fear.

“What?” Kyle was shocked by Ashlee’s accusations.

“How did you…” The Devil Mother stood up, replaying the events in her mind. She suspected Ashlee had powers tied to touch. Maybe she could see the past.

“Kyle, she was the one who made me go into the forest that night,” Ashlee told him. He could see she wasn’t lying, just by looking into her eyes.

“Calm down, child. It was necessary at the time,” the Devil Mother said, trying to ease Ashlee’s, Kyle’s, and Cassandra’s concerns.

“Why did you do it?” Ashlee demanded, stepping back from her.

The Mother sighed, lowering her hands. “As you know now, what you are and what your powers could be… Hagatha was my daughter, too. She lost her way and turned evil, doing anything to gain power. When I met you at Warbite Mansion, I knew who you were. I knew you weren’t Kyle’s mate. But I feared that if things went Hagatha’s way, everyone would suffer. So, I had to get you out of there as quickly as possible. But I wasn’t very successful.” The Mother stepped forward.

“I’m sorry for hurting you with the spells. I can promise that will never happen again. Now that we all know, you won’t be harming anyone.” The Mother apologized for her actions.

Ashlee calmed down. She could see the logic in her words. At that moment, Ashlee realized she had been somewhat manipulated by Hagatha’s words. If it had gone any differently, things could’ve turned out terribly.

“Okay,” Ashlee whispered, sitting back down. Kyle held her hand tightly.

“So, you can look into the past. Are these the only powers you have?” The Mother asked, doubtful that these were Ashlee’s only abilities.

“I…” Ashlee hesitated, looking at Kyle’s face. She took a breath, “I can protect people and heal them from even the deepest wounds.” She confessed.

The Devil Mother was stunned. How was that even possible? Could it be? She had never heard of two commanders for a single subject.

“What is it, Mother?” Cassandra asked, sensing the Devil Mother’s unease.

“She is more than I expected.” The Mother responded, gesturing for Zelda to bring her a glass of water.

“What do you mean?” Kyle asked, frowning in confusion.

“Usually, primordial werewolves follow the command of one Primordial God. But in Ashlee’s case, there are two. The God of Time and the God of Life. She is a life bringer and the keeper of time’s messenger.” The Mother looked at Ashlee, still in disbelief.

“And what does that mean?” Ashlee asked, confused.

“How can she be commanded by Gods? We are underworld creatures,” Kyle grumbled, thinking the explanation was absurd.

The Devil Mother shook her head. “No, my child. You are wrong in that. She does not belong to the underworld. She has the blessings of Heaven. Primordial werewolves never belong to the underworld, nor do guardian werewolves. These entities are far purer than we are. They have never laid a single eye on human flesh, not even in thousands of generations.”

As soon as she finished her explanation, Zelda rushed in, huffing and panting, clutching onto her knees. She looked terrified, fear evident in her eyes.