Page 16 of Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy #1)

Olivier

He was late.

Housemaster Calligan had already begun handing out the golden teacups, a thick black liquid sloshing inside them.

A few students glanced up as Olivier scurried toward his desk, offering him looks of disapproval, though he didn’t pay them any mind.

He did, however, notice Irene and Masika seated on the other side of the room.

He nodded in their direction and they averted their eyes.

Right.

He didn’t take it personally. The two of them were about as friendly as a pair of feral cats.

“Glad you could join us.” Calligan handed Olivier his teacup. “Though I recommend arriving five minutes early next time, as opposed to five minutes late.”

“My apologies,” Olivier said. “I was—”

But Calligan had already moved on to the next student, clearly uninterested in hearing any of his excuses.

Olivier settled in his seat and inspected the contents of the teacup with a withering frown.

The liquid smelled like burnt sugar, with a rotten undercurrent that reminded him of moldy fruit.

Not exactly what he wanted to ingest first thing in the morning, but oh well.

It wasn’t like he had a choice.

“Nervous?” a voice next to him whispered.

Olivier glanced to his right to find Tristan Abbot staring back at him, his olive-green eyes twinkling with amusement.

Streams of lilac light fluttered through the window, illuminating his dark brown skin in a shimmering halo.

He was a resident of Chambers House and a notorious heartbreaker, though his heart had been snagged a couple of years back, to the immense disappointment of his many admirers (Olivier included).

Olivier shook his head. “It’s not exactly my first time.”

Tristan smiled. “Right. I should have known better. You’re in Litterman House, aren’t you?”

Olivier nodded. “Guilty.”

“Well, I’m jealous. Not that I would ever wish to be a part of a different House. If I hadn’t been placed in Chambers, then I never would have met Josie.” Tristan’s expression seemed to brighten at the thought of his girlfriend. “You have a boyfriend too, don’t you? What’s his name…Emilio?”

“Wha—” The teacup nearly flew out of Olivier’s hand as he scrambled to catch it. “I don’t…that’s not…” He cleared his throat. “Emilio and I are just friends.”

Tristan chuckled and dropped his gaze. “Sorry. It just seemed…well…never mind.”

“Settle down, class.” Calligan’s booming voice echoed throughout the classroom as he addressed the students.

“It’s time to begin your exam. Now, you have each been handed a teacup with an extremely potent elixir.

Once you drink this liquid, emptying the teacup completely, you will have exactly one hour to dismantle the illusion, though to you it will feel much, much quicker. ”

Calligan cracked his knuckles as he surveyed the room.

“I am sure I do not have to remind you all about the dangers associated with illusionary magic; however…I do believe it is important to be aware of the risks.” His eyes moved past Olivier, locking on Tristan.

“Mr.Abbot…please refresh us on the consequences of illusionary consumption.”

Tristan straightened in his chair. “Of course. Illusionary consumption is a side effect of improper dismantling. If a student fails to dismantle an illusion correctly, or quickly enough, the illusion will lock their consciousness.”

“Very good.” Calligan offered Tristan a satisfied nod.

“Now, illusionary consumption during an exam isn’t entirely dangerous, since we have members of the Ascended working in the infirmary who can reverse the symptoms. However, if this happened to you in the Ether…

” He let the words linger in the air for a moment.

“Well, let’s just say reversing the consumption would be far more difficult. ”

Calligan wandered over to his desk, taking a seat on the edge. “Now that we understand the risks, let us quickly go over how we can identify illusionary magic and use it to our advantage.”

Irene’s hand shot up like a bolt of lightning.

Calligan’s eyes slid over to her. “Go ahead, Ms.Bamford.”

“Illusionary magic can be identified by its violet runes and sweet smell. Though there are harmless surface illusions, like some of the décor that adorns our dormitories, there are others that are far more complex, which we call immersive illusions. These specific types of illusions are prevalent within the Ether. And it’s our job to identify when we’ve entered one and correctly dismantle it. ”

Calligan nodded encouragingly. “Care to briefly go over the other specialties?”

“I’d be happy to.” Irene’s lips curved into a grin.

“Spacial magic, which is essentially our navigation tool in the Ether, is also how we can relocate while on campus, though relocation spells are, unfortunately, inaccessible while in the Ether. Additionally, spacial magic is limited. We have a reserve that can become depleted if we relocate too often without taking a break.” Irene paused, flicking a piece of dark hair away from her shoulder.

“Elemental magic is used to fight off or counterbalance any obstructions the Ether might throw our way. If you encounter a blazing fire, you should use a waterspout to extinguish the flames. If you walk into a windstorm, you should control the air around you to tame the obstruction. Ifyou—”

“I think we get the point,” Olivier muttered under his breath.

Irene’s eyes snapped in his direction. She narrowed her gaze, as if challenging him to say something else.

“ Anyway —psyche magic is a bit trickier. It allows the caster to infiltrate and influence the mind of others. There are sometimes residual side effects of psyche magic, usually in the form of foggy irises and the occasional bloody nose. As students, we don’t have much access to this form of magic, but we can cast mind-alteration spells.

This is primarily used in the case of a stubborn lost soul.

” She smirked and wiggled her brows. “If they put up a fight.”

“Very good.” Calligan leaned back. “And the last two?”

“Defensive and corporeal,” Irene replied without hesitation.

“The two opposite ends of the spectrum. Defensive magic uses golden threads to put together defensive wards and energetic barriers. The Ether will often create its own defensive barriers that need to be crossed, and it’s up to us to be able to dismantle them. ”

She paused, eyes slithering over the faces of the other students. A wicked smile spread across her face.

“And last but most certainly not least—corporeal magic. Visually represented by silver shards. And, in my humble opinion, the most important form of magic we’re taught.

Corporeal magic allows us to shift the atoms of the atmosphere.

Transmutation spells. Combat spells. Anything we could use to attack or destroy… if need be.”

Calligan nodded. “Now, can someone explain the overall benefits of developing your magical abilities? Specifically, when it comes to navigating the Ether for your weekly reaping assignments?”

Olivier raised his hand at the same time as Irene. She shot him a glare.

Calligan chuckled under his breath. “Though I appreciate your enthusiasm, Ms.Bamford, perhaps we can give someone else a chance.”

Olivier resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her.

“It’s pretty simple,” he began, clearing his throat.

“Our magic is tethered to our soul. It’s what helps us find lost souls in the Ether and locate the correct doors.

The more we develop our magic, the stronger that connection becomes.

If your connection isn’t strong enough, you might walk into the wrong door and delay the entire process.

Not to mention the risk of running into the Shadow Lands—”

Calligan interjected with a gentle lift of the hand. “The doors to the Shadow Lands are locked with protective wards set by Headmaster Silas himself. There’s no risk of actually falling throughthem.”

Olivier blushed and averted his eyes, dropping them to his desk. “Of course.”

A girl seated a few tables away from him raised her hand.

Keira Holland. A newer student in Blackwood.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see a newer student placed in a high-level classroom.

Her marks had probably been strong enough to earn her a seat among their ranks.

But her inexperience was written all over her face.

She was a small guppy desperately trying not to drown in a pond full of bloodthirsty sharks.

“Yes?” Calligan sighed.

Keira’s freckled face softened into a smile. “I was just wondering…why is it exactly that the Ether seems to be fighting us? As if it doesn’t want us helping these lost souls?”

Silence filled the room. This wasn’t a question you were supposed to ask. Keira, who hadn’t been aware of the ignorance behind her question, looked around the room tentatively, her smile faltering.

Calligan inclined his head to the side. “That question, Ms.Holland, is one I cannot answer.”

Because he didn’t know. Nobody knew why the Ether seemed to be working against them, doing whatever it possibly could to stop them from reaching lost souls. It was just one of those things that had always seemed to exist—one of the rules of their universe that went without saying.

Keira shrank into her seat. She nodded her head in response and offered Calligan a feeble smile. “Right. Of course. My apologies.”

“Now, do we have any other questions?” Calligan glanced around the room. When no one spoke up, he clasped his hands together. “Wonderful. Then let us begin.”