Page 50 of Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy #1)

Masika

Masika scurried down the stairs of Ivory House, passing the horde of frantic students getting ready, and took off into the night.

The evening mist curled beneath her feet, swirling in thin wisps.

The fog obscured her vision, so she summoned a twirling flame at the base of her palm, illuminating the path in front ofher.

Her conversation with Irene hadn’t been all that surprising.

Irene was a brick wall, a thick and impenetrable fortress of isolation, unwavering in her opinions once she had solidified them.

Not to mention that she seemed even more distant than usual.

A guard surrounding her like an iron cage.

If Masika was honest with herself—it worried her.

But she didn’t have time to dissect Irene’s strange behavior.

There was something she needed to do.

Her conversation with Irene had been a reminder that sometimes, working solo was for the best. And if Irene didn’t want to investigate Louise further—then Masika would do it on her own.

Masika came to a halt just outside Litterman House. The doors to the building were locked at this hour, enchanted with a barrier that only the Housemasters and those living inside could walk through.

So…she took an alternative route.

She wandered over to the wall adjacent to the common room and cast a gust of wind beneath her feet that sent her soaring up through the air, straight onto the wraparound balcony on the second floor.

She dusted her skirt off and glanced through the glass doors.

And that was when she spotted Emilio.

He was inside, crouched against the balcony railing, glancing down at something on the first floor.

He had discarded his usual lumpy wool sweater for something far more formal—a sleek black three-piece suit with an emerald cravat.

But what Masika was really interested in was the notepad he was scribbling in.

She flung the doors open without warning.

“Emilio.”

He practically jumped out of his skin, turning around with a bewildered look on his face. He looked painfully like a lost puppy dog, all wide-eyed and panicked.

“Masika—” He placed his hand on his chest. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She stepped closer and glanced through the railing. Louise had fallen asleep on the common room couch. She lay sprawled in front of the fire, hands tucked beneath her head.

Which meant that Emilio, interestingly enough, had been watching her.

“Are you spying on her?”

“I’m”—Emilio hesitated—“observing.”

“And what have you observed ?” Masika pressed, her curiosity piqued. “Anything worth sharing?”

He fumbled with the notepad, nearly dropping it onto the floor. “Not—not really.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Well…” Emilio cleared his throat. “She likes to draw.”

“To draw ?” Masika echoed with mock indignation. “We may as well lock her up now.”

Emilio pouted. “That’s not all. She spends a lot of time staring out the window.

Like she’s waiting for somebody or looking for something.

” He shook his head and fiddled with his sleeves.

“I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s honestly weird.

I haven’t met anybody who spends so much time just… staring.”

“Other than you,” Masika teased.

He rolled his eyes. “Right. Other than me.”

“I’m only messing with you. To be completely honest”—she lowered her voice to a whisper, crouching next to Emilio—“that’s actually why I came here. To spy on her. But it seems like you’ve already done my job for me.”

“I knew it!” Emilio shriek-whispered, carefully lowering his own voice. “ I knew it. I tried bringing up my initial concerns with Olivier, but he basically dismissed the whole thing.”

“Any theories?”

Emilio let out a defeated sigh. “Not really. But…I do have aplan.”

“Do tell.”

He gestured her forward, and she scooted closer.

“Have you heard of the Housemasters’ section in the Library?”

Masika quirked a brow in surprise. “It’s restricted. We don’t have access to it.”

“Right. Except…” Emilio’s face twisted into a smirk. “I do have access.”

She stared at him, stunned.

“How—”

He reached into his pocket and revealed an iron key, twirling it between his fingers.

“Stole it from Housemaster Wesley yesterday.”

“Well, well, well.” Masika playfully nudged him. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”

He blushed, tucking the key back into his pocket. “Anyway…I’ve been using the past week to read as many books on shadow magic as I can. And so far…nothing. But there’s one book that’s rumored to exist within the Housemasters’ section. One of the original shadow magic texts.”

“And you plan on sneaking in and taking it?”

Emilio nodded. “Tonight.”

“Tonight?” Masika repeated, bewildered. “But you can’t miss the ball. We signed the soul vow—”

“I know,” Emilio interjected in a whisper. “But I’ll be fast. In and out. And then I’ll go straight to the banquet hall.” He gestured to his suit with a grimace. “Hence the fact that I’m already dressed.”

“And you think you can do it without being seen?”

“I know I can,” he replied, surprisingly confident. “If there’s one thing I’ve mastered, it’s the art of being so ordinary that you’re invisible.”

Masika frowned. “Emilio…you are not ordinary.”

“It’s okay. Really. I’ve kind of made peace with it.” He fidgeted with the cuffs of his jacket. “Some people are meant to be the center of attention…to be these amazing, brilliant forces of nature…and that’s simply not me.”

Masika shook her head. “You are so painfully unaware of how amazing you are, aren’t you?”

Emilio blinked, taken aback. He cleared his throat and quickly shifted the subject.

“I…uh…I’ll be sure to report back with anything that I might find. I figured once I get my hands on the book, the six of us can meet back up and read through it. See if we can find anything that might help us figure out what’s going on with Louise.”

“That sounds good to me,” Masika replied. She surveyed him up and down, properly taking in his look for the night. “You look nice, by the way. Very handsome.”

He scowled.

“Stop trying to make me blush.”

“But it’s so much fun, ” Masika whined with a playful smirk. “And either way, you may as well get used to it, because I know a certain someone will shower you with compliments the moment he lays eyes on you.”

Emilio turned a bright shade of red. “Does everybody know?”

Masika stood up, dusting her skirt off once again. “Afraid so.”

Emilio rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. “I’m an idiot.”

“You are not. In fact, you are the most brilliant person here. But you’re also human. ”

Emilio groaned and pushed his head against the railings.

“Please don’t say anything.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” She stepped out onto the balcony, glancing at him over her shoulder. “Though, Emilio…I know we’ve been cursed with an eternal existence and time really has no consequence for our decision-making anymore…but do yourself a favor and don’t waste another second.”

Emilio tilted his head in confusion. “Don’t waste—”

“Tell him,” Masika pleaded. “Stop being a coward and just tell Olivier how you feel.”

She didn’t wait to see Emilio’s reaction, gracefully hopping off the balcony railing and landing on the ground beneath them without a sound.

She’d often wished somebody had told her the same thing.

The importance of not wasting time, even when you’ve been handed an eternity of it.

Because if there was one thing she had learned within the halls of Blackwood, one thing she’d never forget, it was that there was nothing more heartbreaking than time wasted.

Nothing more harrowing than moments you could never getback.