Page 56 of Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy #1)

Emilio

Emilio wasn’t a fan of parties. Maybe it was the loud music or the forced socialization.

Or maybe it was simply because last time he’d been dragged to a party…

he’d died. So, despite the festive decorations and overall excitement buzzing around the room, he couldn’t help but be in a bit of a dour mood.

“Oh, come on. Just one more dance. You owe me.”

Scarlett was standing in front of Olivier, arms crossed and face twisted into a scowl. She was wearing a frilly pink dress that made her look like a cupcake—a beautiful cupcake, but a cupcake nonetheless.

Olivier sighed, swishing a champagne flute around in his hands.

“Scarlett, dear…I escorted you to the ball. I danced our agreed-upon three songs. I even held your hand while Jamie was looking to help you make him jealous. I think I’ve done more than enough for one night.”

She pouted her bright-fuchsia lips in annoyance. “But you’re my date. ”

“I’m your prisoner.”

She rolled her eyes. “ Ugh. You’re no fun.” She spun around on her silver stilettos and stormed off, angrily snatching the nearest person she could find and forcefully pulling him toward the dance floor.

Emilio bit back a smile. He couldn’t lie, a part of him felt bad for Scarlett—Olivier wasn’t exactly being the most cooperative of dates—but he also couldn’t help but relish the fact that Olivier truly seemed to have no interest in her beyond their arrangement.

As the song slowly faded out, Josie and Carter, who had spent the past half hour twirling about the dance floor, made their way toward Emilio and Olivier. Sweat clung to their foreheads, their chests rising and falling with exertion.

“What are you two doing just standing there?” Josie giggled, swiping the champagne flute from Olivier’s hand and taking a swig. “This is a ball. You dance at a ball. You don’t just stand there sulking.”

“I’m not sulking,” Olivier protested.

“How about you?” Josie spun to face Emilio. “What’s your excuse?”

He shrugged. “I’m not really much for dancing.”

“Oh, come on.” Josie crossed her arms defiantly. “Tristan would be furious if he saw you standing around. Honestly, he probably would have smacked you two upside the head by now!”

Carter chuckled. “And then Georgia would have dragged you to the dance floor, even if you were kicking and screaming the entire way there.”

“Yeah, well, they’re not here, are they?” Olivier snapped, sucking the air right out of the room.

Josie flinched as though his words had been a slap in the face. “I…I know that.”

“Personally, I don’t feel like dancing around and celebrating when the rest of them are lying in the infirmary in God knows what condition,” Olivier continued, swiping another champagne flute from a nearby floating tray.

“Quite frankly, I find it rather bizarre that you all would happily parade yourselves around the dance floor knowing that.”

“Tristan would want us to be enjoying ourselves,” Josie whispered, voice wavering.

Olivier snorted, swaying slightly. “You keep telling yourselfthat.”

Emilio winced at Olivier’s cruel tone.

“Hey…are you all right?” he whispered softly.

Olivier didn’t even look at him. “Oh, just dandy.”

Carter placed a comforting hand on Josie’s shoulder, casting a disparaging look in Olivier’s direction.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “If you two change your minds, we’ll be on the dance floor.” He offered Emilio a sympathetic smile. “At least try to have fun.”

Olivier downed the rest of his glass as they walked away. It was his fourth. Or perhaps his fifth.

Emilio had lost count.

“Drink?” Olivier offered.

Emilio stiffened. “No. Thank you.”

Olivier snorted. “Why on earth not?”

Because the last time I got drunk I managed to get myself killed.

“I just don’t feel like it.”

“Suit yourself.”

Emilio sighed, losing his patience. “What’s going on with you? You had no right to speak to Josie that way.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Olivier retorted curtly.

Emilio had opened his mouth to question further when he noticed Masika standing on the other side of the room. She was waving them over, an impatient look in her eyes.

“Masika is calling us.”

Olivier sighed, uninterested. “For what?”

“Not sure.”

Emilio pushed himself away from the wall and made his way toward her.

Olivier groaned, though Emilio could hear him following.

Honestly—what had gotten into Olivier? He had seemed perfectly fine when they went to the Library.

In fact, Emilio could have sworn that there had been something electric between them. A spark.

“Took you two long enough,” Masika muttered once they’d reached her.

“We were busy,” Olivier snapped back.

Masika snorted. “Right. Busy staring at one another from across the room.”

A hot flush spread over Emilio’s cheeks. She was right. He’d spent the better half of the hour waiting for Olivier to approach him, but he hadn’t thought anybody else had noticed.

Luckily, she didn’t push the topic further.

“Anyway,” she sighed, leaning toward Emilio. “How did your little trip to the Library go?”

Olivier cleared his throat. If he was at all embarrassed by her comment, he was damn good at hiding it.

“Emilio got the book he needed.”

“Great!” She beamed. “So…did you find anything helpful?”

“I only read parts of it,” Emilio whispered, nervously glancing around. “There are a few potential theories, but I need more time. I didn’t want to risk being late. You know…considering.”

Masika nodded in understanding. “Well, let me know when you do. All of us. I’m sure the others would want to know.”

“Including Louise…,” whispered Emilio.

Their eyes collectively shifted toward the other side of the room, landing on Louise.

She sat by herself, fingers tapping the table in time with the music.

Despite his concerns that Louise might know more than she was letting on, Emilio had to admit she did seem rather harmless.

With her large blue eyes and soft face. Her cherry-colored lips and long lashes.

She looked more like a pageant queen than a Demien.

“I can’t believe she harnessed shadow magic,” grumbled Olivier. “It just doesn’t make any sense. I mean…look at her.”

“But she did,” muttered Masika. “We all saw it.”

Olivier sighed. He went to take another sip from his glass, groaning in frustration when he saw that it was empty.

“ Ugh. I’ll be back. I need another one.”

Emilio placed a gentle hand on his forearm. “Isn’t that your sixth?”

“So?” Olivier snapped, ripping his arm away and stumbling slightly. “Am I not allowed to have a goddamn drink in peace?”

Silence engulfed the three of them. There was only a second between the moment the words left Olivier’s lips and the regret washing over his face, but Emilio still found himself wincing at the harshness in his tone.

Olivier closed his eyes and grimaced. “Emilio. Shit. I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s fine,” Emilio said. “Go.”

Olivier blinked. He opened his mouth and then closed it, clearly deciding that whatever he had to say wasn’t worth it, and walked back into the crowd.

Next to him, Masika sighed. She placed her hand on Emilio’s elbow.

“Hey.”

Emilio couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “If you’re going to tell me to stop being a coward, I really would appreciate it if you didn’t.”

“I’m not.” She gently angled him closer. “What I was going to say was…don’t let his attitude get to you. We both know Olivier adores you. He’s just…” She let out a ragged breath. “Look. Whatever Olivier is going through right now, I guarantee it has nothing to do with you.”

“He seemed fine earlier,” Emilio whispered, defeated.

“Have you tried to talk to him about it?”

It sounded so simple. Just try. But despite knowing it was the rational thing to do, Emilio couldn’t help but listen to the little voice in the back of his head, the one that instilled fear in his heart and doubt in his mind.

“I just…” He let out a shuddering breath. “I need more time.”

Masika sighed, looping her arm over his shoulder.

“Don’t we all.”