Page 73 of Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy #1)

Wren

Once, when Wren was twelve, she fell from a tree in her backyard and broke her wrist. It shattered, bones splintering upon contact with the ground beneath her.

Her mother had been furious. She’d told Wren countless times not to climb the tree, but Wren, being the kind of person she was, hadn’t listened.

She’d wanted to prove to herself that she could do it.

Or maybe she’d simply wanted to do the opposite of what she’d been told.

That night, when her mother tucked her back into bed, she’d looked deeply into Wren’s eyes and told her, “Your actions have consequences. You have to think before you act. There are no second chances when it comes to life and death.”

Though it had been sound advice—her mother had been wrong.

Death had given Wren a second chance at life, a path toward redemption. A chance to prove to herself, to her mother, to everybody around her, that she could listen to the rules.

That she could be good.

But now that second chance had been taken away from her. As she walked into the Opal Chamber, her shoes clattering against the marble floors, she thought back to her mother’s warning.

There are no second chances.

Irene was already waiting inside. She was leaning against one of the pews, arms crossed, a restless energy surrounding her. She nervously tapped her boot, her gaze momentarily crossing Wren before returning to the floor.

And then there was August.

He watched her, eyes inscrutable. But his lips lifted a fraction when he saw her. A smile.

She stopped in front of him. “August.”

To her surprise, he reached out his hand and laced his fingers through hers.

“Loughty.”

“Oh God,” Irene muttered under her breath. “You finally decided to get together? A day before your mutual destruction? Jesus Christ. How fucking Shakespearean of you two.”

Wren lowered her voice to a whisper. “I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“I…I went to Lou’s room. Something wasn’t right. It was a disaster. Like someone had destroyed it, or…or ransacked it looking for something.”

“She could just keep a messy room.” August chuckled, shrugging. “I’m sure she’s not the only one.”

“No, it’s not—” Wren cursed under her breath, tugging him closer. “August. Listen to me. I know what I saw. It was…it was bad. There was writing all over the walls. She had…she had written something in blood—”

“What?” August’s mocking smile quickly dissipated. “What did she write?”

“My name.”

August’s entire demeanor shifted. His gray eyes darkened with an expression that sent a chill down Wren’s spine. But before she could tell him more, the doors to the chamber swung open and Headmaster Silas entered the room.

“Good morning, nominees.” He nodded in their direction and strode across the room, walking stick in hand. “I’ve come with some rather unfortunate news. I’m afraid we’ve lost two more nominees overnight.”

Shock coursed through Wren. No. It can’t be possible. Even Irene seemed surprised by the news, her entire body going rigid. If Wren didn’t know any better, she would even go as far as to say that Irene seemed…worried.

“What do you mean?” Wren asked breathlessly.

“Well, it appears Emilio and Olivier have become…indisposed.”

Indisposed? But that didn’t make any sense. Olivier had been fine when Wren had last seen him. He’d returned from the third trial uninjured. Emilio’s condition had been concerning, but there was no reason for both of them to be eliminated.

“But I don’t—”

“We don’t have time to go over specifics,” Silas interjected swiftly, coming to an abrupt halt in front of the Ether’s arched doorway. “Time is fleeting, and we must begin the fourth and finaltrial.”

“Which is?” Irene asked with an exasperated sigh.

“I have hidden a specific item within the Ether,” he explained, gesturing toward the portal door.

“For the final task, you will be traveling through a specially chosen landscape in search of that item. Unlike your earlier trial within the Ether, this time, you will all be in the same landscape. So…if you encounter another nominee—feel free to eliminate your competition.”

Wren wanted to smack the brazen smirk right off his face. Of course he would suggest something like that. To him, they were nothing but sacrifices. Disposable. Insignificant souls destined to be consumed.

Irene stepped closer. “Are you going to tell us what the itemis?”

Silas shook his head. “That is part of the challenge. If your soul connection is strong, then you should be able to find it, no matter what it is.” He smacked the handle of his walking stick against the portal door, igniting a cloud of magic that spread through the wooden surface like a meteor shower.

“Now.” He clasped his hands together, stepping away from the arch. “Who would like to enter first?”

It wasn’t an actual question. Everybody knew who would gofirst.

Irene didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward, shoulders squarely facing the door, and readied herself. But something about her expression struck Wren as odd. It was a look she’d never seen on Irene before.

A moment of hesitation. Of doubt.

Irene gnawed the inside of her cheek, eyes momentarily darting toward Wren. Suddenly, Irene no longer looked like the cruel viper Wren had always known her to be. She looked…scared.

A foreign sense of desperation struck Wren without warning. A desire to somehow protect Irene, despite their animosity. After all, there was a chance this was the last time they’d see each other, the last moments either of them would ever share.

Wren stepped forward. “Irene…I—”

But something about the sincerity in Wren’s voice must have startled Irene, because it was in that same moment that she shook her head, turned back toward the portal and crossed through.

Silas watched August and Wren from a distance, waiting. They needed to make a decision.

Who goes next.

August ran a worried hand through his curls and let out a dry chuckle. “Feels like maybe I should have prepared a speech or something.”

Wren tried to smile, to laugh, but nothing came out. She felt inexplicably hollow.

“That’s all right. Words have never really been our strong suit.”

August reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Remember what I told you. About saving yourself. Don’t try to help anyone, okay?

Wren swallowed, nodding.

I know.

But Wren didn’t want to remember. She didn’t want to save herself if it meant losing everybody else in the process.

If it meant losing him.

August stepped toward the portal, but Wren pulled him back.

“Wait.”

He sighed, brows furrowed. “Loughty.”

She didn’t give him the chance to retort. She pulled him back down and cupped his face with her hands, closing the space between them, not caring that Silas was watching nearby.

Their lips collided in a moment of pure desperation. One more kiss. One more moment together. She just needed something to hold on to. Something to remember him by. He wove his hands through her hair, pulling tighter, and everything else seemed to melt away.

But it wasn’t enough. Nothing would ever be enough.

Wren whispered the next words into his ear.

“Find me. Wherever you are, wherever we end up, don’t stop looking for me.”

And because she couldn’t bear to watch him walk away, to watch him leave her, she jumped in front of him, ignoring the sound of his voice calling out to her, and stepped through the door.