Immortal Consequences(39)

There was something strange in the tone of her voice, a haunted quality.

Wren took a chance.

“Did you…see something?”

Masika’s eyes snapped in her direction. She opened and closed her mouth, as though she was battling her own instincts, torn between the desire to confide in Wren and her proclivity for secrecy.

“I…” Masika hesitated, anxiously picking at her thumb. “I thought I saw Irene earlier, but…it wasn’t her. Not really.”

Wren stepped closer. “What do you mean?”

“The maze”—Masika looked around warily—“it tricks you. Makes you see things.”

“Like what?”

Masika opened and closed her mouth once more, a sharp exhale flaring her nostrils. “Nothing. It’s not important.”

Wren placed a tentative hand on Masika’s shoulder. To her relief, the other girl didn’t back away.

“It’s okay. You can tell me.”

Masika seemed to be on the precipice of answering when they turned the corner and crashed straight into another body. A chorus of screams pierced the night as the three of them jolted away from one another, hands outstretched, prepared for a fight.

It wasn’t until Masika stepped forward and said the girl’s name out loud that Wren realized she also recognized her.

“Liza!” Masika gasped, hand splayed across her chest. “You scared us. I thought you were—” Her words were suddenly cut short as she properly took in Liza’s appearance. “What is it? Are you all right?”

The girl looked far from all right. Liza’s glasses sat crooked on the bridge of her nose, a large crack splitting one lens. Sweat drenched her hair, her bangs sticking to her forehead in damp strands. Most noticeable of all was how exhausted she looked. Her skin leached of color. Her lips almost purple.

“Don’t get any closer!” Liza stumbled backward, eyes frantically darting between them. “Are the—are the two of you real?”

Wren tilted her head in confusion. “Of course we’re real.”

Masika approached her slowly. “Liza. Calm down. I promise you’re safe. Just…tell us what happened.”

Liza trembled as she steadied her breathing. She still seemed prepared to pounce at any second, but the terror in her eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by a tentative look of surrender.

“I saw…things.” Her voice wavered as she struggled to get the words out. “Things that shouldn’t have been real. I saw…another me. But it wasn’t me. Her teeth were black. And her eyes…” A whimper fought its way up her throat and she clamped a shaking hand over her mouth.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Masika went to grab Liza by the shoulders, but she flinched, cowering back. “This is just part of the Decennial. Everything you see…all of it is just a test. It’s not real.”

“It knew things about me,” Liza whimpered. It was like she couldn’t hear what Masika was saying, trapped within a separate maze of her own thoughts. “Things nobody knows. Things only I could ever know.”

Wren grabbed Masika by the elbow. It was meant to be a subtle gesture. A silent communication.

We have to keep moving.

“Look. I know you’re scared, but I promise you’ll be safer if you come with us,” Masika insisted, shaking Wren off. “We can help each other finish the trial.”

Liza winced in fear, stumbling backward. “N–no…I won’t…I won’t go back there. It’s going to find me.” Her voice cracked as another sob rattled her chest. “It knew things about my old life…things I’ve done…things…”

Wren leaned in toward Masika and whispered in her ear. “Masika…I think she’s lost it…”

“Just give her a—”

Masika froze. She was staring at something behind Liza, something lurking in the darkness. Wren followed her gaze, eyes trailing higher…and higher…until they landed on the same spot she was looking at.

No.

It was the same creature as before. Clumps of congealed blood dripped from its hands, oozing out of its mouth in thick streams.

“Liza…” Masika whispered her name, voice wavering. Wren could tell she was attempting to mask her terror with a reassuring smile. “I need you to listen to me carefully, okay? I need you to keep your eyes on me…and I need you to run.”

Liza blinked. For a moment, she looked normal again. Clarity washing over her.

Instantly, Wren knew what she was about to do.

She stepped forward. “Don’t—”

But it was too late. Liza glanced over her shoulder, her gaze drifting right toward the creature, which stood only a few yards in the distance. A terrifying second stretched out before them.

And then Liza’s scream split the night.

There was no time to think. No time to properly react. The creature pounced at the sound of her voice, hurtling toward her at an impressive speed. Its long, crooked limbs moved like a spider’s, each joint cracking with a loud pop as it sprang from the darkness and bolted toward them.

Wren started running, hand clamped tightly around Masika’s wrist. She prayed the other girl would follow them, but as they moved, Liza remained motionless, lingering behind them until she was lost within the chaos.