Immortal Consequences(46)

“We have to keep moving.” Olivier walked forward, face set in determination. The area of the maze they’d wandered into was quiet, the hedges rising up around them. Emilio had no idea where they were—or where to go next. “I think we outran the smoke, but there’s no telling how far away it is,” Olivier continued. “If we keep moving, maybe we can stay ahead of it.”

Emilio planted his feet firmly on the ground. “No. I don’t—wait.”

Olivier stumbled to a halt.

“What is it?”

“I just—” Emilio shook his head, attempting to steady his breathing. “I need a second.”

The smoke had come out of nowhere. Even while he had been running from it in his panicked state, Emilio had been able to see how destructive it truly was, devouring everything in its path, scorching the ground until there was nothing left but ash. They’d outpaced Irene, losing sight of her seconds after they started running, but judging by the fact that they had yet to stumble upon her, Emilio assumed she’d gone left. Georgia and Carter hadn’t reappeared either, and Emilio hoped that whatever way they’d turned, they’d managed to escape unscathed. As they’d run, the smoke had gradually dissipated, until the towering wave had become nothing but a small cloud that vanished into thin air, fading into the maze behind them.

Emilio’s teeth chattered as he wrapped his arms around his chest, willing his body to cooperate. Of course. Now Olivier was going to know just how weak and pathetic he was. Just how painfully useless.

“Emilio.” Olivier stepped closer. “Are you all right?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” Emilio winced at the sound of his own voice. He sounded the furthest thing from it.

Olivier sighed and closed the space between them.

“Listen. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”

Emilio scratched the back of his neck. “Easier said than done…”

Olivier stared at him intently. There was a tense silence. And then, before Emilio could even attempt to brace himself, Olivier cupped his face with both hands. “Emilio Córdova,” he said slowly. “I give you my solemn vow that I will not let anyone harm even a single hair on that beautiful head of yours. Understood?”

Emilio’s knees threatened to buckle beneath him, but he kept his composure.

“Understood.”

Olivier nodded, satisfied, and dropped his hands to his sides.

“Now…this is merely a trial. Which means there has to be a way to solve it. An exit we aren’t seeing.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be as simple as finding an exit.” Emilio ran a hand anxiously through his hair. “Something tells me finding the way out of this maze doesn’t have to do with the direction we walk in.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” Emilio shivered as a cold breeze blanketed his skin in goose bumps. “I just have this feeling that we’re missing something. That it isn’t as simple as walking around and finding an exit.”

A sudden commotion stole their attention—a loud shriek followed by thrashing noises, like the sound of a struggle. Emilio startled, head whipping around as he attempted to locate the source of the noise. When his eyes landed on Olivier, they shared a fleeting look, a brief moment of hesitation, and then they were off.

The farther they ran, the louder the noise became. It seemed to be coming from somewhere to the left of them, perhaps on the other side of the hedge. When they rounded the corner, one voice became clear.

“Stay back”—a grunt of exertion—“you heinous bitch.”

Emilio recognized that voice.

“Josie,” he whispered.

“You know her?” Olivier asked incredulously.

Emilio nodded. “Jocelyn Foster. We have a few classes together.”

A second voice echoed over the chaos.

“—don’t provoke them, Josie!”

Olivier’s head snapped up. “That’s Tristan.”

“We have to help them.”

“We should…” Olivier let out a nervous chuckle. “Or we could just keep moving.”

Emilio blanched. “You can’t be serious.”

“This is a competition, Emilio. People are going to be eliminated.”

Olivier was right. Emilio knew that if he had any hope of crossing over to the Other Side, he needed to win. And if there was any chance of him somehow coming out on top, then he would have to set aside his empathy, no matter how difficult.

But then Josie let out a scream. A terrible, agonized scream. The two of them weren’t close by any means, but Josie had always been cordial to him. When Emilio had first arrived at Blackwood, she had gone out of her way to help him acclimate to his classes, offering to give him a copy of her notes. It was a small act of kindness—but even that was rare in the afterlife.

He shook his head. “Olivier. I can’t. I can’t just leave them.”

“Christ…” Olivier cursed under his breath, the ghost of a smile lifting onto his lips. “You are too good for this world…you know that, right?”

“Debatable.”

“Come on, then.” Olivier picked up his pace. “Let’s go do something stupid.”