News The Wolf King An Adaptation of Lauren Palphreyman’s The Wolf King Is In Development at Starz The alphas are coming By Molly Templeton | Published on June 26, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share Another romantasy is headed to a screen near you! Deadline brings the news that Lauren Palphreyman’s The Wolf King—and its two sequels, one of which is not yet published—has been picked up by Starz. Tanya Saracho (Vida, How to Get Away With Murder) is developing the adaptation, with Palphreyman on board as an executive producer. The series follows a princess who is kidnapped by an alpha wolf; naturally, “forbidden attraction” blooms between them. Palphreyman originally published the books via Amazon, but print rights were picked up by Bloom Books in the U.S., and other publishers overseas. Here’s the synopsis: Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle and the marriage that has been arranged for her.But on the night before her wedding, at a dog fight where captured werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf. It puts her on the radar of the powerful alpha who was going to kill him. And it changes everything.That night, when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged lands north of the border — where the once warring werewolf clans are beginning to unite. He thinks that she is the key to winning the war against the humans.Only, as they spend time around one another, forbidden attraction starts to grow. And as Aurora learns that not all wolves are bad, the alpha discovers that she is in danger from both his enemies, and those he once considered friends.With monsters on both sides, a bloodthirsty war between humans and wolves raging, and undeniable passion growing between them — will their story end in love? Or tragedy?And will Aurora ever get home?Does she even want to? In a statement, Saracho said, “This book has been my obsession since I first found it as an indie release over a year ago, and I’ve been lovingly championing it ever since.” No casting or production timeline has been announced.[end-mark] The post An Adaptation of Lauren Palphreyman’s <i>The Wolf King</i> Is In Development at Starz appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV Supergirl Supergirl Should Be Ashamed of Itself If the DCU wanted to assure us that it had the right stuff… this wasn’t it the way to do it. By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on June 26, 2026 Image: DC Studios Comment 0 Share New Share Image: DC Studios On paper, Supergirl should have been an easy sell. It is the second film in the fledgling DCU film reboot, arriving on the heels of 2025’s Superman, which was largely praised by audiences and critics alike. Milly Alcock was introduced to audiences there via a cameo at the center of the film, Clark’s hard-drinking little cousin—she goes to red sun planets so she can get wasted—who is responsible for Krypto’s complete lack of canine training. Her namesake film was based on an excellent and recent run of comics by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow), which provided everything the story needed to be an all-out win with audiences. The trouble is, Hollywood doesn’t do so well with female-led superhero films. It took well over a decade for the MCU to even consider a Black Widow movie, despite the fact that she was the only woman in the OG Avengers lineup. Captain Marvel also took ages to burst onto the scene, and while her first film was decent fare, the studio put absolutely no effort into promoting its sequel. 2017’s Wonder Woman seemed poised to undo damage in this area, until its sequel went for a very awkward Big-style plot arc that left audiences baffled. (It also wasted Cheetah, which is frankly unforgivable.) Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey was a delight, but reportedly failed to break even at the box office, leaving droves of fans bereft that they might never see its like again. Black Panther Wakanda Forever focused entirely on its female cast—but that was only due to the death of its eponymous leading man, leading to an understandable but ungainly runtime and no small measure of confusion over the film’s focus. All of which is to say, Supergirl had big boots to fill in more than one direction. But even taking that tall order into account doesn’t make up for what was done. The premise of the film is simple enough: a 13-year-old alien girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) means to get revenge on Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) for killing her entire family when the brigand and his crew came to steal the life’s work of Ruthye’s father, a master swordmaker. Ruthye asks the locals for help in achieving this end, promising her father’s best sword to anyone who will aid her once she’s done. Kara Zor-El is partying on Ruthye’s homeworld for her 21st birthday, and categorically refuses to help the girl until Krem decides to steal Kara’s ship and shoots Krypto full of poison in the process. A local healer tells her that Krypto only has three days to live, and only Krem carries the antidote on his person (… uh-huh), so Kara means to hunt the guy down, but tells Ruthye to stay put while she does so. Thankfully, the kid is more interesting than anyone else in the movie, so she doesn’t listen. It is important to know (comics spoiler ahead, apologies): Krypto’s impending death is a ruse in the comics run. It’s real here because blockbuster movies love a cheap ticking clock, and DCU maven James Gunn seemingly loves to write, direct and/or produce movies/television where we use animal torture as a relevant plot point. And I wish I could tell you that this is the only cheap move this film pulls, but it is the first in a lengthy grocery list of offenses. While the script is penned by Ana Nogueira (known primarily for acting work, whose previous writing career is mostly plays and short films), it’s got Gunn’s preferences dripping from every digital pore. The worldbuilding is treated almost verbatim to Guardians of the Galaxy on the interplanetary front—everything is pretty much exactly the same as our world, but even dirtier. Rest stops contain the same blue slushies you can get at your local 7-Eleven. At a dive bar on the next world Kara and Ruthye travel to, the alien singer croons “Girl From Ipanema” for no discernible reason whatsoever. Language itself is deeply irritating in the film, as we’re led to believe that there’s some sort of galactic common tongue, but given no indication of how it’s learned or why people know it, particularly when they live on backwater planets that don’t get many visitors; the point is that people can always speak this common tongue as much or as little as needed for the plot to move or complicate. We get a public bus trip that results in Supergirl getting a power up by a yellow sun, and a terrible action sequence on the crowded vehicle where we finally learn that the brigands—and yes, they’re simply called “The Brigands” throughout the film, as though there has only ever been one group of brigands that everyone on this side of the galaxy should know about—typically go to a specific planet to cull girls and young women to be their “brides” because their “society” is all male. As has already been noted by many: This is just the plot to Mad Max: Fury Road, a thing that never needs to be reduxed for fun family entertainment. It is also important to know that this angle has been added wholesale to the story for the purposes of the film, so there are no adaptation excuses to be made. Somehow it was decided that a movie aimed at young women really needed a sex slavery angle to make it work. And no, it’s not a single aside that’s never brought up again until the film’s ending—it is the entire premise of the film. Kara and Ruthye are immediately sold out on the next planet by a family desperate to get their daughter back from the brigands by exchanging them. (Does this make the plot of Krem simply stealing Kara’s ship nonsensical if he’s constantly looking for young women to abduct? It does! But who can be bothered to care about that?) Oh, and that entire family is slaughtered by our bad guy to make a point to the audience. What point? Aside from Krem being an awful guy—we got it, thanks—the moral at the core of the film is that Ruthye shouldn’t be trying to get revenge against this guy because killing him will “change her.” Kara insists this over and over again, that she herself is a lost cause, but Ruthye can still be saved from this fate. And there are several problems with this conceit, starting with the fact that Kara hasn’t been killing people either, yet she’s acting like a cold-blooded murderer who has Seen It All. The reason underneath it is all tied up in Kara’s terrible Krypton backstory, rendered in the paint-by-numbers flashback we find later in the film, but it still doesn’t stand up to scrutiny; Kara’s family and world died from hubris, not from murder. But more to the point, claiming that a 13-year-old girl could and should feel permanently tarnished, spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, for killing a man who mass murdered her family and plans to use her as a breeding sex slave is absurd. In fact, it’s not just absurd, it’s grotesquely irresponsible to give young women that message today. What Tom King and Bilquis Evely created in the comics was a wholly different story where a young woman got to effectively be Inigo Montoya, taking a full (and lengthy) journey where she questions what revenge means to her. Woman of Tomorrow is based loosely on True Grit, and written far more like the original novel by Hal Portis that the westerns were based upon—with Ruthye serving as the narrator of the story and treating it like a personal epic, learning from Supergirl’s example as they travel together. Instead, this film lets a young, grieving alcoholic (who has possibly never had to contend with the threat of molestation or rape due to her superpowers) tell a child that wanting to end the life of the man who views her as subhuman will harm her irreparably. But Kara’s allowed to hurt him because of her dog. We’re probably supposed to forgive all this due to Jason Momoa’s turn as Lobo, a fan favorite who has never made his way into the film realm until now. And sure, I love a morally gray character who only helps our heroes because they’ve got an agenda of their own. You know what I don’t love? That they also used this character for his blithe ability to refer to the hero of our film, Supergirl, by the nickname “Tits.” Tits! Because, you know, she’s got those! But you know what, I’m done, they can have it. I’ll just let it slide— —provided Harley Quinn shows up in the next movie and calls Superman the “Big Blue Schlong” the whole way through. Every time he’s on screen. Loud enough for him to hear it and get a reaction. This is probably where I should taper off, despite the many deep-running flaws I haven’t even gotten around to yet, like the fact that green suns can work in comics (kinda) but just look silly on screen, or that it makes no sense for the heroic characters to use the language of the villains when referring to trafficked women, or the fact that films really need to come up with another look for “grungy bad guys” in blockbusters that isn’t cribbed from punks with extensive body modifications. But I’m out. Even David Corenswet’s meager appearances as Superman do nothing to elevate the mood. (Get a freaking couch, Clark, you’re over 30.) I’m not saying that Supergirl bodes ill for the DCU as a whole, but… no, I lied, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Save your money, or go see Backrooms again.[end-mark] The post <i>Supergirl</i> Should Be Ashamed of Itself appeared first on Reactor.

News What to Watch What to Watch and Read (and Smell?) This Weekend: Haunted Short Stories and Haute Vampire Scents Plus: Labyrinth at 40 and the joys of Jackass By Molly Templeton | Published on June 26, 2026 Photo: AMC Comment 0 Share New Share Photo: AMC The solstice has passed and the summer is well and truly underway, but here in Portland it is very June Gloom, which makes it an especially good weekend to stay indoors and catch up on all that reading I have been failing to do. Alternately, to go outside and take walks without melting. Something for everyone! I cannot promise there is something for everyone in my weekend suggestions below, but I can promise they span a pretty good range, whether you like fairy tales, vampires, or middle-aged men making very bad choices. As always, hug your friends, call your reps, and stay cool out there! Through Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered, Labyrinth Turns 40 Tomorrow, Saturday, June 27th, is the 40th anniversary of the release of Labyrinth. I feel like there should be a holiday to mark this milestone. Perhaps a masked ball? With some sort of peach pastry and some artisanal goblin ale? In the absence of any sort of worldwide celebration of Jim Henson’s still-delightful fantasy film, you could, perhaps, celebrate on your own; it does seem like Labyrinth is presently available on just about every streaming service. Think of how much better you have it now than we did in the late ’80s, watching David Bowie look like that on VHS, nary an HDTV in sight! Say it with me now: “You remind me of the babe…” “Get in the Lambo, shitbird:” Jackass: Best and Last Let’s take a hard veer off to one of my other favorite things: Jackass. I know I’m not supposed to admit it in public, but I love Jackass. My partner and I went to the previous Jackass movie as one of our first—possibly the first—movie outings after the worst of COVID had passed. We pulled down our masks to sip beer and we snorted with laughter. It was Valentine’s Day and the theater was packed, because some people know how to celebrate. Now we have Jackass: Best and Last, which is apparently part greatest-hits and part all-new chaotic prankery. I say “apparently” because I have not watched a single trailer. I will wait for the ludicrous glory on the biggest of screens. Short Stories With Long, Creepy Tails A few months ago I read a short story that I have not stopped thinking about since: “Approved Methods of Love Divination in the First-Rate City of Dushagorod” by Kristina Ten. This story was first published in 2023, but I met it in Ten’s collection Tell Me Yours I’ll Tell You Mine, which, for me, pushed some of the same buttons that Kelly Link’s creepiest stories do. Anyway, in this specific story, people in the titular city go to love diviners to find out who they’ll marry. It’s all taken very seriously and it is all the things you might have done as a very young person: apple stems and those flippy-flappy-clappy folded paper fortune tellers that I cannot remember how to make. Serious business! This story was delightful. And then I read “Bunny Ears,” which you can read online here, and which may haunt you as it does me. I feel like you might want to keep an eye on Kristina Ten. I can’t wait to see what she does next.  Sugar: Let’s Watch Colin Farrell Moon Around Los Angeles Here at Reactor, Leah Schnelbach is the resident Colin Farrell expert/superfan. I can usually take him (In Bruges) or leave him (Crazy Heart). But then there’s Sugar, a series about which I am lightly obsessive, because it’s so unexpected that it shouldn’t work. But it does, in large part because Farrell walks lightly through it, intense as hell, but with that almost apologetic expression. He is a [redacted] and a private investigator, and the Los Angeles he lives in is one where the usual PI scenes are replaced with movie clips. The language is cinema. There’s also a lot of driving around in a very nice car, and the first season has both Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Amy Ryan, both of whom should be superstars. The new season premiered last week and I haven’t watched it yet, because I’ve been vampire-obsessed. But also because I might need to watch this one in one big luscious California chunk. Sugar is on HBO Max. What Does The Vampire Lestat Smell Like? Speaking of being vampire obsessed! It has been established, via my previous shrieking about Yoshi-egg bath bombs, that I am susceptible to entertaining media tie-in objects, especially when they smell good. This one is more up my alley than I can explain: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab just released a line of perfumes inspired—in an official, licensed manner!—by The Vampire Lestat.  The Brat Prince himself has not yet made his appearance, but Louis is there with the most delectable combination of scent notes (dark vetiver, bitter coffee, bay rum, osmanthus, magnolia, scorched sandalwood, dry patchouli, blood), as are Armand, Gabriella, and a Vampire DJ of Some Renown. Also, there are scents for some of Lestat’s songs (“Black Licorice” went straight in my cart). Wait… what does Daniel Molloy smell like? I hope I get to find out. Black Phoenix has been doing literary and cinematic collaborations for decades now; their previous efforts include scents for Only Lovers Left Alive and Crimson Peak, as well as a whole pile of books and comics. This one just seems like an extra special treat.[end-mark] The post What to Watch and Read (and Smell?) This Weekend: Haunted Short Stories and Haute Vampire Scents appeared first on Reactor.

News Back to the Future Back to the Future Co-Writer Says Jeff Goldblum Nearly Played Doc Brown Ultimately, life found a way for Goldblum to play an unhinged doctor By Matthew Byrd | Published on June 25, 2026 Image: Universal Pictures Comment 0 Share New Share Image: Universal Pictures In a revealing and incredibly entertaining interview with Gold Derby, Back to the Future co-writer Bob Gale promoted his upcoming book (Back to the Future: The Complete Screenplay) by sharing a few thoughts, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes stories about the legendary franchise. While the entire conversation is filled with gems (the book is also apparently a treasure trove of production materials and memories), the most remarkable part of the interview may be the revelation that Jeff Goldblum almost played Doc Brown. In the past, we’ve heard that multiple people were (unsurprisingly) considered for the role of Doc Brown at some point during Back to the Future‘s production. Among them was reportedly Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh (who says he turned down the part), John Cleese, Gene Hackman, Albert Brooks, Gene Wilder, and more. However, to hear Gale tell it, the role really came down to John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd. Interestingly, all three actors were in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, which Back to the Future co-producer Neil Canton had previously worked on. It seems like Lithgow was simply unavailable for the role at the time, so he was ruled out of the conversation fairly early on. When it came down to Goldblum vs. Lloyd, though, Gale says that the crew loved both actors for the part. Canton had nothing but nice things to say about both of them. However, Gale says that the decision to go with Lloyd really came down to the feeling the actor gave in the room. “There was just something about Chris that we responded to,” Gale recalls. “We said, ‘He’s going to kill this.’ And he did. It’s become an enduring part of cinematic history, this role.” Interestingly, Gale also confirms a bit of Doc Brown lore by revealing that the official (but unused in terms of the final screenplay) backstory for the character confirms that Brown burned down his family home in order to claim the insurance money required to fund his research. It’s not quite as bad as Brown negotiating with terrorists to secure some plutonium, but to hear Gale tell it, that decision was never really a deal breaker in the first place. “I think that’s one of the things that people love about the movie — today it would all be homogenized,” Gale says of Doc Brown’s shady deals. “If we were making this movie today, they would say, ‘Well, you can’t have Doc Brown be in business with terrorists.’ Well, but we did. And nobody has a problem with it, really. Because you just say, ‘OK, this is how passionate the guy is. He had to get his hands on plutonium somehow, and he was going to do whatever he could, because it was his science’…And in the way of the world today, that’s small beans right now.” As for Goldblum, it’s surprisingly easy to imagine what his performance in Back to the Future may have been like vs. what we eventually got from Lloyd’s iconic portrayal. In fact, Gale believes we’ve kind of already seen his take on that character in another movie. “Ironically, Jeff Goldblum plays Doc Brown in Jurassic Park, right?” Gale offers. “That’s how his Doc Brown would have been. You can watch Jurassic Park and say, ‘Ah, that’s how Jeff would have played it.'[end-mark] The post <i>Back to the Future</i> Co-Writer Says Jeff Goldblum Nearly Played Doc Brown appeared first on Reactor.

Excerpts Young Adult Read an Excerpt From Ruinous Ends by I.V. Marie The future of Blackwood Academy—and the entire afterlife—is at stake. By I.V. Marie | Published on June 25, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Ruinous Ends by I.V. Marie, the second book in the YA dark fantasy Souls of Blackwood Academy trilogy—publishing with Delacorte Press on July 14th. The Decennial is over, but for the students of Blackwood Academy, the fight for the afterlife has just begun.The infamous school was hiding more secrets—and lies—than any of the Decennial’s participants could have imagined. And there’s still so much that remains buried beneath its ancient foundations. Now the future of the academy, and all the souls within it, rests in the hands of six former pupils:The charmer and the golden boy…The traitor and the girl desperate to save her…The Chosen One and the one who would choose her over and over again…Any of them could be the hero the afterlife needs… or the villain who will destroy it for good. Because the truth is, Blackwood’s biggest secret has yet to come to light—and when it does, it will shake the institution to its core. Buy the Book Ruinous Ends I.V. Marie Buy Book Ruinous Ends I.V. Marie Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Augustine Hughes was losing his mind. Time had become a fickle and unstable thing; it drifted through his fingers like the remnants of a bad dream. There were moments of clarity—breaths of hope among the rot filling his lungs—but it was never enough to drag him back to reality. The darkness was too hungry. The poison too thick. It was almost comical, the absurdity of it all. Losing his mind in the afterlife. He would have thought the worst of his troubles were behind him once he had died. Yet there he was, wandering the outskirts of purgatory, mind fragmented, whispering to the darkness like a madman. He was mad, wasn’t he? August laughed and the sound grated against his skin. He was fairly certain he was lying on the dirt floor, though it was impossible to tell. The only thing he was truly certain of was the agony. It filled every crevice of his soul. Every ligament and bone. Every atom of his being. How long had he been like this? The last thing he could remember was Wren’s voice dripping into his mind, warm and inviting, and then… fury. An anger he had never known possible. Everything blurred after that, twisting together until all semblance of reality had lost its meaning. And now all he knew was this torture… this suffering. Old memories flickered through his vision like a sun-damaged film reel, vignettes of a life that was no longer his. August watched as a group of strangers slowly lowered his mother’s body into the ground. Next to him, his sister sobbed. She gripped August’s wrist as though she might float away if she let go. As if he were the only thing tethering her to the earth. Behind them, their father remained silent. He had not wept for his wife, and August was certain he never would. Why would he? He was the one who’d killed her, after all. The memory fluttered away, drifting like morning fog, replaced by another. “We must do something,” Edith pleaded, red-rimmed eyes brimming with desperation. They were standing in the garden, hidden beneath the shadows of night. Above them, their father’s study window glowed amber. “What are you suggesting?” August asked, fearing her answer. Edith’s gaze drifted to the window, her face torn between sorrow and rage. “We can make it look like an accident.” ”Edith,” August whispered. “You mustn’t say things like that—” But his sister interjected, cutting him off. “Her death was no accident, Augustine. We both know this.” Edith stepped closer, her dark eyes blazing beneath the light of her lantern. “Do you truly believe she simply fell down the stairs? After everything we’ve seen? Everything we’ve heard?” “How will we be any different if we do to him what he did to her?” August challenged. “What he did was murder.” The word spoken out loud, with such candor, sent a chill down August’s spine. “This… this is vengeance.” ”But… what if something happens?” he asked, voice shaking. “What about your soul?” ”My soul?” Edith chuckled, though her smile dropped when she saw the sincerity in her brother’s eyes. “Oh, Augustine. Do not fear for my soul. It is in nobody’s hands but mine.” When August didn’t budge, Edith let out a long and weighted sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t say these things out loud. I just need some rest.” August stepped closer, carefully inspecting his sister. ”Are you certain?” “Yes, little brother.” Clearly sensing August’s apprehension, Edith reached out and wrapped him in an embrace, whispering the next words into his ear. “I promise.” But when she hugged August, he felt her heart hammering in her chest, her pulse beating like the frenetic wings of a hummingbird. And though he could not see his sister’s face… he knew exactly what she was staring at. He knew her eyes were locked on that study window. August tried desperately to cling to the memory, but it faded before he could watch what happened next, drifting within the invisible current. A new one took its place from one breath to the next. The one he had tried so desperately to forget. The door to the kitchen was ajar. August took a step inside, peering around the corner. His sister didn’t notice him at first, her lips lifted into a serene and placid smile as she poured a cup of tea. When he stepped forward, the old wood creaked beneath his weight and his sister’s head snapped up in surprise. ”Augustine. I thought you were asleep.” “I was.” He approached the counter, rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. “But I heard you down here.” “Go back to bed.” Edith set the teacup on a tray, stirring the liquid inside with a silver spoon. “Father is in one of his moods. It is best you stay in your room and out of his way.” “Is that for him?” “Chamomile tea with a splash of rye and valerian.” She winked, stepping around the counter. “I am hopeful it will be enough to calm his nerves and send him to sleep.” “Let me come with you—” ”No;’ Edith interjected, pausing beneath the doorway. ”If he lashes out, I’d rather it be me than you.” She offered him an apologetic smile. “Please, Augustine. Just go to bed.” August conceded with a nod and watched as Edith made her way upstairs, her footsteps receding. He was moments away from walking back to his bedroom when he noticed the empty glass vial on the counter. He picked it up, lifting it toward one of the iron sconces lining the walls. The label had been partially scratched off, but he could just make out the writing. Squinting, he read what was written upon the vial. Arsenic. And Edith had poured the entire bottle into their father’s tea. August scrambled out of the kitchen, running up the stairs so fast he nearly slipped, barely catching himself on the railing. He gasped, picking up his pace, panic clouding his judgment. And before he could stop himself, before he could even decipher what he was about to do, he stumbled into his father’s study. Edith stood next to their father, a hand on his shoulder. He had lifted the teacup to his lips and begun to take a sip when August first stepped into the room. Upon seeing August, their father froze, the edge of the teacup pressed against his mouth. ”Augustine…” Edith’s face contorted in confusion. ”I thought I said to—” Her voice caught in her throat when she noticed the glass vial in her brother’s hand. She tried to hide her reaction, quickly averting her gaze, but it was too late. Their father had noticed. “Come here,” he instructed, motioning August forward. ”Hand me that.” What happened next, August couldn’t quite remember. The memory sped up and slowed down, warping like a funhouse mirror. The scene jolted, staccato, each moment flashing from one heartbeat to the next. His father realizing what had been poured into his tea. His hands gripping Edith’s neck. August slamming his fists against their father’s back. The unfathomable pain as his father threw him to the floor and snapped his leg in half. Edith removing the knife in her waistcoat and plunging it into their father’s back. Their father screaming like a wild animal as he ripped the knife out. The look on Edith’s face when her own father brought the same knife down upon her. In that moment, the memory came rushing back in with unwavering clarity. The knife had sliced clean through Edith’s abdomen. She fell to the floor, hands clutching her stomach, blood seeping through her fingers. August’s reaction was instinctual. Primal. He tackled his father, pushing him onto his desk, sending a candle tumbling to the floor. The curtain closest to the desk caught fire. The flames ate away at the fabric, inch by inch. Beneath August, his father had hardened into stone. Mouth agape. Eyes wide. August pushed himself away from his father, collapsing as the pain from his leg took hold. Next to him on the floor, Edith lay motionless, her vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling, the ghost of a smile on her lips. August dragged himself toward her, screaming out in agony as his broken leg arched unnaturally behind him. Around him, the fire grew. It devoured everything in its path—the bookcases, the piles of notebooks, the old wallpaper. Black smoke rushed into August’s lungs. He coughed, sputtering, choking helplessly. There were two options. Two conclusions to his story. He could attempt to pull himself out of the study, to somehow drag himself down the stairs and out of the house. Or… he could stay there. He could end their story, once and for all, and burn. The decision, however, was never truly his to make. It was in that moment that a dizziness came over him. Whether it was from shock or his wound, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was unable to move. His head slammed against the floorboards, as though he had been knocked to the floor by an invisible weight. Smoke clouded his vision. Through the haze, he swore he saw someone standing on the other side of the room… watching. But before he could properly understand what he was looking at, the flames swallowed him whole. And then… darkness. * * * August opened his eyes and found he was lying in a cave. He blinked, attempting to make sense of where he was. Beneath him, streaks of blood glistened against the rocky floor. It wasn’t until he glanced down at his hands, the raw blisters scattered across his palms healing at a rapid speed, that he understood the blood must be his own. That he must have dragged himself into the cave, crawling on his hands and knees in the throes of delirium, until he found a place to rest his eyes. But now that he had clawed his way back to reality, the weight of his situation fell upon him like a guillotine. “My humanity…” August croaked, his voice rough from days spent screaming, drowning under memories. Now he remembered. He had carved out his humanity. He had opened the locked door and invited the shadows inside, sealing his fate. The tidal wave of memories made sense now—he could remember hearing about this happening to others within the Order… a sort of purging. Days spent writhing in pain, subjected to horrifying hallucinations after removing their humanity. But just to be certain, August reached a trembling hand toward his chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt until his bare torso was visible. Even shrouded in the darkness of the cave, there was no avoiding what now swam through his veins like venom. Shadows. August cursed and pressed his head back against the cave wall. His chest shuddered with every panicked breath, terror sinking into his bones. This was exactly what he had tried so hard to avoid… what he had been desperate to shield himself from. The shadows had poisoned his sister, turning her into something unrecognizable, into a monster. And now he would meet the same fate. With his humanity gone, August would never be able to cross over to the Other Side. And if he allowed himself to use the shadow magic he now had access to—if he truly succumbed to the shadows—he’d lose himself. Just like Edith. The more shadow magic he used, the less him he would be. More shadow than human. But he would do it again. He would do it ten times over if it meant saving Wren. If it meant keeping his promise. Find me. Wherever you are, wherever we end up, don’t stop looking for me. August gathered himself onto his feet, bracing himself against the walls of the cave. Next to him, a shadow coiled around his wrist, its movement almost shy. Despite the nausea wrapping around his throat, August didn’t push it away. He welcomed it, letting it travel across his palm, slithering up and down his arm in delight. Instantly, a coldness swept through his body. An unnerving chill. August knew the truth now, the inescapable verity sowed into his soul. He had thought he could run from it, that he could somehow trick the hand of fate into believing he was worth loving, into believing he was worth something. But August wasn’t the hero. He was broken and tarnished and wretched. And Wren… Wren was the cosmos. She was the very stars themselves. So—he would do anything to save her from the destruction he had caused. Even if it pained him. Even if it destroyed him. He would save her… even if it cost him his soul. Excerpted from Ruinous Ends, copyright © 2026 by I.V. Marie. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>Ruinous Ends</i> by I.V. Marie appeared first on Reactor.