Page 20 of The Fifth Soul

“Thank you.” Brandon inclines his head.

“Unless you need anything else, I’ll be off to see if the nursery needs any help.”

“You’re free,” Brandon says.

With a grateful nod, she turns and heads to the castle.

“Isabel works for you?” I ask.

“She’s my personal assistant,” Brandon confirms.

“Why?”

“Why not?”

It’s not so much that I don’t think she can do the job because I don’t know her. But it just doesn’t seem to fit. I wouldn’t expect her to keep up with Brandon’s high-energy. I’ve only known the man for a day, but his personality is too forceful. But I can’t exactly say all that to him, so I choose my words wisely.

“She’s so quiet and fragile,” I say instead.

“Do you know a safer place for her than near the crown prince?”

I tilt my head. Ha, now we’re getting somewhere. He wants to keep her safe. I don’t think he wishes to do it for himself, though. Their interactions this morning were more familiar than personal. I think of the fading bruise on the side of my head.

“Your brother asked you to give her the position, didn’t he?”

“We all have been very close friends since childhood.”

Not exactly a denial, but not a confirmation either. “She comes from a royal family?” I ask, invested in finding out.

Brandon side-eyes me. “No, Isabel’s mother worked here at the castle. Her family has for generations. She was born and raised here with us.”

“Your brother is in love with her.” The words sound blunt once spoken out loud.

“They’re best friends.” His eyes avoid me, favoring looking forward.

Him not making eye contact with me is very telling.

“He punched me for her.”

Brandon finally looks back at me. “She would have never done it. Roman is sensitive when it comes to her.”

I recall her standing behind him when they confronted me in the vault. The way she clung to his arm. That is definitely not the stand of a girl who wants nothing to do with a guy.

“Like I said, your brother is in love with her.” I cross my arms.

“You have made quite a few assumptions based on fleeing interactions.”

His eyes take me in. All of me.

“Are they good assumptions?”

I can’t help but grin up at him. He’s a good foot taller than me, and being so close to him means I have to strain my head back to look him in the eye. Before he can answer, an approaching figure interrupts us.

“Bianca, this is Alejandra,” Brandon introduces a young woman coming from the training circles. “Alejandra, this is Bianca.”

Alejandra is short, no taller than five-five, and has her hair pulled back in a braid.

I paste a respectable smile onto my face. She doesn’t look at me for over a second before she says, “I hope you’re ready to show me what you got, thief.” Without a second glance, she walks off to the group of people staring at us expectantly in one of the training circles.

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