Page 24 of The Fifth Soul

Is he trying to defend me or change the topic? Regardless of his intentions, he needs to shut up.

“Well, welcome back,” Amy Bee greets from her desk.

I see her daily when I visit Matias in the morning. The strain in her smile isn’t usually there when she sees me. Roman unceremoniously drops me on her desk, and I could cry from the pain. Some tears spill, but because of my current condition, they don’t count.

“You insensitive asshole,” Amy Bee says.

The pain has me on the brink of unconsciousness. Like when I dropped from the air, everything goes dark again.

“Can someone explain why Fifth is not in the library for her afternoon lesson with Santiago?” Brandon’s voice wakes me from my sleep. The chatter in the room vanishes at his question.

He’s standing inside the door with Isabel close behind. Roman sits by the wall, playing chess with Jesse across from him. Alejandra is nowhere in sight.

I can't see Brandon's face from my angle on the bed, but he can see me. At least the cast on my arm. Magic can’t instantly mend bones. I would know, I’ve seen Matias break his fair share. Thankfully, magic can significantly speed up the process. Several hours have passed, at the very least, because the injury has mostly healed.

“Who broke her?” Brandon asks, moving to take a closer look.

His question is so casually spoken. I must be on strong medication because I can’t feel anything, and I want to giggle. The brothers fill him in on the entire event. I lie there and listen. Since I was unconscious for a part of it, I also want to fill in the blanks. The brothers speak animatedly, making Isabel laugh at their exaggerations of the incident.

“Amy,” Brandon calls. “What’s your prognosis?”

“She can leave, but she needs to take it easy.” Amy looks uncomfortable. “Her arm will be healed in a few hours, but her bone will remain fragile for a week.” She looks straight at Brandon and then at me before exiting the room, ignoring everyone else.

“Do you need help walking?” Brandon leans down to my level and taps the bandaged arm.

I huff, “Nope.” I try to roll sideways, away from my injured arm before thinking better of it. “Just up to my feet.”

I manage to get vertical and realize Brandon’s hand is still on my back, helping me take the first step like he will catch me if I go sideways. “Did I hear you call me ‘fifth’ earlier?” I ask.

Brandon’s smile is slow and playful. He looks so young like this.

“You were supposed to be the fifth soul. It also rhymes with thief.” The crown prince of Puerto Quinn coming up with a nickname for me is absurd. And I don't think it actually rhymes.

“Thought of that all on your own?” I give him an unamused frown. His eyes glint something I wish to see again. “I like it,” I say. I’ve definitely been called worse.

CHAPTER 8

BIANCA

The second week goes by a lot easier, but that’s simply because I spend every waking hour I’m not with Matias at the library. Thanks to my injury, Sofia and Santiago fill my days with their banter and chatter when they’re not busy working. Though they carve out over five hours every afternoon to go over books with me, they are both busy in the morning.

I read out loud yet another notecard and recite the spell from memory. I close my eyes and describe in detail what it will do—how the power will activate the magic under my skin. Like energy directed into the desired outlet, it will flow and mold into the desired result. I narrate it all as instructed. When I open my eyes, I watch Sofia with her eyes closed, listening intensely to my description.

She’s been here every day without fail, sometimes taking an active role in helping me and other times sitting back and listening. I never asked her why because I could see it. She’s learning from the words spoken out loud. I never asked why I needed to read it all out loud. It’s not that she can’t read—I have seen her do it—but it’s more like her eyes can’t teach her the way her ears can, and I can relate.

“The royal families.” Santiago taps his finger at the five family trees printed on the front page of the book page.

I take out my notecards I made in the previous lesson. I wrote key details I better know like the back of my hand. These details might be the difference between life and death during my missions.

“Isn’t it exciting?” Sofia looks down at the page. I follow her eyes but can’t begin to see what she is referring to. Like she can read the confusion on my face, she continues, “You won’t just learn about these people and their lands, you’ll get to see it with your own eyes.”

“You won’t go?”

Both shake their heads in response. I’m stunned into silence for a minute. I never thought about the possibility they wouldn’t be there. Now that I think about it, it makes sense. Sofia works in the kitchens, and Santiago in the library. What can they possibly do on the tour?

“Come on.” Santiago gestures to the book again.

I clear my throat and focus back on the paragraph before me. The purpose of each royal family is to be representatives of the people and the culture of their respective regions of Puerto Quinn. They carry no concrete power in the city of magic or the reign. Their gifts and power are passed down their bloodline from generation to generation.

---