Page 25 of The Fifth Soul

“The Fates have blessed royal families with higher power over a specific element source,” I read out loud.

“And they will never let you forget it,” Santiago says with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t think for a moment that other royal families are as relaxed and friendly as the Oscuros.”

I don’t even think the Oscuro princes are that way, so there’s no danger of me being fooled. Brandon isn’t so bad, but he wants something from me. He doesn’t ask me about my days to see if I like them, but to see if everything is going as planned.

“Their families are labeled lords and ladies, but their titles and money are the only power they truly have over the masses,” Santiago explains.

The Kai family has a reputation for their control over water. Their legacy is based on loving and caring for the oceans and all creatures living there. The Aether family’s power lies in the air. They are known for their love of space and what the galaxies say about the world we live in. They are star readers.

The Duelo family is infamous for their dragon-like abilities in controlling fire. Building fortresses from stone and activating volcanoes by controlling tectonic plates is a talent only the Pillard family possesses. The Hue family’s talent for light can change and distort the reality of people’s eyes. They can change things and visuals, but they focus more on spiritual journeys.

The Oscuro family is superb at everything. The golden children amongst gods, their powers and limitations are unmatched. Chosen by the Fates to lead, they have everything. Their domain in the shadows is almost limitless. They’re also the only family who have ever ruled Puerto Quinn. They make the laws and have total power over all magic territory.

I’m almost impressed with the amount of information Santiago and Sofia offer about the family they grew up with. Their voices are full of love and appreciation for the family that has shown them the same. Two loyal and dotting followers to the tee. I wonder if the family actually deserves such love and devotion.

I turn the page, and the title catches my attention. “Soul bonds,” I read out loud. I tap my finger on the section. “What are those?”

“Traditions that are, mostly, long forgotten.” Sofia leans forward at Santiago’s words, obviously intrigued by the topic. “The Duelo family is the only one to continue the tradition, as far as I know. Most see it as an outdated tradition and way to take away individualized choices from people.”

I stare at the page before me. The bottom left corner illustrates a picture of women and men holding each other closely.

“How does it work?” Sofia asks.

“A group of people ready to find their soul ties will take part in a ritual. The elements will make their soul ties known. Then, a tying ritual will follow, uniting their souls in this life.”

“That sounds so romantic,” Sofia gasps.

Santiago and I share an amused look.

“Why wouldn’t everyone want to find their soulmate and be sure about a person forever?” Sofia asks.

“Well, for one, it’s not guaranteed you will always find a soul bond. Some people attend every year and never get one. Some don’t have one. And I forgot to mention that soul bonds are not always romantic. It's a power companion that binds together their individual powers.”

At the puzzled look on Sofia’s face, Santiago explains, “The purpose of soul ties has to do with the balance of magical power. Not everyone likes the person they get tied to. Once tied, they are tied forever—in this life and the next.”

This piece of information changes my opinion, but Sofia still doesn’t look convinced it's a bad idea.

“They couldn’t keep each other as friends and still find romantic love elsewhere?”

“Sounds simpler than it actually is. Honestly, I’m not sure. I have never studied them in detail. They have been out of practice for so long that I didn’t see why I would invest time in them.”

I trace with my finger the image in the book. “Why do the Duelo family and the people in their city continue the tradition?”

“I don’t know. I can only guess they must know something about it that we don’t.”

The words seem strange to me, but well chosen. We can only guess why every Royal Family does what they do.

I try to push the idea of soulmates and soul bonds out of my mind, but I can’t help but wonder what Brandon's soul bond would look like. Would she be extremely smart and strong-minded for someone who inherits a title like his? I think of the qualities of each Oscuro boy and imagine what their other half would be. What would the Fates pick for them?

The day goes by until the lights in the room dim even lower, signaling that the sun will set soon. I’ll never get used to the magic living inside the library. Although finding out the floating second shelf of books is an illusion, I soon learned there is much larger magic unseen.

My eyes burn, and my shoulders feel stiff from sitting in the same position for so long.

“Did Alejandra inform you that you'll be joining the sparring team again this week?” Sofia asks after our five-minute break was over.

I huff in annoyance. She mentioned needing to give my book learning a good practice, and there is no better way to do it than the sparring circles with my team. I haven’t seen many of them this week and was glad about it. After my injury, I was given a break from intense physical activity. I’m sure many of them think they got rid of me, so they won’t be happy about my return.

“Is it really necessary?” Santiago asks.

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