Page 9 of The Fifth Soul

“You will be fine,” I tell myself under my breath.

I’ll find a way to fix this; I won’t die here. I’ve faced countless obstacles back at Fierno, not knowing a moment where I wasn’t trying to survive, and even then, I’ve never let my circumstances get the best of me. I might not be the strongest, wisest, or luckiest, but I am unwilling to let the world eat me alive. That alone has been enough to get me this far, and it will have to be enough to get to the next place. I refuse to believe anything else.

“There is no room for fear here.” I tap my chest. Tears gather in my eyes, but I do not let them fall. I just repeat it, over and over again.

The sound of doors opening and shutting snaps me from my sleep. A tall figure moves into my view promptly after, and I’m frozen in place. I might not know a lot about Puerto Quinn or be very immersed in the world of magic, but everyone knows Brandon Oscuro. The crown prince is next in line to take over as the sole leader of the magic world.

He stares at me, and for a second, I witness his eyes widen at seeing me. They do not look at me, they look through me. I can abruptly feel every ounce of dirt on my skin heavier than a second before. It itches, and I fist my hands at my sides to keep me from scratching. His brother, Roman, made me shiver, but Brandon gives me pause.

The crown prince looks like royalty in a way I cannot explain. His dark eyes hold the same danger as his brother, and then some. He is not as tall or rugged. Instead, his features are more defined and delicate. Like a god walking amongst humans, his movements are fluent and confident. It’s the power that gives me pause. The power radiating from him is unlike anything I have ever witnessed before.

At first, I think he is going to stare at me and interrogate me. Instead, he turns to the old man. “Blessings, how long has she been here without food?”

Brandon’s eyes show horror. At what? My appearance?

“Oh, no, this is not my doing. She came in here looking like that!” the old man hurries to say.

“Malnourished?” Brandon questions.

“They caught her stealing about twelve hours ago.”

So, that’s how long I have been out of it. Good to know.

“Stealing food, I presume.”

I scowl at the prince. I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it; it’s instinct.

“Food would have done her more good. She tried to steal a cursed book. Trapped her friend’s soul in it instead.” The old man shakes his head.

“Hey!” I call out to them, done with their criticism. “I eat enough. Thank you very much.” I roll my eyes at the men before glaring. “My friend’s name is Matias. Where is he, by the way?”

“It could be a medical condition.” The old man tries to whisper, ignoring my outburst.

“How insensitive of me,” Brandon sighs. “I didn’t think of that before speaking.”

I sense he’s trying to annoy me on purpose. My exasperation is fueling his amusement. Not what I imagined the crown prince to be.

“I don’t have a medical condition. I may not live like you do, but I eat enough. Just because I’m not six-something with muscles doesn’t make me weak.”

At my words, he arches a brow. I try not to give him a once-over because I can already feel my face heat in embarrassment.

The crown prince steps closer to my cell, a smirk playing on his full lips. “Where are you from, thief?”

I guess he’s not planning to ask my name, and that bothers me for some reason.

“Fierno.”

“I presume that to be true. Food is free here in Puerto Quinn. Well, I refuse to keep talking to you until I know you at least have something to eat. I’ll tell you where your friend is when we talk.” He turns to my jail keeper. “Send food to my hall. First, open the door. I will escort her to my quarters. Please, don’t mention her presence to anyone.”

“Are you sure?” The man gives me a wary glance. “She is a little rabid.”

I clench my fists at my sides. As soon as he opens the cell, I’ll show him rabid.

Brandon takes a step back as I exit, then gestures with his head to the door. As I follow, my head swims, but I fight the urge to wince at every step.

I’m a logical person. The crown prince seeing to me himself, makes little sense. I would have guessed royalty leadership would have better things to do.

Not knowing is making me uneasy. His silence while we walk only adds to my nerves. I have no clue where we’re going. Judging by the damp walls and moist smell in the air, we’re in a dark hall somewhere underground.

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