Page 3 of The Fifth Soul

We wait and look around as the echo of the pots finally dies out.

“Well, at least no one heard us.” I shrug.

We walk toward a door when movement off to my side alarms me of someone’s presence. I would have missed it if I wasn’t so on edge. A top of honey brown hair rushes in quiet feet toward the other side. Hiding from us, huh?

“We got a runner.” I gesture to Matias.

His head turns toward the fleeing woman.

“Looks like a girl.” He steps back with his palms up.

“That,” I shove at his chest, “is sexist.” I push a little harder.

I take off after the woman. If this person isn’t rushing to stop us, they probably can’t hold their own and most likely are on their way to find someone who can. We can’t have that happening.

She picks up speed when she sees I am on her tail. Her slim figure comes into view as I cut the distance between us. She is about five-three and no more than a hundred pounds. Her heavy breathing tells me there is no way she can keep running this fast for much longer.

I launch forward and land flat on top of the girl. We both hit the floor hard, but she is under me and takes the front of the fall. She shrieks in a mixture of fear and pain. I turn her face up, and terrified eyes stare at me. A glint of guilt hits me like a train.

A memory of a younger, weaker version of myself fighting to survive in Fierno crashes into me. Then, a little boy with blue eyes, dirty clothes and messy blonde hair offers me the first sliver of kindness that starts a lifetime of friendship. The very same boy is now standing above us, watching the show with a pained expression.

“That looked and sounded like it hurt.” He looks at her with pity.

“I wouldn’t know.” I get up and bring the girl with me. “Did it?” I ask her, but she does nothing other than stare at us. Raising my fist as high as possible, I say, “I can’t make it painless, so I will make it quick.” With force, I drive my fist down, striking the side of the woman’s head and knocking her out instantly. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

Matias helps me lower her to the floor before someone realizes she is missing. “Turn it back on,” he says.

His request makes me realize I never turned my gift off. I spare the woman on the floor one last look before moving on. I don’t have time to dissect why my gift didn’t work on her. It’s never failed before today.

We sprint on quiet feet down the hall to the door. This time, I look around for any other stragglers. A quick look outside confirms the hallways are empty. A pebble of worry gets stuck in my throat. What if my gift doesn’t work here because something in the walls stops gifts like mine? My concerns fade as a guard passes us without sparing us a glance. Matias doesn’t notice the way I sigh in relief.

His eyes are fully absorbed in every inch that surrounds us.

The halls are lit by candlelight, but I can still appreciate the rich decor. Dark green drapes frame every window we pass. All the metal is black, and the walls are dark wood. The castle’s name aligns with its decor. The space feels both minimal and expensive. There’s no mistake that the Oscuro family lives in luxury. I wonder if other royal families have this much unnecessary wealth.

We cross a bridge and a few more hallways empty of any guards when we finally reach the library. The doors are slightly open. We hang outside for a minute, trying to hear inside, but we detect no movement. Pushing the door slightly more ajar, Matias slides inside and abruptly stops. I follow inside and freeze when I see it too.

Like the plant nursery, this space possesses enchantments. Candlelight casts a soft glow through the room, making it hard to inspect at a distance. The theme of the castle is carried in every wall, table, and chair. But my eyes are drawn to the two floors of bookshelves holding what can only be thousands upon thousands of books. The second floor of shelves is floating mid-air. Nothing connecting them or holding them visible to the naked eye. My mind goes into all the possible ways this design works. Does a spell allow people to climb up, or do the shelves come down?

“Just one.” Matias’s pleading eyes beg me.

I know what he means. Just one book. They have so many. Why can’t we have one? Would they truly miss it if it was gone?

I don’t even have to think about it. “Yes,” I agree. Excitement at the idea grows in my chest. “Just one. Let’s finish the task first, then we can look for our prize.”

His smile both breaks and mends my heart. Matias is my only family, the brother I never had. Despite being only a year older, I’ve always felt protective of him. I wish I could provide more for us.

Finding the artifact we came here for turns out to be easier than expected. The directions provided once inside were straight forward. The back right side of the room has a hall lined with doors. Toward the end of that hall, a double-door room holds what we are looking for.

The man who hired us made it clear that inside the room, we would find many objects, but only one book.

Once in front of the double doors, Matias tries the handle. “Locked,” he whispers.

“Do you remember the unlocking spell?”

His expression tells me to not insult him. A second later, a click sounds and the door creaks open.

We step inside and look around. At a closer look, the items on the shelves look broken or old. Cups, watches, utensils, and even a few jewels are among the junk. All in terrible condition.

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