Page 59 of The Fifth Soul

He’s dropping pieces of information one by one like bombs. I can tell he’s doing it for dramatic effect. He knows he sounds crazy, and he doesn’t care; he’s enjoying himself.

“Why would an angel, the Chief Guard of Luzes, want to meet us at Fierno?”

“Because of you.” He taps my nose.

“Me?” I ask in disbelief.

“You.” He taps the book in my hands this time.

“He is not just any Chief Guard, Gabriel has a very special story.”

Brandon gestures for me to follow as we walk out of the room. I look at my watch. We are just in time for his first meeting of the day.

“Gabriel,” I say.

“You know him?”

I nod. How could I forget the beautiful angel that would come to Fierno once a year on the winter solstice? No one knew the reason, but we all knew the date. He was always in a sunny mood. If we waited around the center, we could get a glimpse of him.

“I know he is an angel. He goes to Fierno every year on the same date. I didn’t know he was the Chief Guard of Luzes.”

Brandon nods. “Do you know why?”

I shake my head. It makes little sense for someone with his title to go down to Fierno himself. I can’t think of something that could be so important that he had to tend to himself year after year.

“Gabriel has a brother who didn’t get blessed when passing.”

“He was cursed?” I ask.

The puzzle begins to fall into place. That must be why he goes to the City of Sin. His brother must live there. Gabriel going to visit his brother in Fierno makes sense. That’s why he doesn’t send someone else in his place.

“Not just cursed. His brother is Mel,” he says.

The name feels like a sin spoken out loud. I stop in my tracks. I stare at Brandon, knowing where he was going with this.

“You are going to ask Mel for the souls.”

Just speaking his name gives me goosebumps. I’ve never seen the demon, but I have heard enough. His name cleans out taverns.

“A favor for a favor.” His tone is so blasé.

“We’re going to ask one of the most brutal demon legion sergeants for two souls.” I repeat the sentence slowly because I do not think Brandon understands what is being said or the gravity of what he is planning to do.

Maybe he doesn’t know Mel or hasn’t heard of the guy. I shake my head because this is the most dangerous and absurd plan anyone could have devised. Then, I recall the part about me.

“You said Gabriel would meet us at Fierno because of me. What do I have to do with this?”

“Gabriel goes to Fierno once a year because that is the only day he can visit his brother. They are both cursed to only see each other one day a year.”

His eyes trail down to the journal in my hands. I look at the journal.

“You think I can do anything about it?”

“There are loopholes for every curse. Whoever placed this curse on the brothers never accounted for you. Someone with your gift best said.”

“In exchange for me to allow him to see his brother for an extra day.” I gulp. “He is going to kill us for even suggesting something.” A shiver passes through my body.

“You are underestimating the love he has for his brother.” His arm wraps around my trembling shoulders. “If he kills you, he won’t have you at his disposal to speak to his brother. 364 days of the year.”

---