Page 69 of The Fifth Soul

Now that I’m closer, I can see that the red button is a doorbell. Of course, I saw it. It's hard to miss, I just thought it was a joke. Gabriel moves to press the bell. A growl echoes on the other side of the gates. I jump back at the noise. Even their door rings are terrifying. Nothing happens briefly, but Gabriel doesn’t look impatient anymore.

A small creature climbs up the stairs slowly until he gets to the front of the gates. He recognizes Gabriel instantly. He grunts in his direction, and it sounds like a greeting of some kind.

“Give this to my brother, Leo. Please hurry. It’s urgent.”

The creature looks down at the folded piece of paper Gabriel passes through the gates. He takes the end of the paper from his side of the gate and pockets it in his pants. It doesn’t spare the rest of us a glance before it turns. Bat wings spread from its back at the exact same moment it jumps down, instantly disappearing out of sight.

“There’s a room next door where we can talk to him privately.” Gabriel points back at the hall.

Lee Ann is still standing there with her gaze fixed on the gates. Her eyes look watery, and her face fear struck. Before anyone can ask her if she is okay, she mumbles something about having to be somewhere and excuses herself. She almost trips on her own feet in her rush out.

“What is that about?” I ask Gabriel.

He looks at Lee Ann’s abrupt departure with compassionate eyes. “We first met before any of this.” His eyes look sad as he recalls. “We died in the same fire. All of us did. Then, we ended up here. Part of my curse, as you call it, keeps my memory intact, including the memory of my life before. She doesn’t have that.”

“It must suck, not knowing,” Brandon says in sympathy.

“Lee Ann is an angel,” I whisper, realizing the implications.

A part of me always knew someone like her had to be. What makes little sense is why would an angel choose to live in Fierno? I don’t have to ask Gabriel anything; he sees the questions in my eyes.

“The mind can forget, but the soul never does.”

The cryptic answer doesn’t satisfy my curiosity, but there isn’t time to dwell right now. We follow Gabriel to a small sitting room in the next hall. One table with several chairs stands alone in the open space.

“I grew up in Fierno, actually,” I say to break the silence.

Gabriel’s brows rise in surprise at the information. It burns just a bit that I recall every time I cross paths with this man, but he doesn’t even remember seeing me before. I shake the thought away. It’s not important anymore.

“Aren’t you concerned someone will tell whoever put this curse on you that you have come looking for your brother?”

Gabriel eyes me curiously before responding, “The curse, as you call it, was done by God. He calls it a gift.”

I can’t fathom how anyone could consider it a gift. Keeping your memory sounds like a plus, but is it worth it? Since I haven’t met his brother, I may change my mind later on.

“God gave you a choice?” Brandon asks.

Gabriel nods. “During my death, I saved many lives, and so did Mel, but not enough to change his fate. God asked me if I wanted to go to heaven and join him and his legion. I told him I wanted to go wherever my brother went. We’d been apart for far too long.”

“You asked to drop?” My mouth is dry in disbelief. “God didn’t let you. Instead, he gave you this gift?”

“You call it a gift. I call it a leash,” a deep throaty voice says behind us. I jump to my feet, and Brandon steps even closer into my space. “A leash to keep him in line in exchange for a day.”

In the doorway stands Demon General Mel. He looks even more dangerous and imposing than the stories tell. Nearing seven feet tall, the demon takes the flesh of a seriously large man. His eyes are an unnatural golden brown, the same shade as Gabriel’s. On him, they look baleful. Other than that, I could see no family resemblance.

Mel’s frame is slimmer yet strong. His inky black hair is short and styled fashionably. His bronzed skin is covered in tattoos from his neck to every finger on his hands.

Gabriel stands with us. Looking at the doorway, he asks, “Is he here?”

Mel looks around the room, searching for something. His eyes pass through the spot where Gabriel is standing, but don’t seem to detect anything standing there.

“You really can’t see him,” I say, more to myself than them.

“You might want to prove this gift of yours works. My brother is not a patient man,” Gabriel warns.

“Bianca.” Brandon’s hand closes on my upper arm with urgency.

I’m glad I’m not the only one being unnerved by the demon before us. When Mel’s eyes narrow back to me, I close my eyes and activate my gift.

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