Page 73 of The Fifth Soul

“He failed,” I say. I’m fishing, and Mel knows it. Obviously, Klause failed because the book is still firmly in place, but I can’t flat-out ask him to tell me more. Can I?

“Klause doesn’t fail,” Mel informs me as he reads through the journal’s pages.

It would impress me with the speed at which he seems to move through the book if it wasn’t because part of me is still in shock. No, not shocked. I’m gradually grasping the extent of the situation.

“The Red Book is very much still in place, so he failed,” I say again.

I need more. Come on, Mel.

Mel stops to look at me. “If you wish to live in delusion, be my guest. If you wish to sort this out, please refrain from adding useless commentary.” He keeps moving from page to page.

“I need a minute,” I say, unable to take much more. I think I forgot to breathe; my breaths are becoming shorter and shorter.

I take my leave without looking back, returning to the kitchen and making my way outside. Mel’s backyard has a huge pond with crystal-clear water. I walk toward it and take a couple of deep breaths. The sunshine of what can only be a fake sun heats my skin. The illusion is so good I can’t tell.

Once my breathing is under control, I rub my eyes and apply some pressure. This whole day has been crazy. I’m in the underworld of all places. I finally got my hands to the inside of the cursed book. Now, I’ve discovered that there is a person or group of people with the motive to destroy the world as we see it—dismantle the status quo from its base foundation. The unanswered question is: why? Do they know how the world looked before the Red Book?

“Do you want to talk it out?” Bianca asks behind me.

I shake my head but eventually ask, “Why?”

“Power.” Her answer is so simple, yet real. Isn’t that why there are four ruling realms to begin with? “I’ll be honest. I know little about the Red Book, but I assume it contains all the magical rules and laws.”

“You got it just about right. The book doesn’t just contain it, it bends it.”

This makes me realize I also don’t know enough about the book. I know the laws and rules inside it, but if there’s anything else, I’m unaware. It’s not like I’ve ever touched it. No one has. It sits in that cave alone.

“Are you sure it does nothing else?” She taps her chin. “Perhaps there’s something we aren’t thinking of. We know they want to destroy the Red Book for power. Let’s determine what type of power can be gained from its destruction.”

Her words cleared my mind. She is right. I create a path in my head with a new mission. At that moment, Gabriel sticks his head out of the kitchen window and waves us down.

“Mel found something,” he tells us once we’re close enough. He looks behind us to the pond. “You see that yellow duck?” He points over our heads.

We turn, and sure enough, a line of about ten ducks in all colors are swimming closer to the house. I hadn’t noticed them before in my current mood.

“The yellow one is called Melly. We named her after her father, Mel.” Gabriel chuckles to himself. “He acts like he hates them all, especially her, but he secretly loves her.”

“He can he feel love?” Bianca asks without thinking. At the confused expression on Gabriel’s face, she back paddles. “I mean, he’s a demon. If he says he hates her, how do you know?”

“I know my brother.” That’s all the angel says before heading inside.

Inside, we find Mel in the kitchen eating a sandwich. He doesn’t look at us as he lazily chews on his meal. The journal is nowhere in sight, probably abandoned in his office.

“Did you make me one?” Gabriel asks him.

Mel gives him a look and then gestures to the other four sandwiches on a plate in front of him. Gabriel says nothing else as he sits opposite and begins to munch on the rest of the sandwiches.

A white note sits on the same counter. I lean closer and confirm it’s the same one from the Human Resources Office. The note has only five words written on it. “Melly’s request to relocate.” The fifth word is written on top with different colored ink. “Denied.”

After a while, I realize Mel won’t offer the information.

“Did you find something?” I ask him.

His dark eyes move to me, but his chewing continues painfully slow.

“The longer you take, the less time you’ll have with your brother,” Bianca reminds him.

He doesn’t answer us, just gets up and moves back to his office. The journal is open to one of the last journal entries. He points at it. I take the book in my hand and read. Klause’s handwriting is messy but legible. It only takes me a few lines before I recognize each letter’s unique penmanship.

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