Page 99 of The Fifth Soul

I spot something moving before I hear it. Seven figures make their way to me from the high grass between the trees. This can’t be right. My eyes must be tricking me. I rub them, but the figures keep approaching me. The lack of sleep might have created the only hallucination that could get me to complete this hike.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” I say, playing into the illusion.

I point back to where they came from. I’m about to order them back until I see their faces. They mirror mine.

“We’re here to make the hike,” Roman says proudly, stepping closer to me.

“You can’t.” Tears beginning to gather in my eyes.

Bianca walks to my side and stands beside me. Her hand finds mine so quickly and naturally. I hold to it tightly. The empty hollow hole in my chest no longer feels so big. The faces in this small circle have been by my side for a long in the case of some. I would do anything for each one of them.

“You are not alone,” Bianca says, looking up at me. “Not a single day will you ever be alone out there. Why would you have to be here?”

The answer is simple. Tradition and rules, they’re there for a reason. The hike symbolizes the sacrifice and vow I am making.

I clear my throat. “The ceremony is a vow. The chosen one vetoes their life to uphold the balance of life the Fates have created. A promise of life and death.”

The words have been drilled into my memory for years. The only person who could have made this walk with me was another past-chosen one.

Jesse rests his hand on my shoulder. “You vow your life to them and their plan for the world. You have accepted the power and responsibility they have placed on your shoulders for the good of our people.” He takes a step back and gestures to the group. “We vow to follow you and support you on every occasion to ensure your mission is successful. We vow our lives to you.”

No one has ever vowed their lives to a ruler. The Fates control the paths and life itself. The ceremony hike is about leaving behind all and walking the path of a lone ruler, but didn’t they tell me I would never have to do it alone? Was this what they meant?

I look down at my hand claps tightly in Bianca’s. Her other hand rests on my chest as she leans close and says, “Whatever the world might bring at our feet, we will walk through it together.”

Whatever awaits. I take a deep breath and finally feel the air filling my lungs easier.

EPILOGUE

JANELLE

The quiet guard I’ve been following stops walking. Jose is his name. Jesse mentioned him once or twice. He gestures with his head to a dark tunnel in front of us. I don’t question his actions. I give him a nod and head into the dark space without looking back.

I attempt a spell for light, and of course, it fails. I’m reminded once again of my new reality. With no magic, I’m rendered utterly human.

A giddiness enters my body at the thought.

My eyes take a minute to adjust to the darkness, but soon, I begin to make up shapes and see walls. There’s little to see. A straight line forward. The air is damp, and the smell is musty. I pick up my speed, and when I begin to wonder how long this can be, a beacon of light appears in front of me.

I exit the tunnel to the open forest. Green, luscious pine trees greet my new freedom. I never imagined the taste of it would be bittersweet. The lightness my body feels now that chains have fallen doesn’t ease the reality of all those I will leave behind.

Exiles aren’t granted a way out of Puerto Queen, and I’m expected to find my way—no exceptions. I look inside the bag Jose provided me inside the castle. A compass, a knife, a couple amulets, and some food and water. A huge gesture of generosity.

This is his way of still looking out for me. I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve him. Jesse will forever be the future I will never know and will never be lucky enough to find out.

I could spend the rest of my days on this earth gaining good favors with karma, and even then, I wouldn’t deserve him in my next life. But maybe just being around him will be enough. It has been so far.

Brandon Oscuro might have thought he was punishing me while taking my powers, but he has offered me a gift. Without magic, I can no longer be wielded as a weapon. I’m useless to my house and to my father. Leaving Puerto Quinn is an opportunity to start somewhere new on my own. I might have lost my powers, but I gained my freedom. To me, that’s worth so much more.

I look at my compass and calculate the correct direction. With the backpack secure on my back, I set out.

After a few miles, I hear running water. A waterfall comes into view, and I rejoice at the sight. I go to the edge and clean my skin. The cold, clear water feels refreshing and cleansing.

The bottom of my dress is beyond help. With the knife in hand, I cut out the fabric, feeling its smooth texture beneath the blade. Presumably the last tailored dress I will ever wear.

I watch the fabric fall from my hand into the water and get carried away. No more servants to wait on me. No more social gatherings where I’m expected to entertain. I won’t miss the drills and training sessions that left me bruised and bloody.

I am free. I say inside my head, but it doesn’t ring true. The notion of freedom has never been within my grasp. Free to choose, free to feel, free to live.

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