Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
BIANCA
T here is no room for fear here. I repeat the words to myself as I did when traveling here. I’ve been watching the building for a week, and it looks no less intimidating than when I first saw it. Not only the Royal Force, but the King himself inhabits the Black Castle, and I will break in and steal a book today.
There is no room for fear here. I speak the words to myself as if they will bring me bravery or common sense. I would appreciate both. Accepting the deal that brought me here signals lacking on the latter. The idea sounds ludicrous as I watch the castle’s tight security atop a tree branch. But I cannot shake the thought that vibrates all the way inside my bones, telling me this job is different. I’m a professional thief, if those exist. I do it for a living, even though I don’t make much of a living.
“Bianca.”
I nearly jump out of my skin as I hear my name behind me. I bite down any noise before it can echo in the forest, careful not to give our location to the royal guards. “What?” I snap.
“I'm going to the bathroom,” Matias tells me .
His sheepish smile makes me want to throw something at him. He’s the closest thing I have to a little brother. We have been friends since childhood. Therefore, his charm doesn’t work on me. In fact, it irks me.
I check the time on my watch. It’s three in the morning. “You test me every day,” I say in a dead tone.
I watch as my best friend and biggest pain in the ass climbs down from the tree we’re camping on. Thanks to a spell that allows us not to fall, we can sleep high in the branches without worry.
Matias disappears from my view in seconds. The forest floor is pitch black, with only the sound of wildlife moving about.
From this high up, I can see the lanterns decorating the castle walls. Regardless of magic, this will not be a simple task. We’ve been scouting the location for a few days. This isn’t my first time in Puerto Quinn, but I’ve never been this close to the Black Castle. Now, I have a job to break into the castle and steal an artifact inside their library. The thought still brings me goosebumps, but the amount of money offered was too good to pass on.
The Black Castle is a lot bigger and more impressive than I expected. It’s comprised of four large, black brick buildings connected by long wood bridges, creating a square structure with a large, open garden in the middle. Each tower sits at least two floors high, and one looks to be five. The majestic structure is home to the ruling family in Puerto Quinn and The Royal Force; their little army of trained soldiers is meticulous about their security.
I’ve been learning who occupies each tower of this fortress. The Royal Force and the city’s government council occupy the back towers. From the movement on the ground, it’s obvious that the one on the east side belongs to The Royal Force. Two smaller structures off to its side hold training circles with people going in and out at all times of the day.
From this angle, it seems like it would be quite difficult to climb the walls, but there’s no other way around it. Entering from the plant nursery on the second floor of the west wing is the easiest access point. At least it looks like it, according to the map I have. About a mile out, I picked up a tourist pamphlet at a convenience store. It conveniently has a map of the building, and we are basing the layout of the place on that map.
I jump a few trees and check the guard posts. I sigh as the night shift changes in perfect time once again. This place is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The security is tight, with foot soldiers doing perimeter checks at all times.
We need the perfect window to run to the wall and scale the building before anyone spots us. I’m confident we can do it. We’re fast, but my nerves are getting to me. This is what we do for a living. I can’t—and won’t—get cold feet now. I never have before.
Once inside, the plan is simple. We have to make it across to the opposite tower where the library is located. We have no clue what the security looks like inside. The hope is that my gift will conceal us. This entire mission is a shot in the dark based on an idea and a tour map. At least we are not going to The Royal Force and the King’s wings. Security there is sure to be tougher.
Just the thought of getting caught makes my skin crawl. What would they do? We’re good at our job, but have never snuck into a place with highly trained personnel. Back in our home in Fierno, we would get jobs stealing petty things treasured only by those seeking them. I pray my gift will be enough to get us through it.
A rustle of leaves under the tree catches my attention. I instantly know it’s Matias. With speed and agility, he climbs up to me in seconds.
“Miss me?” He asks.
“Like I miss my cramps.”
“Ew, why do you always have to compare me to your menstrual cycle?”
“You are both annoying, yet a constant in my life.” I give him a cheeky smile he doesn’t return.
“That was quite poetic,” he deadpans.
“You don’t know poetry.”
“You don’t know what I read.”
His indignant tone doesn’t fool me. This is a game we play. Our banter always starts like this. Picking on each other is the way we function.
“I know you can’t read,” I say, “so it can’t be much.”
I smile at his scowl. Matias is so easy to rile up. This is why we never get bored with each other’s company.
“I can read. I don’t know why you keep telling people I can’t.”
I know he can read; I’ve witnessed him reading, but telling people he can’t always gets me a reaction.
“I think you memorized enough words to fake it.” His middle finger is in the air before I finish my sentence.
As he moves to our bags, the “I hate you,” under his breath is a bonus.
We look over the map one last time. Today is going to be the day we finally take action. The shift we chose is coming up. Right before sunrise, we’ll make our move. We agree to leave all items we don’t need in the forest until we return.
“Remember,” I say, “try not to use magic unless it is absolutely necessary.”
There’s only so much magic a person can do at one time before growing too tired .
Matias gives me a look that says, “Stop, you aren’t my mom.”
Magic isn’t as easy and careless as some people make it look. It takes practice and knowledge—something neither of us had much of in Fierno. It was expensive to get an education. Books are almost impossible to obtain. I would know. I tried to steal a few with no luck. Don’t even get me started on a teacher. Drunks in pubs and fellow thieves taught Matias and me the few spells we picked up through the years. Everything comes at a price. Knowledge is power, and no one will give power for free.
The only spells we learned are to help our skills as thieves. We can walk undetected, boost our strength, and even hold our breath. We have top-notch fighting skills, but that has nothing to do with magic and more to do with growing up in the streets. If you don’t learn to fight at a young age, you become prey. Prey is dead meat walking.
We wait for a guard to pass. There’s a four-minute gap until the next one begins his walk down this side. Listening to the sounds of the forest, we blend into the background with every step we take.
I waste no time climbing when I reach the wall. Using the tips of my fingers, I use the bricks as climbing stones, keeping my body as close to the wall as possible. This is the simple part. I try to move slowly but fluently, pointing my shoes at an angle to give myself the most grip. I don’t have to worry about Matias, he’s a professional. He’s even better than me, but I would never say it out loud. It would go straight to his head.
We needed to hurry, but if we aren’t careful, falling will surely attract attention. I only let myself take a break to stretch my hands when I reach a lintel beam on the top windows. My peripheral vision spots a figure turning the corner without a second to spare.
“Ready?” Matias asks me.
I close my eyes and turn my gift on. It feels like a switch inside my head that can turn on and off at my command. The gift is a blessing for the type of lifestyle Matias and I live. I open my eyes and give him a nod, confirming we are invisible to the world.
My numb fingers feel relief as I finally reach the top. Matias and I turn to each other. A shared smile is all we allow before the last hover. My muscles tremble as I let out a long breath and then inhale sharply. In one clumsy move, I follow Matias and throw myself over the edge. Not our finest moment.
The landing comes with a loud bang as several pots and buckets scatter around. We wince in unison as the noise only gets louder as it echoes in the room. My gift might make us invisible to the eye, but not to the touch.
“An echo?” Matias looks across the room as he gets up.
Only part of the nursery has a top cover. I guessed the open section was for plants that need direct sunlight, though I know close to nothing about plants. Something doesn’t add up as I dust my pants off and look around. This is no regular nursery.
“How big is this place?” I ask.
From the looks of it, the room must be enchanted. The towers are huge, but there’s no way my eyes aren’t seeing almost an endless number of rows of plants.
“Wow.” Matias stands mouth agape and wide eyed, mirroring my sentiment.
Neither of us have ever seen magic like this. We never knew places like this even existed. Living in Fierno was hard. We use our magic to survive. These people use it for luxury. The concept takes a minute to sink in.
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.
Halfway inside the room, a murmur of voices begins. I look back at the front door, but no one appears.
“It’s them.” Matias points.
I look around but do not see anyone. “Who?”
“The objects.” His voice trembles.
I pause all movement and pay close attention to what is being said.
Take me.
Take me.
No, take me.
Bianca, is that you?
Matias, you sweet boy, have you finally come for me?
“They know our names?” Matias’s horrified expression matches how I’m feeling inside. “Do you think this is a trap?”
I shake my head. These items are here for a reason. I do not know why, but they call us because they wish to escape.
“We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
I run my gaze through the items from shelf to shelf, ignoring the voices. There’s supposed to be a book here. Only one book. The man told us that much. In the seventh row, I finally see it. The book lays there silently, unlike all the other items surrounding us. The quiet makes a chill run down my spine.
“Is that it?” Matias stands beside me.
“It’s the only book I see.”
“This doesn’t feel right,” he says.
It should sound funny coming from a thief, but I know what he means. We don’t have many morals, but this feeling of wrongness comes from the item and not the deed.
We wait for a few heartbeats before the rushing of footsteps breaks through the whispers of the books .
“Shit.” I look back at the front door.
“Time to go.” Matias reaches for the book.
Once in his hand, we turn and run out of the vault. We make it a few steps outside the room before I spot a man quickly approaching. He is alone as he passes us and goes into the vault. I thank the Fates once again for my gift.
“Bianca,” Matias whispers my name in a shaky voice.
I turn to face him and freeze at his expression. His lips say my name over and over again, but no sound comes out. Then, his body tilts to the side, and I rush to catch him before he tips over.
“What is happening?” I hold on to his shoulders as his body shakes. “Matias?”
He doesn’t answer me, but suddenly, his body stops shaking and turns limp. I call his name twice, but I get no reaction.
Without hesitation, I drop my gift. “Help.” I look around desperately. “Please, someone help me!”
The man who had run into the vault rushes to my call. He watches me from the doorway as I hold my friend’s limp body. His eyes run over the room, assessing the situation.
I am about to scream for him to please do something when he finally speaks. “It’s the cursed book in his hand.”
“What?”
I look at the item in question. I reach to take it off Matias’ hand, but the man gets to it first. He kicks the book out of my reach, then kicks me on the chest, making me fall on my back.
“Do not touch it!” He stands over me. “If you just witnessed the book trap his soul, why on earth would you think it would be a good idea to touch it too?”
His words echo in my head repeatedly as they take time to penetrate. My heart must’ve stopped because the room became fuzzy .
The book trapped his soul.
Matias is…what? Gone?
“No,” I say as I move over my friend’s body. “No. You’re lying. You are lying to me. He is not dead.” Each sentence comes out more frantic than the previous one.
The man steps back. “I never said he was dead. I said it trapped his soul in the book.”
I ask, desperate for confirmation, “Can you fix him?”
“I am sure a spell exists to get his soul back.” The man puts his hands on his hips. “After you explain why you broke in and tried to take it.”
“Are you sure?” The hope makes me sound crazy.
“Certain.”
I breathe and let my head fall into Matias’s chest. I notice it rise and fall with every breath. I smile at his chest. He’s breathing normally. His heart beating settles my nerves, he’s alive.
A strong wind blows into the space, and I suddenly feel pressure from all sides. It is uncomfortable, but not to the point where it hurts. It feels almost like a hug to every single limb before I’m moved to a standing position.
I manage to turn in place to face the man, but that’s as much movement as I’m allowed. I look at the young man constricting my movement. He's tall and slim. His hair is a blend of brown and red corkscrew curls, making them glow in the dim light. His clothing is professional and immaculate. He looks expensive and educated.
Everything I am not.
Whatever spell he is currently using to hold me in place is strong. No matter how hard I try to fight it, it will not budge.
“Who are you?” I ask.
At least my vocals remain unrestricted .
“The library keeper.” The man moves around me to take a closer look. “My name is Santiago. What is your name?”
“Bianca.”
“How did you break in?” His question does not carry much more than curiosity.
“I’m good at my job,” I say.
He looks down at Matias’s sleeping form as if he is enough of an example to say otherwise. I swallow a lump in my throat.
“Are there any more of you?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me. I am not stupid.”
“Are you sure about that?” The question slips from my lips. I want to hang my head. My smart mouth chooses the worst times to come out.
Santiago’s eyes narrow. “I am going to check your pockets. Will I find something that will hurt me?”
I shake my head. This sucks, but I need to play nice if I want their help to get Matias back. I hold my breath as he pats me down and checks my pockets. My left bottom pocket has an amulet I forgot I was carrying with me. Santiago takes it out. One look at the amulet and he takes a step back, dropping it on the ground with disgust.
“Is that a rabbit’s leg?”
“It’s a protection amulet,” I explain.
It used to make me uncomfortable too, but it works. At least it did before today. There is no luck in today’s mission.
“No, it’s not. That is an animal’s limb, and you are displaying it as a trophy.”
He looks scandalized at the simple sight of it.
“I didn’t kill the rabbit.” I try to defend myself.
“That makes you wearing its flesh more disturbing. What do you have against rabbits?”
“It is not the rabbit,” I insist. “The amulet has magic to protect me and give me luck.”
I bought it from a thief years ago.
Santiago points at it. “That thing carries no magic. I can’t feel a simple spell on it.”
My eyes narrow. “You’re wrong.”
He has to be. I didn’t carry that thing for years for no reason.
“I am not.” He doubles down.
“You are, too.”
“Is the constricting spell cutting your air supply?” Santiago gives me a deadpan look. “If that thing worked, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
I stop my retort when I realize what he said. “You can feel magic?”
“Yes, it’s my gift. I can read spells placed on objects.”
Gifts weren’t common at Fierno. I’ve never met someone else who has a gift.
He moves closer to the book and examines it from a distance.
Movement across the library catches our attention. A tall male approaches with slow steps. Shadows cover most of him, but his eyes reflect light from the lamps on top of the bookshelves. His eyes are an unnatural golden brown, almost like a cat ready to pounce. My skin breaks out in goosebumps and a chill runs through my skin as his steps falter a few feet away.
“Jesse.” Santiago inclines his head in respect.
Sadly, the name doesn’t ring any bells.
“We have a trespasser,” Jesse says.
His eyes narrow at me like I would confess all my secrets under his scrutiny. I’m tempted, just to make him look away. As his eyes settle on me, a tickle runs through my skin .
“I found her and her unconscious friend trying to steal a cursed artifact. She claims they have broken in all on their own.” A glint of something mischievous shows in Santiago’s expression as he turns back to me. “Tell him what you told me.”
I do not understand what this would achieve, but I sense Santiago thinks I am going back down. “Like I told him. It’s only Matias and me.”
After a second, Jesse looks at Santiago. “Her words ring true.”
“How is that possible?” He turns to look at me with awe. “Maybe she can bypass your gift?” He asks Jesse.
We’re wasting valuable time. Matias needs help. I’m going to be taken prisoner, no matter what. Standing here chatting is a waste of time. The sooner we move along, the sooner we can figure out how to help Matias. I am about to explain my unique gift when I am cut off.
“Who sent you?” Jesse demands.
I have zero loyalty to the person who hired us. Mostly if my friend’s life is on the line, but I have little information about them. “We don’t know his name. He hired us from a pub in the City of Sin and paid us half in advance.”
“You come from the City of Sin?”
I nod.
“You do not know the name of the man who sent you?”
“No.”
“Is she lying?” Santiago asks him.
“Doesn’t sound like it,” he confirms. He steps closer to me. “Tell me a lie.”
“Why?” I look between them, confused.
“No one can lie to me.”
“Yeah, because you will scare them into confessing?” I mock him .
He doesn’t find it funny, but Santiago’s lip curves at the edges.
“He is the Lord of Wisdom,” Santiago explains after an uncomfortable silence.
Jesse can’t be older than thirty-five. He’s tall and fit, and while his eyes are unreal, he’s definitely not what I would imagine the Lord of Wisdom would look like. The title suggests an old man with a white beard—perhaps a funny pointy hat and body odor.
“Who on Earth agreed to give you that title?” I raise a brow in question.
“An angel from Luzes,” Santiago supplies with a small smile playing on his lips. His voice lowers to a whisper. “He did it after Jesse returned the angel’s daughter. The girl saw him once at a gathering and thought they were soulmates. She traveled all the way here on her own before they found her. As a thanks, the angel gave him the gift.”
“Wow.” It’s all I can say.
“It’s tricky. People have to know they are lying, and he also has to be looking for the truth.”
“Santiago,” Jesse says with disapproval.
Jesse is not a bad-looking male, by any means, but I wouldn’t cross the ocean and leave the island of the blessed for him. Some people dream of one day making it to the island, but only angels and those deemed holy ever set foot there. The chosen ones.
“So, the title gives him the power to know the truth?” I turn my question to Santiago, who seems to have forgotten our current situation and is happy to fill me in on all the gossip. The guy is turning hard to dislike.
“More like he can hear when people are lying. He knows when it’s a mixture of the truth. He doesn’t outright know the truth, just knows when people aren’t being truthful. ”
“Sounds more like you have a lie detector gift.”
Santiago taps his cheek. “That is a good observation.”
“Santiago,” Jesse says louder.
The guy’s cheeks turn a rosy pink. “What?”
“Stop entertaining the thief.”
I make a noise in the back of my throat, but there is no way to defend myself at this point. He isn’t wrong.
A loud door opening and shutting, followed by several footsteps, announces the entrance of even more people. Their silhouettes show two figures making their way over.
A hulk of a man approaches me with a menacing scowl, ignoring Santiago and Jesse as he passes them.
If I could take a step back, I would.
He is tall, nearing seven feet. His dark eyes and dark features reflect a darkness within him. Few people have ever made me shiver with just a look, but I know danger when I see it. It is an instinct that has helped me survive all this time—and this man is dangerous.
He points his index finger at my forehead and then looks at someone behind him. “Is this her?” He asks with something close to a sneer.
The small woman Matias and I encountered at the nursery is standing there with a swollen eye that has started to turn purple. Her eyes stay glued to the ground while she nods in confirmation.
“That is Isabel.” The man points over his shoulder. “You assaulted her.”
“Simple case of wrong place, wrong time.” I try to look over his shoulder, but he blocks my view. “I did say I wish I didn’t have to. There was no other option.”
“There wasn’t?” He is so full of rage that spit flies to my face with his question.
“She saw us. It’s not like she was going to sit there quietly if I asked her nicely.”
His fury only increases with my excuses. I should shut up before I dig myself further in this hole.
Looking at her, I feel some guilt. She doesn’t look up to meet my eyes. Her hands tremble slightly as she clasps them in front of her. I don’t pick on the weak. This is all a misunderstanding. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In a desperate attempt, I try to explain myself. “Well, magic spell books are expensive, they are few and hard to find where I’m from.”
The man takes a step back and straightens. I can’t get over how tall he is. Looking at him standing straight, I can see him fully. His beard is a few weeks old, covering part of a scar peeking from his left cheek. He brushes his long hair back as he breathes. Attempting to calm his anger that is seconds from exploding. His caramel skin glows beautifully in this candlelight, almost distracting me from his words.
“My name is Roman Oscuro. I’m the Royal Force General. I’m a man of honor, and I abide by laws and procedures. But you ran into the wrong person.”
His name causes a rock to sink deep into my stomach. His appearance fits him perfectly. He is known as the God of War, a man who has seen death in the eye and walked away. Roman Oscuro is the oldest brother of the chosen heir to the crown.
“For what it’s worth.” He pauses, then adds in a completely insincere high-pitched tone, “I’m sorry.”
I would have appreciated the karma of those being my last words to the girl when his fist connects with the side of my head. An explosion of pain erupts in my temple. My world tilts sideways, which must be because Santiago’s spell finally let me go. My body hits the ground, but I feel nothing as everything fades into darkness.