Page 20 of Unseen Eye
I stare at him, disbelief and frustration tightening my chest. “So, you’ve been covering it up. You knew, and you didn’t warn anyone? You just let them keep disappearing?”
His voice drops. “It wasn’t as simple as that. Whoever, whatever, is taking them—it’s something dark. Something no one in Aetheria fully understands.”
I feel the weight of his secrets pressing down on me, feeding the anger twisting inside. “And what about the others? The families who don’t know what happened to their loved ones—who haven’t had a choice?”
His face softens slightly. “I was trying to protect you, Eva. Even if it meant keeping things hidden.”
“Protect me?” I scoff, bitterness flooding my voice. “You don’t protect people by lying to them, Garet. You only make it worse.”
A pained silence settles between us, thick with anger and distrust. Then, with a steady gaze, Garet pulls out a dagger, its edge gleaming ominously. “One more question,” he says, voice taut. “Where did you get this?”
My breath catches. It’s the dagger—the one from the stranger who saved me. I reach instinctively for my pocket, only to remember I’m in a nightgown. “I… I don’t know,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Found it after the attack.”
His eyes narrow. “This isn’t just any blade, Eva. It’s bound to dark magic, something no ordinary human should have.” He studies my reaction, as if searching for answers in my face.
“What does that even mean?” I ask, feigning confusion.
“Eva, anything you know could help us. We’re on the edge of disaster here.”
I fold my arms, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “And this is your idea of working together—interrogating me?”
He sighs, rubbing his temples. “You’re right. I’ll…try to bemore open with you. We both need to trust each other if we’re going to face this threat.”
“Wow, thanks,” I say dryly, “for the generosity.”
Garet tenses, but he nods. “I’ll take it one step at a time. For now, get some rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I mutter, barely able to contain my frustration. “Can’t wait for the next round of friendly questioning.”
Garet stands, slipping the dagger back into his pocket. My eyes follow the motion, unease prickling at the edges of my thoughts. His expression is unreadable as he heads for the door, leaving me alone with nothing but questions, anger—and a hint of fear—about just what he’s hiding.
Chapter Eight
I watch as Garet leaves the room; the tension hanging in the air like a storm about to break. His footsteps echo down the hallway, fading into the distance, but the whirlwind in my mind remains. I press my forehead against the cool windowpane, staring out into the dawn, desperate for a semblance of calm in this chaos.
Aetheria. Gods. Magic. Darkness. It all feels ripped from the pages of some forgotten myth, yet here I am, trapped in a narrative far beyond my understanding. Astermiri looms around me, a living testament to everything I thought was just legend. My old life feels like a quaint fairy tale, blissfully ignorant of the truth lurking beneath the surface.
Garet’s revelations loop endlessly in my mind. The gods were real. Eldorin walked these very halls. The other kingdoms—Skorda, Coire, Catalpa, Soala—all bear the weight of divine legacies. The enormity of it all is suffocating. And Morosith, a god consumed by darkness, his abyss swallowing light and hope alike. The image of that nightmarish war, the gods’ final sacrifice to seal away such evil, gnaws at me.
I look down at my hands, still trembling from the memory of the light that burst from them. It wasn’t a trick of the mind; it was as real as the air I’m struggling to breathe. Garet’s words ring out, stark and unrelenting: “Humans don’t make light appear out of their hands.” So, if I’m not human, then what am I? The question churns in my gut, a terrifying and absurd riddle.
And Kendry... The ache of his loss is a constant drumbeat, echoing through every corner of my mind. His smile, his unwavering presence—they haunt me, lingering in the spaces where comfort once resided. He died protecting me, but fromwhat? The truth? The truth he decided I wasn’t ready for. The truth he kept hidden for years, assuming I couldn’t handle it. Did he know all along? His skill, his stories—were they all carefully crafted lessons, preparing me for a world he refused to reveal?
Anger and sorrow churn inside me, a storm of conflicting emotions. How dare he. How dare he make that choice for me. To leave me fumbling in the dark, vulnerable and unprepared. His secrets weren’t a shield; they were a prison, locking me away from the knowledge I needed to survive. He thought he was protecting me, but instead, he left me to face this nightmare alone, blind to the dangers lurking in every shadow.
The puzzle pieces scattering before me, elusive and incomplete. The gods, the kingdoms, the ever-looming darkness—how does it all connect to me? And that dagger, glinting with dark purpose—why did that man have it? What role does it play in this unfolding nightmare?
I feel the weight of Garet’s expectations, his silent plea for trust amid the wreckage of deceit. But how can I trust him—or anyone—when the ground beneath my feet keeps shifting? My world has been turned upside down, leaving me with a storm of questions. What does it all mean? Fury simmers beneath the surface as I grapple with his claims of protection. Was it truly for my sake, or just a means to drag me back here for another interrogation? Did he know something about me—about the flickers of power that danced just beneath my skin? Why me? The foundation of trust we built is shattered. Can it ever be rebuilt?
He insists he made an effort to protect me, and—grudgingly—I have to admit he did save my life. My mind churns, torn between gratitude and suspicion. The questions pile up, each more unsettling than the last. Am I merely a pawn in some larger game? Did he genuinely care for me, even while living a double life? These thoughts are forcing me to rethink everything I onceheld true.
I glance back out the window at the serene landscape of Astermiri. It’s beautiful, but it’s not home. Providence, with its familiar faces and places, feels like a distant dream. I worry about Nessa and Finn—are they safe? Do they know what’s happening to me? Did they ever know the truth? I sigh in frustration, hating that I’m questioning everything now.
Driven by a sudden urge, I approach the door, testing if it’s unlocked. No surprise, it’s firmly shut. “So much for not being a prisoner,” I mutter sarcastically, rolling my eyes at the irony that clings to this place.
Taking a deep breath, I try to steady my racing thoughts. Whatever happens next, I need to stay strong. I don’t know what the future holds, but one thing is clear: I can’t afford to let my guard down. Not now. Not ever.
My thoughts wander to the mysterious man from the other night, who, despite my denial, actually saved me. Apparently, I’m now helpless enough to need saving by two different men in twenty-four hours. Not exactly a skill I was hoping to develop. That night feels like a lifetime ago, a memory obscured by darkness. I wonder if he knows what happened in Providence. What if he’s connected to it? What if he’s a part of Morosith’s army, since his blade was laced with dark magic? I briefly entertain the thought, but dismiss it. Something tells me he wasn’t responsible, he wasn’t evil.
