Page 44 of Unseen Eye
Before Baron can muster a response, the distant shouts of panic reach our ears, confirming Callon’s grim assertion. The color drains from Baron’s face as the reality of the situation hits him like a punch to the gut.
“If you ask nicely,” Callon taunts, his voice cold and cutting, “we might stay behind and help you fight.”
“Heartless monster!” someone in the crowd yells. “He probably brought them here himself!”
Callon doesn’t even spare them a glance.
Baron scans the scene, his eyes calculating. After a long, agonizing pause, he looks at Drystan and mutters, “Please?”
Drystan’s smirk widens. “Much better. Was that so hard?” He stands tall and raises his voice. “Coire, weapons at the ready!”
Izzy’s hand tightens on my arm, her expression now one offierce determination. “This is about to get messy.”
Despite the turmoil around us, I can’t stop myself from asking, “How did Callon know about the attack?”
She glances at me, eyes narrowing in focus as she answers quickly, barely skipping a beat. “It’s his affinity,” she explains, voice steady. “Callon can sense and manipulate ley lines—channels of aether that run through the land. He taps into these flows of energy, bending them to his will. Basically, he can control raw magic itself, shaping it however he needs. He likes to think it makes him a badass.”
Izzy’s lips twist into a brief, strained smile. “Makes him useful, though. Annoyingly useful.”
Well, that explains a hell of a lot.
Guards pour out from the castle, their armor glinting in the torchlight as they form defensive lines. I scan the crowd, searching for Emmet, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Alerts are sent to the neighboring barracks, summoning reinforcements. Guests step forward to prepare for battle, accepting swords and shields from the castle’s armory staff. Even some of the gnomes are staying. The clatter of weapons and the murmur of determined voices fill the air, a jarring contrast to the earlier festivities.
Meanwhile, the women and children are rushed inside the castle, their faces pale with fear. The servants, despite their own visible terror, move with remarkable efficiency, guiding the non-combatants to safety and securing the heavy doors behind them.
Garet rushes over to me, his face tight with urgency. “Eva, you need to get inside where it’s safe,” he demands, his voice brokering no argument.
I shake my head, my resolve solidifying. “No. I’m staying out here to fight.”
His eyes flash with frustration, his voice rising. “You’re in a damn dress. You’ll be a liability.”
Before I can retort, Izzy steps in, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “That didn’t stop you before. Quit being so damn protective, or I’ll stab you myself just to shut you up.”
Garet scowls at her, his tone condescending. “Izzy, this isn’t your call. You have no idea what she’s been through.”
Izzy’s eyes flare with anger. “And you do? Don’t you dare use your mental tricks on her, Garet.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, looking between them. “I thought he could just control emotions.”
“Who told you that—” Garet begins, but Izzy cuts him off.
“Typical. She has no idea what you’re capable of.”
Garet looks cornered now, his usual calm crumbling. “Eva, it’s... complicated,” he begins, but Izzy doesn’t let him finish.
“He can manipulate thoughts and memories,” she snaps, her face flushed with fury. “Along with emotions. You didn’t know that? Of course you didn’t, because Garet keeps you in the dark.”
What. The. Fuck.
Everything about his time in Pinebrook hits me like a wave. The implanted memories, the way he always seemed to know what everyone was thinking—it was all lies. I feel violated, my trust in him shattering like glass.
Garet’s face pales, his mouth opening and closing as he struggles to find the right words. “Eva, it’s not like that,” he stammers, his voice pleading. “I never used it on you. I swear, I would never—”
Izzy cuts him off with a sharp laugh. “Save it, Garet. We both know you’d do anything to keep your secrets.”
Ignoring Garet’s protests, I rush to where I dropped my sword earlier, the feel of the hilt in my hand a welcome reassurance. The grounds are a whirlwind of activity, everyone scrambling to prepare.
“This isn’t just about her safety,” Garet insists, his voice tight with desperation.
