Page 50 of Unseen Eye
Izzy shakes her head, her voice rising in frustration. “We can’t sit here second-guessing ourselves. We have an advantage. We act now.”
They both finally notice me standing by the bookshelves, and their argument grinds to a halt. Izzy smirks. “You change fast,” she says, gesturing at my outfit. Then, turning back to the man, she adds, “Eva, meet Theo. And before you ask, he’s not my boyfriend—he’s my twin.” She winks at me. “And, for the record, he’s single.”
Theo mutters something under his breath, rolling his eyes. “I don’t even want to know,” he says, offering me a hand. “Nice to meet you, Eva. I’ve heard… plenty about you in the past hour,” he chuckles.
“Hi,” I reply, meeting his gaze and trying to match his light.
“Now, let’s get down to business,” Izzy declares, moving to grab a parchment roll—a smaller version of the map on the ceiling. She unrolls it on the large table, gesturing for us to come closer.
Theo pauses. “Shouldn’t we wait for Cal?” he asks, glancing toward the door.
“No,” Izzy replies in a tone that leaves no room for argument. “Who knows how long he’ll be? Besides, it’s been a hell of a day, and I’m ready for bed.”
Izzy points to a spot on the map. “We’re here, in Coire,” she says, tracing a path with her finger. “Astermiri’s to the west, Catalpa to the east, Providence to the south, Skorda to the north... and just beyond Skorda, Soala—a large island off Catalpa’s northern shores.”
I lean in, studying the map more closely. Unlike the one Leigh showed me, this map covers all Aetheria, revealing the entire realm beyond just Astermiri. The mountains, rivers, and fjordscrossing the kingdoms catch my eye, their names somehow familiar, as if I’ve heard them whispered in dreams. Coire stands out, the largest by far, sprawling at the realm’s center. Skorda’s outline resembles a tree, its branches spreading into different landmasses.
“Any questions?” Izzy asks, glancing up briefly. I open my mouth, but she cuts me off. “No? Great, let’s move on.” Theo hides a laugh with a cough, and when I glance at him, he just shrugs—he must be used to this routine.
“As you know, the gods placed five gates across the realm—one per kingdom. With five levels of the Abyss, five gates were needed. No kingdom could hold more than one gate, and initially, they refused to place one in Providence because of the ‘humans’ issue. But after the Great War, they had no choice. So they warded it heavily to cut off magic and keep our world separate from yours.” She gives me a pointed look. “Given your little incident with Cal the other day, I’d say those wards are slipping.”
A chill runs through me. “You know?” I blurt, just as Theo demands, “What incident?”
“Of course I know,” Izzy replies with a smirk, directing her comment at Theo. “Why do you think he’s been in such a foul mood lately?”
Theo mutters, shaking his head, “Fucking Cal and his secrets. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Take it up with Cal, not me,” Izzy says, raising her hands in mock innocence. “If you don’t know what questions to ask, that’s hardly my problem. Guess that’s why you’re a general and not an ambassador.” She snaps her attention back to the map, flicking her braid in Theo’s face.
“Anyway, after the gates were set and darkness was locked away, the kingdoms went to war over ridiculous things like land and who should rule in the gods’ place. Eventually, everyone gotover it… blah, blah, blah.”
“Wow, thanks for the thorough history lesson,” Theo says, laughing. “I’m really feeling enlightened.”
“Shut up,” Izzy retorts. “You want to take over?”
“Can’t be worse than your version,” Theo says, nudging her aside and grinning as she smacks his arm. “As Izzy was attempting to explain, when the gods vanished, lesser gods saw it as an opening to seize power. Most battles took place within each kingdom, not between them. For example, the lesser gods—those without the Divinities bloodline—and their followers tried challenging Drystan for the throne. He made sure they became an example.”
I hesitate, my gaze drifting to the northern edge of the map. “What’s left of Soala now?” I ask softly.
The room falls silent, and Izzy’s face darkens.
Theo’s voice cuts through the tension. “It’s barren. Morosith was imprisoned there after the Great War. The island is locked in an impenetrable prison, with nothing but ruins and shadows left.”
I shudder, unable to imagine the scale of destruction that must have befallen Soala. It’s hard to believe that a place once filled with life and magic has now become a wasteland, a prison for a god.
“What’s Drystan’s affinity?” I ask, genuinely curious.
Theo glances up from the map, a gleam of mischief in his eye. “Invincibility. Basically, he can’t be killed. Any fatal wound that would take the rest of us down just… doesn’t affect him. The only way to kill him is to strike behind his right shoulder blade.”
Izzy throws him a sharp look, and Theo adds with a wry grin, “But if I were you, I wouldn’t try it.”
“Stay focused,” Izzy grumbles, shaking her head.
“Right,” Theo says, still grinning. “So, not too long ago, the first gate—in Catalpa —opened. And before you ask, no one’sentirely sure how. The leading theory? Queen Kora, daughter of Irisa, was dabbling in some dark magic beyond her depth. The gate’s opening threw Catalpa straight into the shadows, and it’s been ruled by the Shadow King ever since.”
“So, the warden was from Catalpa?” I ask.
Theo’s expression darkens, surprise shifting to annoyance as he glares at Izzy. “Wasn’t aware you’d skipped that part.”
