Page 65 of Unseen Eye
I must be lucky today, because when we return to Coire, I manage to keep my feet beneath me. No fainting spells at all today. A small but personal victory.
“Your body’s getting more accustomed to magic,” Callon comments, his face lighting up with a satisfied smile as he notices me savoring the moment. I catch a hint of pride in his eyes, and it’s endearing, the way he’s genuinely pleased by such a small triumph of mine.
“What now?” I ask, and it’s only then I realize I’ve been holding his hand since we left the portal, our fingers intertwined like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Callon glances down at our joined hands, a hint of warmth flickering in his eyes. “We have two options,” he says, his tone easy, unhurried. “We can find Izzy and Theo and fill them in on everything that happened, or I can fetch us some food, and we can go through the books you brought back while we wait for them to find us. It’s up to you.”
The way he says it, the gentle way he leaves the choice to me, feels like a lifeline, a subtle gesture that says he sees me—my weariness, my need to just be for a little while. “I vote for option two.” I try to keep my voice light, but there’s an undeniable relief in my answer. It’s been a long day, and I’m not sure I have the energy to face Izzy’s barrage of questions just yet.
“Good choice,” he says, his grin widening, clearly pleased. “Meet you in the war room? I’ve been gone so much, I need to make sure Ingrid still remembers me.” He squeezes my hand before heading toward the kitchens.
I watch him disappear around the corner, my heart feeling lighter, the earlier heaviness replaced with something warmer,something close to hope. I make my way to the war room, sinking into one of the sturdy chairs, the old wood groaning as if it knows exactly how I feel.
True to his word, Callon returns moments later with a tray of food and a bottle of wine. My eyebrows raise at the sight of the wine, and he shrugs, a mischievous grin lighting up his face. “Thought it was well-deserved after today.”
He pours me a glass, the deep red liquid catching the light as he hands it over. I take a sip, savoring the warmth it brings, and settle in with my journal, flipping through pages I’ve filled over what feels like a lifetime. Each entry is a snapshot of who I was—scared, uncertain, but hopeful in a way that surprises me now. My fingers brush over an old, faded entry, and a wave of nostalgia stirs something in my chest. I come across an old excerpt,
Once upon a time, in a forest where crystal trees whispered secrets, there lay a hidden realm bathed in moonlight...
Another entry catches my eye:
Deep within the land, a long, dark tunnel wound its way through the earth, guarded by ancient spells and shadows...
I shut the book and take a long, steadying sip of wine, hoping it will help calm the swirl of thoughts I can’t seem to organize.
“May I?” Callon asks, reaching for my journal.
I hesitate, but curiosity wins. “Sure,” I murmur, watching him intently as he flips through the pages, his expression focused, unreadable. The prince of Coire is reading my journal—a collection of my rawest thoughts and half-buried dreams. My mind drifts back to the kiss we shared—gods, that kiss. It felt like something from a fairy tale, like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Sure, I’d kissed other guys in the past, but none of them ever felt like that. Nothing close. With Callon, it was like… like he saw right through me, like he’d found something I didn’t even know I was missing.
“Eva?” His voice breaks through my thoughts, and I jolt forward, nearly toppling from my chair. He chuckles, his eyes bright with amusement.
“What’s that?” I ask, trying to regain my composure.
“I was going to ask if you remember anything else about this entry, but now I’d much rather know what you were just thinking.” He smirks, and I feel my cheeks flush.
“Nothing,” I grumble, reaching over to snatch the book from his hands. My eyes skim the entry, more to avoid his gaze than to find anything new.
“When the world was young, the land was divided among the ancients, each realm a reflection of its ruler’s heart. The mountains, valleys, and seas bore the marks of their creators’ wills…” I trail off, my brow furrowing. “This entry must be over five years old, judging by its place in the journal.” I read it again, hoping for something to surface. “What about it?”
“This location here,” he points to a line. “Do you remember anything else about it?”
I squint at the passage, trying to push through the fog in my memory. “It mentions a valley. I think it was important, but I can’t recall why.”
He nods thoughtfully. “It reminds me of a place called the Valley of Echoes... where the ancient treaties were signed by the gods. It’s not exactly on the tourist map, though.”
“The Valley of Echoes?” I ask, re-reading the passage again. “I don’t think Kendry ever mentioned it. Maybe he was saving it for a grand reveal or just trying to keep me in the dark.”
“That’s just one mystery,” Callon says, flipping through the journal to another page. “This entry sounds like a battle in Coire, especially since it mentions Valtris. But it’s not a well-known story.”
“Gods, I wish I remembered more,” I sigh. “I don’t think my brain has the capacity for this anymore.”
Callon studies me for a moment, then gently closes the journal. “Speaking of Kendry… do you want to talk about it?”
I exhale, my shoulders sagging. “I’m not sure.” I rub my temples, feeling the weight of all the things left unsaid. “I keep trying to convince myself that everything he did was meant to protect me, not make things worse. I guess the training exercises make more sense now, but I also see how much he was holding back.” I press my fingers into my sore shoulders, thinking of the harsh reality of recent training. “Even that night, during the attack… he moved way faster than I’d ever seen him move. Just like you and Theo.”
“And you,” Callon adds with a soft smile, pouring me another glass of wine. “Theo says there’s been a night-and-day difference in your sparring. You’re practically an overachiever now.”
I can’t help but smile at the compliment. “But really,” I say, turning my thoughts back to Kendry, “what bothers me is how much it all makes sense now. I mean, logically, how could he not have known? He must have suspected something.” I pause, chewing over my words. “For years, I was obsessed with knowing who my birth parents were. Kendry would throw me these crumbs of information, tiny pieces, but he’d never tell me anything concrete. Just enough to keep me guessing, never enough to fill in the blanks. And ever since I found out I had an affinity, it’s made me wonder even more. Did they have one too?” My voice grows softer. “I can’t stop thinking about it now.”
