Page 84 of Unseen Eye
“The kind that says you’re either going to kill each other or rip each other’s clothes off,” Theo clarifies with a grin.
Izzy chuckles, leaning against the counter. “I guess the latter won out,” she quips, making Cal sigh and me blush.
“Well, it’s about time someone did something about all that tension,” Izzy continues, throwing her hands up in mock exasperation. “Now, can we please focus on the matter at hand?”
“Yeah,” Theo chimes in, “some of us were busy cleaning up the room last night, while others were off doing... other things.” He eyes Cal, barely keeping a straight face.
I nod, feeling the shift in the atmosphere as we transition from light-hearted banter to the seriousness of the situation. “Right. We need to figure out what they wanted in my room.”
Theo’s expression sobers. “I’ve been thinking about it all night. It has to be the journal. Maybe they searched for it in the cottage and couldn’t find it, so they came here.”
“Agreed. They must have realized they missed it at the cottage,” Cal says, his tone suddenly serious. “We need to figure out exactly what we’re dealing with and what their next move might be. I’m also curious about what my father has to say about this.”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the challenges ahead. “Then let’s get to work.”
***
By the end of the week, we’re no closer to finding answers. Cal spent the entire first day arguing with his father, getting absolutely nowhere. Turns out Drystan is either as clueless aswe are, or just unwilling to share what he knows. While I’m at the castle, Theo or Axel—who’s really stepped up since the attack—are always by my side. Gotta love having a bodyguard. My training continues, and by the end of the week, I’m finally more confident in my archery skills.
Nights, though, have been different. I’ve been spending them at Cal’s place, and after that second night, it’s like the rest just fell into place. That second night, after everything—after the intensity of the day, the weight of the arguments—there I was, standing in his hallway, caught between the guest bedroom and his. It was this strange hesitation, as if I didn’t know where I fit anymore.
As I stood there, caught in indecision, I heard a low chuckle behind me. I turned to find Cal leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom, an amused glint in his eyes. “Darling, my bed is bigger. Might as well use it.” His voice was teasing, but the offer was clear. And just like that, the decision was made.
With a flick of his fingers, what few belongings I had in the guest room were gone, neatly placed in his room as if they’d always belonged there. No grand gesture, no deep conversation—just an understanding that this was where I was meant to be.
We haven’t talked much more about what this is—what we are—but it feels like a step in the right direction. There’s a lot left unsaid, but there’s a comfort in the quiet, in the way we just exist together, without needing to question it.
Still, we couldn’t avoid the matter of Astermiri. After hours of heated debates and discarded strategies, we kept circling back to the same conclusion: the plan would be safer if Cal stayed behind. The idea didn’t sit well with me—it felt wrong to leave him out of something so critical—but it was clear the risks would multiply if he came. Of course, convincing Cal of that was another matter entirely. True to form, he refused outright, and no amount of reasoning could sway him. In the end, we hadno choice but to come up with a compromise, one that led us straight to Drystan.
Once Cal explained the goal, Drystan didn’t just agree—he practically erupted with enthusiasm. The moment he heard Baron’s name, his expression darkened, and his anger became palpable, like a storm brewing in real-time. “That bastard!” he spat, slamming his fist onto the table. “I’ve been waiting for an excuse to ruin him.” Cal barely managed to finish the story before Drystan was on his feet, pacing and muttering strategies under his breath. He didn’t just want to help; he wanted vengeance. Sometimes, it pays to hold a grudge.
The night before the mission, we sit in the living room, reviewing the plan for the hundredth time. The initial stages are already in motion. Drystan called an assembly between Astermiri and Skorda to discuss the recent attack and the latest sightings. Theo’s idea to involve Skorda was brilliant—it makes the meeting seem less suspicious than if it were just Baron. Both kingdoms have agreed, and Baron confirmed that Garet would be in attendance, just as Cal predicted.
But it’s the part of the meeting we’re dreading. We all know Astermiri wants me back, and they won’t pass up the chance to discuss what to do with me now that I’ve become a piece on the board. The tension in the room has been rising for days, and it’s not just about the mission anymore. It’s about my future. My role in all of this. It’s about whether I’m seen as an asset or a liability—and if the latter, what price they’ll place on me when the time comes.
Once both parties arrive, we’ll make a brief appearance. I know I’ll be the topic of whispered words, whether spoken directly or not. Cal, in his calm way, reassures me that we have a plan for that too. Then he’ll blink us to Astermiri. We’ll enter through the side entrance that Theo’s been scoping out all week. He’s ensured the guards’ food will be spiked with somethingtomorrow morning, giving us just a few hours to search the castle undetected and return to Coire.
Still, no matter how much we plan, I can’t shake the feeling that Astermiri’s eyes will be on me. And not just in passing. The whole kingdom is waiting to see what happens next, and I’m stuck right in the middle of it.
What could possibly go wrong?
“I would like to point out,” Cal begins, “there’s a lot that could still go wrong.”
“Not like you have any better ideas,” Izzy counters, her eyes on the layout of Astermiri. Thanks to some of her sources, she managed to secure the castle’s layout, most of which I already knew.
“I understand that,” Cal continues, “but if this goes sideways, it’s going to be a fucking mess.”
“Hence why we need to make sure it doesn’t,” Izzy says, “now shut up and study.”
Theo’s rune affinity has come in handy. He created a set of runes that, when placed on two identical rocks, let us hear each other when carried. Magic is pretty cool.
The biggest risk in this whole plan? Me. If Garet manages to get inside my head tomorrow, everything falls apart. We tossed around the idea of me skipping the meeting, but that would only make things worse—too suspicious. So, it’s simple: I can’t be alone with him, and under no circumstances can I let him touch me. We don’t know exactly how his powers work, but we’re not taking any chances. We spend the rest of the night going over the plan, tweaking every scenario, mapping out each location. Only when we’ve picked it apart from every angle do we finally call it a night.
The morning of, I change into a fancy tunic and leathers, stashing away a more practical pair for later. I barely slept last night, replaying everything that could go wrong and dreadingthe thought of seeing Garet. “You’ll be great,” Cal says, placing a kiss on my cheek as I finish pinning back my hair. Adorned in all black, he looks like he does any other day, surprisingly calm despite the heist we’re trying to pull off.
“How can you be so calm?” I finally ask as I fidget with my sleeves on our way to the castle.
He shrugs. “Believe it or not, this isn’t the stupidest thing I’ve done.”
