Page 67 of Tower of Ash and Darkness
He pauses, exchanging a glance with Gwyn.
“I trust everyone in this tent,” he says slowly, “but to add another—especiallyher?” His voice carries a note of skepticism as it cuts through the quiet.
I meet his stare and arch a brow.
He lifts his hands, palms up like he’s already trying to step back from whatever storm might follow.
“Not saying it’s a bad move. I’m just saying... if this unravels, it’ll do it fast.”
Callum huffs a laugh through his nose. I turn to him, slow and measured, catching the glint of quiet amusement in his expression. Then Gwyn’s voice cuts in, quiet but sure.
“This is a dangerous game, Casper,” she says softly. “If Clyde sees through it, throughher. We’re done.”
I step closer to the table, letting my hand rest on its edge.
“Then we don’t let him see through it,” I respond. “Vanessa will play her role. She’s desperate enough to know her part, and she’ll do it without hesitation.”
“She wants you,” Gwyn bites, folding her arms. “Not the plan. That doesn’t make her reliable.”
“She doesn’t need to be reliable,” I shoot back incisively, stepping toward her. “She just needs to be convincing enough to keep Clyde’s attention. He’s a parasite. He always has been. He’ll latch onto anything he thinks I care about just to rip it away from me. It’s the only game he knows how to play.”
The words taste bitter as they leave my mouth. My hand tightens into a fist against the desk, the familiar anger beginning to burn. Clyde’s obsession with control has always been his sickest weapon. He made sure I had nothing—no one. He made sure of that when he tookherfrom me.
Callum chuckles low, the sound grating and smug, clearly amused by my frustration.
“Your gaze has a habit of wandering to what you really want,brother.” He pauses, his eyes narrowing, the smirk on his face broadening wryly. “Or should I saywho?”
His words slam into me like a physical blow, but I refuse to flinch. I won’t give him—or anyone else—the satisfaction of seeing what that comment does to me. The tent grows impossibly still, the unspoken truth hanging in the air like smoke.
“This isn’t about me,” I say finally, my voice tinged with fury. “This is about keeping Clyde distracted long enough for us to get into his office.He knows the stone can be controlled, and if he knows, there’s something in there—notes, plans, anything—that tells us how. We’ll find it, and then we’ll use it. But if you’ve got a better plan, Callum, now’s the time to say it.”
Callum’s smirk deepens, his tone flippant.
“I think we both knowwhois really at stake here.”
My jaw clenches, a muscle twitching as I fight the urge to respond. Because he’s right. As much as I want to pretend this is all about Clyde, about the stone, the truth lingers in the pit of my stomach like poison. The person who’s truly going to get hurt in this mess isn’t me—it’s her.
Lailah.
The lie I’ll weave tonight will paint her as nothing more than a fleeting thought, a meaningless part of the game. I’ll have to look at her, desire burning beneath the surface, and pretend she means nothing. I grip the edge of the table, my fingers digging into the wood as I force the thoughts away. The plan has to work. It’s the only way to stop Clyde. But tonight, when I see the hurt flicker in her eyes, I know it’ll take everything I have not to break, not to reach for her and burn the whole damn plan to ash.
Gwyn exhales, shaking her head. “And if there’s nothing in that office? If you’re wrong?”
“I’m not wrong,” I snap, turning my glare on her. “Clyde wouldn’t send me to retrieve the stone if he didn’t already know how to use it. He doesn’t take risks without ensuring the deck is stacked in his favor. There’s something in that office, and I’ll tear the place apart to find it.”
The words are harsher than they need to be, but I don’t care.
“I’ve always given you the truth. Every secret, every plan—I’ve turned it all over. We don’t lie to each other. We don’t hold secrets. And I sure as hell don’t hold you to my plans,” I say, my voice cold and unwavering. “If you’re out, then say it. I’ll do this on my own.”
Gwyn’s brows pull together, her features etched with concern, her fingers brushing absently at the edge of the desk as though she’s considering saying something—but she doesn’t. Her silence carriesmore weight than any protest could, and it only makes the quiet heavier.
My gaze shoots to Callum as his smile widens, his head tilting slightly, his expression growing smug, amused, and infuriating.
“On your own?” he drawls, his tone laced with mockery. “Now, wouldn’t that be a sight?”
Gwyn sighs, rolling her eyes as she shakes her head. Without a word, she steps closer and places her hand gently over mine. I don’t look at her, but the warmth of her touch cuts through my cold resolve.
“We’re family,” she says softly, her voice steady and sure. “Always.”
