Page 50 of Unseen Eye (Aetherian Chronicles #1)

“What are you thinking?” I ask, needing to know what’s going through his mind.

Callon turns to face us, his eyes a storm of emotions as he picks up my journal again. “I think we need to reread every passage in here and figure out where each one belongs.”

“Do you think every one of them is real?” My mind spins at the possibility.

“I’d bet on it,” Callon says, his voice filled with conviction. “Or at least, the vast majority of them. I knew I recognized some of the descriptions, but I wasn’t looking at it from the right angle.”

Izzy sighs, dropping into the chair nearest to Callon. She takes the journal from his hands and flips it open. “It’s going to be a long night.”

We spend the rest of the evening and most of the night poring over every entry in my journal. Theo grabs a corkboard, pinning our notes and cross-references to organize the information. The connections between the names, locations, and events are mind-blowing.

For example, “Coire” turns out to be an old name— “Coirennan,” meaning “victorious,” used before the Reckoning. The Reckoning was a cataclysmic event that shattered the world’s balance, diminishing the gods’ power and transforming their realms.

Izzy finds an ancient book in the war room revealing that “Galaris,” mentioned in the journal, was a significant pre-war city, its destruction aligning with what we know about the Reckoning. The city’s disappearance from maps now makes sense.

One intriguing revelation is about the Land of Trees. The journal hints at secret tunnels beneath the forest. This immediately makes us think of Skorda, but there’s no concrete evidence or historical record to confirm the existence of them.

As we piece together the fragments, the history becomes clearer. The shifting names and forgotten cities reveal a deeper, more intricate picture of the world and its hidden truths.

“So drakos, they’re real—” I start to say, but Izzy cuts me off.

“Yes, they’re real! Extinct, but real nonetheless. Seriously, every damn time?”

However, it’s the dream I had one of my last nights in Pinebrook, that leaves me with more questions than answers.

“Who is that woman?” I ask Callon again, the uncertainty in my voice cutting through the silence.

He’s still rereading the passage, eyes narrowing as if searching for something hidden between the lines.

The woman from countless dreams, etched into my mind—tall, with a commanding presence.

Her dark waves cascading down her back like they held a power of their own.

She didn’t resemble any of the gods we’ve read about, none of the familiar statues or stories we’ve studied.

Yet there’s something about her that unnerves me, like she holds the key to something important, something I’m not ready to face.

“I think,” Callon starts, causing me to look at him, “I think that’s Kora, the last Queen of Catalpa.” His face goes pale, as if the realization has hit him hard.

“Irisa’s daughter?” I ask. The name sounds familiar from some of the history books I managed to read in Astermiri.

“Yes, I think you had a vision about the night Catalpa fell,” he says slowly. “Look,” he points to a section of the entry, “you mention creatures coming out of a gate. This is the night the gate were opened.”

“But why would Kora have salts, and even a skull? What was she up to?” Theo asks, his voice tense with curiosity.

“Was that how the gates were opened?” Izzy exclaims, standing up and beginning to pace. “We always suspected she was dabbling in dark magic, but this might explain everything.” She turns to me. “Did you ever have any other dreams about her?”

“Yes,” I answer, but another thought hits me. “When did Catalpa fall?”

“Twenty-three years ago.”

I inhale sharply. No, it can’t be... “But when?” I press. “What time of year?”

“The fall equinox” Callon replies.

It can’t be a coincidence... My face pales as a chill spreads through me, my legs feeling suddenly heavy as I start to pace despite the weight.

“Why? What are you thinking?” Callon comes to stand next to me, concern etched on his features.

“That’s my birthday...” I manage to say, watching their faces as they absorb this revelation.

“Why didn’t you mention you were born on the equinox?” Izzy asks skeptically.

I shrug, feeling a mix of disbelief and anxiety. “It never seemed important, but that has to just be a coincidence, right?” My eyes dart between Callon and Izzy. Theo, once again, is refilling his empty glass.

Izzy and Callon exchange a look, one that tells me they think it’s anything but a mere coincidence.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that less than a week after you show up here, a Fate appears for the first time in centuries. You were born on the day Catalpa fell. On top of that, you just happen to be a light wielder and a seer.”

I shrug, causing him to raise an eyebrow. “You’re awfully calm about all this,” he challenges.

Theo walks back with a drink in his hand that I don’t think twice about taking from him, causing him to roll his eyes. “It’s always me,” he mutters as he walks back to the corner. “If I was Cal, no one would think twice about taking my drink.”

“Wanna bet?” Callon chuckles, but then turns his attention back to me, still expecting an answer.

I take a swig of my drink, the liquid burning my throat—a welcome reprieve.

“You know, after everything I’ve been through, nothing really fazes me anymore.

It’s honestly refreshing to see you guys as perplexed as me.

” I plop into a nearby chair and pick up my journal again.

“Plus, it’s good to know I’m not going crazy.

Turns out all this,” I wave the journal in the air, “might actually mean something. Personally,” I add with a wink, “I think you just worry too much.”

Theo and Izzy laugh. “Damn, Cal,” Theo adds with a low whistle.

“Maybe I do worry too much,” Callon says with a hint of sarcasm, “but it’s only because someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

I chuckle before asking, “Do you think Kora summoned something that opened the gates? She had to have known her kingdom would fall.”

Callon thinks about this for a minute. “Kora was well-attuned to magic, as was her mother, Irisa. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had their secrets, but why that involves dark summoning magic, I don’t know...”

Another question pops into my mind. “Speaking of magic, who was the last light wielder? What kingdom did they belong to?”

Callon glances at Izzy, who shakes her head. “I’m not sure,” he begins. “Eldorin and his people used to keep a record of all known affinities, though. I’m sure those records are still in the library somewhere,” he trails off.

“I was there,” I counter. “Granted, I couldn’t read every book, but I tried to read what I could. I found some interesting ones on the Abyss and the gates, but I don’t recall much on Catalpa itself, or any dark magic.”

Now it’s Izzy’s turn to look surprised. “They have records of those in the public section? I would have assumed those would be in the private section unless...” she trails off.

I shake my head. “I didn’t find the private section, and I tried. Believe me.”

“If they have those books out in the public, imagine what they have locked away.” Theo jokes.

I recall what Leigh told me when she and Garet were younger, and how they found a hidden room full of old parchments. “How many private sections are there?” I ask.

“Knowing Eldorin, there could be several, including some separate from the library. I’m assuming he would keep the important ones close to him, maybe in his chamber?”

“Do you think Baron knows where they all are?” I ask.

“If he did,” Izzy answers, “it’s not like he would just openly tell us.”

Then it hits me. “Do you think Kora was trying to destroy the gate but somehow opened it instead? And how did the gods know to create the gates in the first place? That kind of knowledge had to come from somewhere. What if that information is still out there? And if there’s something on how to create them, maybe there’s something on how to destroy them too.

” Excitement creeps into my voice, making it difficult to keep my thoughts straight.

“Questions overload,” Izzy mutters, rubbing her temples as if that could somehow ease the barrage of ideas I’m throwing at them.

“Hey now,” Theo says and claps her on the shoulder, grinning. “She might be on to something.”

Callon pauses, considering my words. “It’s possible. But if Baron knew, especially after the attack they just had, he would be doing something about it.”

“But what if he doesn’t know? What if the book exists, and he has no idea?” I challenge, my heart racing with the implications.

Callon pushes off the wall, slowly making his way toward me. There’s a determined glint in his eye that makes me lock eyes with him, unafraid to stand my ground. “What are you proposing?”

“What if I go back to Astermiri and try to find it?”

His response is immediate and sharp. “Fuck no.”

“I know what Garet and Baron are capable of. I would be fine.”

His eyes narrow, and the tension between us thickens. “You really think I’d let you go back after I just found out Baron is the one who had my mother killed?”

Fuck, he has a point.

I open my mouth to argue, but he’s already pressing on. “If you go back, Baron will make damn sure you never leave again. You’d end up married to Garet. Unless you’ve suddenly developed a thing for mind readers?” He adds with a smirk that almost makes me forget the danger for a second.

“Callon—” I begin, but he interrupts, his intense voice softer now.

“And let’s say you go back, even against my wishes.

If Baron doesn’t know where these books are, how do you expect to find them?

It would take weeks to search the entire castle by yourself, longer to find every secret passage.

And that’s assuming they even let you out of their sight. You’d be trapped.”

“I don’t need your permission,” I press, refusing to back down. “I’m not a prisoner here, remember?”

His hand is suddenly under my chin, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “You can walk out those doors whenever you want, darling. But over my dead body will I let you endanger yourself for something like this.”

Damn him and his logic. But I still push, unwilling to concede. “That can be arranged,” I quip with a grin, trying to lighten the tension, though my heart pounds at the intensity in his eyes.

His eyes darken, and something unspoken passes between us. “Is that a threat or a promise?” he whispers, his voice low, laced with a challenge. “Because I’d love to test it.”

My cheeks flush, the air between us suddenly feeling too heavy, too intimate for a conversation that started with strategy.

“Are you two done over there?” Izzy’s voice cuts through the tension, dripping with sarcasm. “Some of us are trying to avoid vomiting.”

“Sorry, show’s over.” I get up and walk away from him, trying to ignore the knot of emotions twisting in my chest.

“There is another way,” Callon says as my back is to him, his voice calm yet resolute. “We explore the library ourselves and see if we can learn anything.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Izzy mutters. “And if Baron catches us?”

“He won’t,” Callon replies, his confidence almost convincing enough to make me believe him.

“You can’t blink right into the library, genius? The castle is guarded against it. You’d have to walk through the front doors without being seen, which—unless you’ve developed an affinity for invisibility that we don’t know about—it’s impossible.”

“Oh, so diplomatic of you, Izzy,” Callon responds, his tone dripping with mock courtesy. “I guess we’ll just have to come up with a reason to be there or create a damn good distraction.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal.

Theo laughs, shaking his head. “You got some hellhounds in your back pocket?”

“Better yet,” I chime in, a plan forming in my mind. “He has me. Use me as your distraction—let him think I’m coming back to him.”

Callon doesn’t hesitate. “No. If we did that, you couldn’t help since you’d be distracting Baron. And so help me gods, if he laid a hand on you, I’d kill him on the spot.” The last part he says with such certainty that I don’t doubt him for a second.

“Well then,” Izzy says, rubbing her temples as if dealing with us is giving her a headache. “I vote for an option that doesn’t involve killing a king.”

We brainstorm for a while, but exhaustion finally gets the best of me. Rising from my chair, I excuse myself and head back to my room.