Page 54 of Unseen Eye (Aetherian Chronicles #1)

The morning comes far too quickly as the first light filters into the room.

Not much sleep was had last night, after several repeat performances, leaving no part of the room untouched—including the bookcase.

I wake to the warmth of a kiss and the sight of Cal’s smile, his lips brushing my skin with a lazy familiarity that I could definitely get used to.

Images of last night flood my mind—every kiss, every touch, every moment so vivid and consuming it makes my cheeks heat. The way he looked at me, as if every second was both a temptation and a surrender, a battle he was deliberately losing.

“Darling,” he begins, his voice low and still laced with sleep, “if you keep looking at me like that, we won’t be getting out of this bed anytime soon, and we have things to do.

” Something in his tone, the way his eyes sparkle with mischief, makes me laugh.

It’s like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and he enjoys having that power over me.

“Not the reaction I was expecting,” he mock-scoffs, getting out of bed and reaching for his pants with a grin that feels a little too devilish. The ease with which he switches from the intense lover to the teasing, casual man makes me wonder how many sides of him I’ve yet to uncover.

“I’m sorry,” I manage between laughs. “It’s just... the first time I met you, I never would have guessed we’d end up like this.” I smile up at him, remembering how untouchable he seemed back then. “You’ve certainly surprised me.”

His laugh is warm, genuine—an unexpected sound from someone who usually wears their intensity like armor. “Guess I’m full of surprises,” he says, winking at me. “And trust me, I’ve got plenty more where that came from.”

“How about you get cleaned up while I make us some coffee?” he suggests, with that same mischievous grin still lingering as he heads toward the door, shirtless and all too tempting. My heart skips, but I feel myself to smile.

“Sounds great,” I reply, watching him leave, the ache of longing settling in my chest.

I quickly freshen up and just finish braiding my hair when I hear familiar voices downstairs. Thankful I washed the blood out of my underclothes, I head toward the source of the conversation, following the smell of coffee.

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, I hear Izzy’s unmistakable voice, sharp and incredulous. “Cal, you didn’t!”

Cal’s calm response follows. “Good morning to you too.”

I step into the kitchen, finding Izzy and Theo standing by the door, their expressions a mix of shock and curiosity. Cal, still shirtless, stands by the coffee maker, pouring two cups as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

“Morning,” I say, trying to sound casual.

Izzy’s eyes widen, just as I predicted. “You two...?” She gestures between Cal and me, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Theo smirks. “Well, it’s about damn time.”

Cal hands me a cup of coffee, his fingers brushing against mine, sending a jolt of electricity up my arm. “We have a lot to discuss,” he says, his eyes meeting mine briefly before turning back to the others. “But first, coffee.”

Izzy narrows her eyes at Cal, then turns her gaze to me. “So, how was your night?” she asks, a teasing tone in her voice.

I take a sip of the coffee, trying to keep my composure. “I give up,” I say with a smirk. “How did you find out so damn quick?”

“Oh, it wasn’t hard,” Izzy replies, pointing to Cal. “With the look on this moron’s face—after finding a dead body in your room yesterday—there’s only one reason he’d be smiling like that this early in the morning.”

Theo laughs, shaking his head. “Ignore her. She’s just grouchy this morning. But I knew it. You two were always giving each other those looks.”

“Those looks?” I raise an eyebrow, feigning innocence.

“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 as we 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 had no 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 something tomorrow 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.”