Callum Brightwell

**Callum Brightwell** is the head of the Brightwell smuggling syndicate. He is the father of Liam, Jess, and Brendan Brightwell. He lives with his family in London, England.

## Biography

### Early Life

Callum has created a smuggling syndicate that operates throughout England and has affiliates all over the world. He has become a very wealthy man. At some point he married Celia and they had their first son, Liam. After a stillborn child, they have twins Jess and Brendan. The family lives in a wealthy townhouse.

One of the main ways Callum has been a successful smuggler is by hiring poor children from around London to act as decoys. A whole crowd of these children run the same route together to divert attention away from the one actually carrying to merchandise. This increases the chances of successfully delivering books and other items to clients. He always keeps the Brightwell business completely separate from the Brightwell residence.

### *Ink and Bone*

Callum sends Jess to train for service to the Great Library of Alexandria in hopes of using Jess' future position to benefit his family. He tells Jess that he knows Jess never wanted to take over the family business and that he's not suited to running it either. So he bought Jess a placement in the Library, a small fortune, provided Jess makes the training. Callum makes sure Jess understands that he better pass the training as he will not welcome him back home.

### *Paper and Fire*

When Jess is reunited with Callum, Jess refuses to call him "Da" and refers to him by his first name.

### *Ash and Quill*

Circumstances force Jess and Callum back together and Jess has to play nice in order to secure his father's help.

### *Sword and Pen*

His wife finally stands up to him, along with Jess and Wolfe, when the three call him out for his behavior.

## Physical Description

Callum is a smallish man, runted by poor nutrition in his youth. He dresses well in silk waistcoats and trousers of fine cotton. His eyes are like cold, dry pebbles. He has a rough voice. He is incredibly strong.

## Personality

Callum is a coldly practical man without much, if any, sentimentality. He is never vulnerable and is a master at sudden violence. He is physically and emotionally abusive to his children. He treats Brendan like a "backup twin" to Jess, and treats both of them as if they're disposable tools than people, let alone his sons. He cruelly exploits the poor children of London by hiring them to serve as decoys on smuggling runs to ensure the book carriers don't get caught. However, he does always take precautions and punishes those who take advantage of his cutters, which is rare anyways because even the rich know they aren't safe from the long, strong arm of the Brightwells. He is clever and well-read. Callum takes great pains to look gentrified. At his heart, Callum loves the books he buys and sells illegally. He views books as holy things. He has always been strict about his children writing nightly in their journals. Jess says that the day Liam died, Callum's "heart had shattered and been bolted back together as hard as iron."

## Trivia

* Descartes is his least favorite philosopher.
* Callum favors biographies and histories.
* His coffee is brewed so "bitter and dark that it's like drinking midnight."