Chapter 27
All color drained from Dion’s face as the other men nodded with varying expressions of gravity. Once again, I was the odd one out who had no idea what they were talking about and why it would be such a big deal if Dion’s other uncle found out about me.
“I know, Antas, I’m not stupid. I’ll make sure of it. As if I’d allow him to get his filthy hands on Naya.”
“Would anyone care to explain?” With a suspicious glare, I straightened in my seat. The way the men glanced at each other would have been comical under different circumstances, and it took some encouragement from my elbow to achieve Dion elaborating.
“He’s not a good man. Dangerous. We all wanted to put some distance between him and us, so this mission had almost come as godssent, at least in that regard.
But can we talk about my messed-up family another time?
Or preferably never? I can’t believe he’s destroying a triumphant moment for me when he isn’t even close.
” Dion growled in annoyance and glowered at Thain, then at Antas.
“Anyway, Naya already agreed to train with me from now on. Don’t act as if my asshole of a grandfather is breathing down our necks at this very moment. I mean—”
Of their own accord, my eyes squinted in suspicion, and I raised my finger to Dion’s lips to silence him as he’d done to me earlier.
He thanked me for it with a baffled expression, as if he couldn’t believe I’d dare to do something like that.
His forehead wrinkled, his hand tightened around mine, and my intuition told me that he’d just let something slip, and from the impression I had, he regretted his blunder and wished to take it back.
But if Dion had taught me one thing, it was to be relentless.
And I was just too curious. “Grandfather?”
“Yes, why?”
“How can Antas be your uncle and his brother your grandfather?”
Dion’s pupils dilated just for a moment, but I caught this sign of discomfort, which deepened my suspicion that it had been an unintentional mistake that he’d used the term. “Because Antas is my great-uncle. His niece was my mother. Not sure why that matters to you.”
It did, especially since Dion showed signs of anger at his slip up. But before I could dig deeper, I was interrupted by Fig, and suspiciously, the topic of who was related how to whom was dropped. Fine, I would pester Dion for answers later.
“I agree with you, Dion. You two certainly had an eventful night. Be that as it may, this also tells me that we have to find the seer more than ever. We can’t dismiss that rip and the Arracht.
Keeping our ears open if there’s talk of occurrences like people vanishing or creatures appearing is important from now on. ”
Once again, I was upset about how little I knew, thanks to my secluded upbringing.
If I’d grown up in the capital like these men, maybe I wouldn’t be so clueless.
Deciding that now was as good a time as any, I straightened, which was a feat in itself, since I was still half in Dion’s iron grip.
“Is it possible to cross over to the other world?”
To my surprise, Ireas answered, “Through one of the distortions you saw? I have no idea. But by conventional means? Well, after the Ivreian-Galantan War, all portals between the worlds were permanently closed. Humans and fae always had a tense relationship, and this conflict wasn’t the first, but it was by far the worst. Nowadays, all known portals are defunct, although there might be a few select people existing who could build a temporary one.
Still, opening a portal would be a bad idea, as it could be seen as an act of war. ”
Dion cut in. “Even in times of peace, the portals have mostly been used for diplomatic endeavors: by scholars, for magical reasons—or by spies. Most humans have never set foot in Galanta, and the same can be said for most fae and Ivreia. Of course, there were some travelers, and let’s not forget trade agreements, but in the end, both worlds mostly kept to themselves.
The two species never got along too well. ”
I embraced every piece of information the men willingly shared. “Why not?”
“That isn’t as easy to answer as one could assume.
The short one is that the inhabitants of Galanta are extremely racist. Which is nothing but the truth, but there’s more, of course.
” It was Antas who spoke. “There’s an unproven theory picturing fae as creatures who used to be like humans, but then they evolved in their own unique way.
Although both species are similar, fae have embraced their instinctual nature, possibly because Galanta is the more volatile of the two worlds.
Their emotions strongly influence their actions, making them exponentially more dangerous.
Additionally, they have a much longer natural lifespan, and both males and females begin training for battle at a young age.
Add in the detail that they are very territorial and you have the essentials. ”
“It’s survival of the fittest. While there are a lot of rules and laws in Ivreia, Galanta values and rewards strength above all else.
Generally speaking, the one with the most power at their disposal is the one who reigns supreme,” Ireas went on explaining as Antas fell silent.
“Humans, on the other hand, have more restraint and organization. They’re less likely to be affected if they lose face.
Most humans just get back up and try again right away.
Their pride may be dented, but not broken.
The same can’t be said for fae, who can easily lose themselves in a desire for revenge for decades.
My best guess is that it has something to do with the whole ‘rational thinking versus instinct-driven’ theory. ”
“Plus, there have always been far fewer fae. Humans procreate all the time, but in Galanta, children are rare, partly because most fae prefer not to form families.”
“So, if there’s a chance there are more of those tears and they could spit out a fae, would we recognize them right away?
Or do they look exactly like humans? Would they attack like the Arracht did?
” I leaned over the table, engrossed in the conversation while my breakfast had turned cold.
Honestly, not everything about Galanta came across as terrible.
Especially since women didn’t seem to be as oppressed as in Ivreia, and it sounded like no one was forcing those fae into marriages.
Thain opened his mouth. “The two species look similar, but not alike. Fae possess longer ears with pointed tips, and their canines are sharp like those of predatory animals. Their eyes are like a treasure trove of jeweled colors, extremely unique and stunning. And don’t get me started on their superior strength, agility, and grace, or their far superior self-healing capabilities. ”
“So differences in appearance and physique. Has anyone of you seen one before?”
It was Antas who nodded. “Yes. And let me tell you, even though the differences sound minor, if you see one, you will know without a doubt that you are face to face with a fae.”
There were a million more questions on the tip of my tongue, but before I could voice them, Fig cleared his throat.
“As much as I’d like to continue the history lesson, we have to return to the problem at hand. We can try to get some books about Galanta for Nayana, or we can speak while we travel again.”
“That’s all right. What I’ve just heard is already a lot to take in.”
“Good. Antas, you were outside yesterday to gather information. Have you found anything useful?”
“Sorry, Fig, nothing. No one I spoke to knew of a seer living in the Savatos Mountains.”
“I know where she is.” All heads turned as an unknown female voice spoke, and I concluded from the surprised and shocked expressions on the men’s faces that they too hadn’t realized someone was listening in on our conversation. Had the newcomer witnessed us chatting about the forbidden knowledge?
Dion’s expression morphed into a more relaxed one. “Lor? That was your name, wasn’t it? Last night is a bit foggy in my memory.”
“I can imagine, Timenth.”
I scanned this Lor, who was speaking with too much familiarity to Dion. Her voice was definitely female, although she wore masculine clothing, and the length of her straw-colored hair was against all the unwritten rules that society was saddling women with. “You know each other?”
“Ah, that’s the woman you had trouble with yesterday?” I didn’t like the smile Lor sent to Dion or the fact he’d shared our fight with a stranger.
“It was just a minor misunderstanding.” Dion glared daggers at her and tugged me closer to him until I was almost on his lap. This time, I didn’t mind too much.
Fig interrupted us yet again. From his posture, he must’ve decided to hear Lor out. “You know where the seer is?”
Lor lazily cocked her eyebrow while slowly examining Fig, judging him with an unimpressed expression. “You’re the one in charge?”
“I am. So, are you willing to part with your information?”
“I wouldn’t have approached you if I wasn’t. But I require payment in exchange.”
“If you can guarantee that your knowledge is genuine, and we’ll find the seer with your help, we can surely agree on a suitable payment. But I need to know how reliable you are as a source.”
“The reason for the specific payment I want is linked to where I got my knowledge from. And of course, you have to give me your word that you’ll keep my secrets just as I’ll keep yours.”
“You have my word of honor. What is your price?” While Fig discussed this with Lor, I could feel Dion trying his best to avoid joining the conversation. He was basically vibrating with nervous energy, and I was curious for how long he could resist the temptation to steal the attention.
“I want you to take me with you when you leave Kalcas. You’ll have to get me out of the city undetected, and you need to ensure that you can do so. I want to vanish without a trace.”
“That doesn’t sound like a problem you’d need our help with.”
“Oh, but it is. See, my name is Loreli Miriana Kalcas, first daughter of Lord Osario Kalcas, precious jewel of Marsia, and I’m currently hiding from my family.
When I first escaped, my disguise protected me for a while, but it won’t for much longer.
Especially not if I want to leave the city—thanks to the excessive controls.
Get me out and I’ll guide you to Larithia—and make sure she’ll talk to you instead of just chasing you away. ”
“Fuck me sideways.” Dion’s rude curse resulted in pursed lips and a critical glare in his direction, but he didn’t seem apologetic in the least. Instead, he simply grinned back.
Fig scanned Lor thoughtfully. The final confirmation of how hard it was to leave Kalcas unnoticed was important, but we’d all wished it wouldn’t be so dire.
“Seems to me you underestimated the controls. Getting into Kalcas? No problem at all. Getting out? Almost impossible if you have something to hide. And I know for a fact that you have a strong interest in leaving the city unseen as well. And soon. My sources tell of an Ivreian convict who was spotted. Blonde, petite, in the company of five men—does it ring any bells?” Lor looked openly at me, which made me nervously bite my lower lip.
“I can easily bring us out, Fig, and you know that. The time for subtlety is over.” Dion acted bored as he casually inspected his fingernails, another one of the gestures he regularly used.
“By the way, Lor, my name isn’t Timenth, it’s Dion.
The others are Fig, Antas, Ireas, Thain, and this here is Nayana.
We’ll leave Kalcas through the eastern gate in three hours. ”
A vein on Fig’s forehead throbbed as Dion nonchalantly trusted Lor, making a decision without discussing it with him. “And who gave you the power to overrule us all, Dion?”
“Fig, you know as well as I do that you’d have agreed on the deal as well, but only after a lot more discussing, pondering, and losing time. We have no other option. I just sped things up.”
Fig slowly rose to his feet, seething with so much rage that I was afraid the vein in his forehead would burst. Gone was the stoic man, and in his stead was one who wanted to tear Dion’s head off.
The tension only broke when an unusual sound broke the silence. A deep laugh rumbled through the room, and I had to look twice to believe who so vocally showed his amusement—it was Antas, mirth written all over his face.
My head spun to him because his outburst was just as rare as Fig losing it, and according to the other men who were staring as well, no one was used to hearing him laugh so openly. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to revolt, Dion.” Antas sounded almost proud.
“Was bound to happen. Just surprising that it took him so long,” Thain said grumpily.
Not for the first time, I felt like everyone was in on something I wasn’t, and I scowled at Dion.
“Be that as it may. I’m still in charge. But I’ll approve your plan, Dion. Just remember who you are. You wanted it this way.” After he’d had the last word, Fig stood up and left, and somehow, I wasn’t so sure if he’d alluded to the plan with his annoyed parting line.