Page 177 of The Chains You Defy

Nodding, I smiled at the older male. But suddenly, anxiety hit me in the chest with such intensity that the sensation cut through me like a thousand knives. “At the ball or after—I haven’t heard anythingfrom my friends. Do you know whether they’re safe? Antas, Thain, Fig, and Ireas?”

“Yes, they are. Galrach kept them busy with guard duties and other tasks.”

“Even Antas?”

“Yes. An order is an order.”

“But they’re fine?”

“As far as I’ve heard, they are.”

Relief flooded me, and despite having only woken up an hour ago, exhaustion pulled at my insides and crawled through my brain. “Would you mind…if I slept some more?”

“No, darling. You rest, and I’ll guarantee your safety.”

Sending a smile to Cantarlann, I closed my eyes, and within seconds, I sank into a deep slumber—the first real one in a long time.

After an extended nap, I returned to reality surprisingly refreshed. Pulling the drapes aside, I’d observed Galanta speeding past us. Faster than this should have been possible, actually, but for the time being, I simply enjoyed that I could breathe more easily with every passing mile between Galrach and me.

Cantarlann and I had spent our first hours together in comfortable silence, but on the second day, I decided to interrogate him about his home.

“Tell me more about the Cuirt an Ghra.”

Cantarlann smiled. “For me, it’s the most perfect area in both worlds. Maybe the only place in this one thatstrives for harmony and positive emotions instead of power. We don’t care about politics.”

“Why are your people so different?”

“How much do you know about the history of Galanta?”

“Basically nothing.”

Cantarlann chuckled. “Fair enough. Not many humans these days do.”

“But I want to learn.”

“Then listen closely. When Kalag decided to become the patron-father of Galanta, he imbued the land with his power. He desired strong creatures inhabiting his lands, beings as close to his own might as possible. Creating someone equal to him would have been impossible, since no one could ever attain the potency of a deity.”

“Althoughsome peoplebelieve they do,” I muttered, and Cantarlann laughed softly.

“True.” He took a moment to sober up before going on. “He, with the aid of the other two Triad gods, created the first faelike creatures, six vastly different beings, one for each element. The six nameless godkin were tasked by Kalag to oversee and guard his next creation—the first elemental tribes inhabiting Galanta. The Doitean for fire. The Uisce for water. The Ainmhi for earth. The Aeri for air. The Dorchacht for darkness and the Graigh for light. He placed them in convenient locations across the world and allowed them to thrive under the invisible care of their respective godkin. But during the war of the revolting godlings, most of the originals came out of hiding and were slain. Kalag, Immaru, and the nameless god of fate intervened to save the rest of the creation of the god of battle and strength, even though their intervention had been too late for thegodkin. Especially Immaru mourned their passing. She considered them her offspring with the other two, and to distract herself, she turned to Ivreia and formed the first humans, a virile and more peaceful species that she could dote on as much as she wanted. In a similar manner, Kalag returned to the elemental tribes, and from their combined essences, High Fae came to life. So, in a way, even though my species dropped the ‘high’ at one point as well as the capitalization, we all carry parts of those ancient tribes within us.”

“And whatever essence part is dominant determines which element you can wield?”

“That’s the theory, yes.”

My head was spinning. In Ivreia, we were taught that humans had been created by Immaru, but nothing more. To hear that our origins were so deeply entangled with the fae was surprising. Plus, I’d never heard anything about godkin at home. “If the godkin were the creation of the Triad, what set them apart from the godlings?”

“Godlings, contrary to the godkin who had been created directly by the Triad, are sired by Kalag, born by Immaru, and blessed by the nameless god. Their strength varies vastly, their powers a product of coincidence.”

“Ah, that makes sense. But what does the origin story of life have to do with your court?”

“Kalag placed the Graigh on the island where the Cuirt is located, and they still live among us. Most of the ancient tribes are reclusive and withdrawn, if not in hiding. But not the light tribe—whoever approaches them and desires to follow their ways is more than welcome.”

“Their ways?”

“As I mentioned, we live in harmony. Selflessness, kindness, and genuine connection are most important. The Graigh value freedom above all. Hence, members of my court have only a few to no personal possessions, but no one considers this a loss. We share everything.”

“Very different from the mindset I’ve experienced in Galanta so far.” Somehow, even though harmony and freedom sounded tempting, I wasn’t too sure if this life was for me. Yes, I was curious to observe the Cuirt for a couple of weeks, maybe even meet some of the ancient ancestors and learn from them about history, but nothing more.