To Scale the Emerald Mountain (The Willowbane Saga #1)

27. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ELLYA

S weat slides down my back in the dry desert heat as I wipe gritty red sand from my hands.

The Capital stands proud to the north of us, a giant oasis in a desolate desert on the shore, surrounded by lush urban farms that sustain all three Kingdoms. The Vhelisean Sea’s glittering waters churn to my right.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kraeston asks. “Again, all yours, Princess.” He claps me roughly on the shoulder. “Try again. I’ve seen you melt these sands with your heat.”

Kraeston’s placating tone only produces a growl from me.

I’m hot, hungry, and tired. The scorching sun on my skin stopped being a charge at least an hour ago, now I just want to escape from it.

“Come on, try once more and we’ll give it a rest for today. Maybe we can go get some of that roasted lamb you love so much.”

The thought of roasted lamb in this heat makes me want to vomit.

I drain the rest of my water before I crouch down, clawing my hands in the rust colored sand for the twentieth time today. Just weeks ago I did this so easily, and it felt so good.

Kraeston adjusted our schedule a week ago, after my last catastrophic conversation with Alec and I reverted to wanting to stay curled in bed. Now, in the mornings we jump to the outskirts of the city for me to practice wielding my electricity. But every time I try to use my gift, it’s like the spools of power within me have turned solid and are very reluctant to unroll. It’s taking me longer to channel and let my much weaker power flow. My electricity flickers and dies long before it reaches my targets, only sending up the smallest plume of white-gold smoke.

Shaking my head angrily, I try to yank on that spool with all my might, willing my power to flow through me. Tiny spiderwebs barely shine through the ground in the hot sun and die just inches from my fingers.

“I’m done,” I pant.

Kraeston claps me on the shoulder and tells me I did well—that we will come back again tomorrow and the next day. His optimism makes me want to punch him.

“You’re tired. Lean into me, and I’ll bring you back.” Kraeston holds out the crook of his arm. I grab it readily, eager to get out of the dry, blazing heat.

We reappear in a square of the city with jets of water shooting up from the ground. Children run happily while their parents splash handfuls of water on their faces and necks to cool down.

“It’s always warm here but right before the season shifts it gets hottest,” Kraeston explains, washing off his hands in the fountains. He indicates for me to do the same.

“Should we not have gone to change and bathe before going about the town?”

“Do you really care?”

After considering the question, I shake my head. “I really don’t.”

“Let’s go eat.” Kraeston begins walking towards a restaurant across from the fountains.

We get seated and place orders when a matter I’ve been wondering about comes out. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with me. Why?”

He studies my face before answering, honestly as always. “Because we’ve known each other most of your life. And you’ve responded with less hostility to me than Alec or your grandmother.”

“Maybe because you’re not always treating me like I’m some sad, broken creature. Or lying to me to protect me and give me a false sense of security.” My voice holds the hostility he speaks of.

“And that is exactly what I told them. They are coming from a good place, but you’re not a child anymore. And you may be sad, but you are not broken.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the king’s personal guard?”

“Not anymore. I’m your guard now. Of course, it’s your decision on whether you want to keep me.”

“Who’s taken your place?” The question slips out quietly.

Kraeston smiles at me playfully. “Careful, Princess. You might drop your walls enough to show that you do still care.” I scowl, and he laughs. “Don’t worry, Elly. Your mate doesn’t really need any guards. But I think you know that.”

“Then why have them at all if he’s such a harbinger of death?” Kraeston laughs loudly, making other patrons look our way. “He told me he was a mercenary,” I add hastily, attempting to hide my reddening face from curious glances.

“I didn’t tell Alec about your jealousy, but I will be telling him that you called him a harbinger of death. To answer your question: my father was his father’s guard until the Culling. I was raised to be the personal guard to the future King of Quinndohs. Of course, all my life I thought that would be Locane. It didn’t turn out that way. Can’t say that I’m heartbroken.”

“You’re loyal to Alec.”

“Well, Princess. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you say his name. Progress.” I offer Kraeston another scowl, but red stains my cheeks. “Yes, I’m loyal to him. I was honored to swear my sword, my power, my life to Alec and Quinndohs when he took the throne. Not only because he is my king, but because he is my best friend. And I will be equally honored to swear the same oath to you.” His chest puffs with pride.

“Don’t think you have to pledge your life to me because everyone thinks I belong to your best friend,” I say snidely.

“Don’t be a brat, Elly. You should know by now that I care deeply for you, separate from what you are to my king and friend. If your full memories had been restored, you wouldn’t question that. And everyone doesn’t think that you’re his,” I open my mouth to argue, but Kraeston continues cheerfully, “They know that you’re his—in the exact same way that he is yours. Do you really place that much blame on Alec for what happened?”

I grind my teeth and take a sip of my cold mint tea.

Kraeston examines me knowingly when I don’t answer. “They are not the same, Elly. I hope that you will give Alec a chance to prove that. He is nothing but devoted to you.”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

Anxious to be alone and take a bath, I barely pick at my food. A wave of relief washes over me when I arrive in my now familiar chambers, my safety net. The room is beautiful. Really, everything I’ve seen in The Capital is beautiful. All colorful and bright against sandstone buildings. Everything is clean with geometric shapes and was clearly meticulously planned .

Sometimes, it almost feels like home.

After a bath, I sit before my vanity, looking in the mirror while I brush my hair. My vision still warps occasionally, and I’m plagued by sporadic headaches and nosebleeds. Even more than that, I struggle with the concept of time. I don’t know how long I continue to run the comb through my strands while I stare vapidly at my reflection, not seeing it at all.

In one of the drawers, I find a pair of sharp shears. Holding them in front of my face, I open them wide. My finger tip runs up the inside of the blade, and I push the pad of my finger down hard. A bead of blood wells. I watch it blossom before bringing my finger to my mouth and suck the drop away. I then watch as smooth skin stitches back over the wound.

I didn’t feel anything.

After repeating the process over and over and over, my skin is no longer healing quickly, taking longer to knit itself back together with each prick. I had exhausted myself earlier, it must now be hindering my ability to heal.

A soft knock in my main chamber barely catches my attention. When I don’t respond, the sound of the door opening quietly breaks me fully out of my trance. I hold my breath and listen. There’s the soft thumps of items being placed on a surface, then another, followed by retreating footsteps and the door closing swiftly. I wait several more minutes to make sure he’s left, well aware of who it was .

Sitting on my nightstand and the floor next to it are two stacks of books. On top of the stack on my nightstand is a white piece of paper with a handwritten note.

Elly,

I took the liberty of finding some of your favorite books until you have the opportunity to procure some for yourself. I also selected some texts on the histories we discussed recently. There are more on the bookcase by your door in the study. I hope you enjoy them.

All my love,

Alec

I shred the letter between my fingers before I run to the bathing chamber to flush the pieces, yanking the commode chain with flaming tears welling in my eyes. My heart rate eases back down when the small pieces of paper disappear.

Back in my room, I give in to my curiosity—needing a distraction from the last words I spoke to Alec—and inspect the stacks. The ones on my nightstand are indeed my favorites. The pile left on the floor are books on history, the one on top bound in shiny brown leather and stamped with the title Mysteries of the Culling .

The one directly beneath it appears ancient, the gold letters of a different language peeling from the black binding. Pulling it from the stack, I crack the spine in the center. It’s written in the same strange language as the title on the front, a tongue I’m not familiar with, but it holds endless pictured pages. I’m reminded of Locane telling me of an ancient book indirectly mentioning the gems and wonder if this is the one.

Closing the book gingerly, afraid the decrepit pages will deteriorate more in my hands, I return it to the pile on the floor .

Another light knock on the door steals my attention, this one softer than the last but still familiar.

Opening it wide, I find Nana with a beaming smile.

“I heard you and Kraeston had a good day,” she says in greeting, breezing into the room.

“If he’s going to just report to you and Alec everything I say, I suppose I’ll just stop talking to him.”

“Don’t be like that. He hasn’t told us anything you two talk about. All he said was that you had a good day.”

“That’s debatable. I would call it an utter failure,” I say honestly.

“Why’s that?”

“Because I failed to produce any amount of magic that’s worth, well, anything. My currents won’t fully manifest.”

“Oh, Elly. That doesn’t make for a bad day. I’m just happy that you have been willing to try. Your talent is still there. You will find it again,” she says cheerfully.

“Please, stop with the fake positivity,” I whine.

“It’s not fake. I have all the faith in the world in you and know what you’re capable of. But if you don’t want to hear it, I won’t say it. I only want to support you.”

Nana walks to my nightstand and smiles down at the books, surely knowing who they came from. My heart aches as I imagine Alec carefully choosing each one with his graceful hands despite my hateful words.

“Will you dine with us tonight?” Nana asks hopefully, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Who?”

“Kraeston, Alec, his mother and sister, and most likely some other siblings and spouses. ”

“All of those people are coming here?” I ask with my brows in my hairline.

I’ve barely seen anyone around the palace, other than a servant or guard here and there. They always bow to me deeply without saying a word.

“Most of them live here.”

I gape at her. “I’ve never seen any of them. How many siblings does he have?”

Her smile shifts, turning downward. “I keep forgetting how much you’ve been made to forget. Alec has eight siblings, including his twin. You never see anyone because Alec had everyone moved to different wings of the palace before you returned.”

I’m unable to hide my shock. “Why?”

“Because he didn’t want you to be overwhelmed by everyone. Besides, it was always the plan for you two to have your own space. I’m just a guest,” Nana states, shrugging a purple swathed shoulder. “They are a large, boisterous family and everyone just wants you to have peace. They were glad he made that decision when you returned and we learned you didn’t remember any of them. With the horrible situation you had with the one family member you do know… Well—it was certainly for the best. Everyone just wants you to be comfortable.”

“Why isn’t Alec telling me any of this?” I ask bitterly.

“You don’t want to speak to him or be near him, Elly. When would he tell you?”

Nana has a point, but I refuse to admit it aloud. “I think I’ll sit out the loud, boisterous dinner.”

“What if you, me, and Alec eat together? You can ask us any questions you have. I promise, they will be answered honestly. No more secrets. ”

“I’m not that hungry. I had a large lunch,” I lie.

“Maybe soon.” She gives me a hopeful smile.

I doubt that very much.

“But while I’m here, is there anything you’d like to ask me?” Nana asks expectantly.

There is a lot I want to know, but I don’t know where to start. And a part of me is still fearful for the answers. “How did you know about the gems’ existence? And that I had anything to do with finding them?”

Nana gives a small sigh and slides into the chair of my vanity, elegantly crossing her legs before beginning.

“Though the stories have begun to fade with time, the myths of the gems have been passed down throughout the generations, but the Vahnsings have held tighter to them than any other family I know of. When you were a child, your Sight started to develop very early. You had a lot of strange visions about the events surrounding the Original War. Your visions had a lot of discrepancies with recorded history. Alec and I thought it was odd and weren’t sure what to think of it,” Nana tells me. She gives me an inquisitive look, gauging my comfort level, and I nod for her to continue.

“Alec’s family has a long and brutal history of their men going mad over the quest for these gems and their power. All of them said it was a fool’s mission, nothing but legend, but they succumbed anyway. I believed the gems nothing but myth, until one day when you were sixteen. Alec was visiting when you had a powerful vision of Dhystros—“

I cut her off abruptly, “Creating the emerald.”

Nana nods. “Yes. You were sick for many days after that. You’ve had plenty of strong reactions to your Sight, but you were getting much better at controlling it at that point. After that particular vision, you were in bed for days with horrible headaches and nosebleeds.” She surveys me affectionately, stuck in the memory. “We were so worried about you. But you never struggled again after that.”

“What kind of discrepancies with history did my visions show? And why can’t I remember those visions now?”

“They showed a difference in the intentions of both Ellhora and the gods compared to widely accepted recorded history. I’m guessing you can’t remember them due to a mixture of your young age and allowing Alec to look at your visions using his gift.”

“And what were their intentions?”

“Ellhora wasn’t the loving and selfless creator history has claimed her to be, and the gods were simply trying to fulfill their destinies.”

“What does that mean?”

“We don’t truly know. You only had those few fairly vague visions. They made little sense to us at the time. We were able to piece together that the gods are siblings, and that Ellhora was the greedy and destructive one, with a particular hatred for Mattyas. We hoped you would have more visions to fill in the blanks, but you never did. Until the emerald, confirming the gems’ existence.”

“After Locane took me, I had another vision of Ellhora. She was the one who poisoned the willowbane tree, not the gods. Why would she do that?”

Nana takes a deep breath, considering her answer. “I would guess that she would have poisoned the tree in an attempt to keep her siblings from gifting magic to the people of this world, transferring it through the tree as they were meant to. ”

I pick mindlessly at the fabric of my dress, a wave of relief washing over me at sharing the truths of that vision with Nana. Despite my lingering bitterness for her lack of honesty, I do trust her.

“Locane’s kidnapping of you was useless, Elly. You fought him so thoroughly, he wasn’t able to extract any information from you. Yes, he had control over you, but you managed to keep your secrets guarded from his prying mind. He was not able to compel you to tell him. He was not able to see these things in your mind, even despite your lack of in depth shielding. I know that’s no consolation, my darling girl, but I thought it important to remind you of your strength.”

My eyes spring with tears that I dash away angrily. “How do you know Locane didn’t see any of it?”

“Because Alec looked into his mind and then told me. Their power doesn’t work on each other like it does others, but Alec was able to see far enough back to around the time Locane kidnapped you, up until you returned. Locane tried to get answers from you every day and was unsuccessful.”

“Did Alec tell you everything he saw?”

“No.” Nana gives me a small hug that I don’t return.