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

49. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

ELLYA

W e appear in a crowded city street amid deafening music and cheering crowds.

Bonfires have been lit, large circles of flame licking up towards the infinite skies, the altars surrounding them are littered with an eclectic mix of objects to honor the dead they belonged to.

Faerie lights shine brightly in a mass of different colors while costumed people on stilts walk down the street juggling swords and balls of flame. Everyone is dressed in costume, and no one notices their king in their midst; Alec and I blending in perfectly.

Mounds of sparkling confetti and ribboned streamers float down from the tall buildings towering over us. A woman at a stall hands me a bag of roasted hazelnuts that I accept gratefully. Alec tips her generously before he takes a handful from the bag, popping one in his mouth.

“Come, Elly. The parade should be starting soon.”

I can nearly taste Alec’s excitement as he leads me by the hand through the crowded streets, stopping often to get us spiced ciders and point out different decorations, costumes, or altars.

The sun has long since dipped below the horizon, and a teasing chill of desert night air breezes through the crowd, ruffling my peacock tail .

The crowd erupts cheerfully, Alec eagerly joining in.

“A blessing, to have a reprieve from the summer heat, even if only at night. The first cool evening breeze always comes on the eve of Samhain,” Alec explains happily.

We finally make it a few blocks away, where the streets are clear and blocked off. On the sidewalks, crowds are gathered in anticipation. Children sit on the edge happily devouring their treats while their face paints smudge away, and their parents chatter happily behind them.

A loud crackling sparks to life. The crowd hushes and looks down the street with excitement. The flicker lamps die down to cast the street in haunting shadows dancing below the small, colorful faerie lights.

My heart beats in happy anticipation as the crackling continues and Alec squeezes me close to him. When the noise becomes ear-shattering, a bright flash of light erupts as drums begin pounding away. A float with thousands of varying sized sparklers begins to move towards us. Behind it, I make out another large float boasting a wall of living flowers, arranged to show the side profile of a woman’s face visible from either side of the street with dark candles surrounding to illuminate the image.

“Another way the people of our city honor their dead,” Alec whispers in my ear.

I turn back to the parade to see another float coming. This one holds a large, bright pink skull lit from within. The face has intricate details painted on the eyes, mouth, cheeks, and brow in different oranges, blues, and purples. As the float comes directly by us, thousands of tiny names scrawled across it by different hands become apparent. Next comes a large sculpture made of clay, molded into two hands clasped tightly. After that comes a small replica of a home with shadow images of a family on the facade.

The beauty of each coming float—the love and care gone into their construction—takes my breath away. All the bright colors with the haunting images work together in such a way to convey the conflicting emotions of those who created them.

The crowd watches in a comfortable silence, soaking in the same masterpiece of love and heartache that I am. Many eyes shine bright with tears both shed and unshed, including my own. Alec holds me tight from behind, and I close my eyes and rest the back of my head against him, savoring the warmth and peace he sends to my very soul just by being near. He kisses the top of my head and I open my eyes to see my glow matched on his face. I smile wide before resting my head against him again, and he brings both arms up to hold me across my chest.

Something falls gently from the sky, and my head tilts back to be brushed by multi-colored flower petals raining from above as the parade ends. I hold my hand out to catch a few, rubbing them between the pads of my fingers, enjoying the silky texture before I let them drift to the ground.

We meander through the city for the next few hours eating, drinking, and dancing.

We laugh loudly and kiss often.

Alec guides me to a bench to rest our aching feet. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I’ve never had so much fun, or seen anything so amazing, in my life. Not even Crane Hills during Winter Solstice,” I reply with wonder.

Alec beams and tells me, “I have planned this evening for years. ”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You said the stars haven’t aligned for me to be in The Capital for Samhain until now.”

“I did not want to celebrate your birthday this way until The Capital was your home, too.” He stares at me unsure for a beat before adding, “It is your home now, yes?”

Putting both hands on his face, I plant my lips against his. “Yes.”

At that moment the sky lights up with fireworks, colorful sparks shooting across velvety black in loud pops. Alec stands abruptly, bringing me with him. When we reach our feet, he pulls me to him and dips me low. I let out a surprised gasp that he steals with his mouth.

“Happy birthday, Ellya,” he murmurs against my lips. He pulls me back up, exuding pure happiness, and brings his lips to mine again.

I’m suddenly overtaken by being lightened from a lifetime of unfulfillment. A calming peace so bone deep it nearly makes me lightheaded. A warmth soft and bright, smoothing all my frayed edges. I’m filled with endless excitement and joy so pure, I’m sure I’ve never known true happiness before it.

I’m filled with such profound purpose that I believe any possibilities in life are mine for the taking—as long as I have my mate by my side.

And relief. Endless, utterly freeing relief.

I realize Alec is feeding me all those things through his kiss; but they are already familiar to me. Because I know all the same things for him.

He pulls away and surveys me with reverence. “That is what you mean to me.”

Alec’s head lifts to the fireworks in the sky, my eyes trailing after his, and we finish watching the show in silence. When it’s over, the festivities continue to rage on around us, becoming louder and more fervent, Samhain now truly here.

“I have something I would like to show you,” Alec tells me with a mischievous glint in his eye.

I shake my head in disbelief. “I don’t know how on earth you could possibly top the last several gifts you have given me.”

He laughs. “You will learn to always expect me to outdo myself for you. I will never stop trying to win you with grand gestures, even though you are already mine.”

Alec turns quickly, giving me his back and glances over his shoulder. “Hop on,” he says and playfully slaps his shoulder before dropping his arms and wiggling his fingers.

Grinning, I place my hands on his back and leap. He catches me behind the knees, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he starts walking.

“Why don’t we just jump?” I ask in his ear.

“We are not far. And besides,” Alec smiles back at me wickedly, “I cannot resist a reason to have your legs wrapped around me.” I squeeze my thighs against him and bite the side of his neck, making him laugh.

I enjoy the ride through the city, taking in the people still celebrating while the tail of my dress flows and bounces with Alec’s steps. I didn’t realize we had made it so close back to the palace, and after a few blocks, I notice that we’re already back in the Vahnsing District.

The crowds have thinned in the neighborhood, and noise of the celebrations deeper in the city becomes more muted and muffled. The residential streets are peaceful and quiet, like a sleeping child after a day of excitement .

Alec walks past the gate of our private driveway, and I furrow my brow. “Where are we going?”

I hear the smile in his voice when he replies, “You will see.”

We continue to walk down the sidewalk, along the tall privacy fence, until Alec stops suddenly at a large gate and puts me down.

I frown at him. “Another park?”

I’ve been to the small park on the outskirts of our property a few times. I search my brain for any reason why he would want to bring me here, but I come up blank and give him a questioning look. Alec reaches for my hand and places it on the gate before whispering an incantation in my ear and commanding me to repeat it. I do, and the gate swings wide.

“Not a park anymore.”

Alec guides me through the entrance and closes the gate behind us. I gasp at the sight in front of me.

The park is nothing like it was before with its palms and tropical flowers. Instead, it’s littered with large and ancient magnolias, oak trees, and crape myrtles with their trailing pink blooms. A cliff made of mountain rock has been built up, and from it comes a cascading waterfall into a serene pool. I peer down to green grass at my slippered feet, resembling that of a very familiar forest.

I turn to Alec wide eyed. “This looks like Brhadir.”

“For when your heart longs for a piece of home.”

“But, how?” I splutter in disbelief as I walk up to one of the magnolias and run my hand over the glossy leaves; the gnarled branches. The tree is huge and appears old. But I walked past this park with Cescily only a week ago, and I still saw the leaves of palms peeking curiously over the fence walls .

“I bought the property from the city from my personal coffers, cleared it, and hired the most powerful Growers and Landscapers to prepare it for you.”

Alec drops this information like it’s simple—unimportant.

Laughing hard, I walk further in. A firefly lazes past my face, flashing its luminescent light. The air even is different, more balmy and less dry. More like Brhadir.

“Alec,” I walk swiftly back to where he stands, hands clasped behind his back as he takes in my reaction. “This is extravagant.”

It dawns on me that this is what Alec was busy with the morning he left early, saying he had something important to handle. The weight of the work he put into building me my own forest to ease my homesickness hits me hard. Nothing I could ever do would be adequate enough to thank him for the thought and care he puts into my happiness. I continue to look around, clutching my hand at my tightened throat. Putting my face to one of the white blooms of a magnolia, I inhale deep while Alec’s warmth comes to rest at my back.

“Do you like it?” The softness of his voice gives an air of nervousness. His heart hammers against my shoulders.

I turn around and wrap my arms around his waist. Alec’s eyes search mine as he waits for an answer. My eyes well, and I hiccup loud when I open my mouth to respond. “Thank you,” is all I can manage to choke out. “Thank you,” I breathe again and bury my face in his chest, digging my hands into his back trying to pull him closer. He holds me tight and strokes the back of my head while I sob into his shirt.

“My mother had that house built for her to retreat to when she missed her home. She willingly chose her life with my father and all that came with it. You did not have that choice, and for that I am sorry.” Alec kisses the top of my head before he continues. “All these years, we thought that house would be everything to you that it was to Mother.”

Alec pulls at the ribbons of my mask before removing it. When I pull back and look up at him, he’s removed his glamour, and I take in the striking angles of his face.

“You deserve to always have a piece of home available to you. You deserve to have everything, Ellya.” He pulls me back into his chest and holds me tight for an eternity—for not nearly long enough.

“I was hoping that we would sleep under the stars together tonight,” Alec finally says as he pulls away from me.

Turning my head, I’m met with a fluffy pallet bed set up in a clearing. I smile at him and lead us to it. The large pallet has several pillows and blankets in shades of tan and cream. Beside it is a table laden with drinks and food. I kick my shoes off and flop onto the mattress ungracefully and moan as the bedding swallows me.

Alec sinks in next to me and brings his hands to my lower back. “May I?” he asks me, tugging on a painted silk feather.

I sigh gratefully. “Please do.”

He lifts a row of feathers and begins slowly popping each button free. The fluid movements paired with the image of his skilled fingers working to free me makes me clench, and I shimmy, anxious for him to finish. Alec laughs as he pulls the delicate silk down my legs with deliberate ease and tosses it on the ground.

I roll over on my side to face him and stroke my finger down his cheek to his full lips.

My heart hammers with excited nervousness, both of us knowing that this evening has been leading up to this.

“I’m ready,” I whisper .

Alec offers me a searching look, giving me a moment to reconsider. “You are certain?”

When I nod my encouragement, Alec removes his suit jacket, dropping it to the ground with my costume train.

He pulls me up to my knees, facing him, and reaches into my hair, sliding out each pin one by one until my waves fall free. He pushes my hair behind my shoulders and brings a hand to my back, unbuttoning my dress, working his way down slowly, his face both heated and serious. My breaths quicken the farther south he gets, at the idea that this is truly about to happen.

My hands move to the front of Alec’s shirt, untucking it from his pants before my shaky fingers work to pop free his fastenings. When it opens, I graze my hands across his bare stomach, around his hips and to his back. He flings it off behind him and moves a hand to undo his pants.

My chest heaves as I watch him, the neckline of my dress loose and gaping.

“You are stunning,” Alec says as he inspects the blushed swells of my breasts rising and falling rapidly.

He reaches to the hem of the black dress and begins to gather it at my waist, kissing me before he pulls it above my head in one fluid motion, finding my breasts bare beneath and my nipples peaked.

Alec grabs me in his arms, holding me tight against his chest as he eases me onto my back, nudging my thighs apart with his knees to rest between my legs.

He lands several kisses against my parted lips before he leans down to take a breast in his mouth, working his tongue with deliberate tenderness, worshiping me with his lips and tongue. He kneads the other and rolls my pebbled nipple between his fingers, bringing forth soft moans from my throat .

He pops free and kisses my nose, my mouth, my chin, my throat, before sliding down the length of my body, his hands running down my sides, his lips snagging against the skin of my stomach.

When his mouth reaches the waistband of my underwear, he grabs the fabric between his teeth, pulling them down and burying his nose in the soft flesh above my needy cunt. He inhales deep and moans; the wetness between my thighs pools hot.

I’m already panting as Alec hooks his fingers into my waistband and begins to pull down while I lie patiently still. The frantic need to move I had while he fucked me with his tongue and fingers has disappeared into something calm and accepting, knowing what we are building to and wanting to savor every perfect second until we make it there together.

I extend my hands above my head and stretch, enjoying the seductive scrape of Alec’s slow-moving hands down my legs as he finishes undressing me. When he’s removed my underwear, he picks up one of my legs and bends it at the knee, running his knuckle from the instep of my foot and up my leg in a slow pass, watching me watch him.

I glance at the massive bulge of his hard cock visible through his pants, right below where they are unlaced. A peak of his dark hair shines through enticingly, and the sight makes my mouth water.

“You want this?” Alec asks, swiping the tip of a finger through my drenched seam, feeling exactly how much I want him. His other hand comes to rest at the waistband of his pants, pausing to wait for my answer.

I lock my eyes on his and his throat bobs slowly.

“I’m ready,” I repeat with conviction.