Page 121 of To Scale the Emerald Mountain

The smile I give him is completely genuine, but not for the reasons he thinks.

Alec relaxes against me, he pulls our bodies flush. He thinks he’s won.

But he’s wrong.

“Did Rahleigh and Ceivise fool around after you broke off your engagement?” I ask him softly, seductively.

Alec’s confident smile falls. His demeanor immediately changes, and he backs away to take me in fully. I hum with satisfaction at catching him so completely off guard.

“What’s wrong, Alec? Not what you were expecting?” I ask snidely.

He drops his hands from my waist and takes another step back. “Ceivise?” he asks, brow furrowed tight. “How do you know that name?”

“Answer the question.” I manage to look down my nose at him as he shrinks back.

Alec’s face knits further with his confusion. “Yes, I believe they did. Why are you asking this?”

“Nice, Alec.” I laugh coldly and push him. He barely stumbles as I walk past him, letting loose an unhinged cackle while my anger grows to new heights. “Really nice!”

Alec follows, his frustrated footsteps falling heavy just behind me. “What are you talking about, Ellya?”

“I’m talking about your twin brother and your ex-fiancé working together to kidnap me and use my magic to find god power. Really! Fucking! Nice!” I scream each word louder.

“What?” he roars behind me as I storm towards the steps of the porch.

I’m nearly to the open doors into the palace when Alec grabs my arm and pushes me against a large stone pillar, the porous material scraping my bare shoulders.

“What are you talking about?” Alec has a palm on my rising chest, firmly holding me in place. “What have you Seen?”

“Why don’t you just look?” I challenge.

“Is this you giving me permission?” He watches me seriously, waiting for an answer. I glare at him before dropping my steely expression a fraction, nodding. As much as I’m enjoying this victory and keeping him in the dark, I know that this is important.

Recognition flares on Alec’s face as he drops his hand from my chest, confirming the person going to such lengths to hide her identity while speaking with Ceivise was indeed Rahleigh.

“Fuck!” he bellows and turns to punch another stone pillar, a large chunk breaking off and digging deep gouges across the porch. I gape at his impressive burst of strength.

“Does this ever fucking end?” Alec runs both hands through his hair, looking slightly crazed before trapping me in between his arms. Despite the gravity of the new information I’ve dropped on him, I’m not prepared to give up my fight. He was right, my drunken jealousy is thriving, demanding to swipe at him with furious claws.

“I can’t believe you gave her a whole mansion while you keep me in your palace,” I spit. “Even worse than that, you keep me caged in your fucking chambers!”

Alec pinches his eyes closed. “I did not give her a house. It was her father’s.” His eyes pop back open, and his fiery stare pierces me, heating me further. “And I do not cage you in my chambers, Ellya. If you need a house, say the word, I will give you a fucking house. Would that make you feel better?”

I haven’t seen Alec so angry before. His brother’s anger terrified me, made me uncertain of myself, and how my actions would set him off. Seeing Alec’s has my blood singing and pleading for more—more of his fire to match mine for us to burn bright together.

“I don’t want you to give me a house.”

“What do you want!” Alec screams in my face, his fury rattling in my chest.

“I want to be free.”

“Then leave,” Alec says, drawing out the word. He drops his arms from the pillar and steps back, effectively uncaging me. “You are not a prisoner here. Go and find yourself a new path that does not include me, if you think that will make you happy.” He grinds his teeth and crosses his arms tight across his broad chest. “I will let you go willingly.”

My heart cracks in my heaving chest as he gives me exactly what I said I wanted.

He looks utterly apologetic—eyes shining and biting his lip to keep his words behind his teeth. Before he decides to speak or clamp onto me and follow wherever I go, I reach into myself and disappear into the void.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR