Page 31 of To Scale the Emerald Mountain

“No, Ellya. You know what they say, no rest for the wicked.”

That strikes me as an odd thing for him to say. “Are you admitting to me that you’ve helped me for nefarious purposes? Just how wicked are you, Locane?”

He finally turns to me and gives me a strange smile. “What makes you think it is I who is wicked and not you?”

“I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile. I smile and laugh all the time. I’d say that is a fantastic indicator of which of us is more wicked.”

“Some would say that a woman as beautiful as you must surely hide some kind of wickedness. A face like that could ensnare anyone and bring them to their knees.” Locane almost sounds angry.

My jaw drops for my mouth to form a comical O. “Obviously youarestill ill from last night! Or you are just trying to flatter me to lessen my suspicions of you. Which are gradually mounting.”

I’m not sure why I just admitted that stark truth to him. My trust in him has not entirely increased since last night, and in the late hour when I couldn’t sleep, I considered, again, high tailing it as far as I could. I was held back when I remembered I have nowhere to run to—and the guard screaming his fury when I got away.

Locane laughs at my comment and says, “Haven’t you ever been told not to judge a book by its cover?”

“You were just saying that I am so beautiful, I must surely be evil. Wouldn’t you call that judging a book by its cover?”

He blandly says, “Touche.”

Walking to the living room, I sit on one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar. Locane slides a loaded plate in front of me, plopping a glass bottle of maple syrup beside it.

“Well, what’s on the agenda for today then?” I take a bite of the pancakes and moan obscenely. “Fucking Mother, this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” The peaches and cinnamon work together in a combination of spice and sweetness that tastes like the epitome of summer.

“Can you actually recall any real meals before this one?” Locane asks me as he comes through the kitchen door into the living room.

I give him a pointed look. “Not the point. Just accept the compliment.”

“Should I accept it as gracefully as you did when I told you that you’re beautiful?” he asks me with a raised brow.

“That didn’t count. That was more of a backhanded compliment.”

“I disagree. But thank you. I’m glad you enjoy my food,” he tells me as he takes his own seat.

I smile at him brightly. “You are very welcome. Well then, don’t keep me waiting. What’s on the agenda for today?”

“I obviously haven’t had a chance to make you a weapon yet. So, I thought we might attempt a different kind of training.” Locane watches me expectantly with his usual seriousness, bordering on cold.

The fire of my good mood sputters out.

“I don’t think I am ready for that,” I say as I let my fork clatter to my plate, my appetite now gone.

“I think you are.”

“Oh, well as long as you think so,” I shoot back with sarcasm.

“How much did your grandmother teach you about your Sight? I believe she mastered hers at a very early age. But yours is much stronger and undoubtedly more difficult to tap into.”

“I don’t really know. The only memory I have of us working together with my magic, it didn’t go well.”

“In what way?” His interest is obviously piqued.

Stop talking,I chastise myself internally.

Despite my thoughts, my mouth continues of its own accord. “It seemed… it seemed from the memory that the visions would come on without much warning. She was trying to teach me to ease into them, instead of a free fall where I become unconscious and can’t pull myself out of it.”

I struggle to get the words out. Trying to remember everything is difficult; the memory is thick and dense. Attempting to articulate what I mean is proving just as difficult, my tongue heavy and struggling to form the words. Simple words that should be easy to think of, but they elude me.

“Why would you want to pull yourself from your gift? That sounds counterproductive. To deny it is to deny nature,” he says angrily, voice raised. The sudden burst of emotion shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does, nonetheless.