Page 94 of To Scale the Emerald Mountain

“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—“