Page 12 of King Foretold
“No?” I gape at him. “You think everything is a convenient coincidence? We somehow came to live in the same city at the same time ... just because?”
“I don’t have to wonderhowbecause I knowwhyyou ended up with us.” His gaze doesn’t waver. “It’s because you and I are meant to be together.”
“Stop being a cheeseball,” I quip even as my heart trips in my chest. “I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.”
“I’m not being cheesy.” A grin tugs at his lips, but his voice rings with absolute certainty. “You and I are tied by the threads of fate. I feel it in my bones.”
Could he be right? Is our love destined by the heavens? Are we part of some divine plan? But what kind of sick, twisted deity plans for a person to kill the one they’re destined to love for eternity?Fuck it.Suddenly, I don’t care about the how or why of anything. I don’t want to care. If everything is destined, what’s the point of caring?
“In your bones? You should have that checked out. It might be arthritis.” I force myself to joke even though I want to cry. “Other than arthritis, any new developments on your front?”
Ethan sighs and drags a hand down his face. “General Bak wants me tobide my time.”
Bide his time until war ravages the Kingdom of Mountains? Until more death and blood stain his hands?Oh Ethan.A war will tear his kind soul to shreds. There has to be another way. Why can’t the general see that?
“So you’ve basically been sitting on your ass all this time?” I roll my eyes, hoping to get a smile out of him. “Wow. You must be getting really good at twiddling your thumbs.”
“Shut up,” he says with a lopsided grin and flicks my earlobe with his finger.
“Ow.” I shove his hand away, tucking my chin into my chest to hide my smile.
“When I’m not busy twiddling my thumbs”—Ethan ducks his head to catch my eyes—“Jihun and I are figuring out a way to bring the King of Mountains to justicebeforeGeneral Bak wages his war.”
“Oh thank gods.” I sag with relief. I have no idea if that’s even possible, but I’m glad they’re trying. We have to stop the kingandthe war. For Ethan’s sake. For everyone’s sake. “Any luck?”
“Nothing concrete, but we have a spy in the Shinsi Palace, where the king resides.” He lowers his voice even though there is no one else around. “Her latest message said the tyrant was ill.”
“Ill?” I try to remember the last time I was sick, and I can’t. I’m like the Shinbiin. I don’t get sick. “How can he be ill? Maybe she meant he was hurt ...Canhe be hurt? Or is he invincible like you?”
“We don’t know the details yet.” His brows furrow. “We’ll find out more soon. But if the king really is sick, then we might have a fighting chance of overpowering him.”
My stomach drops. I’ve been so preoccupied with the Yeoiju and Daeseong that I didn’t fully grasp what lies ahead for Ethan. Maybe I deliberately looked the other way because it hurt to think about him at all. Worrying about him and his future, so soon after Heaven Lake, would have wrecked me, but there is no avoiding it now.
To fulfill his destiny of becoming the King Foretold without an all-out war, Ethan has to defeat the King of Mountains face to faceand overthrow him from the throne.How?With his magic unbound, Ethan is more powerful than I could ever have imagined. But until he masters his powers, he has no chance of defeating his father. How will he be ready before General Bak wages war against the Kingdom of Mountains?
I’m not going to burden him with my worries. I have to trust he has this since I can’t both push him awayandbe there for him. My heart clenches. That’s the hardest part—not being able to comfort him and lend him my strength.
“Okay. Keep me posted,” I say brusquely, but the next words slip past my lips before I can stop them. “And don’t do anything stupid without me.”
“But Icando stupid things with you?” He presses his hand on the small of my back and leads me to the nearby tree. Then he tugs me down next to him, and we sit with our backs against the trunk. “How’s your cadet training going?”
“Let’s just say I miss my shitty job at the casino.” I let him turn the subject away from his murderous father. “But this dobok is a step up from that tiny sparkly dress I used to wear.”
“I don’t know ...” His gaze lingers on my body. “I kind of liked that dress.”
“Perv,” I tease, hoping the night hides my blush.
“Hey, that’s not fair.” His wounded expression is fairly convincing. “It’s not my fault you look fetching in everything.”
“Did you seriously use the wordfetching?” I crinkle my nose at him even as I blush harder.
“What? Not a fan?” Ethan shrugs his broad shoulders. “I thought it more polite thanhot as fuck.”
“We’ve never been polite to each other.” I shift in my seat, heat spreading through my body. “I see no point in starting now.”
“Agreed.” He laughs softly, and my heart mimics a baby bird attempting to take flight. “And how’s your ... other training coming along?”
“Other than my magic gi goggles?” My shoulders droop. “Absolutely nothing. But Minju thinks my connection to the Yeoiju is growing stronger. Whatever that means.”
