Page 64 of King Foretold
“Don’t touch ...,” Jihun says, but it’s too late. I’ve already laid my hand against it. It beats like a heart against my palm. “Are you ... touching it?”
“Yes,” I whisper, my eyes wide with wonder.
I press harder, testing its resistance, but there isn’t any. My hand sinks through. The shield of gi is as thick as my forearm and slightly hotter than comfortable. But the air my hand touches on the other side is cooler than the dome. It’s warm, familiar—my heart clenches—and so fucking dear. IfeelEthan.
“What’s happening?” Jihun gingerly stretches one finger toward the dome, invisible to him. I gasp when he’s thrown back more than a yard before he catches himself by digging his longsword into the ground. The barest tip of his finger had touched the shield. “Sunny?”
“I don’t ... know.” I blink when the dome suddenly disappears. “It’s gone. The shield is down.”
Jihun runs into the eastern wing, and I follow close. We skid to a stop in front of the study to find Ethan bent over at the waist, withhis hands planted on his thighs. His entire back is contracting and expanding as he fights to get air into his lungs.
“Ethan.” I rush to his side. “Are you okay?”
He holds out a wobbly thumbs-up even though he can’t lift his head yet.
“You might have overextended your powers, too soon after your injury,” Jihun says, concern drawing his brows together. “We should conclude your training for today.”
Ethan manages to tilt his head up and rasp, “I’m okay.”
“Like hell you are.” I throw his arm over my shoulders and bodily lift him upright. Then I drag him to the main hall and gently lower him onto the raised floor, propping his back against the wall.
“Sunny, I’m fine.” This time he manages to sound more convincing, his breathing quickly evening out. “Tell us what happened.”
I flop down next to Ethan, and Jihun climbs up the steps to sit across from us. I can’t speak right away as everything that happened rushes back to me. My sinuses burn, and I taste salt at the back of my throat. Hana is dead. She was my friend. I watched her die a senseless death, then let the real spy get away.
“Take your time.” Ethan wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to his side.
I bury my face against his neck to hide my tears, and I let myself stay there for a fleeting second, no longer. I pull away and clear my throat. “There is no time.”
I take a shuddering breath and relay everything that happened at the royal apothecary and the Suhoshin headquarters in a detached, clinical voice. I can’t let my emotions surface. If I do, I might awaken the word of power with the guilt and grief roiling inside me. I don’t have time to wrestle with my bloodlust.
“I’m so sorry.” Ethan squeezes my hand, but I snatch it away, afraid of breaking down.
“Shim Duna seduced Keeper Choe, pretending to be Hana. She used him to open the portal for the hunter. And she used him to escapeto the Kingdom of Mountains today.” I bang the back of my head against the wall. “We caught up with her at the portal, but I had no idea how it worked. I don’t know howanythingworks in this fucking realm. She opened the portal right in front of me and went through it before I could even figure out what was happening.”
When I throw my head back toward the wall again, Ethan’s hand takes the brunt of the impact. I glower at him, but the tender concern in his eyes threatens to undo me. I hastily turn my head, only to meet Jihun’s understanding gaze.
“Fuck.” I strike my fist against the floor.
“This isn’t your fault, Sunny,” Ethan says.
“In what universe is this not my fault?” Anger, especially at myself, seems like a safe emotion to lean into. “I should have apprehended her instead of being distracted by her villainous monologue. Such a rookie mistake. There has never been a gullible gumiho in the history of the Shingae. Until me.”
I stack my arms on top of my drawn-up knees and drop my forehead against them. Ethan smooths his hand down the back of my head, and despite the shitty circumstances, I want to purr. The thought gives me enough rancor to lift my head and straighten my back.
“But there’s no time to dwell on Shim Duna.” I cross my legs and plant my hands on my thighs. “We need to leave for the Kingdom of Mountains tonight.”
“The Kingdom of Mountains?” Jihun arches a brow. “Tonight?”
“Yes and yes.” I glance between Ethan and Jihun. “Please tell me you two came up with a feasible plan to infiltrate the Shinsi Palace.”
“We’re working on it,” Ethan mutters. “It’s not as easy as you make it sound.”
“How hard can it be?” I say drolly. “Tell me what you have so far.”
“Before I tell you anything, I have one question.” He levels me with a steely gaze. “What do you meanweneed to leave for the Kingdom of Mountains? Who’s thiswe?”
“Don’t be precious.” I roll my eyes at him. “You can’t talk me out of coming with you, so let’s not waste time arguing.”
