Page 93 of King Foretold
“He’s expecting me.” My voice is soft with wonder at my own stupidity. I gave the blood oath for nothing. “The dark mudang told you to send me there, didn’t he?”
“You figured it out at last?” He chortles. “Gods, you’re slow.”
“He needs me there to move his plans forward. Tonight ...” My knees give out, and I fall on my ass. “Butwhy?”
“You can think about that on your way out,” the tyrant bites out. “I cannot bear your stench a minute longer.”
I grab the long end of the cangue and raise it toward the ceiling until the prisoner is dangling by his neck, his feet kicking in the air. It feels like he and the thick wooden cangue weigh nothing.
I vaguely register my extraordinary strength in the back of my mind.
He digs his hands into his neck hole to fight against strangulation. His face turns a mottled purple, and he gurgles weakly. I drop him to the ground.
“Is Daeseong planning to kill the humans tonight, king father?” I ask with impeccable manners. “Why does he need me at Santorini?”
The tyrant tries to laugh but ends up coughing and gagging instead, drool dribbling down his chin. “Do you think the dark mudang shares his plans with me? If you weren’t a filthy animal, I would’ve been flattered at how highly you think of me.”
“Tell me.” I raise the cangue again until his ass lifts off the ground.
“I do not know,” he yells, panic in his eyes. “He truly does not share his plans with me. I donotknow.”
I drop the cangue back to the ground. The coward is telling the truth. “What do you get for handing me over to Daeseong?”
“I told you. I’m the only thing standing between the Realm of Four Kingdoms and the Amheuk. The dark mudang said he’ll spare this realm if I sent you to him. He promised that the eternal darkness will drown the Mortal Realm but nothing beyond it,” he gloats. “I saved this realm from the Amheuk. Every kingdom will fall at my feet in awe and gratitude.Iwill be the King Foretold.”
“And you believed him? The Gray Void already stands between the Amheuk and the Realm of Four Kingdoms. If Daeseong somehow finds a way past the Gray Void, then he and the Amheuk wouldn’t hesitate to conquer this realm.Youare meaningless in the equation.” I cluck my tongue, remorseful that this pathetic male is Ethan’s father. “You can save no one, not even yourself.”
I don’t wait for him to respond. I walk out of the cell and close the heavy door behind me. Then I stand in the quiet of the stone hall, blinking against the light. And even before I see that there is no one in the circular hall, I know that something has gone wrong.
“There you are,” Hailey cries, running down the stairwell. Her shirt is torn at the shoulder like she broke free from someone trying to grab hold of her. Blood oozes from a thin gash on her chin. “We need to get out of here.”
“Is Ethan okay?” I meet her at the bottom of the stairs and motion for her to climb back up the steps. “Is Jihun with him? What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry. They’re both okay.” Hailey glances over her shoulder. “But a general who remains loyal to the tyrant has attacked. Well,loyalmight be an exaggeration. He’s just looking out for himself because if the king loses power, he loses power.”
My stomach drops. “How bad is it?”
“It’s notterrible,” she says. “Captain Ha managed to gather the rest of the generals and enlisted many of the high officials to back Ethan, with more and more joining his side as we speak. It’s hard for anyone to deny that he’s the rightful King of Mountains when he’s forcing back a small army, wielding the legendary axes like they’re part of his limbs.”
“Hailey.” I place a hand on her arm to get her attention. She looks down at me from two steps above. “I need to leave.”
“Yes, we have to get to the royal audience hall. That’s our rendezvous point.” She starts to turn away from me to resume climbing the stairs, when I gently squeeze her arm to hold her attention.
“No, Hailey. I have to leave the Kingdom of Mountains,” I tell her, my chest constricting.And never come back.“I have to get to the Mortal Realm. I know where Daeseong is, and I need to stop him before it’s too late.”
“We’ll tell Jihun, then you and I—”
“No.” I slice my hand through the air. “You can’t tell anyone. You and Jihun are Ethan’s royal guards. Stay here and do your sworn duty. Protecthim.”
“I can’t let you go alone.” She presses her lips into a stubborn line.
I take a steadying breath and summon the light of the Yeoiju onto my palm. Hailey falls on her butt with a gasp and crab crawls up the stairs before she catches herself. I offer her a small smile. She knows she’s in no danger from me. I am her friend.
“Is that ...?” She gingerly gets back onto her feet.
“Yes.” That much is true. The next part is the lie. “I figured out how to wield the power of the Yeoiju. I can stop Daeseong on my own. I’m the only one who can.”
“Wh ... what do you need me to do?” Hailey asks, two grooves appearing between her brows.
