Page 61 of Gumiho Kiss
Chin Sun screamed, half of her terrified and the other half enraged.What a heartless creature!
She returned her attention to Hyun Soo, touching his temple with the back of her hand.Burning up with fever.
Was there any way to return the lifeforce she’d collected?She glanced at her bead, but it gave no answer besides a derisive shimmer.
She swallowed it once more.If she couldn’t give back what she’d stolen, she’d use her speed to get help.
“I’ll be back soon,” she promised, then dove into the wood, unable to avoid an ominous sense of déjà vu.She’d made that same promise to Aunt, and it had been the last thing she’d ever said to her.
Chapter21
The Mistake
Chin Sun flew to the police station, feet moving faster than they ever had in her life.She didn’t bother concealing herself from passersby; she wasn’t about to waste what precious little time Hyun Soo had left.To most, she must have looked like a vaguely human blur, gone before they could fully grasp what they were seeing.
When she arrived, a great crowd had gathered to watch a public interrogation in the inner courtyard.An officer sneered as he stood over the accused, who lay on the ground with a straw mat wrapped around his body.Two more officers hovered behind him, clubs raised.Magistrate Hong sat in a chair at the edge of the main pavilion, watching the proceedings with sadistic pleasure.Judging by the tears and bruises on the accused’s face, the police had already begun torturing him.
Chin Sun’s ribs tightened as they always did when she witnessed such injustice, but she curbed the flow of anger inside her.That was a fight for another day.Right now, she had to get Hyun Soo the help he needed.She pushed her way past the spectators and stopped in front of an officer coming out of one of the side rooms.
“Where’s the damo Hae Rim?”she demanded.
The officer started at her abrasive tone, then pointed toward the bureau kitchen.Chin Sun burst inside, setting off a chorus of high-pitched screams from the group of damos working within.She marched past the clay hearth to the medicine cabinet, where Hae Rim was in the midst of sorting herbs.
“You need to come with me—now.”
Hae Rim’s mouth opened like she was about to protest, but something in Chin Sun’s expression must have caught her eye.She nodded and grabbed a small bag.“Where are we going?”
Chin Sun grabbed the girl’s hand and yanked her out of the kitchen.Since those outside were focused on the officers’ brutal display of power, no one batted an eyelash when the two of them disappeared in a blur of movement.
Chin Sun bolted back to the clearing with a frightened Hae Rim in her arms.When they reached Hyun Soo, she set the nurse down, then knelt at her beloved’s side.
“Can you save him?”
Hae Rim pressed her fingers against her forehead like she was trying to fight off a wave of dizziness.
“Hae Rim!”Chin Sun shouted, impatience getting the better of her.Hyun Soo was barely breathing.
The damo seemed to come back to her senses and bent to grab Hyun Soo’s wrist.She frowned, then scanned his unconscious body.She turned to Chin Sun.“What happened to him?”
“He ...”Chin Sun trailed off.“Is there anything you can do to help him?”
“Not until I know what brought him to this state,” Hae Rim said sharply.“I see no signs of physical trauma, yet his heart struggles to beat.Are you going to tell me the truth, or did you bring me here to watch him die?”
Chin Sun internally winced at the woman’s insensitive remark.In normal circumstances, Hae Rim would be absolutely right.Except, what use would it be to tell her what happened?It wasn’t like Hae Rim knew anything about gumiho or fox beads.
“I don’t know.He just passed out all of a sudden.”
The angry glint in Hae Rim’s eyes made it obvious she didn’t believe that for a second, but she turned back to her patient and opened her bag.She withdrew a small herbal pouch with a sweet, earthy scent.Ginseng, if Chin Sun wasn’t mistaken.
“I don’t suppose you have a way to brew tea here, do you?”At Chin Sun’s grimace, she huffed.“I didn’t think so.Well, the first thing we need to do is get him somewhere I can treat him.Do you think you can ...?”
Chin Sun caught her meaning and threw the man over her shoulder with ease.“I’ll take him back to his room at my family’s residence.Then I’ll return to get you.”
Hae Rim held up her hand.“Wait, that’s all right.I can get there on my own.”Her face was pinched and pale, as if the thought of being carried again made her feel sick.
“Do you have any idea where we are?”
“Uhhh ...”Hae Rim surveyed the clearing, eyes wide with uncertainty.
