Page 86 of Gumiho Kiss
The newcomer stepped forward, gaze fixed on Hyun Soo.“I said, ‘Put down your weapon.’”His eyes narrowed, making his austere face even more frightening.“I don’t like repeating myself.”
Hyun Soo lowered his dagger and moved in front of Chin Sun.“Who are you?”
“My name is Eun Mook.”The reaper’s voice was cool yet rippled with unmistakable firmness.“And you’re both under arrest.”
Terror seized Chin Sun’s entire being, locking her in place.“Both of us?For what?We didn’t?—”
A beastly growl tore from Hyun Soo’s throat, and he surged forward with impossible speed, hwando aimed for Eun Mook’s heart.
“Hyun Soo, don’t?—”
Her plea died on her lips as the grim reaper reached into his robe and drew out a handful of shimmering red dust.He blew it toward Hyun Soo, who stopped cold as a red cloud struck his face.The bodyguard crashed to his knees with a gasp, then fell limply onto his side.
Unconscious or?—
No, that had to be it.After all they’d just gone through, Chin Sunrefusedto consider the alternative.He would be fine once he woke up.
If she got him out of here.
Driven by a desperation emanating from deep within her, she sprang forward.She didn’t know how she would overcome Death himself, but she had no choice.Not with Hyun Soo’s life on the line.
Eun Mook’s sword met hers with a great crack, snapping her hwando in two.She barely had time to register it, though, for the reaper was already reaching back into his hanbok.By the time she thought to duck, scarlet dust was already entering her nostrils, turning her world on its end.
Hyun Soo’s still form was the last thing she saw before everything turned to darkness.
Epilogue
“Halmeoni?”called little Hyun Soo one particularly stormy night.“Halmeoni?”
Feet shuffled down the hall just before the hanji doors to his bedroom slid open.A wizened face peeked inside, expression softening when it landed on him.“Yeh, Grandson?”
Thunder rumbled outside, making the boy so scared he nearly hid beneath his blanket.But he was much too old for that now.He was nearly eight, after all.“Would ...”He cleared his throat to get rid of the squeak in it and put on his bravest face.“Would you tell me a story?”
His grandmother smiled and hobbled into the room.She sat cross-legged beside his bed mat, wrinkled hands folded in her lap.“What would you like to hear about tonight?I know a good story about an unlucky haetae.”
Hyun Soo shook his head.“No, I want to hear what happens to people who swallow fox beads.”
Halmeoni frowned.“I told you before that gumiho take back their beads once they’re satisfied with the amount of lifeforce absorbed.When that happens, the human will either grow sick or, if all his lifeforce has been consumed, he’ll die.”
The little boy shook his head again.“But what about the clever ones who kill the gumiho?What happens to the beads inside them?Will the bead still kill them if the gumiho is dead?”
The old woman pursed her lips, thinking it over.Suddenly, she clapped her hands, startling Hyun Soo so much he jumped.“Ah!I did hear a story once about a gumiho who was outsmarted by the human she gave her fox bead to.”Grandmother leaned closer, her countenance bright as she recalled the tale.“He tricked her into opening it, and once she had, he scooped the bead up and ate it.As soon as he did, the bead released its power, giving him abilities no human could ever dream of.”
The boy’s eyes widened.“What kind of abilities?”
Halmeoni ruffled Hyun Soo’s hair with a wistful laugh and pushed herself to her feet.Another peal of thunder shook the house, but Hyun Soo barely noticed.He tugged at his grandmother’s clothes, urging her to give him an answer.
But she shook her head sadly.“I’m sorry, dear one.I wish I could remember....”
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