Page 36 of King Foretold (Realm of Four Kingdoms #2)

“An uinyeo was killed at the royal apothecary today.” I falter. “It looks like she was poisoned. She ... she died with a half-eaten jumeokbap in her hand.”

“All this because I brought you some rice balls once?” Hana scoffs, but her bravado seems forced. “That’s really stretching it. Don’t you think, Sunny?”

“Hana.” I withdraw her handkerchief from the sleeve of my dobok and hold it out so the lilac embroidery faces her. “The jumeokbap was wrapped in this.”

“No.” My roommate gasps and turns a shade paler. “No, that can’t be.”

“I know you didn’t do this.” I take a step toward her.

She turns her face away from me, scrunching her eyes shut.

My heart cracks a little. “I know you, Shim Hana. You’re not a killer.

I just need to talk to you. You can help us find the real killer and stop them before they hurt more people.

They’re cruel and ruthless. They blackmailed a child into taking his own life. ”

Her eyes snap open, her expression slack with shock. “No ...”

“Hana, it’s okay.” I take another step toward her.

“Stop,” she screams. “Don’t come any closer. Or I’ll ... or ... I’ll release the monster in here.”

“No,” the suhoshins shout in unison.

“Monster?” I gape at Hailey, Jaeseok, and Captain Seo. “What monster?”

“Speaking of it—even thinking of it—will summon it,” Hailey says faintly. “Please, Hana. You need to calm down.”

But my roommate laughs with more than a hint of hysteria, tears streaming down her face.

“Gods damn it, Hana.” My stomach clenches with dread.

“I’m the killer,” she whispers, no longer laughing. “I killed that uinyeo.”

“You’re lying.” I shake my head. “Why are you doing this?”

“I am the spy from the Kingdom of Mountains.” Her voice turns eerily calm.

“No,” I spit vehemently. “You are not the spy.”

“Sunny.” Jaeseok wraps his hand around my wrist, holding me back from storming up to Hana. “Let her speak.”

“I se ... seduced Keeper Choe to open the portal between the Kingdom of Mountains a ... and the Kingdom of Sky,” Hana says haltingly.

“No.” This time my voice is nothing more than air. Only the spy could know that.

“I befriended that lonely uinyeo and used her.” Her face is oddly without affect, as though her mind is somewhere else. “I tricked her into making the sayak for me. I told her one of the guards raped me.”

Hailey gasps at my side, and my knees nearly give out. Jaeseok steadies me with an arm around my shoulders.

“We need you to come with us, Cadet Shim,” Captain Seo says. “We need to confirm what you’ve told us before we come to our own conclusions.”

“I am the spy. Why won’t you believe me?” Hana screeches, her calm shattering. “I did it all. I am the spy.”

“Okay. I’ll believe you for now.” I nod at Jaeseok, and he drops his hand from my shoulder. I take small, measured steps toward Hana. “Since you’re the spy, you have to go with the suhoshins. It’s only fair, right? Now, come away from that door.”

“No, I don’t think I’ll go anywhere with the suhoshins,” she says in a childlike voice. “They found me out, and that’s the end of the story.”

“It’s not the end of the story.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. “It isn’t, Hana.”

“I’m so sorry, Sunny.” Her smile is achingly sad. “You’re a good person. Don’t forget that.”

“You’re s ... so full of shit,” I stutter, freaked out by her sad smile and sweet words. “But you can try to ... to convince me.”

“Promise me you won’t be sad. This isn’t your fault.” One tear, then another slide down Hana’s round cheeks. “You’re always so hard on yourself. Give yourself the same grace that you give others. Okay?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying—”

“Goodbye, Sunny.” Hana pulls something out of her sleeve and stuffs it into her mouth.

“What is that? Spit it out. Gods damn it, Hana. Spit it out. ” I’m at her side in a blink, shaking her by the shoulders. But Hana’s eyes roll back in her head, and she crumples in my arms. “No, no, no. Open your eyes, Hana.”

I lower her to the ground, but I keep her in my arms. To my relief, her eyes flutter open and focus on me. She smiles, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I’m so happy I got to be your friend.”

“Me too. I don’t have many, so—” My voice gets caught in my throat, then my tears rain down on my friend’s face ... even on her open, unseeing eyes. “So I need you to stay my friend for a long, long time.”

“Sunny.” Hailey rubs my back. My whole body shakes to hold back my sobs. “It’s okay to cry.”

Jaeseok pats the top of my head with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“We need to take her back to the headquarters so Minju can confirm the cause of death,” Captain Seo says evenly. “Based on the speed the poison took effect, it must be sayak, but we need to make sure regardless.”

For some reason, her practical words give me the most comfort, and the flow of tears slows to a trickle.

But I can’t make myself let go of Hana. I slide her eyes closed with my hand.

She still feels warm. Tears cloud my vision again, so I look away from her face and down at her lifeless body.

I notice the sage green handkerchief in her fist for the first time.

I tug it free from her hand and stare down at the embroidery.

I suck in a sharp breath and bring the handkerchief closer to make sure I’m seeing it right.

“Please take good care of her,” I tell Captain Seo, laying Hana on the ground. “She was a good female.”

“Where are you going?” Hailey asks as I get to my feet.

I grip the handkerchief tightly against my chest. “I have some business to take care of.”

“But Sunny ...” Jaeseok trails off as I walk away.

The flowers embroidered on this handkerchief aren’t lilacs. They’re lilies . Duna’s favorite flower.