Page 61 of King Foretold (Realm of Four Kingdoms #2)

After my surprisingly restorative nap, I settle my bill at the PC bang and retrace my steps to the small mountain. The medicinal spring near the bottom should get a good reflection of the moon. I’ll shift from there.

I reach the mountain sooner than I wanted and stop in front of the seonangdang at its base. The tall, broad tree is decorated with strips of blue, red, yellow, white, and black fabric, which flutter in the breezeless night. Its life force, strong and wise, brushes against me.

“Hello, old friend.” I put my hand on its trunk. The Seonangshin doesn’t really reside in this tree, but nature is powerful and good in its own right. “Wish me luck.”

With one last pat on its warm bark, I walk to the spring nearby.

I stare blankly at the moon reflected on the surface of the water.

Minutes pass by, and I shake my head to pull myself together.

I summon my hwando and my sword belt, which I’d hidden in the woods earlier, and buckle the leather strap low and tight on my waist.

Picturing the famous Red Beach near Akrotiri, I step into the spring. My next step falls on crimson sand, surrounded by red-and-black volcanic cliffs. The Red Beach is stunning in the moonlight, and I inhale shakily, awed by its beauty.

My throat tightens and my eyes water, but I don’t chide myself for being grateful for this moment. I let my gaze linger on the beautiful beach, hoping to come back with Ethan someday. I don’t bite my head off for that sentimental thought either. As much as I hate to admit it, this is who I am now.

With one last glance at the Red Beach, I walk toward the cliffs that lead into the village. The night here hasn’t reached its zenith yet, and I find the path to Akrotiri easily enough. But I could’ve missed the actual archaeological site if I hadn’t done my research.

The ancient buried city is hidden from view with a bioclimatic roof, covered with earth to blend into the landscape. There are, of course, signs along the way, but I don’t have the patience to read those even on the best of days. And today isn’t exactly my best day.

The stark, dusty landscape is eerily quiet as I approach the ancient site.

It screams, It’s a trap, you idiot! But I focus on the underground city and search for the soft, steady flow of human gi.

I stumble back with a gasp when I locate the faint trickle of their life forces.

They’re really here. All one thousand kidnapped humans.

Crouching low to the ground, I head for the entrance to Akrotiri.

Two security guards stand between the ancient city and any would-be trespassers.

I could easily sneak past them—the Jaenanpa already did with a thousand human captives—but they are two more humans in danger tonight.

I knew I had a good reason for keeping the acupuncture needles on me.

I call on my gumiho’s speed and pierce their pressure points with the needles. It’s a little tricky getting past their uniforms, but I can’t complain. It’s a thousand times easier than paralyzing a powerful shinbiin king, even with his chest bare.

I move so quickly the security guards freeze with their bored expressions intact, and I carry them across the street to settle them beneath a sturdy tree.

I slide their eyes closed and remove the needles from their torsos.

They’ll wake up tomorrow morning without a scratch on them, wondering what the hell happened.

Unless the worlds end tonight. Then no one will ever wake up again.

On that cheerful note, I return to break into Akrotiri.

I descend into the buried city and immediately clap a hand over my mouth and nose.

The faintest trace of doksacho poisons the air beneath.

The Jaenanpa is microdosing the humans with their signature poison to hold them captive, unconscious but alive.

Holding my breath, I tread soundlessly across the suspended walkway and find the first group of humans lying in the ancient ruins.

I throw one over each shoulder and spirit them out to the open air.

I lower them onto the ground and feel for their pulses.

They’re weak but steady. I get to my feet and stare down at them, grabbing my head with both hands.

So I have to do this 499 more times? It’s going to be a long night.

I transport captive after captive, knowing that Daeseong will arrive at any minute. My heart pounds against my rib cage from both exertion and dread. He must be watching, toying with me. But it doesn’t matter. I have to save every life I can.

I stumble as I lay two more humans on the ground. I stretch my back with a groan, then wipe a forearm across my damp forehead. Growling in frustration, I tug off my leather jacket and throw it down next to them. How many of them did I get out? Fifty? Sixty?

“It is like watching an insect shrivel under a magnifying glass. Disturbing yet fascinating,” an insidious voice says from behind me, close enough to make me jump.

But when I spin around, I find Daeseong standing yards away. As before, he looks like a Joseon-era scholar in his forties, but the pleasant, distinguished air about him is nowhere to be found. Instead, he exudes undisguised menace and chaos. My hand creeps slowly toward the hilt of my hwando.

“Yet, I find I cannot look away,” he continues. “Alas, the Amheuk is not a patient master.”

“What do you want with these humans?” I’m stalling, and Daeseong probably knows it. “Do you need to perform another blood sacrifice to release the Amheuk from its prison beyond the abyss?”

“If it were that simple, why do you think my master stayed imprisoned for over five centuries?” The dark mudang scoffs.

“Then why have you brought them here?” I sidestep away from the humans on the ground. “What do you want with them?”

“I might have led the Jaenanpa to believe a blood sacrifice was necessary to liberate the Yeoiju from its vessel.” He lets loose a cackle that sends a chill down my spine, and my instinct screams at me to run. “Perhaps necessary was an exaggeration. The humans are more for my entertainment.”

The dark mudang floats toward me, the moonlight illuminating the twisted smile on his face and the madness in his eyes. My steps falter as I remember that I destroyed the last of his sanity at Heaven Lake. I pray that it works in my favor ... that he takes reckless risks only a psychopath would.

“You see, your suffering amuses me a great deal.” He snickers as he draws closer. I unsheathe my hwando and widen my stance. “Would you like to know how you will suffer?”

“Nah.” I raise my sword. “I’m not interested.”

“We shall see how much longer you remain uninterested .” Daeseong grunts in annoyance.

I tighten my clammy grip around the hilt of my sword and hold my ground, fighting back my flight instinct. The dark mudang closes in on me, and I raise my hwando. I suck in a bracing breath, then ...

He moves right past me.

“What the ...” I frown and whip around in momentary confusion.

“Shit,” I hiss. He’s heading for the buried city. Or more accurately, for the roof covering it ... and the 950 or so humans beneath it.

I don’t pause to think. I have to stop him before he gets to the top of the roof. My gumiho breaks into a sprint, and the world blurs around me as I close in on him. He spins around as I take a flying leap and tackle him to the ground.

I slash his face with my claws. His skin gapes open, but no blood flows from the gashes. There is only darkness beneath his skin—a darkness so black that it is the absence of light. His wounds close as I watch with horrified eyes.

He backhands my snout so hard he knocks a whimper out of me and sends me flying. I tumble across the rocky ground before skidding to a stop in a limp heap.

That’s going to leave a mark.

I stagger to a stand and launch myself at him again, my hackles raised. This time, I don’t even get within tackling distance. With a flick of his hand, the dark mudang catapults me into the air. My stomach bottoms out as the wind whooshes past, and a silent scream builds inside me.

I don’t know how far I’m flung, but his magic jerks me to a halt so abruptly that my teeth sink into my tongue. I grunt as the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. I shake my head to clear it and glance below. Daeseong looks toy-sized from way up here. I’m at least a hundred feet high.

Not good. Not good at all.

“See what I mean?” He spins me around in the air. “So amusing.”

I take a deep breath and hold it, bracing for the impact I know is coming. But Daeseong doesn’t just drop me from ten stories high. He spikes me down.

I wrap my nine tails around my body, curling in on myself. The ground rushes up to meet me, and I crash into it with stunning force.

Everything goes dark and muted. Maybe the impact knocked my soul out of me, or maybe I blacked out. But the high-pitched ringing in my ears jolts me back to consciousness.

The numb daze of shock evaporates, and pain lances through me. I moan and writhe in the gumiho-sized crater around me.

Focus, Sunny.

Where is Daeseong? Did he kill the humans? No.

Even as I cough up blood, I try to stand. But ... I can’t feel my hind legs. Realization bolts through my head like lightning. The motherfucker snapped my spine.

I swallow my fear along with the blood gurgling in my throat. I claw at the wall of dirt around me with my front legs, trying to crawl out of the crater. The rough, packed earth digs into my nails as I pull my heavy body up, but after a few inches, I slide back down, twisted into an awkward angle.

It’s no use. I can’t climb out as my gumiho.

I shift into my human form and moan in agony, the pain sharper and the healing slower, but I drag my limp legs behind me and pull myself out of the crater. Then I stab my hwando into the ground and inch toward Daeseong in an army crawl.