Page 26

CHAPTER 26

REN

The Under World

Wolryudang, Seventh Ward

Ten Hours Earlier

ON THE MORNING of the Festival of Light, Ren woke with the blue flower on her pillow. She’d fallen asleep clutching it in her hand and was amazed she hadn’t squashed it in her sleep. She didn’t know what impulse had driven her to exchange the last of her remaining coins to have it—it would wilt, soon enough—only that she’d felt a sense of peace upon holding the flower in her hand.

“Ren?” Yurhee knocked on the frame of her open door. Ren had already gotten out of bed earlier and dressed herself in the clothes Yurhee had lent her the night before, a white work shirt and baggy trousers. “I have an errand to run close by if you’d like to join me.”

“Yes, I’ll be right down,” Ren said, placing the flower on the center of the pillow. Splashing water on her face from a shallow bowl on the side table, she rebraided her hair and hurried down the stairs.

She found Yurhee in the main room of the teahouse, sipping daintily from a teacup.

“Yurhee—” Ren began.

The older girl lifted a hand, stopping her. “I know what you’re going to ask, but I haven’t yet made a decision. I promise I’ll give you an answer before tonight. Regardless, you’ll need your strength. Here, have a steamed bun.”

Accepting the bun, she bit down into the soft bread, chewing obediently. There was no use arguing, and Yurhee did have a point: Ren would need her strength if they were going to break into the mithril mines.

“Where’s Grandma Jin?” Ren asked, taking another bite of the fluffy bun as she followed Yurhee outside. While in the baths, Yurhee had explained that the teahouse belonged to the older woman Sunho and Ren had met the night before.

“In the basement. She has a garden where she cultivates plants for her teas. That she’s even able to grow anything in the Under World is a testament to her skill.”

They didn’t have to travel far to reach the place for Yurhee’s errand. It appeared to be a pawnshop, the bland exterior no different than the other buildings they’d passed on their way over. “There’s a noodle restaurant around the corner that I’ll take you to afterward,” Yurhee said, opening the door to the tiny shop. Shelves of varying heights were stacked with an assortment of accoutrements: pots and pans, coin purses, woven balls, flying kites, and paper fans. Dozens of masks hung from the walls, and Ren admired a particularly ferocious one that depicted a snarling tiger.

Yurhee approached the shopkeeper, who stood reading a book behind the counter. “I’ve got quite the conundrum,” she announced loudly. “There are weevils in my rice!”

At this astonishing declaration, the man rolled his eyes and reached beneath the counter. He must have pulled a lever because a trapdoor opened in the ceiling and a rope ladder fell through.

“Come on,” Yurhee said, grabbing the rungs. Ren followed her into an attic room that was a mirror of the one below, except it held items that were clearly contraband.

While Yurhee went about gathering the equipment she came for, Ren walked slowly down the rows of shelves.

There were all sorts of weapons, but also bottles of what appeared to be fast-acting drugs and poisons. Ren shied away from these shelves, heading toward the back of the room. On the bottom shelf against the wall, she spotted an item that wasn’t like the others. It was a red tassel, about the length of her wrist. She picked it up, wanting to examine it closer. Above the tassel was a knot shaped like a chrysanthemum flower.

“What’s that?” Yurhee had come up behind her. The empty rucksack she’d brought with her was now full.

“It’s an ornament. For a sword, I think.” She thought of Sunho and blushed.

Yurhee eyed her knowingly. “Why don’t you purchase it?”

Ren shook her head. “I don’t have any coins.”

“You’re a troupe performer, aren’t you?” Yurhee turned to yell down the ladder, “Old man!”

A short scuffle later, the store owner popped his head through the door. “Could you keep it down? Also, I’m not that old,” he grumbled.

“You’re trying to sell those toys downstairs, aren’t you? If she demonstrates them outside on the street, will you give her this?” She held up the ornament.

“If you can get five people to enter the store and buy a trinket, then I’ll consider that a fair trade.”

Ren nodded, smiling. “It’s a deal.”

While Yurhee made her purchases, Ren walked through the shop, pulling items from the shelves, as well as the mask of the tiger from the wall. It had been a long time since she’d performed, but it came back to her as naturally as breathing. In only a few minutes, she’d gathered a small crowd who cheered as she juggled woven balls and stood on her hands while flying a kite with her feet. She didn’t have an accompanist, so she encouraged the crowd to clap, bringing a few of the children into the circle with her to dance.

After Ren procured twice the number of customers than promised, the shop owner presented her not only with the ornament but let her keep the mask and the woven balls, as a token of gratitude.

Ren lowered the mask once more over her face as she walked toward the noodle restaurant with Yurhee. “Do you think I stand out?” she asked, remembering the boatman in Seorawon.

“Maybe at any other time,” Yurhee said, “but today is the Festival of Light. Lots of people dress up to celebrate. See?” She pointed to a girl wearing a mask just like Ren’s, running while pulling her younger brother by the hand down the street.

When they arrived at the noodle shop, a matronly server was placing large bowls of thick noodles in steaming broth before patrons seated at low wooden tables.

Yurhee and Ren quickly took seats in the corner. The woman didn’t ask for their order, instead dropping two generous servings of noodles in front of them before sweeping up the coins Yurhee had placed on the table into the pocket of her apron.

Lifting her mask to her forehead, Ren plucked chopsticks from a cup and grabbed a whole heap of noodles, stuffing them into her mouth. The noodles were perfectly chewy, with enough spice in the broth to tease the tongue.

It occurred to her that she’d had quite a pleasant morning, shopping and eating with Yurhee, and hoped it had been the same for Sunho.

After they’d finished their meal, Yurhee pushed back her chair and grabbed their empty bowls. “I’m going to return these to the kitchen. Wait here.”

Ren was reaching up to slide her mask back over her face when a voice spoke from nearby.

“Is she your relative?”

Ren met the gaze of a woman seated alone at a neighboring table. She was striking, with black hair swept back from her face in a tight knot, and rouged lips. Her slim, athletic body was clothed in elegant dark robes.

“No,” Ren answered. “She’s a friend of my…” She hesitated, unsure what to call Sunho. “Companion.”

“They didn’t feel like coming out for a meal?”

“No,” Ren said, then found herself adding, “though he really should eat more.”

“I feel the same way about my companion,” the woman said thoughtfully, “though I guess he’s more my boss.”

“He didn’t feel like coming out for a meal, either?” Ren asked.

“No,” the woman said slowly, “though I think he’ll be disappointed to have missed it.” There was something about the woman’s tone of voice that made Ren uneasy, as if she was laughing at Ren’s expense, though her eyes remained friendly.

“It really was delicious,” Ren agreed. “Well, it was nice talking to you.” She reached for her mask, placing it over her face.

“Pleasure’s mine,” the woman said.

Ren felt the woman’s eyes on the back of her head as she walked away, but when she glanced over her shoulder, the woman’s attention was on her food.

“Ren, are you all right?” Yurhee caught Ren by the shoulders when she practically ran into her. “Did you see them, too?”

“See who?”

“Soldiers,” Yurhee said quickly. “They’re outside the restaurant. I think they’re searching for you. Come on.” They traveled a more circuitous route back to Wolryudang that took them a half hour longer than before. Neither spoke, listening intently for sounds of pursuit.

As they neared the alley, Ren tugged Yurhee to the side. “What do you mean searching for me?”

Reaching into her jacket, Yurhee pulled out a scroll and handed it to her. It was a sketch, Ren realized, of her .

“I saw them passing these out in front of the restaurant,” Yurhee said. “I came to get you right after.”

Ren took off her mask, gaping at Yurhee.

“It’s fine,” Yurhee said, misunderstanding Ren’s expression. “You were wearing that. No one saw your face.”

“You could have turned me in. Why didn’t you?”

“What? Why would I do that?” Yurhee said, and she sounded genuinely surprised, as if the thought had never occurred to her. “Did you really think I’d turn you over to those Sareniyan bastards for a couple of coins?” Throwing her head back, she laughed. The sound was joyous, unabashed, and for a moment, Ren was reminded of Big Uncle. Yurhee’s hands were on her hips, her shoulders shaking. Then she blinked, sobering. “Unless, of course, you want to be found.”

“No!” Ren shouted.

“Then, there you have it!” Yurhee grinned. She nodded toward the opening in the alley. “You go on ahead. I’m going to check the area to make sure we weren’t followed.”

Before Ren could reply, Yurhee had turned back the way they’d come.

Ren felt a little stunned as she slipped from the alley into the courtyard.

Yurhee might not have known why the soldiers were after Ren, but she’d protected her anyway. Sunho had been right to come to her for help. Yurhee was a good person, even if she was pretty.

Walking through the doors of the teahouse, she stopped short at the sight of someone sitting at one of the tables.

Yurhee hadn’t said she was expecting anyone, but this was a teahouse; they must have customers sometimes. One of Grandma Jin’s tea sets was laid out before him. She thought of putting her mask back on, but he’d already seen her face. As Ren walked by him, heading toward the stairs, his eyes rose to meet hers. Ren was struck with a sense of familiarity, which quickly passed. He appeared to be a little older than herself, handsome, if a little sleep-deprived, and dressed in plain clothing, though they were exquisitely tailored.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” the boy said. She was surprised by the sound of his voice. It was quite lovely, smooth and low.

“I don’t come around often. I’m visiting from outside the Wall.” The lies fell easily off her tongue. It was just like telling a story, something she’d always been good at.

“Would you care to join me? I’m waiting for someone.”

Ren thought it a bit forward that he should ask her, but maybe the person he was waiting for was Yurhee. She didn’t want to be rude to one of her acquaintances.

She slid out the chair opposite him and took a seat. She was still holding her mask, so she placed it on the table.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

“I’m a troupe performer.” Ren demonstrated for him by juggling the small woven balls the shopkeeper had given her.

“Extraordinary,” he said, when she was finished.

“What about you?” Ren asked, making polite conversation. Why was Yurhee taking so long? “Do you live around here?”

“I don’t live around here.”

Ren blinked. “Oh, I assumed—”

“Though I’ve been here more often of late.”

Ren waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she frowned. “What brings you here? Your job?”

“No.”

Was he purposefully being close-lipped? She glanced toward the doorway.

“Want to play a game?” He leaned forward. “If you can guess what my job is, then I’ll answer one of your questions to your full and complete satisfaction.”

Ren hesitated—she found this acquaintance of Yurhee’s to be a bit perplexing—but she did love games. She studied his exquisite clothing. “You’re a tailor,” she said.

The older boy laughed, the sound of which seemed to surprise him, because he cut it off. He looked at her, a slight frown on his face.

She noticed that he had elegant hands. “You’re an artist of some kind, or a musician?” she said. “How many guesses do I get?”

He shook his head, amused. “I think you’ve had them all.”

A thought popped into her head, as if pulled from deep within her. “You’re a storyteller.”

He drew in a sharp breath.

She didn’t know where the idea came from. He hadn’t given any indication that he liked to tell stories, but it was like she knew the answer. It didn’t make sense. Had she met him before? She’d thought he was so familiar when she’d first seen him…

She looked down at the table, feeling suddenly awkward, like she’d overstepped. She noticed his teacup, which he hadn’t drank from the entire time they’d spoken. “Your tea will get cold,” she said. “You should drink—”

Ren broke off, staring.

Floating in the tea was the blue-petaled head of a flower.

“Where did you get that?” Ren asked slowly, her heart starting to pound in her chest. That flower had been in her bedroom upstairs, on the pillow. The boy didn’t answer, though he watched her closely.

Yurhee should have come inside by now. And where was Grandma Jin?

Leaping from the chair, Ren sprinted toward the back of the teahouse. She stopped short when a man stepped through the door behind the bar. She recognized his uniform.

A Sareniyan guard.

The front doors opened with a bang and Yurhee burst into the room. “Run!” she shouted.

Ren didn’t hesitate. She jumped onto the nearest table. Grabbing on to one of the low beams, she used the swinging momentum to smash her knee into the soldier’s nose. Her triumph was short-lived. More soldiers flooded into the room behind him and through the main door. Yurhee had gotten ahold of a leg from a broken chair, swinging it against anyone who got too close. Ren avoided a woman trying to grab her, springing off her back to kick the man behind her.

There were a dozen guards and only two of them, but it was possible to escape, if they could only reach the front door—

A knife embedded into the pillar behind her.

“Enough.”

The woman from the noodle restaurant stood beside the older boy, who hadn’t moved during the entire fight. He did now, sliding back his chair to stand.

“Who are you?” Yurhee spat. A soldier had come around to grab her by the arms.

The boy ignored her. “Sana,” he addressed the woman. “Good work.”

The woman—Sana—beamed. “Thank you, Captain.”

Captain? Was he the one who’d hired Sunho? Sunho had said the captain hadn’t wanted her harmed, but then why were his soldiers attacking them?

He nodded toward Yurhee. “We don’t need that one.”

“No!” Ren shouted.

She didn’t see what happened next. A bag was tossed over her head, throwing her into darkness.