Part 12 (2/2)

”The end of you all!” it replied, the voice bellowing as the enormous mouth grew larger and closer, until it surrounded her in darkness.

Kira woke with a scream lodged in her throat to find Jaewon shaking her by the shoulders.

”You were having a nightmare,” he said. ”I thought it best to wake you.”

She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face within the hollow.

”Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, still crouched by her side.

Kira shook her head, still frightened by the dream and the darkness all about them.

”I'm scared,” she said.

He pulled up a blanket and wrapped it around her. Slowly, Kira started to relax. They sat close together, staring up at the starry sky above.

”What's going to happen to us?” she asked in a low voice.

”No one can know,” he replied. ”But I will be there by your side.”

Something in the way he spoke brought back the mixed feelings from before, irking her.

”Ugh, you sound so mushy,” she said, pus.h.i.+ng him away.

He looked offended.

”What do you mean?”

She shrugged. ”I don't know. You're acting too nice,” she said.

He paused. ”I'm sorry. I'll try to be meaner from now on.” He shoved her hard, knocking her sideways. ”Was that better?”

She grinned as she sat up.

”Pathetic,” she scoffed. ”I know grandmas stronger than you.”

”I'm not offended by that; my grandmother is the scariest woman I know.”

”Coward.”

”Ya! You're not that tough,” he said. ”You'd be scared of her, too!”

Kira laughed at his mock anger. Jaewon's face lit up with a smile, his eyes catching the glow of the fire.

”I love looking at your eyes,” he said. ”They remind me of honey and summer.”

She was startled by his compliment.

”You're strange,” she said. ”Most people are scared of me.”

”Idiots!” he said.

”They're not all idiots,” she said.

”Yes, they are!” Jaewon was emphatic. ”These are the same people who think it's a good idea to treat a wound with horse manure.”

”Disgusting!” she said. ”So you're comparing me to horse manure?”

Jaewon sputtered in denial, and Kira laughed.

”You should try to go to sleep,” he said. ”Good night.”

Lying down, she closed her eyes, but sleep would not come. She gazed over to where Jaewon lay close by. He had draped his arm casually across his eyes. His firm lips parted slightly as his chest rose and fell.

She couldn't help but compare him to s.h.i.+n Bo Hyun. They were the same age but vast worlds apart. Yet they both claimed to find her attractive. Kira let out a frustrated groan. She didn't want to think this way. She was a soldier, not a simpering court lady.

She glanced over at Jaewon just as he turned to face her. The light from the fire flickered over his face, accentuating his perfect features. He lay in utter stillness, his eyes filled with the infinite sadness that always seemed a part of him.

”Sleep well, Kang Kira,” he whispered.

24.

The long and mountainous road they followed north had been a difficult one, but it was the safest leg of their travels. There'd been no demon attacks or sightings, only imp spies that had been taken care of by Kira. Rumors spread that the Yamatos had all retreated south to prepare for a full-scale attack. It explained why s.h.i.+n Bo Hyun had not come after them.

Along the way, more and more displaced soldiers joined their forces. Men came out of hiding from all over the countryside. Some had been waging guerrilla warfare against the Yamatos. Others had wandered aimlessly until they heard of Taejo's army. They joined by the hundreds, some with full armor and weapons, others with only a sword or a homemade spear, all of them with one mission: to fight the Yamatos. But even with nearly a thousand soldiers surrounding them, Kira kept Taejo close to her at all times.

The second week of the eleventh month brought down the cold winds of the north. Half their nights were spent camping in frigid temperatures that left Kira frozen under her blankets. To keep Taejo warm, she slept next to him, with Jindo on his other side.

Twenty days later, they finally reached the legendary walls of Wando, the Guru capital. Kira was eager to see her mother's childhood home.

Wando was a great fortified city built into the mountains; its perimeter wall stretched beyond their sight. Protruding bulwarks were strategically placed for maximum defense, and the walls themselves were built with interlocking stone blocks, a technique perfected by the Gurus.

Outside the main gates of the capital city, they set up camp. Only Taejo, escorted by Captain Pak, Kira, and Kwan, would enter the city walls. As they approached the gates, Kira peered up at the bulwark. She made out the dark shapes of a dozen sentries.

Captain Pak addressed the palace guards. ”The crown prince and heir to the throne of Hansong seeks an audience with his esteemed uncle, King Eojin. He is escorted by his cousins, the son and daughter of General Kang, niece and nephew to your king.”

The armored guard bowed respectfully to Taejo before requesting identification. Taejo pulled out a gold chain that he usually kept tucked underneath his inner tunic. On the end of the chain hung a small gold seal bearing the phoenix crescent mark of the Hansong kings.

Inside the city, a soldier escorted them to the palace, which sat nestled into the mountainside.

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