“He's got ten human bodyguards on duty at all times,” Team Leader Teagan said. “All of them have some sort of military background, most served in one of the special forces brigades.”
“Not a problem,” Star said.
“No. But we should deal with them first. Quickly and—”
“Quietly. Yeah, we know, dude,” Killian said. “I mean, do we really need to discuss how we go in? They're humans. Ainsley could blast them with his mór and let them wander around the neighborhood for a few hours. No harm, no foul.”
“That's not a bad idea.” I looked at Ainsley.
Ainsley grinned.
“I'm good with that,” Connor said. “Send them off, and my team will pick off any stragglers. Then we go in and take out Lee Dae-hyun.”
“Simple,” Sever said.
Killian groaned. “You never actually say 'simple,' Brother. You could jinx us.”
“There is no such thing as jinxes.”
“There could be.”
“You have been to all the worlds and know without a doubt that the Gods exist, but you still think we could jinx a mission by saying the wrong thing?” Extinguisher Rory Kavanaugh asked.
“Yup,” Kill said.
I chuckled and shook my head. Then I looked at the hunters. They'd been quiet through the meeting. And there were more of them now. The Seoul Hunter House had sent another six hunters to bolster our ranks.
“Any of you want to add anything?” I asked them.
They looked at each other.
“They're very casual,” Hunter Chung-ae said to the newbies. “Just go with it.”
One of the new hunters grunted before saying, “The streets of Pyeongchang-dong are narrow. Many, including the one this house is located on, are inclined as well. There is little parking to be found. We should fly in, Your Majesty.”
“You can call her Ambassador, Hunter Choi Su-bin,” Chun-ae whispered.
Hunter Choi Su-bin did not look comfortable with that.
“However you're comfortable addressing me is fine, Hunter Choi Su-bin,” I said. “And if we can get pictures of the property, we can laruk and lalek there.”
He inclined his head to me. I couldn't tell if he was relieved. “It would be best to go late at night.”
“I agree,” Extinguisher Connor Teagan said.
“Great!” Killian clapped his hands together. “That means we have some time to spare. Can we get some food? I'm starving, and I've heard they have the best street food in the world here.”
“Actually, that distinction goes to Bangkok or Portland, Oregon, depending on who is doing the rating. But Seoul's not bad,” Star drawled. “If you like cheese. A lot of cheese. And a lot of heat.”
It was nice to see Star back to his normal self. Nice enough that I was able to forget the memory of Danu and the way her words felt like a warning.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Dang, you were right about the cheese,” Killian said to Star as we strolled through one of Seoul's night markets.
The market took up several of the wide walkways between shops, with vendors in stands that were pretty damn impressive. I saw full cooktops and freezers behind counters full of food, most of it on sticks. And it was crowded. Not just with locals but also tons of tourists. Which helped us blend in. A little.
“And sugar.” Star waved at a stand that sold sticks of fruit coated in a glassy layer of sugar. “They like things sweet here. Sweet and spicy, often together. Except when it comes to coffee.” Star frowned. “Which I find odd but admirable.” He went to a fried chicken stand and spoke to the vendor in Korean.
