I am the only thing standing between the Yeoiju and them.Ihave to be its reason and thought. I need to regain control.
“I’m here, Sunny. Don’t be scared.” Ethan envelops me in his arms, one hand cradling the back of my head. “You are still you. You are still mine. Everything will be okay.”
The fire, on the brink of combusting in my chest, simply ... shuts off. I sag against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I breathe him in until my heart stops racing and a calm determination settles over me.
He’s here. We’re together.
I will worry about the unknown future later. And the futureisstill unwritten, prophecies or not.Goddess or not.I huff a humorless laugh. I can only try to do good, one choice at a time. And right now, I choose not to lose my shit and risk hurting Ethan and my friends.
“Thank you.” I step out of his arms but hold on to his hand. He’s my anchorandmy fail-safe. I need to keep him close. “I’m okay now.”
He searches my face until he’s convinced that I’m all right. Then a slow, crooked grin curves his lips. “It really isn’t a big deal, though. You’ve always been a goddess in my eyes.”
“Right?” I wink at him and flip my hair over my shoulder, wanting to make him laugh. I sigh when I succeed. Then I turn to Hwanin, with less murder in my heart. “Where is Dangun? And why did I need to absorb your life force to go to him?”
“He is at Shinsan in the Mortal Realm,” the former god replies. “With the Amheuk surrounding the Realm of Four Kingdoms, you cannot traverse between the realms unless you are a deity. Since Dangun would want nothing to do with the three of us,youneeded to become a goddess.”
“What makes you think he will help me?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Because my grandson is decent to the core.” Hwanin takes a deep breath. “He will always choose to do the right thing.”
“And if he agrees to share his life force with me”—I pin Yeomla and Yongwang with my steely gaze—“will you two do the same? I need thegiof all four gods to stop the Amheuk.”
“Yes,” Yeomla says, his face haggard.
I can understand his turmoil. While I would choose to become mortal in a heartbeat, it can’t be easy for a god to give up his immortality, when that is all he has ever known.
“I will do the same.” Yongwang smooths out his impeccable blue robe, not meeting my eyes. I hope he doesn’t give me any trouble when the time comes.
“I have to go,” I tell Ethan.
He nods. “I’ll come with you.”
“Of course you will.” I laugh through my nose, half-exasperated, half-relieved. I need him by my side. At least going to the Mortal Realm to meet Dangun shouldn’t be dangerous.Right?
“We’re coming too.” Hailey steps toward me, tugging Gyun by his sleeve.
“No.” I shake my head, grimacing in apology. “We’ve been gone for too long. Our friends at the Kingdom of Sky need you.”
“As I mentioned, time works differently in purgatory. For those in the Kingdom of Sky, we’ve only been gone for a few minutes.” Gyun crosses his arms over his massive chest. “But I agree that Hailey and I can do more good back at the Realm of Four Kingdoms, especially when we bring two gods”—he glances at Hwanin—“and a former god to fight alongside us.”
Hailey sighs in resignation. “Be safe, Sunny.”
“I will.” I squeeze her hand. “You too.”
“When you travel to the Mortal Realm, time will flow as it should again,” Gyun adds. “Every minute of your journey will be felt in the Kingdom of Sky.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” I gulp.
“Nah.” He flashes a row of perfect white teeth. “It could just mean the end of the worlds if you are too late.”
“I won’t be too late.” I jut my chin. “The Amheuk better be ready to rumble when I come back.”
The god of Underworld snorts. “We have definitely been missing out on the fun, Yongwang.”
“You may be right, Yeomla. Someone should have woken us up sooner,” the god of Water drawls, as dry as the desert. “Who knew we had a comedicgumihoin our midst?”
I roll my eyes at them. As an immortal goddess—and acomedicgumiho—I should be free to give them as much sass as I want. Even so, Yongwang glowers in disapproval, and I resist the urge to stick my tongue out at the god of Water.
