“Cool, right?” He chuckles. “Well, Goddess? Swoosh away.”
I flare my tails wide and swoosh them with dramatic abandon. I’m not worried about how to get us to Shinsan anymore. I think like a goddess and simply ... will it so.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Sunny
Ethan steadies himself with a hand on my back when the verdant hills and forests of Shinsan materialize around us. I shift back to my human form and link my fingers through his.
Holy fuckaroni.
Knowing I could do it, andactuallytransporting us to a different realm with a single thought, are two completely different things.
“Do we look under every rock on this entire mountain to find this elusive god?” Ethan muses with worry tugging down his lips.
Every minute counts.The Kingdom of Sky might already be under attack.
“No.” I scan the trees around us, determination coursing through me. “I can sense him. This god isn’t asleep.”
I lead us down a hill and deeper into the forest until we reach a cave, nearly hidden from view. The towering trees barely let needles of light touch the ground, but vegetation flourishes around the cave.
“Do you think Dangun is in there?” Ethan whispers close to my ear.
“He is,” a soft, resonant voice answers from the cave.
“Lord Dangun,” I project my voice without raising it. A neat goddess trick. “We come to seek your help.”
The god of Mountains comes to the mouth of the cave with his hands clasped behind his back. He wears a simplehanbokof unbleached cloth, with a thick, long vest on top. He is ruggedly handsome, with shoulder-length waves that fall haphazardly over his broad shoulders and a dark beard that can’t hide his strong jawline. If it weren’t for his kind eyes, he could be mistaken for a sanjeok, a mountain bandit.
He tilts his head for us to follow him inside, and we do as we’re bid. I glance around the cave, which is surprisingly bright and warm, then settle my gaze on the god of Mountains. Dangun exudes a soothing calm that steadies my frazzled nerves.
But when he does a double take on me, his jaw dropping in shock, I promptly freak out.What?I glance down at myself. Is he not a fan of all-black attire?
“Hwanin,” he chokes out. “My grandfather gave you his divine life force?”
“Y-yes.” I can’t tell if he’s mad about it, so I prattle on. “I bear the Yeoiju, the last of the Cheon’gwang. I’m pretty sure I was able to absorb Hwanin’sgiwithout dying because of that.”
“Among other reasons.” The hard lines of Dangun’s face soften, and he releases a long, resigned breath. “I am glad Hwanin did his part. Did Yongwang and Yeomla also agree to transfer theirgito you?”
Wait.What other reasons? Never mind. There is no time to waste.
“They did.” Then I feel obliged to add, “That is,ifyou give me your divine life force first.”
His lips press into a stern line. “They likely believed you will not survive receiving my gi.”
“Why is that?” Ethan wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close to his side. “Why would your life force affect her any differently than Hwanin’s?”
“The King Foretold.” Dangun angles his head to study Ethan. “You truly love her.”
“With all my heart,” Ethan confirms, and my knees grow weak. I will never tire of hearing that he loves me, no matter the circumstance ... even when he’s mouthing off at the god of Mountains. “But you haven’t answered my question.”
I resist the urge to pinch his arm. Since he is now the husband of a goddess, he should be able to get away withsomedisrespect toward the gods. Even so, my stomach instinctively clenches.
“Each god is the embodiment of a distinct source of life,” Dangun explains evenly, instead of smiting Ethan. “Yeomla and Yongwang must believe that no god is able to embody more than one divine life source. It is too much power—conflicting power at that—for even a god to survive. Or so they think.”
Ethan’s gaze snaps toward me.
“Don’t worry.Ican survive.” I place my fingertips on his mouth before he can speak. “The Yeoiju burns the brightest when all four life forces are combined within me. When the blue of Water, the green of Mountains, the red of Underworld, and the silver of Sky merge, the Yeoiju shines white—the combination of all colors. That white lightisthe Cheon’gwang.”
