Before I can even register the small victory, four more tentacles attack from all directions. I push out streams of white light with both hands, drawing a wide arc in the sky, and black dust rains down around us.
I glance behind at the three monarchs, and they gasp in unison. I guess my eyes are lit with white fire.
“Get to the Sentinels,” I order. “I got this.”
“We’re not going anywhere.” Taeyoung juts his jaw. “Besides, the Sentinels are coming to us.”
“They’re what?” I groan when I see the cluster of shinbiins sprinting toward us, dodging the Amheuk’s tentacles drilling down at them.
Ethan reaches my side in the next second, and my heart can’t decide whether to jump or fall. “Sunny.”
While I’m distracted, a tentacle sneaks up on us, and I barely have time to shove Ethan out of the way before I blast it with a pulse of light. He spins around to stand with his back against mine and jets silver and greengiat the next one that lashes toward us.
“Shit.” I pissed off the Amheuk, burning off its arms, and now we have its full attention.
The Sentinels and the monarchs join us, and we form a tight circle, magic flaring in our eyes. A dozen black arms attack at once, whipping and slashing past the bursts of our collective powers. Cheyun grunts next to me, taking a hit to her side. She growls and renews her attack.
I will not lose another friend.
“Stand back.” My voice rings through the chaos. “Stand back.”
The Yeoiju churns inside me like a tornado gaining momentum. I fist my hands to hold on to the magic impatient to burst from my chest. I am finally powerful enough to fuel the Yeoiju on my own without depleting my life force—without borrowinggifrom any other source.
“Everyone, go!” Ethan yells.
They try to retreat, but they have to stop every two steps to fight off the tentacles slashing down on us.
This won’t do.
I shape a strand of my power into a long white whip and strike at the swirling darkness to corral it toward me.
“Shield them, Ethan,” I shout, my entire body vibrating with the need to unleash my power.
I don’t check to see if he got the protective dome over them. I trust him. Plus, I can’t hang on another second. With a guttural cry, I let it rip.
My back arches as power, pure and brilliant, bursts through my chest, my eyes, and my mouth.The Cheon’gwang.My arms and legs spread wide as white light floods out of me.
I’m breathless with fear and exhilaration, but my power doesn’t falter. I burn on and on, and I don’t relent.
The Amheuk shudders as the light scorches through its coiled tentacles.Try and run, motherfucker.I growl and push out another pulse of light.
The darkness tugs desperately at its bound arms and rips them free from my whip in ragged stumps. Vicious satisfaction sizzles through me. With a thundering cry, the Amheuk retreats into the sky.
But I am not done.
I ignore the faint tremors running through my body and burn through the tentacles remaining in my grasp. Black dust rains down from the sky, atmospheric in the white light.
It’s so beautiful.
“Sunny,” Ethan shouts hoarsely. “They’re gone.”
I come to with a jolt. He’s right. The sky brightens as the eternal darkness recedes beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom of Sky. But shutting off my power proves more challenging than unleashing it.
I wrap my arms around my midriff and listen for my Yeoiju. It whirs sharply in my ears, rather than singing its usual gentle hum.
Hush now.I clench every muscle in my body.We did it.
The Yeoiju pauses at my words, and I curl myself tightly around my heart’s center.It is done. Hush now.I don’t know how long I stand like that, but the frantic whirring slowly quiets.
