Picking up the tray full of dirty dishes, I follow the older female into the kitchen and get to work. I haven’t washed dishes since we—I course correct my thought—sinceIleft Las Vegas the night the red assassin attacked me in my apartment. The rush of warm water, the soft suds, and the clack of plates and saucers soothes the open wound inside me, like a cool hand on a feverish forehead.
I pass a clean dish to the captain, and she dries it, frowning down at her hands with intense concentration. It’s adorable. She’s a warrior with zero experience in domestic endeavors. I tuck my chin to hide my smile and slow down with the washing so she doesn’t feel rushed.
Mrs. Ha is quiet as she puts the clean, dry dishes into the cupboards. I can’t see her face, but her shoulders droop as though an aching sadness weighs them down. The coming of the Amheuk will do that to a person. But I have a feeling her worries are more immediate.
What exactly are Minju and her father talking about that has Mrs. Ha so scared?
When all the dishes are cleared away, the three of us step out from the kitchen. Minju looks up and gives the captain and me a solemn nod, but she avoids her mother’s eyes. My stomach tightens with nerves. I’m worried for my friends, especially since I won’t be going with them.
How will they get back to the Realm of Four Kingdoms? The question sneaks past my firewall before I can stop it.Shit.Now I can’t unthink it, and more questions rush into my consciousness.
Does the Amheuk still lie in wait at the entrance to the Realm of Four Kingdoms? Or has the darkness already seeped inside the realm? Is everyone ... okay?
I reach behind me for a handhold as the corners of my vision darken.Oh gods.My frantic fingers feel the back of a chair, and I grip it tightly.
Are you okay, Ethan? Please be safe.
The sound of Mr. Ha’s chair scraping across the floor jolts me back to the present before I spiral out of control. Minju gets to her feet as well and switches places with her mother, so the three of us face her parents. She slips her cold hand into mine, and I squeeze it without thinking.
“Girls,” Mr. Ha says in a voice that reminds me of Optimus Prime, “are you ready to walk the moonglade?”
Chapter Nine
Sunny
Mrs. Ha claps a hand over her mouth to silence her sob, and Minju’s hand tightens around mine until my bones creak in protest. I hold back a wince with gargantuan effort, but after five long seconds, I squirm in pain.
“What is the moonglade?” Captain Seo asks warily.
Thankfully, Minju drops my hand and answers, “Every year on Hangawi, when the harvest moon hangs low in the sky, a silver road appears in the ocean.”
“Isn’t that just an elongated reflection of the moon?” I flex my hand to make sure none of my fingers are broken.
Mr. Ha smiles at my question. “On any other day, yes.”
“But it becomes more than that on Hangawi.” Minju wanders away from us to pace the length of the small restaurant. “When people all around Korea celebrate under the brightest full moon of the year, their joy and gratitude imbue the moon’s reflection with more power.”
“What kind of power?” I try to wrap my head around a magic road in the ocean.
I am a being of the Shingae. Magic isn’t new to me. But some of the things I’ve had to come to terms with these last few months have been wild, even for me.
“The moon’s reflection becomes real ... in a way.” She stops pacing to search for words. “It solidifies into a silver road for beings of the Shingae.”
“Where does it lead?” Icy dread tickles down my spine. I have a feeling I know the answer.
“To the Realm of Four Kingdoms.” Minju resumes pacing.
But why do we need to walk the moonglade to get back to the realm?A faint moan slips past my lips because I know the answer to that as well.
“Why have I never heard of this?” The captain shakes her head, her mouth slightly agape.
“It is an ancient magic, forgotten by many.” Mr. Ha sighs wistfully, as though saddened by the loss of any knowledge.
“And also, because no one dares to walk the silver road,” Minju adds.
I cinch my lips together. I don’t want to know.
But Captain Seo opens her big mouth. “Why is that?”
