When the Judge of Tenth Hell raises both hands, the other judges finally fall silent, even as they continue exchanging alarmed glances past their sunglasses.
“We have many questions, but I believe the most pertinent one is this.” The Judge of Tenth Hell looks at Minju, Captain Seo, and me in turn. “Why did you risk your lives to return to the Realm of Four Kingdoms when you knew the Amheuk has breached the realm?”
“To stop it from destroying the worlds.” The captain offers Minju and me a solemn nod of solidarity. “Or die trying.”
Thedokkaebi’s eyebrows rise over his sunglasses. “Is that true for all of you?”
“Yes,” Minju and I answer as one.
“Huh.” The Judge of Tenth Hell turns to me. “May I ask why you would do that?”
I open my mouth to tell him I’m doing it for the adrenaline rush, but I hear myself saying, “To protect the one I love, because he is my beating heart. And to save my friends, because they are my family. I will give my life for them, because there is no life without them.”
My eyes do their best to mimic saucers, and I clap a hand over my mouth, hard enough to sting.
Did I just say those thingsout loud?
“You can only tell the truth to the Judges of Ten Hells.” Minju runs a soothing hand down my back. “They can’t decide the fate of a passing soul based on lies, so it is literally impossible to lie to them.”
“I guess sarcasm counts as lying,” I mutter, shaken from baring my fucking soul to total strangers. In front ofmy friends. I don’t know which part is more embarrassing.
Also, the judges decide the fate of the passing souls? Not the god of Underworld?
“Please, call me Gyun,” the Judge of Tenth Hell says with a warm, open smile, oblivious to my monumental mortification and confusion. “There is no reason more noble than yours, and I would be proud to call you my friends.”
“I might not want any more friends.” Loving the ones I already have is overwhelming enough. “But I guess it’s better than being bludgeoned to a pulp with a spiked club. Wait. If we make friends with one of you, does that mean we have to be friends withallof you?”
“I’m afraid so,” a younger lookingdokkaebisays with laughter in his voice. “Hi, I’m Jun. I’m the Judge of First Hell—the nicest hell.”
He’s teasing me. We really must be friends.
“Sunny gets loopy in dangerous situations. It’s her coping mechanism,” Captain Seo explains on my behalf. “Hi, Jun. I’m Cheyun, and this is Minju. Now that we’re all friends, can one of you show me the quickest way to the Kingdom of Mountains?”
His smile dims by a fraction of a watt. “Why are you in such a hurry to go to a war-ridden kingdom?”
“So General Bak followed through with his plan,” Minju murmurs in toneless dejection. “He waged war on the Kingdom of Mountains—against his own grandson.”
My molars grind together as my entire body clenches with helpless rage. If the general hurts Ethan—ifanyonehurts him—I might set thewhole world on fire. It kills me that I can’t go to him when he needs me. But it’s my own fault for foolishly letting the tyrant king trick me into the blood oath, keeping me away from Ethan.
For a split second, I consider going to the Kingdom of Mountains anyway. But I stare down at my left palm and trace the circle of blood branded on the mound beneath my thumb. If I break the oath, I will bleed from the circle until I die a quick but painful death.
I am not afraid of pain or death, but I am no use to Ethan or my friends if I’m dead. I need a chance to do better. I owe it to them. I owe it to myself.
“That war is why I have to return to the Kingdom of Mountains without delay.” Captain Seo answers Jun’s question. “I need to help them stop the Kingdom of Sky’s unprovoked assault—to end a senseless war waged to satisfy one male’s thirst for vengeance. Only then can the four kingdoms unite to fight the real war against the Amheuk.”
Captain Seo is right. The four kingdoms must unite. If they can’t work together, we might as well hand over the realm to the Amheuk.
I draw a sharp breath, goose bumps blanketing my skin. Ethan must unite the four kingdoms and defend the realm from the eternal darkness.Thatis his destiny as the King Foretold.
“I will take you to the portal,” a soft-voiceddokkaebisays. “I’m Mun, the Judge of Fourth Hell.”
“They really should go by numbers,” I murmur without thinking, still reeling from how the prophecy of the King Foretold will be fulfilled. “There’s no way we’ll remember all these na—”
“Thank you, Mun.” Captain Seo raises her voice over my blabber, then glares at me.
I cringe sheepishly.Right.I probably shouldn’t insult the only beings who can take us where we need to go. But where doIgo from here? I can’t return to the Kingdom of Mountains without dying. Maybe I can help Ethan from the Kingdom of Underworld.
“I am a historian with the Order of the Suhoshin.” Minju pulls back her shoulders, determination in every line of her lovely face. “Ineed access to the nearest Suhoshin library. I must do my part to defend against the Amheuk.”
