“They are soldiers with elemental powers—mostly wind, fire, and lightning,” she explains. “To counter the air attack.”
“Whoa.” Jaeseok rushes to help two soldiers, whose crate of cannonballs tips dangerously to one side. “Easy there.”
“I should go join the archers.” Hailey offers Jihun a solemn nod, then turns to me. “Your Majesty, please stay safe.”
“I will.” I hear Sunny’s admonition.Don’t do anything stupid without me.“I won’t do anything stupid. I’ll see you on the other side, Hailey.”
With a quick bow, she sprints up the stairs to the top of the wall, but not before I see her bottom lip wobble. Sunny will kick my ass if I let Hailey get hurt—if I let any of the Sentinels get hurt.
My eyes scan the frantic scene before me. Even with thegiof the Mountains flowing through my veins, I can’t take down the army heading toward us. I have to find another way to keep my people safe.
“I need to find General Im.” I crane my neck, but I’ll never spot him in this pandemonium.
Jihun stops a soldier rushing past us. “Where is General Im?”
“He doesn’t stand in one spot.” The soldier jerks an impatient thumb over his shoulder, not recognizing who we are. “But I last saw him somewhere over there.”
“Thank you,” I murmur and immediately head in the direction the soldier indicated.
But Jihun pushes me behind him as an uproar erupts from the wall. A seraph has taken to the sky.It’s too soon.Did General Bak send someone ahead of his army? The archers scramble to nock their arrows, but the lone angel dives toward the capital much too fast for them to take aim.
“Halt,” Jihun suddenly shouts, frantically waving his arms. “Hold your fire.”
A second later, I recognize the seonnyeo in the air. “Captain Seo.”
With wind stirring the dirt, she lands in a tight crouch, her hands and one knee braced against the ground. I frown down at her bowed head, then raise my confused eyes to the sky.
It’s empty.My heart sinks.She’s alone.
“Gods, Cheyun.” Jihun reaches her first and helps her to her feet. “They could have shot you down.”
“You think?” She cocks an eyebrow.
“Are you all right?” I rasp, blood pounding in my ears. I’m glad to have her back safely, but I barely manage to hold back my next question.Where is Sunny?
“Yes, Your Majesty.” She bows, then her expression softens. “Sunny is safe.”
The vise around my heart and lungs loosens for the first time in days, but my impatience only grows. “Then where is she?”
“She went to seek help from the Kingdom of Water,” Cheyun says.
“The Kingdom of Water?” Jihun and I chorus.
“I have much to tell you, but it must wait.” She plants her hands at her waist, hunching forward slightly.Christ.We didn’t even give her a moment to catch her breath. “Before she went to the Kingdom of Water, Sunny convinced the King of Underworld to send reinforcements.”
“The King of Underworld?” My royal adviser and I parrot her again.
“I led them through the portal above the Mirror Lake—the secret portal closest to the capital.” After a deep inhale, she straightens to her full height. She is one tough seonnyeo. “The troops from the Kingdom of Underworld are standing by at the western edge of Shinsi.”
“How many soldiers?” I gather my wits.
“Ten thousand,” the captain answers with a sharp smile. Jihun and I meet each other’s round eyes and barely refrain from repeating her words for the third time.
“We can protect Shinsi,” Jihun breathes.
“We can do more than that.” I grip his shoulder with a huff of incredulous laughter. “We can take down the Kingdom of Sky. We can end this war.”
A part of me had believed that I might die without seeing Sunny again. I’d just refused to acknowledge it. But now, there’s a real chance that we can win this war. I will fight with everything in me to see mylove again. I will take down an entire army for a chance to hold her in my arms.
