Eerie silence falls over the army of the Kingdom of Sky.
“This is not your fight, but my father’s,” she continues. “General Bak waged war on the Kingdom of Mountains against my opposition. He silenced me by poisoning me and keeping me prisoner. The King of Mountains, my nephew, rescued me and saved my life.”
One by one, the soldiers on the ground lower their weapons, and the seraphim in the sky descend toward their brethren. Confused murmurs break through the shocked silence, then their voices grow until pure outrage roars through the air. I can’t imagine the shock, horror, and betrayal they must be feeling.
Maybe I can a little.
“The people around you are not your enemy. The Kingdom of Underworld and the Kingdom of Water came to aid the Kingdom of Mountains to stop this misguided war.” She pauses. “General Bak is your enemy. He ismyenemy.”
The soldiers of the Kingdom of Sky shout and stomp their feet.
“But as his daughter, I will give him one last chance to surrender.” Grief leaks into her words. “Father, you can still choose to end this war. We ... Hyeok and I ... are yourfamily.”
My stomach dips when my grandfather steps away from his troops and looks up at the queen. Will he finally listen to reason?
“Thatmongrel’sfather killed the last of my family,” he spits, his words landing like arrows in my heart. “And you, as always, are nothing but a disappointment. Your sister will be ashamed of you.”
My aunt and I share twin gasps of pain. She recovers first.
“No, you are the one breaking her heart. My sister gave her life for Hyeok, who she believed carried the hope of the entire realm. And he is everything she wished for and more. I am as proud to call him my nephew as I am ashamed to callyoumy father.” She pulls back her shoulders and stands tall, every bit a powerful queen. “Soldiers, arrest General Bak. He is a traitor to his queen and his people. I want him imprisoned until the time of his trial.”
With a shrill laugh, the general unsheathes his broadsword and takes to the sky.
“You.” He bares his teeth at me, hovering in the air. “Did you think I would not find your father if you hid him in the dungeon?”
I shake my head slowly, stunned into silence. My grandfather thinks I was trying to protect my father?
“My assassin said he begged for his life before she killed him.” He cackles, hovering in the air. “My only regret is that I did not have the pleasure of killing him with my own hands. But I had this war to win, didn’t I?”
I feel nothing more than a twinge of surprise at the news of my father’s death, but I am horrified by the general’s glee.
“You are pathetic. Just like your father,” General Bak spits. “I was merciful to let him die quickly. I’m not inclined to show you the same mercy.”
“Stop this, Father,” the Queen of Sky shouts. “What has this child done to deserve your wrath?”
“My daughter would not have died if he had never been born.” Gripping his sword with both hands, the general points it straight down at me. “You will pay for her death with your life.”
“No,” I scream as he plunges toward me. If he hits my shield, he will die from the impact. But I can’t take down the shield and put everyone on the wall in danger. “Grandfather, stop. Donotdo this.Please stop.”
General Bak does not stop. He doesn’t slow. He slams full force into the dome of gi.
I ... I don’t even feel the collision—my powers are too far beyond his.Why, Grandfather? Why?The impact flings him back, disintegrating his body into fine specks of blood. And the only thing that hits the ground is his broadsword.
I withdraw the dome and lean over the ledge of the wall, shaking from head to toe. My aunt wraps her arms around my waist and presses her cheek against my back.
“Hush, Hyeok,” she whispers. I didn’t realize I was sobbing. “We must be strong for our people. We can grieve later.”
I take a heaving breath and dry my eyes with a rough swipe of my arm. I give my aunt a nod over my shoulder, and she drops her arms from around me. What I’m about to tell the people will alarm her as well, but she is the Queen of Sky. She will rally and add her strength and wisdom to our fight.
“People of the Realm of Four Kingdoms.” I spin in a slow circle so every shinbiin, inside and outside the walls, can hear me. “We are weary, not merely from this war, but from the years of strife between the four kingdoms. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that we are all born of the Cheon’gwang. We are beings of the four life sources, and the four life sources stem from the true force of light. It is past time we remembered that we areonepeople.
“I wish I could give you time to rest and heal, but our realm is in peril. Every one of us must unite and stand as one to face our true enemy.” I pause to swallow.Am I making the wrong decision?Will telling the truth to these battle-worn soldiers crush them?“The Amheuk has breached the Realm of Four Kingdoms. The people of the Kingdom of Water have been evacuated to the Kingdom of Sky, but the eternal darkness has already destroyed the Kingdom of Water.”
The distraught cries of the Kingdom of Water’s troops rise above the panicked clamor from the rest of the soldiers. They must have known about the Amheuk, but they still came to fight at our side. And I can’t even give them time to digest the horrible news about their kingdom. But keeping them alive must come first.
We have to move now.
“And the Amheuk is coming for the Kingdom of Mountains next.” I raise my voice to be heard over the soldiers’ shock and distress. “There is no time to waste. We, too, must go to the Kingdom of Sky and prepare to take a stance against the eternal darkness.”
