A shudder runs through me, and I gather her in my arms. “Promise?”
Her arms tighten around my waist, and she buries her face in my chest.
“Sunny?” I try to lean back, but she holds me even tighter.
“I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.” She looks up at me. “Let’s save the Realm of Four Kingdoms from the Amheuk first. I’ll promise you all kinds of things afterwards.”
“What kinds of things?” I tease, even though the weight of my responsibilities presses down on my shoulders.
Sunny takes my hand and leads me down the steps of the pavilion, then glances sidelong at me. “Filthy, filthy things.”
I lunge for her, but she jumps back with a squeal and takes hergumihoform. I go utterly still. The graceful length of her body, theregal flare of her nine tails, and the brilliance of her snow-white coat steal my breath. She is so glorious that I can only stare at her.
“I’ll race you to the palace,” she says telepathically.
I snap out of my trance and give her a cocky grin. “If I beat you there, you have to tell meonefilthy thing you plan to do with me.”
“I’ll tell you a hundred of them ... but you’ll never beat me.”
In this moment, I don’t care that the worlds might end tomorrow. I’m just thankful for every minute I get to spend with her. “Oh, it’s on.”
She takes off in a white blur before the last word leaves my mouth. With a carefree laugh, I sprint after her.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sunny
I run toward the Celestial Palace, Ethan’s impassioned words playing on repeat in my head.
I don’t care who your father is. I understand why you bewitched him.
I want to believe Ethan.
And you’re disappointed in yourself—even if that bastard deserved everything he got—because you’re agood person.
Idobelieve him—even if the maleisa little biased since he’s head over heels in love with me. I huff smugly, but guilt pinches my insides.Am I taking advantage of his love?
I put my head down and run faster, the wind brushing against my coat. Even if I don’t deserve him, I love him too much to let him go. I have todo betterto be worthy of his love. I will never stop choosing to do better.For us.
I skid to a stop in front of the main palace gates and shift back to my human form. The two males standing guard jump a foot in the air. I ignore them and take a heaving breath. Then I pretend to buff my nails against myjeogori, just as Ethan reaches the palace, mere seconds after me.
“I was wondering when you’d get here.” I manage a shit-eating grin while pretending not to be out of breath.
“I was right behind you,” he wheezes, with his hands planted on his thighs, and squints up at me. “I could’ve reached out and grabbed one of your tails anytime I wanted.”
“Shoulda, woulda, coulda.” I stick my tongue out at him.
“Brat.” He tugs on my braid in a lightning-fast move and drops a kiss on my lips.
“Ethan.” I hop away from him, glancing over my shoulder at the palace guards. The shinbiins distrust and dislike animal spirits. He won’t garner their trust by kissing agumiho, and he needs their trust more than ever. “People will talk.”
I haven’t exactly flaunted mygumihoform in front of the shinbiins. When I’ve had no choice but to shift, the shinbiins would shriek and scramble to get away, both scared and disgusted. Whereas when I’m in my human form, they’re just disgusted.
“Since when do you care about what people think?” He crosses his arms over his chest, double grooves forming between his brows.
I never let on that I cared, but it hurt. It always hurt. But this isn’t about me. Why can’t he see that?
“Since my fated love stood at the cusp of his destiny,” I snap, throwing my hands up.I can’t believe I have toexplainthis to him.But Ethan’s face suddenly goes slack, and my stomach drops. I step close and grab his arms. “What’s wrong ...”
