Chapter 37
For the first time in her life, Grace faked being sick to call out of school.
She justified it by telling herself that her whole body felt like one giant bruise.
Instead, she decided to make up for her absence by catching up on work.
She had a huge research project due for AP European History that she’d only done the legwork for, as well as extra credit she’d been able to wheedle from Mr. Gray.
And, of course, the ever-looming BU program interview to prepare for at the end of the week.
But just as she finished cleaning up the kitchen after Hae’s disastrous breakfast-making attempt, the doorbell rang.
Hae, who’d been picking at the non-burnt parts of the French toast, straightened on his stool. “Don’t answer it. We can’t know if it’s Habaek.”
Grace doubted the water god would ring the doorbell, but anything seemed possible these days.
“There’s a way to find out.” She pulled out her phone, logging into the doorbell camera app. Better safe than sorry with vengeful gods and infectious monsters roaming. But, instead, it was a giant human eye glaring an inch away from the doorbell cam.
“I know you’re in there,” Zoe called out. “Open the door before I break it down.”
“It’s Zoe,” Grace explained as she skirted around a tense Hae to answer.
As soon as it was open, Zoe burst through the door, taking Grace’s shoulders to give her a once-over. “Are you okay? Did something happen? Did you get infected?”
“What? I’m fine—why wouldn’t I be?” Grace pulled away before Zoe started patting her down and spotted Yuhwa leaning against the door frame. “What are you doing here?”
“Zoe called me, said it was an emergency and we had to ‘mobilize the god squad.’ ” Yuhwa looked a little amused as she eyed Zoe.
“Called? You have a phone?” Grace looked back and forth between the two. “You exchanged numbers?”
“Of course,” Zoe replied. “We have to be in contact in case of emergency. And you calling out of school for the first time in ever seemed to qualify.”
“Are you serious?” Grace laughed. “You call out all the time.”
“Yes, because I’m me. But Grace Bak calling in sick is one of the foretold signs of the apocalypse.”
She rolled her eyes at her friend’s hyperbole. “Well, as you can see, I’m fine.”
“At least she is now,” Hae said from behind her.
Zoe’s eyes sharpened. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Grace gave Hae a pointed look.
He ignored her. “Habaek. He attacked Grace.”
Yuhwa straightened at that, her amused grin fading. “When?”
“It wasn’t an attack,” Grace insisted. “He just wanted to talk.”
“He pulled you into a raging river and invaded your mind. If Haechi wasn’t there, you could have drowned.”
“Hae!” Grace gritted out his name in warning, but it was too late.
“Grace!” Zoe gasped. “How could you keep this from me? Did you go to the hospital? I’m calling your dad.”
She took her friend’s hand before they could pull out their phone. “I’m fine. I promise. Hae shouldn’t have even told you.” She glared at him.
He shrugged. “They should know what happened.”
“Tell me everything.” Yuhwa pulled Grace to the kitchen table.
She noticed that the goddess had changed out of the school uniform Grace had drawn her in. Now she wore ripped jeans and a printed tee. One that Grace recognized as one of Zoe’s favorites. She wondered what exactly was going on between the two.
Hae took the seat opposite Yuhwa and Zoe the one beside her, leaving Grace to sit at the head of the table.
Haechi trotted over, laying his large head in Grace’s lap. She was surrounded now. For the first time in months, the house felt full again.
“What did my father want?” Yuhwa asked.
Grace hesitated, wondering where Yuhwa’s loyalties would lie. But Hae’s hand came down over hers and he gave her an encouraging nod. “She’s on our side.”
“He told me to stop helping Hae. He said if I didn’t, there would be consequences.”
Hae scoffed.
Yuhwa just nodded. “It sounds like my father.”
“I think.” Grace paused, wondering how to phrase this.
It sounded ludicrous in her head. But, as she looked at the two gods sitting at her kitchen table, she realized more bizarre things were possible.
“I’ve been having weird dreams about my halmeoni.
Ones where she doesn’t act normal. I’m wondering if maybe that was Habaek the whole time. ”
“What?” Hae snapped. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I’m telling you now.” Grace gripped her hands tightly together, trying to keep her voice firm.
Yuhwa grimaced. “My father did have a tendency to visit mortals in their dreams. And since he doesn’t have a form, it would be the easiest way to communicate with you.”
“This is all the more reason to get my powers back, so I can fight him properly,” Hae said.
“Fight?” Grace squeaked. “Why? He doesn’t even have a body, so can’t we just…ignore him?”
“Some bullies only respond to force,” Zoe chimed in and earned an approving nod from Hae.
Yuhwa didn’t look hopeful. “My father already had a healthy disdain for mortals. It feels like that has grown into true hatred after they forgot us. If we don’t try to stop him, he could hurt more people.”
Zoe took Yuhwa’s hand and the goddess leaned into them, taking the offered comfort.
“Habaek has always excelled at holding grudges.” Hae looked annoyed.
“That’s not helping, Hae.” Yuhwa gave him a warning look, and he lifted his hands in surrender, leaning back and placing those hands behind his head.
“Fine, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”
“Why did Habaek start hating mortals?” Zoe asked.
“It’s complicated,” Yuhwa replied. “He loved once—a human woman.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard the story.” Grace remembered an old folktale her halmeoni had liked to tell. “A sacrifice to the water god, a girl named…”
“Shimcheong,” Yuhwa filled in the blank.
“Yes.” Grace nodded. “I read a book a few years ago based on the story, about a girl who falls beneath the ocean and into the realm of Habaek. But all the old stories said that he sent her back to her father willingly.”
Hae laughed. “Habaek’s pride forced him to spread that lie.”
Yuhwa shook her head sadly. “Shimcheong wanted for nothing in my father’s realm, except for one thing. She missed her human family and her human world. He gave her the opportunity to go back, but he didn’t truly want her to accept it.”
“It was a cruel test,” Hae interjected.
“Maybe,” Yuhwa said. “But a test she failed in my father’s eyes. Shimcheong’s human desires broke his heart. My father was used to humans bending to his will. When she left and didn’t come back, it felt like a betrayal. The second big betrayal of his life.”
She met Hae’s gaze, and for the first time Hae lowered his eyes, brows knitting.
Yuhwa’s voice had become tight on the words the second. And Grace could imagine the first betrayal had been Yuhwa’s own desire to leave with Hae.
“Loving someone means allowing them free will,” Grace said.
“Yes, well, to my father, that was only allowed when a person’s will matched his own wishes.”
“It must have been hard,” Zoe said, squeezing Yuhwa’s hand. “To have such a controlling father.”
“Despite his flaws, he was still abandoned. Just like the rest of us,” Yuhwa said.
“I’m not surprised he’s lashing out, with his short temper.”
Yuhwa sent Hae another admonishing glare, but he didn’t seem put off this time.
“So all of humanity forgetting him and making him disappear triggered him?” Grace’s eyes shifted to Hae. He’d also been pretty annoyed at being forgotten.
“Yes, that definitely could be an unforgivable offense in my father’s eyes.”
“Great,” Grace said. “So we just have to protect all of humanity from the wrath of an angry god we can’t physically fight, no biggie.”