Chapter 56
“Habaek!” Hae shouted, pushing himself out of the water. He stumbled a step before readjusting his grip on his sword. With a bellowing shout, Hae raced forward, using his blade to call to the sun.
Habaek turned to meet the attack, one arm still lifted to imprison Yuhwa, the other forming a blade of ice.
The crash of the two swords created a deafening reverberation that shook the very rain that fell.
Habaek stumbled back, surprise painted across his face, and the cyclone that held Yuhwa evaporated.
Grace hurried to pull the goddess out of the water, her hair hanging over her face. But she was breathing, thank the gods.
Hae slashed out again, rage powering his blows. He was relentless, hit after hit without a pause. Pushing Habaek away from the two girls. It was clear the water god wasn’t expecting such a fierce onslaught.
Grace thought maybe Hae would do it, that he’d win this fight, when something sharp dug into her back.
She screamed as she was lifted in the air, the hiss of a sonnimne in her ear. She glimpsed the flash of its angry teeth a second before it clamped down on her shoulder.
“Grace!” Hae turned, distracted enough that Habaek’s blade slashed across his back, blood spraying into the water at his feet. Hae dropped to one knee, gripping his sword for support, his scream a twin of Grace’s.
Pain like fire spread through Grace’s veins, winding an agonizing path through her bones and organs. She hit the ground, water lapping at her cheeks. It was red with her blood.
Hae roared as he pushed furiously to his feet. But Habaek’s blade struck again, slashing down his right arm. Hae fell to his knees, his arm now hanging uselessly as he lost his grip on his sword. It fell into the water with a splash.
Grace could barely hold her head above the water.
Tried futilely to utter his name. She heard the hiss of the other sonnimne, saw them cutting through the water toward her.
Sharp claws dug into her arm. The sonnimne leaned over her until her vision was filled with pale skin, red eyes, sharp teeth.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch the end.
She thought of her mother. Of her halmeoni.
She wondered if they’d be waiting for her.
“Grace!” The roar of her name filled the air, and she blinked open her eyes to see Hae plunge his hand into the water, coming up with the sword again. He stabbed it into the air. A clap of thunder cut off as the clouds parted.
The sky shuddered. The rain stilled. Vivid yellow rays of sunlight ripped through the clouds, reflecting off the metal of the dragon-light sword.
Grace tried to call to Hae to stop—this much power would burn through his body.
The sun highlighted the planes of Hae’s determined face. His eyes glowed, bearing down on the sonnimne, which hissed in anger, backing away from the blinding light. Their weight finally released Grace.
Hae’s sword slashed down, a ray of light cutting through all of the sonnimne in a burning blow. They caught ablaze, their gray skin turning to char as they screeched in agony.
Hae pushed to his feet now, turning on Habaek.
The light from the sword burned so brightly, it was like staring directly at an eclipse.
But Grace couldn’t look away. The light only grew brighter.
And Grace watched in horror as Hae’s hands burst with angry red blisters, the power turning on him, searing his skin.
And she knew Hae was sacrificing himself to destroy Habaek.
“Hae, don’t! Please!” But he wouldn’t listen. If Grace had learned anything about Hae, it was that he was too stubborn for his own good.
She finally pushed to her feet, the burning agony of her wounds overridden by her urgent fear for Hae.
“I’ll kill you!” Habaek screamed, but his voice was saturated with agony. His limbs began to sizzle. His form began to evaporate, lifting away like vapors on the wind.
Leaving only a misting fog that covered the roof. Grace called Hae’s name. But when she reached the spot where they’d stood, both gods were gone.
And Grace fell to her knees, sobbing.