Chapter Forty-Nine Ethan
Chapter Forty-Nine
Ethan
I don’t know what I expected to find when we returned to the Kingdom of Sky, but it certainly wasn’t this. We weren’t gone for much longer than an hour.
I guess it doesn’t take long for all hell to break loose.
Jihun, General Jo, Haesan, and Jaeseok stand shoulder to shoulder, summoning their magic to hold off a writhing tentacle. Not too far from them, Minju, Yeomla, Bora, and Captain Ha attack the base of a long black arm until they tear it off, leaving behind a useless stump.
“This way.” Sunny tugs my hand and runs headlong into the war zone.
The dark tentacles are attached to the body of the Amheuk, still concealed beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom of Sky. Thank gods. The bulk of the ancient darkness hasn’t penetrated the kingdom, yet.
More clusters of four shinbiins fight off thick strands of dark terror, and I belatedly understand that beings from each of the four kingdoms have been united to form units.
It is their combined magic—the power of all four life sources—that has been keeping the Amheuk at bay.
Unfortunately, they are slowly losing ground.
Sunny roars at my side, and before I can react, she leaps into the sky with the Shin’gwangdo raised above her head and slashes down on the tentacle inching closer to Jihun’s unit. The dark arm disintegrates into black dust before her feet touch the ground again.
Jihun and his unit barely have time to thank Sunny as another arm of the Amheuk attacks them, but they manage to subdue the flapping tentacle quickly.
“Is everyone okay?” I ask, running to their side.
“Those of us in the capital have only endured a few casualties,” General Jo from the Kingdom of Mountains answers. “But I’m afraid not every region has been as fortunate.”
“Haesan, thank gods you’re okay.” Sunny hugs the in’eo, then shoves the boulder-sized male out of the way. “Watch out.”
A tentacle three times the size of the earlier ones whips toward us, knocking General Jo off his feet and sending him skidding across the field. There is no time for Sunny to draw the sword of light, so she grapples the darkness with her bare hands.
“Sunny.” I hack at the black arm with my axes.
“I’m okay,” she grits out.
I glance over at the general, who pushes his torso off the ground, and I release a sigh of relief. But when Sunny’s feet skid back, I renew my attack on the tentacle.
“We need your magic, Ethan,” Jihun shouts, summoning the wind.
“Welcome back, Your Majesties.” Jaeseok joins us with his hands on fire. “Sorry about the poor reception.”
“You’re funny, Lieutenant.” A wall of water builds behind Haesan. “I like you.”
“Aww, thank you,” the dokkaebi gushes, stretching out the fire into a long stream. “Hey, Sunny. Where did you find this giant marshmallow? He’s so sweet, I can’t even give him a hard time.”
Understanding the assignment at last, I gather the gi of Mountains in my hands to contribute to the collective attack. But before we can launch our magic, Sunny rips the tentacle in two, white light bursting from her hands.
“Embrace . . . the challenge . . . Jaeseok,” she pants, bent at the waist, her hands gripping her thighs. “You’ll find his inner . . . asshole if you dig deep . . . enough.”
“Are you okay?” I push her hair back from her clammy forehead.
“She needs the rest of our divine life forces,” Yeomla says, joining us. “Summoning the white light with just Sky and Mountains will deplete her. She needs all four life forces.”
“I c-can’t leave them now.” Sunny glances behind her as another dark arm bursts into the Kingdom of Sky, and Taeyoung joins Minju’s unit to make up for the loss of Yeomla and the gi of Underworld.
“More will fall to the Amheuk the longer we wait,” the god of Underworld says implacably.
“Go.” Jihun squeezes her arm. “We will hold it off until you come back.”
“You better not die.” Sunny pokes my royal adviser in the chest, then turns toward me. “We have to go, Ethan.”
“Where to?” I ask, even as I run at her side.
“We will be safe for the time being at the Suhoshin headquarters.” Yeomla leads us away from the battleground. “Sunny and I will be entirely vulnerable during the transfer of power. We cannot afford any interference. Neither of us will survive if the transfer is interrupted before it’s complete.”
When the three of us stand apart from the rest, the god of Underworld flaps his long, scarlet robe and teleports us to the front of the Suhoshin headquarters.
I find my balance quickly, which is fortunate, because Yeomla bursts through the first set of gates without pause and steps into a large, spartan courtyard.
“Ugh,” Sunny moans. “The cadet training yard? I don’t have fond memories of this place.”
“That is your worry right now?” Yeomla gapes at her. “I am about to become mortal at the worst possible time to be killable. Please focus on staying alive so you can save my fragile life once the transfer is complete.”
She grunts in bad-tempered acquiescence.
Gods, she’s adorable.
She’s also terrified to absorb Yeomla’s life force. I know my wife. Her shoulders are slouched, and she keeps picking at her nails. I slide the wooden bar closed to lock the gates and come stand behind her.
“Don’t worry, Sunny.” I drop a kiss on her temple. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She releases a rough breath and glances back at me. “Promise?”
“I promise.” I squeeze her shoulder, then take a step back.
“I’m ready, Lord Yeomla,” she says, her small hands curling into fists.
“Remember, I cannot stop once I begin.” Yeomla holds her gaze.
“I know. I’m ready,” she assures him, jutting her stubborn chin.
“Very well.” He comes to stand in front of her and nods once. “Summon the Yeoiju.”
Her chest glows with white light, and the god of Underworld presses his hand against it. He gasps, his forehead creased with pain or concentration. And Sunny jerks violently, flailing her arms and legs. She’s done this twice before, but it still scares me shitless to see her like this.
But I know what to do. Stepping up to her back, I wrap my arms around her and press her against my front. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and anchor her with my body and soul.
I’m here, Sunny. Stay with me.
The light of Yeomla’s life force pierces through my eyelids.
I bury my face in the crook of Sunny’s neck, even though her skin burns like smoldering coal.
She is protecting me from Yeomla’s divine gi so it doesn’t burn me.
But she doesn’t know that I can still feel the searing heat down to my bones.
I grit my teeth against the pain and hold her as though my life depends on it. Because it does. She is my life—my beating heart.
“Shh,” I murmur when she whimpers quietly. “You are so strong, Sunny. I am in awe of you. You can do this.”
“Ethan . . .” Her head thrashes weakly against my chest.
“I’m right here.” I tighten my arms and curve my whole body around her. “And I’m not going anywhere. Lean on me, baby. I got you.”
I don’t know how long I hold her like that, but it’s almost over. I can tell by the way the tremors jolting through her body gradually calm. But my eyes spring open at the twin cries of agony, my heart thumping wildly.
Yeomla’s shocked gaze meets mine before dropping to his chest . . . and the sword tip protruding from it.
What the fuck is happening?
“S-Sunny?” I stutter when she moans and grows limp against me.
“Wh-what have . . . you done, Yongwang?” Blood dribbles down the god of Underworld’s chin.
“It would not have worked.” The god of Water stumbles back from his old friend, staring down at his bloody hands. “It would never have worked.”
“Why?” I shout as I hike Sunny up by the waist, arching my back to bear more of her weight. “Why, you fucking coward?”
“I had to stop this madness once and for all.” Yongwang’s voice rings shrilly. “I will never give up my divinity.”
“Sunny, listen to me.” Yeomla’s reedy voice resonates with divine power as he places a trembling hand on her shoulder. “You can still absorb my gi. Let your Yeoiju take what it needs. I will hang on until it is done.”
But the light of her Yeoiju dims little by little until there’s . . . nothing. And her head flops forward.
“No, Sunny,” I cry, frantically holding her upright in my arms.
The god of Underworld crumples to the ground at her feet. “You m-must live, child.”
“Stay. Please.” I rock our bodies back and forth. “Please, stay with me. I love you, Sunny. I love you so much.”
At first, I don’t hear it past my rough, panicked breaths. But a low hum vibrates in the air, growing louder and louder still.
She’s fighting.
“That’s it, sweetheart.” I crush my lips against her temple. “Fight, Sunny. Come back to me.”
“Ethan.” It’s more air than sound, but I hear her loud and clear.
“I’m here, Sunny.” Please gods. “I’m here.”
A sound like the buzz of a thousand bees fills the air. I grind my teeth together and hold on to Sunny. Then . . . a crystal clear chime disperses the buzzing. The song of the Yeoiju. A sob slips past my lips when I feel Sunny’s body vibrate with its power.
Her chest expands on a heaving breath, and white light spreads through her, even to the tips of her fingers. Gods, the heat. My body writhes against the burn, and my eyes roll back from the pain, but I don’t let her go. Never.
Then she growls deep in her throat, and white light flares from her eyes. Yeomla’s mouth opens on a silent gasp, and his body seizes on the ground.
“Y-yes, ch-child,” the god of Underworld says in a wet gurgle, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. “Take it all.”
“Impossible,” Yongwang whispers. “This is not possible.”
“Ethan, you can let me go.” Sunny’s voice resonates through the air, as soft as a breeze and as strong as a mountain. When I reluctantly drop my arms to my sides, she addresses the god of Underworld. “I hope you find peace, Lord Yeomla.”
She thrusts her chest forward, her head tipping back, and his body levitates off the ground until he is suspended in the air.