Page 28 of King Foretold
“Gee thanks.” I narrow my one good eye at him and consider telling him that Stormy sounds like a stripper name just to watch him turn into a giant tomato. But the Realm of Four Kingdoms might not be renowned for their strip clubs like Las Vegas. Do I risk having to explain what a stripper is to the merman? Perhaps another day. “Good morning to you too.”
“Is that from your session with Captain Seo?” He stares longingly at my black eye. “I wish I had private training with her. She’s one of the most accomplished suhoshins in the Kingdom of Sky. Her combat skills are unmatched.”
“Don’t forget her charming personality,” I mutter, stabbing another braised potato. “Or maybe she reserves her disdain just for me.”
“I do get the sense she doesn’t like you very much.” Hana purses her lips in sympathy. “Did you do something to get on her bad side?”
“That’s exactly it. I didn’tdoanything.” I sound as wounded as I feel.Shit.To cover for my slip, I run my hands languorously down my torso and offer them my profile, chin tilted up. “She’s clearly intimidated by this triple threat. Talent, brains,andbeauty.”
Haesan makes an exaggerated ick face, and Hana giggles into her hand. I dip my head to hide my grin and stuff more food in my face. Maybe Ishouldgive the merman an intro-to-strippers talk in front of my sweet roommate. I give up holding back my smile. Even when they’re giving me a hard time, it’s nice to have friends at my side.
By the time we finish breakfast and head out to the training yard, I can open my right eye again. Hana hands me a small mirror before roll call. All the swelling has gone down, with only a hint of yellow-and-green bruising left. I give thanks to the haejangguk, the breakfast of champions. I hand the mirror back to Hana and come to attention when Captain Seo strides into the courtyard, the junior instructors flanking her.
The captain scans the rows of cadets—there’s close to a hundred of us—and says in a ringing voice, “Today, we put our sword skills to the test.”
A giddy grin spreads across my face at my lucky break. It’s the first one I’ve gotten in a long-ass time. I catch myself and smother the smile instantly, but Captain Seo’s narrow-eyed glare already bores into me. The junior instructors notice her displeasure and scowl at me as well.
“Someof you may not know, since you joined the cadet training late,” she drawls, “but we’ve spent every month since Lunar New Year learning and honing our sword techniques.”
The Mean Girls titter behind me because I’m the only one who joined the training late. My nails dig into my palms as I fight the embarrassed flush rising to my cheeks. Who cares if I joined the cadet training a few months late? If you want to get technical, I’m more than a century late, since the other cadets are only twenty-four years old. But that means I’ve had a century longer tolearn and honemy sword techniques than them.Bring it on.
I deliberately catch Captain Seo’s gaze and cover a yawn with my hand. Her eyes flare with menace. Maybe I went too far, but I’m not going to second-guess myself. My instincts have kept me alive for this long, and my gut is telling me to hold my ground. There are too many eyes on me. I can’t show any signs of weakness.
“Jo Danbi.” Captain Seo’s voice claps across the training yard like thunder.
Oh shit.
“Yes, Captain.” Danbi comes to attention.
“You’ll spar this round with Cho Mihwa.” The captain tilts her chin toward me.
Shit shit shit.
The bloodthirsty smile that slashes across Jo Danbi’s face makes me rethink my decision to follow my instincts. She istheMean Girl—the Mean Girl that rules them all—and I’ve lived long enough to know a sadist when I see one. I’ve watched the female from the Kingdom of Mountains spar. Tall and rail thin, she moves like a whip cracking through the air. But more importantly, she fights with vicious intent—not only to win but also to humiliate her opponent, or to send them to the infirmary. Oftentimes, she accomplishes both with a ruthless glee that sends a chill down my spine.
The short sword I grab from the weapon rack feels awkward, the hilt too thick for my small hands. Blowing out a long breath, Istep into one of the sparring circles with Jo Danbi. I give her a nod of acknowledgment, which she returns with anI’m going to flay you alivesmirk.
I vaguely hear Captain Seo pairing off eighteen more cadets for this round. The remaining cadets linger by the sparring circles instead of heading to the other end of the training yard for their drills. The junior instructors drag their heels as well, only halfheartedly urging the spectating cadets to get a move on. Bile fills my mouth at their eagerness to see Jo Danbi spill my gumiho blood.
My only comfort comes from Haesan’s solemn frown and Hana’s round, worried eyes. I nod at them in reassurance. Then I extend one hand in front of me and raise my sword horizontally above my head, the sharp end pointing toward my opponent. Danbi lifts her longsword in a two-handed grip, widening her stance. She looks like she’s about to chop down a tree.
“Begin,” Captain Seo shouts.
The first minute passes in a blur as I block strike after strike. Jo Danbi is taller than me by a head, and her reach is longer, especially with her longsword. I can’t get close enough to execute an attack of my own as she takes advantage of her greater reach with sweeping arcs of her sword. I need to get inside her swinging radius. She won’t be able to do much with her bulky sword when I’m that close to her.
“Shit,” I hiss when Danbi draws first blood with a slash on my upper arm.
“Sorry.” She doesn’t even try to sound sincere.
I bare my teeth and move in on her. I’m overthinking it. My body already knows what to do. I parry her strikes as I wait for an opening, but I can feel my next block all the way down my arms. Gods, she’s strong. But so am I.
I slide on my knees as her sword swings inches above my head, and I jump to my feet at her side. She put too much power into her strike and can’t stop midswing as I diagonally slash her unprotected torso fromher armpit to belly button. I spin out of her reach as she clumsily swings her sword from side to side.
“Do you yield?” I ask somberly. As much as I dislike her, Jo Danbi isn’t my enemy. I don’t enjoy hurting her.
“No,” she snarls even though she’s bleeding too fast to continue.
My eyes shoot to Captain Seo, but she’s busy demonstrating an intricate offensive strike to a pair of cadets who have just finished their round. Danbi’s sword clatters to the ground. I turn toward her, sensing her move before I see her.
