Page 3 of King Foretold
“You aren’t my instructor, Jihun. Stop nagging and come at me.” I tighten my grip on the spear and renew my attack.
Since the weapon is so unwieldy, I hold it pointed forward and advance on him with quick footwork. When I reach striking distance, I thrust the spearhead straight at his face, but he effortlessly evades it with a twist of his torso.
“Perhaps I should put these down.” The scythes hang loosely at his sides.
“Why don’t you stick them up your—”
I barely raise my spear in time to block the downward arc of his scythe. The impact vibrates painfully down my arms, but I don’t even have time to grimace as I swing the blunt end of my spear up to fend off his other scythe. The second blow has me skidding back several steps before I dig my heels into the dirt. I risk a glance behind me. Another step and I’ll be outside the ring, losing the round.
I arch back and swing the spear in a wide circle, forcing Jihun to retreat. Then, using its heft to gain speed and power, I bring my brutal weapon down on him. He crosses his scythes over his head to stop the spear blade from giving him an interesting haircut.
“Maybe youshouldput those down,” I taunt.
He tightens his scythes around my spear, the metal blades digging into the wooden shaft, and rotates his arms in an arc, putting his back into the maneuver. I feel the spear being wrenched out of my hands. I can’t let him be right about easily disarming me, so I flip my entire body through the air, leaning into the trajectory of the spear rather than fighting it.
Triumph flares in my chest at Jihun’s look of surprise. I drop back down on my feet, our weapons still gridlocked. I meet and hold his gaze with a cocky grin until the surprise in his eyes heats into something sharp and turbulent. I can’t catch my breath as my smile melts off my face.Don’t fall for me.The thought comes out of nowhere, and I stomp it down. Of course he isn’t going to fall for me.
“Jihun?” a chilly voice says behind me.
I jump back with a start, my spear clattering to the ground. I shoot a glance at Captain Seo, then back at Jihun. His eyes don’t leave my face as he slowly lowers his scythes. I have an annoying urge to fidget under the intensity of his gaze, but I refuse to look away like a shy maiden.
“Jihun,” Captain Seo repeats, placing her hand on his arm.
He holds my gaze for a second longer, then acknowledges the seonnyeo with a nod. “Cheyun, I thought I might speak to you for a moment before you start instructions.”
“Of course,” Captain Seo says with a soft smile. I’m shocked the hard-nosed instructor is capable of smiling.
“In private.” Jihun walks out of the sparring circle without a backward glance at me.
I slump with a relieved sigh. That’s more like it. I can handle the stern, brooding side of the seonnam. As for his odd, smoldering side, I hope it doesn’t make another appearance. I can barely handle my feelings for Ethan. I don’t want things to get strained with Jihun. I shake my head. Everything will be fine. He was probably in a weird mood.
Captain Seo turns to follow him, and her wings of wind catch an iridescent glimmer of the morning sun. Before I can fully appreciate their beauty—or traipse down poetry lane—she shoots me an icy look over her shoulder, and a shiver runs down my spine. I gulp as I belatedly realize the significance of her spread wings. She is ready for battle.
I don’t know what I did, but I have a sinking feeling that I am her unwitting opponent and I’m in for a world of pain.
Chapter Two
“Again,” I wheeze at my enormous sparring partner. My early morning duel with Jihun, on top of the hour of sleep I lost, took its toll. And lucky me, I still have a long day of training ahead of me.
“Are you sure, Mihwa?” Haesan wrings his hands, the smooth planes of his face etched with concern.
My chest heaves, struggling to drag oxygen into my burning lungs. Even in my human form, I’m pretty fast and strong. But I have my limits, and I’ve apparently reached them. Not that I’d ever admit that. I would rather collapse, vomiting blood.
“Yes I’m sure.” I swipe the back of my hand across my mouth, probably smearing blood across my cheek. “And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sunny?”
“Mihwa is easier to remember than Sunny.” The merman rubs the back of his head, his golden barbels flickering by his lips.
Gang Haesan is an in’eo from the Kingdom of Water, and like most of the cadets, he doesn’t speak English. Only the Suhoshin travel to the Mortal Realm and speak multiple languages to navigate the human world. The rest of the Shinbiin in the Realm of Four Kingdoms don’t need to speak anything but their native Korean because they never leave their precious realm.
“Mihwa meansbeautiful flower, and youarebeautiful like a flower,” Haesan continues, cupping his hands in front of him like he’s cradling a blossom. “Yet, you said Sunny meansbright like the sun, but you alwayswear such a dark scowl. Your American name should be something that meansstormy. Then I’d be able to remember it better.”
I bite my cheeks to hold back a smile. It’s hard to glower at someone who’s genuinely kind and earnest. Why does he have to be so endearing? He has got to be the most annoying merman I’ve ever met. Even his life force is a perfect cerulean blue like the unpolluted waters of the tropical ocean.Soannoying. I don’t need more reasons to like him.
Then I gasp as my gaze ping-pongs around his large form. I canseehis life force. But how? My spirit eyes aren’t open. It doesn’t make any sense.
All beings of the Shingae originate from the four life sources born of the Cheon’gwang, the true force of light. And the gi of each source radiates a different color—green for Mountains, silver for Sky, red for Underworld, and blue for Water. In the Mortal Realm, I needed to open my spirit eyes to perceive the life force of magical beings, but in the Realm of Four Kingdoms ...
The hairs on the back of my neck stand. I have a feeling Captain Seo is giving me the evil eye from somewhere in the training yard, but I don’t risk turning around to confirm my suspicions. It’ll only make matters worse if our eyes meet, because I’m not in the habit of backing down. Whatever is happening to my magic, I don’t have time to worry about it now. I need to shelve it and ask Minju tonight.
