Page 62 of King Foretold
“I bet she was surprised when I got selected as a second cadet from our family. You see, the King of Mountains saw something special in me. He asked me to be his spy while I trained as a cadet in the Kingdom of Sky. I, of course, accepted.
“But Hana kept hounding me about how I became a cadet when only one member of the family could be chosen. I told her the king granted my petition to be chosen as a second cadet, but she didn’t buy it. I was telling the truth, though. I just left out the part that the king added a condition for granting my petition.”
“So the ‘something special’ he saw in you was your desperation?” I drawl.
“Hana thought you were hilarious. I have to agree with her on that one.Desperation.How funny.” Duna laughs with unhinged delight. “But no. The king saw my loyalty and determination. His Majesty saw that I would doanythingfor him, even help kill his unworthy son.”
The word of power burns across my back, and I take a step toward her, my nails and incisors elongating. But by sheer force of will, I stop myself from advancing any farther. Thankfully, Duna doesn’t notice that I’mthisclose to ripping her throat out.
Good.I need to keep her talking—the more tea she spills, the better. She must’ve been dying to boast about her importance to someone. Narcissism is the downfall of all villains, it seems.
“How did the King of Mountains know that his son was in the Kingdom of Sky?” I rasp past my tight throat.
“His Majesty didn’t know at first. He merely wanted me to keep a close eye on the high officials of the Kingdom of Sky. The king is as meticulous as he is wise.” Duna sighs, her face shining with maniacal worship. “But a few days ago, a powerful friend of his informed him that his worthless son lives and is hiding in the Kingdom of Sky.”
Apowerful friend? What powerful friend?
“Why does the king want his son dead?” I demand, focusing on Duna again.
Is staying on the throne really that important to the King of Mountains? More so than his family? I still can’t wrap my head around it. I would give anything to have my mother back.Anything.How could a father be willing to kill his son for power?
“Because the deceitful prince is stealing the king’s magic for himself,” Duna hisses.
I cringe at her vehemence. What does she mean, stealing the king’s magic?
“His Majesty didn’t explain that to me, of course. I need no explanation to do his bidding. But I saw the scar on his palm myself,” she brags in a conspiratorial whisper, preening at her own cleverness. “The King of Mountains has the power of invincibility. Acutshould be impossible. It can only mean that the ungrateful prince is stealing that power for himself, leaving the king vulnerable. I would want to kill anyone who steals something so vital to me too.”
The King of Mountains has the power of invincibility.Does Ethan’s invincibility mean the Kingdom of Mountains already accepts him as its true king? It’s too much to process right now. But the takeaway Icanprocess is that his father is vulnerable. Hebleeds. Could that be the mysterious illness that our spy meant?
“Like I said, I’m smart. Even the king can’t keep secrets from me.” She giggles, then scowls the next second, her mood as volatile as a tempest. “A son who lacks filial piety is worse than an animal. Thetraitor must be stopped. I was so close to finishing my mission, but my stupid sister ruined everything, as usual.
“She didn’t stop being suspicious of me even after we came to the Kingdom of Sky. The conniving bitch kept an eye on me. Today, she found the sayak in my room and confronted me. She started nitpicking about where I was this night or that morning. She went on and on about how I was risking my chance to become a suhoshin by breaking the rules.
“Hana didn’t have a clue that I was already much more important than a suhoshin. I was the king’s own spy. I couldn’t stand her lording it over me when she was nothing compared to me, so I told her everything. I finally put her in her place. I mean, what was she going to do?”
“You weren’t worried about her turning you in, were you?” The bloodlust pounds under my skin. I don’t know if I can control the rune for much longer. “You masqueraded as Hana when you did your dirty work. You always planned on framing your sister.”
“I told you I was the smart one.” Duna smirked.
“The only reason I’m not going to kill you ... yet ... is because Hana was my friend, and she fuckingdiedto protect you,” I snarl. “How could you not realize how lucky you were to have someone who loved you unconditionally? Someone who loved you enough to die for you?”
“The only thing she loved was her perfect little self.” The entire left side of Duna’s body twitches, like she’s fighting an internal battle. “She wanted to die a martyr. It hadnothingto do with me.”
Shim Duna was loved, but she’s too twisted and bitter to see it. She never allowed her sister’s love to envelop her, making her safe and content. It is so tragic. She did it all to herself, but I can’t help but pity her.
“You’re coming with me,” I say in a tired voice. We need to put her away and focus on our next steps. If what she said is true, the King of Mountains might be preparing to welcome the Amheuk into the Realm of Four Kingdoms.
“Come with you?” She cackles. “You’re not very smart, either, are you?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry.” She pouts with feigned sympathy. “You won’t get the chance.”
She throws a handful of dirt over her shoulder, and a piercing green light spills out from the pillar behind her. What the hell? I step toward her even as I shield my eyes with my hand. Then the light is gone ... and so is Duna.
Chapter Seventeen
I spin around the empty pagoda, blinking away the halo left behind by the beam of light. I rush to the railing and scan the woods on the off chance that Shim Duna is hiding behind a thick shrub. No such luck. She’s really gone. I can’t believe I let her get away. The word of power flares on my back.
