Page 72 of King Foretold
“They believed you were greater than their sacrifice,” my royal guard says. “All of us, who know of the prophecy of the King Foretold, believe that in the depth of our souls.”
“I won’t let them down.” I meet Jihun’s eyes. “I won’t let you down.”
And I won’t give up on my love. I will find a way to change the prophecy. I won’t have to be with Sunny in death because she will live.
I will be with her in life. I will love her till the end of days.
Chapter Nineteen
My eyes snap open on a gasp, but I immediately make myself go deathly still. I scan the cave without moving a muscle, then again with the slightest shift of my head, but Ethan and Jihun are nowhere to be seen. The good news is there are no bad guys here to kill me either.
I let my head fall back onto my makeshift pillow and rub the heel of my hand against the ache in my chest. I drifted in and out of a strange dream that left me feeling heartbroken. I try to remember the dream, but it floats further away from me the harder I try. All I know is that I wasn’tinthe dream but it wasaboutme.
At any rate, I feel well rested and alert. I rise to my elbows and look outside the cave. The lightless night is receding, and the faintest hint of indigo and orange peeks through the trees. Well, the answer is obvious. Those stubborn fools didn’t wake me up for my watch and let me sleep through the night.
With a frustrated growl, I grab Ethan’s outer robe in my fist to fling it off me, not giving a damn about wrinkling the fine silk, but I falter. With another quick glance out the mouth of the cave, I bring the robe to my nose and inhale deeply, and my eyes slide shut as the scent of the green forest and the musk of earth assail my senses.
“Ugh.” I throw the robe off and kick it away for good measure.Gods.I’msmellinghis clothes now? That’s pathetic, not to mention creepy.
Muttering under my breath like a crotchety old man, I stomp outside the cave. Ethan and Jihun sit on opposite sides of a single tree,leaning against the trunk. They’re both chuckling, and I slow my steps, not wanting to intrude. I’m glad they found another brother in each other. I wish Ben could see this. He would be so happy for them. I swallow a fist-sized lump in my throat.
“Sorry to break up the bromantic moment.” I try not to sound like I mean it. “Which one of you assholes had the brilliant idea of not waking me up for my watch?”
As if they planned it, Ethan and Jihun point at each other and chorus, “He did.”
“You’re chickenshit. Both of you.” I turn my head to hide my smile. “But you weren’t doing any of us a favor. What good are you if you’re tired and sluggish?”
“Not to worry.” Ethan smirks, getting to his feet. “Adrenaline is our friend.”
Jihun’s cough sounds suspiciously like a snort, but his face is perfectly serious when he gets to his feet. “I need to change before I go into town to procure the palanquins.”
My face catches fire, thinking of the last time I was in a palanquin, and my brain short-circuits. “Guh ...”
A roguish smile spreads across Ethan’s face, and his half-hooded eyes sweep the length of my body. Before I can pounce on the cocky bastard—to kiss him or kick his ass, who the hell knows—he turns toward Jihun.
“Of course, Captain.” He nods at him. “We’ll be ready to leave when you return.”
Jihun bows his head stiffly, then spins on his heels and makes a beeline for the cave. I bite my bottom lip. I don’t like hurting him, especially when Ethan and I can’t be together anyway. I start when I feel the soft pad of Ethan’s thumb on my lip as he tugs it free from my teeth. His eyes are solemn, and he drops his hand as soon as I stop worrying my lip raw.
“I can’t help it,” he says quietly.
“You can’t help what?” I glare at him. My reaction to his touch mixed with my concern for Jihun has me conflicted and testy.
“Teasing you.” He takes a shuddering breath. “Lov—”
“Don’t,” I snap. “I can’t. Not now.”
Pain slashes across his face, and my chest clenches, but I meant what I said. We’re about to infiltrate the Shinsi Palace to apprehend the King of Mountains. We’re basically walking into certain death. And I’m not ... strong enough. If he tells me he loves me—if he tells me he wants to be with me—I’m not strong enough to refuse him. Not this time.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He glances away. “Just friends.”
Jihun comes out of the cave in a rough commoner’s hanbok, his hair knotted at the top of his head, with a strip of plain cloth tied around his forehead. Yet he is so beautiful, it kind of hurts to look at him. I use his return to move away from Ethan.
“I don’t buy it.” I tap my lips with a finger as I circle Jihun. “That won’t do at all. Sit.”
I gather some leaves, fallen from the trees, and crouch down in front of Jihun. I wave my hand over the leaves and turn them into various shades of a bruise. I learned some everyday magic from Miok to do my own makeup, when the occasion called for it.Every occasion when Ethan was there.
“Shut up,” I mutter.
