Prophecy (13 page)

Another demon soldier appeared before her. Kira could see right away that it was an older possession that had inhabited the human host for too long. Scaly gray hide shone through the flesh. It reached for the prince with a hand that was more claw than human. Kira slashed down with her sword, slicing the arm off at the elbow. With a reverse swing, she decapitated the creature.

Her senses finely attuned to the sickening stench of the unholy ones, she knocked Taejo to the ground with her foot as the momentum of her swing whirled her around to slice off the head of another demon that tried to sneak up on them.

Pulling her cousin up, she half dragged him toward the waiting horses. Up ahead, several soldiers appeared and raised their bows, preparing to shoot. Kira shoved Taejo to the ground and felt the whirring of an arrow whip past her ear. She deflected an arrow with her sword even as she felt the sharp burn in her left arm where another scored a hit.

Before they could shoot again, Shin Bo Hyun appeared, shouting at them.

“No, don’t shoot!” He was too late. The arrow had already been released. Distracted by the young lord’s actions, Kira didn’t notice the danger until someone shoved her from behind. In slow motion, she saw Brother Woojin pierced with the arrow meant for her.

Kira dropped her sword and pulled out her bow, shooting off a rapid succession of arrows and felling several soldiers. She saw Shin Bo Hyun dash for cover behind a line of trees. She heard a choked sob. Taejo was holding the injured monk in his arms.

Around them, the others fought on, but the bodies of the temple monks littered the ground. Long staffs were no match for swords and demons.

“Young mistress, you must get the prince away from here!” Brother Woojin said as he tried to push the prince away. The arrow had punctured his left shoulder; bright red blood flowed from the injury, staining the fallen leaves below him. “Leave me!”

“I won’t leave you!” Taejo shouted.

Before Kira could respond, a disfigured demon soldier lurched into view, heading straight for them.

“My master will be so pleased with me,” it hissed. “Not only will I kill the missing prince, but I will dispose of the Demon Slayer also.”

Kira stepped forward and blocked its path.

“You can try,” she said. “But I don’t think so.”

Her words were quickly put to the test by the powerful double-sword attack the creature let loose on her. It took all her strength to defend herself. She was tired from the previous boar hunt, and her left arm was on fire from her injury. The blood had coursed down her arm, making her hands slick. Barely deflecting a killing blow, Kira staggered back.

Just when she thought she couldn’t hold out much longer, a sword slashed through the demon’s neck, decapitating it.

Shin Bo Hyun spit at the widening pool of black sludge pouring from the corpse. He kicked the deflating body of the demon before stepping over it. He grinned at her surprise. “You looked like you needed some help,” he said.

“Why? He was one of yours!”

Shin Bo Hyun’s face darkened. “No. I had no idea there were demons among my soldiers. I would never have allowed it.”

“I don’t believe you,” Kira said. She picked up her sword and held it before her two-handed, praying that more help was on its way. Behind her, Taejo seemed oblivious to everything but the wounded monk.

Shin Bo Hyun stepped closer. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll forgive you.” He stopped to take in the tableau before him. “Are you ready to return with us, Your Highness?” he asked.

“I will never go anywhere with you!” Taejo shouted. “I’ll kill you first!”

“How many more lives must be lost before you recognize the futility of your actions?” Shin Bo Hyun asked.

“Yours will be the next,” Kira responded, raising her sword high.

Shin Bo Hyun held up his hand. “Kira, you are my betrothed. Please put down your sword and join me at my side. It is, after all, where you belong.”

“I am not your betrothed and I will never join you!”

“I beg to differ. The king and queen agreed to our betrothal. We are, in fact, engaged—and it is binding, unless you plan to dishonor your family,” he said.

“Shin Bo Hyun! You’re nothing but a traitor!”

“No, I’m not,” Shin Bo Hyun replied in all seriousness. “I am completely loyal to my family, as are you. It is my uncle who is the traitor. I merely do his bidding.”

“And by what perverted logic does that make you not a traitor?”

“We cannot choose our families, no more than we can choose what we look like. I may not like my uncle, or what he is doing. But I have no choice but to follow his orders.” He pointed at her. “Like you. I know you. Loyalty to clan over loyalty to king, isn’t that right?”

“My king is my clan!” she shouted at him.

Shin Bo Hyun sighed. “Let’s not be obtuse.”

Kira fought to keep her composure. “Your hypocrisy disgusts me. And frankly, I don’t understand why in the world you would want to marry a woman who plans on killing you.”

“Ah, but it is so much more exciting that way!”

Kira rushed forward, aiming for his neck. Their swords met with a loud clash of steel. Shin Bo Hyun blocked and pushed her sword to the side. She instantly backed off, aware that she was fighting in anger. She’d forgotten how good a swordsman he was—as good as her brothers.

He smiled. “Your eyes glow like the brightest gold when you are angry. I can’t wait to see how they will look in our marriage bed.”

Disgust rose like bile in her throat. She charged, striking blow after blow as the young lord blocked and pushed back, but he did not take the offensive. Why wasn’t he attacking? Why was he playing with her?

Rage made her sloppy. She twisted her sword sideways and thrust at his rib cage. He parried her strike to the side and grabbed her sword hilt with his left hand.

“Don’t you realize that you are mine?” he asked. He quickly disarmed her and held her tight in his embrace. “Now, Kira, let’s go home.”

Kira stared up at him in shock, noting how his eyes seemed both
fierce and tender. She slammed her forehead into his chin. He yelped in surprise and loosened his grip.

A sudden shout erupted from Taejo as he hurled himself at Shin Bo Hyun, his short sword slashing the young lord across his arm. Cursing, Shin Bo Hyun blocked Taejo’s wild blows and then knocked away his sword.

Kira kicked at Shin Bo Hyun’s legs just as Jindo attacked his left arm. The lord fell backward and then flipped himself over, away from Kira and the dog.

From the woods came the sound of an approaching army. Kira was relieved to see Kwan and Captain Pak, leading a force of fifty genuine Hansong soldiers.

Captain Pak flung himself from his horse and with his twin blades drawn, challenged Shin Bo Hyun.

“Ah, the good captain arrives in time to save the day!” Shin Bo Hyun said.

The combatants circled each other and struck, their swords scraping and clanging in a discordant din. Even wounded, Shin Bo Hyun was a formidable adversary.

All around them, the tide of the battle turned as Shin Bo Hyun’s men were overcome by the new soldiers.

“Noona! Help me!” Taejo cried out.

Brother Woojin’s face was gray and his eyes remained closed. Gathering up the loose fabric of his robe, she pressed it around the arrow shaft.

Kira looked up to see that Pak had disarmed Shin Bo Hyun, but the other man got hold of a fallen staff and bashed Pak in the face before retreating.

Shin Bo Hyun whistled for his horse and in seconds he was mounted. He gazed one last time at Kira before riding away. She was stunned by his look of deep unhappiness. Even more troubling was the recognition that a small part of her was glad he was escaping.

The captain threw a frustrated glance at Shin Bo Hyun before rushing to their side.

“I thought you were dead!” Taejo said.

“Here, let me help, Your Highness,” the captain said, taking off his leather gloves as he pressed his hands over the monk’s wound.

All color had leached away from Brother Woojin’s face. His eyes fluttered to gaze up at them.

“Sunim! You saved us,” Kira said.

“But now, this is your job alone,” he replied. “You must protect Taejo always.”

“Don’t talk, Sunim. Save your strength,” Captain Pak said.

“No, listen to me, there is no time. The temple is no longer safe for the young prince. You cannot return there. He must be kept safe.” Brother Woojin gasped, visibly weakened. “Take him to the last of his family, King Eojin of Guru. Ask for my fellow monk, Brother Boyuk. He will help you.”

“Sunim!” Taejo cried. “Please don’t die!”

Brother Woojin called Kira’s name. She leaned over so he could see her.

“Young mistress,” he whispered. “Protect him with your life, or all will be lost.”

“On my honor,” she said.

A soldier approached the captain and spoke quietly to him. Captain Pak nodded and rose to his feet.

“Your Highness, the enemy has been routed. But we must leave soon. These woods are not safe for you.”

Taejo didn’t move. He held on tight to his tutor’s hand.

“I won’t leave Sunim!”

“You must,” Brother Woojin said. He winced in pain.

“The monks will take him back to the temple,” Captain Pak said kindly. He signaled to his men. They helped the prince to his feet and guided him away.

Kira was overcome with pain and guilt. They should have stayed in the temple. She should never have taken the prince on a hunt. She gazed at the carnage. The smooth heads and gray robes of the temple monks littered the forest floor. Survivors were praying over their lost brethren.

Some of the dead were monks she had sparred with, eaten meals with. They had laughed, sung, and prayed together. But now they were gone. Tears seeped through her tightly shut eyes. She’d made a grave miscalculation, and many people had died because of it.

“Kang Kira, you’re wounded! Let me help you.” Jaewon put out a hand to help her, but she ignored it.

“It’s all my fault,” she said. Unable to bear his sympathy, she walked away.

She stopped short when she came upon a still figure propped up against an ancient tree stump. It was Brother Insu, his open eyes fixed in death. A sharp pain shot through her chest.

She knelt at his side. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. She placed a trembling hand over his eyes, closing them forever.

The savory smell of roasting meat filled the air. They had ridden for
hours before making camp by the banks of an unfamiliar river. Kira sat under heavy furs, trying to warm up. Her left arm had been tightly bandaged but still throbbed in pain. Taejo was rolled up in his blankets, Jindo panting softly by his side. Kwan and Jaewon were also nearby, enjoying the fire. Kira sensed Jaewon gazing at her, but she avoided him.

Taejo sat up. “Where are we?”

“We are some one hundred and fifty
li
east of the temple, still in Tongey territory,” Jaewon replied. “You were fast asleep, easy to transport. In fact, easier than the enormous boar you hunted.”

“How did you carry it?” Taejo asked.

“Ah, the efficiency of the Hansong soldier!” Captain Pak said, coming up from behind to pat his shoulder. “We don’t leave meat behind, if we can help it. We butchered the carcass, then wrapped the meat in maple leaves and cloth. We kept the skin intact for you. Perhaps when we get to the northern kingdom, we’ll find a tanner.”

Taejo shrugged at the captain’s words. He squeezed between Kira and Kwan in front of the fire as Seung passed wooden bowls of food to everyone. The meat was rich, the juices soaking into the rice and barley below it, but it could have been bark for all the pleasure it gave Kira. She ate to fill her stomach, uncaring of what she placed in her mouth.

When she was done, she looked at her companions. Her brother sat hunched over, staring into the fire, while Jaewon and Seung ate quietly nearby. The captain sat across from her, eating ravenously.

“Thank you for coming to our aid today. How did you escape from the Yamatos?” she asked.

“These soldiers here were part of the Hansong garrison deployed to the Jinhan Kingdom,” Pak said. “When Jinhan fell, their commanding officer charged them to return home and protect our capital. But it was too late—Hansong had already fallen. Fortunately for me, they came to my rescue during the Yamato attack where we parted.”

“My oldest brother, Kyoung,” Kira said. “He was deployed to Jinhan. Have you seen him?”

Pak shook his head. “I haven’t seen him, but don’t worry, young mistress. Word is that he made it safe out of Jinhan and is traveling north.”

Kira was relieved to hear Kyoung was alive.

“We were very fortunate today,” she said. “How were you able to find us?”

“You must thank your brother, for he is the one who led us to you,” the captain said.

Kwan was studying his bowl, his face grim. It was unusual for him to be so quiet. He’d not spoken a word to Kira since his return. Something was wrong, but Kira was afraid to find out what it could be.