Gilded (33 page)

This time I’m prepared when the swirling stops. I reach for my bow, relieved it’s still with me, and notch in an arrow.

But I am wrong again. So wrong.

The place into which I step is like nothing I’ve yet experienced. Stars glitter around me, as if I’m suspended in the middle of nowhere. Before me is an enormous tiger, sitting on his haunches, as orange as the deepest sunset, with black stripes darker than the darkest night. I drop my bow in surprise. It floats by my side.

“Where—” I stutter, my breath comes out heavy. “Where?”

The tiger’s deep ginger eyes consider me, and he tilts his head to the side. Behind the tiger stretches a long thick golden thread, shimmering as it trails to forever. He roars, “I am the Tiger of Shinshi, the Warden of Three Thousand Li, the Defender of the Chosen, and the Guardian of the Golden Thread.” I clamp my hands over my head. “Who are you?”

I lower my shaking hands. “I am Jae Hwa.”

“What is your purpose, daughter of Korea?”

I gape at his massive paws. “I am going to confront Haemosu.”

“What of Haemosu?”

“He has stolen the spirits of my ancestors and kidnapped my aunt, grandfather, and friend. I have to help them.”

“The Spirit World is not for the living.”

“But aren’t you supposed to protect us?” I don’t dare look at him. I’ve overstepped my boundaries. “My family hasn’t had peace for hundreds of years. Please allow me to go into Haemosu’s land. I have to stop him.”

“Hmm.” His voice rumbles. “Impertinent girl. You know that no dream comes without a price. Are you willing to sacrifice?”

My heart clenches like a fist. I lift my head. “Yes.”

His eyes bore deep into mine. “Then go.”

“Can you make sure my bow and arrows come with me?”

“Your weapons will not save you.”

“I have to try.”

“So be it.” His paw reaches out and touches my hand, as soft as a cherry blossom. “Take this.” I open my palm, and he places an amethyst the size of my fingernail in it. It pulses warmth through my skin.

“The soul of Korea. Let it guide you through the darkness.”

Before I can thank him, he transforms into a giant topaz sphere. It rolls across the golden thread and disappears.

I stand still for a moment, trying to grasp what I’ve just seen. There’s nothing around me but stars and emptiness. I’m lost. What now?

Then I remember the tiger’s words about the gem. I strap
my bow to my back and open my palm. The gem glistens, ribbons of light cascading from its surface.

I follow the light, my feet touching nothing, and it’s as if I’m flying. The wind picks up around me, and I move closer to something in the distance. It’s another golden plate, just like the one at King Munmu’s tomb. When I reach it, I set the amulet into the hole as before, and I’m sucked inside.

The darkness fades, and wavering before me is Haemosu’s throne room. I glance over my shoulder, but the plate I walked through has disappeared. The air shimmers, and as it settles, I slide the amulet back into its pouch and stuff the amethyst into my jeans pocket.

I swing my bow and arrow into place in one fluid motion and wait. Holding my breath, waiting for Haemosu to leap out in one of his strange forms. But nothing happens. The room is empty. I lower the bow, glad it’s in perfect condition. Maybe it really is the true Blue Dragon bow.

I race outside the throne room into the courtyard. All I can think about is Komo, Marc, and Grandfather and if they’re safe. If they’re still alive.

“Jae!”

Marc’s voice.

I skid to a stop and swing around to see Marc and Grandfather trapped in a bamboo cage at the other end of the courtyard.
I race toward them. Their clothes are shredded, and the side of Marc’s face is caked with blood. Grandfather is lying still, curled up in the small space. My heart slams inside my chest like someone kicked me. This is what they get for helping me? I should never have allowed this to happen.

“Jae Hwa!” Marc says, falling to his knees, his hair a wild mess. “What happened? You’re supposed to be in Japan.”

“I’m so sorry, Marc.” I hunch down and grab hold of the bars. “How is Haraboji?”

Marc shakes his head. “Not good. Haemosu brought him here only recently. He hasn’t woken up yet.”

I swallow back tears and lift my chin. “I’m going to get you out. I’m going to fix all this.” I run my hands over the cage’s edge in search of the lock, but the bamboo runs smooth and unending under my fingertips.

“You won’t find any locks,” Marc says, “if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Have you seen Komo?”

He looks away. I grip the bars tighter to stop myself from going into complete panic mode. I can’t think about what that look means.

“He’s been using the life energy of your ancestors’ souls to become more powerful,” Marc says. “And he thinks that with you as his queen, no one can cross him.”

“That’s why he was able to come out at night?”

“I got the feeling that he wasn’t telling me everything.”

I stand up. “Move back,” I say.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you out.” I bring my hand up and slice it down on the top bamboo pole of the cage, pulling all my energy into the motion. The bar splits, but not enough to break. I prepare for another thrust.

“Hide!”
Marc whispers, his eyes focused on something behind me. “He’s coming.”

A tingling sound fills the air, and I know Haemosu is near. He’s already sensed my presence, I’m sure of it, so hiding isn’t an option. I swivel around, pulling out my bow and arrow. I take my mark.

“Well, well,” Haemosu says, appearing from nowhere and strolling up to us casually, his red cloak billowing out behind him. “My princess has arrived. I have been expecting you.”

Apparently he has, because he’s all dressed up. His silk tunic shimmers in different shades of blue as the light reflects against him. The tunic, with wide sleeves that flare out at the wrist, flows down to his feet, the front and back cut apart; and I can see he’s wearing black pants underneath. The white sash around his waist holds the tunic tight against him and accentuates the five golden dragons twisting to form a circle on his chest. On his head he wears a golden band with a mini crown resting on his topknot, a dragon-headed pin sliced through it.

“I am pleased to see you have realized your destiny is with me,” Haemosu says. “My kingdom is more complete when you are here.”

“You have two choices,” I say, my string taunt and ready.

He raises his eyebrows and rubs his chin. “Choices? How intriguing.”

“Let Marc and my family go and release the spirits of my ancestors, or I’ll send this arrow through your heart.”

“Dearest,
dearest
princess. You must know you cannot kill me. I am immortal. A spirit of the wind.”

To demonstrate, he lifts up in the air, golden dust spiraling under him. His image seems to grow larger and larger until it fills my whole vision and all I can hear is his booming laugh. And then in a blink he’s back to his normal smirking self, standing in front of me.

“And do not worry your little head about that bothersome Haechi. I have made sure he will be too busy to join us.”

What has Haemosu done?

“Look carefully, Haemosu,” Marc says, his fists clenched by his sides. “Her bow bears the symbol of the Blue Dragon. An arrow released from it will kill you.”

“Who are you to know of such things?” he says, staring at Marc, eyes blazing like dragon-fire. “You are nothing to me. Besides, I have a great ally, one who has shown me how to increase my power. And with my princess at my side, I will be indestructible.”

“I will never be
at your side
,” I say. “Now give me your answer!”

“You want an answer? Experience my answer!”

Sparks burst from Haemosu’s body, crackling in white and gold. His figure writhes and twists until he’s morphed into a wingless dragon as tall as the palace walls, golden scaled with large, crimson eyes. His four golden claws scrape the brick path and rip it to shreds.

A blast of fire shoots from the dragon’s mouth, and I know what to do.

I hold out my hand and
push
the fire around me.

I’m so shocked at what I had just done, I nearly drop my bow. I reposition it, notch in an arrow, and let it loose. Too late. The tip flicks off his scaly armor just as Marc’s and Grandfather’s cage catches fire. The flames feast hungrily on the bamboo.

“Marc! Haraboji!” I race to them.

Marc pulls Grandfather into the corner while I thrust the side of my hand at the bamboo until a chunk breaks off the top of the cage. My skin singes from the heat. Marc rips off his shirt and starts beating the flames with it. Finally the cage breaks. Marc grabs Grandfather under the arms and drags him off to the side.

“Keep him safe!” I yell to Marc.

Haemosu’s dragon body shakes, and he whips his head around, looking for prey. He rears over Marc and Grandfather.

“No!” I scream. As my words echo through the courtyard, the trees bend and shiver as if responding to my voice.

The power of the land draws to me. Haemosu blinks. I notch an arrow into my bow and send it flying. It hits his face. With a screech, the dragon rears, eyes focused on me. I don’t stop.

One arrow.

Then another, and another, fast like the wings of a hummingbird until my
goong dae
is empty. The dragon lifts up a four-clawed paw and swipes at me. I leap backward.

The dragon shakes once, and the arrows fall to the ground. A growl-like laugh erupts from the dragon’s throat. His scales must be steel.

It appears you were wrong, my princess,
Haemosu says in my mind.

I lower my bow, frowning. Am I wrong? Is the Blue Dragon bow only a myth?

The dragon sucks in air and blows. Flames stream from his mouth. I tumble to the ground as the fire chases me. I can’t control it. His power is too much for me. And after watching the bow fail I don’t know where to turn next.

The rules of metamorphosis state that I must become stronger than the dragon to defeat him. But every time I’m morphed I’ve screwed it up somehow. Doubt tears through me, weakening my knees.

If I lose this time I lose everything. Komo, Marc, Grandfather, my ancestors, myself. And the curse will live on in the next generation of my family.

What is stronger than a dragon?
Nothing,
I think. Nothing can possibly be stronger than a dragon.

And then a new thought strikes me, and I stand up straighter, half frozen. I hold up the amulet by its chain and stare at the figure on it. It rotates slowly, its bronze glinting in the sun.

The samjoko.

Marc’s words come back to me:
It is considered to be more powerful than the dragon or phoenix.

I clutch the amulet in my hand and spread out my arms, lifting my head toward the sky. I think of Mom and her steady belief in God. Of Komo saying that disbelief is the root of the impossible. Of Marc’s faith in me. I need to believe like they do. Can I?

Closing my eyes, I feel the power grow within me, stretching and pulling and twisting like fire rushing through me until it’s larger than I could ever imagine. I open my eyes.

And blink.

I am a crow, as black as midnight. A crow with three feet and glittering diamond claws. I stretch out my wings; they’re as wide as a small building.

A
samjoko
.

The impossibility of what I’ve just done drags at my mind and shakes my belief. My body trembles, and I feel the morph reverting back to my human self.
No.
I can’t let myself change back. I will myself to hold on to this image.

Haemosu roars and charges at me in his dragon state. I screech back, my voice shaking the ground, and sail up in the air. The dragon skids in his tracks and follows me into the sky. More flames shoot from his mouth. I twist and turn, lithe and strong, until I’m behind him, safe from his fire.

He swipes his long scaly tail against my wing. I’m flung through the air and smash onto the tiled roof of the palace, its clay pieces splintering and shattering as they fall to the ground. Everything blurs. My stomach slides along the roof as I plummet
toward the ground. The tiles scrape my skin, and I can feel myself bleeding.