Silvern (The Gilded Series)

by Farley, Christina

  “No!” I scream, holding my hands up, dropping the other sword. “I will negotiate!”

  The sickle halts, the tip cutting Marc’s skin. Blood trickles out of the wound. Marc staggers backward, panting. The poison must be too much for him. I’m desperate to run to him and pull him into my arms, but that won’t save him. Kud’s hood shifts until it faces me.

  “Negotiate, you said?” He cocks his head.

  I glare. “Yes.”

  “I am not so keen on negotiation. This had better be interesting. You still have a number of family members that could become instrumental in persuading you to hand over your little trinket.”

  “Let him go and I accept your proposition.”

  “Remind me of which proposition you refer to.”

  “I will join you.”

  “Jae!” Marc says, breathlessly. “Don’t do it. He’ll just kill us anyway.”

  “How pathetic,” Kud says. “Only after complete desperation do you agree to my proposal. Besides, why should I trust you? You have gained some notoriety for slaying immortals.”

  “Accept my proposal, or I will use the power of this orb,” I say. “Too much will kill me. If that happens, you will never get this orb or its power.”

  “Haven’t you grown clever?” Kud presses the sickle tip deeper into Marc’s skin.

  “So your answer is no,” I say and grab the orb.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Your actions do,” I snap.

  Slowly, Kud pulls away his sickle. “How do I know you won’t run off and change your mind?”

  “As long as you don’t touch my family members or friends, the agreement is on.”

  Kud pounds the end of his sickle on the floor. “I like this.”

  The ground cracks from the impact. The tentacles from his robe swirl about him until a long rice paper roll, a traditional brush, and an ink bottle flutter before me. Words blaze in fire over the paper. I read it carefully. It’s a contract.

  I _______ (Princess Jae Hwa of Haemosu’s realm) do agree to enter Kud’s service. In turn I _______ (Kud, master of the realm of darkness) agree not to kill or kidnap any of Jae Hwa’s relatives or friends.

  “There is no time limit here,” I point out. “I want out after a year.”

  “Pff,” Kud snorts. “A year? Hardly. You are mine forever. Letting this idiot free is no small gift. Are not your friends and family worth your life?”

  My hand shakes as I grab the brush pen. This is the right thing to do, I tell myself. But still, it feels wrong. So very, very wrong.

  “Don’t do this, Jae!” Marc screams. “I’m begging you. If you love me, you won’t do this.”

  “I love you, too,” I say. “That’s why I have to do it.”

  “There’s got to be another way,” Marc says. “Tell her, Kud. Give her another option. This isn’t an option.”

  “We went over my conditions already,” Kud says. “This is ridiculous.”

  “I won’t be the one responsible for your death,” I tell Marc. “I have to live with the guilt of knowing Michelle died because I wasn’t strong enough to stop her from getting involved. Her death is on me. I can’t have yours be, too.”

  “What about your dad?” Marc says. “And grandfather?”

  “You will be dead to them,” Kud says. “But they will be alive to you. They must not know you live.”

  I drop the brush. “They will think I’ve died?”

  “This is my way.”

  “That is hardly a fair deal,” Marc says, eyeing the swords, but then he sags to the ground, releasing a frustrated growl as if that final stand against Kud was too much for him.

  I eye the paper, imagining Dad, alone on the couch, waiting up for me. And me never coming home. Grandfather will finally break the news to Dad that I’m dead. I think of his golf balls, motivational posters, and origami creatures. My throat burns as I try to hold back my tears. I don’t know if either of them will recover. My death alone might kill them.

  “I won’t sign this unless you promise I can visit my family and Marc,” I say. “Every week.”

  “You will have every finery I can offer in my world. But your family will be off-limits to you. I may offer rewards for good behavior from time to time.”

  I press my hands over my eyes. What should I do? Who is faced with this kind of decision?

  “I grow weary of your ways, Princess! Decide now.”

  I search my brain for an answer. I look to the orb for guidance, but it doesn’t shine its light. I’m alone in this. This is the only way to keep Marc and my family safe without handing over the orb to Kud. Kud may think he has power over me, but I will never let him. I promise myself that.

  “I’m sorry, Marc.” My tears finally break free. “Sometimes losing is the only way. The only power we have.”

  I pick up the brush, dip it into the ink, and sign my name.

  The wind cuts across my cheeks, cold despite this spring day, as I stand on the bald summit of Seorakson Mountain. It’s a narrow crag, but wide enough for a few hikers to stand and see the view of endless mountains, swooping in jagged summits one after the next all the way into North Korea. A mist weaves through the dagger-spiked peaks. I breathe it all in.

  I hear him hiking up the path, rocks tumbling in his wake. My body tenses, and I pray he’s come alone. But I have nothing to worry about. It’s only Marc climbing up the last rope that will lead him to me. I check my watch, already feeling the minutes ticking away.

  Once he’s scrambled up, he pauses, his eyes taking me in. I search his face for a sign of how he feels about us. His eyes are guarded, wary. Fear clamps my heart. Does he still love me? I follow his gaze to my tight black pants and black turtleneck top. My hair is braided down my back to keep it out of my face. I wonder if he even recognizes me.

  “I miss you,” he says.

  He misses me.

  I almost smile, but then I remember. He should forget my existence. Michelle’s death still tortures me, and I wallow in it because I deserve nothing but misery. The distance between Marc and me might be a few feet, but it feels like an eternity. We are worlds apart.

  “I miss you, too.” I swallow the ache in my throat.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  No, I’m not. “Yes, I’m getting used to it.”

  He looks away, focusing on the mist curling at our feet. “You’ve never been a good liar. I’m surprised Kud allowed this. Good behavior?”

  “Yeah.” I grimace. “Something like that. How are my dad and Haraboji?”

  “Your funeral is next week.” He lets out a long breath. “I think your grandfather suspects something.”

  I close my eyes, hating how I’m bringing them both so much pain. It’s almost too much to bear, and the weight of it all presses down on me.

  “Hold my hand.” I reach for him. His hesitation stabs me. Yet through the strain and uncertainty, our hands find each other’s. His warmth against my cold.

  “I’m going to find a way to get you out of there,” Marc says.

  “No, you’re not.” My fingertips find his face, and I trail the scar along his jawbone. “You’re going to stay alive. If things go well, we can meet again.”

  But I know the truth. He must move on. Find a new girl. Because for his safety, I must be dead to him now. I check my stopwatch.

  “Fifteen seconds.” I can’t hide the panic in my voice.

  “I love you,” he whispers into my ear.

  His lips find mine, and for a moment, our worlds collide. I clutch his jacket with both hands, clinging to our every second.

  Then I feel Kud’s pull. I’m ripped from Marc’s arms, and a tunnel of stars and emptiness swirls around me, yanking me back into Kud’s lands. The last image I have of Marc is the pain carved on his face, the hardness of his jaw, and the s
park in his green eyes. Our moment has vanished, leaving me once again alone with only the darkness for company.

  My arms never stop reaching for him.

  ajusshi—man older than you

  annyeong haseyo—hello (formal)

  annyeong kyeseyo—goodbye

  Black Turtle—guardian of the north and of rain

  Blue Dragon—guardian of the west and of the clouds

  Bonghwang—mythological bird with the beak of a rooster, face of a swallow, forehead of a fowl, neck of a snake, breast of a goose, back of a tortoise, hindquarters of a stag, and tail of a fish

  Bulgae—Kud’s bloodhounds

  Chollima—winged horse

  dak-gangjeong—sweet-and-sour fried chicken

  dalgyal gwishin—a ghost with a featureless egg-like head

  Dano Festival—holiday that falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar Korean calendar

  dobok—Tae Kwon Do uniform

  dojang—training center for Tae Kwon Do

  dokkaebi—gremlin, trickster

  Eereumee muhyehyo?—What’s your name?

  goong dae—quiver for arrows

  Guardians of Shinshi—an ancient sect of warriors dedicated to protecting Korea

  Gwanghwamun—downtown Seoul

  gwishin—a ghost

  Haechi—legendary creature resembling a lion; a fire-eating dog; guardian against disaster and prejudice

  Haemosu—demigod of the sun

  hanbok—traditional Korean dress

  haraboji—grandfather

  imoogi—half-dragon that must wait a thousand years to become a real dragon; some are good while others are evil

  kalbi—grilled beef or pork

  kimbap—Korean dish of steamed white rice and other ingredients rolled in sheets of dried seaweed and served in bite-sized slices

  kimchi—spicy pickled cabbage; the national dish of Korea

  King Daebyeol—ruler of the Underworld

  komo—aunt on the father’s side

  Kud—god of darkness

  kumiho—fox-tailed female shape-shifter

  Kukkiwon—the world headquarters for Tae Kwon Do

  Kumgangsan—the Diamond Mountains; a tourist region in North Korea where Kuryong Falls is located

  Kuryong—Nine Dragons

  mool gwishin—ghost of one who was drowned by water

  odaeng—fish skewers

  ondol—under-floor heating system

  Oryonggeo—Haemosu’s chariot, drawn by five dragons

  pagoda—temple or sacred building, typically a many-tiered tower

  Palk—sun god and founder of the realm of light

  Red Phoenix—guardian of the south and of fire

  Princess Yuhwa—demigoddess of the willow trees

  samjoko—three-legged crow; symbol of power and of the sun

  Samshin—goddess of life and childbirth

  Seijak—begin

  Tiger of Shinshi—protector of the Golden Thread that ties and binds the Korean people throughout time

  umma—mom

  White Tiger—Guardian of the west and of the winds

  won—the basic monetary unit of North Korea and South Korea

  yo—Korean mattress that easily rolls up

  Yonsei University—one of the most prestigious universities in Korea

  Photo © Liga

  Christina Farley was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea, that became the setting of the Gilded series. Currently she lives in Clermont, Florida, with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.