Kira nodded. A few months ago, a demon had possessed a guard and made it through the palace gates. Fortunately, Kira had been close by and eliminated the threat before he could reach the inner sanctums of the palace. Ever since then, the palace servants were not allowed off the premises, and her father had put her in charge of sweeping through the ranks of all the military units every morning to check for demon possession. While she appreciated her brother's concern for her, she wondered at its excessiveness. What was she missing?

The king gave a loud oath and threw down the silk scroll he'd been holding.

"These attempts on my life are a ruse. The real danger is still to my son," the king said.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the danger is to you both," Brother Woojin said.

"Sunim," the king said sharply. "How many times do I have to remind you that what happens to me is not as important as what happens to Taejo? He must be protected and kept alive at all costs. He is the last of my line."

He gazed at Kira with barely concealed contempt.

"Kira, you have broken my decree and failed in your duty to keep the public safe from knowledge of the demon threat," he said. "How can I trust you to protect my son?"

She burned at his words, in anger and shame. Kira knew that to the king, her only value was as the prince's bodyguard. But for her cursed talent, she would have been killed or banished long ago.

"I swear on my life. I will protect the prince," she said, her voice thick with the tears she refused to release.

His eyes bore into hers for a long, uncomfortable moment before he dismissed her with a careless flick of his hand. "I will not punish you this time."

Kira bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I must go. Your father will brief you on the situation," the king said. "Lieutenant Colonel Kang and Lieutenant Kang will attend to me now."

Without a backward glance, he left the room, her brothers following close behind.

As the metallic clinking of armor faded into the distance, she tried to tamp down the anger that always overcame her when dealing with her uncle, but to no avail.

Kira cried out in frustration. "Why must he hate me so much?"

5.

Brother Woojin placed a comforting hand on Kira's shoulder. "Perhaps hate is too strong a word," he said.

"You're right; loathe is more appropriate. That's why he always looks at me like I'm a disgusting dung fly he wants to squash," she said.

"Kira, don't say such ridiculous things," her father replied. "You are the prince's bodyguard. His Majesty doesn't hate you."

Kira snorted. "Just because he finds me useful doesn't mean he likes me. I know he keeps hoping that one day I won't return and he'll finally be rid of the monster in the family."

"Ya! Kira!" her father yelled. "Watch what you say!"

Aggravated, she began to pace. Her father could be so blinded by loyalty that he missed the obvious and erased away past slights. But Kira could never forget so easily.

She'd been seven years old when she had her first vision and killed her first demon-possessed human. Lord Noh, the amba.s.sador to Cathay and an old friend of the king's, had returned to court after ten years away, no longer human. But only Kira could sense the change. The nightmares that she'd been having, about the prince being attacked by a demon, suddenly made sense. When she tried to tell the king and queen, no one believed her. All she got were ten lashes across her back and the sure knowledge that the king wished her dead.

She'd never forgotten what he said to her that day. "Children die all the time. Why not you?"

Kira had known it was up to her to stop the demon in Lord Noh's body. She began to follow him everywhere and saw him kidnap the prince and kill all his guards and nursemaids. She was the only one who saw him raise a monstrous imoogi, half dragon, half snake, from the depths of Green Heaven Lake. Kira still had nightmares about the imoogi. It was taller than the highest trees and as black as the darkest ink, spiraling over the water with undulating coils. When it roared, its huge fangs gleamed in the sunlight. While Noh's attention was focused on the imoogi, Kira grabbed her cousin and ran away. Even then she was faster and stronger than any normal child.

But she couldn't escape Lord Noh. Unable to outrun him, Kira pulled out her dagger and stabbed him in the throat, releasing the demon and sending the imoogi back to the underworld.

But Kira's most vivid recollection of the events was the sight of her uncle's disappointed face when he saw that she was still alive.

Now her father patted her shoulder and turned her around. "Regardless of your feelings for the king, you must respect him. He is our sovereign leader."

Kira shrugged and gave a little smile. "Do you think he would hate me less if I'd been a boy?"

Her father hesitated and then nodded. "It would have made it easier for him to accept you."

Not surprised by his answer, Kira sighed before changing the subject. "What's going on? What about the murders and the Yamatos?"

"The Yamato nation is now led by Daimyo Tomodoshi, a ruthless man who started out as a mere captain of the Kudara army. Sent as part of a diplomatic mission to the Yamato court, he apparently rose to commanding-general status by ambushing and killing off important tribal leaders. He has proclaimed himself daimyo and is now more powerful than the Yamato king, who is a mere figurehead."

Kira was surprised. "But I haven't heard any of this before."

Her father waved at the numerous scrolls covering his desk. "News doesn't move quickly from the islands to the mainland. This is information we have received from our spy network. I'm still not sure of what is happening. But it is troubling. The danger is the daimyo and his surprising rise to power."

"Surprising?" Kira asked. "Do you think it's unnatural?"

Brother Woojin spoke up.

"Young mistress, in your studies, you learned of the great battle for civilization between the G.o.ds and the demons," Brother Woojin said. "The Heavenly Father battled with the Demon Lord for seven years before defeating him. Had the outcome been different, then the world as we know it would have ceased to exist, and humans would have been enslaved by the demons. It was the Heavenly Father who banished all the fiends to the underworld. Only the lesser demons, imps, and hobgoblins can enter our world, for like insects, they were too numerous to banish."

Kira was puzzled. Why was the monk talking history?

"After the great battle, we were a united country called Gojosun under our founder, King Dang, son of a she-bear, grandson of the Heavenly Father, who ruled for nearly two thousand years." The monk pressed his palms together and raised them to the sky. "It was King Dang who became the great Dragon King. He had the power of prophecy, longevity of life, wisdom of the ages, and mystical power over nature. He could summon the winds, raise the seas, and even bring forth a rumble from the bowels of the earth. He foretold a time when the world would be faced with an evil unlike anything seen before. It would sweep through our peninsula, into Cathay and the lands beyond, and wipe out the civilization of man," he said.

"The Dragon King's prophecy," Kira breathed. "He said that the Demon Lord would one day return to destroy mankind." Dread coursed up her spine.

Brother Woojin nodded, looking pleased with her quick understanding.

"When King Dang died, his sons bickered and fought for the throne until Gojosun was broken apart, leaving it vulnerable to invaders. Eventually, King Dang's heirs formed the Seven Kingdoms, and the prophecy was nearly forgotten."

He pulled a bundle of bamboo sticks from the folds of his robe. Unrolling the bamboo scroll, he revealed the beautiful pictorial characters of hanja flowing down each strip. The monk stroked the bamboo reverently. "This is a copy of Master Ahn's scriptures, the first head monk of Dragon Springs Temple, who recorded the Dragon King's prophecy. *Seven will become three. Three will become one. One will save us all.' Ever since then, my brothers have made it our mission to study the scriptures and discover how to protect the world from the coming danger."

Brother Woojin addressed the general. "With the rise in the number of demon possessions, it is clear that a greater force is at work."

"But how?" Kira asked.

"Through a human medium," Brother Woojin said. "We understand the daimyo of Yamato is skilled in the demon arts. The Demon Lord has sought out a human subject to bond with. We believe that through the daimyo, he has begun his campaign for domination."

Kira tried to process what she had just heard. Part of her did not want to believe it. The other part recognized that it explained much of what she had been dealing with.

Kira's wounds began throbbing again, and she could feel the beginnings of a headache. "Sunim, do you mean to say that you believe the end of the world is coming?"

"I believe that the danger is real and will happen. But Master Ahn has written that there is a savior. He believed that it was written into the prophecy itself."

She frowned, unsure of what he meant. "No one knows what the prophecy means," she said.

"No one knows for sure, but there have been many interpretations, including Master Ahn's," the monk replied. "We believe that the *one' of the prophecy refers to a royal descendant of the Dragon King-the Dragon Musado, a warrior who will unite the kingdoms and save us from the Demon Lord."

"A royal descendant of the Dragon King? That would explain why they're a.s.sa.s.sinating the royals," Kira said. She laughed derisively. "And why is it always *the one' that saves the world, like some fairy tale? One man against the Demon Lord and his legions of evil soldiers? Unbelievable! Good luck finding that poor guy. If he's smart, he'll either kill himself or run far, far away."

Brother Woojin tut-tutted as he frowned at her. "Young mistress, this is no laughing matter."

"I'm sorry, Sunim. But it's just too ridiculous," she said. "Father, you don't believe this, do you?"

The general stepped away from the map he'd been studying, a troubled look on his face.

"Who's to say if any of this is true? No one has ever been able to clearly decipher the prophecy," he said. "What knowledge we have is shrouded with myths and legends, to the extent that we can't know what is truth and what is fiction. I've been trying to study the prophecy myself. But ultimately it is all conjecture and interpretation."

"It's more than theory, General Kang," the monk said. "These myths are real; the prophecy is true."

General Kang sighed. "Perhaps. But one thing I do know is that we are weaker divided. If the Seven Kingdoms were united, as we once were under the Dragon King, the Demon Lord would find it harder to attack us. Instead, we must rely on some myth about a royal savior-"

"Dragon Musado," Brother Woojin interrupted.

"-who will save the world." General Kang rubbed a hand over his eyes and turned back to the large wall map. "Whether or not we believe that there is a savior is irrelevant. What is important is that the daimyo believes it and is not taking any chances. And neither will we."

Kira absently gnawed on a fingernail, her eyes fixed on the map. Hansong appeared so vulnerable, hemmed in by danger from all sides. "Then the prince is in danger also," she said.

"As are you and your brothers," the general said. "All three of you are possible heirs to the throne."

"Yes, but the greatest danger is to the prince, for he is descended from the Dragon King through both his mother's and father's lines," Brother Woojin said. "His blood will run purest. It is why the demons have targeted him from birth."

The general waved his hand, irritated. "He is but a mere child of twelve years!"

Kira started in surprise. "What? Do you believe Taejo is our savior?" Taejo was just a boy. What could the monk be thinking?

Brother Woojin clucked his tongue in reproof. He spread out his book on the table again, his fingers flicking through the bamboo strips until he reached the middle. He motioned Kira closer to read the inscription.

"The last time the Demon Lord entered our world, it was all the G.o.ds could do to keep a few of us safe." He pushed the book away and faced the general. "This is only the beginning. We must protect the prince, or all is lost."

With one last bow, Brother Woojin left the room.

"Has the world gone so crazy that even a rational being like Sunim would believe utter nonsense?" Kira pulled at her hair. "Or am I the mad one for not believing?"

General Kang dropped down onto the padded stool. Buried in the piles of scrolls and books were several jade figurines and his heavy gold seal. He picked up the small statue of a haetae, a mythical fire-eating dog. With its round head, long hair, and ma.s.sive body, it didn't look much like a dog. Kira liked it because the haetae was the guardian of justice and protector from disasters.

She could see the deep grooves that worry had etched into her father's forehead and around his eyes. Even as she knew she should not add to his already heavy burden, the words slipped from her mouth.

"Father, did you know about my aunt's plan to betroth me to Shin Bo Hyun?"

He gazed at her, no expression on his brown, weathered face.

"Yes, I knew."

Kira's stomach lurched with a deep sense of betrayal.

"Father! I can't marry. I will never marry! I'm not wife material!"

"Don't belittle yourself," her father said. "You will make a wonderful wife and mother one day."

Kira's hands curled into tight fists as she glared at him. "I'm a warrior, not a court lady. My duty is to protect the prince."

"Your mother keeps reminding me that you're also a woman," her father said. He put down the statue, still gazing at it fondly. "But I've treated you no different than your brothers. My soldier girl."

He sighed and then faced her. "Just like your brothers, you have a duty to marry well and have your own family. But not with Shin Bo Hyun."

The sudden relief unknotted her stomach.

"Thank you, Father!"

"Don't thank me yet. It's nearly impossible to say no to the queen. It was Lord Shin who broached the idea of betrothing his nephew to you to Their Majesties. And you know how protective the king is of his friendship with Lord Shin. He never lets us forget that he's the king's oldest and closest friend." The general grimaced.

Kira was well aware of her father's opinion of Lord Shin. The senior adviser had tried to disgrace her father ten years ago, and they hadn't gotten along ever since. Lord Shin Mulchin was once a contender for the throne of Hansong. The previous king had no children and no siblings. Shin was the king's heir from his paternal line and related to the Kudara royal family. Lord Kim Yuri descended from the prior king's Jinhan maternal line and married Guru royalty, Kira's aunt. When Shin's line fell out of favor, the last king chose Yuri as his heir.

Kira always wondered why Shin would remain in Hansong after such a disappointment or why he and her uncle were such close friends. She had, however, heard a rumor that Shin had saved Yuri's life when they were boys.

"But I don't understand why Lord Shin would wish for this betrothal. He's the one person who hates you more than he hates me."

"He doesn't like anyone. To be honest, I'm not sure he is even that fond of his nephew, other than for whatever political gain he can provide," her father replied. "But you are the king's closest eligible female relation; it only makes sense to push for such an alliance. And as Lord Shin's nephew, Bo Hyun has ties to the Kudara royal family that the king may be interested in promoting."

Kira snorted. "I'm far from eligible!"

Her father stood up and came to stand before her. "Kira, you are my only daughter and my pride and joy. I have seen you grow into a strong, intelligent, and brave young woman. Be proud of who you are, my child."

She dropped her eyes and spoke in a whisper. "I'm so different. I terrify people."

"Your differences are what make you unique. They're what make you special. You have nothing in common with these ignorant wretches who thrive on superst.i.tion and fear. You were meant for greatness. Why, I would be less surprised if you were the Dragon Musado instead of the prince."

Kira could feel her cheeks flushing in pride.

"That's impossible. I'm not a leader-"

"You're a warrior. And nothing is impossible unless you believe it is so," he replied.

"Why are we even talking about this?" she asked. "There's no such thing as a Dragon Musado. It's just a fairy tale that the monks are making up!"

With an abrupt turn, her father marched toward the large map of the Seven Kingdoms.