"Where are you going?" Taejo asked.

Kira didn't answer. She ran toward the cliff, where she'd last seen Ito.

She heard footsteps coming from behind her. Halting, she caught sight of Taejo, his small face determined.

"You're not supposed to leave me behind! You promised to always protect me!" he yelled as he caught up.

"I'm trying to protect you! I have unfinished business to take care of and I want to keep you safe," she said.

He shook his head stubbornly. "My place is by your side. I fight with you."

She smiled down at her young cousin. He was growing up. One day he would be a great king. "Always," she said. They gripped arms in solidarity and continued running.

As they neared the cliff, Kira faltered. Her nose was overloaded with the stench of demons. Suddenly, the streets were filled with soldiers and people running madly. Kira shoved Taejo aside, pressing him flat against the walls. A swarm of sharp-clawed imps were attacking the faces of their victims. An imp shrieked at Kira. She sliced its head off with one swipe of her sword.

"Stay close behind me. If an imp gets too close, cut off its head," she said to Taejo before plunging into the midst of the melee. Immediately several imps flew at her, claws extended. She stabbed one out of the air and flung it away while punching another imp in the face. Taejo was close behind her, holding tight to the bottom of her jacket. Demon-possessed Yamato soldiers were ma.s.sacring Guru soldiers and Hansong citizens alike. Panic engulfed her. She should never have brought her cousin here.

When they finally reached the stairway to the cliff, the ground shook beneath them. Cracks appeared in the pavement, the dirt between the stones crumbling away. In the middle of the street, something was bursting through the stones. Kira looked up, unsurprised to see Ito at the top of the cliff. His arms were raised before him and his lips moved in a rapid chant. He faced away from the staircase, staring intently at the break in the road.

Kira bolted up the stairs, her sword held low. A piercing shriek ripped through the air, causing her to stumble. Down below, a monster broke through, its ma.s.sive eel-like head surging through the hole in the street. Its utter blackness was relieved by the red of its wide-open mouth and the sheen of sharp fangs. The monster slithered straight up into the sky, a ma.s.s of undulating muscle, before it doubled over to scoop up a dozen soldiers in its gaping jaws. Archers let loose their arrows, piercing the monster's hide, but still it attacked.

"Imoogi," Kira breathed.

Taejo's trembling hand gripped her arm. Memories of the monster in the lake flooded her mind. Once again, she was seven years old, trying to save her cousin.

They kept climbing, away from the monster and the screams of the terrified people. As she neared the top, she ordered Taejo to stay back. She raised her sword for a killing blow, all her attention focused on the chanting figure at the top of the steps. Kira rushed at Ito, aiming her sword at his neck. But when she thrust her weapon, it encountered nothing but air, her forward momentum sending her crashing to her knees. She twisted up to see Ito's body shimmer and dissolve. It was a mirage.

Stunned, she whirled around to find the shaman right behind her. He smashed a rock into her face, hitting her injured eye. Kira dropped to the ground with an agonized scream, fighting to retain consciousness but unable to rise.

"Now I have you," Ito rasped as he bent down and pressed his fingers into her temples. "You'll see your mother soon enough, and I'll throw your empty sh.e.l.l of a body over the cliff, just like I did to her."

Kira writhed in agony. It felt as if her insides were being ripped out of her. How could she have been so stupid? She'd rushed in without relying on her senses and had fallen right into his trap.

The pain vanished when Ito released her suddenly. She could barely raise her head to see, her vision blurred by her injury. From the corner of her eye she saw Taejo darting away, wielding his sword with two hands. Blood coursed down from Ito's right arm where he'd been stabbed. Ito raised his sword and attacked. The force of the blow dropped Taejo to his knees.

The young prince rolled on the ground and kicked out with his feet, unbalancing the other man and sending Ito flat on his back. The older man attacked again, pushing Taejo toward the cliff's edge.

Kira raised herself up, but her head spun with sickening force, nearly causing her to black out. She'd lost a lot of blood. Swallowing, she got up on her knees. Bile rose in her throat. Yet her eyes remained locked on the battle before her.

Taejo quickly skirted to the right and leveled a blow before tripping over a rock and losing hold of his weapon.

Kira staggered to her feet and swung her weapon down on Ito's sword arm, slicing his hand off. He screamed and clutched his arm, staring at the blood pouring from the stump.

Kira thrust her sword at Ito's chest. He knocked her blade aside and grabbed its hilt, pulling her close and swinging the blade back toward her. She struggled for control, but she was dizzy and weak. He chanted what sounded like gibberish, and yet it sent slivers of dread down Kira's spine.

Taejo darted forward in a surprise move and ripped Kira's pouch from Ito's neck. Before Kira could stab the shaman again, he was gone, leaving only an eerie glimmer in the air. Kira couldn't believe it. She'd never seen this kind of magic before. How could a human have demon-like abilities? There was only one answer-he wasn't human.

Ito was stalking Taejo. As he chanted, they heard the answering shriek from the imoogi below.

"Noona!" Taejo yelled. He threw the bag to Kira.

She caught it and quickly pulled the ruby out. Ito refocused on her, his chanting louder as the dreadful cries of the imoogi came closer.

Kira raised her hands up and saw the ruby flare to life with a scorching heat. This time, when the tidal stone asked what she wanted, she didn't hesitate. She let her mind meld with that of the ruby. Together they plunged into the depths of the Han River. She called the water to her and it began to swirl around her in a great column. She was one with the water. She was the water dragon.

The ruby hummed with power. You are my master, it said. And Kira knew it was true.

Kira exploded from the river like an enormous geyser, plunging down on Ito. Her dragon let loose a tidal wave, knocking the Yamato down.

The shaman struggled to his feet and continued to chant. An answering roar was heard from below and in the next moment, the imoogi soared up into the air and crashed against the water dragon. The impact caused Kira to lose contact with her creation as it began to disintegrate, water spraying everywhere. She fought to control the water dragon, to retain her consciousness with it. The ruby pulsing in her hands matched the drumming in her blood as she pulled the great creature into being again. But she knew she needed something stronger.

The ruby suddenly shifted from scorching hot to a freezing cold that spread up her arms and chest, chilling her heart and pumping icy blood through her veins. She opened her clear dragon eyes and stared at Ito. Kira bellowed, sending an icy blast through the air. Her watery scales solidified into sheets of blue ice. She extended her claws, letting the chill from her heart freeze into long, hooked talons. As the imoogi rushed forward, Kira struck with all eight of her ice talons, slashing and puncturing the creature's skin.

The imoogi roared in rage and pain. Black blood coursed down its leathery skin, dripping onto the ground in steaming puddles. It attacked again, clamping its jaws around her dragon neck, cracking her scales of ice. She felt a searing pain as the imoogi's fangs punctured her frozen skin and water began to leak from the wound. She clawed at the creature, plucking out its eye. The imoogi released her, flailing in the air before falling down the stairs.

"No! I command you to kill her!" Kira heard Ito rage at his creature.

The imoogi slithered up the stairs, its eel-like head shifting left to compensate for its lost eye. Kira flew straight up into the air and spiraled down, landing on the imoogi's back, her talons piercing clear through its heart and out the other end.

The imoogi collapsed, its body shuddering. Kira withdrew her talons, watching as the monster crashed down to the bottom of the stairs.

A scream pierced the air. She whirled around to see the Yamato holding a dagger to Taejo's neck.

"Throw me the stone or the prince will die," Ito snarled.

The power of the tidal stone still pulsed in her blood, urging her to kill him, to slash him through the heart with one frozen talon. She stared at the mad eyes of the shaman and thought of her mother doomed in the shadow realm. She would never be free if she didn't destroy him.

Taejo whimpered as the blade bit into his throat, blood seeping from the cut.

She could feel the ice melting away even as her blood pounded for vengeance. Lady Mina's voice rang within her mind. Revenge for the dead should never occur at a price to the living.

"Taejo!" Once more she felt the crippling pain of her head wound as water crashed to the ground, soaking them all.

"I said throw it to me!" Ito stood at the edge of the stairs, above the ma.s.sive body of the slain imoogi.

As she looked into the eyes of absolute evil, the world around her seemed to come to a standstill. She was frozen in terror. Had she come so far, only to fail?

What am I to do? Father, what do I do?

Kira heard only her own breathing and the beating of her heart. Then suddenly, there was a stirring in the air, and her tiger spirit appeared beside her. She gazed at it in wonder. Twice it had come to her in the same day.

She heard the tiger speak in her mind.

Do not doubt yourself any longer. You are the Dragon Musado.

The tiger spirit faded into the air.

For the first time in her life, her sight and her mind were completely clear.

I am the Dragon Musado.

Even the tidal stone had called her master.

I am the Dragon Musado.

Calm filled her. She had no doubt about what she was to do.

Kira threw the stone high into the air, forcing the Yamato to push Taejo away and drop his dagger in order to catch it. As Kira launched herself at Ito, her hands grasped for the stone from the air and her foot slammed down with a force that sent him hurtling down the stairs. He landed on the stone sidewalk next to the dead imoogi, his neck twisted in an unnatural angle.

Kira crashed to the ground, the pain excruciating. But then she heard her mother's gentle voice and sweet laughter.

Thank you, my little tiger.

"Mother," Kira whispered.

Water splashed on her face as Taejo dropped to the ground next to her.

"Noona!"

Kira opened her eyes a crack and saw Taejo. Tears flowed down his face.

"Noona, you are the Dragon Musado," he cried out in a choked voice. "You saved Hansong! You saved everyone! Noona! Did you hear me? I'm glad you're the One. I'm proud you are my cousin. Please be all right. Noona! Please stay with me. Please ..."

Her eyes were too heavy. She couldn't keep them open. The pain in her head caused a ringing in her ears. Then blackness enveloped her, and she slipped into oblivion.

39.

It was early spring and she was at a picnic with her family. Her mother had traveled by carriage while she rode on horseback with her father and brothers. It was their annual pilgrimage to a nearby mountainside lake, surrounded by hundreds of cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Thin, soft rush mats were spread under the shade of the trees as servants laid out a feast of various rice rolls, dumplings, meat, and seasoned vegetables. Everyone sat eating and laughing, enjoying the warm spring weather as gentle winds blew pink blossom showers, which adorned their hair with tiny petals.

Her father and mother sat nearby, watching Kwan tease her by s.n.a.t.c.hing food from her fingers. Kira berated him for being such a pig, while Kyoung administered punishment by catching Kwan by the scruff of his neck and wrestling him in a mock match.

She was so happy to be with them all once again. She had missed them with a fierce intensity that was a physical pain.

Her father stood up and helped her mother to her feet.

"It's time to go," he said.

"So soon?" Kira complained.

Kira's mother smiled radiantly. "You saved us. I can now join our ancestors in heaven. My little tiger! We will always watch over you."

Alarmed, Kira rushed to them, but her brothers held her back as they watched her parents pulling away.

"Please, let me go with you," Kira begged.

Someone was calling her name, but she didn't want to answer. Already the picnic was fading. She could see her mother and father waving good-bye.

Kira opened her eyes and saw Taejo, Kwan, Brother Woojin, and Jaewon's faces. Seung stood behind them, peering anxiously at her. Turning her head, she noted that she was lying on a large table covered with furs inside a guardhouse. She put a hand to her forehead and found it bound with a tight bandage. She fingered the long gash that puckered across her cheek.

Jaewon pulled her hand away, clasping it between his strong ones. "Leave it alone. It must heal," he said. His eyes filled with concern and affection that left Kira feeling warm.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"Several hours," he replied.

That explained why she was still in pain; she needed an entire night with her tiger spirit to be completely healed.

Taejo pressed closer, jostling Jaewon in his eagerness to speak to her. "I'm so glad you're all right," Taejo said. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you too!" His voice caught, and he quieted. Leaning over, he gave her a quick hug.

"I should be mad at you!" Kwan said. "Here I am risking my neck to save Hansong, and who does everyone talk about? My baby sister! The big hero! The imoogi slayer! What about me? Doesn't anybody want to know about me? Huh?" He gazed at her with bright eyes. "You've done well, little sister. I'm proud of you."

Leaning closer, he whispered, "What of Mother?"

"She is finally at peace," Kira said.

Her brother closed his eyes in relief. "Thank the heavens!" He carefully caressed her face, cautious of her injury. "And I have some more good news for you. There's someone here to see you."

Kira tried to sit up with Jaewon's help, when another pair of hands grabbed hers. It was her oldest brother, Kyoung. She shouted in glee and immediately regretted it as her head throbbed in pain. He laughed down at her and hugged her.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"I arrived in Hansong several weeks ago. I've been hiding, working with the resistance," he said. "The citizens of Hansong all opposed the Yamatos and Lord Shin."

"The people saved us on the cliff and at the gate," she said. "Was that because of you?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry I wasn't there too, but I had my hands full trying to coordinate efforts with the other Guru infiltrators in preparation for the attack," Kyoung said. He ran a finger softly across her scarred cheek. "Forgive me."

"Never mind that," Kira said. "I'm just so happy you are here!"

"So many good people died today," Kyoung said. "But they have not died in vain, for they have given us victory."

Kira said a silent prayer for the G.o.ds to welcome all who'd lost their lives in the battle.

A loud noise at the door sounded the arrival of Captain Pak, who headed straight for Taejo.

"Congratulations, Your Highness! We are victorious," Pak said with a broad smile. "General Kim's division is chasing the Yamatos into the Kudara borders, but King Eojin has led his army into the city! The people are already cheering him and calling him the One!"

Everyone in the room broke out in cheers except for Kira. She looked up to find Jaewon watching her. He winked at her before placing a warm hand on her shoulder.