The chief rolls his eyes, muttering something about kids and pranks, and orders one of his men and a museum worker to escort me to the back room to change. I suppress a snicker. Haemosu has a sense of humor.
Once alone, I lean against the wall and let out a long breath.
What will Dad think about this? Somehow I must get him to believe we are in danger and need to leave the country. I lift the dress over my head and wiggle out of it, but something slices the skin along my ribs. What was that? A red cut now runs across my side.
“What is taking so long?” the museum worker asks from behind the door.
“Just a second!” I say as I snatch my hoodie and pat it against my ribs to stop the bleeding. “It’s stuck.”
I twist the dress inside out to inspect it. A patch has been sewn into the side, and poking out of it is a thin, golden hairpin. I tug on it carefully. The material will need to be cut for me to retrieve the whole pin. Why would someone go to such trouble to sew a hairpin into a dress?
“Miss Lee,” the policeman says, knocking on the door. “Hurry up.”
“Almost ready,” I say, staring at the pin, because all I can think about is Grandfather’s tale of how Princess Yuhwa escaped. How she had taken her hairpin and cut her way out of the dragon’s chariot. Is this the same pin? Had she secretly stowed it inside her dress for future use?
I tap my fingers on the blue material. There’s something about this pin that screams “Take me!” It’s a very, very bad idea. But I jam my finger in the tiny space where the pin has ripped it open and tug, hoping they won’t look inside the dress for damages. The material tears, and a two-prong pin falls onto the tile floor. I lightly touch the pink-blossom design at its end, my heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings.
After I’ve changed I tuck the pin inside my hoodie’s front pocket. I step into the hall and hand the dress to the museum worker, who promptly starts lecturing me on all the wrongs that I’ve committed today.
I can’t stop shaking during the ride to the station as I relive my horrifying experience in Haemosu’s world in my head. My brilliant idea to steal the amulet, enter the Spirit World, and wound Haemosu with the Blue Dragon bow had been the stupidest idea ever. No wonder I can’t keep up with my classes. I’m a complete moron.
I stare at the bracelet. All five dragons’ eyes are red now except one. How many days will I have until Haemosu comes for me? When the final eye turns red, will he force me to enter the queen’s palace? Will I be able to escape? Or will I be helpless against its pull?
I wish I knew how to solve this mess I’ve made of everything.
When we pull into the police station’s parking lot, my thoughts turn to Dad. He’ll be through-the-roof furious. I bury my face in my hands. Monsters are one thing. Parents are a whole other level.
They fine me for tampering with valuable museum artifacts. Apparently the police have determined that the explosion was caused by terrorists, so they never thought I (or Haemosu, though they’d never believe that) was the culprit.
The holding cell reminds me of a giant hamster cage minus the cool wheel and soft, fluffy bedding. I grab the cell bars, cold and hard against my palms, and peer out, hoping to catch a glimpse of Marc. I haven’t seen him since we left the museum except for a brief glimpse when we passed each other in the puke-green concrete block hallway. I want to talk to him, because I don’t know if I’ll have another chance.
And then there’s the thought that Haemosu could waltz in here at any moment and cause havoc. I lean against the cell bars. It had been so much easier when his power was limited to daylight.
“Jae Hwa!” Dad says as the policeman brings him to my cell.
“Hey,” I mutter, and focus on the concrete floor. Counting cracks is far more appealing than dealing with Dad when he’s furious.
“Are you okay? The police told me there were terrorists at the museum,” he says as the policeman unlocks my cell. “I nearly had a heart attack.”
Dad worried about me? I can’t remember him ever indicating that before. I’ve always been the tough one. Since Mom died.
He pulls me into a fierce hug, and for a moment everything feels like it used to be before we moved, before she died. When I didn’t have monsters chasing me or curses haunting me.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, too,” he whispers into my ear.
As soon as he lets go and we head out to the car, the full weight of the curse bears down on me once more. I’d thought I could fix everything. That I could save all of us. How wrong I’ve been.
CHAPTER 32
Back at the apartment I pace the room, wearing out the carpet between the futon and the TV, and ready to pull out my hair. For the entire ride home I’ve been trying to convince Dad of Haemosu’s existence. I even show him my bracelet.
“Don’t you see it’s happening all over again?” I say. “What happened to Sun is happening to me, and you’re just pretending it all away!”
Dad whitens. “Don’t bring Sun into this.”
“Dad,” I say, “you can’t pretend it away. It’s real.”
“This is all Eun’s fault. She’s filled your mind with lies.” Dad sags onto the couch and buries his face in his hands.
Just hearing Komo’s name shoots tears to my eyes. “I wish we’d never come to Korea.” Yet even as I spit out those words, I know how untrue they are. Grandfather, Komo, Marc, and Michelle’s faces flash through my mind. And that feeling of being connected to something bigger than myself. Somewhere along the way, I’ve come to love it here.
“Jae Hwa,” Dad says, “moving back to the U.S. is out of the question. You need to stop this obsession and concentrate on being here. And I was right about that boy. He’s a bad influence on you.”
“What? You mean Marc?”
“Yes. He’s encouraging all of your impulsive ideas, isn’t he? I’ve already spoken to his parents and told them that I strictly forbid you to speak to him.”
“Dad!” I can’t even see straight, I’m so angry. “You called his parents? None of what happened is his fault! This was all my idea. He was trying to help me!”
“Exactly. He was helping you. Stealing valuable dresses and getting yourself thrown in jail is hardly helping,” Dad says.
I’m actually at a loss for words.
His BlackBerry chimes. When he pulls it out I see he’s got Sun’s broken necklace in his hand. How long has he been holding it?
I can’t help but wonder if some part of him believes me.
“It’s your principal.” He rubs his forehead. “I need to take this,” he says, and moves to his bedroom and closes the door.
I stalk into my bedroom and kick my door shut. The wall shudders, but I don’t feel any better. I set Princess Yuhwa’s pin on my desk, pick up the dragon bow, and send a string of arrows into my bull’s-eye. But Haemosu’s face still leers into sight, taunting me.
How do I stop him?
Dad knocks and opens the door. “I just got off the phone with your principal,” he says. “The police called the school. You’re suspended for three days. You’re lucky. You could have been deported.”
“I don’t care.” I pull the arrows from the target and prepare to shoot again.
“The good news is, you’re allowed to return to school if you agree to see the counselor.”
“That’s fabulous. Yay, me.”
“You’ve got to work with me, Jae.”
“Right. Just like you’re listening to me.”
Silence. Dad shakes his head and leans against the doorframe.