Marc moves to check on Komo, still motionless.
“Why won’t she wake up?” I ask.
“It is not a good sign.” Grandfather rubs his forehead.
Marc frowns and then holds up the black egg, scrutinizing it. It must have rolled out of the tomb with us.
“I used it.” I’m breathless. “To bring Komo back.”
Marc stares at me, his eyes wide. “It’s one of the orbs.”
Grandfather takes in a deep breath. “So he had it all along,” he mutters. “That must have been his source of power to hold the girls’ souls with. It has to be the Blue Dragon’s orb. This heavenly artifact is supposed to have healing powers.”
“This could be our way to save Jae.” Marc stands and hands me the orb.
“All the orbs have different powers?” I ask, inspecting its surface.
“But of course,” Grandfather says. “And this one will be an excellent bargaining chip.”
“No.” An image of the Blue Dragon slices through my mind. He’s been my guardian angel through this entire journey. His artifact should never rest in enemy hands. I lick my dry lips. “We are not giving the orb to the dokkaebi.”
“Grab Komo and follow me,” Marc tells Grandfather, and then scoops me up into his arms and starts off down the path.
I lean against Marc’s chest, too tired to argue. I must have passed out for some time, because when I open my eyes again I’m propped against a pile of hay in the stables.
Marc is moving about, sliding golden rods free from their locks and throwing open wooden doors. Out slither five dragons, tossing their heads as if experiencing freedom for the first time—the legendary dragons of the golden chariot, Oryonggeo.
If I had more energy, I’d have jumped up and bolted, seeing as those five dragons had hunted me down not so long ago. My arrows only temporarily injured these immortal beasts. And now I’m barely strong enough to lift my head.
Marc steps inside the chariot, but the closest dragon blows air from its nostrils. Marc holds his hands up in the air and backs away.
“Hey, Fighter Girl,” Marc says. “Maybe you should give the orders.”
“Palk.” It’s as if the orb is speaking to me and I know what must be done. “We need to return the orb to the Heavenly Chest, and Palk is the keeper. We should find him.”
Grandfather nods in agreement. I study Marc for a moment, standing there so tall with his eyes on fire.
“Prepare the chariot,” I command the dragons.
They cock their heads but surprisingly slither into their places, snapping their bodies into the harnesses.
“I’m impressed,” Marc says. Then he picks me up again and carries me to the basket of the chariot.
“You’re stronger than I thought, lugging me everywhere,” I say as he sets me on the gold-plated bench next to Komo.
He takes the reins. “Don’t count your dragons yet.” His brow furrows as he stares hard at the five dragons and says, “Kaja!”
They don’t move. Marc glances over his shoulder. “Looks like you’re the boss.”
“Kaja!” I say, and the dragons leap to life.
We sweep out of the stable’s double gate and glide toward the sky. I grab ahold of Grandfather to keep my balance. In moments, the pink-edged clouds slide between us like wisps of cotton candy.
“The legends say Oryonggeo can transport its rider anywhere with the speed of the wind,” Marc says.
I lean back, savoring this moment and the rush of flying. We’re finally leaving Haemosu’s lands far below us. Soon the clouds fade and the air grows cooler, the sky darker. Stars sprinkle the skyline. We’re entering the space between worlds.
The wingless dragons soar effortlessly through the air as if swimming through a pool of midnight. The gentle sway lulls me, and my eyelids begin to close. Then the chariot jerks to a halt in the middle of the starry sky.
“What is happening?” I ask, blinking.
Marc says, “It’s him.”
CHAPTER 45
A figure hovers in midair before us, glowing. One glance and I know he’s Palk, the god of light. He looks just like the picture in Mom’s fairy-tale book, with a long beard and black hair that seems to have gold woven through it. He wears a traditional golden tunic and a crown with gems that radiate light. I duck my head because his glow is blinding.
“Daughter of Korea,” Palk says in a booming voice. “What brings you to the Spirit World, riding in Haemosu’s chariot?”
My bones rattle from the power of his words. I bow my head. “Haemosu kidnapped the souls of my ancestors. I killed him and then released their souls.” Palk nods, but his face is impassive, and I wonder if he already knew all this. I add, “I believe we have something you may want.”
“Indeed you do,” Palk says, smiling.
The orb resting in my lap begins to change. The blackness fades, and it starts to glow a deep blue.
“Where did you find this, Daughter of Korea?” Palk says.
“In the tomb where Haemosu kept my ancestors’ souls,” I say, and then rest my head against the seat, worn-out just from speaking. “Do you believe it really is one of the heavenly artifacts?”
“Indeed,” Palk says. “It is one of the six Orbs of Life that sparked life into the Korean people. The Azure Dragon’s artifact. But you know all this already, do you not?”
“So this is where Haemosu got his power,” Grandfather says.
Palk rubs his beard. “I believe he used it to harness the power of the souls of your ancestors. But he would not have been able to do this alone. He must have been working with someone else. I will speak with the Others about this.”
“Others?” I say.
“The other immortals,” Grandfather whispers into my ear.
“This must go back to the Heavenly Chest, then, for safekeeping.” I move to give him the orb, but my muscles shake from its weight, and I collapse on the golden bench.
“Here,” Marc says, lifting the orb, “let me help.”
Above us a star explodes, showering a cloud of crystal particles over us. They splatter across my weathered cheeks like aloe, and I savor the coolness as it coats my skin. It’s so perfect and so magical that I almost wonder if I’ve already died and I’m on my way to the heavens.
A gold chest emerges from the cloud, suspended by a plum-colored cord, and descends along with the sparkling raindrops. It settles in the empty space at Palk’s feet. Palk opens the chest to reveal two other orbs—one amber and the other a jade color—resting in silk, egg-shaped holders.
The orb floats out of Marc’s hand and settles into the chest. My heart dances just seeing it back with the others, as if somehow I’ve been a part of making things right.
“There are still three missing,” Grandfather says.
“So there are,” Palk says. With a flick of his wrist the lid closes and the cord lifts the chest into the darkness until another star sucks it inside. “The Others will continue to be vigilant in the quest to return all the artifacts.” He nods toward Grandfather and Marc. “As will the Guardians of Shinshi.”
I close my eyes. I’m tired of quests and monsters and darkness. All I can focus on is the need to rest. To sleep forever. To join my ancestors.
“A brave one, you are, Jae Hwa,” Palk says. I start. He knows my name?
Palk smiles down at me. “I have been watching you, expecting you for many centuries. Haemosu’s land needs a new ruler now to restore its beauty and grace. You seem worthy of the task.”
My head reels. He wants me to rule a land in the Spirit World. Has he lost his mind and forgotten that I’m human? Or that I’m dying right before his eyes? “I don’t belong there. Those lands hold nothing but nightmares for me.”