Confidently, he approaches the door and raps loudly against the wooden frame.
I rush to follow, coming up behind him just as the door cracks open. A girl around my age peers out at us, with a wide, frowning mouth; sharp, intelligent eyes; and long brown hair pinned up in a messy bun. Flyaway hairs curl around a familiar, heart-shaped face.
I gasp. “Nari?”
7
When I was growing up, there was a girl in my village whom I admired above all others, in part because I was so afraid of her. A friend of Joon’s, she was two years older than me and bright as the day, with a reckless heart. Joon had a gentle nature, and because he was big for his age, he would often get teased by the other children.
It was Nari who would stick up for him. When she intervened in the bullies’ attacks, they would listen. When she condemned their cruel words, they would beg her forgiveness. To have Nari’s good opinion was to have the sun’s light upon you. Or I imagined that’s what it must have felt like; she never paid much attention to me. Last I’d seen her was a year ago when she’d jumped into the storm-flooded river to retrieve the boats that had torn away from the dock. The river surged, taking the boats—and Nari—away with it to the sea. I never thought I’d see her again. Yet here she is before me, smiling and in tears.
“Mina, it can’t be.” Pulling me across the threshold, she enfolds me in a strong embrace, smelling like wildflowers and the sturdy reeds that grow beside the river. “If you’re here, that means … that means you’re dead!”
Ah, of course she would think that. The only way to enter the Spirit Realm is by dying or being spirited away by the dragon. And she, like everyone in my village, had always known Shim Cheong was meant to be this year’s bride.
“I’m alive. It’s just that—” I sigh. She can’t hear me.
“And Joon! Your poor brother. To lose you and Cheong in the same night. He must be devastated. Tell me, how did it happen? Did you drown during the storm? Was it a raiding party from the north?”
“You’ve got it all wrong!” a loud, indignant voice interrupts. “She’s not dead! She’s a Sea God’s bride.”
Releasing me, Nari turns to where Dai stands outside the door. He’s alone; Mask and Miki have disappeared.
“Who’s the boy, Mina?” Nari asks with a frown. “Has he been bothering you? Say the word and I’ll get rid of him.” She reaches for a long pole with a curved blade leaning up against the wall. I hadn’t noticed before, but she’s wearing the same black robes and armored vest as the guards outside the main gate.
“I’m Mina’s friend,” Dai shouts. “Unlike you, accusing her of being dead when she’s clearly a Sea God’s bride.”
Nari’s eyes widen. “A bride? But … what year is it? One hundred years since the emperor disappeared. They were going to sacrifice Shim Cheong, if I remember correctly. And brides are always eighteen. You must be sixteen now, the same age I was when I died. Mina, why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I can’t speak.”
“She can’t speak,” Dai says. “Her voice was stolen and transformed into a bird!”
I would think this of all explanations would be hard to believe.
“Ah,” Nari says. “That makes sense. Last year there was a huge upset after Lord Shin cut Hyeri’s Red String of Fate and her soul turned into a minnow. Her lover, the death god Shiki, demanded its return. When Lord Shin refused, they had a great battle, right here in this very house.”
Dai tilts his head to the side. “Who won?”
“It’s not certain. Those who witnessed the fight believe Lord Shin had the advantage, and would have won, had Hyeri not intervened at the last minute.”
Which means Shin lost. I feel a smug satisfaction at this bit of knowledge.
“One final question remains.” Dai leans forward conspiratorially. “Would you ever go against the wishes of your lord?”
“Of course not.” Nari grips her pole firmly. “I am a loyal servant of Lotus House.”
Dai grabs my arm. “Let’s go, Mina.”
“Wait!” Nari reaches out, catching my sleeve. “If you truly are the Sea God’s bride, then that means you’ve come here to retrieve your soul.” She frowns, her brows furrowed in thought. “I remember you, Mina. I remember the way you used to follow Joon and me around, onto the beaches and down the forest paths. I have to admit, I found you bothersome. I never was one for patience. I always wanted to race ahead.”