I think of all the many things Shin has done for me: saving me from Lord Crane, bringing me to the Sea God, retrieving the paper boat. He might not believe he has a soul, but I do.
I reach to my waist and unknot the silk bag, tilting it forward until the object within rolls onto my palm. Shin turns, drawn by my movements.
“Look, Shin,” I say with a smile. “I found your soul.”
I lift my palm. At the center sits the pebble with the carving of the lotus flower.
He says nothing for a few minutes, and I wonder if I’ve offended him. But then he reaches out his hand, brushing his fingers across the pebble and my open palm.
“It might not be as large as a mountain or as bright as the moon,” I say as he lifts his eyes to meet mine, a heartbreaking, vulnerable look in their dark depths, “but it’s just as beautiful because it’s your soul. It’s strong, resilient, and steadfast. And stubborn.” He laughs softly. “And worthy, just as you are.”
Shin’s breath catches.
My heart begins to beat painfully in my chest. “Well?” I say, lifting my hand. “Will you accept it?”
But instead of taking the pebble, he slips his hand over mine, the pebble pressed between our palms, holding tight. “If I take it,” he says, “I won’t ever let go.”
It’s not a question, and yet I feel as if he’s waiting for my answer.
Then he tenses, his eyes narrowing on something past my shoulder. He pulls me to his side. Death steps out of the mist.
20
The death god is a young man with handsome features—a long nose and wide lips. His skin is moon pale, so unlike the vibrant, fun-loving Hyeri, who before she was sacrificed to the Sea God was famed in all the seaside villages for looking as if she held the sun beneath her skin. There’s something melancholy about the god, the dark circles beneath his eyes that suggest a want of sleep, his serious expression. Suddenly I’m glad this god of death has Hyeri, who was so full of life.
The death god comes to a halt a few paces away. “My guards reported seeing you at the border of my lands,” he says in a voice deep and without inflection. “What were you searching for in the mist?”
“Thieves broke into my house,” Shin says. “I was following their trail, but lost it in the mountains.”
“What did you discover?”
“A plot concocted by Crane and Tiger. To kill me and overthrow the Sea God.”
“Ah,” the death god remarks. “Lord Yu and Lord Bom are ambitious. The more spirits that arrive in this realm, the stronger their houses grow. But death should never be encouraged.”
I must make a sound at that, because the god’s gaze turns to me.
“But you are the God of Death,” I say. “Does your power not grow with each new death that enters this world?”
“I am a death god, but my purpose lies in the balance between death and life. When the scale is tipped too far in favor of one, the imbalance disrupts the unity of both worlds, the human realm and the realm of spirits.” He approaches the railing of the bridge, staring down at the rushing waters below. The death god’s face shows the first sign of emotion—apprehension. “The river is rising. Eventually, it’ll overflow onto the bank, bringing with it spirits who have no desire for this world. With so many lost spirits walking the Sea God’s city, the Spirit Realm will become a sorrowful place indeed.”
Shin frowns. “Is there no way to stop the river from rising?”
“The source of the river is in the human realm, where life ends and death begins. As we have no power over that which brings death—battles, starvation, and disease—there is little that can be done.”
“What about the Sea God?” I ask. “The storms have destroyed so much. The warlords battle over what little is left, sowing chaos and leaving behind devastation in their wake.” I step away from Shin to face both him and Shiki, the spray of the river on my neck. “The Sea God’s curse is no longer a problem for just the human world alone, but for the world of spirits and gods as well. We need to put things right before it’s too late. Before both of our realms are destroyed.”
“I’ve seen this look before,” Shiki says. “On the face of someone beloved. Is it an expression all the brides of the Sea God share? A potent mixture. Hope. Determination. Fury.”
Hyeri. He’s speaking of Hyeri.
He turns his gaze to Shin. So far, neither one of them has brought up the incident that separated them as allies and friends. Instinctively, I take a step toward Shin, as if I can block him from any harsh words.