Vicious Spirits - Kat Cho Page 0,98

my job.”

“I know, but I need you to deliver it for me anyway. Miyoung needs her bead back, and you need her to get it to close the tear,” Junu said. “I’m trusting you, old friend.” He stepped toward the car again, and this time the reaper let him.

50

SOMIN HAD ALMOST gotten used to the sleek kitchen in Junu’s apartment. She at least knew how to work the complicated espresso machine now. It was still early enough that everyone was sleeping, but Somin couldn’t, she was too anxious. She wanted to figure out a new plan, to find Miyoung’s bead, to get Sinhye out of Jihoon. To help her friends. But no matter how she’d turned things over in her head, she couldn’t find a solution. This supernatural world had too many secrets. She needed Junu’s help, his knowledge, his resources. She wouldn’t give up on her friends.

She carefully carried the steaming coffee to the other side of the apartment. Slowly opening the bedroom door, she knocked lightly.

“Junu?” she whispered, moving to the bed quietly. But as she approached, she realized it was empty.

“He left,” a voice said behind her.

Somin let out a shout, dropping the mug. It shattered, splashing coffee all over the pristine rug. Somin glared at the reaper who now stood at the foot of the bed, pressing a hand to her skipping heart. “You have to warn someone before you do that. Unless you’re trying to give me a heart attack and reap my soul.”

“No, I would never influence a person’s death if it wasn’t integral to keep the order of things.”

“What?” Somin frowned. “No, it was a joke—” She shook her head. “You know what, never mind. Where did Junu go?”

“He’s in danger. And you need to hold on to him.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the ominous warning, but she took a steadying breath. “What kind of danger?”

“I shouldn’t be here. We do not interfere in the affairs of the living. I almost didn’t come. But he’ll die if you don’t hold on to him.”

“How?” Somin asked.

“He thinks that he can sacrifice himself to help your friend. I believe he thinks it’s what he deserves.”

Somin shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“He and Sinhye are going to meet with the sansin that cursed them both.”

“He wouldn’t do that. Junu’s too smart for that,” Somin said.

“The sansin has his bangmangi. And I believe he has a plan to sacrifice himself.”

“Now I know you’re lying. Junu would never risk his life like this.” But the empty bed seemed like glaring evidence.

“He’s learned the way to cut Sinhye out of your friend. With the sacrifice of an immortal soul. His soul.”

Somin stopped, finally looked at the jeoseung saja. There was a steadfastness about Hyuk that told her the reaper was telling the truth.

She slammed into the other room. It was empty, too. Sinhye was gone.

“Miyoung-ah!” Somin shouted, running into the living room. Miyoung was already on her feet.

“What’s the matter? Why are you making so much noise?”

“They’re gone. They’re both gone!”

“How? Why?”

“He said Junu’s going to sacrifice himself.” Somin turned, but Hyuk was gone. She’d thought he was right behind her.

“You need to slow down. You need to explain it to me.”

When Somin did, Miyoung cursed. “That stupid dokkaebi. Trying to martyr himself because he thinks he owes a debt.”

“I don’t care why he’s doing it. We need to stop him,” Somin insisted.

“Okay, we should leave immediately if we want to catch up.”

“How? We don’t know how long he’s been gone. And we don’t have a car.” Somin felt her throat tighten with frustration.

“A car,” Miyoung murmured. “I think I can help with that.”

“You have a car?” Somin asked. She didn’t even know that Miyoung had a driver’s license.

“No, but Junu has cars, lots of them. And he loves fast ones.”

“Yeah, except we don’t know where Junu keeps his cars.”

“Well,” Miyoung said, drawing out the word, and she shrugged as if she just couldn’t help herself. “When you live with someone you don’t fully trust, you tend to snoop. And in snooping, I found out where his storage garage is.”

Somin laughed. “Well, I guess, thank the gods for your paranoia.”

“Come on,” Miyoung said. “Every minute that passes, they gain more of a lead.”

51

KOREA IS A country of mountains. Folktales were written about their rocky facades. The mountain that had ruled Junu’s life had no such tales associated with it. It was not named in stories or poems like Guksabong or Baektu. But to Junu, this mountain was the