Page 82 of Reign of the Talon
That moment, when he nearly drove the Prophecy out of my head, when I was so badly burned… When he held me close, uncaring that I smelled of death, of fire…
It ends then. The scenes within the mirror vanish, and for a moment, there is only the three of us. Chara. Me. Chryse. Each of us staring into the mirror, tears rolling down our cheeks. I make myself meet my own eyes, although every inch of me fights to recoil away. The girl in the glass gazes back.
A moment later, again the scenes start, and holding the twins’ hands, I watch each and every memory over and over and over. Watching my body be cherished. The home that it once was. I watch myself make decisions that are solely my own. Watch myself behappy. Loved. Valued. Watch myself triumph against my own addiction.
I don’t know how long I gaze into the mirror for. It might be hours, or days. Yet when I finally step away, I feel…lighter.
Because that body wasmine, long before the Prophecy took it for its own.
My forehead was kissed by my eomma. My appa lifted me up by the belly to show me what it would be like to fly. Eomma bandaged my knees, placed Eunbi in my arms, swept her calloused fingers over one of my awkward, teenage zits. Sang squeezed my shoulders and later held me close. Chara and Chryse played with my hair, trailed their fingers over my head, whispered secrets into my ears. And I gave my all to Rui, body and soul.
As I hold tight onto Chara and Chryse’s hands, something stirs deep within me. That body wasmine.
Myhome.Mysanctuary.Mine.
And it could be again.
Breathing heavily, I let the tears roll down my face. Chara and Chryse shift to embrace me, and I am so certain that somehow, they truly are here.
For the first time in so, so long…I miss my body. Being within it, present in the world that raised me, more than just a girl trapped in a mind—but a girl of flesh, of blood, of bone. In a body that did so much more than act as a puppet. A body that still belongs tome.
I will not allow myself to hate the same body my parents loved. My sister loved. My friends loved.
My soul-stitched loved.
“It’s still yours, Lina,” Chryse murmurs. “It always has been.”
“It’s not dirty or tainted,” Chara says through her tears. “It has felt more love than it has felt hate.”
“Don’t be afraid to go home,” Chryse whispers. “Don’t be afraid to reclaim what is yours.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Iseul
Iseul is not very happy about this wholenot being evilthing, yet that night when she closes her eyes to sleep, all she can see is Jae’s face as he sees his eomma still and pale, and all she can hear are his wails as he clings to her for comfort—not striking her as she expected he would. She tosses and turns, but it’s no use denying the obvious—Song Iseul has reached a decision that iswoefullyannoying and will undoubtedly get her killed if Lina finds out.
Lina. Once, Iseul believed the two of them could be friends. Yet something changed in her, transforming her. She did not tell her that Seojin was in Gyeulcheon, even as she watched Iseul mourn the shattering of a lifelong friendship. She treats Iseul like a tool. How is it that her time as aprisoner in Gyeulcheonwas preferable to her time as a soldier in Lina’s army? Even in his worst moments, Seojin still spoke to her like she was a living, breathing, sentient creature—not just a weapon to wield at opportune moments, to keep shiny and polished. And when Iseul opened up to her on the Stretch, detailing the deaths of her parents… Iseul expected anything but the disinterested side-eye she received.
Oh, Iseul does want to kill the Jeon Dynasty—starting with Jeon Eunwoo, whom she simplycannotabide—but call it a change of heart, call it a need to be reunited with Seojin, call it the Gumiho’s natural capriciousness and overall unpredictability… Iseul finds she has larger, morepressingmatters to attend to.
Such as sneaking into the stables in the dead of night, careful not to disturb the sleeping Imugi in the garden. The Imugi guarding the entrance cracks open an eye, and Iseul smiles, waggling a hand.“Torture time,”she half sings, stroking her beloved giant ax she once more carries. The Imugi releases what sounds like a hissing laugh. “Get some rest,” Iseul tells it. “Tomorrow, we embark to Bonseyo.”
The large serpent’s nostrils flare, and with a hiss of what seems like thanks, it slithers off to find a spot in the garden. Iseul’s notoriety is infamous in the ranks; the Imugi trust her completely. She slips into the shadowed stables, ignoring the Supreme Commander—who needshim, really, when he’s drugged to oblivion and also probably very concussed?—and stalking straight toward Rui.
His eyes are closed, but he doesn’t seem to be sleeping. His body is alert, tense…yet he doesn’t seem to sense Iseul until she snaps her fingers in front of his face, and the emperor’s eyes flare open in a flash of silver.
The Gumiho and the Dokkaebi regard each other for a long moment. She yanks out his gag, and he smirks.
“Well,” says Rui, pleasantly, “I take it you’re here to kill me.”
“Whyeverwould you think that?” she demands, although yes, it’s somewhat true. Killing him would end the war, and she hasn’t beheaded somebody in so long. She should make sure she still has what it takes. Practice a bit on somebody.
Besides, the sooner that he dies, the sooner she can return to Seojin. Ensure he’s safe…
Rui sighs. “Everybody is trying to kill me,” he says. “It comes as no surprise that you would, too. You smell like guilt. A crisis of loyalty is occurring, is it?” He tilts his head, as much as he is able to, as he’s tied to the stable, after all. “You don’t want to kill me, Iseul. Because then you’ll be killing the tiny little Lina who lives inside of this ‘Lina’s’ head. And that would be disastrous for everybody, including yourself, and that healer boy I handcuffed you to. You know, the one you love.”
“I don’t—”I don’t love Seojin.That is what she means to say, but the words get stuck in her throat.
