Page 101 of Nine Tailed

“You arenota creature.” He bows his head, clenching his eyes shut. When he looks back up, his eyes are brown again, but they burn with an intensity that stops my heart. “You are Sunny Cho. My prickly, brave, glorious Sunny. You’re my friend. You are my heart. That’s who you are.”

“Love is fleeting, Ethan,” I lie woodenly. “I’ve lived a hundred thirty-two years. I would know.”

“Let me love you for a thousand years and prove you wrong,” he says, his voice breaking. “Sunny, please. Don’t ask me to leave you here knowing your life is in danger.”

“I can take care of myself.” My nails dig into my palms as I fight back tears.

“You saved all of us at Heaven Lake, but it almost cost you your life. Don’t deny it. You can’t face Daeseong and the Jaenanpa alone. Please,” he pleads with his heart bared on his face. “Come stay in the Realm of Four Kingdoms. At least until you learn how to wield the powers of the Yeoiju.”

“If I do come with you ...,” I say, wavering. Because despite everything, I want to be close to him. Hiding my feelings from him might ruin me, but being apart from him might kill me. “Will you promise me one thing?”

“Yes.” Ethan clutches my hand again. “Anything.”

Why is he making this so hard for me? I snatch my hand away. “Promise me you’ll stop this nonsense about loving me.”

“You might as well tell me to stop breathing.” Hurt darkens his eyes, but I recognize the determined set of his jaw. “I promise I won’t pressure you in any way, but don’t ask me to stop loving you. It’s not possible.”

Oh, gods.Emotion wraps itself around my throat, and unshed tears burn my eyes. I can’t do this. I just want him to hold me and tell me everything will be okay. This is why the last of my mother’s gi wantedme to run. She wanted me to run from Ethan. She somehow knew about the prophecy. She wanted to spare me from this heartbreak. Because I can’t stop loving him, and it will literally be the death of me.

Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe I can run and hide from the Shingae. From Ethan. If he can’t find me, he can’t kill me. But hewillfind me. He proved that much when he tracked me down at Roxy’s Diner through a wisp of magic. My fucked-up destiny is catching up with me.Mother, I can’t outrun it.And if it means I can stay close to Ethan, I don’t know if Iwantto run from it. No one ever tells you that love wipes out your sense of self-preservation.

And Daeseong must be dealt with. He killed my mother. He killed Ben. He will pay for his sins. But it isn’t only vengeance I seek. I glimpsed the extent of the dark mudang’s power—the extent of his evil. He will unleash the Amheuk from its prison beyond the worlds. It will mean the end of both realms. I know this.

With Draco’s scales and my sacred ashes, we can forge a sword of light. I will learn to wield the powers of the Yeoiju. We’ll be ready for Daeseong when he returns. And this time, we will stop him for good. I’m still no hero, but I have things to protect now. My home. My friends. My Ethan.

“Fine,” I mutter ungraciously, even as my heart beats against my ribs, trying to fly toward him. “I’ll come to the Realm of Four Kingdoms with you.”

Love makes fools of us all.