Gilded (The Gilded Series, Book One)

by Christina Farley

  “Jae?” Marc answers.

  I let out a long breath just hearing his voice. “Yeah, it’s me. You okay? Did your parents flip?”

  “I survived the gauntlet. You?”

  “Yeah, the works. I called to make sure you were okay.”

  He’s silent for a moment. “I’m good. You?”

  “Not so much.”

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out like you wanted.”

  “Tell me about it. I’m sorry about—” Where do I even begin? “Everything.”

  “Don’t be. I’d do it all again,” he says.

  “I’m leaving the country. It’s the only chance I’ve got left. So I guess this is good-bye.”

  “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  I close my eyes to push back the tears that really, really want to spill out. I can’t listen to what he has to say, because he’s become the best friend I’ve ever had and I can’t say good-bye to that. I grab my wallet and bow case, glancing around the room one last time. “Good-bye, Marc.”

  “Wait!”

  I hang up before he says another word. He calls back, but I ignore the ring and set my phone to silent mode. Then, clutching my bow case, I crack open my door, peeking into the living room. Dad’s bedroom door is closed, but I can hear him talking on his cell phone.

  Now or never.

  Tiptoeing, I head to the closet where we keep the safe, hoping Dad doesn’t open his door and find me rummaging for my passport. He’s never going to give me the combination to the safe in the future after this stunt. But why worry about the future if there probably isn’t going to be one?

  I am sneaking across the room with my blue USA passport in hand to the entryway when I hear Dad’s bedroom door creak. I scurry back across the living room but only make it to the kitchen.

  “Jae,” Dad says, and I notice his face looks worn and years older. “I know this has been a rough night, but I thought I’d order us some food.”

  “Um—I’m not really in the mood,” I say, and then grab a box of cereal and a towel. I try to ignore the flash of disappointment that crosses his eyes or how his head hangs as he sags onto the couch. “I’ll just eat some of this after I clean my bow.”

  Quickly, I close my door and toss the cereal box and towel on the bed, hoping he’ll buy my lame excuse. If I can keep Dad from following me until after I’ve gotten on the train, then he’ll be forced to take the next one and always be one step behind me. The last thing I need is for him to catch up with me and keep me from leaving the country.

  I haven’t used the balcony escape route since the night I went to see Good Enough. I slip out the window, my nerves on edge, imagining Haemosu lounging against the railing with that awful grin on his face. But he isn’t, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  Sneaking across the balcony is pure torture. At every creak I stop and stare at the sliding glass doors that lead to our living room. I’m half expecting Dad to slide it open and storm out. He’s going to be off-the-charts mad when he finds out I’ve run away. I want to think it serves him right for not believing me, but even still, a twinge of guilt slides around my stomach and up into my chest.

  Once I reach the other end of our balcony, I know I still have two more balconies to cross. I adjust my bow so it won’t throw me off balance and take a deep breath. Then I swing over the railing and around the thin privacy wall—nine floors of distance stretching below me—and onto Mrs. Jung’s balcony.

  But this is the first time I’ve been carrying a backpack and my bow case. Their weight throws me off balance. I tumble onto Mrs. Jung’s balcony and land on one of her potted plants, knocking it over. The clay pot shatters beneath me.

  I freeze on the concrete floor and look into Mrs. Jung’s apartment; she never closes her sliding glass doors. “Mwuh?” she says, getting up from her mat where she watches her TV. “Who is there?”

  I scramble to my feet and lean against the divider, my breath coming out heavy. I wait in the shadows, hoping she won’t come out onto the balcony. Laughter erupts from the TV. She picks up her phone. Great. She’s calling the police. I check my watch. I have only forty minutes until my train is supposed to leave. There isn’t time to go back to my room and wait.

  It’s too high to jump, but if I get closer to the ground I could. I swing my legs over the railing and crouch down, my face pressed against the bars. I lower one leg and try to touch the balcony railing below. It’s just out of my reach.

  Mrs. Jung comes closer, squinting through the screen door at the broken pot. I tighten my bow case against my back.

  The balcony light flicks on. Holding on to the bars on Mrs. Jung’s balcony, I propel myself down into the balcony below, my heart racing. I land safely.

  This has to be Mr. Chung’s apartment, because his yip-yap dog is there barking and pawing at the sliding glass doors. I can hear people talking behind the divider on the next balcony. The one that has access to the fire escape stairs.

  There’s only one thing to do. Once again I leap over the balcony railing and in one swift motion swing myself down onto the seventh floor; but this time my balance is off-kilter, and I miss the balcony. Midair, I claw for the railing, and at the last minute my fingers wrap around its cold surface.

  Dangling over the edge, I pull myself up to standing on the thin outer edge of the balcony. My pulse thuds in my ears. I can hear my neighbors talking to each other above. The police will arrive at any moment. I glance below me. Six floors. Can I jump that far?

  Crap no.

  I notice a building with a flat roof two balconies away. I shimmy myself along the outer edge of the balconies until I’m directly over the building. I toss my backpack down first and then strap my bow to my back. Taking a deep breath, I jump onto its roof, landing hard on my knee and rolling across its surface. Sirens cut the air. I don’t have much time. I leap to the ground. Finally feeling the concrete sidewalk sends a thrill through my body despite my throbbing knee. I need it.

  I snatch up my backpack and limp straight to the subway station. My left leg aches from where I landed on it, but I ignore the pain. My senses are on full alert. Now that I know Haemosu’s appearances aren’t limited to the daylight hours, I can only hope I make it there without being kidnapped. Even though it only takes me fifteen minutes to get to Seoul Station, by the time I reach the ticket counter, I only have twenty minutes left to board.

  I show the ticket attendant my passport while scanning the crowd for Haemosu’s face. Still no sign of him.

  “Is there a ticket reserved for me?” I ask, drumming my fingers on the counter. Moments later I have a ticket in hand. Grandfather came through again. On the big electronic screen to my right, words pop up in red: LAST CALL: BUSAN.

  I hurry past the groups huddled on plastic benches and head toward the turnstiles. The Korean fast-food vendors are pulling metal shades over their shop fronts, closing up for the night.

  As I scurry down the concrete steps to the train platform, an icy gust whooshes across my face and blows my hat away. I turn to run after it, but I stop short. Marc, standing there in jeans and boots and with that mischievous grin, is holding my hat.

  “Looking for this?” Marc is holding up my hat.

  I falter. “How—how did you know I’d be here?”

  “Your grandfather.” He steps closer, wary. “That’s what I wanted to tell you on the phone. He asked me to accompany you to Busan. Said you needed someone mature and responsible to help you get there.”

  I lift my eyebrows. “Mature and responsible? I think Grandfather has grown senile.”

  I can’t deny that I was hoping he didn’t want me to leave. That he was here to tell me he loved me. I say, “What about the museum and your parents being furious?”

  “I wasn’t totally clear on the phone. They were upset about me breaking into the museum, but they’re 100 percent supportive of me helping you out.”

  I open my mouth. Shut it. Stare at the train. Then back at him. “Why? Why would th
ey want you to help me?”

  “I take it you’re not excited to have your own personal bodyguard.”

  “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not exactly bodyguard material.”

  “Looks can be deceptive.” He grins. “Come on, let’s get on the train. I’ll explain everything.”

  “You’re not coming.”

  “I already have my ticket.” He waves it in the air, smirking.

  “You are insane.” I snatch my hat back. “Besides, this doesn’t exactly agree with the terms of our suspension. You might not get into Harvard.”

  “I wasn’t planning on going there anyway.”

  He’s so close I could reach up and push his hair out of his eyes.

  I check my watch. One minute left to board. I frown at Marc as he gestures for me to board first, but I clamber onto the train. Once inside, I begin searching the compartments for my seat, trying to ignore the fact that Marc is behind me. I’m conflicted over being relieved that he’s here because I don’t want to make this trip alone and feeling selfish and wrong for putting him in danger again.

  The train lurches forward as I find my seat, and I let out a long breath, relieved that I’m at least one step ahead of Dad. Marc jams his backpack into the overhead compartment before settling down next to me with a stack of cards. “Want to play?” he asks.

  I cross my arms and glare at him. How is it that in the most insane moments he’s able to stay so calm? “Coincidence that you get the seat next to mine?”

  He slides the cards through his hands, shuffling. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Especially when your grandfather bought both tickets.”

  Outside, the gray concrete buildings of the city flash by as we flee to the southern tip of Korea. I’m trying to figure out why Grandfather and Marc’s parents want him to help me. Somebody isn’t telling me the whole story.

  “Spill it,” I say. “I want to know what’s really going on.”

  “I guess it doesn’t matter now if you know or not.” Marc deals out the cards while I narrow my eyes at him. “Remember how I told you that my dad and your grandfather are friends?” I nod. “Well, they are friends because they are both part of the same organization.”

  “Right. I knew that already. Guardians of Shinshi or something. I can see how my grandfather has a part in all this, but your dad isn’t Korean; and if it’s all so secret, then why do you know all this?”

  “My dad is an expert in religious studies, and he’s an archaeologist.” Marc’s voice turns to a whisper. “Because of his expertise, he gained the trust of the Guardians. From his research, he was able to discover the location of something they wanted.”

  “Which was?”

  He peeks over our seats, glancing at the other passengers in our car before continuing. “The legend of Korea’s origin says the immortals dropped six Orbs of Life on Earth to form Korea. For centuries those orbs were kept hidden, guarded by the Hwarang warriors within Korea’s great mountains. But over time the orbs slowly disappeared. My dad discovered the location of two of those orbs and returned them to the Guardians. That is why my dad is a member.”

  He twirls his ring, staring at it. There’s something familiar about that ring. It’s a simple gold ring without the tiger like Grandfather and Komo wear, but it’s still a ring. My eyes widen. “You’re one of them,” I say.

  He looks up in surprise and then runs his hands through his hair. “I’m kind of in training.”

  “Oh my God.”

  He looks away. “There’s more. My dad has been working with your grandfather for a long time trying to stop Haemosu.” He swallows hard. “I was assigned to keep you safe.”

  “Are you saying you knew about this the whole time? From the very beginning?”

  “Just that I needed to protect you. I had no idea about anything else until you told me. And then after what happened at your locker, the Guardians filled me in. They also took my new sight as a sign. A sign that I was supposed to watch out for you. That I was meant to be a Guardian.”

  “I don’t need protecting,” I remind him.

  “After the incident at the museum, my dad filled me in on their side of things. Since I can, you know, see the Others, the council thinks I’m even more valuable.”

  I draw my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. It all makes sense now. How Marc was always there when Haemosu turned up. How he always seemed right in step with me.

  I’d thought we had a connection, but I was really just a special assignment. “So that’s all this was between the two of us,” I say. “An assignment?”

  His eyes grow wide, and I almost believe him when he says, “No! That’s not what I meant.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about protecting me anymore,” I say. “I can take care of myself.”

  “You have to believe me, Jae. And yeah, you’re right. You don’t need protecting. You can take care of yourself. I guess I want to help somehow, that’s all.” He tries to take my hand, but I pull away. “This has always been more than an assignment. From the first moment I saw you. Remember that night when you came to my house, and you asked me what I wanted in life? Yesterday when we were talking in the coffee shop, it all became clear. This is it. I want to be a Guardian. More than anything. I have all the skills, and now that I can see the creatures I only want it more.”

  “I’m glad you’ve found your thing.” I know I sound bitter, but I can’t help myself.

  Marc says, “Being a Guardian is like studying archaeology and myths. But instead of digging through dust and crumbling worlds, I’m digging up something real, alive. My work could make a difference in people’s lives. I could help save your life.”

  I look into his eyes. I want to trust him because of everything he’s done for me. All those moments together. Every touch. It’s all meant more to me than I should’ve allowed myself to feel. I let my guard down, and now I’m paying the price.

  But this isn’t the time to get emotional. “So what does all this orb stuff have to do with Haemosu?” I say, and look him hard in the eyes.

  “Haemosu’s power has grown. The Guardians suspect Haemosu might have gotten an orb, which would grant him this additional power to materialize in our world so often. Or maybe he’s in league with another immortal. Or worse: both.”

  We sit in silence, and I listen to the hum of the train flying over the tracks. Marc picks up the stack of cards and flips them through his hands. “Dad is away a lot for late-night meetings at the university. He says the spirit forces have divided Korea in half, and until things are made right, the country will only continue to fall apart.”

  “He thinks North and South Korea are divided because of things in the Spirit World?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” he says. “But I get the feeling that Haemosu is one part of it. If we can solve this, maybe we can deal with the bigger picture later.”

  I close my eyes. I can’t deal with the big picture right now. Everything seems out of place, and here I am making every bad decision in the book. Maybe there aren’t any good decisions.

  I decide to check my phone, and see that Dad called. So he’s discovered I’m gone. Good. I turn off my phone and lean my head against the green vinyl seat, wishing I could shut out all my problems just like turning off my phone.

  “What if leaving Korea is a bad idea?” I say. “How can I stop Haemosu if I just run away? What if there was a good choice, and I never saw it? Or what if there isn’t a good choice, and I can only choose the bad?”

  He sets down his card and takes my hand. “It’s there. You just haven’t found it yet.”

  “I don’t know how to defeat him.” I pull away my hand and squeeze the armrests of the chair.

  “I brought my notes. Do you want to go over them again?”

  “I suppose that would be better than breaking your seat apart.”

  I roll my eyes and snatch the papers from him. We study his notes and review the legend for the next three hours as the tra
in whizzes through rice fields and past jagged mountains. Out here in the countryside, snow covers the ground and lies heavy on the pines, reflecting brightly in the moonlight. We fly by a small town bordered by a low stone wall. The fluted-roof house lights wink at us as we speed by.

  “I want my family to be safe and for this to be the answer,” I say as we put away the books and turn off the reading lights. “But I have this awful feeling that I’m missing something.”

  Marc wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. I stiffen. I’m doing it again. Letting my guard down. I shouldn’t allow him so close to my heart.

  “I’m here for you, Jae,” he says, his chin resting on my head. “You have to know that by now.”

  His words melt my resolve. He’s right. He risked his life twice for me, once at the locker and once in the museum. How can I throw away that kind of devotion? I lean my head back, my lips brushing over his neck, drinking in his delicious smell. His body burns warm against mine, and my muscles relax in his arms. Assignments and myths fly away as my lips trail up his neck and over the light stubble on his jawline until our lips meet. His breathing quickens. I run my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. We kiss, hungrily this time. Needing to be closer.

  Because this might be our last night.

  Our last kiss.

  “Wake up,” Marc says.

  I blink away the sleep from my eyes and reluctantly leave Marc’s arms. Everyone in our car is standing, grabbing bags, and shrugging into their coats.

  The air is warmer here. Salty. My watch reads midnight. No wonder my muscles ache. I take a deep breath and step out of the train. The sky looms dark above, but the white floors and chrome pillars on the platform are lit up bright. I truck myself up the concrete steps and into the lobby. The outer walls of the station are all glass, and I imagine it must be beautiful here in daylight. I scan the area for Grandfather and wave when I spot him. He frowns. Figures.

  “Jae Hwa. Good to see you. Well done, young man,” Grandfather says to Marc as we walk up.