The War of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 3)

by Con Template

  Pride lit up his face. “Of course.”

  Yoori laughed before something on the road arrested her attention. Her eyes rounded in vigilance.

  “Tae Hyun,” she prompted uncertainly. “What is that on the road?”

  Yoori squinted her eyes. Under the blinding rays of the sun, this creature looked like a foggy hallucination rather than a true vision. When she determined that her eyes were not playing tricks on her, bitterness began to taint her mood.

  “Is that a duck?”

  Tae Hyun squinted his eyes as well. He, too, was inclined to believe it was simply a hallucination. As they drove closer, it was clear that there was indeed a chubby white duck crossing the road.

  “Yeah,” he confirmed, worry coating his voice. “I’ll slow down.”

  “Speed up.”

  Tae Hyun looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. He eyed her in disbelief. “What?”

  “Scare it,” she stated unfeelingly. Her eyes were still on the duck and, if it was even possible, she was looking more and more serious by the second.

  “What the hell?” he uttered, looking at her like she was a wacko. Although he was aware of Yoori’s violent history with ducks, he clearly did not anticipate her animosity to go this far.

  “Scare it so it poops itself,” she repeated, thinking he didn’t hear her. Her eyes were still on the duck, which was walking very slowly across the road. Despite how long it had been since a duck fucked her over, Yoori was still feeling resentful. Life had been hard on her. Scaring the shit out of a duck would make her day.

  “What the fuck?” he breathed out, utterly outraged. “I bring you on a nice ride down memory lane and you want to fuck it up by having me scare the shit out of an innocent duck?”

  Yoori blushed as Tae Hyun carefully maneuvered the car, allowing the duck safe passage on the road. It didn’t even flinch when they drove past it.

  “Why do you like ducks so much?” she asked, watching sourly as the duck finished waddling across the road without a care in the world. It disappeared into the woods, its poop still intact.

  Tae Hyun chuckled disbelievingly. “Apart from the fact that they’re cute?”

  “Is it just to spite me?” she asked half-jokingly, slowly feeling less agitated now that the duck was gone.

  Laughter issued from Tae Hyun. He warmly pointed at the lake they were driving past. It illumed with an array of orange, purple, and pink colors from the setting sun. There were ducks swimming peacefully upon the lake, enjoying life since Yoori was nowhere near them.

  “My first pet duck lived there.”

  Yoori burst out laughing. “No!”

  She was amazed with this newfound discovery. This was why the King of Serpents was such an advocate of ducks—because he actually raised one.

  “I loved it,” he went on reminiscently. “When I was nine, I would always come out to this portion of the estate with my father to feed it. My father warned me not to get too attached to it because it would leave me. He said that was the fate of all Underworld Kings: we would outlive everything we loved.”

  “Your father was an optimistic one, wasn’t he?” Yoori remarked carefully. It was astonishing to her the lengths the former King of Serpents would go to in order to educate his youngest son on the rules of life.

  “He would teach me all the rules, but he was always the exception to every rule.” Reverence teemed in Tae Hyun’s voice when speaking about his father. “Growing up, there was no one I wanted to emulate more. He literally had everything. He had the throne, he had the woman he loved, and he had a family he cherished. The Underworld gave him everything he wanted in life and no one dared to question his status as a King.” He regarded her briefly. “Everyone tells me that I have the potential to be the greatest King who has ever lived, but every time someone tells me that, all I can think about is my father. He is the King who truly had everything. He had everything and was able to keep it all until the day he died.” He shrugged, his voice becoming more regretful. “I wish I was smart enough to ask him how he got all of that. I imagine that would’ve been the last thing he would’ve taught me before he was taken from us so abruptly.”

  Tae Hyun smiled to himself. He changed the subject without notice and pointed at the field of green grass they were nearing.

  “This was where I tried to run away from home.”

  “What?” Yoori practically shouted. She craned to look at the field. All these stories were making a captive audience out of her. “Why?”

  “I was ten. It was hours before I was supposed to start my Underworld training,” he explained. “I remember, at the last minute, I became so afraid. I did not want to go. I did not want to leave my family.”

  “How far did you get?”

  “To this field.” Tae Hyun shook his head with amusement. “By the time I reached this field, my father had caught up to me and brought me home.” He tilted his head bitterly. “I learned then that it’s impossible to run away from this world. It will always catch up to you.”

  He jutted his chin at the stone driveway up ahead. They were still far from it, but Yoori could see from the distance, and from the iron gates, that it was the driveway of the estate.

  “That was where my father was killed.”

  Yoori felt her blood run cold.

  Tae Hyun looked at her. “You think my father died somewhere else?”

  She could barely find her voice. Yoori had always thought Tae Hyun’s father died while traveling somewhere. She never imagined that Ji Hoon would kill him on such sacred ground.

  “Ji Hoon . . . Ji Hoon killed him here?”

  Tae Hyun nodded. Though his voice was calm, Yoori could feel the fury spew out of him. “Right in front of my mother and sister.”

  He pointed at a well on the right side of the road. It was the only thing present on that field of grass.

  “We have an underground cellar there,” he explained while she kept her eyes on the well. It became smaller as they drove past it. “That’s where we keep our enemies and do our killings. My first Skulls kill was down there.”

  “How many did you kill?” she asked, craning her neck to keep the view of the well in sight.

  “Thirty.”

  Yoori regarded Tae Hyun with incredulous eyes. “You killed all thirty by yourself?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed quietly, returning his solemn eyes to the road.

  It was then that she realized why Tae Hyun was sharing so many of his memories with her. He wasn’t being nostalgic; he was keeping his promise to her. He wanted to show her every part of him: the good, the bad, and the inhumane side. This was not only a trip down memory lane; it was also a trip down Tae Hyun’s journey into becoming a King in the Underworld.

  Yoori gazed at his profile in a new light.

  She appreciated that he was keeping his word. She could see that it was not easy for him to open up in this manner, especially with her. It would be more beneficial for him to only reveal glimpses of his world to her so there would be a lesser chance of scrutiny on her part. He was doing something out of character—something vulnerable—and she respected that immensely.

  Yoori kept quiet and listened as he shared the darkest parts of himself with her.

  “My brother and my Cobras wanted to help, but I wouldn’t let them. I told them that this was my kill. Before I claimed their heads, I told them that in the future, I would claim Ji Hoon’s head as well.”

  Before giving her a chance to digest his last statement, Tae Hyun pointed at a mausoleum in the far distance. It looked like a small manor rather than a tomb. It was built with white stone and had two imposing pillars flanking either side of it. It couldn’t have looked more regal.

  “That is where my family is buried.”

  “Your father and mother?” Yoori asked quietly. She was barely blinking as she stared at it.

  “My father, my mother, my brother, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins . . . all the Serpents Royals are there.” He smiled at her when she
whirled back to him. “It is where I will reside when death knocks on my door.”

  “You will outlive the rest of us,” she reminded amiably. The thought of him dying pained her. She would not allow such a thought to ruin their day. Tae Hyun would never die if she could help it. “If you remain a God, you will always outlive your duck.”

  Tae Hyun chuckled, reaching out to hold her hand. “You’re suddenly a duck now?”

  Yoori laughed, leaning back in her seat. Intertwining their fingers, she allowed herself to enjoy the feel of his hand on hers. Even though driving down this road brought back good and bad memories, she was thankful she was there to experience it with Tae Hyun. It was a treat to learn about his past, to understand how he became the revered King of Serpents. At this thought, Yoori was suddenly reminded of how Soo Jin became the Queen of the Underworld. What transpired with Jung Min at Ju Won’s estate replayed in her mind.

  “Did you know that Jung Min ‘kidnapped’ me to remind me that I’m meant to be a God?” she asked, shifting uncomfortably whenever she was reminded of Jung Min and the rest of the Advisors. The remembrance of them always brought back the unpleasant memory of the Underworld and all the obstacles that stood in the way of her relationship with Tae Hyun.

  “Kang Min told me that Jung Min had kidnapped you,” Tae Hyun said tightly. It was clear he was not happy when he heard this. “But I did not know what it was about.”

  “He sealed me in the coffin that they trained Soo Jin in.”

  Tae Hyun eyed her incredulously. Even he was stunned by this revelation. “They made her sleep in a coffin every night?”

  “On the nights she failed as a God, they would have her sleep in the coffin with the amputated body parts of the ones she killed. They wanted to remind her of her fate. Every night she was successful as a God, she would get to sleep on the throne.” Yoori shrugged, still feeling disgusted with their method of training the revered Underworld Queen. “I guess they thought they were being poetic.”

  “What else did he say to you?” Tae Hyun asked shrewdly. He knew an Advisor would never “kidnap” someone just to throw them into a coffin.

  “He shared with me how a God rises back to power from their fall.”

  Yoori glanced at Tae Hyun. She wondered if he knew the answer to this. She decided to find out.

  “How does a God rise from their fall?”

  “You step on the corpse of the one who brought you down,” he responded like it was the most obvious answer. A smile crossed his lips when she looked at him in surprise that he knew this rule as well. “My grandfather told me,” he provided. “It is one of the first things a Royal learns.”

  Silence claimed Yoori. She breathed tersely, unknowingly tightening her hold on his hand. Almost inaudibly, she said something she knew he wouldn’t want her to voice.

  “I would,” she started slowly, feeling like she was pushing a big rock off her chest, “understand if you’ve considered it.”

  He had a lot to lose. It would be foolish of him to have never considered getting rid of her.

  Tae Hyun kept his eyes on the road. Nonchalantly, he said, “Have you considered it?”

  “I could never beat you,” she replied lightheartedly.

  “What if you could?” he persisted, his tone still light with curiosity.

  “I could never kill you.” She smiled to herself. “Who else would entertain me if you’re gone?”

  Despite her desire to lighten the mood, she still couldn’t get over what Jung Min said. She did not fear for herself, but for Tae Hyun. His fall from grace was not a merciful one and she feared his demise would be worse. Yoori did not want that grim future for him. He deserved to live a long and happy life. He should never die before his time.

  “Are you a fallen God right now?” she asked quietly.

  “Perhaps I am,” he murmured, tightening his hold on her hand. “But the rest of this world will never know it. To them, I am a God on the edge of falling, but I will never let them know that I have fallen. I will continue to rule over them and I will continue to initiate new members into my gang because that is what a God in power does. He keeps expanding his reach, his authority over this world.” He smirked. “That is a secret that my father taught me. Appearance is everything. If I keep acting like an untouchable God, then perhaps they will believe it.”

  “I am the only thing that doesn’t belong in this lie,” Yoori supplied, knowing her place in his life. She was a liability, not an asset.

  Tae Hyun kissed her hand, smiling at her with assurance. “If I am a God who will outlive my pet duck, then you will be the God who eats it when it dies.” He looked at her with nothing but adoration in his eyes. “We are perfect together as fallen Gods. The only thing the Underworld needs to believe is that we are perfect together as untouchable Gods.”

  Interest filled her at his cryptic words. “How do we show that?”

  “Tonight will mark the first night,” he said with confidence. “Once you see this initiation, your status will be set.”

  Yoori still did not follow along. “What status will that be?”

  He grinned softly and before he could answer, they arrived at the iron gates of the estate.

  Yoori’s eyes expanded at the beauty before her. A large mansion that could easily be a replica of the United States’ White House came before her eyes. It was pure white with long pillars at the face of the entrance. There was a massive water fountain shooting dancing water into the sky while a vast acre of green grass enclosed its surroundings. It was so large that she was sure they could fit hundreds of people in the estate and still have room to spare.

  As they drove up the stone driveway, her eyes enlarged even more when she saw hundreds of Serpents standing there, waiting for Tae Hyun’s much anticipated arrival. They were all dressed in black business suits and looked like they could run a nation if they wanted to.

  Yoori felt surreal that she was finally at the Serpents’ estate. She felt even more surreal at the actions of those around her when Tae Hyun stepped out of the car. One second, the Serpents were all standing. Yet, as soon as Tae Hyun’s feet hit the pavement, they all fell on one knee and kneeled before him with the utmost reverence.

  For the first time, Yoori saw the King behind the man she had fallen for.

  Not even fazed by this colossal exhibition of respect, Tae Hyun casually came to her side of the car and opened the door. He smiled while he held his hand out to her.

  “Choi Yoori,” he began, voicing one of the first things he said to her during their first meeting. Only now, it was a completely true statement. After this night, she would truly be initiated into his world.

  “Welcome to my world.”

  “You may have been born human . . .”

  09: The Sealed Kingdom

  Yoori could scarcely keep the smile solidified on her face when she stepped out of the car. She did her best to ignore the hundreds upon hundreds of Serpents, all of whom were still kneeling before them. She was grateful she chose to wear a nice white dress today. It would have been an awkward sight if she were in her usual jeans and tank top attire.

  When Tae Hyun gave her a reassuring smile and interlaced his fingers with hers, Yoori returned the smile. It was comforting to know that although he was a King to everyone else, he was still her Tae Hyun.

  She drew in a deep breath and allowed Tae Hyun to lead the way as they strolled past the kneeling Serpents. They climbed the eight steps leading up to the estate and moved through the enormous mansion. Yoori looked around, stunned to find that there were more Serpents here. She felt like a formidable tide when she was with Tae Hyun. Everywhere they neared, Serpents would kneel before him. It was mesmerizing and euphoric. They weren’t kneeling for her, but she felt powerful all the same. She could get used to this.

  “Yoori,” Hae Jin greeted once they walked into the living room that housed a white grand piano and a brightly lit chandelier. Hae Jin stood up from a white leather sofa and approached Yoori and Tae Hyun
. She was wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck and a black pencil skirt. Her smile was warm when she opened her arms to Yoori. “So great to see you here. You look beautiful!”

  “Thank you, so do you!” Yoori exclaimed, giving Hae Jin a big hug.

  “Hey bosses,” said two voices from behind Hae Jin.

  Kang Min and Jae Won followed Hae Jin off the sofa. They, too, wore black business suits. She had never seen them look so professional.

  “Hey guys,” Yoori greeted, embracing Kang Min and then Jae Won.

  “Always great to see the two of you together,” Jae Won said to them when he pulled away from the hug. He imparted a slight bow to Tae Hyun as his greeting.

  “You two really look like the King and Queen of the Underworld,” remarked Hae Jin as she gifted Tae Hyun with a big hug.

  Kang Min leaned closer to Hae Jin when she pulled away from the hug. “I think that’s the idea, Hae Jin,” he whispered with a grin.

  Yoori looked at them strangely. It occurred to her that they were not in the least bit surprised that she was on “hallowed” ground. After all the talk about outsiders being prohibited from witnessing the Serpents’ initiation, it baffled her that they were behaving so nonchalantly around her.

  “You guys knew I was coming?” Yoori ventured, bewilderment bubbling in her voice. It was the only plausible explanation for their casual behavior.

  “Oppa told us a few days ago that he planned on bringing you here for the initiation,” Hae Jin confirmed jubilantly. She gave a sly shrug, the warmth mounting in her eyes. “We’ve known for a while.”

  Yoori was gobsmacked. She peered at Tae Hyun with inquisitive eyes. She assumed his decision to bring her to the second estate was a spur of the moment thing. It astonished her that he had planned to bring her to the initiation all along.

  Tae Hyun favored her with a coy smile before freeing his hand from hers. He purposely avoided addressing her surprised expression.

  “I have to go prepare for the initiation,” he announced. He spared a glance between Hae Jin and the brothers before returning his focus to Yoori. “Will you be okay with these fools for the time being?”