Year of the Dragon (Changeling Sisters Book 3)
Page 40
A few feet away, Sun Bin moved. She rose to her full height, grief finally shattering her stoic mask. “I am going to kill this goddess of lies.”
Ankor shadowed her movement and reached out to grab her hand. “We will. Together.”
Dread deepened its clutch on my heart as I watched them mourn their lost sister. All hell was about to break loose in Seoul, and I didn’t know where Raina was.
“I am going to Young Soo and Miguel now,” Yu Li said. I heard a door slam and then her ragged breathing. “The darkness is coming. We will not be able to speak by phone for much longer. Citlalli, I promise I will protect your brother. But you must be my Beta now. You are the fastest of us, who runs quick like flame. Rally the pack to Namsan Tower, Fire Wolf.”
Tears shone in my eyes as I whispered my understanding: “Algesseumnida.”
The Yong twins stood before me with arms crossed after I hung up.
“What is the plan?” Sun Bin asked, her voice flat and unemotional.
I swallowed hard, unable to bear the pain stamped across Ankor’s face. “Fly. Get out of here while you still can. All of the shapeshifters in South Korea won’t be enough to stop what is to come. You are the last of the Celestial Dragons, and you must survive.”
“That is not a plan,” Sun Bin said harshly. “That is admitting defeat.”
Ankor put a hand on my shoulder. “The dragons are not going anywhere this fight.”
“Good, because you can’t,” a new voice cut through the unnatural night. A rustle of wings, and then Khyber swooped down before us, his ivory skin gleaming like moonlight. Black blood trickled down his hardened jaw. “While Donovan licks his wounds in Japan and Santiago retreats to Xibalba, my brother Aleksandr moves in from the North with his armies of sastrugi and rusalki. They mean to see Seoul, Eastern stronghold of the shifters, destroyed once and for all.”
“They are going to trap us inside with the Yeouiju’s curse,” Sun Bin growled.
“Bring it on,” Ankor replied hotly, his eyes crackling with sheet lightning.
Khyber turned to the younger Korean boy, and cold derision dripped in his tone. “You do not know what that means. This will be the Long Night, the likes of which your generation has never seen. The Yeouiju’s shards have torn a hole between the mortal and the spirit world. That is why this cold night leaks in, poisoning minds and turning people mad. And the things that lay long buried because they feared the sun will arise, stalking the streets of Seoul with only one purpose: to hunt.”
Rally the pack, a ghost of Yu Li’s voice reminded me. I stepped up next to Ankor. “Then so shall we.”
The vampyre prince looked at how close we stood, Ankor’s fingertips a hairsbreadth from mine. He said nothing.
***
Night closed in, but we were no longer there. We didn’t see the way the darkness poured forth from the hole and took two shapes, each gazing out across the Han River with unabashed hunger at the brilliant city twinkling with a million neon lights, so deliciously oblivious of what was to come.
“Scurry, scurry, little mice,” the Lords of Walking Death whispered.
In the north, the wolves began to howl, but they were far too late. Sirens wailed, the city went black, and slowly, out of the shattered earth, the first of the shadows crawled.
End of Part II
To be continued in…
Book IV: Year of the Rat
Acknowledgements
I would like to give thanks to God for creating such a beautiful but difficult world full of endless things to write about.
Thanks to: Mom, Dad, and my brother for being my base camp for every manuscript I write and always inspiring me with their views of the world. I would like to thank my aunts and uncle; my cousins; Janae; my friends: your heartfelt support has always meant more than words can say.
Greg, you always bring unfailing humor to the most serious of situations; I love you, and I want to thank your family as well for their love and support.
We run with “wolf packs” at different stages of our lives, and I was very blessed to run with Ogonna, Irene, Thavy, and Una for so many travels and eye-opening moments. I wish you all the very best!
Lastly, I can never give enough thanks to my readers, supportive co-workers, and fans. I hope the latest Changeling Sisters’ journey takes you to some places familiar and others strange and exciting.
Much of the Korean and Chinese lore mentioned in this book is based upon fascinating mythology and incredible real-life places, but some of it is entirely from my crazy imagination. Please see the Glossary for details.
Glossary
Korean Terms and Phrases
Disclaimer: Romanization of Hangeul characters is approximate.
A
-a/-ya — Kinship suffix terms used to address those of equal or lesser status
Ajumma/Ajumeoni — A woman who looks old enough to be married; a married woman. Younger people may refer to older acquaintances as “Auntie” as a term of respect.
Aigoo/Aish — A term to show frustration
“Algesseumnida — “I understand,” formal
“Annyeong hashimnikka?”/ “Annyeong haseyo?” — “Hello, are you at peace?” Formal/informal
Abeoji /Appa — Father, formal/informal
B
Bapo — Stupid
Bibimbap — Spicy rice and vegetable bowl
budae jjigae — Army stew
C
Chuseok — A very important holiday celebrating one’s ancestors and good harvest.
D
Ddeokbokki — Spicy fish cakes
Deul — Pure Korean number “two”
-do — Island
Dojang — A martial arts training hall
Dol hareubang — “Stone grandfather” statues found on the Korean island of Jeju-do that offer protection and fertility.
E
“Eotteokhaji?” — “What should I do?”
G
Gisa-nim — Taxi driver
Gyeryong — Chicken-headed dragons that often appear in Korean folklore to tow the chariots of royalty.
H
Haenyeo — “Sea Women” who dive off the coast of Jeju Island to fish and make their living from what they catch.
Haetae — Also called “Haechi,” this is a mythical creature from Korean folklore that resembles a lion with a horn on its head. Haetae statues populate Seoul and often guard palaces.
Hagwon — An afterschool that teaches various subjects.
Hana — Pure Korean number “one”
Hangeul — The Korean alphabet
Hanja — The Chinese-Korean alphabet
Harabeoji — Grandfather
I
Imugi — Lesser three-toed dragon
-ie — Kinship suffix term of intimacy
J
“Jamkkanman-yo!” — “One moment, please!”
“Jeongmal?” — “Really?”
“Jjang!” — “Best!”
Jjimjilbang — A Korean bathhouse
Juin-nim — Leader/master or owner
K
“Kaja!” — “Let’s go!”
“Kamsahamnida”/Komaweoyo — “Thank you,” formal/informal
Keh — Dog
Kumiho — A mythical nine-tailed fox
Kwajang — A Department Head
M
Makgeolli — Rice wine
“Meok-eo.” — “Eat.”
“Mian haeyo.” — “I’m sorry.”
“Michigetda!” — “This is driving me crazy!”
“Mweo-yehyo?” — “What?”
N
“Neh.” — “Yes.”
Net — Pure Korean number “four”
-nim — Korean honorific suffix to show immense respect
Noona — Term of endearment for a brother to call his older sister.
O
Oppa — Term of endearment for a sister to call her older brother, or a term of affection for a girl to call her boyfriend.
P
Patbingsu — Shaved ice dessert with various toppings like Azuki beans and fruit
S
Sajang — President
San — Mountain
Set — Pure Korean number “three”
-ssi — Korean suffix of politeness
Sunsaeng-nim — Teacher
U
Umma — Mother
Unni — Term of endearment for a younger sister to call her older sister
W
“Wae?” — “Why?”, informal
Waygook — Foreigner
Won — Korean currency
Y
“Yeh” — “Yes,” in agreement
“Yeoboseyo?” — “Hello?” when answering the phone
Yeodongsaeng — Younger sibling
Yeouiju — A mythical wish-fulfilling jewel that falls from heaven and can be used to channel the power of creation.
Yong — Dragon
Spanish Terms and Phrases
A
Abuela — Grandmother
Amigo — Friend
C
“Cada loco con su tema.” — an idiom conveying “to each their own”
“Cómo estás?” — “How are you?”
D
“Dios mío!” — “My God!”
G
“Gracias.” — “Thank you.”
H
“Hasta la vista.” — “See you later.”
“Hola!” — “Hello!”
M
Madre — Mother
Mija/Mijo — My daughter/son, intimate
Milagro — Miracle
Mis hermanos — My brothers
N
Naca — Slang term used to describe a woman of poor taste and lower socio-economic class
Niños — Children
S
Señor/Señorita — Sir/Miss
Chinese, French, Hawaiian, Khmer, and Russian Terms and Phrases
Laoshi — Teacher (Chinese)
La Perle de la Mort — The Pearl of Death (French)
‘Aina — The land (Hawaiian)
‘Ohana — Family (Hawaiian)
Lok/Lok srey — Mr./Mrs. (Khmer)
Riel — Cambodian currency
Rusalki — Slavic mythological creatures portrayed in folklore as water nymphs or unclean spirits
Origin of Myths and Places
Eobshin — In Korean mythology, Eobshin is a deity of the house, a goddess of wealth and storage. She takes the form of a black eared snake.
Imugi and the Yeouiju — In Korean folklore, imugi are lesser dragons in the form of giant serpents that are three-toed instead of four-toed like the greater wise dragons. An imugi can become a true dragon after catching a Yeouiju, a powerful wish-fulfilling jewel, which falls from heaven.
King Mun Mu of Silla – A famous king who ruled the Silla kingdom from 661 AD to 681 AD. He waged wars against the other two major Korean kingdoms and saw the Korean peninsula united. Upon his death, he asked for his remains to be cast into the East Sea so he could become a dragon and protect Korea for ages to come.
Lady Meng Jiang and The Great Wall of China — A Chinese folk legend in which Lady Meng Jiang’s husband is taken away on her wedding day to build the Great Wall of China. When he does not return, she travels to The Great Wall and discovers that he died and was buried beneath the wall. Her cries are so great that they destroy part of the wall and reveal many human bones. Later, the emperor is enchanted by Lady Meng Jiang’s beauty. She agrees to marry him if he will grant her three requests to properly lay her husband to rest. After he grants the third desire, Lady Meng Jiang scorns him and jumps to her death in the sea. There are various versions of this tale.
Seongsan Ilchulbong — A famous mountain shaped like a castle on Jeju Island. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. However, there is no sea cave in its base like this story portrays.
The Tiger and the Bear — Based on the Korean creation myth, “The Legend of Tangun,” in which a bear and a tiger pray to the Lord of Heaven to become human. Only the bear is able to complete the task. She becomes Ungnyeo, wife of the Lord of Heaven and mother of Tangun, who founded the first Korean kingdom.
Trials of Wisdom – These lessons were influenced by the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
“Water Bears” — Tardigrade, or “water bears” are microscopic organisms that live in water. They can survive extreme conditions that would be fatal to almost any other species.
Xecotcovach — This character was inspired by Mayan mythology, in which Xecotcovach is one of four birds that attack the first humans made-of-wood, whom the gods considered failures due to their abuse of the earth and lack of worship. Xecotcovach tears out the humans’ eyes.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Prologue
Part I: Imugi
Chapter 1: Unburied Secrets
Chapter 2: Ablaze
Chapter 3: An Intervention
Chapter 4: The Water Dragon
Chapter 5: The Mud Festival
Chapter 6: Drinking Makgeolli
Chapter 7: The Pearl
Chapter 8: A Day of Tae
Chapter 9: The Lost Doorkeeper
Chapter 10: Yong Enterprises
Chapter 11: Internal Differences
Chapter 12: Family Dinner
Chapter 13: The Hall of Heroes
Chapter 14: Jaehoon’s Farewell
Chapter 15: Mr. Kim
Chapter 16: The Job Interview
Chapter 17: The Red Company
Chapter 18: Khyber Returns
Chapter 19: Strong Wing and Fierce Breath
Chapter 20: The Great Wall of China
Chapter 21: The Wailing Woman
Chapter 22: Three’s a Crowd
Chapter 23: Hidden Agendas
Chapter 24: Werewolf Politics
Chapter 25: Just Friends
Chapter 26: The Hearing
Chapter 27: The Energy Dragon
Chapter 28: The Yeouiju’s Curse
Chapter 29: The Weretiger Clan
Chapter 30: The Second Trial
Chapter 31: An Unlikely Alliance
Chapter 32: Darkening the Doorway
Chapter 33: The Third Trial
Chapter 34: The Air Dragon
Chapter 35: The Ore Dragon
Chapter 36: Call to Arms
Chapter 37: Out to Sea
Chapter 38: Sun Charm
Chapter 39: Typhoon
Part II: Dragon
Chapter 40: Council of Elders
Chapter 41: The Forgotten Island
Chapter 42: Jungle Fury
Chapter 43: Pandora’s Box
Chapter 44: The Great King Rocks
Chapter 45: The Final Trial
Chapter 46: The Dreaming Dragon
Chapter 47: Tica’s Sacrifice
Chapter 48: The Rescue
Chapter 49: Night of Falling Dreams
Chapter 50: The Earth Dragon
Chapter 51: The Sea Castle
Chapter 52: Battle of the Southern Isles
Chapter 53: The Death Circle
Chapter 54: Face Gouger
Chapter 55: Sunrise at the Edge of the World
Chapter 56: A Mother’s Choice
Chapter 57: Custody Battle
Chapter 58: Choosing Sides
Chapter 59: Road to Retribution
Chapter 60: Cold is the Blade of the Knife
Chapter 61: The Heart of Deception
Chapter 62: The Yeouiju’s Curse
Chapter 63: Goodnight, Seoul
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Table of Contents
Foreword
Prologue
Part I: Imugi
Chapter 1: Unburied Secrets
Chapter 2: Ablaze
Chapter 3: An Intervention
Chapter 4: The Water Dragon
Chapter 5: The Mud Festival<
br />
Chapter 6: Drinking Makgeolli
Chapter 7: The Pearl
Chapter 8: A Day of Tae
Chapter 9: The Lost Doorkeeper
Chapter 10: Yong Enterprises
Chapter 11: Internal Differences
Chapter 12: Family Dinner
Chapter 13: The Hall of Heroes
Chapter 14: Jaehoon’s Farewell
Chapter 15: Mr. Kim
Chapter 16: The Job Interview
Chapter 17: The Red Company
Chapter 18: Khyber Returns
Chapter 19: Strong Wing and Fierce Breath
Chapter 20: The Great Wall of China
Chapter 21: The Wailing Woman
Chapter 22: Three’s a Crowd
Chapter 23: Hidden Agendas
Chapter 24: Werewolf Politics
Chapter 25: Just Friends
Chapter 26: The Hearing
Chapter 27: The Energy Dragon
Chapter 28: The Yeouiju’s Curse
Chapter 29: The Weretiger Clan
Chapter 30: The Second Trial
Chapter 31: An Unlikely Alliance
Chapter 32: Darkening the Doorway
Chapter 33: The Third Trial
Chapter 34: The Air Dragon
Chapter 35: The Ore Dragon
Chapter 36: Call to Arms
Chapter 37: Out to Sea
Chapter 38: Sun Charm
Chapter 39: Typhoon
Part II: Dragon
Chapter 40: Council of Elders
Chapter 41: The Forgotten Island
Chapter 42: Jungle Fury
Chapter 43: Pandora’s Box
Chapter 44: The Great King Rocks
Chapter 45: The Final Trial
Chapter 46: The Dreaming Dragon
Chapter 47: Tica’s Sacrifice
Chapter 48: The Rescue
Chapter 49: Night of Falling Dreams
Chapter 50: The Earth Dragon
Chapter 51: The Sea Castle
Chapter 52: Battle of the Southern Isles
Chapter 53: The Death Circle
Chapter 54: Face Gouger
Chapter 55: Sunrise at the Edge of the World
Chapter 56: A Mother’s Choice
Chapter 57: Custody Battle
Chapter 58: Choosing Sides
Chapter 59: Road to Retribution
Chapter 60: Cold is the Blade of the Knife
Chapter 61: The Heart of Deception
Chapter 62: The Yeouiju’s Curse
Chapter 63: Goodnight, Seoul
Acknowledgements
Glossary