CHAPTER NINE

Hanging By A Thread

 The rest of the day was passed in suppressed agitation, especially when the Princes gathered around the floor of their bedroom, going through plans. It didn’t take long for them to agree on the fact that the Elvish kingdom lacked what they needed to thoroughly plan their entire journey and it was a unanimous decision with regards to a plan to venture back the way they came. There, they would enrol in a school for the gifted, which they suspected housed other Vampires who were taking refuge from the Eligorians.

As kind as the Elvish kingdom had been, it did not feel like home. The elves did not make a habit of detailing their efforts in writing and so historical recounts were always spoken by word of mouth and like a game of Chinese whispers, slowly, these stories were tapered and meddled with. There was no proof behind their words and right now, the Princes needed facts.

Uniting the ten kingdoms – the vampires, elves, dwarves, goblins, demons, giants, mermaids, witches, fairies and werewolves – had almost been unheard of. There had only ever been one successful attempt and it had been by a great, great, great grandfather they had never known, during a great war against the werewolves. Technically, it had been nine kingdoms then and even though the wolves had made peace with them since then, the hostility still remained.

To bring together such a different group of creatures together was beyond difficult, particularly since Vampires weren’t very social outside of their own kind. The princes had been born at the height of their empire and though they received intensive training, knew little of what lay beyond their own lands and customs. They were going to find out soon that none of it was very pretty.

It wasn’t until the sun had set that Jaehwa appeared again. She rushed into the room without knocking – wide-eyed and panting as she handed the day’s newspaper to Suho. He received it with grace and unfolded it, reading it with furrowed brows.

“The Eligorians are heading our way.” His voice was low and when he finished the article, he set it in the middle of the circle, amongst all the other paperwork – maps, sketches, rough figures and plans. He looked up at Jaehwa who stood, recovering from her run.

“We have to move soon.” She stated with concern written all over her face.

“The journey from the city to here takes roughly about one day maximum – maybe a little longer on foot but I’m pretty sure the Eligorians drive.” Kai analysed, “We don’t have a lot of time.”

“What are our next plans?” Jaehwa asked and Luhan and Baekhyun made room for her to sit as they explained the plan to her. She nodded, listening carefully to their explanations, forgetting completely about the events of earlier that morning.

“Tao when do you think we should leave?” Kris turned to the younger man who had a special connection with time – he had a knack for telling the perfect time for something. Though Tao had the ability to change time and meddle with it, he had never been taught to do so as that part of his powers meddled with black magic and often upset the balance of nature.

Instead, he was taught to read time and no matter where he was, he could sense exactly what time it was, regardless of the time zone. He could also travel back into the past but could never change what happened – he could watch, though and sometimes, that proved advantageous when analysing certain events.

“Tomorrow.” He stated, “but that’s if you ask me – the sooner the better.”

Jaehwa nodded again – she trusted the man when it came to time, “Right. Then we pack tonight.” There was little hesitance in her tone and somehow, that surprised them.

“You don’t need time to say goodbye?” Soojung took a small peek up at the older girl from under her lashes.

Jaehwa returned her gaze more openly and she shook her head, “They knew I was leaving soon when you arrived on the borders of their lands. We’ll meet again soon.”

“And it doesn’t sadden you?” Soojung pressed, blinking.

“A little but there are more important things ahead.” She rose from her position, dusting herself off, “We’ll bid the King farewell at dinner so dress well.”

“Where are you going now?” Lay asked and he felt Sehun’s gaze immediately fall between them. The latter watched as Jaehwa tossed a charming look back at his brother as she held the door open. He realised then that it was a look that Jaehwa had never given him and it made his insides flare.

“I’m going to prepare a few things for our trip. I’ll see you at dinner.” 

 At dinner, Jaehwa presented a chest of jewels as a parting gift on the Princes’ behalf and the King accepted them without hesitation, bidding them a good and safe journey. To Jaehwa, he offered the hummingbird that had been under her care during her time with the Elvish kingdom. This way, she could contact him about their war plans and he would know when his army needed to be mobilised. The rest of the evening was glazed over with politeness and a more humble meal compared to that of the previous night but it was comfortable nonetheless.

When they returned to their chambers, they began to pack what little they had into backpacks. In the midst of their packing and their preparations for the journey ahead, some Elves came in with civilian clothing that apparently Jaehwa had also prepared – there was nothing extravagant but they were all new t-shirts, jeans and sports shoes. They checked for sizes and by this time, it did not surprise them that Jaehwa had not gotten one size wrong.

As Soojung had nothing to pack, she sat by the window of their chamber, quietly looking up at the night sky. The wind lifted her hair off her shoulders from time to time and she’d close her eyes, wondering why Sehun was gifted with the power of wind. Her impression of wind was that passing breeze that lulled you into a quiet slumber – soft, gentle, tender and fleeting. To her, Sehun was none of those qualities except fleeting.

She remembered the first time her sister had come to him for help and how he had so calmly made the exchange and turned her. At first, she had been frightened but she remembered how he had guarded her during the nights of her transition - you would think someone as cold as Sehun would be horrible at taking care of people but he was precise and careful. She felt safe under his care – something about his presence was reassuring.

During transition, it was typical that there would be a few times when the body rejected blood and she remembered how while Lay gently nursed her, Sehun would stand mysteriously in a corner of the room, looking elsewhere. In those moments when her body was so vulnerable, she caught sight of his vulnerability because when Lay tended to her, Sehun became less guarded about both of them. In those moments, Sehun wasn’t so different and she realised that they had something in common. She saw the sadness that lingered in his crystal gaze and in those fleeting moments, he looked gentle and tender.

She remembered thinking that whoever had that power over Sehun was the luckiest person in the world. Now, she wondered if this person was Jaehwa. Suho had told her not to ask too much but he told her that Jaehwa and Sehun had a long history together and that a long time ago, Jaehwa had left them all behind. She knew Suho hadn’t told her everything and consequently, she had no right to judge without knowing the full story but she couldn’t help but think how ungrateful Jaehwa was.

Who was she to walk back into their lives whenever she wanted to? Who was she to leave them in the first place? Hurting Sehun was unthinkable to Soojung and the fact that Jaehwa had done the unthinkable just made Soojung dislike her more.

“Hey.”

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Sehun towering over her. She blinked a few times, taking in how handsome he looked with the pale moonlight casting its light onto his face. He looked luminous and it made her heart skip a beat.

“Can you pass me my shoes?” He waved and she retrieved them with ease, sighing when she realised that those had been the first words that Sehun had said to her all day.

She passed them to him but then held them back, earning her an impatient glare, “Sehun.”

“What?” He looked away, trying his best not to be mean because she looked dejected enough as it was, hugging his new shoes to her chest.

“This morning-“

“Don’t mention it.”

“But-“

“I said don’t mention it.” He was warning her and somehow that saddened her even more – he seemed so protective when it came to Jaehwa. He didn’t like to talk about her much with anyone and it made her feel more inclined to believe that for all these years, Jaehwa was the person he guarded.

She chewed on her lip before she decided to ask the question that plagued her, “Who is Jaehwa to you anyway?”

That did it. He stood up from his half packed backpack and left it on his bed as he walked past her but she caught his hand