The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Read Online Free PDF Page A

Th e Red String of Fate lashes out, searing me.
    With a desperate leap, I reach for the Sea God. At the same time, there’s a shout behind me. I ignore it, grabbing the Sea God’s hand and gripping tight. Th e Red String of Fate disappears between our clasped palms, and then I’m abruptly pulled forward into a blinding light.
    I’m met with a flurry of images, moving too quickly to make sense of—a cliff by the sea; a golden city burning in a valley; crimson robes on the ground, darkened with blood; and a colossal shadow.
    I look up. Th e dragon descends from above, clutching a pearl in one giant talon, as if holding the moon.
    Th en I’m torn from the images, my hand ripped from the Sea God’s. Th e third assassin grips my wrist, and it’s as if I’m still in the Sea God’s dreams, because I can almost believe I see the dragon reflected in his dark eyes.
    Th en he releases me, stepping back. I struggle to hold on to the images in the dream—or were they memories? Th e cliffs arefamiliar; they stretch all along the coast. Th e city must be the capital, though all the messengers who come through our village bring only news of the conqueror’s triumphs, not of war or destruction. As for the robes, the Sea God’s are silver and blue.
    â€œ Th ose images.” I shake my head, trying to concentrate. “It felt like I was seeing them through the Sea God’s eyes.”
    I’m surprised when the assassin responds. “ Th ey’re from his nightmare. Every year he has the same one.”
    â€œ Th en there truly is a connection to the Sea God’s bride. Th e power to lift the curse lies within her.”
    â€œYou wanted to kill him, not so long ago.”
    I glance sharply at the assassin. He and the others must have been in the hall when I arrived, if they saw me raise my knife. Why didn’t they stop me? I don’t think they mean to harm the Sea God, otherwise they would have attacked him, vulnerable as he is in his sleep.
    Like Namgi and Kirin, the third assassin is dressed in thin cotton robes, a blue so dark it appears black. Even with the mask, his youth is undeniable—smooth skin, a strong, lean body. He can’t be much older than seventeen.
    â€œAm I not allowed to be angry?” I say curtly. “My people have suffered much because of the Sea God’s abandonment. Because of his neglect, the other gods have turned away from us.”
    I think of my grandmother, calling me to the shrine to pray. I think of the wind chime I made for my niece, dashed upon the rocks. And then another memory calls from deep within me, of a dark forest and a winding path.
    I shake my head, willing away the images. “But that wasbefore I came here, where nothing is as I expected. Nor is he what I expected.” On the throne, the Sea God sleeps, peaceful after the tumult only moments before. He is not the cruel and spiteful deity I envisioned, but a boy-god, asleep and crying in his dreams.
    I didn’t run to the beach to become the Sea God’s bride but to save my brother. But I am here now, and if there’s a chance I can save not only him, but everyone, then I have to try.
    And maybe, when this is all over, I can go home. To my village. To my family. My heart yearns at the thought.
    â€œIf it is a curse that plagues him, then I will find a way to break it.”
    Th e Sea God lets out a gentle sigh. Between us, the Red String of Fate flutters, and a feeling like hope steals into my heart.
    â€œYou’re just like all the other brides,” the dark-eyed boy says softly. I turn to find that he’s stepped back, his eyes downcast. “Humans tell myths to explain what they cannot understand.”
    He lifts his gaze, and his eyes are like the deepest part of the sea, cold and unknowable. I realize, His eyes do more to hide his thoughts than his mask does to hide his face.
    â€œBut I can explain it to you,” he continues.