Free The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh Page B

rustling against the paper of the window. Th e room is sparsely furnished. A low shelf sits beneath the window opposite the door. Against the wall to the right is a worn cabinet, and to the left, the only other object in the room is a folding paper screen.
    Th e magpie must be in one of the rooms below. But how to avoid the thieves?
    I reach for my knife, gripping the handle. Th ere’s a noise in the hall outside. Footsteps approaching. I rush to the screen and slip behind it, crouching low just as the door slides open.

 
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    A figure enters the room, holding a candle. Th e light of the flame casts his silhouette onto the paper screen. Th e intruder’s shadow matches neither of the men I saw below. It’s oddly shaped—a strange protrusion erupts from its back.
    Suddenly, the shadow lengthens, the unmistakable stretch of wings unfurling, like those of a heavenly being. Or a demon. I press my back against the wall. Th en a sound breaks the silence. A magpie’s gentle warble.
    Shin.
    Soundlessly he moves across the room, sliding the birdcage from his shoulder and placing it on the low shelf. How the Goddess of Fortune plays tricks with me tonight! First Namgi, then Kirin, and now Shin.
    And the magpie. So close, I feel an echoing thump in my chest with every beat of its wings.
    Shin’s shadow moves back across the room. He’s leaving without the magpie! My heart races with impending triumph.
    But then he stops, as if he noticed something. I rack my brain for what might have caught his attention. I didn’t touch any of the furniture after entering the room. Did my footprints leave marks upon the floor?
    Lifting the candle, he blows out the flame. Th e scents of smoke and plum blossoms fill the balmy air.
    My heart beats rapidly in my chest. Th e silence stretches interminably. When I can’t bear it any longer, I peer around the screen. He’s gone. Th e room is as empty as before.
    No, there’s one difference: Th e birdcage now sits on the low shelf. Th e magpie shuffles its wings, excited by my presence. Th is isn’t the time to hesitate. Quickly I bound across the room, reaching for the cage.
    â€œI thought I sensed a thief.”
    I twist around. Shin leans against the frame of the doorway. His dark hair, slightly damp, is swept back from his face. He must have come from the bathhouse. He’s changed from when I last saw him, wearing black silk robes, the collar edged with lotus flowers embroidered in silver thread. His sword is strapped to his waist.
    â€œI’m impressed,” he says, watching me through half-lidded eyes. “You are blessed with luck to have made it this far.”
    â€œFunny, I feel like luck has escaped me all night.”
    He frowns. “I can’t see your lips from here. I don’t know what you’re saying.”
    â€œJust because you can’t hear the words doesn’t mean they’re not being said.”
    He straightens and steps past the threshold. “I don’t think a bride has ever given me as much trouble as you have.”
    â€œWhat about Hyeri? From what I hear, you lost a match to her intended. Did it hurt your pride, to be thwarted by a human?”
    His eyes narrow. “You’re still speaking.”
    â€œIt’s your own fault that you can’t hear me. Anyhow, it’s better this way. If you knew what I was saying, you would not be pleased.”
    He approaches from across the room, stepping into the moonlight before me. I feel a tick of annoyance, reminded again of the differences in our height. My eyes are level with the intricate threadwork of lotus flowers on his collar. We stand so close, I can see the pulse beating steadily in his neck. I can smell the fresh scent of his robes, a blend of lavender, mint, and sandalwood.
    â€œSpeak your offenses,” he says, “now that I can see you clearly.”
    He’s so close to me, I feel my cheeks releasing a telltale blush. I grit