The Last Fallen Star, Graci Kim [books to read in your 20s .TXT] 📗

“She’s an inmyeonjo,” Taeyo elaborates. “They think she was drawn to the campus because of the magic we’ve been doing, and then she found all the mirrors. Now she’s dead set on demolishing every last one, and people are getting hurt in the process.”

Emmett looks confused. “What’s an inmyeonjo?”

“They’re part bird, part woman,” I explain, remembering Professor Ryu mentioning them once in class. “They’re one of the only creatures that can fly between the Godrealm and the Mortalrealm. They’re wild but not dangerous, unless they’ve got their eyes set on a mirror and you get in the way. Then you’re in trouble.”

“Ugh, not another bird!” Emmett says, curling in his fingers protectively. His hands are still red and swollen from being pecked by the book-birds. “What’s her beef with mirrors, anyway?”

“It’s actually a really interesting story,” Taeyo says excitedly. “They say the first-ever inmyeonjo was a beautiful woman. She was so breathtaking that bachelors would line up at her door each day for a chance to win her hand. But she was young and vain, and careless with her affections. So one day, a scorned lover—who happened to be a Gumiho illusionist—cursed her to become an ugly, human-headed bird. Now, every time an inmyeonjo sees herself in a mirror, she’s reminded of the beast she’s become.”

“Hence her obsession with destroying them,” I add.

Emmett looks up at the light reflecting off the mirrored buildings. “I see why this is a problem.”

Taeyo nods, his excitement fading. “She won’t leave until every last shard of mirror is shattered.”

“Shirtballs…Good luck, I guess,” Emmett says. “Sucks to be you guys.”

Taeyo leads us through the maze that is the campus, and we eventually find Sora in a glass-walled meeting room inside the HQ. She and Austin are having a conversation with some older scholars, and if their body language is anything to go by, it looks serious. Sora is standing with her arms crossed, and Austin is scowling.

Taeyo knocks on the transparent wall and opens the door. “Sorry to disturb your meeting, but we have visitors.”

Sora signals for us to enter, and I take a quick peek at the vial hanging around my neck before I step through the door. A third of Hattie’s heart has now decayed, and the sight of it gives me the impetus for what I need to do next.

Sora raises an eyebrow at me. “I thought you left this morning?”

“I did.” I clear my throat. “But I’ve changed my mind. I’ve come back to initiate into the Horangi clan. I’ll be honest—I don’t really want to. But I need your help to find the last artifact, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

She studies me for a moment, and I assume she’s going to give me a lecture about how I can’t just initiate for the sake of it. How I need to want it. Mean it.

But she doesn’t. Instead, she smiles. “That’s good news.”

Austin whispers something to the other scholars, and when they nod in approval, he turns to me. “And it just so happens we have the perfect initiation task for you.”

I hold my breath. I suddenly picture myself having to learn how to write code and design an entire app within an afternoon. I cross my fingers behind my back. Please don’t let that be my task. My failure would be guaranteed.

“Once we insert the biochip into your wrist, you will help us take care of our pest problem,” Austin announces.

My jaw drops. “You want me to kill the inmyeonjo?!”

The adults widen their eyes, surprised. “Why would you think that?” Sora asks.

Confused, I look to Austin. “Didn’t you say you wanted me to take care of her?”

Austin laughs, and heat rises up my face. That is what he said….

“I should have been clearer with my words. My apologies,” he says. “What I should have said is that we are volunteering you for the inmyeonjo-taming exercise.”

“Why tame her?” Emmett asks. “Why not just frighten her away, or something?”

“We’ve tried that,” Austin answers. “But she keeps coming back. It seems our mirrored buildings have struck a nerve with her, and she’s taken it upon herself to destroy them all. We’ve managed to contain her for the time being, but we won’t be able to hold her for long. Taming her is our only solution.”

I swallow. “But I’ve never tamed anything before, let alone a cursed bird-woman. How will I know what to do?”

Sora pats my shoulder. “Others have volunteered for this task, so you’ll have a chance to watch them—and the inmyeonjo—in action. If they don’t succeed, it’ll be your turn. And if we deem your behavior appropriate, we will invite you into our clan.”

“Will I need to use magic? With the biochip?” I ask. I rub my wrist tentatively and let out a hiccup.

Sora smiles. “If you can, sure. But I understand that you won’t have had a chance to practice beforehand. So just do the best you can.”

If someone had asked me two days ago to put myself in front of a crazed humanoid bird creature and attempt to tame her, I would have quickly tiptoed away. But, as I clutch Hattie’s heart vial to my chest, I realize I’ve come a long way from being the frightened, hesitant girl I used to be. I may have made some foolish decisions, which got me into this mess, but I’m not going down without a fight.

I take a big breath. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Great,” Sora says. “In that case, when you’re ready, Austin will take you to get your biochip inserted.”

Austin motions for me to follow him, but Emmett stops me. “Just a sec before you go.”

He pulls me over to a quiet corner outside the meeting room, away from the others, and looks awkwardly down at his feet. “Are you sure you want to do this, Rye? You still haven’t explained why you changed your mind.”

My heart warms at his concern. “When Sora first told me I had to initiate, I thought I’d have to betray the