This is an important chapter y'all.
Ayleen's POV
"Geez a funeral?" Yeon asked as he and I walked down the street.
"Yeah remember me mentioning my cousin's coworker? Her mother died and she's a nice girl so I'm dropping by to give my condolences"
I wasn't going to be at the funeral home for very long. I planned on giving Kim Sae-rom the flowers I was bringing and give her my sympathies before leaving. Yeon suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder and we stopped.
"Just be careful sometimes funerals bring unwanted attention from the dead, plus I'm not going to be in Seoul for a few days"
"Does it involve killing that shaman?"
"Unfortunately yes"
I didn't like the tone in his voice and I growled.
"Whoa there" Yeon added after hearing my growl. "I'll be fine"
"You better be or I'll kill anyone who harms you"
I then placed a hand to my mouth when I said that.
Your showing signs he's possibly our mate my wyvern alerted me.
"Ayleen I promise I'll be alright"
He then told me to hang on a second and he entered a store. He came back out a few minutes later and held out a bag.
"There are thirty-five red beans in there, it will protect you in my absence"
"Consider it done fox"
I took the bag and tucked it safely into my jacket pocket. Then I pressed another kiss against his cheek. We then parted ways but before I headed to the funeral home I looked at the nine-tailed fox again and gave him the three-finger salute courtesy from "The Hunger Games".
Yeon smiled before returning the favor.
Yeon's POV
"So where will I be going? Send me somewhere warm if you can"
I voiced my displeasure about the cold. Taluipa and I stopped outside of the doors that would take me to my punishment. The old hag then drew out a scroll and read its contents. I felt my face go pale my punishment would be for a week and endure the pain of life, aging, illness, and death in a human body in Hell Number 1.
Just as I protested the doors to my despised landscape aka the damn cold opened up.
Ayleen's POV
"Those flowers meant a lot to Sae-Rom," Lydia told me after the funeral finished. "Her mother liked those"
"Losing a loved one is never easy"
"Agreed"
"The spicy soup here is good" an all too familiar voice interrupted. I swore when I saw Rang smirking and Lydia glared daggers at him.
"Is that another fox?" she whispered.
"Yeah but I can handle him go make sure Sae-rom eats"
Lydia grabbed a plate of food and sent Rang another glare before leaving.
"Are you following me fox?" I hissed as I sat across from Rang.
"Just paying my respects" the cocky bastard answered.
"Bullshit don't toy with me, why are you really here?"
"Tell me how are things with Yeon?"
"They are going well though it isn't any of your business"
"Your already protective of him like he is with you"
I think Rang and Yeon were once close I can see it in his eyes my wyvern explained to me.
"What did your other half say?" Rang asked.
"She said you were once close with Yeon, but why she cannot say, and neither can I"
I suddenly felt pity for this younger fox. Something serious must have happened for him to become estranged from his sibling.
"Yeon thinks you're the reincarnation of his first love, he killed the shaman to protect you and right now he's facing the consequences"
I snarled at this and Rang grinned. The snarl was for whatever Yeon going through.
"We're done here" I growled and I stood up.
But before I could leave Rang was at my side and he had a firm grip on my wrist.
"I do hope you start writing again soon I wasn't kidding when I said I was a fan"
He then released me and I watched as the younger fox took his leave. I growled under my breath before leaving myself.
Yeon's POV
I despised my punishment. It was damn cold and I was chained with nothing on except for a pair of grey sweats. But still enduring this consequence was for protecting Ayleen. And I didn't regret one second killing the human who threatened her life.
Ayleen's POV
The lights in the funeral home were starting to turn off as I headed towards the entrance. I suddenly stopped when I had the feeling I was being watched and then I heard something drop. I looked down and saw my red beans were falling out!
I drew the little satchel out and swore when I realized the bottom had been cut off. Rang must have done it before he left!
"I got a bad feeling about this" I muttered and pocketed the satchel. "Oh shit!"
Two little girls stood in front of me and they looked to be ten and maybe seven. Immediately I knew they were spirits.
"Are you two stuck here in this place?" I asked them.
"Yes miss" the older one responded. "We've been trying to get our father's attention"
"Is he still here in the funeral home?"
"We don't know" the younger girl chimed in. She sounded sad and my heart broke for her.
"Tell you what I can come by tomorrow and you two can help me find him then, would that ease your minds?"
"Oh thank you miss!"
I took their hands into mine.
"It's a deal then"
Yeon-seo's POV
The nice lady's eyes suddenly changed and she proceeded to turn around. Her eyes had been red.
"Miss! The exit is this way!" I called to her as she began to walk away.
"We need to help her" Min stated. "That isn't her"
Together she and I followed after the nice lady.
Yeon's POV
I felt the talisman I gave Ayleen was no longer with her. Knowing she might be in trouble I began to call out to Taluipa.
"What's all the fuss?"
Immediately I turned to see an annoyed Taluipa behind me in her true form.
"Old hag, I have to get out of here, untie me now!"
"How dare you! Do you know where you are!"
"I'll go to that place, the Hell of Blades it was either a commutation or the Hell of Blades anyway, then I'll be able to leave today"
"Or you may never get out in that body" the old hag reminded me.
"I don't care" I countered.
Yeon-seo's POV
I had the other ghost kids try to help me stop the nice lady from going to the roof but whatever was controlling her was too strong. She was standing still and silent. I still felt the evil presence inside of her.
Yeon's POV
I wasn't going to lie but I was nervous as hell about the Hell of Blades. It was going to hurt since I was in a human body but again I didn't care. I was going to cross the damn bridge and get back to Ayleen. Taluipa called out that I was about to cross and the torches on either side of me became brighter.
"Old hag I'll be right back"
Taluipa rolled her eyes at that and I smirked before stepping onto the bridge.
Immediately the blades were coming my way and it wasn't long until one of them cut into my arm. It hurt like a bitch but I kept on moving. But the more steps I took the more blades I felt going into me. With each new wound, I felt my strength being lowered due to the pain I was receiving. At one point a bridge step fell but I avoided falling however a blade hit me in the chest and another in my leg.
I had to take a break and pull the blade out before I fell. The pain was becoming unbearable but I remembered Ayleen's words coming back promising me one day she would protect me like Daenys did all those years ago. That was all the strength I needed to continue moving but at a crawl. Despite the many blades cutting my flesh and spilling blood, the death of Ayleen would cut me even deeper.
Ayleen's POV
"What the hell?" I said realizing I was on the funeral home roof.
"Miss, are you okay?" the two sisters asked me. They were accompanied by other child spirits who had yet to cross over.
"What happened? How did I get up here?"
Something took over and brought us up here my wyvern half spoke.
Shit, I thought.
I then snarled as I felt my head begin to pound.
I need Yeon here with me I thought.
Whenever I was in trouble the handsome fox was always there. My thoughts went to when I first tested him by falling from his balcony, from when he kept the Bulgasari away, the times he protected me on Eowah Island, and how I did the same. Then him saving me from the well. And more importantly of him giving me my Mockingjay pin.
The pounding in my head went away but I hadn't been paying attention and I soon found myself falling from the roof. However, before I could hit the ground Yeon came out of nowhere and saved me from the fall. The impact from the fall separated me from his grasp but I didn't care because I looked up and saw the nine-tailed fox was bleeding.
A cry escaped my throat at seeing him badly hurt and I rushed over to him. I carefully held Yeon in my arms and after seeing his injuries and the smell of his blood did I start to weep.
"Please don't die because of me" I begged to him. "Don't leave me alone"
A single tear went down my face after I spoke this.
Yeon's POV
I felt my fox bead come to life and I opened my eyes to look into Ayleen's. The aura of my bead glowed behind her confirming she was my lost love.
"I found you"
Ayleen's POV
The moment he spoke those words did I feel what Yeon was truly to me. He was my mate, the one I had been searching for. And now he was badly wounded in my arms. The nine-tailed then gave me a weak smile before placing a weakened hand against my face.
"It was you I was meant to find," I told him. "I've been waiting for you fox"
"And I've been waiting for you too"
I intertwined my right hand into his left and kissed it. Yeon sighed in relief before closing his eyes again and I kept him in my arms for who knows how long.
