aegi-ya (EH-ghee-yah) What my eomma calls me when she’s about to deliver bad news. Aegi is Korean for baby, and the ya on the end is what you add when you’re calling out to someone.
appa (AH-bbah) Korean for dad.
Areum (AH-rihm) A Korean name meaning beautiful.
bae (beh) a delicious Korean pear that’s big and round (sometimes as big as my face). It’s super crunchy and refreshing, and supposedly one of the Cave Bear Goddess’s favorite things to eat.
bangmangi (BAHNG-mahng-ee) a magical club covered with pointy black and red spikes that dokkaebis use to summon any item in the Mortalrealm.
Battle Galactic a video game that’s similar to Fortnite Battle Royale, but set in space. My BFF, Emmett, is obsessed with it.
bulgogi (BOOL-goh-ghee) a super-yummy marinated beef dish. David Kim’s family restaurant, Seoulful Tacos, makes the best bulgogi tacos in town.
Cave Bear Goddess the patron goddess of the Gom clan.
cheollima (CHOL-lee-mah) winged horses that are the preferred mode of transport for the goddesses in the Godrealm. Cheollimas are known for being too big, too swift, and too majestic to be mounted by any mortal being. Interesting fact: Ages ago, a cheollima who lost his wings and fell from the Godrealm became the first horse on Earth.
dojang (DOH-jahng) a formal training hall for Korean martial arts, like Taegwondo.
dokkaebi (DOH-ggeh-bee) really scary goblins that enter your dreams and make you live out your worst fears so they can eat them (literally). They have magical clubs called bangmangi that can summon any item in the Mortalrealm. Pro tip: Avoid them at all costs.
eomma (OM-mah) Korean for mom.
eum and yang (ihm) and (yahng) the Korean way of saying yin and yang, which is the idea that seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary and interconnected.
Gi (ghee) a cylindrical glass charm filled with one of the five sacred elements, worn as a bracelet by all initiated witches. When rubbed against the wrist, it activates a witch’s magic by channeling the divine power of that witch’s patron goddess.
gifted witches who are members of the six gifted clans and descendants of the six patron goddesses. Basically, those with magic in their blood.
gifted mark the symbol of the two suns and two moons that appears on a witch’s inner wrist when they do magic. It’s often used to prove one’s gifted identity—for example, to get into the temple for Saturday service, because it glows in the witch’s clan color.
gimbap (GHEEM-bahp) Korean sushi. Gimchi and cheese are the best combo for fillings, in case you’re wondering.
gimchi (GHEEM-chee) a spicy fermented cabbage side dish that makes whatever you’re eating infinitely tastier. The gimchi guacamole at Seoulful Tacos is my jam!
gimchi jjigae (GHEEM-chee JEE-geh) a hearty stew made with gimchi, which happens to be Eomma’s favorite meal.
glamour the type of magic that witches of the Gumiho clan (illusionists) practice. It allows people, places, and things to be hidden, transformed, or disguised. Pretty awesome.
gochujang (GOH-choo-jahng) A spicy-sweet chili sauce used in a lot of Korean cooking. Emmett loves it and puts obscene amounts on his tacos.
Godrealm the realm where Mago Halmi, the goddesses, and other divine creatures live.
Gom (gohm) Witches of the Gom clan, like my parents, my auntie Okja, and my sister, Hattie, are healers and descendants of the Cave Bear Goddess. Our clan color is gold, and our motto is Service and Sacrifice. Healers often run clinics hidden in plain sight, like holistic medicine centers, well-being retreats, or like my parents’ Traditional Korean Medicine Clinic.
Gumiho (GOO-mee-hoh) Witches of the Gumiho clan are illusionists and descendants of the Nine-Tailed Fox Goddess. Their clan color is silver, and their motto is Beauty and Influence. This may sound like a generalization, but their good looks often lead them to become K-pop and K-drama stars. True story.
gwisin (GWEE-sheen) hungry ghosts that haven’t been able to pass through to the Spiritrealm because of unfinished business on Earth.
Haetae (HEH-teh) a uni-horned lion-like beast, and Mago Halmi’s guardian pet. He’s known for his incredible loyalty, and his ability to manipulate time.
halmeoni (HAHL-mo-nee) Korean for grandma.
hanbok (HAHN-bohk) the traditional Korean dress or suit that witches wear in their clan colors for special occasions.
Horangi (HOH-rahng-ee) Witches of the Horangi clan are scholars and descendants of the Mountain Tiger Goddess. Their clan color is red, and their motto is Knowledge and Truth. They used to be the keepers of the sacred texts at the gifted library, but were cursed and excommunicated from the gifted community almost thirteen years ago.
hotteok (HOH-ddok) cinnamon-y sweet pancakes with a gooey brown-sugar center that Appa makes. Hands down, my favorite meal.
house-sin (house-sheen) spirits that protect the gifted’s homes. The door-sin, the kitchen-sin, and the toilet-sin are the main ones, but you can have others, too. You have to give them compliments every time you use them, or they might make your life miserable.
inmyeonjo (EEN-myon-joh) a wild creature with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. They can fly between the Godrealm and the Mortalrealm at will, and are obsessed with destroying mirrors because they hate their own reflections.
Joseon Chalice (JOH-son) a 600-year-old sacred artifact that belonged to King Sejong the Great, who ruled as the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty. He also happened to be gifted, but not many people know that.
K-drama the short way of saying Korean TV shows. Hattie, Emmett, and I have K-drama marathons every second Saturday.
K-fry a nickname for Korean fried chicken. If you haven’t tried it, you are totally missing out. Just saying.
Knock-Out Juice a sleep potion, infused by the Tokki witches, that my parents sometimes use at the clinic for saram patients (so they don’t realize they’re being healed with magic). A few drops in a cup of tea knocks you straight into a deep slumber. Useful stuff.
K-pop the short way of saying Korean pop music. Random fact: All but one of the BTS members are Gumiho. You heard it here first.
Mago Halmi (MAH-goh HAHL-mee) the mother
