Assassin of Curses: (The Coren Hart Chronicles Book 3)

by Jessie D. Eaker

  I was frozen to the spot. He couldn’t be saying these things to me. He had no idea what a terrible person I was.

  He stepped toward me. “You’ve done something no other woman has done. My heart had stopped after my parents were murdered, but you...” he took a step closer. “You made my heart beat again.” He took another step.

  And I retreated the same. I wasn’t sure what to do.

  “I have frightened you,” he said softly. “What can I do to ease your fear?”

  He was right. I was terrified of him. My heart was betraying me.

  He closed the distance between us and again took my hand, clasping it tightly and bringing it to his chest. I could tell he was not wearing his myst shield this evening. He had completely opened himself to me.

  “Don’t go,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss me. His gentle lips touched mine...

  My eyes went wide. I felt another presence. And then his lips gave a shiver.

  NO!

  I caught him as he collapsed. His eyes wide, his body unmoving. I lowered him to the floor, kneeling beside him and continuing to hold him as I did. I instantly recognized what had happened. Paralysis poison. Without the antidote, he would die within minutes. I looked across his body to the window, where a new shadow knelt on the sill. The assassin lowered their blowgun. “Took you long enough.”

  I instantly recognized the voice. It was Jiaying. The best of us. The most cold-hearted. My old friend.

  And as soon as she said it, I knew I had been deceived. I had been sent not to gather intelligence. They had already known about his myst shield. No, I was to get him to lower it. It had been intended all along that I was to lead him to his death.

  Jiaying stepped lightly to the floor and drew her dagger. She held it out to me and pointed to the motionless man. “Quickly, end it.”

  All the frustration. All the loneliness. All the pain. All the bound up guilt of more deaths than I could remember...

  It all came crashing down on me.

  And I grew sick of it.

  “No,” I whispered. I clutched him tightly to my chest and said louder. “No!”

  Jiaying chuckled. “And what does your refusal mean? If you don’t kill him, I will. And if I don’t, another will come and another and yet another.”

  I clutched him tighter.

  “Stupid girl. Always the bleeding heart.”

  Her leg flashed out and would have caught me in the chin had I not been expecting it. I grabbed her foot and shoved her back. She stumbled, giving me time to release him and roll to my feet on the opposite side of his prone body.

  Jiaying bent to slice his throat, but I grabbed her wrist and pushed her back, stepping over him to put myself between them. She struggled to pull her wrist from my grip, but I held on. Her lithe and powerful leg swept at my knees, and I stumbled backward, my heels catching on the young lord’s body. I had to release her wrist as I leaned backward, bridging over his body, and using the momentum to bring my foot up and to catch Jiaying in the chin.

  She stumbled back, and we stared at each other ready to attack.

  “Give me the antidote,” I said, not daring to take my eyes off her, yet scanning my field of vision for something I could use against her dagger.

  “No,” she replied. Her dagger disappeared to her belt, and in one smooth motion, she pulled her sword, assuming her favorite form. One I knew quite well. I had fought with her enough to be able to guess her every move. But that also went the other way. She knew mine just as well. We had played out the scenario of fighting an unarmed opponent many times.

  And the sword always won.

  “Don’t go rogue,” she said through tight lips. “Step out of the way, and I’ll forget your interference.”

  But even as she spoke, she was moving.

  As was I.

  She swung at me, and I dodged—I could hear the blade’s song as it passed a hair’s breadth from my ear. But she had expected that and caught my wrist with her free hand and rolled backward, sending me sailing through the air to land hard on my back. I gasped for breath as her blade stabbed at me. I barely managed to roll from beneath her and regain my feet.

  We regarded each other.

  “The teachers treated you special,” she said, coldly. “You thought yourself our better. But I always hated you.” I was surprised at the venom in her voice.

  She changed her grip, and her foot slid soundlessly across the floor as she moved to a different form. One she knew I had trouble with. The change in her stance spoke volumes. Before, she had only intended to wound. But now, she intended to kill.

  Weapon! I needed something—anything I could use against her sword. And I was running out of time. The poison in his system was slowly killing him.

  “How you survived the sorting is beyond me. I even slept with Master Xiao to make sure you were my opponent. I knew you would not be able to go full out against me. Your friend.” She slowly leveled her sword as she readied her next attack.

  Jiaying smiled coldly. “But I have never been your friend.”

  Her eyes flicked.

  I read them and moved instantly, throwing myself in front of the young lord as she shifted to stab him through his chest. I dodged her blade and slammed into her, knocking her weapon from her hands and sending us both sprawling. I rolled on top of her, intending to pin her arms, when she punched me in my exposed face.

  Hard.

  I must have blanked for a moment. My world swam, and I blinked to clear my vision. I tasted blood in my mouth, and there was something wet on my nose. Jiaying was slowly rising and stepping to retrieve her sword.

  A weapon! I needed a weapon!

  I pulled myself up and staggered against the portrait of his family, knocking it to the floor. I snatched up the book and flung it at her. She knocked it aside and raised her sword.

  I grabbed the ceremonial knife and the pillow it was lying on. I was surprised at the pillow’s weight, noting it must be filled with sand or beads. I charged.

  The knife was far shorter than her sword. She thrust and I caught it with the pillow, skewering it, but allowing me to spoil her aim and shove it to one side. It barely missed me. I closed the distance, and we grappled. My shining knife catching and reflecting the light while her dark one seemed to absorb it. Her lips turned up into a cruel grin, confident she had me. My heart ached at what I knew I had to do.

  She broke free and thrust.

  I gave her a surprised expression as she felt the blade sink into my chest. I staggered back as my ripped shirt sprouted blood and ran in rivulets down to the floor.

  With a grim expression, she took aim to thrust through my heart and end it. She thought she was doing me a favor.

  But when she thrust, I wasn’t there. I stepped to the side and sank my blade into her own heart. I caught her as she collapsed and lowered her to the floor. She looked up at me in shock, her eyes glazed, and her lips trembling.

  “Who set this up?” I demanded.

  She looked at me dully. “Master Xiao,” she whispered. Her lips moved like she wanted to say more. Her arm came up, wavering between us, and came to rest on my chest. “I hated you,” she breathed. “Because... you were so nice to me.”

  And then she died.

  I hugged her to me and fought the tears. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

  She had no doubt been surprised when my blood and wound had disappeared. Because it had never happened. Illusions could be quite powerful.

  It was ironic. The illusion that had saved her life so long ago would lead to her death. Because during our duel, I had actually wounded her. And through a myst illusion, I had duplicated it on myself.

  I gently laid her down and then searched her belt for the antidote, finding the tiny vial at the bottom of one of her pouches. Then, going to the young lord, I knelt beside him and carefully raised the vial to his lips—

  Only he wasn’t breathing.

  I gasped and felt for his pulse, but there was non
e. And when I checked his eyes, only death looked back.

  I was too late.

  I cradled him in my arms, and in my misery, rocked back and forth. I raised my head.

  And wailed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Gates of

  The Empire

  I bolted upright as I awoke. The strong memories from Fumiko’s fight echoed in my mind. For a moment, I expected to see the dead bodies of Jiaying and Lord Luoyangei.

  Instead, I found the room softly lit by the rising sun. Spraggel blinked at me in surprise and pulled back his arm. He had been reaching to awaken me since we had agreed to leave just after dawn.

  He chuckled. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I rubbed my face. “I think I just did.”

  Zofie was sitting upright next to me, awake, and likely ready for a trip to relieve herself. Cabrina was curled up in a ball in the corner and snoring softly. As expected, Fumiko was missing. I touched her mat and found it cold.

  We got ourselves together and went to see about breakfast. We found Fumiko already there nursing a cup of hot tea. She refused to look at me as we joined her. Her eyes were red and puffy. I didn’t think she had slept any at all.

  As we sat at the table, Cabrina leaned in and whispered to me. “Did you hurt Fumiko? She left crying last night. My host tells me that you should be nice to them after you’ve had sex.”

  “We didn’t have sex!” I said a little more loudly than I meant to. Spraggel and Fumiko’s eyes went up, and several people sitting at a nearby table glanced our way.

  I leaned down to her and whispered, “Will you quit doing that! We’re not having sex.”

  Cabrina shook her head. “I’m not so sure. My host is convinced you’re cheating on the princess.”

  “I’m not,” I shot back. “Fumiko and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”

  Cabrina shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll be watching you just in case.”

  As she settled back in her seat, I had to wonder when Cabrina transitioned from being our prisoner to one of our party. Even stolid Fumiko had started to treat her differently. Something about Cabrina’s energy and naivety was endearing. She didn’t seem to be a bad person. And the two of them, human and Avenyts, made quite the team. The relationship reminded me of the one I had with Abe. I sighed. I hated to say it, but I missed the pain in the ass.

  The rest of our meal was mostly uneventful. Once more, Zofie only ate a few bites before refusing to eat more. I hoped she wasn’t getting sick.

  After finishing, Spraggel left to visit the privy, and Fumiko said she wanted to shop for a moment. When I offered to come with her, she glanced at Cabrina and suggested I stay behind. I was puzzled but didn’t press her on it. She assured us it wouldn’t take her long.

  That only left the youth and me alone at our table. I quietly sipped my tea while she distractedly stirred her uneaten porridge.

  “Can Cabrina talk to you?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “She’s welcome to at any time.”

  The youth looked up uncertainly. “It’s about me.”

  This was a switch. Cabrina usually insisted No-name take the lead.

  I grinned. “The answer’s the same.”

  She nodded, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly like she was stealing herself for some unpleasant task.

  The girl looked up, and her expression subtly changed. As before, the change was slight, and I only noticed it because I was looking for it.

  She licked her lips. “Sir Coren, No-name is afraid.”

  “Why?” I asked in surprise.

  She resumed stirring her porridge. “B-b-back at the village when you and Mistress Fumiko were practicing, Kaleefah and No-name talked. And it didn’t go well. She said No-name is on the path to becoming a Dark Avenyts.” She sighed. “She said that since No-name is young and of low cothe, she will pick up the ideas of those that control her. Every time she is assigned a directive, she will move closer to becoming one of them.” She dropped her spoon in her bowl and gazed at me levelly. “But she doesn’t want to be one.”

  I shrugged. “Then don’t become one. Stay true to the light.”

  Cabrina shook her head. “It’s not that easy. Right now she doesn’t have a name, which means she’s an open book. Anyone can write into it. And to fix that...” She sighed. “She needs a name.”

  I shrugged again. “Then name her.”

  Cabrina looked out the open door. “I can’t. Only an Avenyts can give her one, and it has to be one of high cothe.”

  “What about Uy? Kaleefah’s Avenyts?”

  Cabrina shook her head. “No-name asked her, but Kaleefah refused, saying she was afraid I might contaminate her daughter. Even with a name, my Avenyts could still turn to dark. It’s a decision No-name has to make every time she interacts with her host. How much direction does she give? At what point does she move from advising to controlling? It’s a slippery slope, and once you go too far, it’s hard to get back.”

  I put down my teacup. “But why would Kaleefah stop her? She’s not the Avenyts, Uy is.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “It’s one of those things about the Avenyts I don’t understand. Since she’s of the light, she won’t do it without her host’s permission.” She gave a bark of a laugh. “Ironic, isn’t it. The one Light Avenyts in the world, and she isn’t allowed.”

  “There must be a reason?”

  “Oh, there is. If Uy names No-name, then she and her host sort of take responsibility for her.”

  “Like an apprenticeship?”

  She nodded distractedly.

  I took a sip of my tea and considered the youth. “Cabrina, why are you telling me this?”

  She looked up at me. “No-name is afraid she’s going to turn dark and that she’ll turn against me. She wants to know if there is any way to remove her.”

  I was surprised. But based upon how protective the Avenyts was of Cabrina, I could understand it. It made clear No-name’s devotion to her host.

  I smiled. “When I get Abe back, we’ll ask him. Maybe he knows how.”

  This did not make her any happier. She slumped on the table and propped her head on her hand. “I’m against this, you know. I believe in No-name. She’s a good person. I’ve never had a friend like her before.” She paused and ran her finger around the top of her bowl. “It’s just not fair.”

  I glanced over to Zofie, sitting beside me and staring ahead with unseeing eyes. “No, it’s not.”

  We sat in silence for a moment. Each of us lost in our thoughts.

  A smiling Spraggel rejoined us. He patted his belly. “I feel so much better.” But looking us over, his smile faded. “Did someone die? You two don’t seem very lively.”

  Cabrina and I both looked up at him in annoyance.

  He continued. “We’re almost to the gates. What could possibly be wrong?”

  At that exact moment, Zofie leaned over the table and threw up.

  I had heard that you would feel the gates long before you saw them. The barrier consumed a vast amount of myst, so even those not sensitive to the ethereal substance could feel it. For me, I felt a general sense of unease creep up my neck as we walked up an incline toward the gates.

  I glanced at Zofie. Maybe it was the gates that made her throw up. She was a myst seer and likely much more sensitive than I was. After she had emptied her stomach—which wasn’t that much—she had seemed a little perkier. I hoped that was what it was and not something more serious.

  Traffic was heavy on the road with carts and groups of people trudging toward and away from the gates. The houses and buildings quickly thinned along the well-worn stone road until there was only wild grass and rocks along the edge.

  When we topped the hill, I had to pause to just stare at it. I had expected something grandiose, but I was not prepared for just how grand it actually was.

  Two giant stone dragons made up the sides of the gates, with their bodies firml
y planted on opposite sides of the road and their long necks stretching out until their heads touched, forming an arch. Overtop of them and extending out from them as far as we could see was a wall of rainbows that gradually shifted and shimmered with a subdued power. Its beauty was hypnotic.

  The entire empire was protected by the high myst wall at least fifty feet or more. No living thing could pass through it. So to protect the wildlife and to warn the unwary, it was made to radiate with color and feeling so they would know to keep away. It also had the effect of making people naturally avoid it.

  We joined the flow of people through the gates until we came to stand in an exceedingly long queue just outside them. It only made sense, considering there were only five entrances to the empire on this side of the continent.

  It wasn’t until noon that we finally were able to arrive at the base of the gate and take our turn talking to the uninterested official.

  We were surprised to find he spoke fluent Ellish. We deposited our required toll, and I explained why we were traveling. “We’re here at the invitation of Imperial Advisor Yonge.”

  The man gave us a knowing look, clearly not believing me. “I’m sure the emperor himself is waiting for you just on the other side. Now hurry along.”

  We did as he said, but after only taking a few steps into the gate, a gong sounded. Soldiers immediately surrounded us with some very sharp looking spears and shuffled us off to a dark and dingy room to one side.

  Another official, a short round fellow, entered with some kind of handheld device which reacted with a similar gong when pointed to Zofie, Cabrina, and me.

  He stepped back and looked at us suspiciously. “Curses are not allowed inside our great empire.” He took a deep breath and launched into a well-practiced speech. “If you wish to enter, you’ll have to remove them. If you can’t, then I can arrange for someone to remove them for you. If you attempt to enter again without removing them, you will be charged with attempted smuggling.” He paused for dramatic effect. He clearly liked this part. “And the penalty for that is death.”