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

by Jessie D. Eaker

  He continued. “Instead, I’ll go await Mistress Fumiko to join after her meal.”

  Fumiko frowned but said nothing. Although she frequently used them for others, she hated titles applied to herself. Despised, might be a better description. Again something from Fumiko’s mysterious past. I sometimes wondered if her fighting skills were not her only secret.

  Having accomplished his mission, Spraggel left in a flutter of his long gray robe. Fumiko bowed and said she would catch up to us after returning the ledger to the library. She glanced in my direction, and for just a moment, the corner of her mouth curled up. Then she was out the door. Obviously, Fumiko knew where we were going. Why were they keeping it from me?

  Arm and arm, Zofie and I strolled out into the corridor.

  “Pray tell,” I asked. “Exactly where are we headed?”

  Zofie smiled mischievously. “To the kitchens.”

  We started down the stairs. “And then?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “So, it’s a surprise?”

  Zofie chuckled. “Yes, I think you will find it very surprising.”

  “You’re not even going to give me a hint.”

  She gave me one of her sly smiles. “Nope.”

  I sighed dramatically. “And so the doomed knight marched on...” I quoted. It was from Betrayal of a Robin by The Poet. It was a long and boring epic that Zofie liked. She said it was romantic.

  She supplied the rest of the quote, “...Confident his ruler wouldn’t betray his trust.”

  It always amazed me when she did that. She was the only person I’d ever encountered that could complete my quotes.

  She frowned. “That’s a little weak, Coren. I think I prefer this one instead.” She thought for a moment. “‘Twas for love he followed her...” She glanced at me mischievously.

  I puzzled over the quote. “I don’t believe I know that one.”

  She smiled and patted my arm. “That’s because I just made it up.”

  I rolled my eyes as she chuckled softly.

  We reached the end of the stairs and proceeded down another hall.

  I suddenly sensed that she was troubled.

  “Coren,” she said. “Are you sure you want to marry me?”

  I stopped, facing her. “I think that should be obvious. I’m the one that asked you after all.”

  Her face held worry. “Sometimes, things change. Do you think you’ll be able to stand by me when they do?”

  I leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss. “Yes, I considered my decision very carefully before asking. But since you had already stolen my heart, it was a foregone conclusion.”

  She seemed to relax a little, and I started us moving again. “What brought that on?”

  She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Nothing.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. It’s funny how a single word could speak so much. I knew she was really saying, ‘I have plenty to tell you, but I’m not ready yet.’

  Well, I could be patient.

  We shortly arrived at the kitchens where Madam Hindenlye was busy preparing lunch for the others in the castle. It was a simple meal of some kind of soup, but Hindenlye was fussing with it as if it were the most exquisite meal she’d ever prepared.

  When she looked up and saw us, she broke out into a huge grin, wiped off her hands, and pulled a surprised Zofie into a tight hug. Hindenlye stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “You’ve grown up so much.” Then she sighed and turned to a nearby counter. She picked up the single basket, with a linen cloth carefully tucked across the top, and gave it to Zofie.

  “It’s not exactly the same as usual. With everything so short, I had to make some substitutions. I hope you will find them suitable.”

  Zofie nodded. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  Hindenlye smiled regarding her for a moment longer before abruptly turning and going back to her soup. “I had best get this to the table before the poachers start appearing in my kitchen. Then I’d have to kill them, and you’d be angry with me.”

  Zofie hung the basket from her arm and turned to leave. “Thank you,” she said, looping her other arm through mine.

  “Oh,” Hindenlye called from behind her. “Please give them my regards.”

  Zofie smiled and nodded. “I will.”

  I gave Zofie a puzzled look. Were we meeting someone? And Hindenlye knew where? The mystery kept growing.

  Zofie led me deeper into the castle, descending to the ground floor. When we kept going down two more flights of stairs, I finally got an inkling of where we were headed.

  “We’re going to your family crypt, aren’t we?” I asked, a little apprehensively. I wasn’t afraid of those laid to their final rest, but still, they demanded a certain—reverence. Not somewhere I would expect to have a picnic.

  “Yes, we are,” she answered, offering nothing more.

  We walked on in silence until we came to the crypt entrance, guarded by a single heavy door. It had ornate symbols around the edges, some I recognized and some I didn’t. But the one in the center, larger than the others, was easy to make out. It was the crest of the Xernow family. The Griffin.

  Zofie laid a hand on the door. “Gatekeeper,” she said. “It is time. Will you open for me?”

  I noticed movement on the floor, and looking down, I saw the dust move and churn, settling into words.

  PASSAGE GRANTED, XERNOW HEIR, they spelled out.

  Zofie stepped back, and I reached for a myst lantern hanging on the wall nearby. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same Gatekeeper that had protected the secret entrance to the castle. Zofie had spoken to it and persuaded it to let us enter. That time, it had used vines to communicate its message. And when Zofie had gone ahead, it had grabbed my arm and given me a private message that I hadn’t understood. Something about the first Thief of Curses being a traitor and me having to make a choice. But as to exactly what choice, that was a little vague. I couldn’t see myself ever going against Zofie, so I was little worried about it.

  As I lit the light and turned back, the words on the floor had once again changed. GIVE THEM MY GREETINGS.

  I frowned. Even the blasted door knew what Zofie was up to.

  With a puff of air that scattered the letters on the floor, the massive door slowly opened. Zofie stepped forward, and I quickly followed, holding the lantern high so we could see.

  The passage got narrower as we encountered the first residents of the crypt. Zofie didn’t pause, instead moving slowly past them and deeper inside. The darkness stretched along the corridor before us, our passing creating a bubble of light moving deeper into the vast deepness. Large stone blocks had been set into the floor and walls, while along the sides of the wide tunnel, were person-sized sarcophagi. Over each of them were statues of men and women looking stately and wise. The figures were briefly illuminated as we passed, but the darkness behind us quickly swallowed them once more.

  She turned and walked backward for a moment talking to me. “I guess I need to explain what we’re doing here. You see, after Mother passed away, my father and I started a tradition to visit Mother on her birthday.” She turned back around and resumed walking. “It just seemed more appropriate than visiting on the day she died since that was Wynn’s birthday. Every year, we would visit, just Risten, Wynn, Father, and I. We would lay out a small meal, setting one extra place for Mother. Then we would take turns telling of important things that had happened to us during the year, like Wynn losing a tooth, or Risten learning a new sword skill, or me, coming into my myst powers.”

  “But a picnic?” I asked.

  She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “If you’re going to be my husband, you’re going to have to learn some of our traditions.”

  I shook my head. “I’m all right with family traditions, like how to decorate during the Day of the New or how one exchanges gifts. But Zofie, we’re going to have a picnic in a tomb?”

  She suddenly paused and turned to me, planting a quick kiss o
n my lips. “It’s important to me. This helps me feel... connected. I wanted to share it with you, and hopefully, you’ll get to know my parents better.”

  I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I am honored you have included me.” I smiled. “Now, let’s say hello to your parents.”

  She grinned, and we resumed walking forward. After a bit, I began to recognize some of the statues. Zofie had brought me here before when we were sneaking into the castle. It was hard to believe that it had only been a few weeks ago. It seemed like forever.

  Zofie called over her shoulder. “Mother and Father are just up ahead.”

  Then two things happened at once: Zofie abruptly stopped, while Abe suddenly shouted into my head.

  Coren!

  I winced at the loud booming. It felt like he had rattled my brain.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  There’s a Dark Avenyts ahead!

  I nearly panicked. A Dark Avenyts? Here? In the castle?

  Up ahead, I saw a shadow that didn’t belong. There was movement and then the gradual illumination from a small lantern. Slowly brightening light revealed a lone woman leaning against the sarcophagi of Zofie’s mother. She wore dark pants, a white shirt, and a leather vest topped off with a broad-brimmed hat. The light was too dim to make out her face, but from her posture, I knew in an instant who it was.

  “Risten?” exclaimed Zofie in disbelief.

  The woman ahead shifted and raised her head, catching enough illumination to reveal Risten’s smiling face. Only the expression wasn’t from the Risten I knew. It was from something else. Something which twisted her smile into a mocking sneer. It was the final confirmation of the tragedy we had seen through the Mirror of Bygone Tears. Even though it was Risten’s body, I knew it best not to even think of her that way. My experience with Fumiko had taught me how disarming they could be.

  I also knew we were in deep trouble. If I pulled my sword, she would kill us both before it could clear the scabbard. Risten was that good.

  Zofie raised her chin defiantly. “No, you’re not Risten. You might wear her body, but you’re not her.”

  The woman nodded. “And she does have an amazing body. Unfortunately, a little short in the myst area—barely enough to sustain me. But, you can’t have everything.” She smiled. “To make things easier, call me Lilith. It’s a name I’m fond of and have used over the years.” She adjusted her hat. “I knew you would come today. I have all of Risten’s memories and knew it as sure as the sun rising in the morning. She loves you very deeply and is quite frantic at the moment.”

  “Why did you come?” asked Zofie. “Did Wynn send you?”

  The woman gave a short bark of a laugh. “Hardly. He’s in a bit of trouble right now. Even we can’t find him and fear he may have gone rogue. He was supposed to be in complete control of this kingdom, and you were supposed to be dead. Playing curses with you and running his own agenda had not been in the plan. As for why I am here...” She turned to face us and put her hand on her sword. “I need something. And you’re going to give it to me.”

  “Abe,” I whispered while they talked. “Can I steal her curse?”

  A Dark Avenyts? You’ve got to be kidding!

  Zofie’s eyes briefly glanced in my direction. She could hear Abe too. Using his newfound abilities, I had instructed Abe to bring Zofie into the conversation whenever she was nearby.

  He continued, That’s well outside of my size range. When I steal a curse, it becomes an extension of me. Since most curses are dumb, it’s not a problem. But the Dark Avenyts are like me. They’re intelligent, and they carefully lock themselves into place. I doubt I could steal it, and if by some miracle I succeeded, I would likely be damaged doing it.

  Dammit! I slowly began to inch my hand toward my blade.

  But the thing in Risten’s body noticed immediately. “Coren,” she said flatly. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’ve already got a price on your head.” She ran a finger along the hilt of her sword. “A lot of our kind are angry with you.” A slow mocking grin spread across her face. “You destroyed one of us. Something that hasn’t happened in a thousand years. If they catch you, your death will be quite painful.”

  Zofie straightened and tried to refocus the conversation away from me. “What do you want?”

  Lilith smiled. “I want you to tell me where the Griffin’s Key is hidden. Only the Xernow heir is supposed to know where it is. And since Wynn doesn’t, that leaves you.”

  Zofie shook her head. “Father never mentioned it. I don’t even know what it is.”

  Lilith opened her mouth to speak but paused. “I think it best for Risten herself to explain this. And how badly we want it. As I said, she is a bit frantic.” And then the woman’s expression changed. It was very subtle, the tilt of her head, the worry lines on her face, maybe even the tension in her shoulders. But there was a difference.

  “Zofie!” exclaimed Risten, tears immediately flowed down her face. “You have to give it to her. They want this thing bad. Real bad. She’s going to kill you if you don’t. And I won’t be able to stop her! You won’t be able to stop them! They’re too powerful. I’ve seen it.” She wiped tears with the back of her hand. “Kill me if you get the...” Risten abruptly stopped.

  Her expression grew harder, and I knew that Lilith was back in control. She grinned evilly and wiped the rest of the drying tears away. “Now, are you going to make your cousin kill you, and increase her misery just a bit more? Another death to add to all the others I’ve killed while she helplessly watched? Or are you going to tell us where it is? You have to know.”

  Zofie glared at her. “I’m telling the truth. I don’t know. If my father knew, he never passed down the knowledge.”

  Lilith frowned, and the grip on her sword tightened. “One last time, princess. Where is the Griffin’s Key?”

  Zofie held her head high. “Do your worst. I don’t know. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

  Lilith shifted and prepared to draw. “Too bad.”

  Suddenly, I felt a rush go past me and a pluck at my hip, quickly followed by the clang of two swords meeting. Fumiko, her plain dress fluttering in the breeze, suddenly stood between us and our attacker, blocking the woman’s descending sword. Lilith was momentarily surprised. “Where...?” But she didn’t finish and instead attacked Fumiko raining down blows fast and furious.

  And to my utter shock, Fumiko countered her perfectly. Lilith changed direction and swung crosswise. Fumiko leaned backward, the blade passing barely over her, before she straightened and resumed her attack.

  I reached for my own sword and suddenly realized it was gone. Looking closer at the battle before us, I realized Fumiko held it. Did she just take it as she ran by? Was that even possible?

  I grabbed Zofie’s arm and pulled her away from the action. She reluctantly backed away while reaching for the security necklace she wore around her neck. It broke easily as she jerked it off, releasing its special charm: a call to her captain of the guard.

  Fumiko matched the sword-master blow for blow, but Lilith had a height and size advantage, which she used to drive the smaller woman back.

  “You’re quite well trained,” commented Lilith. “And your style is not one I’ve encountered before.” She grinned. “But I have your measure now.”

  Lilith started to rain down blows driving Fumiko back toward one of the sarcophagi, pressing her against it. I pushed Zofie behind me. I didn’t see how Fumiko could get out of this one.

  And then I felt myst gathering. Time seemed to slow, as I watched Fumiko’s knees flex, hands come up, and body bend backward. When her hands touched the sarcophagi, her feet continued upwards, and in one smooth movement, delivered a solid kick to Lilith’s chin. The larger woman staggered back. Fumiko continued the flip to a crouch on top of the stone lid with sword held ready.

  I stared in shock. That move was definitely impossible. How did she do it?

  Behind me, I could hear the running steps of
guards approaching. Lilith glared at Fumiko but did not advance. She instead grabbed her hat and threw it on the floor. Immediately, a portal opened on the ground. The hat seemed to float on the portal’s shiny black surface but did not fall into it.

  Lilith stepped to the portal. “While this has been interesting, I must not get caught just yet.”

  Fumiko charged, but before she could reach her, Lilith stepped over the portal and instantly dropped through the floor, taking the hat with her. The portal immediately closed.

  Zofie turned to the men just reaching her. “Search the castle grounds. That was a short-range portal. She can’t be too far away.”

  Fumiko, breathing hard, collapsed to her knees. “I’m out of practice.”

  I squatted down in front of her. “If that’s out of practice, I can’t help but wonder what you were like when you were in practice.”

  She weakly held out my sword. “I’m sorry I took your weapon.”

  “Don’t apologize. You can definitely use it better than I can.”

  Zofie squatted down beside me and leaned in to give Fumiko a hug. “Thank you for saving us.”

  Fumiko looked down. “Madam Hindenlye had forgotten to include the cups you requested, and I was bringing them to you when I saw her. I...” she looked up with a pleading expression. “I swore to never fight again, but I couldn’t let her hurt you.”

  “Where did you learn to use a sword like that?” Zofie asked. “You used it so well.”

  Fumiko’s expression fell. She looked pleadingly from one of us to the other. “If you command, I will answer. But please don’t make me. It’s a part of my past. One I’d just as soon forget.”

  Zofie patted her on the shoulder. “We won’t press. Tell us if it ever becomes appropriate.”

  Fumiko bowed her head. “Thank you, Princess. You have no idea how honored I am to be allowed to be here.”

  Zofie smiled. “And I to have you as a friend.” She pulled Fumiko to her feet and surveyed the group of guards now surrounding her. And in the distance, more were coming. She sighed. “I guess my perfectly planned picnic has been put off.”