She paused at the entrance where Eallair was waiting for her. The low murmur of friendly conversation drifted from inside the dining hall just beyond. The chamberlain frowned when he saw me, but then again, he always frowned at me.
“Is everyone here?” she asked him.
“We are missing one from Iron Landing, your highness,” Eallair said. “She took ill at the last moment, but her town sent a substitute, one Cabrina Bryst. We haven’t had a chance to test her yet, but she does have the gift.”
Zofie nodded. “The response was better than I expected. How about the ones that showed up without an invitation?”
His mouth tightened in surprise. “How did you know? We had one show up at the gate begging to attend.”
“And did you let Lashea in?”
The chamberlain paused in surprise, then nodded slowly. “We did, as you instructed. We told her she would have to meet the entrance requirements before being accepted. Also, we would have to contact her parents.”
Zofie rolled her eyes in his direction. “Only you found she was an orphan.”
Eallair’s mouth tightened a little more. “That is correct.” He glanced nervously at me. But I just shrugged. This was new to me too.
He looked back to Zofie. “How did you know?”
She smiled. “I didn’t. But I was hoping she would come. I owe her.”
I gave her a puzzled look.
Zofie put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll tell you about it later. It happened before I met you.” She smiled. “We sort of helped each other.”
Zofie turned back to her chamberlain. “Anything else?”
“No, your highness. Everything else is in order.”
Zofie nodded. “You did well.” She turned back toward the chamber. “Now, let us get started.”
The chamberlain smiled, pleased at the compliment. “I will announce you.”
Zofie paused him. “No, I think for this lot, I would rather you didn’t.”
He tried to stifle his disapproving frown and nodded. “As you wish.”
Zofie took my arm and then took a deep breath—but she hesitated. She looked to me, concerned. “Is this really all right? The kingdom is in such a bad place now.”
I patted her arm. “It will be fine. As we well know, you have to grow your seedlings before you need the crops. Otherwise, you won’t have them when you’re ready.”
She gave me a nervous smile before standing a hair straighter and slipping on her princess face. I hoped I said something right for once.
So with Zofie on my arm, we stepped into the brightly lit room. The smell of spices and food made my mouth water. We had wanted to make this special despite the short supplies, so we had been saving up for this event. Getting a free meal was part of the deal for the school. That and two years of service to the crown after they completed training. It was a deal most families jumped at.
The conversation died as soon as we entered the room. You could have heard a pin drop. There was a single long table in the room with about twenty boys and girls, all in their early to mid-teen years. These were the first ones attending Zofie’s new school for myst users. Several adults sat with them, including Captain Milner and Master Rourke. Spraggel was strangely absent, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.
Zofie took her place at the head of the table. I sat while she remained standing behind her chair.
“Thank you all for coming to our new school.” She scanned the audience. All the faces were turned expectantly toward her.
About midway down the table, I spotted Maggie de’Glougeman—the daughter of Mikney, the innkeeper of the Inland Sea. Zofie had spotted Maggie’s budding abilities during a stay at the inn, and had been determined to have her as a student. However, Mikney was extremely protective of his daughter and at first refused. Had it not been for us being Maggie’s rescuers from a potential kidnapping, the princess likely would not have been able to convince him.
Zofie continued her speech, “While we can only handle a few now, it is my sincere desire that we grow in numbers until we have to move out of the castle. I am hopeful you will learn enough to master the abilities in myst each of you have. Maybe even some of you will become teachers yourselves to help spread what you learn. You are our future seedlings. Please do everything you can to grow!”
Everyone, even the old chamberlain, applauded. She turned to give me a smug smile. She just used my words in her speech! Zofie turned a broad smile and looked at her audience. “Now everyone, eat up!”
Immediately, the servers came out and began laying out the plates of bread and bowls of vegetable stew. The girls and boys both tore into their meals. It was meager fare, but likely better than most of them had been able to get recently.
Maggie glanced in my direction, and even though she was a little ways away, I could tell she blushed. She quickly leaned over and said something to the girl sitting next to her. The girl glanced in my direction and also blushed. The two exchanged more whispers.
Coren! came Abe’s booming voice inside my head. I winced.
Zofie glanced in my direction, picking up on Abe’s interruption.
I hid my mouth behind my hand. “What is it, Abe? I’m a little busy at the moment.”
Busy stuffing your gut and ogling the girls. If I didn’t think it important, I wouldn’t dream of interrupting your consumption of dead matter and looking for your next opportunity to procreate.
Zofie frowned. I don’t think she appreciated Abe’s remark about the girls.
At first, she had been excited about being able to talk with the ancient curse, but lately she’d been feeling a little differently. I think she was almost ready to have me remove the ability. Abe also knew Zofie was listening in and did everything in his power to get me in trouble.
Like I needed his help.
I leaned closer to her. “I was not looking at the girls that way. Why would I look at girls when I have a beautiful young woman next to me.”
Because you’re greedy, that’s why.
I rolled my eyes. “What did you want Abe?”
I briefly smelled a curse nearby. A complex one.
“Can you show me?”
Of course.
My vision changed, and I saw the now-familiar strands of light stretching across the room. With so many myst users close by, the complexity of the glowing threads was overpowering.
On Zofie, I could see her familiar network of blue lines and the bright glow of her curse mark. And likewise, on some of the students’ chests, I saw a brighter spot which had to be their own small curses, likely to protect against a more deadly one.
“I can see that a few of the students are cursed. Is that what you smelled?”
No, this was stronger—a much more complex curse.
“You mean like a Dark Avenyts trying to hide itself?”
Could be. But it could also be a curse one of these children have and are embarrassed that their friends might find out about it, so they had it concealed.
I glanced at Zofie, and she gave me a concerned look in return.
But I couldn’t pick up the direction or distance. It may have even been outside.
Zofie leaned back and motioned to Eallair. When the chamberlain came over, she whispered in his ear, and he nodded once. He briskly stepped away. No doubt, Zofie wanted to alert our guards.
“Let me know if you smell it again.”
Oh, I shall. Your curse bloodhound will bay loudly.
“That was not funny.”
I didn’t mean it to be. But someone has to be paying attention. Unlike you, I won’t be checking out the girls.
“Will you stop that!” I said a little louder than I intended. Several of the students gave me a funny look. Something like, “oh, look at the crazy man talking to himself.”
Embarrassed, I looked down at my unfinished meal. The thought of a Dark Avenyts in the room dampened my appetite. And I had so wanted to enjoy my food.
With the hungry students, it didn�
��t take long for them to empty their bowls. And when they were done, Zofie stood. “Now that everyone is finished, let me introduce you to your teachers. Your first lesson will start this afternoon with Mistress Delwynwill.” Zofie indicated a dark-haired woman on her right who looked like she could be the mother of any of the students. She gave a quick nod of her head and smiled. I had talked to her briefly, and she seemed to have solid experience teaching literature and mathematics, but more importantly, myst fundamentals. I had thought I might even sit in on some of her lessons since I now had to understand how Abe worked.
Zofie continued. “And to help balance out your training, tomorrow morning Captain Milner will begin showing you the basics of self-defense. All myst users should know how to defend themselves.” The man gave a brief nod to the students but did not crack a smile.
This was my contribution to the planning. He very reluctantly took on the role, but I think he was actually excited about it.
Zofie smiled. “You will also receive instruction from others as the need arises. Now, are there any questions?”
A young man sitting toward the back raised his hand. “Your highness, will you be one of our teachers? I’ve heard you are a very powerful myst user.” You could hear the hope in his voice.
If you didn’t know Zofie, you wouldn’t have noticed any change in her expression, but I did. The question pained her. She hated that she wasn’t going to be able to participate. She wanted to teach them. But she couldn’t for two reasons: her duties as monarch didn’t allow her the time, and the other, she couldn’t use her myst now. The curse from her brother was still active, and while it originally changed her into a chimera that was slowly dying, thanks to my intervention, it was now gradually turning her back to fully human. Not to mention, since Abe had taken control of it, the Dark Avenyts couldn’t touch her.
Zofie shook her head. “I may appear in your lessons occasionally, but I will not be one of your teachers.” She paused. “Are there any others?”
A young woman who looked older than most of the others raised her hand. “Will the Cursed Knight be teaching us?”
I groaned. There was that name again. I really wanted to put a bad curse on the minstrel that wrote that ballad.
Zofie glanced my way and smiled. “Sorry, but no. I need my knight close to me. He may also appear occasionally, but not as one of your regular teachers.”
Another hand shot up. “Will we really get a meal every day?”
Zofie nodded. “Yes, in fact, you’ll get three a day. It will not be as nice as today’s, but you will not go hungry.”
There were a few more questions in that vein, and she dutifully answered each one until they went silent. Sensing she had satisfied them, Zofie raised her head just a little straighter. “I must go now. Once again, welcome to our little school. Make us all proud. You are dismissed.”
There was a moment of silence, and then the students began to move. Some clustered around the teachers, while others started to make their way out.
I stood and leaned close to Zofie. “You did wonderful.”
She turned to me. “I hope so.”
“Ah, your highness? Coren?” said a new voice. Zofie and I turned to see Maggie approaching us. She had a wide smile and was blushing furiously.
It had only been a couple of months since we last saw her, but she must have had a growth spurt. She was nearly as tall as Zofie now. With her hair pulled into a tight braid, and wearing what appeared to be a new dress, she looked much more mature than the young serving girl that had spilled a cup of ale in my lap on my first visit to the inn.
And with her stood another girl about her age. I did not recognize her, but she appeared to be one of Maggie’s friends. Like Maggie, her brown hair was pulled back in a single braid, although of a more complex braiding. She wore a dress of simple design, which seemed just a tad large for her. It gave her a younger appearance than her friend. She held her clasped hands in front of her but didn’t seem to share Maggie’s nervousness.
“Hello, Maggie.” Zofie smiled.
Maggie bowed her head. “Princess, I had no idea you were who you were when you stayed at our inn. Creator,” she rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you slept in my bed, and I told you all those things.”
Zofie reached forward and pulled her into a gentle hug. “And I enjoyed every minute of it. Our midnight chat was most enlightening.” And they both giggled. I was going to have to ask Zofie about that one.
Zofie looked over Maggie’s shoulder at the other girl standing there. “And who is your friend?”
Maggie turned to introduce her. “This is Cabrina Bryst, the youngest and only daughter of the Bryst family. One of the other students couldn’t come, so Cabrina took her place.”
I nodded. So this was the one Eallair had mentioned earlier.
Cabrina blushed and gave a formal curtsey. “It is an honor to meet you, Princess Zophia.” She turned to me and gave me another curtsey. “And you too, Sir Coren Hart.”
I returned her greeting with a bow. “We are well met, Mistress Cabrina.” She grinned.
Maggie cleared her throat. “Coren...” She paused a moment. “I guess I should start calling you Sir Hart.”
Zofie laid a gentle hand on Maggie’s arm. “You can call him whatever you want.” She rolled her eyes in my direction. “For myself, I call him different names depending on what trouble he’s gotten himself into.” They exchanged a quick laugh and a knowing look. Something was going on between these two.
“Why don’t we compromise,” I offered. “Just call me Sir Coren.”
Maggie nodded, then stood a little straighter. “Princess Zofie. Sir Coren. I have not properly thanked you for saving me from the slavers. I had nearly given up hope when the two of you showed up.” Maggie looked to Zofie, complete admiration on her face. “And the way you transformed into that griffin... it was so majestic.”
Cabrina leaned toward Maggie and gave her a gentle nudge with her shoulder.
Maggie’s eyes went up. “Oh, yes.” She reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out two small boxes, each tied with a neat bow: one pink, one blue. She presented them to us on her palms. “Please accept these small tokens of appreciation. I made them myself, so they are not much, but I hope they will please you just a little.”
Zofie smiled warmly. “Maggie, you shouldn’t have.” Zofie reached for hers. “May I open it now.”
Maggie blushed. “If you’re not too embarrassed.”
Zofie shook her head. “For my friends, never.”
I hesitated in reaching for mine. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the gift. I was just unsure of protocol. I had never received a gift like this before. I hesitantly reached for it. “Is it all right? I’ve caused your father a lot of trouble over the years.”
Maggie smiled. “Please. This is from me. Not Father. And don’t worry about him. He still hates you.”
“Well then,” I took the small box and opened it.
Zofie and I both saw the contents at the same time. She gasped and pulled out a tightly woven bracelet in shades of pink. It was braided with a beautiful pattern and had a highly polished wooden heart affixed in the middle. I was impressed. It had been done meticulously. Maggie must have worked hard to make it.
For mine, it was of similar design, but was a dark blue, and instead of a heart, had a small white river stone which the color set off nicely. “Thank you. This is a splendid gift.”
Zofie nodded. “Indeed it is.” She held out her wrist to Maggie. “Would you do me the honors? I’ve heard that if a friend ties it on for you, you will be friends forever.”
Maggie blushed again. She took the bracelet and began to tie it around Zofie’s left wrist. “I made Cabrina and myself one too.” Cabrina smiled and held hers up for us to see. Maggie continued, “But I have somehow misplaced mine. I’m sure it will turn up.”
Cabrina stepped forward. “Would you like me to tie yours on, Sir Coren?”
Maggie looked
up from her work. “Cabrina helped me with them, so it’s all right.”
I nodded and Cabrina stepped forward. She took the bracelet and pulled out my arm, stepping closer than I would normally have been comfortable with.
She glanced up at me as she began to tie it on. She smiled sweetly. “I guess this means we’ll be friends for the rest of our lives.”
Something about the way she said it struck me as odd. A feeling of wrongness began to tug at the corner of my mind.
Coren! I can sense the presence of that complex curse again.
“Where is it?” I looked up, scanning the room.
It’s... right in front of you. The girl! She is cursed with one of the Dark Avenyts!
She turned her face up to me and smiled. Only it wasn’t the innocent smile of a young girl. It was the smug look of someone having just gotten exactly what they wanted.
I jerked my arm back, but it was too late. The bracelet had already been tied. I glanced at Zofie and hers was also in place.
Cabrina held up her own bracelet covered wrist and touched it with two fingers from her other hand. I felt myst begin to build. A lot of myst. This was not some simple spell, but a very sophisticated charm.
I yelled to the guards, but it was already too late. All three bracelets started to glow a bright pink, which swiftly transitioned to a deep red.
Cabrina gave me one last look as her smile began to fade, a look of sad resignation on her face. I felt my own perception begin to fade, and suddenly my world went black.
And out of that darkness, I heard a voice. Deep and seeming to resonate inside me yet coming from far away. It was Abhulengulus, but he spoke strangely. It’s not yet your time, little one, he said. You are everything I hoped for.
The darkness suddenly broke, and I watched as Cabrina collapsed in front of me. Maggie gazed at us in horror. She bent over her friend.
Coren! Abe screamed in my head. Something’s wrong. The charms! They...
Then a longer pause before he said something much weaker.
Assassin of Curses: (The Coren Hart Chronicles Book 3) Page 6