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

by Jessie D. Eaker

  Spraggel frowned. “Judging from the way she was snuggled up to you, I’m not so sure.” There was a note of irritation in his voice. “I’m beginning to wonder if Cabrina might be right.”

  I shook my head. It occurred to me that Spraggel didn’t know about the nightly memory transfers. And I couldn’t tell him either. I guess it must look a little suspicious. He’s seen us wake up in the same bed two nights in a row. “There is nothing between Fumiko and me. She is just... helping.”

  Spraggel’s eyes went up. “I imagine she could be very helpful to a young man whose fiancée is incapacitated.” He stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. His expression softened. “Be careful, Coren. Playing with the hearts of young ladies can be painful for everyone involved. Take it from me. I know.” He smiled. “It’s why I spent almost a year as a cat.”

  I blinked at him. A year? He had mentioned something about pissing off the wrong myst user in his younger days. But a year?

  I shook my head. “There’s nothing between us. Zofie is all I need.”

  “I trust you, Coren. Just remember that Zofie does too.” He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He then clapped his hands and went to get his cloak. “Now, for some long-overdue breakfast.”

  “You didn’t have to wait.”

  He gave me a surprised look. “Oh yes, but I did. Someone had to keep an eye on Cabrina.”

  I picked up my blanket and started folding it. “You could have taken her with you.”

  He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the girl. “I tried, but she was too intent on watching someone...” He rolled his eyes in the direction of the serving boy.

  I glanced at Cabrina. She was watching the boy with hawk-like intensity. The young lad would occasionally glance in her direction, but then quickly divert his eyes in the ‘I want to look at you, but I’m too embarrassed’ way youths do. And her attention wasn’t helping. I could almost see the boy’s nervous sweat.

  Spraggel opened the door, the chill air drifting in around him. “That’s why I’ll leave dealing with her to you.” He grinned mischievously and then slipped outside.

  I couldn’t help but smile. I guess I had helped create the situation. I had forbidden her from speaking to anyone, or we would further restrict her movements. It looked like she was dying to talk with him but was trying to honor our agreement. Or at least the letter of it.

  “Breakfast does sound good,” I said and went to Zofie and helped her stand. I pulled a few bits of straw from her hair. I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

  I turned toward the young girl. “Want to come with me, Cabrina?”

  Her eyes flicked from me to the boy and back. She knew she had to come with me, but didn’t want to leave.

  I motioned her over. She gave me a curious look but quickly rose and came up to me. I bent and whispered in her ear. “Do you want to talk to the young man?”

  Her eyes went wide in surprise. She nodded.

  “You’ve done what we’ve asked, so I’ll let you for just a moment. Just remember not to embarrass the young lady inside of you.”

  She nodded. “She’s the one that wants to talk to him, but she’s too embarrassed. I don’t think I’ll ever understand humans.” She shook her head. “You have to talk with someone to find out if they’re a suitable mate, yet you’re afraid to talk to them because they might be.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll understand one day.”

  I smiled. “If you ever figure it out, please explain it to me.”

  She grinned. Then she almost skipped over to where the young man was bruising himself with cleaning the animal’s pen. “Hello,” she said.

  He didn’t pay her any attention. Cabrina went to stand in front of him, so he had to notice her.

  “My name is Cabrina. What’s yours?”

  He shook his head and made an exaggerated shrug. He then said something in his language which none of us understood.

  I sighed sadly, realizing she was going to be disappointed.

  Cabrina gave him a puzzled look and then looked toward me.

  “He doesn’t speak our language,” I said.

  “Can you teach it to me?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know this one. Besides, it takes a long time to learn a language, and we won’t be here that long.”

  Cabrina’s face fell. Then surprisingly, she looked to the side, which meant she was having an internal conversation with the girl inside. She suddenly smiled and refocused on the boy. She reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked up at her in surprise before a bright violet light gathered around her.

  My eyes went wide in shock. “Don’t!” I yelled, dropping the bag I held and starting toward her.

  But she didn’t stop. Instead, she whispered, “I curse you... with myself.”

  The violet glow intensified, nearly blinding me and enveloping both her and the boy.

  I touched the restraining amulet around my neck, the words to activate it forming on my lips.

  The glow hadn’t even faded, before the boy whispered in perfect Ellish, “I curse you... to return.”

  The violet glow flared again, once more enveloping them.

  “Bind!” I yelled. Her hands instantly went together at the wrists, and she fell to her knees.

  “Oww!” she wailed. “What did you do that for?”

  “You cursed him!” I yelled back. “I thought I could trust you.”

  She looked up at me angrily. “It was her idea. Not mine. Besides, I was only there a moment.” She lowered her head. She sniffled and spoke more quietly. “Can you loosen these up a bit? They’re hurting her.”

  Behind me, I heard the boy saying something. “What just happened?”

  I turned to face him, and he was looking at me quite puzzled. “I’m sorry. Our companion is a myst user, and she did something she wasn’t supposed to.”

  He looked down at his hands. “I felt something in my head for a moment. Something hot. It was really strange.” He gave me a puzzled look. “So both of you actually can speak my language.”

  Then it hit me. I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m not speaking your language. You’re speaking mine.” I looked to Cabrina. “You gave him our language?”

  She looked up from where she knelt. “Of course I did, you stupid human!” There were tears in her eyes. “How else was I supposed to talk to him? I can perfect people, so I perfected him. You said I could talk with him, and she told me to do it.”

  “She?” I asked.

  “You know, the Cabrina inside. Talk to her if you don’t believe me.” And suddenly, Cabrina’s expression changed. I instinctively knew I was talking to the owner of the girl’s body.

  “Don’t b-b-lame No-name,” she said. Her stutter was worse due to the excitement. “It’s my fault. I’m the one that told her to do it.”

  I blinked in astonishment. “She’s doing what you tell her?”

  The youth shrugged. “W-w-why wouldn’t she? It’s my b-body, and she has no other d-directives. She’s tried to give control to me several times, but I’ve... refused.” She looked down. “I don’t stutter if she talks.”

  I considered her for a moment. “Release,” I finally said, and Cabrina’s bonds let go. She sighed in relief and sat up, rubbing her wrists.

  I looked up at the boy, who was concerned, but unsure what to make of our exchange. “Everything is all right now,” I said. “Consider the ability to speak our language a gift. Our companion wanted to talk with you and decided that giving you our language was the fastest way.”

  He grinned, clearly delighted. “Thank you very much! This is a great gift! I’ve been trying to learn it since we have travelers from your lands. But it’s been hard for me to wrap my tongue around your words. My father will be most pleased. In fact, I’m going to tell him right now.” The excited boy ran to the door and was out only a moment later.

  I bent over Cabrina and offered her my hand. She looked at it a moment before gingerly taking it so I could help her sta
nd.

  “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’m sorry I bound you, but I was afraid your Dark Avenyts was going to make a run for it.”

  She shrugged and looked down. She was avoiding my eyes. “I’m fine. No-name has w-withdrawn for now. She’s very frustrated and w-won’t even talk to me. She d-didn’t like that you p-punished me for something she did.”

  I patted her shoulder. “Well, don’t worry. We’ll get No-name off of you soon.”

  And then she said something that surprised me.

  “I’m not in a hurry. I kind of like her.” She glanced up at me before returning her gaze to the floor. “I w-was scared at first, but after she c-completed her mission, she’s b-been... sort of... nice. I haven’t had very many friends and w-w-we talk all the time. She helps me be the p-person I’ve always w-wanted to be.” She looked down with tears in her eyes. “It’s nice.”

  I put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at me. “What will you do if she gets a new directive?”

  She shrugged. “As long as she’s with me, I don’t think I’ll care.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “You know she’s a Dark Avenyts. An enemy to humans. She could kill you.”

  She looked down and stirred the straw on the floor with the toe of her boot. “Yes, I know.” She took a deep breath and then looked up fully into my face. “But is that so different from the princess ordering you into battle against an enemy? You might not want to hurt the people you go up against, but you’ll still do it.” She paused and searched my face. “It’s the same for her. She’ll have to do it, but she won’t like it. It doesn’t change that she’s still my friend.”

  We stared at each other for a moment. A nagging thought occurred to me. Was there more to the Dark Avenyts than I originally thought?

  My stomach growled, and we both smiled. The tension in the room eased. “I guess we’ve waited on breakfast long enough.”

  She nodded and went to get her cloak.

  I looked to Zofie, standing close by patiently waiting. Would I go into battle if she ordered? Would I be willing to kill a friend?

  I shook my head. It bothered me that I didn’t have an answer.

  We spent the day resting. Not that I minded. The last few days had been a whirlwind, and I needed the time to regain my strength and compose myself.

  But resting was not the same as relaxing. Even though we were over a thousand miles from our home in Brethnach, I still couldn’t help but feel a twitch at my back. Lilith was coming. I knew it as sure as I knew the sun would rise tomorrow. The only question was when.

  I practiced with Fumiko later that morning and was surprised at my new sword skills. We cleared a spot in the barn large enough to spar and be out of the snow. When we were ready, I launched into the same attack I had seen her use against her friend. Naturally, she defended against it perfectly. Back and forth, we traded blows until Fumiko called a halt. I stepped back breathing hard. This was really difficult, but exhilarating. I had been able to hold my own. I grinned at her. “That was fantastic. I feel like I could take on an army now.”

  Fumiko didn’t seem winded at all. It reminded me of practicing with Risten before the Dark Avenyts took her. She had likewise never seemed fazed.

  She shook her head. “You have some skills now, but they are still my skills, not yours. You still have much work to do.”

  I shook my head. “Surely, it can’t be that bad.”

  Fumiko cocked an eyebrow. She raised her sword and moved into position. “Again.”

  I grinned and moved to my first position. We launched at each other, and I was able to counter her every move. Then Fumiko varied the flow, and I suddenly didn’t know what to do. My nimble blade became awkward and slow. The next thing I knew, my weapon was flying across the room, and her sword was pointed at my throat.

  “See,” she said. “You have a copy of my skills in your brain. But there are still some things you don’t know.” She stepped back, sheathing her sword. “Also, your muscles haven’t incorporated all the knowledge yet. Your arms are about to fall off, aren’t they?”

  I smiled sheepishly. “Pretty much. My muscles are quivering.” I stepped over to pick up my sword.

  She pursed her lips. “You need to practice. Go through the forms by yourself, as many times as you can stand. Five hundred would be a good number to start with.”

  “Five hundred?”

  She nodded. “You won’t remember them for long unless you practice. Remember, they are my skills, and while your brain has temporarily accepted them, it will soon figure out they are not actually yours and purge them.”

  “But Zofie has given me bits of her memories before, and I remember them just fine.”

  Fumiko sighed and rubbed her side. Her ribs must be hurting her. “Those are different. She set a context for remembering them, plus they were likely short. Skills are a different matter. They have no context, so I have to give you one of my own memories to attach them to.”

  I nodded. That explained why I was seeing Fumiko’s past. She was giving me strong memories to cement the skills to my brain.

  I looked down at my hands. “But still. You could use this to train an army of sword-masters in no time.”

  Fumiko shook her head. “While it will work for some, it will not work for the majority. The instructor is giving up a piece of themselves to their student, who must receive it unconditionally. It’s not something one can do with everyone. They have to have some sort of bond.”

  I looked at her levelly. “In other words, they have to trust each other.”

  She stepped closer and put a hand on my chest. “Totally. You saved me from the Dark Avenyts. I trust you completely.”

  “As I do you. You’ve saved my neck more times than I can count. So, I guess we do have something not everyone has.”

  She nodded. “Indeed, we do.” She paused, staring up into my eyes. I felt her lean just a hair closer—

  Then she abruptly turned away. “I think I’m going to rest for a bit.” Fumiko rubbed her side. “That practice made my ribs hurt again.” She made her way over to a pile of straw and carefully reclined against it.

  I nodded. “I’m going to go check on Zofie.”

  She closed her eyes. “Don’t stay too long. You need to practice.”

  I stepped to the side to wipe the sweat from my face. But as I thought about it, I became curious. I turned back to her. “Where did you learn to do this? Share your skills, I mean. Was it at that school I saw?”

  She didn’t answer at first. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at me with that neutral expression. “No,” she finally said. “It wasn’t. Myst training was excluded. I was taught that before I was inducted.”

  My eyes drew up in surprise. “Then where did you learn? I don’t know much about myst usage, but don’t you come into your abilities at puberty? You couldn’t have been much older than that in the first memory you gave me.”

  “You’re right.” Her expression did not change. “My mother taught me.”

  “She must have been an excellent teacher for you to learn everything so quickly.”

  Fumiko propped herself up on her elbows and gazed at me levelly. “I was forced to learn quickly. I had just come into my powers when they notified my mother of my induction. That only gave us five days to prepare.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “How is that possible? Your skills are so advanced.”

  Fumiko raised her head, her eyes locking with mine. And I knew—

  The forbidden skills.

  It’s the only way she could have gotten training so fast. Myst or sword, a skill was a skill.

  Shock spread across my face. I slowly shook my head. “Your mother... she didn’t?”

  “She told me it was the best way to help me survive. Provided I kept my new skills hidden.”

  That explained why she swore me to secrecy. “But you were only a child,” I protested. “You would be receiving a grownup’s memories. Things a child co
uldn’t understand. It was like she was forcing you into adulthood.”

  Fumiko stared at me a moment longer. “True,” she said. “But she knew my childhood had ended the moment the Emperor’s letter was delivered. It was the best she could do to protect me.”

  I could only stare in shock, thinking of the toll only two lessons had taken on me. “It must have been extremely hard on you.”

  Fumiko laid back down and shut her eyes. “No. Receiving the skills wasn’t too bad, nor the secret practices afterward. I adapted well.” She was silent for a moment. “The hard part was her weeping over me before every lesson.”

  As I made the trip from the barn to the inn, I tried to shake off the weight of what Fumiko had told me. I used to think I had a difficult childhood, losing my father, being cursed with bad luck, and then being sent away from my family. But based on her revelations, I think hers might have been even worse.

  Inside, I discovered Spraggel sitting beside Zofie and talking to an obviously bored Cabrina. Seeing him lifted my spirits. My old master could be strange sometimes, but he had taken in a cursed young boy and gave him an education. For that, he had my eternal admiration.

  Spraggel smiled when he spotted me. “Ah, Coren. How’s the practice going?”

  I went over to Zofie and kissed her on the cheek. “Pretty good so far. I still have a ways to go, though.” I sat down beside her and glanced at the leftover sausages on her plate. “Has Zofie eaten yet?”

  Spraggel shook his head. “She wouldn’t.”

  I turned to him, puzzled. “She’s never refused before.”

  Spraggel shrugged. “I offered her a bite of sausage, but she kept her mouth closed and would turn her head. I even tried some porridge, but she refused that too.”

  I looked over at the sausages. They did look a little greasy. Maybe they weren’t agreeing with her. I would have to keep an eye on her to make sure she got enough.

  I turned to Cabrina. “Where’s the young lad?”

  She immediately brightened. “I talked to him for a bit earlier as he washed the tables and floors. But he’s got chores elsewhere and...” She rolled her eyes in Spraggel’s direction. “I couldn’t go.”