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

by Jessie D. Eaker

  Fumiko’s fingers carefully braided the grass. She pulled more blades and began to weave them in. “Then, if it’s not her, who could it be?”

  “Well, I don’t think it’s Oddfrid since he pulled us out of that trap. That leaves Zofie and Spraggel, but neither of them would do something like that.” I shrugged. “I don’t think we’re looking at the problem the right way.”

  I glanced over at Zofie, sitting calmly by the water. She was sweating profusely, and her legs were caked with mud. I frowned. Just beyond her was a floating log. I didn’t remember that being there before. In fact, it was drifting toward shore just in front of her.

  I got up and went to move her farther up the bank when suddenly, the bracelet burned hot. Before I had time to think, the log suddenly lunged forward with a large mouthful of ugly teeth. It was some kind of giant lizard, and it was aiming for Zofie.

  I dove for her, putting myself between her and the creature. Its powerful jaws snapped shut, barely missing her legs. I frantically tried to shove her farther up the bank slipping in the process.

  Unfortunately, the creature didn’t take the hint and drew itself farther up the bank and lunged again. I couldn’t get to my weapon, so I did the only thing I could think of and kicked it. With a quick flick of its head, its jaws snapped down on my boot, the thick leather sole keeping it from closing its mouth. It started to thrash, swinging its head wildly from side to side and dragging me toward the water.

  Fumiko ran to join the fight and stabbed the big lizard with her knife. She hit it several times, but the creature kept on pulling me toward the water. Her attacks didn’t faze it, and none of them penetrated its thick hide. I frantically tried to get my foot free of the boot, but it wouldn’t come loose.

  In desperation, Fumiko pulled her sword and stabbed it first in the body and then in the head. That seemed to get its attention. The beast must have decided we were too much trouble and released me, sliding deeper into the murky waters.

  I scrambled back from the edge and let my heart calm down. Falling through the sky hadn’t been that terrifying.

  Fumiko plopped down beside me. She then pointed to the other floating logs nearby. There were a lot of them. And if their number was any indication, it didn’t look like we were going to be moving off our little island anytime soon.

  She sighed. “I think I’m not liking this place.”

  I leaned back on the grass and swatted at another insect biting me. “Me either.”

  Suddenly, the bracelet on my wrist flashed hot. I sat up in alarm. Unexpectedly, Zofie spoke.

  “Coren,” she said, still wearing that blank expression.

  Fumiko and I turned to her in surprise.

  She continued. But while it was Zofie’s voice, it sounded more like Abe. “Whatever you do, don’t piss them off.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “And the princess says, smile.” It was the same advice she had given me when we met the keepers for the first time.

  That was when I felt something pointed nudge me in the back. I swiveled to see a large, well-muscled man behind me. He was mostly naked except for leggings and a loincloth. He held a long spear tipped with what looked like a solid piece of very sharp obsidian.

  And he wasn’t alone. There were two others with him, likewise armed.

  Fumiko reached for her sword, but I halted her with a hand on her wrist.

  I then slowly rose to face the newcomers. Remembering Zofie’s advice, I did the only thing I could think of.

  I raised my arms and smiled.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  An Old

  Friend

  The native used deep strokes to propel the dugout rapidly through the water. The village up ahead on the shore of the river seemed to be our destination. From his well-muscled back, this must be a trip he made regularly.

  While they did surprise us on the little island, they seemed friendly enough. Unfortunately, we did not share a common language. Although we had tried to communicate, their leader had finally laughed at our attempts and just patted me on the shoulder.

  But it was Oddfrid they were most interested in. Their leader quickly examined him, and then directed the others in loading him into one of their three dugouts. The biggest of their number paddled away with him as fast as he could. The two men left behind split our party between the remaining dugouts and followed the first at a more sustainable pace.

  After traveling out of the swamp and through a thick forest of partially submerged trees, we finally emerged into the river proper. A rather sizable village with clusters of mud and grass huts sat on the river banks. The natives paddled for a sandy beach near the densest group of shelters.

  As we approached, a small gang of children, laughing and jumping, ran to the water to greet us. Boys and girls alike were shirtless, wearing only loincloths. They called out to the approaching dugouts, and the men would call back to them good-naturedly. Some of the older children even swam out and escorted us back in.

  Our hosts beached their dugouts on the sandy portion of the bank and helped us get out. Several adults met us, chattering in their native language. Like the others, the men just wore loincloths, but the women were dressed in loose, colorful tunics that came down to just below their knees.

  They directed us into the village and sat us down on grass mats around a central stone fire pit. Then they served us some kind of meat and vegetables roasted on a stick and some slightly bitter tea. We hadn’t eaten all day, so this was a welcome treat. They watched with interest as I fed Zofie but didn’t interfere or make a comment.

  By the time we were done, we had collected quite the crowd. Two young girls about Cabrina’s age seemed to take a particular interest in her. They seemed fascinated with the youth’s light brown hair—which was in sharp contrast to their own dark curls. She was quite embarrassed with the attention.

  They then took us back down to the sandy beach, gave us each a piece of floral scented soap, and pantomimed washing. They were treating us well, so I had to assume they were trying to politely say we stank. Unfortunately, we probably did.

  Several of the women came forward and pulled away Zofie, Fumiko, and Cabrina. I was reluctant to let Zofie go, but Fumiko agreed to watch after her. They took them farther down the shore behind an odd partition I had seen earlier. Several of the men stood with us and continued to pantomime washing.

  Taking the hint, Spraggel and I stripped down and washed at the river’s edge. I noted that while the women were afforded some privacy, the men were not. Several of the women watched with amused interest. I blushed when one of them stood on tiptoe to get a better view. She winked at me.

  When I came out of the water, my clothes had been replaced with a plain tunic and slip-on sandals. Then, with the sun just resting on the horizon, they took us back to the firepit, where we waited for the others. It was only a few minutes later that Zofie, Fumiko, and Cabrina joined us. They too had been dressed in long flowing tunics in a pattern similar to the other women. Their hair had also been washed, and for Zofie and Cabrina—Fumiko’s being too short—had been woven into a complex braid and spiraled atop their head. The final touch was a large flower affixed to their hair. I had to admit they all looked good, but especially Zofie. I wished she could have seen it. She so loved new clothes. I stepped up to her and kissed her on the cheek. All the villagers awed in appreciation.

  They then led us into one of the larger huts in the village and indicated we should all sit on the mats around the hut’s fire pit, although today, there were no flames.

  The sun was almost down by that point, but the interior was gently lit with golden myst lanterns. The interior carried the strong scent of flowers, and indeed there were two fresh bundles propped up against the wall on the side opposite the door. A crown made of feathers hung on the wall above the flowers, and on the ground around it were several small, beautifully decorated vases. All of them had been covered and sealed with wax. I somehow got the impression it was some sort of shr
ine.

  Two female guards took positions outside the door, and then an older woman entered with a young girl trailing her. The dim light did not immediately reveal their features. It appeared the woman’s hair was completely white and flowed down her back in what looked to be thick curling locks. The girl with her was dressed similarly, but her hair was of a vibrant yellow. The color would have put some flowers to shame.

  They both went to the side of the room with the vases and knelt there. They paused with head bowed for almost a minute, before turning to face us and taking their places on the mat. But when the woman looked up, my eyes went wide.

  She was not human.

  Her skin had a scaly look to it, and from what I could tell in the dim light, was a yellowish-green color. And what I had thought was hair, was instead some type of down. I still thought she could be considered an elder because of her wrinkled skin, but now I wasn’t sure. The girl behind her was of the same race, although a smaller and non-wrinkled version.

  The woman looked up at us and gave a toothy grin. “Welcome to our village,” she said in lightly accented Ellish. “My name is Kaleefah, and this girl is my daughter Haahleefah.”

  I stared at her, completely at a loss for words. Exactly what was she?

  I gave a slight bow. “I am Coren Hart.” I then introduced everyone. I noticed her smile dropped as she looked at Cabrina—a faint rumble coming from her chest. But she seemed to catch herself and returned to her odd smile.

  It dawned on me that pulling her mouth back and revealing her teeth was not a natural behavior for her species. Instead, it was something she did to approximate a smile for her human companions. However, I’m not sure it was having the intended effect.

  “I trust my people have been treating you well?” she asked.

  “Very well,” I managed to get out. “We thank you for your hospitality?” I leaned forward. “What of our friend? Is he all right?”

  She nodded. “Oddfrid is being cared for. He is suffering from severe myst depletion, as well as a myst backlash. I’m surprised he wasn’t killed. We’ve done all we can for him at this point. And I assure you, he is getting the best care we can offer. After all, he is an old friend. My apprentice, actually. Which is likely the reason you ended up here—somewhere he knew would be safe.”

  I bowed my head to her. “Thank you again for your generosity.” A thousand questions leaped to mind, but Spraggel beat me to it.

  My old master leaned forward, looking like he had just received a Day of the New present. “You wouldn’t by chance be a Ntipani, would you?”

  Kaleefah’s downy hair gave a quick vibration, and her mouth stretched into one of her toothy smiles. She was clearly pleased. “Why yes, I am. I believe my daughter and I are the only ones left in this world. I’m surprised you know the name.”

  Kaleefah put a hand over her mouth in another attempt to mimic a human gesture. Her hand drew my attention. It was different from a human’s with long fingers and one too many joints. It hit me that I had seen one like it before—when we had accidentally opened the portal on Mount Eternal. It had been probing the newly opened entrance to our world.

  Spraggel grinned. “I ran across the description in my research a while back. Your kind was mentioned in a passage from the War with the Dark Avenyts. Scholars have been arguing about your existence for centuries.”

  “Well, I assure you, I do exist. For now, at least.” She leaned forward and turned to me. “So tell me, Coren Hart. What brings the Thief of Curses and the Xernow heir to our village.” She glanced at Cabrina. “And why are you traveling with an Avenyts?”

  These people had been very kind to us, so I saw no reason to hide anything. I took a deep breath. “Oddfrid agreed to take us to the Kuiojia Empire to remove these charms.” I held up my wrist. “The young lady over there tricked us with these bracelets, and now we can’t take them off, or they will kill us. These charms have silenced Abhulengulus and stolen Zofie’s will. A powerful myst user in the empire, Imperial Advisor Yonge, thinks he can remove them. We’re trying to get there.”

  She looked at Cabrina. “Interesting. Avenyts don’t typically use charms since they can’t control them.” She looked back to me. “What else? Surely, Yonge isn’t doing this for free.”

  I leaned back. “Well, our kingdom needs food to survive the winter. He agreed to remove the charms and give us supplies in exchange....”

  Kaleefah interrupted, her smile growing harder. “For the Griffin’s Key. And he plans to use it to access the Forever Nexus Shadow.”

  I blinked at her. “How did you know?”

  She waved me off. “About a year ago, his representative contacted me about it. However, I only confirmed what he already knew.” She leaned forward. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here. Something else must have happened.”

  I sighed. “When we exited our last portal, it was a trap. Risten Brightmare, Zofie’s cousin, has been possessed by a Dark Avenyts named Lilith.” I looked down. “She’s been trying to stop us.”

  Kaleefah nodded and rubbed her chin. Another gesture that didn’t seem entirely natural for her. “Which means this Lilith is trying to get the key for herself.” She sat up straighter. “Oddfrid must have realized this and thankfully made it very difficult to follow your trail.”

  I hesitated but went ahead and revealed our suspicions. “That’s the third time she’s found us. We’re afraid she’s somehow tracking us.”

  Kaleefah shrugged. “She will not find you here unless we allow it.”

  Fumiko spoke up for the first time. “But hasn’t that happened already? That one,” she pointed an accusing finger at Cabrina. “She’s got to be reporting where we are.”

  “Possible. But she is not the one revealing your location.”

  Fumiko leaned back in surprise. “Then who?”

  The elder looked over her shoulder at her daughter and said something in a hissing language that I was sure my human mouth could not replicate. The girl jumped up, immediately ran to the side of the room, and just as quickly returned. To my surprise, she placed a hair comb in her mother’s hand.

  The elder rose and then moved to kneel behind Zofie.

  Fumiko and I both jumped up in alarm.

  Kaleefah gave us one of her unnerving smiles. “Do not worry. I will not harm the princess.”

  Under our watchful eyes, she carefully took down Zofie’s hair, spread it out, and began to gently comb through it.

  I couldn’t contain myself any longer. “What exactly are you doing?”

  She didn’t look up from her task. “Combing her hair.”

  I blinked in puzzlement. The next question was forming on my lips when Kaleefah stopped, and with her other hand, plucked something out of Zofie’s hair. The elder smiled.

  “This is what’s revealing your location,” she said. “It’s called a myst louse.” She placed something on what would be the palm of her oddly jointed hand and held it out. All I could see was a tiny black dot with little fibers coming from it.

  “Is it alive?” I asked.

  Kaleefah shook her head. “No. It’s just a tiny seed that likes to stick to things. Just perfect for someone wanting to put a locater charm on it and place it on the person they want to track.”

  Her daughter appeared beside her with a tiny clay pot, and Kaleefah carefully put it inside. The young one covered it and then quickly left the hut.

  The elder gave me one of those unnerving smiles and then began to quickly refix Zofie’s hair. “My daughter will use coals from the fire to make sure it is destroyed.”

  “You’re a myst seer, aren’t you. That’s why you could see it.”

  She nodded, her deft fingers making quick work of the braid.

  “But where did she get it from? Could Cabrina have done it?”

  It only took a moment longer for her to finish the braid and recoil it atop her head, again placing the flower in her hair.

  “She could have gotten it from anywhere. They are easy
to place, and unless you know what to look for, difficult to find.” She looked at Cabrina and stared at her a moment. “Did you place it on the princess?” she demanded.

  The youth shook her head.

  Kaleefah’s eyes drew down. “Do you lie to me? I am of the eighth cothe,” she said sternly. “You will obey.”

  Cabrina’s eyes went up in shock. She jumped up immediately and prostrated herself in front of Kaleefah. “No, mistress, I didn’t do it. My directive was to place the bracelet charms on the princess and Sir Coren. Nothing more.”

  “What is your directive now?”

  “I have none.”

  Kaleefah held out her hand. “Unlikely. I must read you.”

  Cabrina hesitated.

  Kaleefah shouted. “Now!”

  The youth shivered and looked up pitifully from her place in the dirt. “You won’t hurt her, will you?”

  The elder’s downy hair gave a quick vibration and then she froze. Their exchange had been so intense, the sudden stop was unnerving.

  Then Kaleefah seemed to soften, giving the youth one of her toothy smiles. “No child, I will not hurt your host. Nor will I hurt you. On that, you have my promise.”

  Cabrina gingerly placed her hand in Kaleefah’s, who grasped it tightly. The two stared at each other for several heartbeats, and then the elder let her hand go. The youth stood silently and returned to her place.

  Kaleefah turned to me. “It is as she says. She did not place the louse on the princess. She also really doesn’t have any directives. That is unusual, but not unheard of.”

  I stared at Kaleefah with wide eyes. “You’re a Dark Avenyts?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I have what you humans refer to as a Light Avenyts. I have always thought it humorous that you refer to them as being dark and light, depending on how they go about perfecting you.”

  I held up my hand. “Wait, you mean to tell me there is more than one kind?”

  She considered my question. “More than one kind is not really the correct way to think about it. It’s more of a thought pattern. An idea. A difference in opinion. Both of which fulfill their basic purpose.”