Assassin of Curses: (The Coren Hart Chronicles Book 3) Jessie Eaker (best reads txt) 📖

Rourke was especially stricken at seeing the coffin. He volunteered, actually insisted, to oversee all the arrangements for her.

Zofie seemed to be taking the return very well. She greeted everyone with a smile, talked animatedly with her staff, and made plans for the following day. But when we entered Zofie’s study, she paused gazing at the tiny desk to one side of her own—Fumiko’s desk. She stepped slowly over to it and placed a gentle hand on it. She stood that way for several minutes and gazed out the window.

I turned to everyone and asked them to give us a few moments. They all reluctantly filed out, and I closed the door leaving Zofie and me alone. I took a deep breath, determined to keep my emotions under control.

I went to her and turned her to face me. Tears were on her cheeks as I wrapped her in my arms.

“I’m going to miss her,” she said.

“Yes,” I nodded as she buried her face in my shirt. “Yes, we will.”

After a moment, she looked up at me. “I’ve decided something.”

“And what is that?”

“The baby’s name.”

“Oh?”

She nodded. “Fumiko.” She looked up at me. “Little Fumiko. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? I want my daughter to have a strong name, and I can’t think of any better.”

“How do you know the baby will be a girl?” I teased.

She gave me one of those looks that questioned my intelligence. “She will be. I just know.”

I pulled her tight. “Then, I think it would make Fumiko proud.”

We stood that way for a moment, and my head suddenly bobbed. Zofie looked at me in surprise. “Are you all right? You don’t seem yourself.”

In fact, I hadn’t been feeling well since the fight with Lilith. It was more than the grief over Fumiko’s death, but I wasn’t sure what it was. One of the empire’s healers had checked me over but had not found anything.

And Abe still wasn’t talking to me. I intended to see Rourke about it at the first opportunity.

“I’m just tired. This whole trip has been exhausting. I might even have picked up a case of the sniffles or some such. It is winter, after all.”

She laid her head on my shoulder. “Promise me you’ll have our healer look you over. And no excuses. I need my knight right now.”

I pulled her tighter. “I will.”

And so we stood until the troubles of the world couldn’t wait any longer. And gently knocked on our door.

We separated, and Zofie dried her tears. She gave me a reassuring smile. “The kingdom waits for no one.”

I nodded and opened the door, letting in those outside to resume taking care of the kingdom.

And so, life went on. A long-range portal mysteriously opened in the field where we had arrived. But when it closed, it left behind several giant piles of neatly stacked sacks. Rice, courtesy of the empire. This was quickly distributed to the people who were close to starvation. And the shipments continued until we had more than enough.

Zofie decided not to reveal her pregnancy yet. She thought it best to get through Fumiko’s funeral. Preparations took several weeks as she and Rourke meticulously planned it out. And a stately funeral it was too. Zofie declared her a hero of the kingdom and made Fumiko’s final resting place inside the royal tomb. She thought her parents would enjoy having her near.

For myself, I struggled to make it through the ceremony. The creeping tiredness continued to get worse. As Zofie had suggested, I had gone to the healer about it, but he could not find anything wrong. He diagnosed it as stress and suggested I rest more. I had simply rolled my eyes. Like that was going to happen.

And even after several weeks, Abe still refused to answer. I felt guilty about it. I couldn’t help but wonder if his absence was my fault. He had warned me about the consequences of stealing Lilith’s curse. But strangely, her curse mark had not appeared on my chest.

And just like Abe, Risten’s condition did not change either. She had stayed in her catatonic state, which was far worse than what Zofie had experienced. I couldn’t help but feel guilty about this too. Had I damaged her while trying to save her? Had I sentenced her to a life of unconsciousness?

About a week after Fumiko’s funeral, I was sitting at my desk rubbing my eyes when Zofie came in with a basket on her arm. I had just given Rourke permission to try waking Risten. He had a new idea he wanted to try but was a little mysterious about what it actually was. I had told him to just do it.

“You’re looking especially tired today,” Zofie said.

“I am, but I’ll get over it. I’m sure it’s nothing some rest wouldn’t fix.” I glanced at the basket. “Are you going somewhere?”

She nodded. “If you feel like it, I thought we could all eat together.” She gazed at me hopefully.

How could I resist?

“Any place special?” I asked.

She smiled—something she hadn’t been doing a lot of lately. “I think it’s time for us to announce our new addition.”

I looked at her skeptically.

She took my hand. “Come on. You’ll understand.”

I followed her as we wound our way through the castle and then down into its depths. I suddenly had an inkling of where she was going.

She pulled out a myst lantern at the entrance to the royal crypt and led me deeper inside, until we came to the end of the tunnel. The same place our latest adventure had begun so many weeks ago.

She went to her parents’ sarcophagi and paused in front of them. “Hello, Mother and Father. I hope you’re doing well.” She then stepped to the newest sarcophagus next