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

I smell them, he said proudly. And I can only steal them after tasting them.

My eyes went wide in realization. “Which is why I have to touch the person to steal the curse. You have to taste it.”

Exactly. Now, Coren, I’m actually quite impressed. You followed along, so your monkey brain must be getting smarter. I might have to promote you to ape.

Fumiko interrupted. “I’m not exactly sure what is going on between you and Abhulengulus, but do you think you can get it off me? I won’t be able to sleep tonight knowing they are watching me.”

I sighed. “I would love to, but the problem is I don’t see anything different on you. Could you turn around?”

Fumiko turned slowly in front of me, but all I could see was the same pale green lines. I shook my head. “I don’t see anything different.”

Zofie pursed her lips. “It’s probably disguised to blend in with her existing myst lines.”

I remembered the Imperial Advisor saying something about it activating when Fumiko used her myst.

I nodded. “Fumiko, try using your myst. Maybe if the charm activates, it will come out of hiding.”

The young woman paled. “He’ll be able to see me.”

I touched her shoulder. “Better now when you’re among friends.”

She nodded, still a little unsure. She extended her arms out from her side, closing her eyes in concentration. A moment later, I felt myst gathering, and Fumiko rose about two finger’s breadth off the floor. She was levitating. It must have been how she had been able to do that strange backward leap when fighting Lilith.

Zofie and I looked at each other in surprise. Fumiko said she was an average myst user. But from what Zofie had told me previously, it took a lot to physically move an object. While likely not near as strong as Zofie, she was not exactly a weakling.

As I watched her myst lines, they vibrated around her like the plucked strings of a harp.

Fumiko settled back down.

I looked to Zofie. “Did you see anything?”

Zofie shook her head. “I’m in the middle of my curse cycle, so I can’t tap my myst. I can get some vague images, but not with the detail you’re seeing.”

I looked back to Fumiko. “I’m sorry. I can’t see what I need to remove. Everything looks the same.”

Fumiko nodded sadly and looked away.

I felt so bad. I wished there was something I could do. Then a thought occurred to me. If her lines of myst vibrated like strings in a harp, wouldn’t she be able to feel them?

“Fumiko, I’d like to try one last thing.”

She turned back hopeful. “Please, go ahead.”

I reached out and gently stroked one of her lines of myst. I felt it vibrate under my hand.

Fumiko jumped. “What did you do? That felt very strange.”

“Am I hurting you?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t call it hurting me. More like someone tickling you.”

I leaned forward and touched another. She jumped again.

I ran my hand across them, causing them to all vibrate. Fumiko sucked a breath in surprise.

All moved as I expected, except for one on the outside of her thigh. And as I looked closer, I could see it didn’t exactly duplicate the pattern on her other leg. I touched it, and Fumiko gave no indication she could feel it. Could this be it?

I pulled on it—

Fumiko collapsed, falling to the floor. She clutched at her throat.

Zofie rushed forward. “What did you do?”

I knelt beside her in panic. “I just touched one of her lines. It seemed different.” Her back arched as she writhed in agony. “What have I done?”

And just as suddenly as it started, Fumiko was released. She fell back panting, her face covered in sweat.

“I’m sorry, Fumiko. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

She rolled her eyes at me and nodded weakly. “I asked you to.” Then she winched in pain. She quickly pulled her dress up enough to expose the thigh where I had seen the odd line of myst.

My eyes went wide, and Zofie gasped. Tiny letters formed there in Fumiko’s language. They stayed in place for several heartbeats and then faded.

Fumiko sighed. “I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

She looked up at us. “It said, next time... you die.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Presents from

Friends

The next morning we all awoke tired and groggy, none of us having slept well. Fumiko had been so distraught at the threatening message that Zofie had insisted she pass the night in her room. And I slept on the floor in front of the door, fearing another attack from Risten or Lilith or whatever she wanted to call herself.

Naturally, Spraggel awoke refreshed and full of energy. We quickly sent him to the library before we collectively attacked him for his cheerfulness.

But a kingdom waits for no one, and whether you’re rested or not, its business must proceed. I helped Zofie as much as I could throughout the morning as she pondered the empire’s offer. She wanted to quickly reach a decision.

Mid-morning, Zofie’s advisors gathered in her study. She hadn’t held court since so much had happened. As they gathered, she stood by the open window deep in thought. She had undone the myst charm that kept the chill out and stood by it, gazing into the distance as she basked in the cold air and sunshine. She wore one of her more formal dresses, and I was struck by her profile as she stared outside. I could almost feel the weight on her shoulders as she considered her decision.

I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her everything would be all right. But now was not the time. Zofie was in her