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

The amulet flashed blue again. Cabrina’s wrists separated, and the sound of her sobs returned. “...don’t hurt Cabrina anymore. I’ve told you all I know.”

Fumiko looked me squarely in the eye. “Sometimes, you have to do the hard things. You’ll never be able to protect Zofie like this.”

I couldn’t remember when I had been so angry. I held out my hand. “The amulet.”

She looked up at me a moment more before lifting it over her head and placing it on my palm. We held each other’s gaze a moment longer, and then she stepped away, quickly moving toward the exit. But she paused at the door and turned. “Remember this conversation when she’s got a knife at your throat.” Fumiko left the dungeon.

I unlocked the cell door and knelt beside Cabrina. “She’s gone.”

Cabrina leaped into my arms and cried into my shoulder. “I told her I didn’t know anything,” she babbled. “I really don’t.” She swallowed. “We were so scared.”

I hesitated. Was she using me? Was she manipulating me to her designs? Maybe I was too trusting. Then again, was that a bad thing? I put my arms around her and let her sob into my shoulder.

After her tears had died down, I helped her stand. That’s when I noticed the small rips on her dress around her knees. They were bloody. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times Fumiko had made her slam down on the rough stone floor. I helped her sit on her bed and then went out into the small area outside the dungeon proper and asked the guard if he had anything for cuts. He gave me a small clay jar of some kind of healing salve.

Cabrina watched me warily as I reentered her cell.

I held out the jar. “I brought something for your knees.”

She hesitated but took it. She hiked up her dress to just above her knees. They were bloody and bruised, confirming my fears. She winced as she gingerly applied the salve.

As I watched her, I couldn’t decide if she was putting on an act, trying to gain my sympathy, or was really hurt. I just wasn’t sure.

“I begged Mistress Fumiko to stop,” she said as she dabbed on the medicine. “Cabrina’s body was being damaged, and the one inside could feel everything. And neither of us understands why Mistress Fumiko would hurt her. I’ve already told her everything I know.”

“She considers you an enemy and believes you’ve not been completely honest. You did attack someone close to her.”

She looked up. “Then why are you helping me? You are even closer to the princess. She’s your future mate. Am I not an enemy to you too?”

I sighed. “To be honest. I would like to see you punished for what you did. But there is a difference between being punished for a crime and hurting someone who is innocent. The Cabrina inside you did nothing to deserve a punishment.”

The youth finished with the ointment and held it out to me.

“I was just following my directives. While I knew how the charms were made and who was supposed to get them, I did not know what they did.”

I took the salve from her. “Directives. Are they like orders?”

She nodded. “Only stronger. It’s impossible for me to go against them.”

“What are your directives now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t have any. I’m not sure why they didn’t give me more. All I have is just the basic one all of my kind has.”

“Which is?”

She gazed up at me a moment before answering. She finally said, “Serve.”

I gave her a puzzled look. “Serve who?”

She shrugged again. “Basically, anyone with a higher cothe than me. But for now, without a higher directive, I serve Cabrina.”

I looked at her doubtfully. “And what does Cabrina want?”

She sat up and smiled brightly, seemingly quite pleased with herself. “She wants to mate with Master Rourke,” the youth said matter of factly. “She thinks he is quite handsome...”

The youth broke off and winced. She looked up as if talking to someone else. “What do you mean I wasn’t supposed to tell? It’s true!” She looked back to me. “I think I embarrassed her.”

I blinked at her in confusion.

Cabrina cocked her head to the side. “But in my opinion, you are much more worthy of mating with...”

She winced again and looked to the side as if listening to someone else. She finally looked back to me and blushed. “I apologize. I apparently have said something inappropriate. Cabrina inside is yelling at me, but I’m not sure why.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “That was just a little inappropriate, especially for a young maiden. But I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She sighed. “Human courting rituals are so hard to understand. I’m surprised you manage to reproduce.” She winced. “Cabrina yelled at me again.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Anyway, I had best be getting back. I’m supposed to be meeting with the other advisers.”

“You’re taking us somewhere, aren’t you?”

I couldn’t see a reason to hide it. “To the Kuiojia Empire, assuming we can find an ancient artifact he wants.” I had a sudden thought. “Did your people mention anything about the Griffin’s Key?”

She shook her head. “No. I was told only the bare minimum.”

“Nothing about any of the ancient artifacts?”

She shook her head again. “Sorry. The only thing I’ve heard came from your ballad, The Cursed Knight.”

I cringed. “That account is not exactly correct.”

“But you did find the Mirror of Bygone Tears. Can’t you do the same thing you did before to find it?”

I considered her. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to reveal. But I gambled. “We’ve tried the finder, but it didn’t work.”

“Then what about the mirror itself. Didn’t you use it to prove the princess was innocent?”

“We