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

Wort glared at her. I tried to tell her to run, but his grip was so tight, I could only make choking sounds.

Then she did the strangest thing.

She kneed him in the groin.

Wort gave a surprised ‘oof’ and crumbled to his knees.

“Get on the barge!” yelled Fumiko. Still rapidly exchanging blows with Lilith. They were evenly matched, with neither being able to advance or get away from the other.

I grabbed Cabrina’s hand and ran for the barge. We managed to leap aboard just as it was pulling away. Fumiko and Lilith continued to fight as we backed away from the docks. A bargeman was trying hard to push us out using a long pole, while another was hastily trying to raise a sail.

I looked on helplessly as the two women fought. The distance between the dock and the barge was slowly increasing. As I measured the gap with my eye, there was no way Fumiko could make it.

Just then, Fumiko gave a spinning kick toward Lilith’s face. Not expecting it, the other woman staggered back, giving Fumiko the chance she needed to break away. She took off running in our direction with Lilith in fast pursuit.

Standing now, but with still wobbly legs, Wort made a grab for Fumiko, but missed. Lilith slowed, confident her prey had nowhere to go. She and Wort spread out to trap her against the edge. There was no way she could jump the growing gap.

But Fumiko didn’t slow down. Instead, she put on a burst of speed as she approached the edge of the dock.

I quickly moved to the corner of the barge closest to the edge and braced myself in the hope I might be able to catch her. But I didn’t see how.

Everyone on the boat held their breath as she approached the edge at full speed. My eyes went wide as I felt a sudden pull of myst. Then Fumiko leaped high into the air, the jump carrying her higher than should be possible. And of course, it was. But not if one used their myst to boost their jump.

With arms wheeling, she sailed toward the barge for a full two heartbeats before crashing into me and knocking me to the deck. As she lay atop me, trying to catch her breath, she leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. “I haven’t fought like that in a while.” Then she realized what she had just done and blushed. “Apologies... I forgot myself.”

I helped her up, and we looked toward the docks. Lilith and Wort were standing at the edge of the wharf glaring at us. Lilith turned to Wort and shoved him. I couldn’t make out the words, but I don’t think it was anything nice.

A group of the Royal Guard trotted out from a side street, no doubt alerted to the fight happening on the wharf. Lilith and Wort took off in the opposite direction, but not before Lilith gave us one last look.

It seemed to say, this is not over.

Our progress upstream was faster than I had expected but slower than we needed. The dock men would pole us through the slower currents, use the sails if the wind was right, or would pull out paddles if they had to. They kept a small fire in an iron pot in the center of the barge, which we positioned Zofie close to. My heart ached when I looked at her and saw her impassive face staring out into the distance. I tried to make sure she was as comfortable as I could make her and constantly fretted over her being too hot or too cold.

After we were sure Lilith wasn’t an immediate threat, Fumiko had settled down with her cloak tightly wrapped around her, pulled her hood up, and went fast asleep. These fights seemed to take a lot out of her. When I considered it, it must be hard using your myst while fighting. It was no doubt exhausting. And that jump. It took a lot of myst to physically move an object, so she had likely drained herself.

Spraggel chatted amiably with the bargemaster, and they discovered they had several acquaintances in common.

Which left Cabrina. She quietly sat close to Zofie without saying a word. But her eyes were going everywhere—watching the bargemen going about their work, observing the passing riverbank, even just staring up at the cold blue sky above.

I sat down beside her, and she gave me a guarded look.

“I think you know what I’m going to ask,” I said softly.

She didn’t say anything.

I sighed. “Why did you help us? Why didn’t you try to get free?”

She shrugged. “I explained before. I have no directives, so I try to do what the Cabrina inside wants. And she wanted to protect you and the princess. She feels guilty for the harm we have done.”

I considered her for a moment. “What did Lilith do to you when she took your hand.”

Cabrina looked at me sadly and then glanced away in shame. “She overrode my will. I am unnamed and of low cothe. There is no way I can resist someone so ancient.” She shivered, and I didn’t think it was from the cold.

“Any idea on what her... directives are?”

Cabrina glanced back up at me. She shook her head. “No, I only know what I’ve overheard. But she has to be looking for this key too.”

“Was she one of the those that helped you... perfect your host?”

Cabrina shook her head. “No. While one was a man and the other was a woman, their bodies were younger.” She glanced at Zofie. “I also don’t think Lilith knows the princess is like this.”

I nodded. I had gotten that same impression.

She continued. “Which means she wasn’t behind it.”

I frowned. “Then this isn’t a