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

Cabrina gave a most girl-like sigh. “I would agree with your conclusion.”

I looked away in thought. A third party. Another group competing with Lilith. This did not bode well. I had thought the Dark Avenyts were united in their thinking. But perhaps they were more human-like than we thought and had groups with conflicting interests.

In the brownish water beside us, a double-handful chunk of ice floated past. I glanced at Cabrina, who was studying the ice intently. I almost felt sorry for her. Not only was she disposable, but she was treated like a slave to the others of her kind. I shook my head. Regardless, she was a Dark Avenyts. I had to be careful I didn’t begin to trust her.

I decided to try a different tact. “Perfecting. You said the Dark Avenyts possessing Risten had perfected her. You’ve also said that about yourself. Perfecting means to make better. How can stealing someone’s body make them better?”

Cabrina turned her focus on me. “We do not steal their bodies. We form a partnership with them. We were created to help our hosts be better than they naturally are. We provide them with knowledge, skills, and perspective that they would not normally have.”

“Even if the person doesn’t want it.”

She smiled. “How can they not want to be perfect?”

I considered her for a moment. “Can I speak with Cabrina? The one inside? Without you... perfecting her?”

She gazed at me for several moments. I could almost hear the whispers of an internal conversation going on. The odd thing was, she didn’t blink the whole time.

“Yes,” she finally said. “She will speak with you as long as you promise not to yell at her. She’s afraid you hate her.”

“She’s a victim. How could I possibly think that about her.”

Cabrina leaned forward and touched my arm. “And she is extremely shy. Please be gentle with her.”

And then Cabrina’s expression changed. I had seen this before, but it still amazed me. The very barest change in expression, the slight curve of her lips, the way she held her eyes. I couldn’t say for sure what it was, but a completely different personality animated her features.

She immediately looked down, and her hands began to fidget. “I-I-I am... sorry. W-w-we’ve c-caused so much trouble.”

My eyes went up in surprise. She had a pronounced stutter. No doubt made even worse by what had happened to her.

I shook my head and gave her a gentle smile. “There is nothing for you to apologize for.”

She gave her head a small shake. “I should have tried h-h-harder to stop her. I told her not to do it.” Still looking down, she glanced up before returning her gaze to the deck. “B-but she c-couldn’t stop. She had to follow the orders.” She drew herself in tighter. “I should have tried harder.”

I reached across and touched her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get that Dark Avenyts off of you as soon as we can.”

She looked up in horror. “P-p-please don’t hurt her. She’s not so bad. I w-wouldn’t be able to see all this if it w-wasn’t for her.” Her gaze quickly returned to the deck. “I’m not the b-bravest person, and I have this stupid stutter. Even though my father made me apply for the p-princess’s school, my fear is so bad I w-wouldn’t have been able to show up.” She squirmed in her seat. “B-but she helped me. Told me w-what to do. Calmed my fears.” She slowly shook her head. “I’ve never had a c-close friend before. One I could talk with and share secrets. And... and she’s almost become one.”

I was shocked. “But it’s a Dark Avenyts?” I said, a little more harshly than I intended.

Her eyes widened in sudden terror...

And then she was gone.

I could tell control had shifted. The Dark Avenyts inside of her was back. Cabrina sighed. “I told you not to scare her. You made her cry, and now she’s gone to her deep dark place.”

I leaned closer. “What have you done to the girl inside you to make her trust you so?”

She frowned. “I haven’t done anything. You, on the other hand, scared her.”

What?

She leaned forward. “You don’t understand. She’s had it pretty tough over the last year, and her stutter is only part of it. Puberty came late for her, changing her overnight from a skinny girl to a pretty young lady. Unfortunately, the young lady attracted the attention of one of the bastard soldiers raiding their farm. Her father ended up with a broken arm and a cracked head in stopping him. And on top of that, she’s just come into her myst abilities—which she hates. Her neighbor, about her age, went missing during the summer, disappearing to Creator knows where like all the other myst users in town. She keeps wondering why her powers came so late and why she survived, but her neighbor didn’t.” She paused, her expression stern.

I didn’t know what to say.

She continued. “You still don’t understand, do you? She’s eat up with guilt, Sir Coren. In her view, it’s all her fault. That she’s caused nothing but trouble for her loved ones and that everyone hates her. When I came along, she had already picked out the tree she planned to hang herself from.” She sat back and folded her arms. “So be nice to her. If anyone deserves to be treated kindly, she does.”

I blinked at her. Being scolded by a Dark Avenyts was not how I expected this conversation to go.

She stood. “So please excuse me, Sir Coren. I need to talk to my host for a bit.” She turned and made her way toward the front of the barge, seating herself on a tall crate and gazing out at the water.

Still reeling from my conversation with Cabrina,