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

puzzled look. “What? No protest that since you’re royalty, you should have the room?”

I shrugged. “You’re the one that needs the rest. It makes perfect sense that you would take it. Plus, Zofie’s the only royalty here, and she has never been picky about where she sleeps.”

He looked at us a moment more before turning to the innkeeper and saying something to him in that language I didn’t understand and then pointing to us.

The innkeeper nodded and pointed to a large table to one side. He then called over a serving boy, about Cabrina’s age, and gave him some instructions.

Oddfrid led us over to the table. I carefully helped Zofie sit, and the others filled in around us. A moment later, the young lad returned and served us each a steaming bowl of some kind of stew. I couldn’t help but notice that he kept glancing at Cabrina—to the point where he nearly dropped her bowl in her lap. Naturally, she was oblivious to it until Spraggel leaned close and whispered in her ear. The young girl’s eyes went wide in surprise. Afterward, she began to discretely glance in the boy’s direction. I couldn’t help but smile. For someone so inter-ested in human courting, she had to have it pointed out when it hap-pened to her.

After we were done, the serving boy led us outside to a barn. A couple of horses and a cow watched us curiously from a pen to one side as we entered. I had been a little concerned about staying in a barn, but this one was well maintained and thankfully kept heated using an iron stove in the center. There was also plenty of fresh, clean straw to lay down on. It actually wasn’t bad at all. We were all tired, so everyone quickly settled for the night.

I had just gotten Zofie bedded down when Fumiko touched my arm. I turned to face her.

“It’s time for another lesson,” she said.

I looked around at the others. Burrowed into a pile of straw, Spraggel was already softly snoring. Cabrina was lying under her blanket, but I could see her eyes still open, watching us with interest. No doubt hoping for another hint on human mating practices.

My shoulders slumped. “I’ll be honest, I’m exhausted. Can’t we wait until tomorrow night?” It was true I was tired, but there was another reason to delay. The last memory had been so personal. She had not lied when she said this process was more intimate than being lovers.

Fumiko just stared at me a moment. “If you say so.” She started to turn away but suddenly wheeled and aimed a punch at my face. I instantly reacted and perfectly blocked it using a technique I had received from her. But she quickly followed with another to my stomach. I was totally unprepared and didn’t even see it coming. She pulled the hit, so it barely made contact. But her message was clear. I was nowhere near ready.

Fumiko straightened, face unreadable. “Not bad, but that will not be enough to stop Lilith next time. And you know she’s coming. It’s just a matter of time.”

I sighed. “All right. But I have to say I’m not comfortable with this. It’s just so... personal. I see things about you that I probably shouldn’t.”

She held my gaze for a moment before answering. “You’re right. I’m not comfortable with it either.” She nodded toward Zofie. “But for her, I will do anything.” Fumiko turned her gaze back to me. “Will you?”

I gave one last deep sigh and finally agreed. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”

I laid down on my blanket, and Fumiko knelt beside me. Once more, she took my hand and raised it to her forehead. I felt her gathering her myst.

I glanced over at Zofie sleeping beside me. “I wonder what Zofie thinks of us doing this.”

Fumiko’s lips grew into a half-smile. “I think she would be jealous that I’m taking all of her man’s attention.”

“Zofie?” I asked in surprise. “She doesn’t have a jealous bone in her body.”

Fumiko looked sad. “Ahh, you may be right.” And then softer, in a faint whisper, “But then again, you never know what truly lurks in a woman’s heart.”

A moment later, the world began to fade, and I was thrust into Fumiko’s past.

My stomach twisted in knots as I waited my turn.

I knelt on the highly polished wood floor with my knees on the edge of the contest area. The others of my group, identically dressed in gray pants and a belted shirt, were lined up beside me, motionless, all of us with backs straight and hands in our lap.

The windows were open today, letting in the scents of spring flowers and providing a gentle breeze to cool the room. However, it could do nothing to alleviate the smell of sweaty exertion, and maybe a bit of fear, that permeated the room.

In front of me, two of my group were fighting. Their swords flashed in the bright sunlight streaming from the open windows, and the clang of metal against metal punctuated their strikes. The blows they traded were deadly. Should either one of them make a misstep...

I closed my eyes and tried to center myself. I needed to be calm. My turn was next, and I had, unfortunately, drawn a girl who was as close to a friend as it came in my group. We were only fifteen, but this was the sorting. One of us would leave the group today, never to return.

No one knew what happened to those that lost, but rumor had it that slavery was the best outcome. And we didn’t talk about the worst.

I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the fight. Tried to analyze their movements and dissect their weaknesses. But at this point, there were very few.