Assassin of Curses: (The Coren Hart Chronicles Book 3) Page 3

  “I’m sure your mother will understand,” I offered.

  She nodded sadly. “You’re right. It can wait for a bit.” She stepped forward and put a hand on her mother’s sarcophagus. I couldn’t help but feel there was more to what she was saying.

  Zofie’s movement caused the shadows to shift, and I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Looking down, I saw a layer of dust had collected on the floor beside the sarcophagus. And the dust had been recently disturbed with a crude message, as if someone had drawn in it with the toe of their boot. Risten had been standing just beside that spot. And it was exactly something Lilith would taunt us with.

  I put a hand on Zofie’s shoulder and pointed to it.

  She looked down and gasped.

  It read, Help me.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Interrupted

  Meal

  The attempt on the princess’s life prompted a flurry of activity from the guards and staff—the search for the culprit, the investigation of her entry, and discussions on how to prevent its reoccurrence. But one truth was clear—Lilith had gotten away. The guards found evidence of two horses and traces of myst charms in the overgrowth toward the river. How she got in was still a mystery. There had been a fight reported near the castle gates just after dawn. Nothing much had been thought of it since the food shortages made tempers short. But it could have provided someone with intimate knowledge of the castle, just the distraction they needed to slip in.

  The flurry of activity didn’t die down until early evening, which unfortunately made us late for dinner. (Much to my displeasure, we had missed lunch entirely.) Tonight we would be eating with her senior staff. We had a lot to discuss even outside of the day’s events.

  So Zofie and I, with Fumiko trailing, entered the dining hall to find Captain Milner and Master Rourke chatting next to the room’s one window—now shuttered against the cold. Upon seeing us, they finished their conversation and moved to stand at their places at the long table.

  Much to the disappointment of her chamberlain, Eallair, I escorted Zofie to her chair and pulled it out for her. He was well into his mid-years and took great pride in having served the Xernows most of his life. He also had an attitude that was just a bit too smug for me. Naturally, he and I had a bit of a competition going on as to who would perform this duty. I couldn’t help but gloat. Tonight had been my win.

  The princess sat at the head of the table with Fumiko taking her place on Zofie’s left. I took the position on the right with Captain Milner next to me where he sat stiffly. He didn’t particularly care for these affairs, preferring less formal surroundings.

  Captain Milner had been a freebooter when we first met, having been forced into banditry just to survive. When Zofie launched her attempt to win back her throne, the captain and his men threw in their lot with us and were nearly executed. For his loyalty, Zofie had named him captain of her guard.

  Master Rourke took his place one down from Fumiko. Rourke was a young man not much older than I and relatively new to his craft—and unfortunately now one of the most experienced myst users in the kingdom. Wynn, during his time as king, had either killed or spirited off all the others. Rourke had been spared only because he had been in a neighboring kingdom for the last year.

  Rourke paused at the seat beside Fumiko, noticing she had placed her ledger in the chair. Deliberately, no doubt since Spraggel customarily sat there. Disappointment flashed briefly across his face, and he reluctantly sat to the other side of the empty seat.

  It was painfully obvious that he was infatuated with Fumiko and took every opportunity to catch her attention. Yet, she went to great lengths to discourage him. I wondered if it was because he was a myst user. Or perhaps Fumiko had her eye on someone else. In either case, I hoped he got the message soon.

  Right after Rourke settled down, two servants started serving our dinners. I was salivating in anticipation.

  Even before coming to live in Edlingreen Castle, I loved dinner time. It had been special before my father died, and even after he passed, my mother had tried to follow the pattern. Although my later stepfather always complained about my mother’s cooking.

  Still, dinner time was special to me. It was the one opportunity for all the people I cared about to be together, eat, and talk pleasantly around the table. The food the castle served was of necessity, simple. Tonight’s menu was a meatless stew. I, for one, planned to enjoy it, regardless of the conversation.

  Zofie looked at her bowl in sadness. No doubt reminded of the situation her kingdom faced. Food was running out, and we were only halfway through winter. She looked to her secretary. “So, how are the ledgers coming?”

  Fumiko looked up from her bowl. “They are nearly done. But it’s pretty much as you already suspect. The treasury’s been depleted. In fact, several of your family’s more valuable heirlooms were sold. It’s safe to say, there is nothing left of real value in the castle.”

  Zofie shook her head. “What did Wynn do with it all? While we weren’t exceedingly rich, the treasury was well funded.”

  Fumiko sighed. “He bought weapons from the neighboring kingdoms. Lots of them and in all shapes and sizes.”

  Zofie put her spoon down. “But I’ve not seen any weapons...” Her eyes grew wide. “He sent them to Mount Eternal.”

  Fumiko nodded. “That’s exactly what he did. He used the kingdom’s coin to fund the invaders.”

  “And our supplies?”

  Fumiko looked down at her bowl. “The same route. The royal warehouses are nearly empty. What little grain there is, was left over from two years ago. The crops this year were abysmal because Wynn sent soldiers out to harass the farmers. And what was harvested was either sold or sent to Mount Eternal.”

  Zofie shook her head.

  But Fumiko wasn’t done. “And the prospects for taxes this year are especially bad. As for tariffs, trade in the port is slow this time of year, so they are at a trickle.”

  “What about the lords?”

  Fumiko sighed. “Wynn pretty much bled the nobility dry. Not much left there. While their situation is improving, you’ll likely have a rebellion if you ask any more from them. They do have some stocks which they will be sharing with us, although grudgingly.”

  Zofie sat up straighter and put both hands palm down on the table. “So how long do we have?”

  Fumiko looked at Zofie sadly. “It depends on how you want to do things. We have enough hay to keep our horses for another three weeks, possibly a month, depending on how the rest of the winter goes. The pastures have been overgrazed, but we might be able to get most of our horses through this. Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave any for the remaining livestock, and if we reduce their number any further, we won’t have enough to rebuild our stock. As for people food, we have enough for two more weeks. A little more if we consume the remaining livestock. We’ll also have to continue to support the fiefdoms since Wynn hit them pretty hard.”

  Zofie paled. “That’s not even enough to last until mid-spring.” She looked toward Captain Milner. “Any relief possible from the forests?”

  Milner shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Poaching has been rampant, and all the easy game has been taken. Plus, the Sylph have become especially protective of their lands. Anyone caught hunting in the Shattered Forest will never hunt again.”

  I got to the bottom of my soup bowl and wondered if it would be rude to lick it. I looked up and offered my suggestion. It was a point Zofie and I disagreed on. “Why don’t we send an envoy to the far kingdoms again? The neighboring kingdoms snubbed you, but maybe some of the ones farther away would listen.”

  “Coren!” uncharacteristic anger in her voice. “We cannot send another set of envoys. The far kingdoms won’t even acknowledge that I exist, little alone that there are Dark Avenyts loose in the world.” Zofie pushed her half-eaten bowl away and leaned back into her chair. I eyed her remaining soup. She had been doing that a lot lately, taking a few bites and then leaving the rest. W
as her guilt over not being able to do more making her lose her appetite? Her lack of eating was starting to worry me, and was to the point, I needed to ask her about it.

  But not yet.

  “What if I led the delegation?”

  Fumiko resumed quietly eating her soup. She was wise enough to know that if I was going to brave the fires of hell, that trying to save me would only get her burned too.

  Zofie leaned forward. Her mood over the last few weeks had shifted toward the irritable side. “Out of the question. I need my knight beside me, now more than ever. Please don’t push me on this.”

  I looked at her levelly. “Zofie, dearest.”

  Both Fumiko’s and Zofie’s eyes went up at the dearest. That was the signal that I too was feeling a little irritable.

  “You don’t...” I broke off as I caught something out of the corner of my eye. But turning toward it, I didn’t see anything. I shook my head and mumbled. “I thought I saw something.”

  And then I did see it—a single tiny flash of pale yellow light. I looked closer and saw a speck bobbing in the air flying gently toward us. It briefly glowed again. A firefly? In the middle of winter?

  I snorted and turned back to my companions, preparing to point out the oddity. But Fumiko’s expression stopped me cold—her eyes were wide, her spoon paused mid-way to her mouth, and her pale skin seemed even paler. The spoon began to tremble.

  Zofie noticed it too and put a hand on her friend’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

  The firefly continued its approach. Suddenly, Fumiko stood, upsetting her chair and knocking her soup bowl to the floor where it shattered. Fumiko looked like she would run if only her feet would allow it.

  The firefly paused in its flight at the foot of the table and slowly bobbed up and down. “Your highness,” it said. “My humblest apologies for interrupting your meal. This messenger requests an audience.” The voice’s accent was similar to Fumiko’s. It was the gravelly voice of a man, and from its tone, one used to dealing with nobility.

  Captain Milner quickly stood and drew his sword while I felt Rourke gathering his myst.

  I smiled. They weren’t the only ones with weapons now. I had my curse. And he was unlocked. For the longest time, most of Abe’s capabilities had been sealed under a passphrase, which I had only recently been able to figure out (with a lot of help from Fumiko).

  “Abe,” I whispered. “What is that thing?”

  Looks like a firefly to me, came his booming voice inside my head.

  Zofie glanced in my direction, hearing Abe’s side of the conversation.

  I hid my mouth behind my hand. “I can see that. There must be a charm or curse on it.”

  I don’t smell a curse, but it might be a charm since fireflies don’t usually talk.

  I was still getting used to Abe’s new abilities. “Can you show me?”

  I don’t have anything better to do.

  My vision changed. Over my normal view of the world, I saw a glowing web stretching across the room—multi-colored lines in varying levels of intensity and complexity. I looked at Zofie and could see her familiar network of blue lines and the bright glow of her curse mark. I also saw similar lines on the other humans in the room. But when I looked to the firefly, it seemed enmeshed in a tiny dark green web with a single line stretching off into the distance.

  The view wasn’t much help. I was still trying to figure out what the colors and glows meant. And although he would never admit it, Abe was at a loss to assist. I really wished his creator had left some sort of reference to help me.

  I sighed. It must be a charm because it didn’t have a glow like a curse. Which meant it was not a Dark Avenyts, although that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous.

  Zofie stood. She leaned forward and put both hands on the table. I could see the irritation on her face. “This is a grave breach of protocol. Normally, visitors petition for an audience, and then only to appear at court. Not in my dining hall.”

  “My humblest apologies, Princess Zophia Olwenna Xernow. My name is Tusita Yonge, and I am the Imperial Advisor for his Brightness, Emperor Huang. I am speaking to you through this avatar from his palace in Xiangwei City. I am contacting you this way since time is of the essence. I can provide the necessary validation of my identity should you need it.”

  Zofie looked puzzled. “The Kuijia Empire? What does the empire want with us?”

  The insect flew a little closer. “His Brightness has commanded we contact you. We have heard the Dark Avenyts have once again appeared in our world and are seeking out the ancient artifacts which protected us. A lot of knowledge has been lost since we last fought them, but as you’re likely aware, the weapons of that conflict were spread across the world to prevent any one kingdom from gathering too much power. The Kuijia Empire was entrusted with one of them. For a thousand years now, it has been locked safely away in an impenetrable vault. But no vault is perfect. We recently ascertained that they know we possess one of those ancient artifacts. We fear that if they can access the vault, they may be able to open it. And this artifact is a most powerful one that must be protected at all costs. The emperor has decided that the best strategy is to hide it once again.”

  Zofie looked puzzled. “So, why do you need us? Why not just move it.”

  “To do that, we need the key to the vault. And your ruler of the time was entrusted with it. We would like for you to give us the Griffin’s Key.”

  Zofie and I exchanged a glance. That was the second time today someone had mentioned that artifact. It was the same one Lilith had been asking about. What was this thing?

  Zofie shook her head. “That seems risky. Wouldn’t it be better to leave it in place?”

  “We considered that but felt it safer to move it.”

  “And what does the artifact in the vault do?”

  The firefly continued to bob up and down. “We’re not sure what its purpose was. That information has been lost. But we do know it was a most important artifact and is somehow connected to all the others.”

  Zofie stared at the firefly for a moment. I had a good idea of what she was pondering. It seemed odd that they wouldn’t even know what they were protecting. Then again, it had been a thousand years.

  She finally shook her head. “I cannot help you. I do not possess this artifact. And even if I were to agree to hand it over, I would have to find it first. And honestly, I have my own set of priorities at the moment. I really can’t spare the people.”

  The firefly paused. “We are prepared to offer compensation.”

  “Compensation?” asked Zofie.

  “We have heard your kingdom is suffering from the neglect of your brother, and proper preparations were not made for winter. We can offer assistance. Even enough food to last your kingdom until Spring.”

  Zofie’s eyes widened, and she slowly stood erect. “That is a very generous offer.” She frowned. “What makes you think this Griffin’s Key is in my kingdom?”

  The firefly bobbed for a moment before answering. “Two things point to it being here. For one, legend has it that the King Xernow of that time gave us this most important item but kept the key.”

  “And the other?”

  “You were approached about it by a Dark Avenyts this morning. This is why the hasty audience.”

  Zofie’s eyes narrowed. “How did you come to find that out? Only my trusted advisors know it was a Dark Avenyts. What is your source of information?”

  The voice laughed. “It was quite unintentional, but we have been keeping an eye on someone in your court. We learned through them.”

  “So, you’re admitting you have a spy?”

  The voice laughed again. “Not hardly. This person will be most displeased to find this out.”

  “And who is this person,” Zofie asked.

  Fumiko slammed her fist into the table. “How dare you!” she yelled.

  We all stared in disbelief at Fumiko’s outburst.

  The firefly calmly bobbed. “Hello, Fumiko—d
aughter of Yanmei of the Zhangjunen family, who is also the twenty-fourth concubine to his Lightness. Did you actually think we would not keep an eye on you? We were quite surprised to find you had taken refuge in this foreign kingdom—but the fates never cease to amaze. Long before you left us, we snuck a charm on you to notify us whenever you used your myst. It seemed prudent considering your skills. We were just surprised it went this long.”

  Fumiko’s face turned red in anger. She clenched both her fists and almost shook with rage.

  The firefly bobbed silently as the two regarded each other. Finally, the firefly spoke. “Your father wishes to see you.”

  Fumiko raised her chin defiantly. “I have no father.”

  The firefly bobbed gently up and down. “Do as you will but disobey at your peril. Your father is getting old, and once he is gone, so will be the protections he may have offered.”

  She shook her head. “But he banished me and put a price on my head. My life is forfeit should I return.”

  “What you say is true. The banishment is still in force. But for one of your skills, it should be of little consequence.”

  Fumiko picked up her knife from the table and threw it at the firefly. It landed solidly in the woodwork of the far wall. “I refuse!”

  The firefly remained unfazed. “Such a volatile temper. It’s what got you in trouble to begin with.” The voice behind the firefly paused and then sighed. It turned its attention back to us. “Princess Zophia Xernow, please forgive me speaking with her. In case you haven’t discerned it, she was the source of our information, although unwillingly. She is known to us, and we feel it is time to have her back.” The firefly paused. “So what say you, Princess? Will you accept our offer?”

  Zofie thought for a moment. “How long do I have to consider it?”

  “Take as long as you need. But time is short. We fear agents of the Dark Avenyts are already on their way to the empire. We also fear there will be other attempts to learn the whereabouts of the key.” He paused dramatically. “Of which you may not survive.”