Assassin of Curses: (The Coren Hart Chronicles Book 3) by Jessie Eaker (best novels in english TXT) 📕

I shook my head. “Fumiko and I were just resting...”

Cabrina crossed her arms. “Uh-huh. Are you feeling rested now?” She sighed. “Well, don’t let me stop you. Go ahead and kiss her.”

“What?”

Cabrina rolled her eyes as only a young girl can. “Spraggel said that if I caught you again, I should remind you that you have to kiss them after having sex.”

“But...”

Fumiko had her mouth covered and was trying her hardest not to laugh out loud.

I was going to have to have a talk with that man.

The next day was similar to the first. The servants brought us an excellent breakfast and bathed us again. Then after some conversation, they served us a splendid lunch. I asked if we could take a stroll in the garden, but was politely refused, saying there were security concerns. However, I suspected they didn’t want us wandering.

So we napped, and Cabrina soundly beat me in two more games. I said it was because she had an Avenyts helping, but Spraggel disagreed. He said I was just that bad.

Evening rolled around, and they had brought in a delightful smelling dinner for us. We were just being served when a heavily armored guard stomped abruptly into the room. He stood in the center for a moment and then motioned us to follow.

Yanmei, her smile suddenly frozen on her face, immediately dropped what she was doing and bowed deeply to the guard before turning to us.

“Imperial Advisor Yonge will see you now,” she said.

We had just been seated, so why now? It could be a simple timing thing, but based on what I had learned from Fumiko, it was more a reminder of who was in control.

We looked at one another. I shrugged, took Zofie’s hand, and moved toward the door. But when Fumiko attempted to follow, the guard extended a restraining hand. “The young lady will remain here,” he said in a booming voice. “She is a threat.”

I froze on the spot. They were singling out Fumiko, and I was afraid of what they might do to her if they had her alone. That was something I couldn’t afford to have happen. I glanced at Zofie standing beside me—her face expressionless as it had been for the last few days. I desperately wanted to see her smile again. Yonge knew it too and would take advantage of that to get what he wanted. I looked to the guard and then back to Zofie. What would she do in this situation? How would she deal with these types of games? I smiled.

I looked to the guard. “Fumiko is a trusted advisor and one of Princess Zophia’s royal council. We require that she accompany us to ensure there are no misunderstandings. She is pledged to us now, and I guarantee she will not be a threat.”

“No,” he said flatly.

Fumiko leaned close and whispered. “This is not wise. You should not taunt him.”

I gave her a confident smile and then addressed the guard. “We’re not going without her. Please inform your master of our requirements.”

The guard did not reply, and we all stood waiting with no one moving for several heartbeats. The awkward silence stretched on for a full minute. I became afraid I had overplayed my hand.

The guard abruptly turned and headed out the door. “Come,” he said.

When we didn’t immediately follow, he stopped just outside and motioned us forward. But he made no further attempt to exclude Fumiko.

We were led down a corridor, then outside under a covered walkway and into a massive building. Two more of the huge guards seemed to come out of nowhere and took their place as our rear guard. I couldn’t help but notice that their strides were strangely in lockstep. I originally thought it must speak to the guard’s discipline, but something in the back of my mind didn’t agree.

We eventually arrived at a set of thick doors covered in ornate carvings and painted a brilliant white enamel. Two more of the identically armored guards opened the doors as we approached. Our escort led us forward without even breaking stride.

Inside we found an unusual room with a perfectly round raised floor of polished marble. On it was a couch, heavily cushioned and sitting much higher than I had ever seen before. The platform plus the couch had the effect of raising the couch’s occupant to just above head height for those entering.

Reclining on it was a painfully thin man dressed in fine robes. An elegantly decorated blanket lay across his lap and legs. As we entered, he was facing a large window which took up the entire wall on our left and provided a clear view of the setting sun. I couldn’t help but notice the window was covered in clear glass. While the wealthy would sometimes use glass instead of shutters, it was the window’s size that caught my attention. Such a large and clear piece of glass must have been quite expensive and difficult to make. It just reinforced my opinion that the empire spared no expense.

To my surprise, the platform began to slowly rotate, bringing the reclining man around to face us. He raised two fingers on his right hand in greeting as it slowly stopped.

Although I shouldn’t have been, I was surprised at his appearance. He had previously mentioned that his health prevented him from traveling, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. Healers could normally treat sickness and restore injuries, but even with myst healing, there were limits to what could be done.

“Welcome, my guests from the Kingdom of Brethnach. Princess Zophia Xernow, Sir Coren Hart, Scholar Spraggel van Deviante, and Cabrina Bryst, it is an honor to finally meet you in person. I am Imperial Advisor Tusita Yonge.”

His