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

one. I didn’t care if they were male or female. My only requirement was that they have some sort of royal lineage.” She frowned. “But then number one messed herself up, and I had to settle for number two.”

Fumiko looked at him in horror.

Yonge himself spoke. “That’s right. He’s taking your place. You were supposed to be the one.”

Fumiko’s eyes went wide in shock. “No.”

“Did you really think the Emperor’s Butterflies were just a bunch of well-trained assassins? If that were the case, then why have the eliminations? No, my dear, you were all nothing more than my insects, my beautiful butterflies. With each of you dancing for my pleasure.” He smiled cruelly. “And if you stopped being beautiful, then I would simply pull off your wings.”

“No!” Fumiko moved.

For a moment, my eyes saw two Fumikos running in different directions: one toward Yonge, the other toward Wynn. The guards reacted immediately—their blades coming out and slicing through the images, dispelling the illusions. I heard a meaty wallop and then a whimper as Fumiko’s shadow dissolved. She appeared on the floor before Hao—the man’s fist extended at where Fumiko would have been standing.

Cabrina gave a big sigh. “Fumiko, Fumiko. Did you think I couldn’t see through your illusions? You’re good dear, but nowhere near as good as I am.”

Zofie and I knelt beside her. She looked up at us in utter despair as a new trickle of blood came from her nose.

Wynn looked at Yonge, rocking on his heels and clearly growing impatient. “Can we get on with this? I really must be moving on. My return portal will be opening shortly.”

Cabrina smiled broadly. “Why, of course. How would you like to do this? You promised to show me the technique in case I need to repeat it.”

Wynn gave a polite smile. “Of course.” Wynn walked over to stand beside Yonge’s wheeled chair, and Hao joined them.

Wynn cleared his throat. “Now each of you take one end of the key.” Yonge feebly grasped one end while Hao took the other.

Wynn put a finger in the middle of the key. “For the next step, all you need to do is feed it just a smidgeon of myst to get things started.” The metal bar began to glow a brilliant white, and Wynn snatched his finger away.

I whispered to Zofie. “What is he doing?”

She shook her head.

Cabrina walked over to stand by us. Her grin the one of a child getting the perfect Day of the New gift.

The glow grew brighter.

Coren! announced Abe in my head. This is bad.

I cocked my head to one side. “How?” I whispered, glancing at the guards around me.

Zofie cut her eyes in my direction, listening in to our conversation.

The Griffin’s Key can unlock anything. Worse, it looks like Wynn has figured out how to use it. It was never intended for this. And it is forbidden even by the Dark Avenyts themselves.

“But what is it?” I whispered.

You know that Dark Avenyts are curses so advanced they are intelligent?

I nodded my head, watching as Wynn took an additional step back from the pair.

Abe continued. Well, guess how the original ones were made.

“The originals?” I asked.

Come on, Coren. You can’t be that dense.

“It’s... it’s talking to me,” yelled Yonge excitedly, his wobbling head turned to Wynn in amazement. “What do I do?”

Wynn grinned. “Tell it what you want to unlock.”

Yonge took a deep breath. “I want to move to a new body.”

Wynn shook his head. “Not what you want to do. Tell it what to unlock.”

Yonge licked his lips. “I want to unlock... myself.”

Both Yonge and Hao were instantly enveloped in a blue glow. He gasped. “It burns!”

Wynn nodded. “It always does.”

The glow continued to grow brighter. Yonge groaned. He suddenly went limp. At the same time, all the guards collapsed, and Cabrina staggered, falling against me.

I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but I knew we needed to get away quickly. I tugged on Zofie and nodded with my head toward the door. I passed a dazed Cabrina to her and helped Fumiko stand. We moved toward the door.

A myst barrier sprang up, blocking our path. “Now, now,” said Wynn. “Can’t have you wandering around by yourselves. No telling what mischief you’ll get into. Besides, you’ll not want to miss this.”

The white glow gradually subsided. Yonge had collapsed in his chair and was unmoving. I wasn’t sure he was breathing. Hao staggered back and looked at his hands, then felt along his face. “I’m in a new body,” he whispered. He turned toward us. High on his chest, just above his heart, was a curse mark that hadn’t been there before. Most curse marks were relatively small. No larger than a gold royal. But this one was larger—much larger. Almost the size of Abe’s curse mark.

A chill ran down my spine as it all came together. The key had turned Yonge’s personality. His soul... into a curse.

He was now an Avenyts.

Wynn grinned at us. “See, I told you, you wouldn’t want to miss it.”

Yonge raised his arms and flexed his muscles. “This is amazing.”

Wynn nodded. “And with that...” He stepped toward the Forever Nexus Shadow and looked back at Yonge. “May I?”

Yonge waved him on. Wynn grasped the pyramid and tucked it into a leather pouch, which he slung over his shoulder. He gave it a pat. “Thank you...”

He broke off as a sudden commotion came from outside the room. In the distance, I could hear fighting.

Wynn gave a heavy sigh. “I really have to go now. I suspect she will be coming soon.”

Yonge looked up. “Who?”

Wynn sighed wistfully. “She was supposed to be my partner but got a better offer from the Collectivity and decided to betray me instead.”