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

She quickly leaned over and said something to the girl sitting next to her. The girl glanced in my direction and also blushed. The two exchanged more whispers.

Coren! came Abe’s booming voice inside my head. I winced.

Zofie glanced in my direction, picking up on Abe’s interruption.

I hid my mouth behind my hand. “What is it, Abe? I’m a little busy at the moment.”

Busy stuffing your gut and ogling the girls. If I didn’t think it important, I wouldn’t dream of interrupting your consumption of dead matter and looking for your next opportunity to procreate.

Zofie frowned. I don’t think she appreciated Abe’s remark about the girls.

At first, she had been excited about being able to talk with the ancient curse, but lately she’d been feeling a little differently. I think she was almost ready to have me remove the ability. Abe also knew Zofie was listening in and did everything in his power to get me in trouble.

Like I needed his help.

I leaned closer to her. “I was not looking at the girls that way. Why would I look at girls when I have a beautiful young woman next to me.”

Because you’re greedy, that’s why.

I rolled my eyes. “What did you want Abe?”

I briefly smelled a curse nearby. A complex one.

“Can you show me?”

Of course.

My vision changed, and I saw the now-familiar strands of light stretching across the room. With so many myst users close by, the complexity of the glowing threads was overpowering.

On Zofie, I could see her familiar network of blue lines and the bright glow of her curse mark. And likewise, on some of the students’ chests, I saw a brighter spot which had to be their own small curses, likely to protect against a more deadly one.

“I can see that a few of the students are cursed. Is that what you smelled?”

No, this was stronger—a much more complex curse.

“You mean like a Dark Avenyts trying to hide itself?”

Could be. But it could also be a curse one of these children have and are embarrassed that their friends might find out about it, so they had it concealed.

I glanced at Zofie, and she gave me a concerned look in return.

But I couldn’t pick up the direction or distance. It may have even been outside.

Zofie leaned back and motioned to Eallair. When the chamberlain came over, she whispered in his ear, and he nodded once. He briskly stepped away. No doubt, Zofie wanted to alert our guards.

“Let me know if you smell it again.”

Oh, I shall. Your curse bloodhound will bay loudly.

“That was not funny.”

I didn’t mean it to be. But someone has to be paying attention. Unlike you, I won’t be checking out the girls.

“Will you stop that!” I said a little louder than I intended. Several of the students gave me a funny look. Something like, “oh, look at the crazy man talking to himself.”

Embarrassed, I looked down at my unfinished meal. The thought of a Dark Avenyts in the room dampened my appetite. And I had so wanted to enjoy my food.

With the hungry students, it didn’t take long for them to empty their bowls. And when they were done, Zofie stood. “Now that everyone is finished, let me introduce you to your teachers. Your first lesson will start this afternoon with Mistress Delwynwill.” Zofie indicated a dark-haired woman on her right who looked like she could be the mother of any of the students. She gave a quick nod of her head and smiled. I had talked to her briefly, and she seemed to have solid experience teaching literature and mathematics, but more importantly, myst fundamentals. I had thought I might even sit in on some of her lessons since I now had to understand how Abe worked.

Zofie continued. “And to help balance out your training, tomorrow morning Captain Milner will begin showing you the basics of self-defense. All myst users should know how to defend themselves.” The man gave a brief nod to the students but did not crack a smile.

This was my contribution to the planning. He very reluctantly took on the role, but I think he was actually excited about it.

Zofie smiled. “You will also receive instruction from others as the need arises. Now, are there any questions?”

A young man sitting toward the back raised his hand. “Your highness, will you be one of our teachers? I’ve heard you are a very powerful myst user.” You could hear the hope in his voice.

If you didn’t know Zofie, you wouldn’t have noticed any change in her expression, but I did. The question pained her. She hated that she wasn’t going to be able to participate. She wanted to teach them. But she couldn’t for two reasons: her duties as monarch didn’t allow her the time, and the other, she couldn’t use her myst now. The curse from her brother was still active, and while it originally changed her into a chimera that was slowly dying, thanks to my intervention, it was now gradually turning her back to fully human. Not to mention, since Abe had taken control of it, the Dark Avenyts couldn’t touch her.

Zofie shook her head. “I may appear in your lessons occasionally, but I will not be one of your teachers.” She paused. “Are there any others?”

A young woman who looked older than most of the others raised her hand. “Will the Cursed Knight be teaching us?”

I groaned. There was that name again. I really wanted to put a bad curse on the minstrel that wrote that ballad.

Zofie glanced my way and smiled. “Sorry, but no. I need my knight close to me. He may also appear occasionally, but not as one of your regular teachers.”

Another hand shot up. “Will we really get a meal every day?”

Zofie nodded. “Yes, in