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

Zofie nodded. “That sounds like a reasonable compromise, but...” She grinned. “After lunch.”

Fumiko bowed deeply. “As you command.”

Zofie rolled her eyes. “Will you stop with the formality? You’re driving me crazy.”

Before she could catch herself, Fumiko gave a shallow bow to Zofie and blushed. The Fumiko that was with us right now was not the possessed Fumiko we had come to know at first. The real Fumiko was more formal in her mannerisms and a little more conservative. Zofie thought that part of her timidness was due to the side effects of her possession. Fumiko frequently had nightmares of the curse once again controlling her.

Zofie looked up at Spraggel. “Won’t you join us too?”

Spraggel shook his head. “Thank you for the invitation, Princess, but not this afternoon. I’ve already been sampling the fare in the kitchen.” He smiled. “I think Madam Hindenlye likes me.” He winked.

I sighed. My master surprised me yet again. Madam Hindenlye vigorously defended the kitchen’s food, throwing out any ‘poachers’ as she called them. Rumors were, she slept in the storeroom. The fact she was allowing Spraggel to sample, spoke volumes.

He continued. “Instead, I’ll go await Mistress Fumiko to join after her meal.”

Fumiko frowned but said nothing. Although she frequently used them for others, she hated titles applied to herself. Despised, might be a better description. Again something from Fumiko’s mysterious past. I sometimes wondered if her fighting skills were not her only secret.

Having accomplished his mission, Spraggel left in a flutter of his long gray robe. Fumiko bowed and said she would catch up to us after returning the ledger to the library. She glanced in my direction, and for just a moment, the corner of her mouth curled up. Then she was out the door. Obviously, Fumiko knew where we were going. Why were they keeping it from me?

Arm and arm, Zofie and I strolled out into the corridor.

“Pray tell,” I asked. “Exactly where are we headed?”

Zofie smiled mischievously. “To the kitchens.”

We started down the stairs. “And then?”

“You’ll see.”

“So, it’s a surprise?”

Zofie chuckled. “Yes, I think you will find it very surprising.”

“You’re not even going to give me a hint.”

She gave me one of her sly smiles. “Nope.”

I sighed dramatically. “And so the doomed knight marched on...” I quoted. It was from Betrayal of a Robin by The Poet. It was a long and boring epic that Zofie liked. She said it was romantic.

She supplied the rest of the quote, “...Confident his ruler wouldn’t betray his trust.”

It always amazed me when she did that. She was the only person I’d ever encountered that could complete my quotes.

She frowned. “That’s a little weak, Coren. I think I prefer this one instead.” She thought for a moment. “‘Twas for love he followed her...” She glanced at me mischievously.

I puzzled over the quote. “I don’t believe I know that one.”

She smiled and patted my arm. “That’s because I just made it up.”

I rolled my eyes as she chuckled softly.

We reached the end of the stairs and proceeded down another hall.

I suddenly sensed that she was troubled.

“Coren,” she said. “Are you sure you want to marry me?”

I stopped, facing her. “I think that should be obvious. I’m the one that asked you after all.”

Her face held worry. “Sometimes, things change. Do you think you’ll be able to stand by me when they do?”

I leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss. “Yes, I considered my decision very carefully before asking. But since you had already stolen my heart, it was a foregone conclusion.”

She seemed to relax a little, and I started us moving again. “What brought that on?”

She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Nothing.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It’s funny how a single word could speak so much. I knew she was really saying, ‘I have plenty to tell you, but I’m not ready yet.’

Well, I could be patient.

We shortly arrived at the kitchens where Madam Hindenlye was busy preparing lunch for the others in the castle. It was a simple meal of some kind of soup, but Hindenlye was fussing with it as if it were the most exquisite meal she’d ever prepared.

When she looked up and saw us, she broke out into a huge grin, wiped off her hands, and pulled a surprised Zofie into a tight hug. Hindenlye stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “You’ve grown up so much.” Then she sighed and turned to a nearby counter. She picked up the single basket, with a linen cloth carefully tucked across the top, and gave it to Zofie.

“It’s not exactly the same as usual. With everything so short, I had to make some substitutions. I hope you will find them suitable.”

Zofie nodded. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

Hindenlye smiled regarding her for a moment longer before abruptly turning and going back to her soup. “I had best get this to the table before the poachers start appearing in my kitchen. Then I’d have to kill them, and you’d be angry with me.”

Zofie hung the basket from her arm and turned to leave. “Thank you,” she said, looping her other arm through mine.

“Oh,” Hindenlye called from behind her. “Please give them my regards.”

Zofie smiled and nodded. “I will.”

I gave Zofie a puzzled look. Were we meeting someone? And Hindenlye knew where? The mystery kept growing.

Zofie led me deeper into the castle, descending to the ground floor. When we kept going down two more flights of stairs, I finally got an inkling of where we were headed.

“We’re going to your family crypt, aren’t we?” I asked, a little apprehensively. I wasn’t afraid of those laid to their final rest, but still, they demanded a certain—reverence. Not somewhere I would expect to have a picnic.

“Yes, we are,” she answered,