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

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. Was 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