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

peered at him closely. She pointed, talking to Uy. “See that part there in his making. It’s off to one side. It doesn’t exactly match. I think something has been added.”

Uy again whispered to Kaleefah.

“You’re right, there are other parts scattered about. It’s like he was put together from leftover pieces.” She looked up at Uy. “But what has that got to do with this barrier?”

Uy turned her head in my direction. I blinked, and she instantly stood before me. Grabbing me by the neck, I was lifted off my feet. I couldn’t breathe and struggled to get free. But, while she may have looked like just someone’s line drawing, she was incredibly strong. Too strong to break loose. I felt the world begin to fade.

“Stop it!” I heard Zofie shout. I turned panicked eyes toward her and saw Zofie leaning close to a small hole in the barrier.

Uy put me down. As soon as my feet hit the ground, the hole started to close.

She leaned toward it. “It’s Abe’s ability to change luck. It interferes with the charm. But only for a few seconds after the danger passes.”

“Zofie!” I yelled and ran to the barrier. “What can I do?”

“No time,” she yelled, the hole rapidly closing. “I’m fine. Abe wakes up periodically, usually when this part of him becomes active. But most of the time, he stays motionless. But whatever you do, don’t cut the charms off. They’re booby-trapped....”

And then the hole closed. Zofie continued talking for a few seconds before realizing no sound reached us. She slapped the barrier in frustration.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and Uy stood next to me. I took a step back, fearing she was going to grab me again, but she put her stick figure hands together and bowed her head.

“She’s saying she’s sorry for grabbing you,” said Kaleefah, stepping closer. “It was to see if endangering you would do something to the barrier. And it did.” She made that hissing sound again. “But how this is interacting, I don’t understand.”

Uy leaned down and whispered in her ear again.

Kaleefah nodded. “You’re right. We must leave now.”

I turned to the barrier and laid my open hand against it. Zofie came forward and did the same from her side. She looked ready to cry but was fighting not to.

“I’ll get you out of there,” I said. I put my other hand over my heart and pointed to her. She smiled sadly and did the same.

“And now we must leave,” said Kaleefah.

Suddenly, I found myself back in my body in the hut. Fumiko was beside me, a look of concern on her face. I smiled at her. “I’m all right.”

She looked relieved. “You wouldn’t say anything.”

I nodded. “I got to see Zofie. Her will... I don’t know, soul? Is behind a barrier. But she’s all right. Abe and her both.”

“I’m sorry,” announced Cabrina from the side. She was looking down. “I didn’t mean to cause either of you pain.”

I opened my mouth to reply but was interrupted by one of our guards rushing in. She spoke urgently to Kaleefah in their native language.

The elder made a growling sound in the back of her throat. “It looks like you were followed after all.”

She quickly got up and moved to the door with the girl shadowing her. We followed her outside.

It was dark now, and all the stars were out. But to my utter surprise, that wasn’t the only thing we could see in the sky.

Far away, there was what appeared to be a giant glowing eye high up in the sky over the river. A beam of bright light shot out of it, and it would sweep back and forth along the ground. Even from this distance, you could tell it was looking for something.

And it was coming closer.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

In Plain

Sight

Fumiko pointed. “What is that?”

Kaleefah didn’t answer at first, studying it intently. The river people gathered along the shore with us and talked excitedly among themselves.

The elder finally turned to the leader and talked with him. After a brief exchange, he nodded and went over to huddle with his warriors.

After her discussion, she stepped toward us. “That, I imagine, is someone looking for you.”

“But what is it exactly?” I glanced back toward it. “Whatever’s attached to the eye has to be huge.”

Kaleefah chuckled. “It’s not some giant monster. Instead, it’s a myst working. A type of one we haven’t seen since the great war. You’ve definitely attracted the attention of someone with a lot of resources.”

I cocked my head to one side. The great war? Just how old was she?

Ever the practical one, Fumiko asked. “Do we need to run or defend against it?”

Kaleefah shook her head. “No, we just need to...”

Loud drums interrupted her. I jumped at the sound. Four of the villagers had set up large drums close to the central fire and were beating them to a spirited rhythm. The villagers began to gather around them.

“What are you doing?” I leaned toward Kaleefah. “Are you calling for reinforcements?”

The elder shook her head and pulled her mouth back into her version of a smile. “No, when you want to hide something, the best place to hide it is out in the open.”

Some of the villagers had started singing. It was getting hard to hear Kaleefah.

“I don’t understand.”

Spraggel clapped me on the shoulder. “My boy, don’t you see. We’re going to have a party!”

A villager woman, one of the honor guards, ran up with several necklaces. She passed them out to us.

“Put those on,” instructed Kaleefah. “It will help you blend in.”

I put it on as instructed but felt no different. I then did the same to Zofie, and