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

was from him. And like his personality, it was written in quick, strong strokes. “I frightened you. Please come see me.”

I sighed. I nearly declined on the spot. I had my intelligence—I knew his weakness. There was no further reason to stay. But leaving too abruptly might raise suspicions. I needed to say good-bye.

So I went with the servant, and my ever-present guards, to his personal chambers. To my surprise, the guards and the servant were instructed to remain outside. Under no circumstances were they to interrupt.

Only I was allowed to enter.

As was the rest of the manor, the room was sparsely decorated. It was of average size and dimly lit by a single myst lamp in the corner. I was impressed with how ordinary it appeared, having only a functional bed, a small writing desk, and the ever-present tribute to his parents. Only this one was different. A single portrait was displayed on the wall—a man, a woman, and a young boy I recognized as the lord himself. On either side of the picture were two shelves. One held a well-worn book propped up for display, and the other a ceremonial knife resting on a red velvet pillow.

Lord Luoyangei stood by the room’s only window.

He turned when I entered and immediately noticed my change in clothes. “So you are leaving,” he said. He turned to look back out the window. “Life’s ironic,” he said. “Since my parents died, there has been a long procession of potential concubines, wives, and mistresses. All of them were sure they could win my heart, and if not that, at least share my bed. But as you have seen, I have no use for pretty trinkets, and I sent them all away.” He turned back toward me. “But the one woman that I desperately want to stay is leaving.”

I was frozen to the spot. He couldn’t be saying these things to me. He had no idea what a terrible person I was.

He stepped toward me. “You’ve done something no other woman has done. My heart had stopped after my parents were murdered, but you...” he took a step closer. “You made my heart beat again.” He took another step.

And I retreated the same. I wasn’t sure what to do.

“I have frightened you,” he said softly. “What can I do to ease your fear?”

He was right. I was terrified of him. My heart was betraying me.

He closed the distance between us and again took my hand, clasping it tightly and bringing it to his chest. I could tell he was not wearing his myst shield this evening. He had completely opened himself to me.

“Don’t go,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss me. His gentle lips touched mine...

My eyes went wide. I felt another presence. And then his lips gave a shiver.

NO!

I caught him as he collapsed. His eyes wide, his body unmoving. I lowered him to the floor, kneeling beside him and continuing to hold him as I did. I instantly recognized what had happened. Paralysis poison. Without the antidote, he would die within minutes. I looked across his body to the window, where a new shadow knelt on the sill. The assassin lowered their blowgun. “Took you long enough.”

I instantly recognized the voice. It was Jiaying. The best of us. The most cold-hearted. My old friend.

And as soon as she said it, I knew I had been deceived. I had been sent not to gather intelligence. They had already known about his myst shield. No, I was to get him to lower it. It had been intended all along that I was to lead him to his death.

Jiaying stepped lightly to the floor and drew her dagger. She held it out to me and pointed to the motionless man. “Quickly, end it.”

All the frustration. All the loneliness. All the pain. All the bound up guilt of more deaths than I could remember...

It all came crashing down on me.

And I grew sick of it.

“No,” I whispered. I clutched him tightly to my chest and said louder. “No!”

Jiaying chuckled. “And what does your refusal mean? If you don’t kill him, I will. And if I don’t, another will come and another and yet another.”

I clutched him tighter.

“Stupid girl. Always the bleeding heart.”

Her leg flashed out and would have caught me in the chin had I not been expecting it. I grabbed her foot and shoved her back. She stumbled, giving me time to release him and roll to my feet on the opposite side of his prone body.

Jiaying bent to slice his throat, but I grabbed her wrist and pushed her back, stepping over him to put myself between them. She struggled to pull her wrist from my grip, but I held on. Her lithe and powerful leg swept at my knees, and I stumbled backward, my heels catching on the young lord’s body. I had to release her wrist as I leaned backward, bridging over his body, and using the momentum to bring my foot up and to catch Jiaying in the chin.

She stumbled back, and we stared at each other ready to attack.

“Give me the antidote,” I said, not daring to take my eyes off her, yet scanning my field of vision for something I could use against her dagger.

“No,” she replied. Her dagger disappeared to her belt, and in one smooth motion, she pulled her sword, assuming her favorite form. One I knew quite well. I had fought with her enough to be able to guess her every move. But that also went the other way. She knew mine just as well. We had played out the scenario of fighting an unarmed opponent many times.

And the sword always won.

“Don’t go rogue,” she said through tight lips. “Step out of the way, and I’ll forget your interference.”

But even as