Well of Tears (Empath Book 3) (10 page)

“Eden! My son, it lightens my heart to see
you well. You made it back unharmed from Farn?”

“Father, I’m well," Eden stopped walking as
his brother did, keeping mindful of Rowan’s explicit instructions
to stay by his side. “There was no one in Farn capable of harming
me father, I was always coming back to you safe.”

“Indeed! When we send a son of Sevenspells to
do something, people of Sha’sek listen. And here, I see you brought
the empath back with you. This is good; good for all of us. Thank
you son.”

“You are most welcome father."

Shiver quickly shifted his attention from his
youngest son to the woman stood in front of him. Quinn was on her
own out in that throne room and she felt small and vulnerable. Had
she really been capable of bringing down an entire kingdom, like
Sammah claimed?

“Quinn, from the house of Sammah, I never
expected to see you again so soon, so…alive. Farn was good to
you.”

“Sha’sek is where my people belong, Vance was
right in that. I wasn’t expecting to be forced into returning, if I
may be blunt, your highness.”

“
Indeed. No, I
don
’t think you came here to help me did you?”

“I was doing as instructed, which seems to be
my lot in life.”

“We can only be what we are born to be Quinn.
Rare people are born to rule. Some of us, commoners, are born to
follow those rules. Though given the range of your abilities I am
surprised that you haven’t realised yet, is up to you to choose
which one of those you want to be. If Sammah was right and the
rumours are true, you’re at least as strong as your ancestor.”

* * *

Ancestor.
There was that reference
again. Quinn knew that Shiver was referring to Nerren, but ignored
this. No one had so far provided with any empirical evidence that
man was her father, or even in any way related to her. She wouldn’t
let Shiver bait her on that.

“I’m trying not to emulate either of my
fathers, adoptive or otherwise.”

This was a safe answer, and it seemed to
amuse Shiver. Quinn was half fine with that—if she could keep this
man placated and come across as tame, then she at least stood a
chance of getting out of here alive.

“All of your journey here, I’ve been
contemplating what to do with you. I had entertained killing you.
You know I hold no love for your kind, and right now your adoptive
father is causing havoc in Everfell. You have no idea how much it
hurts me to see one of your kind rip apart alliances that have
stood for generations. What you think of Sammah’s actions?"

“They are deplorable your Highness. He wasn’t
born that throne, and he hasn’t earned it. He needs to be removed
from it, by any means necessary.”

It didn’t matter whether she believed it or
not, Quinn knew what to say to preserve her life. Shiver was a man
who liked to be told he was right. Shiver smiled.

“Indeed, and I will do my best to make sure
he will be eradicated. That’s the only reason you’re alive in
fact—I think you will play an important that part in that.”

Of course. The only reason anyone ever seem
to want to keep Quinn alive was to take advantage of her, for some
purpose or another. She was sick of it, but she liked the idea of
an early death even less. She was in Shiver’s throne room and crown
city—she had no choice but to listen to what the man wanted to say
to her. “Do you understand what I’m trying to achieve here, with my
kingdom, Quinn? Do you know what I need from you?”

“I understand my place, sire. I’m yours to
serve.”

“Don’
t cheek me girl,
I
’m not a fool. You’re not from Sevenspells. You’re not even
from Everfell. You have never seen me as your ruler and you will
never be one of my subjects, so answer the question again. This
time, give me an answer which is truthful, not glib, and designed
to make me smile."

“You’re going to try and take the
throne.”

“Wrong! I already have the throne. Look
around you—do I not look like the king?" Shiver paused, waiting for
an answer, though Quinn didn’t feel brave enough to give him one.
“What I’m trying to do, is free my people from the threat of your
people. Baron Sammah is proving time and time again your people
can’t be trusted. Ever since the end of the Empath War, he’s been
spinning lies in that court, sinking his claws into everyone. He
controlled everybody with blackmail and subterfuge, and now he’s
got his final wish—he’s manipulating the king himself. King no
longer. If Vance couldn’t see what that maniac was doing under his
very nose then he didn’t deserve that title. Vance didn’t have the
courage to do what was needed to wipe the Sha’sekian threat out of
Everfell, but I can. You’re all going to die Quinn; it’s the only
way my people can be free.”

“And you expect me to help with this genocide
before you kill me too?”

“There are two reasons I expect you to help.
Firstly, because you will die last rather than first. I have a
sword, and you have no protection. Don’t think I wouldn’t run you
through. Secondly, I’m going to give you the opportunity to kill
Sammah. After the way he treated you, I don’t doubt that you might
take that opportunity gladly.”

Quinn paused, not sure what her response was
meant to be. Shiver was angry, and even without her ability she
could feel the vitriol oozing from the man. If she opened herself
up to him then, she’d feel the full impact of it slam into her. She
could easily give herself in to that anger, and she’d find herself
allied with Shiver before she could even think about it. Did she
want to cooperate? No. Did she want to kill Sammah? Yes. She didn’t
agree with Shiver’
s actions
for doing it
though, and she didn’t want to be at the heart of an Everfell
victory that would spell the end of her own people.

“How do you expect me to kill Sammah?”

“
An excellent question!
Tell me
, Quinn, I’ve heard so many rumours. What is it you
are actually capable of?”

“I think appropriate question might be, sire,
what have you heard about me?”

“If the king asks you a question, you answer
it, girl.”

Shiver waved. “Rowan there’s no need. I told
you, these barbarians don’t understand respect. I’m surprised she’s
even using my correct appellation. Don’t waste your energy. I
suppose it’s not a bad question either—I’d surely want to know what
the rumours were about me if I were being interrogated by a
monarch.

“I’ve heard a variety of things, Quinn, some
from your father, others from conjecture at court. What I heard
from your father was you that you are capable of sensing emotions.
I don’
t know what this means in full, but he has
used you before to find out the truth of things. Because of the
things you discovered, he was able to blackmail the majority of the
nobles at court. I
’ve heard you can also sense things such
as anger, happiness, other simple feelings. There again, I’ve heard
that you drink blood and steal away children in the middle of the
night. You’ve stabbed people in the back and run away laughing, and
should you so choose, you could make someone jump off the side of
the cliff to their own deaths. These things I find it quite hard to
believe, as I’ve heard them from the drunkards sitting at the
tables of great halls. What am I to believe? Who better to tell
me.”

“Some of the rumours are true.” Quinn didn’t
like the way he’d mentioned someone jumping to their death. She
wondered if somehow Shiver had found out about her first crossing
across the Sighs. “I can’t sense the truth—more accurately, I can
tell when someone is lying. I think someone’s got their legends
mixed up, and has at some point mistaken me for Indigo. I
definitely don’t drink the blood of children, and I haven’t
abducted anyone. Do I look capable of that?"

Shiver laughed
.
“You barely look capable of abducting a kitten, let alone a human
being.”

“The rumour that I can control emotions, is
true. I don’t know how to control that ability, and I don’t know
how strong it is. I have been able to make people do things in
limited ways.”

Shiver stood, obviously intrigued. “Oh? What
do you mean? What kind of emotion?"

Quinn gulped. “Anger. I don’t know how to
control it.”

“Uncontrolled anger is a dangerous thing. Was
it your own?”

Quinn fidgeted. She’d gone too far with the
truth now, and didn’t feel she could back down now. “In a way,
yes.”

“Perhaps you are Nerren’s daughter, after
all.”

“You haven’t actually said what you want me
to do?”

“In good time. How many of them were you?
Orphans, I mean.”

“
I don
’t know how
many there were in total, though I heard he had other children in
other cities. There were three of us in Everfell. Myself, Maertn is
a healer, and still in Farn, and a little girl, Neyv.”

“This Neyv, do you remember her? She must be
the one helping Sammah, seeing as you’re not there. Maertn, this
healer, were you close?”

“We are, sire.”

Shiver’s eyes twinkled. “
Were. As you
’ve been stuck on a ship I guess you
haven’t heard the rumours?”

“I’ve heard nothing of Sha’sek sire." Quinn’s
heart hammered. “What rumours?”

“Your brother Maertn is dead.”

Quinn’s eyes went wide. Eden shouted then,
and within seconds, Quinn could feel his arms around her. Her legs
went from beneath her and she sagged into him. Eden held onto her
tightly, helping her gently to the floor. He was whispering in her
ear, but Quinn could hear nothing past the rushing of blood in her
ears and the whispers of death.
It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be
true
.

“Father! Explain this? How do you know this
is true?”

“That’s none of your business, Eden.”

“What proof do you have?”

“It is not your place to question me,
boy."

“That’s her best friend! Her brother! You
can’t do this to her—look at what you’ve done!”

“She’s a Sha’sekian Eden, and I don’t care
what I’ve done. Rowan, get your brother out of here. He’s clearly
incapable of making decisions independent of his feelings for this
girl. I will talk to him on his own later.”

Eden protested, but Quinn didn’t react as his
hands were ripped away from her. Rowan dragged his brother out of
the throne room, leaving Quinn alone with Shiver.

“I received word from the court of Sammah
that he dead. How does that feel?”

Quinn looked up at Shiver through burning
eyes, and harnessing every ounce of hatred right then, she wished
she could use her sight to kill him horribly, igniting the
malicious king in a pillar of flame. Her breath was fast and sharp,
and in the storm of emotions she felt clarity.
Sammah? How would
Sammah know if Maertn was dead?

“I know what you’re trying to do.”

“What?"

“I can’
t do it. I
can
’t use my ability—and even if I could, I’m not going to
use it on you. You
won
’t get an excuse
from me for you to have me executed.”

“Dearest Quinn, that’s not what I’m trying to
do. I wanted to see if you just needed to be pushed—if that’s what
it took you to trigger this new ability that you claim to have no
use of. You’re very impressive. I haven’t felt a single thing, so
can only assume that you are still in full control of yourself. How
unlike both of your fathers you are.”

“I will never be anything like Sammah, or
Nerren.”

“You will be like Nerren, whether you like to
or not. He could manipulate emotion and he started a war. If you
are
capable of that too, you are going to start this war
Quinn—you will use your talents to kill Sammah.”

In response to Shiver’s tirade, Quinn did the
most unexpected thing: she laughed. Incensed, Shiver leapt off the
dais, grabbing the girl by her shirt and hauling her to her feet.
“You will not laugh at my requests! This is serious, Quinn. You
know what’
s at stake here
—your own life
is the first one on the line. You will help me kill your father and
your ability will be the key to our victory.”

Quinn cackled, her laughter reaching a fever
pitch as Shiver shook her. His face looked a ridiculously bright
red against the line of his bleached hair, which did not help to
calm her down. Shiver howled, slapping her backhanded across the
face. He let her go and Quinn skidded down against the floor. She
cried out, her hand going to her cheek. The skin was already
sensitive and she knew it would bruise. She couldn’t feel blood,
but the shock of the pain had snuffed the laughing fit right out of
her. She didn’t rise from her knees, instead twisting to look up at
the hateful king. “
You can
’t force me to
use my ability,
sire,
even on you. Do you actually know what
Sammah
is
?”

“He’s one of you, Sha’sekian scum. All I know
and care about is that he is on a throne he doesn’t deserve. He is
controlling one of our own, and even if I don’t think Vance merits
his title, no one should have their mind clouded.”

“I didn’t mean what race. Do you know what
ability Sammah has?”

“He doesn’t have one. That’s why he’s the
emissary. It’s the only reason he was allowed in our court.”

“That’s what they wanted you to believe.
Sammah has an ability; his family is legendary for it. He’s an
apath.”

“Apath? Heard of that. What does that
mean?”

“It means he feels nothing. Is the opposite
of me—he’s empty. He has no emotion, no reaction, he’s clinical and
he’s deadly.”

“And what does this have to do with you?”

“Because, your highness, an apath cannot be
affected by the abilities of other gifted. Even if I could change
people’s emotions at will…I cannot touch Sammah.”