Well of Tears (Empath Book 3) (5 page)

“
I don
’t recall any
ladies of note, though I was blessed to hear a gifted singer by the
name of Rhi. It would be disappointing indeed if I have to live the
rest of my life without hearing her voice again.”

“I find it difficult to believe there was
no one
there that caught your fancy, Eden, though I admire
your attempt to spare the feelings of the empath. All in vain, by
the way. King Shiver has been arranging a match for you, and you
will be introduced to your betrothed when we get back to
Sevenspells."

Quinn was jolted in the saddle as Eden
shifted in his seat. She couldn’t see it, but she imagined the
cruel vicious grin spreading now across Harn’s ugly face. She felt
like drawing Eden’s sword and throwing it in the man’s conniving
back.

“Father can’t do that! He can’t arrange a
marriage without my say-so!”

Harn didn’t change tone, as if this was a
completely normal conversation to be holding. “Of course he can,
especially when the royal succession is at stake. Do you think he’s
going to allow you to marry a commoner? Of Sha’sekian descent? No
my lord, that’s not quite the match we’re looking for, for you.

“I’m only letting you know, so you don’t make
a fool of yourself when you get to the city. Think of it as a
favour from a friend. You’ve got this time now with your Sha’sekian
plaything, but that time is going to come to an end. You need to
get that into your head, and quickly. King Shiver won’t tolerate
any disobedience.”

“
Then
King
Shiver
will have to find himself another son.”

Quinn squeezed Eden’s thigh, trying to
reassure him. “Don’t be so brash Eden. We knew this was coming.
Don’t rise to him, he wants to bait you. This is a matter between
you and your father, and it has nothing to do with Harn.”

“She’s right there, it is nothing to do with
me; but your marriage, Lord Eden, is as inexorable as the rise of
the sun. Haven’t you realised I keep referring to you as a lord,
and not a prince, like you should now be? There are question marks
over your loyalty to your king and your people, so you will only
truly be named as one of king’s heirs when you agree to the
marriage he has made for you.”

“And to whom am I being chained in
matrimony?”

“That, truly, is between you and our king.”
Harn rode off, back to the head of the caravan.

Eden felt like throwing the reins in
frustration, but he knew that would scare the horse. Harn had
succeeded in annoying him, and Quinn was right. Now Eden would
spend the rest of the journey to Sevenspells—one that he’d actually
been looking forward to, in a foul mood.

Ross brought his horse alongside them, as
Harn didn’t seem to care where he rode as long as he stayed with
the group. He wasn’t armed, and archers had been instructed to aim
to kill if he did try to ride away. Ross had already told Quinn in
confidence that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. Now, more than ever,
he felt compelled to keep a close eye on his two young charges.

“What’s that spiteful bastard been saying
now?”

“Eden is going to be married.” Quinn had
waited for a short breath to see if Eden would respond to Ross, but
he was keeping his mouth tightly shut. Ross snorted. “It’s taken
Shiver long enough. I’m not surprised. If Shiver is trying to
reinforce his position as king, he’ll be making political matches
for the lot of you.”

“What? Aren’t you meant to be on our side in
this Ross? We’re in love—we’re going to be together whether my
father likes it or not."

“So say the sickening love stories adorning
the shelves of every major library in every major city. And you
know how those stories end? You knew you’d have a marriage arranged
at some point, Eden, before you met Quinn. What’s happening now has
just forced his hand. Men like you are used to form alliances,
whether you like it or not. Whatever match Shiver has picked for
you, you’re going to have to go along with it. If you value your
head, that is."

“My father wouldn’t be so idiotic as to cut
off my head for not marrying the lady he picks.”

“Maybe I’m exaggerating there, but do you
think he is just going to let you marry Quinn instead? A gifted
Sha’sekian? No, I’ll be surprised if Shiver lets Quinn anywhere
near you as soon as we get to Sevenspells, so if you to have
goodbyes to say, I suggest you start getting them out of the way
tonight.”

“Ross! Don’t be so spiteful! Of course I knew
that we wouldn’t be together forever. I’m not a fool. Instead,
you’ve just pointed out the obvious, and taken away the only days
we could have had in peace!”

“Nothing’s been taken away from you. You’ve
admitted as much yourself that this wouldn’t last. He doesn’t seem
to have thought this through so much. I’m trying to help you. Stay
close to Eden, and make sure he knows how you feel. I’m not saying
you have to stop loving him; but you can never be his wife.”

"I’m not going to stand idly in the
background as his affair!”

“No one is asking you to do that Quinn.
You’ve got to look at the situation sensibly. This was
inevitable!”

Quinn looked away from him disgusted. She
couldn’t believe these words were coming out of Ross’s mouth, and
she didn’t feel like speaking to anyone, now. Eden’s jaw set in a
grim silence, and the brooding anger emanating from him told Quinn
she’d find no solace there. What a good job Harn had done of
separating them so early in their journey. Shiver would doubtless
be delighted.

* * *

The three of them were expected to sit down
and watch as the rest of the company made camp, and Quinn couldn’t
care less. She didn’t know what she was doing anyway, and would be
more self-conscious getting under everyone’s feet than she was
standing to one side and letting them do the work. Ross was
agitated, and kept on hampering the men trying to help. His
restless behaviour was irritating Quinn, who ignored him every time
he tried to speak to her. When they offloaded Tarik’s body, Quinn
rushed over, glad to have another focal point for her attention.
“How is he?"

“He’s alive, we know that much. What did you
say happened to him again?”

Quinn didn’t want to answer the Sevenspells
healer who travelled with them. These men were suspicious of
Sha’sek anyway, and she doubted whether he’d either believe or want
to hear that Tarik had been overwhelmed by the fogs in the Sea of
Sighs, going insane and trying to hack people apart in bloodlust.
“I think he hit his head on the crossing.”

“He doesn’t look badly wounded.”

The healer sounded disapproving, doubtful of
Quinn’s answer. She responded in the only way she knew how without
drawing suspicion to herself. She shrugged, feigning ignorance and
falling upon the routine of being an unimportant woman.

“I’
m sure I don
’t
know, like I said I didn’t see. Why would they let someone like me
out on deck?"

This did seem to appease the healer, who
looked down his nose at Quinn before ordering the men carrying the
stricken man to take him away and keep him sheltered until a tent
was ready. Most of the men were throwing out bedrolls, though
others were shouting at each other as they struggled to put up
three great canvas tents. She assumed one of them would be for Eden
and River. It was unlikely Quinn would get to share Eden’s bed
tonight, even if Harn let her anywhere near him. Quinn looked
forlornly as Tarik’s body was taken away. She hoped her old
swordmaster would wake up soon, He might be able to provide her
with a distraction from all this angst.

Quinn knew that Ross would gladly give her
lessons—her skills with a sword were still incredibly basic—but she
was still too furious with him to want to spend any time with him.
It was a hopeless feeling, and as she glanced across the camp to
Ross’s prone figure, she did wish that she could just set her
feelings to one side. That was where the power of the empath was
such a curse though. No one had lied to her, everyone had either
been truthful, or so convinced of their correctness, that it
represented the truth. The fact that Quinn had known everything
they’d said didn’t matter to her. The fact that he’d said it to
her, and the way he’d said it, cut through her.

She would have come to terms with losing Eden
in her own time, and would have at least been able to enjoy their
time together in some way. Now, they were being ripped apart, and
it was as if Ross had punched his fist through her rib cage to yank
out her still-beating heart.

Quinn had been
partially right—Eden and River had a tent each, and Harn would
either take watch or sleep with his men. The final tent was for
Tarik. She’d been allowed to go and see him, and she had slept by
the cot a few hours until the sun started to crest the horizon.
He’d stirred a few times, but hadn’t come fully awake. Quinn
couldn’t help but think he was treading the shores of the Beach of
Bones, and all he needed was someone like Maertn to bring him back.
He was in Everfell territory now though, and there weren’t any
healers skilled enough here to make that journey. Tarik was in the
hands of the spirits at that point, and Quinn wasn’t sure, this
side of the sea, just how forgiving they’d be to a Sha’sekian
swordmaster.

When he groaned, Quinn took a wet rag,
stroking his face, trying to keep him cool. She’d seen Maertn do it
before to unconscious feverish patients, and it seemed like the
right thing to do. It made Quinn feel better that she was helping
someone for once, and remembering her friend had helped her to help
Tarik. She tried probing his mind, trying to feel any kind of
emotion in there. All she wanted was a sense the Tarik was going to
come back to her. Alarmingly, she felt nothing. Even pain, no
matter how minute, would have given her evidence Tarik was there.
Quinn’s hope waned.

“I know how painful the Sighs can be for
people, Tarik. You’ve been through worse than that night. Please,
make sure you come back to me.” Quinn put her forehead back on the
cot, and closed her eyes again. She dreamed of the beach. Tarik had
not made it there.

* * *

When Quinn came to again it was full dark. A
hand rested on her shoulder.

“Come on lass, you haven’t eaten yet and you
need to get some proper rest. Your body won’t appreciate it if you
wake up sitting in a chair tomorrow morning.”

“Tarik will appreciate it if he wakes up and
I’m here.”

“It won’t break his heart if he wakes up and
you’re not. Come on Quinn. I know you don’t want to speak to me
right now, but you need to eat. There’s no need to be stubborn
about this."

“I’m not being stubborn!” Quinn recoiled at
her own squealing voice. She sounded just like a petulant child,
and a flush of embarrassment coloured her cheeks. “
I just don
’t want to be around anyone right
now.”

“
Not even
Eden?
”

“Under the circumstances, especially not
Eden.”

“Just because you can’t marry him doesn’t
mean you need to avoid him for the rest of your life.”

“No, but why carry on pretending that we’re
going to have this happy life together, when in a few days’ time
it’s all going to be over?”

“Remember that time I found you to down in
the springs?" Quinn nodded, her cheeks staining with embarrassment.
“That wasn’t too long before you were exiled. If I’d have told you
then, that you be separated from Eden and it would be your own
doing, would you have avoided him then? Or would you have taken the
small happiness that you were given, because it was something new
and precious, and your life wouldn’t have been the same without
it?”

“This isn’t the same, Ross.”

“No, it’s not exactly the same Quinn, but its
close. This time, Eden is going to break your heart, not the other
way round. Because you’d been exiled, you didn’t see how he was
when you left, before. He wanted come after you. He’d have left
Sevenspells, even his father behind, to follow you to Sha’sek.”

“No, he wouldn’t have.” Tears slewed down
Quinn’
s cheeks.
“Did you forget what I am
Ross? I could feel the doubt in him. Yes, he did want to follow me,
but he was fearful. He’s been brought up just the same as all of
his brothers. They are fierce and loyal. The legacy of Sevenspells
stains his soul. I confused Eden. He loved me, but I was always
fighting his loyalty to his family. That’s why I was able to leave
like I did. I knew I was breaking his heart, but I knew that he had
another love to fall back on. At least he has that—what do I
have?”

“You’re only young Quinn, find out for
yourself. He is your first love; that doesn’t mean he is going to
be your only one.”

“You’re talking about me as if I’m gone
already.”

Quinn and Ross shifted to see Eden standing
at the entrance to Tarik’s tent. He was holding the cloth to one
side, and Quinn could see him gripping it, his knuckles white. In
the darkness, shadows dancing from dozens of campfires, his eyes
glistened. “If you’re going to talk about me like that, Quinn, I’d
rather you did the decency of doing it my face. How is Tarik?”

“He hasn’t woken. The healer thinks he’ll be
fine, but really they’ve got no idea what’s wrong with him. I’m not
sure anyone in Sevenspells will be able to help him. We should have
put him on a ship back to Sha’sek whilst we were still in Port
Kahnel."

“You think would have let us do that
Ross?”

“It wouldn’t have been Harn’s decision,” Eden
interrupted. “I’m a lord here, and so is River. Well, he’s Prince
River now. Until I’m married,” Eden put a nasty emphasis on the
word. “My father will only consider me a lord. I don’t think that
would have mattered. If you’d asked me, Tarik would already be on
the first ship back. A man like him doesn’t deserve to be suffering
in a place like this.”