by Dawn Peers
“Ross made it, and said you’d need it. He says he’s sorry.”
Eden handed her the drink back, and Quinn took it. She drank half the mug, but retched before she could drink more. She swallowed and made a face. “He doesn’t need to apologise I asked him to do it.”
“We all heard. The crew are all petrified of you, by the way. And Tarik. He’s been locked in his cabin, in case he wakes up again. No one is willing to risk themselves against an insane blademaster.”
“Except for you?”
“I wasn’t exactly given a choice in the matter.”
Quinn finished off the mug and handed it back to Eden. She felt lightheaded, and was reasonably sure that, on top of the usual disgusting herbs, that Maertn laced water with to kill pain, Ross had also just got her drunk.
“I’m sorry you had to experience that, Eden. You shouldn’t be involved in any of this.”
“Hear, don’t talk like that, Quinn. I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else.”
“Choose? You think any of us have a choice in this?”
She felt tears spring to her eyes and she dashed them away, ashamed. Eden stroked her cheek again. “You’re an empath, Quinn. You’re not from Everfell, I know that. Do you think I care? I love you. That’s all that matters.”
“It doesn’t matter at all how much you love me, or how much I love you. We can never be together, Eden. You do realise that, don’t you?”
“I will make sure we’re together. I don’t want anyone else, Quinn. I won’t let them marry me off. I know that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You’re worried about it, too. I know you are. They’ve been talking about a wife for you, haven’t they?”
“Vance has been parading noble ladies around the court. More for the benefit of my brothers. It’s been mentioned, but I’m not betrothed. I’ll tell Vance, Quinn, when we get back to Everfell. I’ll tell him that I want you. He wants me to be his chamberlain. I’ll reject my father; my position in Sevenspells. I’ll join Vance’s service. Then I can pick whatever wife I want.”
Quinn gasped, biting her lip. Was he telling the truth? Or was she already losing control of her new abilities, and was Eden just saying what he knew she wanted to hear? How did she even know if she wasn’t affecting Eden right now? She didn’t feel linked to him; she couldn’t be manipulating him if they weren’t linked, could she?
“Stop, Eden. Please. I need to tell you what I am before you can make this decision. Sevenspells is your home; your father is a proud man. He’s not just going to let you reject your heritage.”
“Tell me, then. I know you want me too, Quinn. You can’t put me off with words.”
“I’m not just an empath any more, Eden.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve heard the stories of Nerren, in the wars? That he could control emotions, and made the armies of Sha’sek fight more fiercely than they would?”
Eden nodded.
“It’s true. Strong empaths can control emotions. I’m one of them, Eden. I can force other people to think…believe they’re feeling something that they’re not. Courage. Fear. I can manipulate that. That’s how I stopped Tarik, yesterday. I was scared for you, and I forced him to submit.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, Eden. I just know that I can do it.”
“How do you know, then? What if he was just reacting to the Sighs?”
“Because it happened on my first crossing over. I made a man jump overboard.”
“But…”
“It was one of Sammah’s mercenaries, Eden. He wasn’t gifted. He wasn’t being affected by the Sighs. I was disgusted with him. I wanted him to die. I made him jump overboard, just by thinking about it.”
Eden stilled, and couldn’t look Quinn in the eye. She felt a tangy taste just in front of her. He was disgusted. Unsure, but disgusted. Quinn was devastated.
“Please, Eden, say something.” Quinn’s voice sounded pitiful in the creaking quiet of their cabin, and Quinn sneered at how pathetic she sounded.
“What do you want me to say, Quinn? You can do that…I mean…it’s petrifying. How long have you been able to do that?”
“I don’t think I can still, not reliably at least. It’s impulsive, not something l have control over. Like before, with my empath abilities. It just happens. With this, though, it’s different. Not constant. If I’m doing it—changing someone—I feel a link to them. Like I’m pushing my own will on them. It’s draining. And I don’t know how to stop doing it. That’s why I needed Ross to hit me. I couldn’t stop any other way, and I was scared that I was going to kill Tarik.”
Eden looked away at first, but Quinn could sense him relenting. What she said had made sense. He was scared of her now, she didn’t need any special ability to tell that much. But he wasn’t revolted. That was what Quinn had feared the most; that Eden wouldn’t want her any more. “Have you ever done that to me? When did it start?”
Quinn shook her head. “It only started the first time I crossed the Sea of Sighs. Like when I nearly died, when Maertn had to bring me back from the Beach, and I could suddenly control my ability? I think the Sighs unlocked something. We still know so little about empaths. I was hoping to find out more in Sha’sek, but everyone there treated me just like Sammah had; like a little girl, and someone to be controlled.”
“If you’re still not sure about what you can do, don’t you think that’s maybe a good thing?”
Quinn was annoyed. “I’m not a child any more, yet they all called me girl. I have more control of my abilities than most my age, I’ve been told that. Only Maertn has comparable skill, because we’ve both used what we have so often. So why should I be treated like an infant?”
“I can’t answer that Quinn. I wasn’t there.”
“But you think I should be controlled? Is that why you want to marry me, Eden? So you can control me, too?”
“Quinn, no, I just want the best for you. I want you to be safe.”
Eden sat up, and their blankets dropped down to the bed. He was shirtless, and Quinn took in his body. She recalled their sparring yesterday, and the intricate dance they had shared. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with her situation. That what she had said about control, was likely the ultimate truth. Somewhere, someone would always want to control her. If she wanted to live amongst either the people of Everfell or the people of Sha’sek, she would have to subjugate to someone, be it a lord, a baron, or her husband. With the way the world was, she would never be in control of her life.
Quinn was sick of it. She wanted to take a piece back for herself. Eden was hers.
As the thought left her mind, she felt the channel open. She regretted it almost immediately, but she couldn’t take it back now. She didn’t know how. Quinn reached her hand out and placed it on Eden’s chest. His skin was warm, and his heart was beating fast. He looked down at her, but he didn’t speak. His mouth hung slightly open. He was waiting on her every move, as if his whole world revolved around Quinn alone. She revelled in that feeling, and she felt their link grow stronger, rising with the level of her lust.
She sat up, and pushed Eden down onto their bed. Her life wasn’t her own. It was inevitable. She would have to serve a baron or a ruler, or live in isolation. Eden would be married to a noblewoman to produce noble heirs. One day, Quinn wouldn’t have a place in her life.
So tonight, Eden was hers.
35
Somehow, her headache was worse. Yes, using the new ranges of her ability was definitely draining. Eden snored lightly beside her. Quinn rose, quietly dressed herself, and headed for the deck. The men avoided her gaze. Some even made a point of turning their back when she came past. The child Quinn would have been upset by this. The adult Quinn understood why they felt this way.
She wanted to find Ross, and it didn’t take long. The ship wasn’t large; nothing compared to the merchant carrier used to transport goods between the islands. Those fleets were vital to the functioning of Sha’s
ek—without their inter-trades, most of the islands would suffer from some form of loss vital to their infrastructure, be it food, drink, or goods such as clothing and building materials. No, they were on a small vessel, built for speed and for the sole purpose of ferrying people between the clustered islands of the Sha’sek people.
“How are you feeling?” Ross asked. He didn’t shy away from her like the other men had, but Ross had known her for her entire life. If he’d rejected her, she’d have likely considered running away as soon as they reached shore.
“As you’d expect. You have an impressive right hand.”
Ross winced. “You asked me to, Quinn. I didn’t exactly relish it.”
“No, and I shouldn’t make fun. That can’t have been a nice thing to do.”
“It wasn’t. I could see what you were doing, though. How did that feel?”
“I’m more concerned with how it affected Tarik.” Quinn wrapped her cloak closer around her body as a chill wind shivered across the deck. She looked around, wary of fog rolling back in on them, but there was none. “Eden says he’s still asleep?”
“Aye, and that’s still true this morning. We don’t expect him to wake up, not without the help of a healer.”
Quinn dropped her head to hide her eyes from her friend, “And I caused it. You must hate me.”
Ross pushed Quinn’s chin up gently, forcing her to look at him. “I think we’ve had a very similar conversation not so long ago. You can’t help who you are Quinn, any more than I can help liking wine and roasted boar. And if you are going to have an excuse for using your abilities anywhere, it’s the Sighs. If you hadn’t, Eden would likely be dead, and we’d definitely have a war on our hands.”
“Do you think that’s what the baron wanted all along? For one of us to kill someone from Everfell with our gift? To ignite the war?”
“I don’t know what that callous bastard wanted. I understand him even less than I understood Sammah, and I didn’t think that was possible. I thought I knew what their motives were—and for Sammah, it was clear. But his brother is a different prospect. I think he truly believes that he needs to lead his people off the islands and back onto the mainland, for their future prosperity. Why he can’t just come to Everfell with a peace treaty, so that we can start officially trading again, remains to be seen.”
“I think he’s more like Sammah than anyone lets on. He thinks we’re better than other people, Ross. He doesn’t think we should ally or trade with Everfell, because the people of Sha’sek should be ruling…well, people like you.”
“And that’s the kind of thinking that does start wars. We’re in a mess, Quinn.”
“And we’re heading into an even bigger one, from what I’ve heard. How do you think Sammah escaped?”
“We’ll only find out when we get to Everfell. One of dozens of ways. If I was down in those gaols overnight, you wouldn’t find me again in the morning, and with the number of allies Sammah potentially has, any one of them could have released him. I’m keen on finding out what has happened to Shiver, too.”
“You and me both.”
Eden joined them, also wrapped in a cloak, looking for all the world like the burdens of both kingdoms were on his shoulders. He’d been sent to find Quinn as a means for maintaining peace. In a way, Quinn knew, Eden would see that burden as his.
“He’ll be okay, Eden, no matter where he is when we get back.”
“That’s the part I’m worried about, Quinn. I don’t want him to be fine. Because that would mean he was out of the gaol, and likely allied again with Sammah. What does that mean for Sevenspells? For me? I don’t want to fight on the same side as that snake.”
“You won’t have a choice in the matter, lad.”
“Won’t I? What if I renounce my claims, and ally myself with Vance?”
Quinn was certain this time that she had nothing to do with Eden’s claims. He didn’t want to be a part of Sammah’s war, and if his father had picked that side, he was seriously considering giving up his position. Quinn fought hard to hide her glee. It was not about her; not for her.
“I think if you do that, you’ll make some dangerous enemies, not least your own family.”
“I’ll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, no matter what I decide. Vance trusts me; my father doesn’t. My brother doesn’t like me. All the men of my family—and the women, for that matter—are thirsty for this war. Vance has been trying to avoid it. I know which side I’d prefer to be on.”
“It doesn’t matter which side you pick, Eden. You won’t escape this without swinging a sword.”
Eden shrugged at Ross's ominous words. “That’s what you think. You made a living from war, once upon a time.”
“And I’ve seen wars start before. The tensions are worse, this time. Everyone thinks it’s going to be Sha’sek against Everfell, but that’s not true. The baron is right. Vance doesn’t trust your father; your father has many of the nobles on his side. The war is going to be in Everfell, and the soldiers of Sha’sek are simply going to swarm in and sweep aside the weary winners. There will be a civil war, and once it’s over, there won’t be enough of Everfell left to put up any resistance.”
“I can stop that. I can help Vance.”
“Can you? Can any of us stop this?”
Eden glanced at Quinn. “This time, we have a chance. It’s different. Before the empath wasn’t on our side. Before, Sha’sek used their strengths against us. This time, we can use Quinn to help.”
“I don’t know how to control this power, Eden; I don’t know that I can do what you’re asking me to do.”
“We have to take that chance Quinn,” Eden pleaded. “You can stop my father from wanting war; you can make Vance trust his lords again. Ross thinks I can’t get through this without swinging a sword, but you can end all of this before anyone strikes a blow. Please, help us.”
Ross's eyes were wide. “He’s right. Before, an empath made the soldiers of Sha’sek fight. You can do the opposite, Quinn. You can force people into peace.”
“Land ahoy!”
The jubilant cry of the captain broke through their dispute. All three turned to see the welcome flags of Port Kahnel on the horizon.
Both Ross and Eden left Quinn alone as they rode into port. Their intentions were clear; they had added themselves to the long list of men who wanted to use Quinn for her power. She couldn’t deny their reasoning, though. It was an unthinkable prospect: ending a war before the first drop of blood even spilled.
She couldn’t deny them. How could she? She had been adamant, since finding out that another empath had caused the last war, that she would take no part in one. But, if that part was stopping the war in its infancy, she couldn’t avoid that. Quinn didn’t want any part in bloodshed, and to go down in history as the woman that stood to one side and let the war start, was just as bad.
“I’ll do it,” she said quietly. Eden and Ross turned to her, both unable to hide the relief in their eyes.
“Thank you Quinn. This isn’t going to be easy, but it’s something we have to try.”
Ross nodded his agreement, “We have to get you to Everfell. It all starts there.”
Quinn responded, but her eyes had drifted to the shoreline and her voice was distant. “That might be easier said than done.”
There was a crowd waiting on the jetty for them, and banners were flying. They were not the banner of King Vance, nor any of Baron Sammah’s own personal retinue. They were the banners of Sevenspells.
About the Author
Dawn is a UK-based author of fantasy and horror fiction, currently based in West Sussex. She writes books for adults and teens, and is the author of the upcoming Empath series, as well as the horror series Great Bitten, both available from Permuted Press.
When Dawn isn't writing fiction, she is usually found fixing computers (this sometimes includes more than turning them off and on again). In her spare time she tends to read too much, and obsesses over her geriatric cat
. She would love to go on more walks (but doesn't) and should cycle more (but hates hills).
You can connect with Dawn on social media at www.facebook.com/dawnpeersauthor and @dawnpeersauthor
