Thorns of Decision (Dusk Gate Chronicles) (15 page)

“When? I want details!”

“You want details about someone kissing your
brother?
”

“I don’t want to kiss him. I want details about
you
kissing him.”

Quinn gave an exasperated sigh, but it was hard not to admit that Linnea’s excitement had her heart thumping excitedly. “Fine. It was when we were in Philotheum.”

“And …?”

“I don’t know … we were locked in this weird basement, and we’d just found out that Ellen was Tolliver’s sister, and we were both completely freaked out, and then suddenly we were laughing about something … I don’t even remember … and then we kissed.”

Linnea’s eyes widened along with her grin. “And then what happened?”

“I don’t know. I think something happened that scared us again, and by then it was done; it had happened. We never really talked about it after that, but ever since then, things have just been … different. He’s been different. I think I’ve been different.”

“He’s a guy, Quinn. He doesn’t know how to do these things.”

“And you think
I
do? Seriously, Linnea. I was still technically dating Zander when I kissed him. And I screwed that whole relationship up big time.”

“Oh, whatever. You and Zander were never meant to be, anyway. How long do you think that could have ever lasted once you found out you were actually from Eirentheos?”

“Yeah, well, that little tidbit of information changed
everything
, but it’s not like I knew that at the time.”

“So you two never kissed or anything again after that?”

“No. We haven’t kissed, we haven’t talked about it. It’s like nothing is different and everything is different.”

“What do you want things to be between the two of you?”

Quinn closed her eyes for a long moment, trying to think. “I don’t even know, Linnea. There’s been an awful lot going on since then. Thinking about kissing William seems awfully trivial compared to everything else, you know?”

To her surprise, Linnea frowned. “Is love something trivial in your world, Quinn?”

“Um,” she paused, “I don’t know.” It was a question she’d never even considered. “I guess sometimes it is. Or, at least, relationships when you’re sixteen often are.”

Linnea nodded; her face more serious than Quinn was used to. “In our world, sixteen cycles is old enough for a girl to get married.”

Quinn’s mouth fell open. “Who brought up
marriage
Linnea? I told you we kissed. Once. Quite a while ago now.”

“I’m not saying I expect you to marry him. I was just pointing out that here, in our world, at your age, relationships aren’t
trivial.
Rebecca was seventeen when she married Howard. Now she’s barely nineteen, and they’re expecting their first baby.”

Quinn was still struggling to concentrate after Linnea had brought
that
word into the conversation. “You said
girls
are old enough at sixteen. What about guys?”

“Men in our world are of age at eighteen. Which William will be before long, by the way.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I’m ready to think that far ahead, Linnea. It’s hard enough trying to figure out if that kiss meant something in the first place.”

“Fair enough,” Linnea said. “And there’s no time like the present to sort
that
one out. I’ll see you at lunch.” She smiled and stood to walk back toward the castle, leaving Quinn staring after her, dumbfounded. 

She was still staring at the path when, a second later, a different figure appeared around the hedge, making her heart thump erratically. It was William. She didn’t know if it was because her mind was already there from the conversation she’d just been having with Linnea, but her breath caught a little at the sight of him in his neatly-pressed gray slacks and white, short-sleeved polo shirt. His wire-framed glasses were tucked in his shirt pocket; he didn’t need them unless he had to read something, but he always kept them close.

“Where’d Linnea go?” he asked, coming to sit down on the bench beside her.

“I … I don’t know. She took off to do something,” Quinn answered, trying to collect her thoughts, and willing the pink that she knew covered her cheeks to go away before he noticed.

It didn’t work. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, everything is fine. Why?”

He frowned, studying her expression. “What’s going on, Quinn? What happened?”

“Nothing happened. Linnea and I were just talking.”

He raised an eyebrow, and then suddenly his entire posture changed. “Oh. Let me guess. You weren’t talking about Thomas.”

She shook her head.

“Or about your father.”

“No.” Suddenly, the bee on the flower became very interesting again.

He was quiet for a moment, and then he surprised her by putting his finger under her chin and gently turning her face until she was looking at him before he put his hands back in his lap. His expression was soft, his eyes open and friendly. “I’m going to guess that Linnea just had the same conversation with you that Thomas had with me.”

Her eyes widened. The way he’d turned his body toward her on the bench, and the shy half-smile he directed at her gave her more courage.

“Do you think they planned that?”

He shrugged, smiling in earnest now. “It wouldn’t be a safe bet either way. I actually kind of think they didn’t. Those two are scary.”

She couldn’t stop the nervous giggle that slipped out. “That they are.”

They grew quiet again, neither of them knowing how to continue. Quinn took a deep breath – better to keep it going now that they’d gotten this far.

“What did Thomas ask you?”

“He asked when I’d finally kissed you.”

When she saw how closely his flaming cheeks matched hers, she almost started giggling again. “How do they know?” she asked.

“I think it’s been pretty obvious to anyone who’s been paying attention that things have changed between you and me.” His gray eyes met hers, and the joking was gone.

She swallowed hard. “Yeah, I guess things kind of have.”

He reached over and took her hand. His hand trembled, and she understood completely. “I … I should be better at this,” he said, and his hand shook even more. She covered it with her other hand and looked up at him.

“Quinn, I don’t know how to do this. I’m not smooth like Zander probably was, and I don’t have the gift of charm like Thomas – all of this just comes naturally to him, but it doesn’t to me.  And I’m so worried that I might hurt you or upset you. So many things have happened to you lately – finding out about your father like this, fighting with your mom, breaking up with Zander. And I don’t know how you feel about any of this. And I want to ask, without making it harder on you. And I don’t want you to feel like you have to make some kind of a choice or a decision right now…”

By the time he stopped talking, her hands were shaking as hard as his were, but she squeezed his hands in hers anyway. She was surprised at how much it calmed her when he squeezed back. It took her several minutes to form the words she wanted to say.

When she could finally speak, she made sure she was looking in his eyes. “I’m not any better at this than you are, William. I don’t have the answers to all of those questions, and it’s true that I’m not ready to make any big decisions right now. But the one thing I do know is that I don’t need you to be somebody else. I don’t need you to be Zander or Thomas. I’m glad you’re not either of them. I like
you
, Will.”

He didn’t answer out loud; the look in his gray eyes was answer enough. He leaned in close, and she moved toward him, too. When their lips finally touched, she was overwhelmed at the emotion that flowed inside her. Her hands found the back of his head, and she pulled him closer as his arms wound around her back.

The kiss ended when he finally pulled away, though he brought his hand up to her face, cradling her cheek in his palm, and rubbing his thumb along the line where the blush had bloomed a few moments ago. She wasn’t blushing now; the silliness and embarrassment had all but vanished, and she lifted her hand to place it over his.

“I can see you this time,” he said, smiling.

She smiled back – their first kiss had been in the pitch-black basement. This was completely different.

Suddenly, William looked over her shoulder, and his hand dropped from her cheek, although it stayed with hers as it fell into her lap. “Good timing, Nay,” he said. “How long have you been standing there?” 

Quinn turned to see Linnea standing there, looking somehow embarrassed and happy at the same time. She also looked …
worried
?
”

“Sorry, Will,” she said, coming closer. “I never meant … Quinn, I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have … It’s just, Will … Lily needs your help in the clinic.”

William was on his feet in the next instant, and Quinn and Linnea followed him through the gardens and down a path to the small clinic in one of the outer yards of the castle.

“I’m really sorry Quinn,” Linnea said again as they walked.

Quinn’s cheeks were red-hot again, but she looked over at her friend with a teasing half-smile. “There’d just better be a real emergency,” she said.

Before they even got inside the clinic, it was obvious that something was going on. Simon stood on the small, covered porch speaking with a dark-haired woman who looked upset. Several children milled about in the grass and on the porch. They all looked exhausted and filthy. The youngest, only a toddler, was trying to climb the steps to reach his mother. His dirty diaper hung to his knees.

“Lily needs you inside, Will,” Simon called as they approached. “Linnea? We could use you out here,” he said, motioning over the children.

“Help me, Quinn?” Linnea asked.

She nodded. “What’s going on?”

At that moment, Max came down the path from the direction of the castle; Charlotte and Rebecca close behind him. “Did you find William?” Max asked Linnea.

She nodded.

“Good. I’m going to ride into the clinic in the city and see if I can find another healer to help. Lily and Will aren’t going to be able to do everything and help with Thomas, too.”

“Wait,” Quinn said. “What is going on here?”

“Simon and I were out on a ride just past the city today, and we came across another encampment of refugees from Philotheum. Several families this time; this camp has apparently been growing for a couple of days. I guess this family here found them late last night. Their father was injured in a fire when their house burned just before they left Philotheum. One of the girls is ill as well. They’ve been traveling like this for six days without any help.
On foot
.”

Bile rose in Quinn’s throat. “Why? How could something like this happen?”

“How do you think it happened?” Max asked. “Tolliver’s army destroyed an entire village last week when they found out their mayor was in the resistance.”

Quinn’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Look, I’ll be back later,” Max said. “These people need help.”

 Rebecca and Linnea were already trying to round up the children, who all looked frightened. Charlotte had gone up to the porch to talk Simon and the mother of the children.

“We need to get everyone clean and fed, at least,” Quinn said, walking over to join them. “Where can we do that?”

“There’s a shower in the clinic,” Linnea said, “but Lily took one look at their father and told me to keep everyone outside and away.”