Free The Bloody Quarrel (The Complete Edition) by Duncan Lay

over you—”
    “I don’t want him! I want you!” Kerrin howled.
    His dad sat up, startled, but Kerrin did not care any more. The memory of lying in that pit, knowing Mam was going, was never far away. He could not lose Dad as well. “Don’t leave me!”
    Dad reached out a hand and patted him but it did nothing. “I don’t want to but I have to. I did a very bad thing—”
    “Leaving me is a bad thing! How could you? You promised we would find mam together and you lied to me!”
    Next moment he was hitting Dad, trying to punch out his anger, fear and frustration. He must have caught him by surprise, because it was some moments before he enfolded him in a hug, so he could not hit.
    “I am sorry,” Dad said. “You wouldn’t understand but I did an evil thing, so I must be punished.”
    “Leaving me is worse,” Kerrin said defiantly. “You always said you can make up for mistakes.”
    “I did. But this is the way I have to make up for what I did.”
    “And how will you make it up to me? You said you would never leave me – that we would rescue Mam. Breaking that promise is worse than anything you have done.”
    *
    Fallon groaned, his son’s words striking deep inside. In his mind’s eye he saw a bloodied Cavan, looking sadly at him but, standing on the opposite side, a bloodied Bridgit holding a limp Kerrin. And her eyes were even more accusing.
    “It’s not so simple as making up for what I did by saying sorry,” he said.
    Kerrin got one arm free and began hitting him again. “Yes it is! You just don’t want me around.”
    “Now that is not true,” Fallon said angrily.
    “Prove it. You swore an oath to me and you said a man is only as good as his word. Let’s get Mam back together.”
    Fallon felt something tear inside him. The anger and self-loathing dissolved into fear and doubt.
    He crushed his son to his chest. “Help me,” he begged. “I feel like I am lost.”
    A sob convulsed the boy, who clung on as ferociously as Fallon held him. “Then let’s find our way home together,” Kerrin said, his voice a little muffled.
    Fallon relaxed his grip and looked down at his tear-stained son. “I am not a good father,” he said. “I am not even a good man any more. You deserve someone better.”
    “But I only want you.”
    Fallon felt his own tears trickling down then.
    “Without you, we shall never get Mam back,” Kerrin continued.
    Fallon still wanted to atone for killing Cavan. But maybe he could have both. He closed his eyes. No visions came. This must be what Rosaleen was always talking about. You had to make your own choices.
    “All right. Let’s get Mam back,” he said.
    But he did not feel any better for saying it.
    Then Devlin burst through the door. “Regan is here,” the farmer said urgently.
    Fallon felt his heart beat faster but did not want to alarm Kerrin. Was this the final message? Had they realized he wanted to kill the King? “I’ll be right there,” he said, forcing himself to sound casual.
    Kerrin was reluctant to let go and he had to promise to come back before he could hurry out to where the chamberlain was waiting impatiently. Regan reached into his belt pouch and Fallon tensed but the man only produced a scroll from his belt pouch.
    “The King wants to speak to you. In a turn of the hourglass. Here are the details. Do not be late,” Regan said simply.
    “Wait! What about?” Fallon asked as the chamberlain turned away.
    “I do not know. Make sure you are on time.”
    Fallon watched the man stride away and broke the seal on the scroll to see it just repeated the words Regan had spoken.
    “What was that about?” Devlin asked, as his friends joined him.
    “The King wants to see me. To talk about something.” Fallon showed them his scroll.
    “Do you think this is it?” Brendan asked.
    “No,” Fallon said, although he was thinking the same thing. “If they wanted us dead, they would just storm in here.”
    “Well, you will know more in a turn of the