Angst Box Set 2

by David Pedersen

  “I’m sorry,” she said, a quiver to her voice. “I shouldn’t have asked. Please don’t be upset at me.”

  “I’m upset at everything, Alloria,” he said. “I'm angry at the elements and their war. I'm furious at what Fire did to my family.” He took a controlling breath as a shudder passed through his body. “Even though I know I'm going to save them, hope isn’t enough to make my anger or pain go away. Not completely.”

  “You don’t have to talk about it,” she said, refusing to make eye contact.

  He took her chin between two fingers and gently lifted it until she looked at him with those big, beautiful eyes. “Actually, I do. You deserve to know what a screw-up your champion is. It’s only fair that you understand what could happen to you if I fail again.”

  Her shoulders dropped, her face relaxed, and the young princess sat back and waited.

  “When the elements go to war, they consider humans pawns and not opponents. They imbue human hosts with power, like Air did with Aereon,” Angst said. “Those hosts lead nations into war alongside minions. This time Water’s minions were gargoyles, Air had cavastil birds, Dragons fought for Fire, and the Gamlin belonged to Earth.”

  “What about Magic?”

  “I guess Vex’kvette monsters, or the Fulk’han,” Angst said, scratching caked dirt from his cheek. “My point is that they don’t typically get involved. Not directly. They move their pieces around the Ehrde chessboard until one of them wins.”

  “But it didn’t happen that way,” Alloria said.

  “I may have messed up their war,” Angst explained. “Ivan, a knight of Unsel had been turned into a giant monster by Magic. Right after bonding with Chryslaenor I killed him, somehow releasing the element. Magic had changed into this beam of dark light that I chased across Ehrde. I eventually trapped it by removing the bond with my foci.”

  “The end,” Alloria said with a clap.

  “More like the beginning,” Angst said with a sigh. “Earth explained that releasing Magic had changed the rules, and the elements were free to battle in the open. Since then, I’ve had to fight all of them. Giving up the bond to Chryslaenor made me ill. We found Dulgirgraut in Melkier just in time to fight a city-sized dragon. After Tori and I killed it, Fire threw a sun at us.”

  “A sun?” Alloria asked in disbelief.

  “Or something like that,” Angst said. “The sun destroyed half of the Melkier capital and killed Earth. We barely escaped, only to learn Magic was controlling Rose through Chryslaenor. He tried forcing her to bond with the sword, but I took it on just in time. Bonding with a second foci should have killed me, but I only exploded.”

  “You exploded?” She asked with wide eyes.

  “That’s what happens when I get angry now,” he said.

  “Really?” she asked, inching away.

  “No,” he said with a smile. “Just the once.”

  She playfully smacked his armor.

  “The explosion destroyed Air,” Angst said. “Faeoris, Victoria and I flew to Unsel and that’s when I killed Water.”

  “That leaves Magic,” she said, counting on her fingers, “and Fire.”

  “Yeah, him,” Angst said, taking a deep breath. “Scar and I almost destroyed Fire in Nordruaut.”

  “Wait a second,” she said, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Your dog fought an Element?”

  “Scar isn’t just any dog,” Angst said, proudly. “He was a giant, Vex’kvette monster-dog when we found him. He almost died when we fought, so I healed him with Chryslaenor. Something about that changed the pup. In Nordruaut, I sort of bonded him to the swords with a spell. So, Scar was pretty much an Al’eyrn, like me.”

  “But he’s just a dog,” she said. “How could a dog handle that much power?”

  “I told him to protect everyone at all costs,” Angst said, almost hesitant to utter those words. “He grew even bigger and attacked the element. When Scar was done, I finished the job with a bolt of lightning the size of a castle. I thought Fire was dead.”

  “But he wasn’t,” she said.

  “No, he wasn’t. After Rose bonded with the foci and healed Victoria, the princess had a vision. She said Fire was going to kill my family.” Angst leaned back awkwardly in his armor and wiggled until it was less pinchy. “Fire’s hatred for me was a sort of madness. Maybe it was because I killed his giant dragon.”

  “It’s because he was scared,” Alloria said. “Fire and Magic both said they were scared of you, Magic more than any of them.”

  “He should be,” Angst said darkly. “I’m not done yet.”

  “Go on, Angst,” she encouraged. “What happened next?”

  “Fire was waiting for me with an enormous fireball. When he threw it, the impact knocked me into my house and broke my back. It was so hot I could feel my armor melting into my skin. Somehow, the swords kept me alive, but it must’ve taken all of their magic because there wasn’t enough left to fight. Before finishing me, the element attacked my family. Just as Fire threw another ball of flame at them, Kala and Scar arrived. They blocked the path of the fireball, trying to shield Heather and the kids, but it was too much. In a flash of light, they were gone. My family, Scar, Kala…all of them.”

  “Fire was gone too?” she asked.

  “Not yet,” he said. His cheeks were wet with tears again. He was so sick of tears. “At this point, Fire had used up most of his power and wasn’t much taller than me. He was so upset that I’d lived, the element threw a tantrum, an actual tantrum like a toddler—stomping around and shaking his fists. When he finally came over to finish me, Faeoris arrived.”

  “Your pretty friend with the wings?” she asked.

  Angst let out a bitter chuckle. “It’s a blurry memory—I was in a lot of pain—but I remember her battle cry as she struck him with her sword over and over again. She fought Fire like she had a foci, moving around so fast he could barely keep up. I could barely keep up, it was everything I could do not to pass out. At the last moment, Fire wrapped his arms around her. She cried out and was gone in a flash of light. Fire was gone. Faeoris was gone. All that remained was a golden feather.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Faeoris meant a lot to you.”

  “I only knew her for a short time,” Angst said, “but our friendship was right. She was exactly what I needed. She didn’t deserve to die because of my failure. And after losing her, and Heather, and Thom, and Eila, Scar and poor Kala…all I wanted to do was die. That’s when Rose and Dallow arrived.”

  “Rose healed you,” she said.

  “Eventually,” he said. “She told me that I wanted to die so badly that her healing wouldn’t work. I was fighting it, but my foci wouldn’t let me die. Rose and Dallow brought me back to the castle, and after several months, she healed my body. It wasn’t an easy time for Rose, or for me. It’s driven a wedge between us.”

  “And then you came to save me?” she asked hopefully.

  “Well, no,” he said. “Months passed. At first, I wouldn’t believe they were dead. That flash of light that enveloped Faeoris and my family was too bright to be just Fire. Dallow convinced me that in my condition I’d seen what I wanted to see. I still don’t understand, but Dallow’s smarter than I am. That’s when I began to grieve.”

  It was so quiet, he could hear his racing heart. He longed for the music from his swords, Dulgirgraut and Chryslaenor, but they remained silent. Alloria waited, pursing her lips as if holding back words.

  The break in conversation was timely. Holding a finger to his mouth, he turned away and reached out with his mind.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  “Someone’s close enough to spot us,” he said. “I can sense them walking nearby.”

  Angst closed his eyes and focused. He could sense the armor of two soldiers inching closer. He willed the gauntleted hand of one soldier to strike the other in the head. They immediately turned and ran to the castle.

  “Are they coming?” Alloria asked. “Do we need
to go?”

  “Not yet,” Angst said, his shoulders relaxing. “Just a couple of guards who realized they shouldn’t attack by themselves. It will take them fifteen minutes to get to the castle, another twenty to gather the zyn’ight… We’ve got time.”

  “Good,” she said, looking relieved. “So, what am I supposed to be afraid of?”

  “A lot of people have died since I picked up these swords,” Angst said. “I’m not much of a champion. I’ve failed so much, I don’t think I can ever forgive myself.”

  “Angst, you’ve destroyed elements. People have died, but I bet you’ve saved more,” she said. “You’re not just my champion, you’re a hero.”

  He smiled at this, not knowing what to say.

  “You’re also not done yet. You said you’ve got a plan,” she said, hopefully. “You don’t think Scar could’ve saved them? Since he was Al’eyrn?”

  “I did,” he said with a sigh. “I told Scar to save them at all costs. I’d hoped that flash of light had brought them somewhere safe. But it wasn’t anything like a portal, and that was six months ago. I’d know if they were alive by now. They would have sent a message or Tori would have seen their return. It took a long time for me to accept that they were gone.”

  Without any warning, Alloria launched forward, kissed him on the mouth, then pulled back, placing her head on his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, holding tight, and he didn’t know what to do. Alloria had kissed him once before, but it was a peck. This was something more. Only Heather had kissed him, and meant it, in the last twenty years, and it was jarring. Despite Alloria’s issues, and there were a lot of them, more than you could count on fingers and toes, she must’ve been trying to console him in her own way. It wasn’t the worst therapy he’d received.

  “Uh, thanks,” he said, his cheeks and ears burning.

  “It’s okay to grieve,” she said, resting a hand on his.

  “There’s no reason,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Even though I watched them die, I refuse to give up. I had an idea, and after some research, I now have a plan.”

  “And that’s when you saved me from that horrid dungeon!” she said excitedly.

  “That’s when I saved you,” he replied with the barest of smiles. That hadn’t been the plan, but when did his plans ever go smoothly? “Now, I need you to help me save them.”

  “How?” she asked, her pretty brows furrowing. “Angst, I’m sorry, but I can’t bring the dead back to life.”

  “Prendere,” he said. “It’s an Acratic word for ‘The Prize.’”

  “I like prizes,” she said, hopefully. “I won a kitten once. Are we going to win a kitten?”

  “No,” he said, gently. “This prize is a wish, Alloria. It’s not a little wish, like wishing to be younger, or thinner, or that my hair would grow back, or…”

  She cocked her head to one side.

  “Never mind,” he said, clearing his throat. “This is the wish elements get after winning the war. They use it to shape Ehrde into their own image for two thousand years. Water usually wins the war, which is why Ehrde is mostly covered with water…but not all of it. You can imagine how dangerous that wish would be in the wrong hands. If Fire or Magic were to win…”

  Her eyes went wide, and she nodded slowly.

  “I think my wish is possible.”

  “You’re going to wish your family back to life?” she asked.

  “It’s not that easy,” he said. “From what I’ve learned, I’m not supposed to wish anyone back to life.”

  “Then what are you going to wish? I still hope for kittens,” she said innocently.

  “I’m going to wish this had never happened,” he said. “I’m going back in time to stop myself from ever picking up Chryslaenor.”

  5

  Victoria fwumped into the center seat of the war room, feeling more like a child in an overstuffed chair than the soon-to-be-queen of Unsel. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to draw out some of the steady, constant headache that others referred to as leadership. After six months of ruling Unsel, she would’ve hoped for a little more confidence in her new job.

  During her brief tenure in the big chair, the day-to-day running-the-kingdom chores had gone smoothly. Wilfred took on the brunt of the issues, with Tori stepping in if they would have long-term ramifications. That was where she excelled. Her gift of seeing someone’s futures, all the possible things that could happen based on their choices, made those decisions easy. If she saw too many paths, it only took the briefest physical contact to clarify. Proximity was important, and when she touched someone, she could practically read their mind. Rumors and speculation of her abilities stopped everyone from questioning her decisions, or by proxy, Wilfred’s.

  Her power helped a lot when it came to stuff like land, and cows. It did little to help her manage a country facing world-threatening annihilation. Her inexperience had challenged her patience, her abilities, and her wardrobe.

  Queen Isabelle had made it look so easy. Her mother had been decisive and confident, and looked good doing it. The young queen-to-be had tried to appear strong. Today, she wore a tight, navy ensemble with pale blue embellishments, the type her mother referred to as a “power dress.” It was great for turning heads but terrible for stuff like breathing. Emulating her mom’s wardrobe wasn’t hard, but there wasn’t a dress in the world that could imbue her with the skills required to see this through.

  Sure, she’d seen the future of Angst breaking Alloria free and running off with her, but it was the worst future. Her ability to tell the future had set Angst on a path to bonding with the sword, and then everything had gotten fuzzy. When Angst bonded with Chryslaenor, her visions became misty. When he wielded a second foci, they were more like a thick fog on a stormy night. On occasion, he would let his guard down, allowing her glimpses into his many futures. She tended to hold onto the ones she liked best, which was why today had taken her by surprise.

  Her best friend had always been there for her, and now he was gone. With Alloria. It made her want to cry. Not only had Angst left with her mortal enemy, he hadn’t taken Victoria instead. Her mind was a storm. She rubbed her temples, and a cool hand touched her arm.

  “Please don’t,” she said, opening her eyes.

  Rose pulled her hand back slowly, as if hoping to heal as much of Tori’s headache as possible. Her champion was like that. A good heart hidden by the resilient armor of bitch face. She cared, more than she’d ever admit, but always on her own terms.

  Rose was pretty, with porcelain features and dark red hair. Her eyes were the deepest of dark pools, always attentive, and always judging. And she cursed like she’d been raised by a team of angry ranch hands.

  Rose had agreed to temporarily take the position of champion while they both waited, and hoped, for Angst to come to his senses. Captain Guard Tyrell was her mother’s champion. He’d protected the queen and advised her. They were close enough to generate more than a few rumors around the castle. But being a champion wasn’t just for good advice or ignoring court gossip. Tyrell had practically died protecting Queen Isabelle from Aereon, the avatar of Air. Champions do that too.

  Rose was a good choice, most of the time. She took her job so seriously, she’d cut her hair into a military buzz cut more practical than flattering. As an adviser, she was a delicate balance of incredible common sense and judgmental hatred for anyone she didn’t like—which, from what Victoria could tell, was almost everyone. Even worse, she hated authority and accepted orders like any toddler unwilling to nap. Getting to the truth of Rose was easy; getting the young woman to stop from cursing in the great hall was impossible. It had taken a while to learn how to filter Rose’s venom. But, as a protector now bonded to the foci Jormbrinder, none could best her, as she’d already proven time and time again.

  “If my headache were gone, I’d probably fall asleep,” Victoria said with a smile. “If I were well rested, I’d start being nice to people, and Unsel wo
uldn’t know what to do with a nice queen.”

  “As you say, Your Highness,” Rose said with a disapproving sigh.

  “Where are the others?” Victoria asked, sitting up and straightening the bunch of her satin dress with a tug.

  “Jaden’s doing another sweep,” she said, her dark brows furrowing dangerously.

  “For Angst?” Victoria snapped. “Why is he wasting time?”

  “For assassins. I told him Jormbrinder would let me know, but the ass wouldn’t believe me,” Rose said. “I only missed sensing one Melkier assassin. It wasn’t my fault Dallow and I were felking in the—”

  “We know,” Victoria said, holding up a hand. “You’ve told us. Several times.”

  “I just want it to be clear that when I’m not being distracted by Dallow,” she said with a mischievous smile, “you’re safe.”

  “You seem to get distracted a lot,” Victoria said, looking at Rose with a mockingly stern face.

  “I’m surprised you don’t get distracted with Jaden,” Rose said. “Is he still jealous about you and—”

  “Rose,” Victoria said sharply enough to make her stand at attention. “I said not to discuss that. Ever.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Rose replied, crisp as a thin sheet of ice.

  “Mr. Jaden is a powerful ally. He’s also untrusting, and a liar,” Victoria said. “I would never marry a liar.”

  Rose looked as though she’d eaten something sour but nodded once.

  “Be wary of him, my champion,” she said gently. “I don’t trust someone whose future I can’t see clearly, especially when they aren’t Al’eyrn.”

  “I’m telling you,” Jaden said, his voice echoing down the hallway, “Dallow and I should’ve been told where he was the minute the guards came back. We could’ve stopped him.”

  “I’m not convinced of that,” Wilfred said, his voice pitched higher than normal. “But I am worried that Angst is out there alone. Too many nations want him dead.”

  “Every time he leaves the castle,” Mirot said, “he makes a new enemy. Our army isn’t large enough to fight off the entire planet.”