Angst Box Set 2

by David Pedersen

  Jaden, Dallow, Mirot, and Wilfred filed into the room, their arms directing the argument as if there were too many conductors in front of a band. When they finally arrived, their voices were seething with anger, and they almost forgot to bow. Rose reminded them by clearing her throat. The four men bowed with apologetic glances at Victoria. Her headache wasn’t getting any better.

  “The answer is no,” she said, hoping to take them by surprise.

  Angst had taught her that humor was a great way to diffuse an argument before digging into the real problem. Happy people tended to be more willing to share their thoughts and feelings than angry people. Angst was also better at it than she was, clearly, because the incredulous, distraught stares she got from the men weren’t exactly filled with laughter.

  “I wasn’t reading your minds,” she said, sighing at the lost joke. “But the next time you come storming in like moody teenagers, you’ll be doing laps around the castle until I’m tired. Understood?”

  They muttered sorries and bowed, more appropriately this time. She hated being sharp with them, but if she didn’t give them the occasional reminder of who was in charge, nothing would ever get done.

  Captain Mirim rushed into the war room, sweat beading her dark cheeks. She looked around nervously before stopping to make a very formal bow.

  “I’m sorry for being late, Your Majesty,” Mirim said. “I spend my time in the practice field and not the castle. I got a little turned around.”

  “It’s okay,” Victoria said. “At least someone knows how to treat me respectfully.”

  Mirim nodded and found a seat. The attractive young captain was a head taller than Victoria, with attentive eyes even darker than her skin. She’d done a fantastic job readying the zyn’ight for battle. Not only a hard worker and an excellent tactician, she had a knack for pairing wielders with abilities that complemented each other.

  “Where did your guards find them?” Victoria asked.

  “At the practice field, Your Highness,” Mirim said.

  “That’s to the east,” Jaden said, his tone angry. “You sent us west. You knew—”

  “I did. Now shut up,” Victoria said before turning to Mirim. “For expediency, a little less formality in the war room.”

  “Yes, Your…” Mirim said, looking as if she were about to do something wrong. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Wilfred,” Victoria said calmly. “Tell us your concerns. Why are you worried for Angst?”

  “Assassins,” he said, gasping for breath, his cheeks ruddy from the walk. The man was in worse shape than Angst had ever been, and leaned over his formidable girth to rest. It was worth the wait for him to catch his breath; he was probably the smartest man in the room. He finally stood upright and mopped his brow.

  “Take your time,” she said sincerely.

  “We have no time,” Jaden snapped.

  “Liars will speak in my court when called on,” the princess said sharply.

  Jaden’s jaw dropped, and Rose sucked in a breath. Dallow took a step back as if expecting fiery daggers to shoot from Victoria’s eyes. They all found chairs, opposite Jaden.

  “Every assassin Rose and Jaden have stopped, whether they were from Fulk’han, Vex’steppe, or Melkier, came to kill Angst,” Wilfred said. “From what I’ve learned, those nations are just waiting for him to be out in the open. His death could leave Unsel in grave danger should other nations team up to attack.”

  “We are lacking in allies,” General Mirot said.

  “Have we heard back from our envoy to Angoria?” she asked. “If the Berfemmian would be willing to help us…”

  “Our ambassador’s been gone too long,” Mirot said. “The Berfemmian could’ve flown him back by now. It’s possible they’re upset about Faeoris.”

  Jaden raised a finger to say something, and quickly lowered it at the sight of her glare.

  “We all are,” Victoria said with a nod. “Send a full team and make it all women, as Rose suggested. If what Angst told me is true, the Berfemmian could still be in their mating cycle, and the male envoy could be dead.”

  “Not the worst way to die,” Dallow said with a smirk.

  “Oh,” Rose said dangerously. “Want to find out?”

  “Please, flirt later,” Victoria said, rolling her eyes.

  “What are we even discussing?” Jaden said. “Are we going after him, or not?”

  She wanted to scream at him, again. His constant impudence was grating, especially when he was right. She took a deep, calming breath and tried to remember not to throw him in the dungeon.

  “We are going after him. We’re leaving in two days,” she said, raising a hand to stop the complaints. “That’s not what we’re here to discuss. When we catch up to him, and we will, do we offer to help, or do we…stop him.”

  Mirot raised a hand, and she nodded.

  “I agree with Wilfred, Your Highness,” he said. “Unsel is in danger without Angst. We should assist him.”

  All heads turned to the general. He was a known bigot toward wielders, who’d barely cracked the shell of acceptance.

  “Everything he’s done has been to save you, and Unsel,” Mirot said. “A man who would sacrifice his family for his queen would not turn around and destroy Ehrde.”

  “Thank you, General,” she said, her throat tight. Angst hadn’t actually chosen Tori over Heather and his children, but everyone in Unsel believed this to be true. It was the worse type of court-gossip and was completely thoughtless of what Angst had gone through. She turned to Jaden and lashed out. “You were going to say something, liar?”

  Jaden paled. He looked ready to scream, or cry, or both, and the hurt on his face melted a little of her ice. He composed himself slowly before speaking.

  “Angst has two foci. That’s too much power for one man to wield, and they are slowly driving him crazy. I’m from the future, and history says it’s true. It’s not his fault, but it is our problem,” he said. “We’ve seen it over the last few months. He was a broken man who suddenly became giddy with hope. When he completely loses himself, it will happen. He’ll break Ehrde.”

  “Jaden’s concerns are founded,” Dallow said. “Angst thinks he’s found something that could bring his family back. Prendere is the prize that elements win at the end of their war. He doesn’t know how to wield that sort of power. Nobody does. If he is going mad and acquires that prize, it could be the end of all things.”

  “That’s why we need to stop him,” Jaden said. “That’s why I was sent back.”

  “Sent by who?” Rose asked.

  “This is a lie made up by a jealous man,” Victoria said, pointing at Jaden. “Another word and you’re dismissed.”

  Jaden grimaced, his cheeks flushing red, but remained quiet.

  “I can’t believe that Angst intends to destroy Ehrde,” Wilfred said, setting his hands behind his back. “His intentions sometimes cause more problems than they solve, but maybe if we’re there to help, we will all survive this.”

  “But?” she prompted.

  “I agree that his mood change was abrupt, but not without reason,” Wilfred said. “Angst is planning something, to be sure, but that was a bit too much happiness and excitement. I worry that he’s already slipping.”

  She really wanted to ask what she should do. Her magic wouldn’t give her the answer, and she wanted Wilfred to provide it. But according to her mother, that would be a weakness. She was at a loss for words, and Wilfred was kind enough to offer her something.

  “I’ve always thought you were a bright kid, Your Highness,” he said, almost casually. “I’ve been here the whole time, watching you grow up. Even when I learned what you could do with magic, I knew there was more to you than wielding. Sure, you can see all those future possibilities, but you decide which one to take. It’s your instinct, your gut that tells you what path to choose.”

  He was right. Even when she took up a sword, she had to choose what to do with it in the midst of battle. It was practically insti
nct to know which swing to parry, but it was a choice. “Go on.”

  “These last few weeks, since our friend’s ‘discovery,’ he’s been a little too Angst. It’s hard to tell if it’s crazy, or if he knows something the rest of us don’t. It’s hard for me to tell, but not for you, because you know him better than anyone.”

  “What’s your point, Mr. Wilfred?” she said, uncomfortable at so much revelation.

  “Magic is a gift, a force to be reckoned with, but it can be a crutch. My point is that your abilities only play a small part in your decisions, and I don’t think you need to see his future to follow your gut feeling. You’ll know what to do when it’s time.”

  “Thank you, Wilfred,” Victoria said with a smile. “And you’re right, we don’t need to decide, yet.”

  “That’s it?” Rose asked. “The decision is to not make a decision?”

  “No,” Victoria said. “For now, we follow him.”

  “Do we even know how to find him?” Rose asked. “Do we even know how he’s going to destroy Ehrde?”

  Victoria looked at Dallow, and everyone turned to him. The tall, thin man brushed blond bangs from his forehead before pressing his hands together.

  “We do know where he is,” Dallow said. “And exactly what he’s planning to do.”

  6

  “What he wants to do is simple, in concept,” Dallow said. “He wants to go back in time and stop himself from wielding Chryslaenor.”

  “We can’t let that happen,” Victoria said. “I remember seeing a future where Angst didn’t bond with the foci, and it was disastrous. That’s exactly why I put all of this in motion.”

  “You what?” Rose asked.

  “I first met Angst when he stumbled into the Maiden’s Courtyard,” Victoria said. “I hid because I was scared. He started imitating my mom, and he was so funny that I couldn’t keep myself from laughing. Angst introduced himself, and he was so charming—”

  “I’m going to vomit,” Rose said, rolling her eyes.

  “Shut up, champion,” Victoria said, sternly.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Rose said, her face stiffening.

  “Please continue,” Wilfred said, his tone gentle and cautious.

  Victoria slowly drew her burning gaze away from Rose and closed her eyes. “He flirted like Angst does, and my fears washed away. It was the first time I really tried to wield. I was bombarded with all his potential futures, and all the things that could happen to Unsel. I was overwhelmed, but then he created a rose out of stone for me, and everything seemed okay. Of course, that was right before he lost control of his magic. There was an earthquake, and he saved me from a falling pillar.”

  She glanced at Rose, who swallowed hard, squinting as if forcing her eyes not to roll.

  “It was our moment, and that rose gave me focus. I spent days with Angst in the maiden’s courtyard and nights sorting through my memories of his futures.” Victoria sighed so deeply Angst would’ve been proud. “Eventually, I found the path that would save Unsel, and make Angst a hero.”

  “You used him,” Rose said, accusingly.

  “Of course I did. That’s between Angst and me, and not your concern,” she snapped. Taking a calming breath, she continued, “So much has gone wrong. Angst’s family, my mom…but that was the only safe path, and we barely got here.”

  “And now he wants to destroy it all by going back in time to undo it,” Dallow said.

  “Angst is an idiot. He can’t do that,” Rose said looking at Dallow with a steady gaze. “Can he?”

  “Of course I can,” Angst said with the smile of a conman who’d just sold a bridge. “I can do anything.”

  “I believe you,” Alloria said, her face glowing. “That’s why I chose you to be my champion.”

  He struggled to maintain that smile. He truly needed her help to make this happen and would do his best to keep her alive. So, sure, champion was more or less accurate. Maybe less.

  “But if you go back in time and stop yourself from picking up the giant sword,” she began, “who will protect us from the elements?”

  “My head hurts,” General Mirot said, rubbing his temples. “How does this time thing work?”

  “Time is fragile,” Dallow said. “Let’s pretend I gave Rose a bouquet of flowers and asked her to marry me.”

  “It’s going to take more than flowers,” Rose grumbled.

  “What if someone from the future comes back in time and steals those flowers?” Dallow continued.

  “If I don’t even get flowers,” she said, “I’m definitely not marrying you.”

  “Really?” Dallow asked.

  She kissed him on the cheek then shook her head.

  “Note to self, remember the flowers,” Dallow said under his breath. “But, exactly my point. If the flowers are gone, we don’t get married. That future never happens. Angst wants to undo what he believes he started.”

  “Angst stopping this mess from happening doesn’t sound so bad,” Mirot said. “We’ve lost a lot of good people. Tyrell, the queen, Rook…it’s a long list. Why wouldn’t we just help him?”

  “The elements will just go to war anyway,” Victoria said. “They go to war every two thousand years, with or without Angst.”

  “Exactly,” Dallow said. “Angst is so desperate to save his family, Kala, Hector, and Faeoris that he’s forgetting the most important point. He’s the hero who saved the rest of us. Without that foci, nobody will be able to.”

  “I told you he was an idiot,” Rose said.

  “They think I’m an idiot,” Angst said. “Or crazy.”

  “We can be crazy together,” Alloria said, her eyes a little too wild again.

  Angst took a cautious step back, and she moved close, following him like a puppy. He sighed. “If I go back a year to stop myself from wielding Chryslaenor, the elements will still go to war and nobody will be able to protect everyone. What they don’t realize is that I’m going back eighteen years to stop myself from ever trying to pick up Chryslaenor.”

  “What?” she asked, dumbfounded.

  “This is all my fault,” he said, unable to hold back the guilt. “I think my first attempt to lift the sword triggered the element war.”

  “How?” Alloria asked, taking his hand.

  “It happened right after I started working at the castle,” Angst explained. “I was attending the annual party for staff. As a sort of hazing ritual, they would tempt every new employee with knighthood if they could pick up the sword. I was determined, really determined, so I summoned a little magic—just a trickle, I swear. When I grasped the hilt, there was a click, and it loosened.”

  “Wow,” she said. “And nobody noticed?”

  “Nope,” he said. “But I felt the elements, each of them, wash over me as if I’d set them free. When it was done, I stood there alone, holding the hilt of the sword, and Magic whispered ‘And so it begins.’”

  “Why didn’t you keep it?” she asked. “You would’ve become a knight.”

  “I’ve told myself it must not have been the right time,” he said. “But really, I was scared. I thought I’d broken something. In a way, I did.”

  “So going back and stopping all that from happening will save everyone?” Alloria asked. “That sounds like a great idea!”

  “This sounds like a terrible idea,” Wilfred said.

  “It’s worse,” Dallow said. “Going back in time will kill Angst. Not only do we lose our champion, but we also lose our friend.”

  “Of course, I’ll probably die,” he said. “But that’s okay.”

  “Why will you die?” she asked, her voice filled with desperation. “Why is that okay?”

  “A change like that will break time,” he said. “When I go back, everything that happens from that point on will cease to exist. Young Angst should live, hopefully, but old Angst, me, will die.”

  “It’s a paradox,” Dallow said. “While Angst may think he’s going to die, he may end up killing us all. Breaking time that
much—”

  “Will break Ehrde,” Victoria said, gripping her stomach. “I’ve seen it. The entire world could split in half.”

  “Will split in half,” Jaden corrected. “I’ve been there. It’s a dark and dangerous place, and Angst was the catalyst.”

  “And that’s what Aerella meant when she said he’s going to go crazy,” Rose said.

  “That doesn’t sound crazy to me,” Alloria said. “But what about us?”

  “Us?” Angst asked. “Uh, oh, right…us. Well, things will change.”

  “I don’t like that,” she said, frowning. “You’re the only person I have left.”

  “What do we do, Your Majesty?” Mirot asked.

  “We either try to reason with him,” Victoria said, “or we have to stop him.”

  “No one can stop me. No matter what, I have to fix all of this,” he said, waving his hand around. “You’ll get your dad back, your friends, and maybe we can still be close too.”

  “I still don’t get it,” she said, with a confused frown. “But you seem happy, Angst. I’m happy too, now that I’m out of prison. I’ll be even happier in a change of clothes and after we take a bath.”

  “We?” he asked, taken aback.

  “Me,” she said. “I meant me, of course. I’m just a little bit in shock after swimming through all those rocks.”

  “Right,” he said, summoning his swifen.

  “I really would like to see them again,” Alloria said. “I still miss my dad. I even miss my step-mom what’s-her-name. And all my friends…”

  “I get it,” he said with a nod. “That’s why I want to do this, even if it kills me.”

  “Just tell me what you want,” Alloria said, her tone sultry. “I’ll do anything.”

  “Great,” he said, the pinch between his shoulders abating. “I need you to help me find Magic.”