Dare to Believe: Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy Bundle (Series Bundle Andy Smithson Bk 4, 5 & 6): Dragons, Serpents, Unicorns, Pegasus, Pixies, Trolls, Dwarfs, Knights and More!

by L. R. W. Lee

“Why’s that?”

  “On our trip, I messed up. I led Alden on a mission to free Hannah and Captain Baldric when they got captured by the zolt. Sergeant Fulk said we’d go after them later that night under cover of darkness. But I didn’t know what the vulture-guys might do to them, and I wasn’t taking any chances.”

  The King nodded.

  “Once we rescued them, the captain was unhappy with me because I hadn’t followed orders. He said I need to respect the chain of command in order for his officers to trust me.”

  “And why is that important, Andy?”

  “Because their job is to protect me and you and Mom, and if they don’t respect me, how could they be willing to sacrifice their lives for me if it ever came to that.”

  Father smiled. “Learning to build trust is a big lesson. People want to know we mean what we say, that we know what we’re doing, and that they can count on us. Sounds like you were off with your sincerity and reliability.”

  “Well, I didn’t really know what I was doing either,” Andy confessed.

  “I shall give Captain Baldric my thanks for teaching you this valuable lesson. He didn’t have to.”

  “He said he did it to help me rule well, when the time comes.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  Andy nodded, then closed the gold book and reshelved it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Queen

  The sounds of stringed instruments floated up the circular stairway as Andy made his way down to join the festivities the following evening. He wore new black dress robes since his first set remained at home where he had last worn them.

  The hall was adorned with new banners tonight. The King’s royal blue crest hung against a white field rather than the traditional black background. The abundance of streamers betrayed the enthusiasm of the decorators at the news of their queen’s return.

  “Prince Andrew,” came a commanding, nasally voice. Razen’s expression remained impassive as he informed, “Your parents request that you join them at the top of the grand staircase to welcome our guests.”

  As he made his way to the requested destination, Yara caught up with him. While he had seen her cleaned and scrubbed yesterday, the flowing white gown she now wore, combined with the golden locks that fell loosely over her shoulders, made Andy’s jaw drop.

  Words escaped him and the princess giggled. “I guess I look okay then, huh?” she teased.

  All manner of flying creatures took flight in Andy’s belly. He adjusted his robe collar and wondered why it suddenly felt so constricting, then shook his head, trying to clear his stupor. “You…you…you look…beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Yara dipped her head and curtsied.

  Alden and Hannah, who had also dressed for the occasion, rescued Andy as they approached hand in hand.

  “I’m not on duty tonight, so I’ll get to dance with my lady.” Alden winked at Hannah and received a warm smile in return.

  “Oh, Andy, Queen Emmalee asked us to go find you and have you join her and the King as soon possible. Dignitaries are beginning to arrive,” Hannah informed.

  “Duty calls,” Yara intoned, grabbing Andy’s hand and excusing them.

  “I’d rather stay with you. The last time I greeted guests my feet ached and my face hurt from smiling,” Andy confided as they strolled across the hall.

  “Your people need you,” the princess encouraged. “Besides, we can dance the night away once you’re done.”

  “I’m not a very good dancer.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make you look good. My parents made my brother and me dance first at every celebration. And we had to do it well. ‘We represented the monarchy, after all,’” she recited, then laughed.

  Andy smiled. “That sounds like something my dad would say.”

  Hans, Cadfael, and Lucee, all cleaned up and well attired for the occasion, stood chatting. Andy waved as they passed. Marta scurried about putting last-minute touches on decorations and table settings. Ox lugged a heavy barrel toward its stand.

  As they reached their destination, Andy spotted Regent Bellum’s wife hugging Mom. The officer gushed with praise at meeting the King’s beloved who had been lost for so long.

  Scanning the length of the staircase, all manner of public officials with their elegantly clad spouses crowded the span, and more flowed through the front door.

  “Prince Andrew! So good to see you again,” the regent exclaimed, wrenching Andy’s hand from Yara and shaking it vigorously.

  The princess winked then turned, and as she did an eerie, piercing wail wafted through the open door, stopping all conversation.

  Banshee!

  Yara pivoted back, her eyes like saucers. Andy sidestepped the regent and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Emily? Andy?” The fear-filled whisper echoed about the stone chamber, causing everyone to look up and search for the source as everything went dark for Andy.

  The thick sod of Dad’s formerly pristine lawn cushioned Andy’s landing, but the thud still rattled his bones. A cursory glance was all he had time for, however, as a zolt charged out the open front door, swinging.

  Methuselah!

  The hilt materialized in his hand but did not extend. Panic threatened to devour him before a fleeting thought raced through his brain: You don’t have to be afraid. You have a choice!

  The enemy reached him a second later. Andy blocked the downward strike with the hilt as Cadfael had taught him during dagger training. The foul adversary quickly brought its weapon up to try again, and as before, Andy deflected the downward thrust. The parry served to slow the pace of the contest, and Andy now assumed his ready position, looking for a vulnerability. The villain quickly grew impatient as they circled, and it lunged for Andy’s chest. Andy sidestepped, but as the zolt rushed past it was at the mercy of momentum and Methuselah’s hilt connected with the back of its skull. The bird-man crumpled to the ground.

  Andy wiped his brow and scanned the area as he caught his breath. He chanced a look at the neighbor’s house, and through a downstairs window he could see Mrs. Nosey Neighbor talking on her cell phone and gesturing wildly. Andy headed for his front door.

  Where’s Mom?

  “Dad? Madison?” he called as he stepped inside. Blood splatters across the living and family rooms bore evidence to the struggle that had raged.

  No bodies? Andy pondered, but the thought fled as he saw the hall closet door peek open.

  “Dad?”

  “Andy? Oh, Andy!” Dad emerged from hiding with Madison clinging to his shirt. “It’s okay, honey. They’re gone.”

  As Dad engulfed her in a hug, Madison wiped her eyes.

  “Where’s Mom?” she asked quietly.

  As if on command, Mom, still wearing the gown she had on at the celebration, dropped onto the sofa and startled the three of them.

  “Is everyone okay?” Mom worried, bounding up.

  “Our nerves are a bit worse for wear, but otherwise we’re unscathed,” Dad assured.

  Mom embraced Dad in a hug that lasted a full minute. Seeing Mom in Dad’s arms restored normalcy for Andy. That, combined with the calm, made him feel wrapped in a comforting embrace. A glance at Madison told him she felt it too.

  “How come I never manage a soft landing?” Andy joked when Mom and Dad finally separated.

  “This place is a mess,” Mom assessed.

  “Where’d all the bodies go?” Andy wondered, drawing wide eyes from his sister.

  “They disappeared as they died,” Mom informed. She gave him a knowing look and he deduced her meaning: back to Oomaldee.

  Dad ricocheted a look between Mom and Andy before suggesting, “Madison, why don’t you and I go attack the upstairs?” Andy’s sister shot him a look of horror. “Okay, poor choice of words,” Dad grimaced.

  Receiving no further resistance, Dad wrapped an arm around Madison’s shoulders and the pair headed upward.

  “I came as soon as I could,” Mom explained. “I didn’t w
ant to leave the King without his queen at the celebration.”

  “You had the ability to decide when you returned?”

  “The King and I saw you disappear. Before anything happened to me, he pleaded, ‘Please don’t go yet.’ And I didn’t. I disappeared after the celebration concluded.”

  “What happened to Yara?” Andy demanded.

  “As you might imagine, the princess was more than a little upset.”

  Andy’s shoulders sagged and he looked down.

  “You really like her, huh?”

  Andy managed a nod.

  “Well, I’m certain you’ll see her again.”

  “Yeah, but it’ll be a long time.”

  When Mom didn’t respond, Andy looked up.

  “You begin to understand.” She smiled and ruffled his hair.

  “Oh. Right.”

  “What say we start with the kitchen,” Mom suggested.

  As they scoured the counters, Mom asked, “Have you seen my carving knife and meat cleaver?”

  “Umm…I may have dropped them in the Oozy bog where I landed.”

  Mom could not hold back a much-needed laugh, then added, “Do you know how strange that would sound under any other circumstance?”

  The comment made Andy reciprocate with a deep, tension-releasing laugh.

  “Did you hear that banshee wail just before I left?” Andy managed, composing himself.

  “It would’ve been hard not to.”

  “What do you suppose it meant?”

  “I hope it was nothing.” Mom’s expression betrayed her fears, and Andy’s stomach rolled.

  Sounds of scrubbing were all that broke the silence for several minutes.

  “I dreamed you and Imogenia talked.”

  Mom turned. “So you mentioned. Oh thou seer, pray tell what we said,” she kidded.

  Andy proceeded to summarize the conversation, ending with, “She sure can be frustrating: ‘I’ll just know he’s sorry when I know.’ Good grief. So what are you going to do?”

  Mom put her sponge down. After a long pause she explained, “Since Methuselah appeared, I’ve known there is a task I must fulfill in my homeland. I just didn’t know what it was until now.”

  Andy tilted his head.

  “I believe I must help defeat Abaddon. I’m still not sure in what capacity, but he is the greatest threat to the land, especially now that he’s regained eternal life. I can’t sit around here in comfort and let that devil rain down death and destruction. It was no mistake that I returned when I did.”

  “What about Dad and Madison?”

  “I don’t know yet. What I do know is that everything will work itself out. It always does.”

  “Father says that.”

  “Maybe that’s where I got it from.”

  CHAPTER ONE

  How?

  Up in the hot, stuffy attic, Andy knelt before the trunk and peered at its contents, praying it held the answer.

  Abaddon has overcome the sting of Methuselah once and for all. Imogenia’s comment kept nibbling at the edges of his mind, and he had found it hard to focus on much else since his return from Oomaldee a week ago. The portent had caused hunger to flee, sleep to go AWOL, and a serious case of the grumps to overwhelm him.

  King Abaddon, the evil sovereign of Oomaldee’s northern neighbor Hadession, had regained eternal life after walking into the phoenix’s pyre—Andy had witnessed him rise from the ashes. A light-headed feeling engulfed Andy, for Methuselah had been the only way to defeat the nemesis.

  Making matters worse, the powerful wizard, Fides, had transformed into Abaddon’s dark assistant in the same flames. It had been Andy’s idea to honor the mage in death, uniting him with the phoenix he had devoted his life to serving, but the sentiment had gone horribly wrong. Somehow, Abaddon had commandeered Fides as he awaited his choice of destination in Cromlech’s afterlife. Having witnessed the wizard’s power while battling Abaddon’s then-mage, Andy knew the sorcerer would be a force to reckon with.

  Andy slumped his shoulders, giving in to the feeling of helplessness, then rubbed the back of his neck. How is it even possible Methuselah can’t hurt Abaddon anymore? Andy shook his head. But grandfather agreed with Imogenia. If Methuselah can’t kill Abaddon, what will?

  Andy lifted the trunk’s upper tray containing the black leather holster with purple crest, the small parchment decoder scroll, and the unsigned note he had disregarded, precipitating the sudden end of his first visit to Oomaldee. Setting it to the side, he scanned the fifteen scrolls populating the second tray, unsure which one to seek council from.

  He found a scroll he had not yet taken time to translate. A detailed drawing filled the bulk of it: a triangle with the gold key, Methuselah, and a ball, respectively, at its three corners. Nope. I don’t think that’s going to help. Moving that aside he found A History of King Abaddon, which he had translated, along with a scroll recounting the history of Hadession and two more about alchemy. While they had proven illuminating in some parts and horrifying in others, they did not begin to answer his current quandary. He set them aside along with the ornate scroll depicting the family tree.

  Prophecy of Deliverance. The title halted his rummaging. He pulled the parchment out and secured the corners with Mario Kart and Pokemon Stadium, which stood watch with the rest of his outdated games and game systems at the top of the attic stairs.

  Andy began to translate:

  The enemy borne from within appears, casting shadows, darkness, and fear.

  He avenges without pity,

  makes the Land’s inhabitants quake;

  chaos and destruction

  ravage in his wake.

  Blind to the troika’s beacon,

  a glow pierces the night.

  Light and dark must wrestle long,

  the struggle waging strong,

  to see which rises victorious,

  and whether there’s a dawn.

  Andy’s stomach clenched. This is supposed to be a prophecy of deliverance? What’s this even mean? ‘The enemy borne from within’ has to be Abaddon since he was born in Oomaldee, but defected. And he’s definitely caused plenty of chaos making folks afraid. But what’s the troika’s beacon? And it sounds like there’s going to be some big battle with the outcome not guaranteed. Andy swallowed then wiped sweat from his forehead.

  “I need some air.”

  Andy flipped off the light and descended the unfinished stairs. Cooler temperatures embraced him as he neared the landing, and he let out a breath he had not realized he held. He paused to listen for anyone approaching, but hearing nothing, he pushed open the door.

  Mom and Dad’s voices wafted into the hall as he neared their bedroom.

  “Moving is not the solution, Fred.”

  Andy paused outside their door. Mom and Dad were again discussing a plan Dad had championed since the zolt attack that brought about Andy and Mom’s most recent trip to Oomaldee. Maddy stepped from her bedroom, noticed Andy crouched, and approached.

  Andy tapped his finger to his lips and motioned for her to stop on the opposite side of the doorway.

  “It took them a year to find us, but I’m sure they’ll hunt us down again and I don’t want to be nomads just waiting…hoping,” Mom reasoned.

  Dad objected, “The kids need a secure and stable home. Maddy’s had nightmares. I’ve heard her.”

  “But your company…we can’t just pack up and leave.”

  “Then what do you propose?” Dad’s voice rose, then dropped as he continued, “I’m afraid for us.”

  Madison’s eyes opened wide. This was the first time she had heard their conversation.

  One week later, as Andy looked out an upstairs window, he saw a chest materialize in the front yard next to his mailbox. He ran down the stairs and out the front door, swooping to pick up the prize he hoped would bear better news. Mom and Dad were both at work and Madison was out in the backyard reading—he and his sister had free run of the house as they enjoyed their summer
vacation.

  He dropped the box on the kitchen counter. The delicious smell of warm chocolate chip cookies brought a smile to his face as he pulled up the top.

  “Mmm. Thank you, Marta!”

  Two envelopes stood behind a stack of cookies. Pulling them out, the first one bore his name in messy printing. Alden. On the other his name appeared in neatly written calligraphy. His heart fluttered like the butterflies that took flight in his stomach. Yara. Andy had met Yara, the princess of Cromlech, during his recent trip to Oomaldee when the healer, Hans, spearheaded a mission to rescue her from Abaddon and his minions. The two future sovereigns immediately hit it off, and more than a bond of friendship took root. There was no contest which letter Andy would open first.

  Andy,

  You left so suddenly. One minute we were hearing that banshee wail and the next you’d vanished. Alden tried to explain, but I still don’t understand. He said you don’t live here most of the time, but he doesn’t know where you and the queen do live. He also said you probably wouldn’t be back for a year. That’s so long.

  “Too long,” Andy agreed.

  There’s been no sign of Abaddon, which surprises me. The King says he thinks he’s preparing an attack or something sinister. It worries me, but until we know more, there’s no point in dwelling on it. Well, not much else to report. Write soon. I miss you lots.

  Yara

  Andy remembered how she had felt in his arms for the brief seconds he held her while the banshee shrieked. A sigh escaped and he reread Yara’s letter twice before moving on to Alden’s.

  Andy,

  You sure disappeared quick. Yara was really upset and made everyone freak. It put a damper on the celebration, but I know you don’t control when you come and go. The King tried to reassure everyone and keep the festivities going, but when the queen disappeared, too, there wasn’t much that could be done.