Angst Box Set 2

by David Pedersen

  Karina’s eyes were sultry, as though whispering, “Come hither or miss the opportunity of a lifetime.” Bella’s eyes dared you, immediately sizing you up for a challenge you would probably fail. On closer inspection, there was more to those eyes. A deeper concern, a constant awareness of all things. It was the occasional glance over the shoulder, or the quick look of wariness between the sisters as if expecting danger from every shadow. There seemed to be a lot of shadows.

  “Jaw,” Bella said crisply.

  “Right,” Angst said, straining to close his mouth.

  His legs were still sprawled as the blood had just started flowing again when they both found a seat on his knees. He swallowed a grunt, refusing to be old, and placed his hands on their hips. Really, what was there to complain about? He probably wouldn’t need to feel his toes for days.

  “Move your hand, or I’ll break it, Al’eyrn,” Bella said.

  “No,” Karina corrected. “We need to fit in, and I don’t mind.”

  “Of course you don’t,” her sister snapped.

  Karina stuck out her tongue but didn’t retort. Her cheeks glowed.

  “These things haven’t changed.” Bella was taking in everything around them with a knowing smirk. “I really hope that fitting in doesn’t mean we have to start calling him poppa.”

  The blond giggled.

  “Why do the young women here call me poppa?” Angst asked. “I’d expect to be seen as some old, creepy guy. It’s weird.”

  “And disgusting,” Bella said. “Older men sneak in and throw around a lot of money. Some just want attention from younger women, most are looking for sex—”

  “What?” Angst asked, standing up.

  The twins sprang from his knees, landing lithely on their feet before crouching to a more defensive position. He had the sudden desire to take a long bath. The amazing view of half-naked young bodies didn’t make up for his discomfort. Older men were coming here for their attention, and some young women would apparently do anything for the right man. It was inappropriate, and wrong, and maybe hit a little too close to home. He’d been friends with Victoria since she was a young teen, drawn in by her need and loving her attention. Their relationship made everyone else uncomfortable, but did they all judged him like he was judging other poppas? His relationship with Tori was different, right? And with Alloria? The veil between the two worlds was as thin as cheesecloth. He wouldn’t give up his time with Victoria for anything, and who had the right to judge? Apparently his skin, which crawled.

  Bella and Karina looked about nervously, both half-crouched with their shoulders relaxed and fists clenched. They reminded him of Hector, prepared to fight at the drop of a hat, any hat. Both stood incredibly still, like cats ready to pounce. They were too young to be so vigilant, especially when they should’ve been here to carouse and party. His concern thoroughly washed away his ogling.

  “I hope he hasn’t lost his mind already,” Karina said, her voice quivering.

  “Do you see what he’s wearing?” Bella asked, eyeing his tight-fitting pants. “He looks crazy to me.”

  “You’re safe here,” Angst said, holding his hands out.

  “Never safe,” Bella said, her gaze darting about.

  “Always safe with Angst,” Karina said, looking at her sister.

  “I won’t hurt you,” Angst said. “And I won’t let anyone else hurt you.”

  “They’re starting to take notice,” Karina said under her breath as a crowd gathered. “They are mostly harmless, but there are a lot.”

  “Sit, Angst. Please,” Bella whispered, nodding slowly to the stump. “Help us play this off.”

  “There’s no way we can fit six in one of those small tents, ladies,” Angst said aloud with his cheekiest grin. “The three of us is more than enough.”

  Several onlookers barked out laughs before moving on. He sat cautiously, and they returned to their perch on his knees. They looked at each other with pensive stares that echoed his own concerns. Who were they? Where had they gone when they disappeared from the Inn at Oakhaven? Why were they here now?

  Just as he was about to ask, they spoke in a language he didn’t understand—if it was a language. They made chittering noises that he couldn’t make out, and his eyes widened in wonder. He had heard of ‘twins’ language,’ but twins were so rare he had never experienced it. He sat there for long moments, looking back and forth as they discussed, and argued, and then went quiet.

  “Hey, poppa’s still here,” he said with a grin, hoping a little humor would break through their walls.

  “Gross,” Bella said, rolling her eyes.

  Karina giggled. “You don’t change, do you?”

  Bella shot her a look, but Karina just shrugged.

  “Nope, always Angst,” he said. “So, are you going to tell me what that means? How is it you know me, but I’ve only met you once? I’m not smart like Dallow, but this reminds me of Aerella and how she never stayed anchored to any one time for long. When are you from?”

  “That’s what we were arguing about,” Karina said. “How much we can tell you.”

  “I need a drink,” he said, waving over a nearby server.

  “Why?” Bella asked.

  “One sec,” Angst said. He purchased three drinks and winced through his first sip of cheap mead. It tasted like the alcohol a physician would use to clean wounds. “Ugh, I’m too old to drink crap booze.”

  “That’s all I have on me,” the woman said apologetically. “But we’ve got a few jugs of expensive port.”

  “Please,” Angst said, handing her more gold than necessary. “And hurry. This may kill me.”

  She laughed and scurried off. He drank the rest of the poison and dropped the cup.

  “Why booze?” he asked Bella. “Because you’re from the future, and anything to do with time gives me a headache.”

  They both looked at each other in shock.

  “I didn’t tell him,” Karina said. “I promise.”

  “You didn’t have to,” Angst said. “From your comfort with me, or discomfort, I can tell you both know me pretty well. You aren’t from the past, I’d remember. That means you’re from the future. Why are you from the future when I’m trying to go back into the past?”

  “Why do you want to go to the past?” Karina asked.

  “I was twenty-two when I first tried picking up Chryslaenor. It triggered the war between the elements. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was my fault. I’m going to go back in time to stop myself. Dallow says it will kill me, but I believe it will save everyone else, and that’s all that matters.”

  “Oh, Angst,” Bella said, leaning over to give him a side hug. “This is why I love you. When you stop being a dumb flirt long enough to be heroic.”

  “Flirting’s not dumb,” Angst said with a frown.

  “I like your flirting,” Karina said.

  “Angst,” Bella said, her brows furrowing. “You’re right. You may have triggered the war when you picked up Chryslaenor. But it would’ve happened anyway. We’ve seen war too. It’s inevitable. You weren’t their reason. You were their excuse.”

  “My family died because of me. Going back in time could save them,” he said quietly. His hands were shaking, and he let go of their waists. “It has to.”

  “You’ll save them, Angst,” Karina said. “That’s what you do.”

  Angst struggled to pull himself away from that dark place. His family, his friends, were all going to be fine. They were going to make it. He had to believe that to keep going or it was all over. He shook his head like a dog shaking off water and forced a smile.

  “Aerella once said that she couldn’t tell me my future because it could cause problems. That’s why this gives me a headache, and the port is here just in time.”

  He took a brown jug and handed the woman more coins, enough to make her eyes wide.

  “This is too much, sir,” she said with a worried look. “I can’t offer you, uh, anything else. I’m sorry, b
ut my boyfriend—”

  “Miss,” Angst said, sternly. “You’re hanging around the wrong people if you think I’m buying anything more than this port. There should be enough extra to get away from this place, and you should.”

  “Thank you,” she said, looking at the coins in disbelief. “I think I will.”

  Dropping her apron, she marched away.

  “Hero,” Bella said, fondly. “You never did need the swords, did you?”

  “Stop,” Angst said with a wink. “Or I’ll start flirting again.” He removed the cork and took more than several gulps of thick, sweet wine. It was delicious, and he handed it to Karina, who’d already finished her mead. “Please, tell me what you can.”

  “What you’re trying to do will break Ehrde,” Bella said. “It won’t happen the way you expect, and our world will literally split in half. Hundreds of thousands will die, and you won’t save anyone.”

  Karina was mid-drink, and Angst pulled the jug away from her to take another long draw. He handed it back and wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve.

  “Go on,” he said stiffly.

  “We want to help you save everyone,” she said. “But you need to save us too.”

  Angst hadn’t had enough port for that. This was the second time they’d met, and he already needed to save them, too. Sure, why not? “How do I know that Magic didn’t send you?”

  Both women held up their hands.

  “No rings,” Karina said.

  He nodded slowly.

  “Jaden was supposed to stop you, but something went wrong when we brought him back,” Karina said.

  “Wait,” Angst said, looking back and forth between them. “You brought him back?”

  “Karina,” Bella snapped.

  Karina stuck her tongue out at her twin. “Is he…is he okay?”

  “Sure, the jerk is just fine,” Angst said.

  “Jerk,” Karina said in surprise. “You two are like brothers.”

  “Ha,” Angst said. “He showed up out of nowhere, not remembering why he was here but knowing all sorts of magic. I had to kick his ass to get him to shut up, and… Wait. Brothers?”

  “We can’t say anymore,” Bella said. “We promised, Karina.”

  “Fine,” Karina said, suddenly distracted by a mostly naked young man who winked at her.

  Bella rolled her eyes. Angst crossed his arms and stared after the man. It took a minute to shake off his jealousy, and another to question where it had come from. How could he feel anything? They’d just met. What was their connection?

  “Look, I’m not sure I believe you, or would even understand if you explained it all to me,” Angst said. “If I can save you, I will. I’ll do everything I can to help, but not if it keeps me from saving my family. That means I’m going back in time to set everything right, so none of this ever happens. If you’re here to stop me, then you should probably get off my lap…which would really suck.”

  Karina laughed, the sound of tinkling bells, even while Bella’s face became sad.

  “We’ll help you, Angst,” Bella said with a sigh. “Have you found it yet? The foci?”

  “I’ve found two, and both swords are acting like a couple of babies,” Angst grumbled. Dulgirgraut and Chryslaenor threw a fit in his mind that made him wince. It passed quickly, and they returned to quiet as if pretending to ignore him.

  “But no horn?” Bella asked.

  “Horn?” Angst asked with a frown. His tongue felt thick, and despite it all, he was happy. How strong was that drink? “No, no horn.”

  Bella frowned, tapping a finger against her cheek.

  “Wow,” Karina said. “Is that Victoria? She’s delicious.”

  “No,” Angst said, surprised she knew about Tori. “That’s Alloria.”

  “Oh,” they both said at the same time, looking at each other in concern.

  “Isn’t she, a little bit, uh,” Karina said. “Not sane?”

  “She’s been through a lot,” Angst said. “Magic tortured her and…” Despite their comfort with him, he remembered that he really didn’t know them at all. “She’s been through a lot.”

  “Angst,” Karina said. “Don’t have sex with her.”

  “What?” he said, defensively. “No, I wouldn’t.”

  “Of course you would,” Bella whispered in his ear. “She is sex. Even I want her. But please, Angst. Don’t do it. You’ll hate yourself.”

  “I already do,” he muttered, a bit shaken. They began to move but he held them tighter. “Don’t leave yet, please.”

  “We’ll stay as long as we can,” Karina said, kissing him on the cheek. “Won’t we?”

  “Yeah,” Bella said, her tone wary. “For you, we’ll try.”

  When Alloria saw the twins, her sexy gait evolved into a raging storm. She stomped toward them, and Angst was surprised the ground didn’t shake. Her eyes were too wide, too dangerous, and she reached for a dagger in her boot.

  “We kept your seat warm,” Bella said. Her tone had changed from sincere to silly as if all intelligence had seeped out. “We thought your poppa was alone, but he said he was taken.”

  “Oh,” Alloria said, suddenly happy again. She let go of the hilt and smiled broadly as if slicing the twins into pieces had never crossed her mind.

  She leaned over, which was great, and planted a kiss on his mouth, which was even more awkward now that he was being watched by the twins. Alloria’s eyes were closed, and he looked to them for help. Karina seemed perturbed, but Bella nodded encouragingly. Why? They must know something that he didn’t, so he finished the mouth-sucking rather than pulling back.

  “Thank you, Angst,” Alloria said, huskily. “For staying true.”

  “Uh, sure,” Angst said, wiping her passion from his lips.

  “Angst said we could party with you guys tonight,” Bella said, nodding at Angst.

  Karina was nodding too, her eyes pleading.

  “Oh,” Angst said, slow to pick up the hint. “Yeah, if you don’t mind. They seem fun.”

  “We love fun,” Karina said, brightly.

  “Yeah,” Bella said, with slightly less conviction.

  Angst worried for half a minute while Alloria pondered. She made eye contact. Maybe it was because he was looking at her and not the twins that made her face brighten, but whatever complicated equation she was working through came together.

  “We’d love that!” Alloria said, springing up and turning around.

  There was more hugging and kissing and squealing as introductions ensued. Angst had the impression that Karina genuinely enjoyed this, while Bella played along reluctantly. The ceremony was odd, as if Angst had landed on foreign shores and all customs had changed. This night was going to be full of surprises. He took another long drink of the sweet wine and braced himself for The Fette.

  11

  A string of curses followed Rose out of Potterton Inn like grotesque ducklings following a mother who ran away. Half the party winced and stared at the ground, while the rest blushed as their jaws dropped. Victoria took deep breaths, trying her best to block the onslaught of profanity while “what nows” roiled in her mind and stomach.

  “What is it?” Victoria asked.

  “They are already at the orgy,” she blurted, crossing her tiny arms before her breastplate.

  Victoria sucked in her lips while everyone else muttered. It would’ve been a lie to say that Rose’s news didn’t sting. Angst was supposed to adventure with her, not Alloria. She didn’t want to be part of a gross orgy, but raucous, flirty fun was…well, that was supposed to be their thing.

  Rose looked at her with large, dark eyes filled with distraught frustration. “My apologies, Your Highness,” she said, finally. “They’re a day’s ride away on swifen. I was hoping we’d be closer.”

  Dallow approached from around the side of the inn, nodding in confirmation to Victoria. “They’re a good distance away,” he said, brushing blond bangs from his eyes.

  “Is it too far?” Mirim as
ked.

  “No, I mean that’s a good distance to trail behind,” Dallow said.

  “I thought we were chasing him down,” Rose said with a dark frown.

  “Catching up to him is easy, especially when he won’t be in a hurry to leave The Fette,” Dallow said. “We don't want to strike unless he's already weakened from attack. It’s the only way we can stop him.”

  “Is it even possible for him to be weak with two foci?” Jaden asked.

  “We hope so,” Dallow said, nodding at Victoria. “But if you have a better idea, it’d be welcome.”

  “Surprising him now would be better,” Jaden said. “If we can get close enough.”

  “How close until he notices?” Mirim asked, looking at Victoria.

  “I’m hoping within several miles,” Victoria said.

  “Hoping?” Mirim asked.

  “It’s my best guess. Nobody knows the reach of his abilities,” Victoria said. “I don’t have an Angst measuring stick.”

  “He’s short,” Rose said.

  “Not helpful,” Victoria said.

  “But The Fette is a perfect distraction,” Jaden grumbled. “How can you be sure he’ll sense us coming?”

  “How can you be sure he won’t?” Victoria asked in frustration. “Our choice is a surprise attack when he’s at full power or stopping him when he’s weak and tired. I choose the latter.”

  “But—”

  “My decision is final,” Victoria said. “We’ll ride most of the way to The Fette and camp nearby. Hopefully, he’s busy enough to be distracted.”

  “He will be,” Rose said, rolling her eyes. “At this point, why don’t we just stay at the inn, or head back to Unsel and wait it out?” she asked sarcastically.

  “Enough of that,” Victoria said, holding up her hand. “We’ll trail behind him at a normal pace and stop a mile or two away.”

  Rose looked like she was biting her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She made eye contact with Mirim.