Angst looked back at his friends with a shrug before running after Victoria.
“Need I say more?” Hector asked Tarness.
“Shouldn’t one of us go with?” Dallow asked.
“What do you think the answer to that will be?” Hector replied. “While we’re looking for firewood, maybe you can come up with a spell to dry them off. And make it a fast one.”
21
“You never told me you trained with Tyrell,” Angst remarked as he stepped over a fallen log, still in awe of her triumph. “That was just...really...wow. You really did it.”
“I never mentioned it because I thought it was stupid,” Tori said, vigorously rubbing her damp sleeves in an attempt to keep her arms warm. “Since my ability to see the future has been...off, I wasn’t sure it would work.”
“Wait,” Angst said, stopping suddenly. “You dueled Hector even though you could have lost?”
“That’s what you would do,” she said, pushing him forward. “Now keep moving. I’m cold!”
Their feet crunched on the frozen ground, echoing noisily through the empty woods. Victoria’s lips were becoming bluer with every step. She’d been able to ignore the cold during the fight, but her damp clothes did nothing to warm her now. The longer they trekked through the woods in search of the hot springs, the more she suffered. He slowed and put his arm around her.
“How far away are these springs?” Tori asked through chattering teeth. “We’ve been walking forever.”
“Knowing Hector, they could be a ways off. He moves pretty quickly, especially when he’s upset.” Angst ducked under a branch then held it up for her.
“Thank you, sir,” she said as she passed under the branch unhindered. “Hopefully that nonsense is over.”
“With Hector?” Angst stepped around her to take the lead again. “I doubt it. He has control issues.”
“How can you be friends with someone like that?” Victoria asked.
“You mean how can I be friends with someone who gets upset when they don’t get their way?” he replied with a wry grin. “Gee, I don’t know.”
“Don’t make me beat you up too,” Tori said, flicking the back of his ear. She peered over his shoulder and sighed with relief. “Finally.”
These weren’t mere hot springs. They were an oasis of heat and life buried in the middle of a frozen, sleeping forest. Steam hovered lazily over the dark waters, occasionally giving way to a cold wintery breeze only to rise again from the large pond. Moss-covered round stones framed the edge of the pond so precisely it seemed they had been placed there by hand. The entire area felt warmer by at least ten degrees, and Angst immediately relaxed.
“This could be the most restful place I’ve been in—” Something wet slapped the back of his head and fell to the ground behind him. “What was that?”
Angst spun around to catch a glimpse of naked princess leg before turning on his heel to face away. She giggled through her chattering teeth as she peeled off the rest of her wet clothes and plopped them unceremoniously in a sloshy pile before hastily tiptoeing over the mossy stones.
After a pleasant, albeit brief, glimpse of her backside, Angst turned to watch the surrounding woods as she waded noisily into the spring. Every movement created gentle splashes followed by a grateful moan or sigh.
“Sounds like the water is nice,” Angst said, attempting to make conversation.
“Ooh, you’re so brave,” she teased Angst to his back. “Are you afraid of a little naked girl?”
“I saw what you did to Hector,” he retorted. “Quit making me spin around or I’m going to get dizzy.”
“Wait. You aren’t joining me?” Victoria asked in genuine surprise as she immersed herself in the warm waters.
“Are you kidding?” Angst asked incredulously. “Of course not. I’ll just keep you safe from right here.”
Victoria stuck out her tongue and made a raspberry sound.
“How are you supposed to watch over me when your back is turned?” she argued playfully. “I am surrounded by water...ooh, and rocks! I could be in great danger!”
“That’s not funny,” Angst said, almost seriously. “You just keep talking, Your Majesty, and I’ll know you’re fine.”
There was a sudden moment of awkward silence. Angst shuffled his feet and sighed loudly. The first moment became a second, and then a third.
“Tori?” Angst said.
The forest was dead silent—even Victoria’s splashing had stopped.
“Tori, this isn’t funny!”
He listened for anything, hoping to hear breathing at least, but there was nothing. Angst’s cheeks and ears flushed red with frustration. Not knowing what else to do, Angst spun around and immediately met with her laughter.
Tori stood ten feet into the pond, a trouble-making grin spread wide across her face. Angst was angry, but within moments was chuckling and shaking his head, until he finally found himself mesmerized.
Tori was completely nude and completely wet. Her curly blond hair was now straight and matted to her cheeks and bare shoulders. The cold air and warm water had made her full lips incredibly red. Water lapped just below her hips, exposing her long flat stomach. Her hands cupped most of her breasts but, as she laughed, her stomach muscles tightened and they jiggled under her fingers. In spite of their friendship, Angst couldn’t help but take in her beauty and youth. With a deep breath, he finally closed his eyes and turned away.
“That was not funny,” he said, articulating every word.
“Your cheeks...sooo red,” she said between chortles. It took several moments for Victoria to compose herself. “I thought you were going to pass out.”
Angst had worried about the same thing. He leaned over and picked up her wet clothes. Holding out a hand, he waved to the ground, motioning her to submerge.
“Just...let me know when it’s safe so I can rinse these out,” Angst said.
“Go ahead,” Tori replied, though there was disappointment in her voice. The water lapped as she sank deeper into the spring. “I just don’t see why you’re so embarrassed. It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”
“Of all the things I’m grateful for,” Angst said, patting his roundish belly with his free hand, “One of them is that you haven’t seen me naked.”
He turned slowly, peeking over his shoulder to ensure she wasn’t pranking him again. Victoria rolled her eyes but remained immersed enough to cover some of her breasts. Angst sighed and got down on his knees, resting them on the soft moss. He rinsed the mud from her pants, keeping a close eye on her to ensure she wouldn’t pull him in.
“Oh, stop that. I’m done teasing with you. Mostly. You’re no fun, anyway.” She stuck out her tongue. “And I did so see you naked, silly. During our dream last night.”
“Our...what?” Angst asked with wide eyes, almost dropping her pants into the water.
“You really don’t remember?” she asked in concern and confusion.
Victoria made her way over to him on her stomach, crawling across the shallow floor of the pool’s edge. As she got closer, the small of her back and part of her bottom rose out of the water. He skittered away from the edge.
“Would you stop that?” she said. “I’m being serious. Come here. I need to see something.”
She was as close to the edge as she could be without getting out. Angst lay on his stomach and crawled forward so she could reach him. A pang of guilt was quickly overcome with excitement, and he could hear his own breath over the lapping waves. Lying flat, the only thing he could see was her face, and that was enough. She inched closer so they were almost nose-to-nose. Her lips looked so—
“Stop that,” she said with a quirky smile.
Steam rose from Victoria’s hand as she reached up to his face and closed her eyes. Angst felt it appropriate, for whatever reason, to close his as well.
“I should, you know,” she whispered.
“What’s that?” Angst whispered, licking his dry lips.
/> “Kiss you,” she giggled. “Then you really would pass out and I could enjoy the pool all day.”
“Tori!” Angst pulled his face back.
“Shh,” Victoria said in an almost serious tone, still holding onto his cheek. “It doesn’t always work. I don’t always trust what I see, so I need to focus.”
“But the thing you just said, about the kiss?” Angst asked quietly as he wiggled toward her again. “How did you know—”
“I didn’t have to read your mind to know what you were thinking,” she said, opening her eyes to peer at him. “We’re best friends, remember?”
She closed her eyes again, and Angst followed suit. He thought about last night, about how fast he had fallen asleep, about his foci dream, and about—
“Rose!” he said. “She’s okay!”
“You remember now?” Tori asked.
“Yes. No. Well, some of it,” he contradicted himself, focusing his thoughts on what had happened. “There was a giant red bear, and...she ate it? Wait, was I naked?” he asked, his eyes wide in horror.
“I told you!” Victoria giggled. She licked his face before pushing away from the edge of the pool.
Angst splashed water at her then got up to his knees. “I don’t remember everything. Do you?” he asked, wiping her spit off his face. He grabbed her discarded pants and returned to rinsing them. “Even more important,” he said in concern. “How were you there?”
“Now I’m in your dreams, Angst. That’s not a good sign,” the princess taunted as she turned over and pushed away, floating on her back.
“Stop it,” Angst said, slowly forcing his eyes to look down at the pants he was washing.
“Sorry, that was an accident,” she said sincerely, rolling back over onto her stomach. “Honestly, I don’t know how I was there, but I remember the entire thing.”
Victoria did her best to remember to stay submerged while she recounted their dream, and Angst finished with her pants as he listened. He squeezed out the excess water and rolled them up before attempting to clean her bodice...thing.
“We should head back and tell the guys,” Angst said as he looked off in deep thought, thinking about the dream.
“We can’t! They can’t know about me, about what I do,” Victoria pleaded as she swam toward the edge.
“No, of course,” Angst said, still looking thoughtfully into the distant woods. “I’ll tell them I remembered during your bath.”
“Right,” she said sardonically. “They’re going to believe you were thinking about your dream while I’m bathing naked?”
“Well...” he said as he finished cleaning her bodice. “I’ll think of something.”
“Um, Angst?” Tori asked, once again floating at the very edge of the pond.
“Yeah?” He suddenly noticed most of her steamy backside hovering over the dark waters.
“You may want to turn around so I can get out,” she advised. “I don’t mind, but I don’t want to carry you back after you faint.”
“Oh, yeah, right,” Angst said apologetically. He stood and faced away from the pool.
Her departure from the water was noisy, and seemed to last quite a while. Angst could only assume she was upset he’d ushered her out.
“I guess what I don’t understand is how Chryslaenor could have done that to the bear?” Angst asked. “I just...I don’t ever remember it being able to absorb life. We were bonded for such a short time, but I didn’t think it was capable of...”
The noisy sloshing of water stopped, and the forest was quiet again. There was no teasing commentary, nor the struggle of putting wet clothes on wet skin. Angst couldn’t even hear breathing.
“Tori, please, let’s just head back to camp,” Angst said in exasperation.
Nothing.
“Victoria, I mean it! That’s enough teasing!”
There was a loud slurp of water as though the pond behind him had choked. Angst spun about quickly and found an empty pool. No water. No Victoria.
“Tori!” he yelled in panic.
His voice echoed through the woods. There was no answer. Angst listened intently, until he heard a bubbling sound from the middle of the spring. Bubbles appeared listlessly in the muddy gloop, as though someone had pulled a plug from a tub, allowing all the water to drain away.
Angst’s hands flashed blue and glowed bright as he held them out. He stormed into the mud thick remains of the oasis. Before his feet could sink in the muck, he forced the top layer of the silt to solidify and provide better footing. Angst reached with his mind deep into the earth, just as he had when attempting to lift the sinkhole. He breathed quickly, his stomach wrenching in panic. Searching for Victoria through the wet ground below the surface was like sifting through a bucket of mud in search of a small seed.
“Please,” he whispered.
Angst was tiring, magic was harder to wield and control. The glow around his hands began to fade. His energy leached into the sucking mud, sapping him, and he fought desperately against a growing emptiness.
“There!” he said.
A small pocket of air and mud and water. It felt different from everything around it, and he could only hope it was the princess. He tried to tow the pocket to the surface, but the mud surrounding her fought him, resisting his pull. This had to be an attack by Earth, the element trying to scare them away! Angst reached beyond that wall in his mind, opening that stream of magic only the foci could provide. Blood poured from his nose and ears as he forced solid ground below the mud to push the pocket back to the surface.
In a loud, muddy burp, Victoria emerged, as if birthed by the spring. She was unconscious, and Angst rushed to her. Each step was an exhaustive struggle and, as he kneeled to pick her up, Angst felt lightheaded. His nose continued to spew blood, and the world began to spin. Muddy hands reached up from the spring bed, grasping at her legs, dragging her back into the earthy grave.
“No!” he yelled, wrapping his arms around her slippery naked body. “That’s enough!”
His arms and chest were now glowing so bright he could barely see her. Power coursed through his veins, uncontrolled and unleashed in his desperation. The muddy floor of the pond sank further into the earth, pulling deep into the bowels of Ehrde. Angst held Tori close as he fought against the hands and, pushing with his legs, forced his way back to the shore. He glanced over his shoulder to see what he had wrought. The pool was now a bottomless pit, almost a sinkhole. All that remained was the outcropping of stone which had been his path out.
The glow surrounding his arms dimmed and disappeared. Dizzy, and sick to his stomach, Angst dragged one foot forward and then the other.
He had to get Victoria to safety.
22
“That was close,” Hector said, clapping Dallow on the back with a heavy thud. “You did it.”
Angst forced his eyes open to the familiar scene of worried friends looking down at him. It took every ounce of energy just to breathe. He couldn’t even raise an arm.
“T...Tori?” he asked weakly.
He heard a cough to his left and rolled his head to see Victoria lying next to him. Her eyes were closed, but he could see her breathing under the blanket. He was tired beyond exhaustion and still frantic with worry. He thought he had lost her. Angst wanted to reach out to her, but couldn’t.
“You’re okay,” Dallow assured him, patting his chest. “You’ll both be okay.”
“I found her things,” Tarness said from the woods. Twigs broke under his feet as he approached. “I don’t understand how he could have carried her all that way.”
“Are we in any danger if we stay here?” Hector asked. “I think they’re going to need another night before we move on.”
Dallow sighed in frustration. He stood and began pacing, but said nothing more.
“I think we’re fine. You said there was a hot spring back there?” Tarness asked Hector. “You should go see what Angst did to it!”
Angst rested his eyes.
“Welcome ba
ck,” Tarness said from above Angst, his smile beaming from ear to ear. “No wonder you’re hurting! I’m not sure you could’ve done that when you had Chryslaenor!”
His back was cold from the ground, but heat from the large campfire warmed Angst’s bones. A blurry Tarness came into focus as he leaned over to give Angst a sip of water. Angst still couldn’t lift his head, or his arms, but he was able to grunt something he hoped would pass for a thanks. It was hard to tell how much time had passed—the sun was mostly hidden behind clouds.
“Tori?” Angst asked shakily.
“She hasn’t woken yet,” Tarness said in a worried tone. “But she’s restless, so I don’t think it’ll be long.”
“Rose,” Angst said weakly, remembering the dream.
“It’s okay, Angst,” Tarness said encouragingly. “We’ll be on the road by tomorrow. Hector is hunting for food and Dallow’s looking for roots to make medicine. He’s worried that you aren’t shaking this off faster...”
With a tired nod, Angst closed his eyes.
“Angst, you’re awake,” Victoria said in relief. She reached out from under her blankets to grab his hand. “You did it, you saved me. You were amazing!”
Angst smiled until Dallow shoved something awful and chewy into his mouth. It was bitter and minty at the same time and bile rose in his throat, but Dallow held his jaw shut. Angst tried lifting his arms to fight his friend off, but realized Tarness and Hector held them down.
“Sorry, Angst, but we’re losing you and this is the only thing that will make you better,” Dallow apologized. “After seeing what you did, Hector wants to get out of here, and I agree. This is the only way.”
Angst swallowed the last of what had been forced into his mouth. His arms and legs shook violently in reaction to Dallow’s “medicine.” When his body stopped moving, Angst watched his friends stand and look at each other with concern. Dallow shrugged in response to Tarness and Hector’s unasked questions.
Everyone turned to watch Tori stand, holding blankets up with one hand and gripping a bundle of clothes in the other.
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