Fall of the Spectrum

Chapter Twenty-Four

She couldn't help it. The moment she heard the explosion Gwen let out a startled gasp, fingers aching from how tightly she gripped Forneus's arm. It didn't matter that they had just gone over the plan ten minutes ago—Phenex's diversion still caught her off guard, and it was only with Forneus and Lonali's help that she managed to scramble under the back steps of the building closest to them, narrowly avoiding the troop of soldiers that came around the corner.

Coarse gravel dug into her knees, but she didn't dare move without Forneus's go-ahead, the guardian hunkering down at her left with Lonali at her right.

"I hope the others are faring all right." Forneus's voice was barely a whisper, Gwen straining to hear him as another group of soldiers went stomping past their hiding place. Once they were gone, he glanced over Gwen's head at Lonali. "How long does it usually take Chester to create one of his vine traps?"

"Depends on how intricate it is." Lonali gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, not easily done in such a confined space. "Even if it's one of his best, I imagine he's finished by now. Should we get going?"

Forneus nodded, and gently taking Gwen's hand in his, guided her out from beneath the porch steps. Lonali followed closely behind them, her aquamarine eyes bright as she scanned their surroundings, cocking her head to one side as if listening for something. Gwen followed her example, straining her ears for even the slightest indication that more of Iris's soldiers were coming.

When all that met her ears was silence, she took stock of their surroundings. Her gaze drifted past the long row of low-roofed buildings, the Japanese equivalent of townhouses—or so she thought—to the traditional rock garden on the opposite side of the gravel footpath; intricate, swirling patterns crafted into the fine sand surrounding each boulder.

On the other side of the courtyard were patches filled with all manner of plant life. Some, like the Sakura trees, Gwen recognized; others, like the smattering of striped blue and yellow flowers around a lone elm sapling, she did not.

Everything seemed to be going well, and this in and of itself made Gwen nervous. Still, she trusted in the plan, following Forneus as the three of them slowly made their way from one building to the next, ducking behind them or beneath their porches whenever they heard approaching footsteps. When these passed, they continued between the thin treeline and long row of houses on their left.

A sudden sound like the cracking of a twig caused them to halt in their tracks, Gwen's heart leaping into her throat as Forneus and Lonali steered her toward the safety of the magnolia grove close by.

A tense moment passed, Forneus and Lonali seeming to hold their breath much the same way Gwen was, their faces obscured in shadow from the low-hanging branches of the trees. Finally, when she was just beginning to think they'd been found out, she caught a glimmer of orange, flickering for no more than a second before it vanished. One second was enough. Gwen released her breath in a relieved gust as Phenex came into view.

"I take it the diversion went well?" Forneus moved forward to greet him, casting a quick glance past Phenex's shoulder.

"What gave it away? And don't worry," Phenex's mouth tilted into a wry grin, "I wasn't followed."

Forneus's lip twitched. "With a fire blazing on the other side of the grounds, I imagine not."

"How about Chester and the others," asked Lonali, "did you see them?"

Phenex didn't get a chance to answer. A voice rose up from somewhere on the other side of the row of buildings, Gwen instinctively drawing closer to Forneus as they receded further back beyond the trees.