The Mythos Trials

Chapter Eighteen

Three hours had passed, and there was still no sign of Gwen.

Forneus had been throughout all three keeps, and upon exiting them to scour the surrounding cliffs, was joined by Phenex, now back into his usual attire. From there, the two of them had covered a lot of ground, braving the thunderstorm ravaging the eastern ridge and deep into the surrounding forest.

More than once, Forneus thought he'd heard whispered voices in the trees, mocking them with their raspy laughter. But every time he and Phenex stopped, the latter cocking his head as if he had heard them too, the sound stopped. Only the rain pattering against the canopy of leaves could be heard, the earth squelching beneath their feet as it turned to mud. The scent of moss and decaying plant life filled the air, stirred up by the torrential downfall and the savage winds. It seemed Eurus was still in a rage, and who could blame him? By the end, more than half of his staff had turned out to be traitors, one of the keep's wardens among them.

"We're too late," Phenex said, slumping against a half fallen tree, his breath puffing in the night air. "Wherever Lucas has taken her, they're a long way from here. I can't smell them anymore."

"Maybe the rain." Even as he said it, Forneus couldn't quash the doubt weighing on his chest, penetrating his skin until he felt numb all over.

"Maybe." The way Phenex said it suggested he shared in Forneus's unspoken doubts more than in his hopeful affirmations, tentative as they were.

"We can't give up." The words caught in his throat, sharp like thorns. "We can't let them get away. If anything happens to her..."

Phenex was on his feet in an instant, a hand resting comfortingly on Forneus's shoulder. "I know. We're not giving up. We will get her back, no matter what it takes." Even in the dark, his eyes were bright, molten gold with the anger simmering beneath the surface. "I'll make Reeves and every last one of his lackeys pay for this, I swear it. But right now we need to rest. We're no good to Gwen dead on our feet. Come on."

Forneus took a moment to gather his thoughts, staring up at the sky until rain trailed down his cheeks like tears. Then with a sigh, he followed Phenex deeper into the forest and toward a rocky outcropping; just the shelter they needed from the rain.

"We won't sleep long," Phenex promised. "You take an hour, I take an hour. Fair?"

Forneus nodded numbly. "I'll take first watch."

As Phenex settled down for the night, curling on his side, Forneus perched on one of the edges, sheltered beneath the broad branch of an Esperian Oak.

We'll save you, Gwen. Just please, hang on...

*

As soon as the first rays of light touched the sky, they started moving again. Slowly at first, then more swiftly as the last of their grogginess faded away.

Phenex kept pace with Forneus, only darting ahead every now and then to clear away some of the rougher brush that lay across their path. Everything smelled clean, the occasional drop of water finding its way down the back of his neck or splattering across his T-shirt from the branches overhead, the leaves heavy with rain water.

For a long time, Forneus remained silent, his attention fixed solely on the task at hand though Phenex suspected his thoughts were elsewhere. Given how often he'd heard the guardian mumble Gwen's name in his sleep, however brief and fitful it had been, he was given to believe his suspicions should reside more firmly in the realm of certainty.

Phenex's rest hadn't been much better, though he'd taken great pains to conceal it from Forneus. He didn't need him worrying more than he already did. Besides, he had gone through more than his fair share of confrontations without the benefit of a good night's rest. Why should now be any different?