Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Fourteen: Part One

"Show me." Gwen looked up at Forneus eagerly, adding, "Please?"

Forneus glanced at Phenex, his lips twitching at the corners. "What do you think? Should I?"

"I don't know," Phenex drawled. "You'd think she'd had her fill, what with all of the excitement around here lately."

When Gwen scowled in reply, Forneus couldn't stop himself from laughing. "All right, all right," he told her, "I suppose I could show you how it's done."

Eyes closed, he held his hand out in front of him, the ether flowing up and down the length of his arm with each breath.

Now, what should it be? One idea after another flitted through his mind. From a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables, to a buffet filled with all manner of dishes. From savoury soups, to the most delectable of desserts. Ah, I know just the thing!

Willing the ether into his open palm, Forneus snapped his fingers. A sundae—complete with chocolate syrup and maraschino cherries—appeared out of thin air, its crystal dish balanced atop a silver tray.

Gwen's gasp of delight was worth every ethereal molecule that had gone into making the frozen dessert, her eyes shining with admiration in a way that made Forneus's chest ache. How long had it been since she'd last looked at him that way, as if he were the source of all magic and wonder in the world, and no one else could compare?

Forneus pushed the thought aside and presented the sundae to her with a flourish. "Go ahead, try it," he insisted. "It's every bit as real as anything in your world."

Gwen hesitated only a moment before settling down into one of the armchairs Forneus had magicked into her room the day before. Setting the tray down on the coffee table in front of her, she plunged the small, silver spoon into the ice cream, and after a brief pause, took a solitary bite.

The blissful expression that crossed her face said it all, Gwen digging into the ice cream dish with gusto as she murmured her appreciation. "So everything I've eaten since coming here," she spoke around the spoon in her mouth, "you were the one making it all this time?"

Forneus nodded, grinning knowingly. "Did you never wonder where it had all come from?"

"Of course I did!" Then blushing crimson, Gwen mumbled, "Well, okay—not at first. To be fair, I was a bit preoccupied with everything being thrown our way at the time. What was I supposed to do, ask where you got your stuffed peppers recipe while running from monsters?"

Forneus exchanged a conspiratorial glance with Phenex. "It would appear that someone has spent far too much time in your presence."

Phenex gave a nonchalant shrug. "Hey, what can you do? My shining influence was bound to rub off on her eventually."

"You guys are a laugh riot," Gwen muttered, smiling in spite of herself. "No, really. You should do stand up."

Phenex grinned. "It's about time someone recognized our natural talents."

When Gwen only groaned in reply, Forneus couldn't help but chuckle. "All right, I think Gwen has had quite enough of our teasing. At least for the time being," he added with a wink. "Would you like something more substantial than the sundae before we leave?"

"Where are you going?" she asked, dropping the spoon into the sundae dish with a clatter. "Can't I come, too?"

Any other time, Forneus might have caved under her pleading gaze. Now was not one of those times. Where he and Phenex were headed, she could not follow, and nor would he have wanted her to. The missions to retrieve the artifacts were dangerous enough.