The Mythos Trials

Chapter Thirty-Five, Part Two

"It is done."

Lithias offered Gwen a sad smile, and with a bow, took his leave. She watched him vanish, teleporting with none of the brilliance Phenex and Forneus were known for, but still no less impressively. A faint shimmering wavered in the air where he'd just been standing, making the objects on the opposite side of the room seem to dance.

Once it had stopped altogether, Gwen swept her gaze around the room, taking in everything from the window opposite her bed, moonlight filtering in between the slats of the venetian blinds, to the assortment of knick-knacks cluttering the top of her dresser and the wall-mounted shelves lining lavender-painted walls. The same room that had been hers since the age of three seemed foreign to her now, over four months later.

Distantly, she could hear her parents snoring from their room down the hall, Lithias's magic preventing them from waking upon her return. Now that their memories had been tampered with—returning not only the knowledge that they had a daughter, but instilling them with the belief that she had never left, while lifting the concealment barrier that had been used on her bedroom—only one task remained.

Saying goodbye.

Having run out of things to inspect in her room, Gwen turned around, throat constricting when her gaze landed on Forneus and Phenex. They stood side by side, silently watching her, Forneus's anguish the more palpable of the two. Gwen tried not to scrutinize either of them for too long, however, fearing that if she did, the tears would start all over again.

At length, Forneus spoke. "Lithias has given you a couple of grace days to help you acclimate." He paused, hands clasped below his waist, left index finger idly tracing the runes of the silver ring on his right thumb. "As far as your parents are concerned, you've come down with a bad case of the flu. But once these next few days have passed, it will be up to you to keep them from suspecting that anything is amiss. Do you think you can manage?"

Gwen wrapped her arms around her midsection, and nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell them anything. Not that they would believe me anyway," she added, a humourless laugh escaping her, the sound catching in her throat. "Even if I tried to tell them a fraction of what's happened, I'd probably be committed." She tasted salt at the back of her throat when she said this, her smile faltering. When her lower lip began to tremble, she dug her nails into her forearms, willing the tears not to come; to be strong enough, if only just this once.

"Don't cry, Gwen." Phenex's words were barely a whisper, his eyes bright as he offered her a half-hearted smile. Then clearing his throat, he said, "C'mon, you're not really going to miss us, are you? After the mess we dragged you through? You should be happy you've finally been let off the hook. No more monsters, no more getting your backside handed to you during training sessions..." The mischievous grin didn't reach his eyes, but Gwen managed a huffed laugh, just the same.

All too soon, what levity Phenex's words might have inspired was once again overshadowed by the grief pressing against her chest, Gwen hugging herself tighter. "You've taught me so much," she whispered. "About the world, about what's out there...about myself. How can I not miss you?"

Just like that, the careful distance they had put between them—intentionally or otherwise—was broken. Forneus stepped forward to enfold her in his arms while Phenex moved to stand behind her, one hand resting on her shoulder.

Gwen let the tears say what she herself couldn't. How deeply she had come to love and respect them. How much poorer her life would be once they were gone. That no matter how much time passed, she would never forget them or the friendships she had gained along the way.

As she poured out her grief, she could feel theirs too, the lingering after-effects of the gift the Amethyst of Unity had bestowed upon her. When she thought about how that too would eventually vanish, along with all of the other gifts she had gained from the artifacts—the very tools that had made it possible for her to do what she needed to—she began to cry all the harder, stifling her sobs in the folds of Forneus's coat. The scent of purple clover and fresh linen enveloped her, her heart feeling as if it were being torn in two directions; between the comfort Forneus's scent always granted her, and the knowledge she wouldn't be able to rely on it again after tonight.

What am I going to do without you? She turned her head slightly, not caring how blotchy her face must look when her tear-swollen gaze met Phenex's. Without either of you? How am I supposed to just move on like nothing's ever happened?

Forneus released her then, his throat working in a desperate attempt to keep his own emotions in check, though Gwen could see the pain dimming his eyes, just the same. She allowed herself to stare at those eyes a moment longer, such a beautiful, clear silver where the moonlight touched them, before turning toward Phenex.

His arms were around her in an instant, hard and fierce, the scent of leather and cinnamon evoking the same bittersweet agony that being in Forneus's embrace had—with a tinge of something more, something that made the ache in her chest that much sharper. No words passed between them; they didn't need to. Anything they could have said would have only cheapened the moment, and right then, Gwen would have given anything for that moment not to end.

Unfortunately, this wasn't to be.

Phenex released her, his arms falling away slowly, exuding hesitation with every step that took him away from her. Where the comforting warmth of his arms had been, the warmth against her cheek where she'd pressed it against his chest, only cold vulnerability remained. Gwen curled her fingers into the cuffs of her sweater, folding her arms across her chest tight enough that it hurt to breathe. Anything to stop the next barrage of tears from coming.

After a moment, she said, "And what about you?" At the flicker of confusion that passed across Phenex's face, she added, "Now that Reeves is gone, I mean."

Phenex shoved his hands into his coat pockets, lips twitching into a bitter smile. "Yeah, I'll be okay. It was long overdue, anyway." He swallowed, averting his gaze briefly. Then with a sigh, he lifted his head, a genuine smile, however sad, lighting his face. "I'm more concerned with having to deal with your lot again."

The teasing words rang hollow, and he went on, his voice growing soft. "It's going to take a while, but I think I'll be able to play nice with them from here on out..." The next words weren't said out loud, but through the remnants of their telepathic link: "Because of you."

Tears blurred Gwen's vision, and the next thing she knew, Forneus had pulled her into another hug, murmuring words of comfort into her hair. Just as quickly, he turned away, Gwen catching a glimmer of something on his cheek just before Phenex came forward to take his place.

He ruffled her hair one last time, then wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. "Take care of yourself, Gwen."

Gwen's last impression was of Forneus glancing back at her, smiling tightly with tears in his eyes, of Phenex staring from beneath a fringe of auburn hair, hands shoved deep in his pockets... Then in a flash of golden light, they were gone, the darkness of her bedroom seeming more impregnable than ever before.

She had no memory of crawling into bed, no memory of pulling the comforter up until she could see nothing of the room around her. Only the phoenix feather at the base of her throat, heavy and warm, snapped her out of her shock. The gold band on her thumb, cool by contrast, gave birth to a flood of memories, each one passing through her mind unbidden. Above all, that first, fateful night in what seemed like a lifetime ago, when Forneus had appeared in her kitchen in a flash of blinding light.

Thank you, for everything. I'll never forget you...I promise.

Gwen buried her face in her pillow, stifling her sobs as best she could, each one a bullet through her heart.

Before long, she had fallen asleep, unaware of the figures that watched her between the slats of her blinds, their grief continuing where hers had left off until finally, when they were certain sleep had blanketed her in blessed oblivion, they left; trusting that with each sunrise and sunset, Gwen would heal.

*

"I know," Forneus murmured, the words struggling past the lump in his throat. "Letting go is never easy."

Phenex shoved his hands in his pockets, averting his gaze. "It's better this way." Then with a sad smile over his shoulder, he added, "She has her whole life ahead of her. After everything she's done, we owe her that much."

Forneus nodded. Without another word, he led the way to the council chamber, his last vision of Gwen—her grief-stricken expression—weighing heavily upon his heart every step of the way.

*