Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Twenty-Three: Part One

"Maybe that's why the Goblet of Bacchus didn't react right away," Gwen murmured, more to herself than Lyka. "I've been wondering about it since that day. But if the Umbrian Snare can drain someone of their energy, is it possible it did the same to the goblet?"

"That may very well be the case," Lyka agreed, her expression grim. "There's some very potent, dark ether in those vines. Potent enough to block magical signals, like the ones that pass between you and the artifacts. That's probably why it wasn't until after Forneus destroyed them that you were able to restore the goblet's seal."

Gwen was just about to ask why she had the power to restore the seals in the first place—a question she'd attempted to ask Forneus many times, all to no avail—when there came a faint groan from the other side of the room.

She was on her feet and at Forneus's bedside in the blink of an eye, grasping one of his hands as he slowly rose into a sitting position.

"You're awake," she managed weakly, a lump forming in her throat when his silver eyes met hers. "I was so worried. How are you feeling?"

The door to his quarters burst open before Forneus could answer, banging against the wall behind it and admitting Asclepius into the room.

"News from the council." Gwen got up from the edge of Forneus's bed the same time Lyka rose from her chair, both exchanging a worried glance at Asclepius's frazzled appearance. "Phenex has been captured by Reeves."

Lyka swore, her hands curling into fists.

"And that's not all," Asclepius added, expression darkening. "We now know who Reeves' puppet master is."

The air crackled with tension as they waited for Asclepius to continue, Gwen casting worried looks between Forneus and Lyka.

The moment seemed to stretch into eternity when Asclepius finally spoke, uttering a solitary word. "Iris."

*

Forneus swept his gaze around the strategy table, doing his utmost to block out the tension permeating the room. Nearly everyone was assembled—all of the higher ups from the Regulations Force and their highest ranking operatives, in any case—as well as the entire High Council.

He felt Gwen fidget at his side, nervously chewing her lower lip and twisting the ring on her thumb. This was the first she'd seen of the council chamber, and Apollo aside, the first she'd met of the High Council gods. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she glanced around the room, pale green eyes reflecting the inlaid crystal of the spherical walls.

"Now that you're all here," Zeus spoke up from his position at the head of the table, hands laid flat against it, "this is the transmission we received less than ten minutes ago." The Greek All-father tapped two of the keys on the console in front of him, causing an ethereal hologram to sputter to life in the centre of the table.

It rose up, nearly five feet tall and the full width of the table, filaments of blue and green dancing around the edges. Forneus stiffened, everyone else gasping and muttering in a mixture of surprise and disgust. On the left side stood Reeves, his face half covered in shadow from the brim of his hat, and next to him—

"That's Iris!" one of the operatives piped up, her voice carrying clear across the room. "But what is she—"

"Silence," Zeus snapped, the operative immediately doing as she was bid. "It's starting."

And so it was. The still-frame image gave a few protesting flickers, and then the recording began to play. Iris and Reeves, who had been standing side-by-side, moved apart, revealing Phenex in the background between them. This earned another round of muttering. Even the gods couldn't keep their silence this time, Apollo's voice filled with the lamentation of a parent seeing their child suffer.