The past three days had been more difficult than Phenex ever could have imagined. Gwen hadn't taken well to the 4 a.m. training sessions, and getting her out of bed had proven every bit as challenging as the training, itself.
This morning was no different. Gwen held fast to her pillow, glaring blearily up at him as he tore the comforter off of her. Drawing her knees up to her stomach with an incoherent grumble, she flipped onto her right side, burying her head under her pillow in the process.
"C'mon Gwen," he sighed. "We've been down this road too many times now for you not to know where this is going. So why don't you save us both the trouble, and get out of bed?"
"No."
"Have it your way, then."
With that, he took hold of the mattress, and before Gwen could so much as let out a muffled yelp, he flipped it, dumping the bedraggled teen and her pillow onto the floor opposite. The way she looked at him then, eyes narrowed and hair sticking up every which way...well, it was all he could do not to laugh.
"Don't look at me like that." He grinned, and offered her a hand. "I told you this would happen if you didn't get up when I asked you to."
"No, you told me I knew what would happen if I didn't get up," Gwen argued, slapping his hand away and rising on her own. "You didn't actually say you'd flip my mattress over. It's been something different every morning!"
"Gwen..."
She went on as though she hadn't heard him. "The first morning you dumped a bucket of ice water on me—ice water, for crying out loud!"
"That was pretty funny, actually."
"Yesterday, you set half of my room on fire..."
"And that," Phenex interjected, holding his hands out in front of him, "was an accident." Then scowling back at her, he added, "As I recall, you did kick me somewhere rather sensitive. The room catching on fire is at least half your fault."
"I didn't mean to kick you," Gwen mumbled, averting her gaze. "You were tickling me..."
"And that warranted a kick south of the border?" Phenex folded his arms across his chest, smirking as Gwen turned a darker shade of red.
"It was a reflex," Gwen huffed, running a hand through her tangled hair. "I said I was sorry!"
Phenex started to say, "Among other, very unladylike things," when a knock came at the door.
Forneus stepped into the room, his gaze going first from one to the other, then to the mattress lying on the floor. "Dare I ask?"
"It's probably best if you didn't," Phenex said with a chuckle. "Suffice it to say Gwen was suffering from 'bed separation anxiety', so I took it upon myself to cure her."
"I believe it's called 'being a teenager'," said Forneus, snapping his fingers and placing a silver platter on Gwen's bedside table, "and I believe this is the cure."
Phenex watched with wry amusement as Gwen's eyes went from narrowed slits to bright green saucers in less than a second, her lips stretching into a wide smile.
"French toast!" she exclaimed, practically throwing herself into Forneus's arms. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you—thank you!" she finished with a kiss to his cheek. Scooping up the platter, she made her way over to the sitting area and settled into one of the armchairs, eating her breakfast in earnest.
Forneus chuckled and snapped his fingers again, the mattress floating up off the floor, and returning to its proper place on the bed frame. "You are most welcome." He turned to Phenex, looking far too pleased with himself. "I told you that was the cure."
Phenex opened his mouth to reply, when another knock came at the door. Exchanging a look with both Forneus and Gwen, he shrugged. In a few quick strides, he had the door open, admitting one of Hermes' personal aides into the room.
"Begging your pardon for the interruption," said the messenger (Entidus, Phenex thought his name was) without preamble. "But it seems a complication has arisen in regards to"—he glanced furtively in Gwen's direction, as if just noticing her for the first time, and continued in a hushed whisper—"the artifacts. An emergency meeting has been called, and your presence is required in the council chamber."
"Very well, then." Phenex sighed. "Has anyone informed Commander Asclepius? He oughta be in the Training Facility right about now, awaiting our arrival."
The aide nodded. "Commander Asclepius and Lieutenant Lyka are making their way to the council chamber as we speak."
"Then there's no help for it," said Forneus. To Gwen, he added, "We'll be back before you know it. Is there anything else you need before we go?"
Phenex glanced over his shoulder, noting Gwen's anxious expression. "No, I'm fine. But...what should I do in the meantime?"
"Sit tight, and be ready for anything," Phenex told her. "It looks like we'll be going to Prague sooner than we thought."
*
Phenex led the way into the council chamber, the aide propping the arched, obsidian door open and allowing both operatives to enter ahead of him. Forneus fell into step beside Phenex as they crossed the threshold, making their way from the quartz walkway outside to the wide crystal steps within. The bright, semi-spherical chamber glittered all around them, rounded walls of moonstone gleaming in shades of white, blue, and yellow beneath a ceiling of pink sunstone. A globular chunk of amethyst was fixed at the apex, casting violet rays of light onto the walkways below.
Exchanging a look, they climbed the crystal staircase, neither uttering a word as they came to the circular dais at the very top. Phenex swept his gaze over the boxed tiers lining the chamber walls directly in front of them, each tier dedicated to one of the three echelons. The lowest tier, that of the Third Echelon, had box seats of jade, complete with uniquely carved, high-backed chairs.
The second tier was broken into three sections, so that the box seats sat on the left and right of the chamber, as well as the middle. The tiers were made of citrine, while the chairs were crafted of gilded silver and gold; these belonged to the members of the Second Echelon.
Above them was a long circular half-tier, and unlike the ones below it, it wasn't comprised of box seats, but rather of a simple platform of pure, black onyx. Each of the chairs—save for one of pure gold—were made of carved white marble.
The beautifully crafted tiers weren't what had Phenex's attention, however. The entire top tier—belonging to the Upper Echelon, those members of the council who had final say in all matters—was empty, as were several of the other seats in the tiers below it. Coming to the centre of the dais, both he and Forneus dropped into identical bows, announcing themselves.
As they stood, Phenex cast another look around the chamber. When it was clear that no one else would be joining them, save for a handful of members from the Fifth Unit, he shrugged.
"Not my place to question the will of the gods," he muttered. He cast a surreptitious glance at the third tier, where Artemis was slowly making her way down the steps toward the oblong strategy table at the opposite end of the dais.
"Be that as it may," Forneus replied, equally as quiet, "it does make you wonder why none of the Upper Echelon members are here. I had thought that at the very least Zeus would want to be present for something this important."
Neither of them said a word more on the subject as they approached the strategy table, Phenex's gaze instantly going to the scaled, three-dimensional images projecting from its centre. Aside from Artemis, who had come up beside them just as they reached the table, only four other council members were present; Isis and Osiris of the Second Echelon, and Apollo and Hermes of the third.
On the far side of the table stood Asclepius, with Lyka standing to his left and three other operatives to his right. A Chinese rain spirit that, for the life of him, Phenex couldn't remember the name of, and two woodland elves—one male, one female—that he didn't particularly like.
Once everyone present had gathered around the table, they got down to business, Artemis starting the meeting off with a quick exchange of pleasantries.
"Though the plan should be well enough known by now," she said, casting her hazel gaze around the table, "I think it would be best if we went over it one more time. Asclepius, if you please?"
The demigod nodded, and gestured toward the three-dimensional image at the centre of the table, where the entire grounds of Prague Castle were laid out in varying shades of blue. "As you are all well aware, there are many mortal dwellings surrounding the castle's interior courtyard, as well as without." He touched an area of the ethereal blueprint, the indigo lines turning red as he dragged his finger over the image of a bridge. "To the southeast is the Charles Bridge, as well as several other, though considerably far less structurally sound, bridges—and beyond them, the rest of Prague."
He said all of this with the air of someone who had recited these very same words many times before, and as a result, had grown tired of them. In one of his rare moments, Phenex actually felt sorry for him. He was every bit as sick of going over the plan as Asclepius was, and from a quick glance around the table, it appeared most everyone else felt the same.
Asclepius went on. "The Fifth Unit will be split into four groups, positioned here, here, and here—" He highlighted each section of the map in turn, the images enlarging to show the districts of Mala Strana, Loreta, and Wallenstein Garden respectively, "—with myself leading the fourth group here." He circled Prague Castle itself, the ethereal miniatures of the surrounding buildings flashing a brilliant red and dimming.
By the time he'd gone on to explain that groups one through three would be in charge of setting up a perimeter, while group four—his group—would see to the evacuation of the civilians living on the castle's grounds, Phenex's mind began to wander. They had gone over the plan so many times that he probably could have quoted it verbatim if he had wanted to.
Why Artemis had insisted they go over it again was beyond him. True, she had always been the practical sort, so unlike Apollo that if he had not known them for as long as he had, Phenex might not have realized they were twins. Even so, he had seen in her a wilder side, too, one far more reckless in the face of battle—and the very reason that he and the huntress goddess got along so well. Maybe not to the degree that he did with Forneus or Apollo, or even Hermes, but enough that he didn't feel quite as awkward around her as he did with many of the other council members.
"Is your team ready to spearhead the operation?" Phenex glanced up to see Asclepius staring back at him, his mouth twisted in displeasure. Clearly he'd noticed Phenex's lack of focus.
In that moment, whatever pity he'd previously felt for Asclepius dissipated. Phenex took a steadying breath and relaxed his facial muscles until he was certain not a trace of what he was thinking or feeling could be seen. How dare he? Asclepius knew that Gwen's training was incomplete, that she was the furthest thing from ready for whatever awaited them in Prague. So why bother asking? For the sake of protocol? What place did his idiotic need to adhere to protocol serve, when everyone else knew the truth?
"It's not my team you need to worry about," Phenex answered coolly, placing his hands on top of the table. "We're more than ready to fulfill our end of the mission. The question is, are you?"
He heard Forneus sigh at this, shaking his head mutely in disapproval. Phenex ignored this however, his gaze locking with Asclepius's.
Asclepius frowned at him. "And just what are you implying, exactly?"
"I'm not implying any—"
"All right, that's enough," Apollo cut him off, eyes flashing. "You two can have your little battle of wills to your heart's content later. This mission is far too important for you to let your petty differences get in the way. Like it or not, you're going to be relying on one another out there, so you might want to learn to get along for once in your cursedly long lives. Do I make myself clear?"
Phenex stared back at Apollo, dumbfounded. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him this angry, and he was certain that he never wanted to again.
Wordlessly, he nodded, noticing when Asclepius did the same in his peripherals, his gaze lowered in shame. It was an act of humility he reserved only for his father, and it reminded Phenex far too much of a time when they'd both been a great deal younger, even more hot-headed and quarrelsome than they were now.
It wasn't something he cared to remember, not when it called to mind other things he'd sooner forget—such as how he owed Asclepius every bit as much as he owed Apollo. If not for Asclepius, he might have never learned to hone his healing arts. Even if Asclepius had only trained Phenex at his father's command, it still counted for something.
For a lot, in fact.
A debt's a debt, Phenex thought sullenly. Maybe when this is all over, Asclepius and I could—
"Good." Apollo's voice brought him back to the present. He shot them a final warning glance and went on. "Now, if we could get back to the topic at hand?"
An uncomfortable silence followed this. Isis was the one to break it, the Egyptian goddess clearing her throat and glancing nervously at each of them in turn.
"Your mission will be the most difficult of all," she said, pale blue eyes flitting between Phenex and Forneus. "Because our enemies cannot detect the artifact on their own, it is highly likely they will have you find it for them. It is critical that you remain as inconspicuous as possible, for if they follow you to the artifact's location, they will not hesitate to snatch it right out from under you."
"There is more to it than that, however." Osiris stepped forward, twining his dark fingers with his wife's somewhat paler ones. "Caution alone isn't enough. According to your reports, the artifacts glow whenever the girl draws close to them, correct?"
Phenex suspected he knew where Osiris was going with this, but chose to indulge him anyway. "Yes, or so the ones we've found have. Why?"
"Because if they glow, they become visible to the enemy. If this artifact should do the same, and is noticed by them before you or the girl are able to grab hold of it—"
"—then Reeves might get his grubby little hands on it before we do," Phenex finished for him, sighing. "Which would still apply even if the artifacts didn't glow."
Just how many times do they plan on harping on that one point, exactly?
Much as he liked Isis and Osiris—they had always been kind to him, if a bit aloof—he grew tired of their constant 'doom and gloom'. Though after what that bastard Set had put them through millennia ago, he supposed he couldn't really blame them.
"I know you're tired of going over the plan," Artemis soothed. "We all are. No one understands more than I how badly you thirst for battle...but I must ask you to stay your hand this one time. If engaging the enemy can be avoided, then that is precisely what you must do."
"My sister is right," said Apollo. "This operation must be carried out as covertly as possible. Though it is doubtful Reeves' forces will even be aware of your presence—as they've only carried out their operations under the cover of darkness, while ours will occur at dawn—I must advise each of you to use extreme caution. Rely on your stealth training, and above all, ensure that any mortals that can be evacuated are, and that those who cannot are well protected."
Isis picked up where Apollo left off, her voice much stronger than before. "This places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of those of you who are accomplished in shielding magic, but it is a necessary precaution." Her long, dark hair brushed her shoulders as she scanned the faces around her. "In turn, it is the duty of the rest of you to carry out your missions as swiftly as possible, so that your comrades-in-arms can fulfill theirs."
Silence followed. No one knew what else to say, now that everything had been laid out on the table. Phenex was acutely aware of several pairs of eyes staring at him and Forneus, and from the way he shifted from one foot to the other, it seemed Forneus had noticed as well.
The guardian never had been much for being the centre of attention, and under the circumstances, Phenex couldn't blame him. When that attention was coming from the High Council, the very beings responsible for the failsafe that had stripped Forneus of all but his most basic powers (which Phenex felt was the stupidest thing they could have possibly done, since with all of his powers intact, Forneus would have reclaimed the artifacts by now) he supposed he'd be more than a little uncomfortable, too.
As things were, Phenex was uncomfortable. While their task was far from being the most difficult—in spite of what Isis had said—it was still the most crucial. Everything else hinged on whether they succeeded or not, and though he would never admit it to anyone but Forneus, he was starting to feel the pressure.
Of course, this was true of pretty much any time mortal lives were thrown into the mix. If it were just Gwen they needed to worry about... But it wasn't just Gwen. Keeping her safe was difficult enough on its own, but ensuring that the citizens of Prague were safe as well, with an entire army only a portal away?
Phenex ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. "So in short, one slip-up could cost the whole mission. That about sum it up?"
Artemis answered him with a wan smile. "Unfortunately, yes."
"Okay. No pressure then." He looked at Forneus, his lip curling into a rueful grin. "Piece of cake..."
*