Medjuline sat up and looked around her with wide, frightened eyes. She looked back at the woman standing in front of her with her sword at the ready. Medjuline raised a trembling hand to her brow again.
“The creature that… that came out…. The stag… the stag’s side exploded and covered me. There was a black glob…,” Medjuline exclaimed, her voice growing louder as fear engulfed her again. “It was choking me, and I couldn’t get it off!”
Compassion washed through Asahi when the troll began to cry. It was obvious now from her features and the way she spoke that she was young. She looked at her hands and rubbed them together before pushing back her dark red hair as if to make sure none of the residual goo from the black substance remained. She rocked back and forth as she sobbed.
“Where did the alien go, Medjuline? It is important that I find it before it can harm another,” the beautiful creature said.
Medjuline wiped her face with her grimy hands, leaving streaks of dirt across her dark tan skin. She looked back at the marble woman, and her eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t know. It was hurting me—my head. I had to make it stop. I wanted it out of me. I… I ran into a tree. I don’t feel it inside me anymore, but my head still hurts,” Medjuline confessed.
The woman lowered her sword and stepped forward.
“Nali!” the hippogriff in the tree growled fearfully.
Nali’s lips curved into a smile. It wasn’t one of amusement. It was a dangerous, anticipatory smile—as if she were daring anything to attack her. She rested her hand on the young troll’s arm and studied her closely. Several tense seconds passed before she whispered something so softly that Asahi couldn’t hear it.
He took in a startled breath when the marble woman suddenly changed into a version of herself that was softer, warmer, and far more glorious. Her smooth, light brown skin glowed in the filtered light of the sun above the canopy, making it appear the same color as creamy milk chocolate. Her long black hair hung in tight ringlets around her face and shoulders, reminding him of the ancient Cretan women.
“Pai, the alien has left Medjuline’s body. It is safe to come down,” she replied.
Medjuline sniffled while silent tears continued to course down her dirty cheeks. Her eyes were now filled with wonder instead of fear. She reached out a hand to the woman.
Asahi tamped down his unease. He had seen the liquid parasite leave Medjuline, and this powerful woman was certain that none remained. It was just the horrifying nature of what he had seen that was keeping him on edge. He would surely have nightmares about that parasite for days.
“Nali,” Pai cautioned again, “the alien has never left a host alive—not without far more force applied than a bump on the head.”
Nali’s expression softened as she looked at her concerned companion. “I could not say why this time is different, but the alien is gone, Pai. I am certain of it—and Medjuline is hurt and frightened. Please come down.”
Nali firmly clasped Medjuline’s hand, meeting her eyes reassuringly.
“Empress, I…. It wants to hurt us,” Medjuline said.
“I will stop it. Pai, take Medjuline back to her village. Make sure that there are ample guards to secure the area in case the alien tries to circle back,” Nali ordered.
The hippogriff landed and pawed at the ground in irritation. He shook his head. “Nali, please tell me that you aren’t planning on going after that creature alone,” Pai hissed with dismay.
Asahi smirked in amusement when the woman named Nali rolled her eyes before she nodded her head. His amusement turned to concern when Nali helped the troll stand and Medjuline swayed. She was twice the size of the woman who was trying to support her. The hippogriff must have felt the same way because he quietly snarled and pushed up against the troll who leaned on him.
“She cannot return alone, Pai. She’s injured and shaken by what’s happened to her. Return with her to the village. You can find me after you have made sure she is safe and the village is secure,” Nali finally replied.
“I don’t like this,” Pai snapped.
“I didn’t ask if you did,” she retorted with a slight bite to her tone.
Asahi’s eyes narrowed. This woman was used to giving orders. He studied her features and froze when he suddenly put two and two together and realized who he was watching. She was Nali, Empress of the Monsters. He would never have expected her to be so young—or so beautiful.
Nali waited until Pai and Medjuline disappeared from view before she turned and scanned the forest. She sensed that she wasn’t alone. It was unclear whether the unknown presence was an enemy or an ally. She closed her eyes and listened, but all she heard were the sounds of nature—the wind in the trees, the songs of birds, and the faint sound of rushing water from a nearby stream.
She opened her eyes and stared off into the distance. Lifting her hand, she whispered a summoning spell. A small, oval disk made of liquid gold appeared in her hand. The surface of the material flattened and shimmered until it became a polished surface so smooth that it formed a mirror that reflected her image.
“Goddess’s Mirror, show me the alien,” she murmured.
Her reflection shimmered, changing to show an image of the forest in front of her. The mirror revealed the shadowy form of the alien that Medjuline had described disappearing into the mouth of a cave. Dread filled her, and she looked up. The alien had entered the den of the goblins.
“As if goblins aren’t already difficult enough as they are,” she muttered. “Goddess’s Mirror, show me who watches me.”
The image shimmered again. Her breath caught when she saw a man that she had never seen before. His features were obscured by the shadows, giving her only an impression of what he looked like. His eyes were dark brown and his hair short and black. He had a long slender nose, and from the angle of the image, she could see a firm jaw. A shiver of awareness ran through her. It was strange for her to have such a powerful reaction, and it left her with the uneasy feeling that somehow their destinies were connected.
“Where is he?” she demanded.
Nali snarled with impatience and released the mirror when it revealed only the dense forest. The mirror vanished with a sprinkling of gold dust, and she knew that even if she called for it to return, she would learn nothing new. The Goddess’s Mirror was a fickle gift, revealing only what it wanted, when it wanted.
“That damn mirror drives me crazy,” she cursed.
There was only one thing Nali could do—draw out the man, discover what he wanted and where he had come from. She didn’t have time for games. When—not if—the alien reached the goblins, things could become much more complicated than dealing with a single troll.
“I know you are there. Come out,” she called.
A movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to turn and face the man she had seen in the mirror. She took a deep breath and stiffened her shoulders. He was taller than she had expected, and the awareness that she had experienced before became much more intense.
The man wore a pair of black pants with several pockets and a white, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled almost to his elbows. He carried a long black bag on his back, held there by a thick strap over his shoulder. His features were clear now, and she could see the slight slant of his dark brown eyes. Those eyes held her mesmerized. Her attention moved down to his lips, and a fleeting desire to touch them pierced her consciousness.