prowled closer, dropping to hands and knees, his tail a dark blur of movement behind him as it swished through the air. Diana froze in place, her eyes fixed on the faint outline of his body and the white glow of his eyes as he came closer. Her heart jumped in her chest despite his odd assurance that sounded far from any real comfort.
In the space of minutes, the creature informed her that she would be used and then discarded, in who knew what sort of condition once she outlived her usefulness. At least it did not sound like he had any intention to kill her yet, but she didn’t trust that not to change. In truth, even at that moment, Diana felt hunted as he drew closer.
“You could let me go now,” she argued, uncomfortable with his approach. “I have no skills that would be useful to you, and you say yourself that I do not belong here.”
A humming purr answered her. “I could,” he agreed. “But I will not. Whether either of us likes this situation, our fates are entwined. Even if I wished it, I do not think the forest will allow you to leave so easily after snatching you into its embrace. The Eternal Forest brought you here, but its purpose is known only to the highest among the gods.”
She felt the blunt end of his nose brush her cheek as he inhaled deeply. A shiver of awareness skated down her spine as she tensed. “Are you telling me that I would never have found my way out if you had not?”
“I was destined to find you,” he purred. “But you would not have. Humans rarely find their way out of the border territories without a benevolent spirit taking pity on them. You do not comprehend just how far from your reality you are. The Eternal Forest is a dangerous place for humans, especially in the wild depths of my realm. Be grateful that the gods brought me to you instead of another.”
“You mean like those creatures who were here earlier?” she whispered.
“Creatures?” he murmured, his tone scathing.
Diana cringed at the wealth of condemnation that came through in that one word. As the minutes dragged by, she further felt the critical weight of his scrutiny as he regarded her in silence. She was about to say never mind when his voice cut through the darkness.
“Those creatures as you call them are trolls. They are strong, reliable guards not only of my palace but also of the forest itself. They keep watch along the borders of the Eternal Forest against intruders who may come in from your world, guarding such bridges carefully.”
“Trolls?” she whispered, an unmistakable shrill note entering her voice. They had been larger than most men and thicker of build, but trolls? “As in man-eating, pillaging monsters?”
“No species is perfect,” he said. “They perhaps aren’t seen in the best light when they are in the mortal world. Although I understand that they tend to keep to themselves now, in the past bands of them formed crude kingdoms. The thing about trolls is that they only respect strength. In your world, there is little to respect.”
Diana blanched. “You are telling me that they’re already in my world?”
He scoffed. “Of course. The barriers dropped allowing crossings to many creatures, though few can find their way home, should they desire it, once they leave the Eternal Forest and other realms from which they might come. I know for certain that from the forest there are elves, orcs, trolls, centaurs, and all manner of creatures in your world once more.”
“But they eat humans!”
“Seldom,” he corrected as he shifted over her in the dark. “It is not an unknown occurrence, however. Most dead beings are considered meat in the mind of a troll.”
Diana felt her jaw drop. “Are you saying that they would eat anyone dead—even one of their own?”
“That is difficult to say for sure,” he admitted.
“And you trusted them in here with me?” Diana squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the grip of the panic. One of those monsters could have grabbed her, killed her, and dragged her off for a feast with her captor being no more the wiser.
The male above her snarled loudly in offense. The sound pierced right through her, pinning her place with the terror that surged through her. Eyes widening, she watched him the best she could through the thick gloom of the room.
He leaned in close, his hot breath fanning her face. Notes