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.
“Who are you?” she demanded in a harsh voice.
“Asahi Tanaka,” he replied.
She swallowed and remained silent as they warily studied each other. Her gaze slowly moved over him again. A frown creased her brow when she noticed the jeweled hilt of a dagger at his waist. He carried a sorcerer’s blade.
“What are you doing on my Isle, Asahi Tanaka?” she demanded.
“I’m searching for answers,” he replied.
Her frown deepened. Visitors were not allowed to travel beyond the capital city without express permission. The rule was in place to keep them, as well as residents, as safe as possible. Trolls, goblins, and—well, there was a long list of inhabitants who potentially posed a danger to unwary travelers. What answers would a sorcerer want here?
After a moment of thought, Nali concluded that there was only one reason a sorcerer would be this far north and this deep into the forest. He searched for the magical ore the goblins mined and forged.
“You’ll find no ‘answers’ here,” she said to the man standing stiffly a few feet from her. She hissed in surprise when he lunged toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her to the ground. She started to grab his wrist before she realized that she was not the intended target of the dagger he wielded. The dagger’s blade became white hot and hummed as it sliced through the long black tentacle that stabbed at the empty air where she had been standing less than a second before.
She rolled over until she was on top of Asahi. Her flesh hardened to stone. Her wings emerged from her back, and she spread them to cover them both as the severed tentacle dissolved around them. She raised her arms, protecting Asahi’s head, and pressed her forehead against his, sending her awareness outward to sense the alien’s next attack.
They stared into each other’s eyes as the seconds ticked by. Their breaths mixed as the silence stretched. Under her wings, Asahi slid his hand across her hip to her lower back. She turned her head just far enough to see the flakes of ash falling around them. She looked down at Asahi with a suspicious expression.
“How did you do that?” she demanded in a hard tone.
“It’s all in the wrist,” another voice said with a touch of amusement.
“What the—?” Asahi hissed, dropping the blade in surprise.
Nali rolled off of Asahi and rose to her feet. She stood over him, her legs slightly apart and a long broadsword in her hand. After a quick look around, she fixed on the dagger. It was sticking out of the soft ground where Asahi had dropped it. Nali watched with amusement as Asahi studied the dagger, and the gold, winged lion on the hilt grinned back at him.
Asahi sat up and scooted away from the dagger. The wings on the small lion fluttered and pulled the blade free from the ground. Then the Lion Dagger flew higher, hovering in the air as he demanded, “Is no one going to thank me for saving your lives?”
Nali gently grasped the dagger and held it in front her curiously as she said, “Of course. Thank you very much indeed.”
“You’re welcome, Empress,” the lion said, puffing up with pride. He turned his head to pointedly glare at Asahi who was still gaping at the talking animated object.
“What is that? How—?” Asahi forced out around his astonishment.
Nali lifted a delicate eyebrow. “You are the sorcerer, and you don’t know the magic of your