him. Nali knew the experience had been very traumatic for her dear friend and had never pressed him for details. In the end, the how wasn’t important. What mattered the most was that Tonya had survived.
“Tonya described the Goddess who saved her. She looked—yes, she looked like the entities in the caverns,” Ashure soberly replied.
“Then it would appear,” Asahi said grimly, “that it was your Goddess that the alien consumed. If not your exact Goddess, then one of her species—and now it can access objects created with your Goddess’s power.”
Nali nodded and remained silent as they continued along the road. She stared ahead and absently caressed the silver mirror that Ashure had handed to her earlier while the men continued to talk.
Turning the mirror over, she studied the old willow tree and the fairies. Her fingers trembled when she saw something that she had missed before. Partially obscured by the hanging branches of the willow was the figure of a woman. Nestled in her arms was a swaddled baby, and behind her—a portal opening to the universe.
Tears suddenly burned Nali’s eyes. She held the mirror closer so she could see the minute details of the infant. While the face and body were obscured, there were curly locks of hair peeking out from underneath the blanket.
She touched a strand of her long, curly hair, and suddenly she felt a bone-deep knowledge, a realization that had always been waiting for her in the depths of her magic. She was the infant depicted. The images carved into the mirror—they were about her arrival.
“Are you alright?” Asahi murmured near her ear.
She looked over her shoulder at him. He tenderly caressed her neck, and she gave him a distracted smile.
“Yes, I’m thinking about what you said,” she replied.
“Pai is landing,” Ashure warned, slowing the transport.
Nali pulled her gaze away from Asahi’s and nodded. Ashure eased the transport up alongside the hippogriff.
“What is it?” she asked Pai when they stopped beside him.
“There’s a Daktyloi longhouse ahead. I don’t see any signs of life,” Pai warned.
“Scout the surrounding area, we will check the longhouse,” she instructed.
Pai nodded and stepped back from the transport. “Don’t forget to shift,” he grumbled before taking off.
Ashure shook his head. “I notice he hasn’t changed much. He still likes to order you around,” he commented with a humorous grin.
“His heart has always been in the right place,” she absently murmured.
Chapter 12
Fifteen minutes later, Ashure turned onto a short driveway off the major road and stopped the vehicle. Asahi leaned back and pulled the gryphon dagger from his sheath. The animated creature yawned, stood up, and shook, causing his golden mane to fluff out.
“What is it?” the lion growled.
Asahi kept his attention on the long, rectangular hut before them. “We aren’t sure yet,” he said.
“It helps if I know what I’m about to encounter,” the gryphon pouted.
“That would help me too, Mr. Gryphon,” Asahi replied.
He followed Nali as she exited the vehicle. Her body shimmered with a golden hue as her flesh hardened, and a sense of déjà vu struck him for a moment. She motioned with her hand for him to stay back. He paused, monitoring her progress before he glanced at the winged lion that was tapping on his hand. He realized that Mr. Gryphon was still waiting for more information about their location.
“We are in front of a Daktyloi longhouse. Pai thinks something may be wrong. What can you tell me about them?” he requested.
The gryphon scratched behind his ear. “Well, the Daktyloi are a strange bunch, even for monsters. They live together in groups of three to five. They are brilliant in areas like mathematics, metalworking, and healing magic. They are also obnoxious. They think Daktyloi are better than everyone else, and each Daktyloi thinks he or she is the best of their own kind. That’s why they live apart from everyone. No one can stand them. They can barely stand each other,” the gryphon said with a dry chuckle.
“I’ll remember that,” Asahi murmured.
Nali paused at the front door and frowned. She looked over her shoulder at him, gave him a brief nod, then turned and knocked on the door. Under her fist, the door popped from its latch and came to a halt just past the door jamb, hiding what lay beyond.
Ashure pulled a sword out from under his coat and signaled that he would take the back. Asahi nodded and followed Nali.
He drew the 9mm handgun from the holster under his jacket, released the safety with a