The Monster's Caress - S.E. Smith Page 0,7

kind of alien that attacked the Sea Witch and the Isle of Magic is now on the Isle of the Monsters. Your trolls were the first to encounter the creature here. It is imperative that I speak with them,” she explained.

Zenma nodded. “The trolls will do whatever you require, Empress.”

“Elder, Dew and Elderberry are here,” the guard announced.

Nali transformed her skin back into the stone exterior of a gargoyle as she turned and faced the two trolls who entered. She searched their eyes for any evidence of the black swirling shadows that she had noticed in Magna’s. Twin sets of clear blue eyes watched her with a mixture of awe and nervousness, then Dew ducked his head.

“You wished to speak with us, Elder?” Elderberry inquired.

“Not I but Empress Nali,” Zenma replied with a wave of her hand.

“You were the ones who discovered the first stag, correct?” Nali asked.

“Yes, Empress. We planned to fish the cove. Dew was the first to notice the stag. It was struggling in the surf. We’ve never seen a stag this far north before and never that close to shore. Dew sensed something was wrong with it and cautioned that we should alert the palace,” Elderberry replied.

Nali looked at Dew. He was young, and from the way he kept looking down at the floor, she sensed that he was shy. She stepped closer to him, gently reached out, and touched his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. His eyes were clear; she was certain.

“What did you sense, Dew?” Nali gently asked.

Dew looked at Elderberry with a pained, almost pleading expression. Nali refrained from expressing a sigh of impatience. Trolls were clannish creatures, she knew, but this was no time to be keeping secrets from outsiders, so she was grateful when Elderberry silently encouraged Dew to speak with a motion of his hand. Dew looked at her with an expression of resignation.

“I… I… ca-ca-can sen-se th-th-things, like dan-danger. Th-the stag had a-a bl-blood re-re-red aura,” Dew stuttered.

“Dew is one of our most gifted trolls. His ability to sense danger has saved many of us from injury or death,” Zenma added.

Nali nodded. “There was another injured stag a bit farther north. My guard saw troll tracks leading away from it. Was there another troll with you?” she inquired.

Elderberry frowned and shook his head. “No, it was just Dew and me,” he said.

Dew shook his head. “I-I saw… Med-Medjuline in… in the woods earlier,” he replied.

Nali looked at Zenma. “Where is Medjuline?” she demanded.

Zenma started to reply when Pai and another guard entered the longhouse. Pai gave Nali a sharp look, indicating that he had found something. The guard bowed low before addressing his Empress and Zenma.

“Empress, Elder, Medjuline is missing. Her parents have not seen her for two days,” the guard said.

“Find her,” Zenma ordered, rising slowly to her feet.

Nali raised a commanding hand. “No, Pai and I will search for her. It is too dangerous for anyone to be near her until we know for sure what has happened. I will have some of my gargoyle guards come to the village in case she returns. Do not allow anyone near her. I cannot stress that strongly enough,” Nali sharply instructed.

“We will do as you command, Empress,” Zenma said.

“We will begin our search in the morning. Zenma, do you have lodgings we can use for the night?” Nali requested.

“It would be our honor for you to stay, Empress. Please follow me,” Zenma said.

Chapter 3

Asahi knelt behind a tree and watched as a troll he had come across stumbled and groaned. She was gripping her head and shaking it back and forth as if she were in pain. Then she unexpectedly twirled in a tight circle and ran head first into a nearby tree. Asahi braced his hand against the tree trunk to keep from losing his balance when the ground shook.

He watched in disbelief as she spun in a dizzying circle before her eyes rolled back in her head. She fell backward with a bone-shaking crash. Something was definitely not right. He slowly stood but remained hidden. He was glad of his precaution when, a moment later, he saw the troll’s unconscious body suddenly bow upward, and a black, liquid mass oozed from her mouth.

The mass coalesced, its size growing larger until it was about the size of an English Mastiff back on Earth. The liquid blob twisted and turned as if searching for another creature to inhabit. A shiver of unease swept through Asahi when the