the opposing elements that make up the universe. He believed his grandfather’s version.
He controlled his breathing, pulling on his inner discipline, learned from decades of practice. It took him longer than usual to relax his mind. When he finally achieved the balance, the visions and the voice of the alien flowed through him.
The alien had abandoned the eel because of the Water Sirens, choosing instead to divide into narrow bands that looked like thousands of sea snakes. He felt a moment of disorientation when he connected to them. The slithering bodies blended with the dark grass on the bottom of the lake. The spread of the alien in this form made it more challenging for the Water Sirens to stop its advance.
You must stop it.
The sorrow-filled voice swept through his mind. It was barely discernable above the indistinct sounds resonating from the multitude of other creatures, but it still pierced through the noise, noticeably different because it was feminine. He followed it back to the source. It was a lone strand of the alien, larger than the rest, solid black, but with a touch of gold peeking through. It fell behind the others, appearing reluctant to follow.
He focused on it. There were two distinct voices coming from it. The first voice was familiar. It was the same one that he’d heard down in the goblin cave and later at the home of the Daktyloi. The second voice, the barely audible feminine voice, was filled with overwhelming pain and sorrow.
Who are you? he let the words form in his mind, unsure if the entity could hear him.
You must not allow it to reach the Gateway, the voice responded.
How can we stop it? he asked.
This one uses me, so the only way to stop it is—
Asahi stiffened when the black band encircling the gold screeched with fury. He remained focused on the vision, even as the entity in his body rebelled. Sweat beaded on his brow and intense pain surged until he felt like it would split him in two.
“Asahi, stop!” Nali’s harsh cry pierced the agonizing pressure.
A powerful wave of fatigue hit him, and his knees buckled. He would have hit the ground hard if not for Nali’s arm around his waist. He reached out and held onto her as he staggered.
“I’m alright,” he slurred.
“No, you are not. Let me get you back to the tent,” she replied.
He tiredly nodded his head. “This one is stronger than we thought,” he mumbled.
“Then we must be even tougher,” she said in a soothing tone.
“Nali… I love you,” he murmured.
She tightened her hold on him and released a shaky breath. “I love you, too, Asahi,” she replied.
He was vaguely aware of Ashure hurrying forward to help Nali get him into a tent. He closed his eyes when his head connected with the pillow and thankfully gave into the numbing darkness of exhaustion that engulfed him.
“Will he be alright?” Ashure asked a few minutes later.
Nali nodded and rubbed her arms. She gazed around the camp. Gargoyles sharpened their swords, ate, and murmured among themselves. Drago and Koorgan stood with another group, sparring with a variety of weapons. Gem and Ross sat by the fire talking with Ariness and Isha.
“Where’s Orion?” she asked with a frown.
Ashure shrugged. “I saw him walking toward the river a few minutes ago. He’s probably having a conversation with the fish,” he said.
She looked back into the tent where Asahi lay sleeping on the wide cot. There were a few things that she needed to do, but she was hesitant to leave Asahi’s side. She feared for his safety. On the cliff, it had been impossible to miss the alien inside him. When he had connected with the alien, its dark web had spread across his skin, turning his flesh darker than her own.
“Ashure, can you watch over him?” she asked in an emotion-filled voice.
“With my life, Nali,” he vowed.
She withdrew the dagger from the waist of her trousers and held it out with trembling fingers. Ashure probably wouldn’t need Mr. Gryphon, but if Asahi was to wake before her return, he might. She couldn’t bring herself to ask Ashure to harm Asahi. If it came to that horrific point, she would be the one to do it. She had promised that she would.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said.
“Be careful,” he cautioned.
She nodded. “I will.”
Nali landed along the bank of the river and shifted from her gargoyle form back to her normal appearance. She raised an inquiring