“Promise you not go back to city,” he implored.

I watched a gull dive toward the water and rise up with a wriggling fish in its beak. “You know I can’t promise I won’t ever leave here. But I will promise to stay away from Portland for a while. The werewolves are hunting the vampires now and they said the city will be safe again soon.”

Remy nodded. “Werewolves not as strong as trolls but they good hunters. Good you have werewolf friends.”

“Oh yeah, about that.” I faced him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? And don’t say you didn’t know because you must have smelled them on me.”

“Not my place to tell,” he said unapologetically. “Trolls respect other Peoples. Other Peoples respect trolls.”

“Does that mean my friends know about you?”

“No. Werewolves know trolls live here but keep distance.” He gave me a shark grin. “You braver than pack.”

I laughed and he joined in. I wondered how Roland and Peter would react if they ever came face-to-face with a troll. What would they say if they knew about me and Remy? Maybe someday I could bring them all together and find out. That would be something to see.

I glanced at my watch and got to my feet. “I’d better head home. It’s my turn to make dinner.” Which meant we were having tacos. I could make three meals well: tacos, spaghetti and hamburgers. It was a good thing Nate liked to cook or it would have been ground beef every night.

Remy stood and patted his shoulder. I climbed on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. The cave was halfway down the face of a one hundred foot cliff and partially obscured by a couple of sturdy little trees growing out of a crevice in the rock. You could climb down to it if you were brave enough and knew where all the hand holds were. But the fastest way was on the back of a very strong troll. Remy started bringing me here when we first met and it was one of our favorite hangouts because no one could see us here. This was also the ideal place to hide the troll bile because it was too dangerous to keep it at my place. At that moment we had three small vials tucked away in a hidden crevice at the back of the cave. Even if someone managed to stumble on the cave, they would not find the bile.

My stomach did a little flip when Remy grabbed a jutting rock and swung us out over the boiling waves. It always felt like this would be the time he lost his grip and sent us falling to our deaths. But he quickly scaled the cliff, never faltering once.

At the top, I slid off his back and picked up my bike helmet which I’d tucked under a lone stunted pine tree. We crossed a small meadow and entered the woods to start the short trek to where I’d hidden my bike. Neither of us needed a trail to find our way to the road. Remy and I had explored every inch of the woods and cliffs south of town and we probably knew the area better than anyone.

“Sara! Sara!” a high voice thrilled as we trekked through the woods. I stopped and peered through the trees because I knew that voice. Suddenly a small body landed on my back and a pair of thin arms slid around my neck.

I reached up to swing the little troll around into a hug. “Hey Minka, what are you doing out here alone?” The trolls lived in a network of underground caverns somewhere south of here and they did not allow their young ones to go far from the clan. That rule did not contain some of the more adventurous young trolls like Minka. Remy had been just like her at that age.

Remy’s little cousin gave me a sweet smile that would one day make grown men quiver with fear. “I not alone. You here.”

“Minka, you not allowed out here,” Remy scolded. “You go home now.”

Her lip quivered and tears welled in her round eyes. “Not yet Remy please. Sara fix Nog first.”

I gave Remy a questioning look. “What’s a nog?”

He made a face that suggested he didn’t care much for it, whatever it was. “Nog is his name. He one of the People.”

One of the People? Curiosity overcame me. “If he’s hurt we should help him, shouldn’t we?”

Remy sighed heavily and nodded. “Show us,” he said to his cousin.

Minka slid down from my arms and ran ahead of us. “This way!” she cried. “Not far.”

It was only a few minutes before we heard voices up ahead. We came to a small clearing where we found Minka’s brother Haba and their cousins Creah and Sinah. The three little trolls were gathered around someone huddled on the ground.

“I got Sara!” Minka yelled happily and the others cheered and ran over to greet me. I was pretty sure the elders would not be happy to know the youngsters were this familiar with me.

Strong little hands grabbed mine and pulled me forward. “You fix Nog?” Sinah asked.

I smiled down at him. “I’ll try.”

“Oh!” I stared at their friend, Nog. The creature on the ground was about two feet tall with walnut colored skin and wild yellow hair that came to his shoulders. His face was long with owlish eyes, a long nose and a mouth that was turned down either a scowl or in pain, I couldn’t tell. On either side of his head, a pointed ear stuck straight out. He wore a crude vest and short pants made of some kind of animal hide.

He was not happy to see me. As soon as I approached him he started thrashing and making a screeching sound that hurt my ears. I backed up a few feet into Remy.

“Remy, is that what I think it is?” I turned to him. “Is that a gobel?”

Remy nodded and I held back a gasp. Gobels – or goblins as they are commonly called – were rumored to have died out a long time ago. Horrid creatures, they stole, liked to torment children and were known to eat any small animal they could catch, especially cats.