Nissassa blinked and stepped back instinctually, gasping in surprise. Her body tensed for battle, but when she looked again Nomed stood directly in front of her.
"Where had he been standing that he was able to get there so quickly?" Nissassa wondered, alarmed at not having perceived his presence. Yet, this thought did not worry her so much as the thing she'd just seen.
"Hey. What's wrong?" Nomed asked, putting his right hand on her shoulder to calm her.
Nissassa craned her neck over his left shoulder to see if the creature still stood by the glass door to the balcony.
It did not.
"What the hell was that?" Nissassa asked with wide eyes.
"What?" Nomed questioned, turning around. "All I see is the moon peaking in through the glass."
Nissassa shuddered, remembering the vicious expression on the entity's "face." Could it even really be called a face? Then, she half-remembered fighting something similar. Yes, hadn't the Fairies produced similar monsters for the Ogres to fight on the battlefield? It seemed so long ago and far away.
An intense pressure pounded in Nissassa's head as she struggled to grasp the memory before it sped from her consciousness and out of her reach.
Nomed raised his hand from her shoulder to caress her head, moving her hair back from her face as he did.
Instantly, the preoccupied look vanished from Nissassa's face, replaced with a wide, toothy smile.
Nissassa's canines were well-defined, as were all the Ogres'. When Ogres bared their teeth, other creatures would normally quake with fear at seeing the sharp, ferocious fangs.
However, the way she smiled now looked quite charming to Nomed.
"Come, let's eat before it gets cold," he offered.
Nissassa sat. Her mouth watered at the scent of roast beast on the table.
"Please," Nomed said, motioning for her to help herself as he took his own seat across from her at the small square table.
As Nissassa indulged her appetite, Nomed took a small bite of food and chewed it thoughtfully. Although he wore a pleasant and welcoming expression on his face, inside, the Shadow Lord seethed with fury. He needed to absorb more magic soon, or everything would fall apart. The Ogre people were very stubborn and hard to control, and Nomed's power had already been spread way too thin. The more he thought about the fact that the Ministry still hadn't been captured, the more annoyed Nomed felt. At least, the Ogre Warriors had finally unblocked the tunnel enough to pursue the priests. It was only a matter of time before they would be captured now.
"Is the food not to your liking," Nissassa asked, putting down her fork.
"It's delicious. I can't say that I've ever had meat this well-prepared and flavorful before. The Fairies specialize in cooking fish and other water creatures."
Nissassa nodded, picking up the goblet in front of her and taking a long sip of red wine. It paired very nicely with the flavor of the meat.
"Here," she said, extending her hand to offer him a taste of the wine. "They go very well together."
Nomed smiled, took the proffered drink, and tasted it.
"Mmm, quite good, yes," he remarked politely.
"You seem distracted. Is everything alright?"
"Of course. I was just lost in contemplating your beauty."
"Pfft, surely not."
"Why do you say that?"
"That's the first time I've heard anyone utter the words beauty with reference to me," she replied honestly.
"I think that strength is the most beautiful thing, don't you?"
Nissassa raised her shining eyes to stare into Nomed's. Why did she suddenly feel like she had fallen into a dark, swirling pit? Was it the wine? No, she'd barley tasted it. Also, she drank wine often, and this had never happened to her before.
"I want to give you something," Nomed said, breaking eye-contact.
Nissassa gasped, starting to get ahold of herself again.
The Shadow Lord walked to the other side of the room and opened a wooden box on a decorative side table in the corner. Inside rested a bouquet of lovely, white flowers.
By the time Nissassa had fully come back to herself again, Nomed stood at her side once more. He held the flowers out to her by their long, green stems.
"They're so . . ." Nissassa had started to compliment the flowers, but stopped midsentence.
Inhaling the fragrance emitted by the blossoms had taken away Nissassa's breath instantaneously. The scent tickled her nose mercilessly, working its way through her sinuses and up into her head, where it created the perception of exploding starlight dancing in Nissassa's vision.
A rush of heat flooded down her whole body, washing her in a burning rosy glow. Gasping, Nissassa turned her face from the white petals and sneezed.
Nomed grinned at her reaction. She had taken a deep breath, and it would be impossible for her to resist its effects now.
The tingling sensation Nissassa had first felt in her nostrils worked its way down, causing her to fidget uncomfortably as it tantalized the various parts of her body without restraint or limits.
Nissassa could not hold on to a thought. They all slipped away into a suffocating warm haze. No matter how many breaths she took to try to clear away the heady feeling fogging up her mind, the weighty mist persisted in overwhelming her.
Nissassa's breathing became labored as she continued to gasp, trying to regain control of her senses.
"What's wrong? Don't you like them?" Nomed asked teasingly.
"I . . . uh . . . l . . . lo . . . ve . . . them," Nissassa managed to reply.
Yet, the aroma proved too strong for her, and she placed them down onto the table and stood from her seat, hoping to flee. However, Nomed grasped her arm before she could escape.
"Why are you leaving so soon?" he whispered into her ear, pulling her back so that her arm pressed against his hot chest.
Nissassa's body began to ache longingly at his touch, the heat of his body sending her thoughts into frenzied madness. She stood petrified, forcing herself not to react. It was all she could do against the sudden onslaught of indecent images that assailed her brain.
"You don't really want to leave," Nomed continued, slowly leading Nissassa toward the door that led to the royal bedchamber.