I hate this! Joan sat beside Chris. Her older brother lay on a tattered, tarp-covered mattress in the corner of Blinky's keep. I want to help, but I can't do anything useful. She choked back more tears; she'd cried enough already. Heh. So much for the plan to stay at the entrance…

Nearby, Jim cleared off Blinky's table and set up a laptop. Back on the surface, the moment he saw Chris's wound, Jim had insisted they come down to Trollmarket.

Blinky fished potions and books from a dozen shelves. The bottles he held clanked as he scuttled from one end of the keep to the other muttering.

"Mom?" Jim said to the read-headed woman in the Skype call window. Kindness shone in her eyes, and Joan instantly liked her. Jim angled the laptop so his mother could see Chris. "He got shot. What do we do?"

"What do you mean, 'What do we do?'" Jim's mom shouted. "Get him to the hospital!"

"Can't. He's part of a gang," Jim said.

"Then what's he doing there?"

"Remember Joan?" said Jim. "I told you about her. She sings really well."

"Yes…"

"It's her brother, Mom. Please. What do we do?"

Jim's mother sighed. "Whatever you do, make absolutely sure that wound is clean and disinfected. Keep it that way at all costs. Infection is the worst thing that could happen. Show me the entry wound."

Jim brought the laptop to Chris's bedside.

The hole-ridden tarp crackled as Joan cradled Chris's head and brushed his hair away from his face. "You okay?"

"I think… I'm havin' a fever-dream," Chris said.

His forehead was warm.

"Does that dude have six eyes?" Chris pointed to New Trollmarket's leader as he trundled to another cluttered shelf.

"Uh-huh. That's Blinky," Joan said.

"Hah! That's funny," Chris's pain squelched his chuckle. "Aw, geesh!"

A four-armed shadow fell over her.

"I… I broke my promise. I'm sorry, Blinky…" Joan hung her head.

"No." Nomura stepped forward. "I revealed myself to the humans. I brought this boy here. Joan didn't do anything."

Blinky sighed. "When I first brought Jim to Trollmarket, Vendel told me, 'You bring in just one human. It doesn't work that way. Soon there will be two. Then it will be an infestation.'" His ears drooped. "Vendel was right. With Jim came Tobias, then Claire, Mrs. Lake, Mr. and Mrs. Nuñez, Steve Palchuk, Eli Pepperjack… I allowed Joan inside. As leader of New Trollmarket, I should have known the consequences. I've seen it happen before, after all. Neither of you need worry."

"If it helps any–" Chris hissed and bit his lip. "I won't tell. My sis is safe here, so there's no way I'm gonna risk that. Just… protect her, Mr. Demon."

Blinky huffed. "Why! I never! Demon? Do I look like a demon to you? Demons aren't made of stone – they're made of fire. Don't you know anything?"

Joan took Chris's hand and laughed a little. "They're trolls. Not like the ones on the internet – but like in old fairy tales. You know, 'The Three Billy Goats' kind of thing…"

"Or Trolls 2." Chris smiled along with his sister.

"You don't have to be scared of them," Joan assured.

"I'm not," said Chris. "You're not scared, so it has to be okay. Man, the way you stood up for yourself and spoke your mind – I've never seen you do that before. You used to be a quiet little mouse, but… what you did back there… It was cool." His eyes drooped.

"You should rest." Joan felt his forehead again. Still warm.

Chris nodded. His eyes slipped closed. Whether he fell asleep or passed out, Joan couldn't tell.

"Why, Nomura. Getting sentimental?" The voice was foreign, British, Joan thought as her attention turned to the Skype call.

While Jim tended to Chris, Nomura eyed the man next to Jim's mother on the computer screen. "Mind your own business, Stricklander," she hissed.

"My, my. In the old days, people would've accused you of going soft," the British man said.

"You're one to talk," Nomura countered. "Suburban dad."

The Brit chuckled.

"Walt. Quiet," Jim's mother shushed him. "I need to talk to Jim."

"Forgive me, dear." He waited for Jim's mom to finish, then addressed Joan. "Ah, the girl of the hour. I'm pleased to finally meet you."

"How… do you know about me?" Joan said.

"Nomura took me to the theatre to hear you some months back. You have a lovely voice," he replied.

"Wh-what?" Joan turned wide eyes to Nomura. The troll avoided her gaze. "You took people to the theatre to gawk at me?"

"No! Only… the one time. It was the night before his wedding," Nomura said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Joan countered.

"Well… he – he's my brother."

Joan looked from Nomura to the Brit. Then wide-eyed she looked back at Nomura again. "I don't see the family resemblance."

Jim's mom pushed the man out of the frame. "Use your phone and talk somewhere else, please!"

Nomura laid a claw on Joan's shoulder. "You're tired. You should rest."

"I suppose so." She nodded. "Jim, please tell me if anything happens."

"Of course. Don't worry. My mom's a great doctor. And Blinky knows magic – and Strickler knows some spells."

Joan nodded, grateful.

Nomura ushered her out of Blinky's keep.

"So… that was Jim's mom. She seems nice," Joan said.

"I only met her a few times, but she was always kind to me," Nomura replied.

"What's your brother doing with her?"

"They're married." Nomura rolled her eyes. "And they have a whelp."

"Jim?"

"No. Mrs. Lake and Stricklander wed only a few months ago."

"This is confusing," Joan said. "What's the story? If he's your brother, why is he… Why are you…"

"If I told you the whole story, we'd be here all year." Nomura snorted.

"I could use the distraction."

Nomura sighed. "First thing you should know about Stricklander – he is, always has been, and always will be a condescending snake and a turncoat."

"Lovely relationship you have." Joan smirked.

"He's the worst! I hate him!" Nomura asserted.

Joan shook her head. I know better than to think you mean that. If you really hated the guy, you'd have ignored him. There's always more to your stories than what you say, Nomura. She followed the troll to the keep and sent up a prayer that Chris would be okay.

This chapter has been edited by Dtill359