Enchantment (15 page)

Slicing
into
the
steaming
treat,
he
licked
at
his
fingers as
the
icing
oozed
d
o
wn.

“Two
qu
e
stions
at
once.”
S
he
stared
at
him
with
a
quizzical
brow.
“No,
th
e
y
didn’t
awake, and
y
o
ur
father’s
doing
patrol
up
above.
Cocooning
the
visitors
is
out
of
character
for
hi
m
,
and he
doubts
hi
m
self
.
” Pad
d
y
sat
down
at the
table,
a sigh
cro
s
sing her
lips.

“I
know
y
o
u
think
I
was
too
hard on
hi
m
, Mo
m
, but that’s
my
j
ob.
I’m
supp
o
sed—”

She placed
her
s
m
all
paw
on
his
a
r
m
.
“Son,
it’s
not
m
e
y
o
u
need
to
be
speaking
to.
Wait
for
y
o
ur father.
I
'm
s
ure
he'll
be
ho
m
e
s
oon.”

“I’ll
deal
with
the
Council.
No
harm
will
come
to
Dad.
I’ll
m
ake
sure
of
it.”
Kerrigan
fell silent
w
hile
pulling
at
a
piece
of
the
hot
bun
and
blowing
on
it
before
sticking
it
in
his
m
outh. “Yu
m
.
M
o
m
,
I’d
kill
for
these
sticky
bu
n
s.”
He
licked
his
fingers
before
pulling
off
another piece,
while
she
scowled
at
hi
m
.

“Poor
choice
of
wor
d
s,
son.”

“Have
y
ou checked
on
the
girl
this
m
orning
?
”

“Yes,
the
girl—Meeka—is
still
not
awake,
but
I’m
s
ure
she
will
be
soon.
I’ve
en
j
o
y
ed visiting
with Catz.
She’s
a very pleasant
being.
It’s
been
a
long time
since
I’ve had the
chance
to cater
to
a
n
y
b
o
d
y
other
than
fa
m
i
l
y
.”

“Real
l
y
?
What
did
the
L
e
m
ren
tell
y
o
u
?
”

“Catz
said
Meeka
w
ould
not
understand
a
n
y
of
this
when
she
wakes
up.
A
re
y
o
u
s
ure
she can’t
leave
the
roo
m
?
If
the
poor
girl
acciden
t
al
l
y
m
anages
to
leave
the
roo
m
,
s
he
will
sure
l
y have
a
heart
attack. What
do
I
say
to
he
r
?
”

“I’m
sure,
Mo
m
.
Th
e
y
can’t
leave
the
room
without
my
sa
y
-
s
o.”

Paddy
picked
up
his
e
m
p
t
y
plate
and
wandered
over
to
the
sink.
“I’m
not
worried
for
our safet
y
.
But
s
he
will
be
terrified
when
she
awakens.
I
hope
s
he
will
feel
s
afe
with
her
ani
m
a
l co
m
panion
near.
Will
s
he
realize
we
m
e
an
them
no
har
m
?
”

A
s
if
speaking
about
it
m
ade
it
happen,
a
sudden,
terror
-
filled
scream
echoed
through
the lodge.
A
low
gr
o
wl
filled
his
chest
at
the
shrill
s
ound.
Without
realizing
it,
he
leapt
to
his
feet and
tore d
o
wn
the hallw
a
y
.
He
bu
r
st
through
the
door
to
see
the frantic
girl
thrashing on
the bed.

D
amn
it. She’s
going
to
hurt
herself.

Running to the edge of the bed, he straddled her. He
fu
m
b
l
ed
to restrain
her
flai
l
ing
li
m
bs
as
s
he
bucked
with
her
hips
and
struck
out
at
him
with
closed
fists.
Her
e
y
es
never
opened,
as though
she
was
lashing
out
in
a
drea
m
.
She
fought
with
i
m
pressive
strength,
though
eventua
ll
y
, her
radical
m
o
v
ements
s
ubsided
and
her
bo
d
y
went
l
i
m
p.

H
i
s
long
body
s
prawled
on
top
of
hers,
he
stared
down
at
the
m
ost
beautiful
face
he’d
ever seen.
He
couldn’t
breathe
for
what
felt
like
forever.
With
her
face
m
e
r
e
inches
awa
y
,
his
se
n
ses were
alive.
From
fingertip
to
toes,
his
body
tingled.
Her
hair
s
m
e
l
led
like
flower
blosso
m
s,
and with
eve
r
y
breath
she
took,
her
sleek
bo
d
y
pressed
tight
l
y
against
h
i
m
.

She
set
him
on
fire.
So
m
ehow,
this
girl
rendered
him
helpless
and
para
l
y
z
e
d.
Her
silky
s
kin re
m
inded him
of
a
pixie’s
wing.

Shit!
This
can’t
be
happening.