Enchantment (18 page)

Meeka
gaped
in
disbelief.

W
h
a
t the hell does that
mean?
‘his healing process w
a
s complete.’ He
may
be gorgeous,
but he
has
to
be
whacked.

“I
real
l
y
need
to
be
going.
Perhaps
y
ou
could
just
tell
m
e
where
I
a
m
.
I
know
I’ll
be
able
to find
my
w
a
y
ho
m
e
.
”
Swinging
her
legs
over
the
edge
of
the
bed,
she
pushed
at
the
tangled blankets.

“You
will
not be
able
to
leave this room
until
I
feel it
is
safe
for
y
o
u
to
do
so.”

“I
don’t
think
s
o.
Y
ou
can’t
order
m
e
around.
This
is
a
free
countr
y
.”
Blood
raced
to
her head,
thu
m
p
ing
against
her
t
e
m
ples.
“Look,
I
apprecia
t
e
y
o
u
r
help,
but
I’m
fine,
and
capable
of leaving
whenever
I
want
to.
I
don’t
need
y
o
u to
tell
m
e when
I
can
or
cannot
leave!”

“I’m
sor
r
y
, Meeka,
y
ou will not
be
able
to
leave
until
I
sa
y
.” Alar
m
s went
off
in
her
head.
“
I
didn’t
tell
y
o
u my
na
m
e.”

She
glared
at
him
and
watched
as
he
glanced
over
at
Catz.
Things
were
getting
stranger
b
y the
second.

“Perha
p
s,
Enforcer,
this
is
not
the
best
time
to
reveal
everything.
Remember,
s
he
knows nothing
of
any
world
beyond
Earth.”
Catz
howled
angri
l
y
,
on
l
y
to
be
soothed
b
y
Meeka’s
quick hand.

“She
m
ust
be
aw
a
re
of
the
dang
e
r.”

“Awarene
s
s
will
come.
Soothe
her
now
so
that
when
the
time
comes,
you
can
protect
her fr
o
m
the
threat
you
know
is
coming,”
Catz
insisted,
curling
into
Meeka’s
lap.

Cu
r
sing
the
creature
for
being
right,
he
crossed
his
ar
m
s
and
looked
back
her
wa
y
.
“I’m
s
or
r
y
, precious. While
y
ou
were
in
and
out
of
consciousness,
y
o
u
told
u
s
y
o
u
r name.”

A
nn
o
y
e
d
couldn’t begin
to d
e
scribe how she
felt. “Listen, budd
y
,
I’m
not
y
o
ur
precious.
I’m not
y
o
ur
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng.
Y
ou
can’t
keep
m
e
here
if
I
don’t
want
to
sta
y
.
It’s
illegal.
I’m
sure
y
o
u’ve heard
of
kidnapping.
M
y
fa
m
il
y
will
be
looking
for
m
e.”

He
didn’t
need
to
know
it
w
as
a
lie.
Fr
u
stration
boiled,
both
at
the
situation
and
at
her
o
wn lie.
Real
l
y
,
who
would
m
iss
her?
Her
parents?
Her
e
m
p
l
o
y
e
r?
No,
she
w
a
s
alone—but
he
didn't need
to
kn
o
w
that.

He
backed
aw
a
y
from
the
bed.
“
M
y
na
m
e
is
K
errigan.
I
wish
I
could
let
y
ou
go
ho
m
e,
m
ore than
y
o
u
know,
but
for
now,
it
isn’t
po
s
sible.
Y
ou
should
get
s
o
m
e
rest.
You
real
l
y
have
no
idea h
o
w
luc
k
y
y
ou are
to
be
alive.”

Weak
-
kneed,
s
he
stood,
swa
y
i
n
g
slight
l
y
.
Her
nails
bit
into
the
pa
l
m
s
of
her
hands.
“
I de
m
and
y
o
u let
m
e
out
of
here!”

* * * *

Kerrigan
felt
the
intrusion
instant
l
y
and
stu
m
bled.
The
touch
of
an
unknown
m
en
t
al
power hit
like a punch. So
m
ething
or so
m
eone
tried to force
him to release
her,
but he
couldn't. Even as he
argued
with h
i
m
self,
he
realized
that
the force,
the intrusive
m
agic,
c
a
m
e
from her.
H
e
brief
l
y closed
his
e
y
e
s,
severing
all
paths
to
his
mind.
The
w
o
m
an
had
caught
him
off
guard,
and
the look
on
her
face told
him
she
had no
idea
of
the power
she
held.

Catz
walk
toward
the edge
of
the bed
and
looked
up
at
h
i
m
.

“I hate to say I told
you so,
but now
you
know.
She does
have a special
ability,
and
it’s
very powerful.
She
doesn’t
even
know
she’s
a
s
o
rceress.
Mind
control
is
a
great
talent,
but
also
a
g
reat weapon
in the
wrong
hands
.
”