Enchantment (36 page)

Jager
wavered,
his
e
y
e
s
darting
about
for
a
m
o
m
e
nt
before
he
sneered.
“You’re
on
my
turf, Thalius.
F
ollow
m
e,
and
don’t
even
think
of
t
r
y
i
ng an
y
t
h
ing. Keep
up.”

Hiding his
glee,
Thalius
stu
m
bled
along
as
fast
a
s
his
feet
would
car
r
y hi
m
.
A
s
m
a
l
l
door
on the
side
of
the
building
stood
guarded
by
two
of
the
ugliest
de
m
o
n
ic
creatures
he’d
ever
seen. The
pair
gurgled
and
s
m
acked
their
lips
as
Thalius
approached,
but
Jager
shouldered
the
two de
m
ons
a
w
a
y
from
the
entrance.
“Back
off,
y
o
u
two.
Y
ou
can
eat
him
later
if
he
doesn’t
have
a da
m
n
good
reason
for
being
here.”

A
narrow
set
of
stairs
took
th
e
m
up
to
the
second
sto
r
y
.
Jager
took
a
seat
and
put
his
feet
up on
an
old,
worn-out
desk.
A
crate
rested
in
front
of
Jager’s
desk,
and
he
m
o
tioned
Thalius
to
sit.

“I’m
getting real
l
y
hungr
y
,
m
agic
m
an.
Y
ou’d
better
hur
r
y
up
with
y
o
ur
s
peech.”

Thalius
shifted
unco
m
fo
r
tab
l
y
on
the
crate.
“
I
require
y
o
ur
services
in
exchange
for
y
o
ur freedom
and
the
return
of
y
o
u
r
power.”

“W
h
y
would
I
believe
an
y
t
h
ing
y
o
u
say
to
m
e?
O
urs
is
m
er
el
y
a
difference
of
location,
not characters.”
Jager
sneered.

“What
have
y
ou
got
to
los
e
?
Look
at
this
place!
I’ve
never
seen
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng
s
o
revolting.
D
o one
s
m
all thing
for
m
e,
and
y
o
u
’
l
l
be
out
of
here,
living
like
m
e.”

“Tell
m
e what
y
ou want,
and
I’ll
tell
y
o
u if
I’m
interested.” “I
need
y
o
u
to
bring
a
girl to
me.”

Jager
laughed.
“So
n
o
w
I’m
a
pi
m
p?
What’s
the
hitch?
I’m
not
stupid.
W
h
y
don’t
y
o
u
just take
this
girl
y
o
urself
?
”

“The
girl
is
under
K
errigan’s
protection.”

Jager pushed hi
m
self
up out of the
chair
behind his
desk.
His
face lost
all
expression,
and he sla
m
med his
fist
on
the
desk.
“Get
the
fuck
out
before
I
eat
w
hat’s left
of
y
o
ur brains
for
dinner!”

Thalius
held
his
cool.
“I’ll
give
y
ou my
p
o
wers
to
take
her.”

Jager
blinked.
Thalius
calcul
a
ted
he’d
be
w
ondering
what
he
could
do
with
a
Counselor’s p
o
wers.
Jager’s
e
y
e
s
sparkled
with
excit
e
m
e
nt.
“Who
is
the
Enchanter
bitch
to
catch
y
o
u
r perverted
e
y
e
?
”

“That’s
the
other
part
of
this
a
s
signment. This
girl
is
not
from
our
world.”

For
once,
Jager
stood
for
a
m
o
m
e
nt,
unable
to
speak.
“
N
ot
from
Enchantment.
That’s i
m
possible.
Correct,
Cou
n
selor?
O
ur
w
orld
is
pure.
No
foreigners.
It’s
what
y
o
u
all
want
u
s
to believe,
isn’t
i
t
?

“You’re
all a bunch
of
l
y
i
ng
assholes. I
alwa
y
s
knew there
m
ust be a way out
of this fucking di
m
ension!”

Jager
walked
around
the
desk
in
conte
m
p
lation.
He
rubbed
his
poin
t
y
chin.
With
his
other grimy
hand
on
his hip, he
narrowed in
on
Thalius, effective
l
y
backing
him
up
to
the wall.
“
I
’ll do it—with
just
a
few
conditions.
First,
I
want
a
guarantee
I’ll
never
be
put
back
in
To
m
bs…ever again.
Secondl
y
, I
want
off
this
fucking
world…for
good.”

Thalius
considered
Jager’s
requests.
He
could
pret
t
y
m
uch
guarantee
he would
never
end
up in To
m
bs
again,
because
he’d
be dead
very soon.
A
s
for his
second
request,
well,
he
felt
no
need to
lie.
Death
w
ould
re
m
ove
h
i
m
from
this
w
orld,
w
ouldn’t
it?

“I
agree
to
y
o
u
r
te
r
m
s.
N
ow,
here
is
w
hat
I
require of
y
o
u and
y
o
ur rather
i
m
pressive
talents. “This
girl
is
not
of
our
world,
but
it
m
a
t
ters
not.
If
she
be
under
Kerrigan’s
watch,
to
gain
w
hat
y
ou desire,
it’s
si
m
ple. Bring
the
girl
to
m
e
unharmed,
and
without
Kerrigan’s
knowledge.” Jager
grabbed
h
i
m
by
the
chin,
and
sent
his
blade
-
sharp
s
erpent
tongue
sliding
across
his cheek,
leaving
a
thin
trail
of
blood,
p
u
s,
and
saliva.
Jager
closed
his
e
y
e
s
and
lapped
at
the war
m
th
of
the
blood.
Then,
abrupt
l
y
,
he
shoved
him
awa
y
. “I
guess
we
have
a
deal.” Thalius
s
wiped
his
cheek
with
the
back
of
his
hand,
effectiv
el
y
covering
it
with
blood.
I
have
to
get
out
of
here
…
soon.