Enchantment (8 page)

Pulling
his
thoughts
back
into
his
own
m
ind,
he
let
the
anger
s
urface.
He
wanted
to
throttle
w
hoever
or
whatever
had
caused
this
w
o
m
an so
m
uch
pain.

It
took
all
his
willpower
to
re
m
o
v
e
his
hand
and
not
scoop
her
up
in
his
a
r
m
s
and
hold
her.
H
owever,
the
sensation
of
being
watched
broke
his
thoughts.
A
s
he
shifted
his
gaze,
his
e
y
es were
caught in
the
path
of
twin e
m
er
a
ld fires.
The little
w
hite an
i
m
al
stared
straight through hi
m
. Those
e
y
es
spoke
volu
m
es—in
t
el
l
igence,
wit,
caring,
anger,
sinceri
t
y
,
and
extreme
devotion. Kerrigan
couldn’t
bl
a
m
e
it
for
the
latter.
The
warrior
knew
the
look
the
critter
w
a
s
giving
hi
m
— thankful
but
also
m
aking
it
ve
r
y
clear
that
it
would
fight
to
the
death
for
its
co
m
panion.
He ad
m
ired
and
respected
that
devotion.

The
an
i
m
al
spoke.
“Thank
y
o
u.”

Kerrigan
re
m
o
v
ed
his
hand
from
the
girl’s
cheek
and
i
m
me
d
ia
t
e
l
y
felt
the
loss. “So,
y
o
u
do
s
peak.”

“I’m
quite
fluent
in
m
a
n
y
languages.
Thank
y
ou
for
helping
my
Meeka.”
It
stretched,
its claws
flaring
out
before
being
retracted.

The
two
sat
staring
at
each
other
as
if
m
e
asuring
each
other’s
strengths
and
weakne
s
ses. Kerrigan
broke
the
silence.
“
Y
ou
two
shouldn’t
be
here.
Both
of
y
ou
are
lucky
to
be
alive.

We
haven’t
had
foreigners
here
in
a
very
long
ti
m
e
.
”

“I’m
aware
of
that.”
Her
pet
s
m
i
led,
showing
sharp,
white
fan
g
s.

“H
o
w
is
it
that
an
an
i
m
al
from
Earth
can
speak?
You
are
not
an
Enchanter.”
It
w
a
s
half statement,
half
question.
“
H
ere
in
Enchantme
n
t,
I’m
known
a
s
the
enforcer.
I
keep
the
good
m
agic
in and the bad
m
ag
i
c
out.
Since
y
ou
can com
m
u
n
ic
a
te,
I
need
y
ou
to start an
s
wering so
m
e questions.”

“I’ll
an
s
wer
y
o
ur
qu
e
stions,
s
o
long
as
no
harm
comes to
her.”

Kerrigan
looked
down
at
the
sleeping
beaut
y
.
His
m
ag
i
c
w
a
s
alrea
d
y
starting
to
heal
her
w
ound
on
the
outside.
He
tore
his
gaze
away
from
the
girl
and
straightened
to
his
full
height.
He cro
s
sed
his
ar
m
s
over
his
chest
and
returned
the
ani
m
a
l’s
unblinking
gaze
with
a
determined stare
of
his
own.
“Do
y
o
u have
a na
m
e,
or
shall I
continue to call
y
o
u
‘It
’
?
”

“She
calls
m
e
Catz.
Up
there,
I’m
kn
o
wn
as
a
house
cat.”
The
creature’s
voice
w
a
s
strongly fe
m
a
l
e.

“And
w
hat
is
she
called, this Meeka
of
y
o
u
rs
?
”

“Her
n
a
m
e
is
Meeka.
I
am
her
co
m
panion
and
protector.
I
will
be
a
force
to
reckon
with,
s
hould
a
n
y
o
ne
att
e
m
p
t
to ha
r
m
her. I
can
se
n
se
things—good,
bad,
or indifferent—and
I
can
feel
y
o
ur
attraction to
her.”

Kerrigan
couldn’t
believe
the
audaci
t
y
of
the
cat.
Nobody
spoke
to
h
i
m
like
that.
“
Let’s
get
s
omething
straight.”
His
rep
l
y
dripped
with
anger.
“
I
don’t
do
e
m
o
tions or
attrac
t
ions…to an
y
o
n
e
or
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng.
A
n
y
feelings
I
do
have
are
alw
a
y
s
a
s
sociated
with
death
or
i
m
p
r
isonment.
Y
ou’d
be
w
i
se
to
re
m
e
m
b
er
that.
I
also
don’t
take
kindly
to
threats.
We
did
save
y
o
ur
lives.
You
s
hould
re
m
e
m
b
er
that.”

Catz narrowed
her
e
y
es,
showing
no
fear.
“And I’m
j
u
st stating
a fact.
It is
not
m
eant
to
be a threat,
but
a
reali
t
y
.
I’m
a
co
m
panion
to
her,
and
will
assist
her
with
this
j
o
urn
e
y
.
D
on’t
let
my current
size
allow
y
o
u to
think
I’m
unable
of
delivering
power.”