Enchantment (112 page)

“Pad
d
y
,
y
ou could
have
st
a
y
e
d to
visit
with
her.
I’m
s
ure
the
m
ark
e
t could
wait.
It
w
a
s
real
l
y quite
rude
how
we
just
left
her
there.”
She
looked
back
over
her
shoulder
at
the
wo
m
an
still watching
them
with
a
confused,
outraged
look
on
her
face.

“No,
we
real
l
y
m
ust
get
to
the
m
arket.
We
couldn’t
have
talked
to
her
a
n
y
longer,”
J
ager said.

Meeka
couldn’t
stop
looking
back
at
the
wo
m
an.
“Perhaps
we
s
hould
go
back
to
see
if
her pet
is
ok
a
y
.
I
can’t
believe
y
o
u hit
it,
Pad
d
y
. And
y
o
u
s
wore!”
Meeka
excla
i
m
e
d.

“The
thing
was
biting
m
e.”

Meeka
stopped.
“
I’m
not
sure
if
I
want
to
go
to
the
m
ark
e
t
a
n
y
m
o
r
e
.” Panic
tore
through
Jager’s
s
m
a
l
l
chest.

H
ow
the
fuck
hard
can
it
be
to
get
her
away
fr
o
m
everyone?

He
bit
his
tongue,
causing
blood
to
pool
in
his
m
outh.
His
pain
brief
l
y
da
m
pened
the
rage boiling
in
his
veins.
His
sto
m
ach recoiled
at
the
thought
of
having
to
be
nice
to
the
little bitch.

Fuck!
I’ve
got
to
make
this
better
and
convince
her
everything
is
okay.
I’d
better
think
of
a good
lie.

He
stopped
and looked into Meeka’s
e
y
es,
forcing tears
to for
m
. Not
an
easy
job. He
refused to
let
hi
m
self
blink
until
m
oistu
r
e
w
elled
convincing
l
y
,
then
he
m
ade
his
little
m
outh
quiver
for good
m
easure.

“Whatever
y
ou wish.”
He
wiped
his
e
y
e
s.

“Pad
d
y
,
I’m
sor
r
y
.
Don’t
be
sad.
W
h
y
is
it
so
i
m
por
t
ant
we
go
to
y
o
ur
m
arket
?
”
Meeka asked
softl
y
, bending down
to
look
her
in the
face.

Jager
could
m
ake
a
true
living
at
this,
he
was
sure
of
it.
“It’s
just…well,
I
didn’t
want
to
tell
y
o
u,
but
I
guess
it
doesn’t
m
at
t
er
now.
I
s
a
w
this
w
onderful
item
at
the
m
ar
k
et
I
w
as
sure
y
o
u
’d love,
so
I
thought
if
I
sh
o
wed
it
to
y
ou
and
saw
y
o
u
r
reaction,
I
could
b
u
y
it
for
y
o
u.”
His
small voice
w
hispered,
and
he
pretended
to
wipe
away
tears.

“Oh,
Pad
d
y
,
I’m
s
uch
a
heel.
I’d
love
to
see
it,
but
it’s
tru
l
y
not
necessary
to
buy
m
e an
y
t
h
ing.
When
I
leave
Enchan
t
m
e
nt,
I
will
cherish
my
m
e
m
o
ries
here
forever—
m
o
r
e
s
o
than any
gift.”
Meeka
s
m
iled,
her
own
e
y
e
s
s
wim
m
i
ng
in
unshed
tears.
Resolute
l
y
,
she
grabbed Padd
y
’s
hand,
and
th
e
y
began
walking
again.

Jager
sighed,
stupid
fe
m
ales
with
bleeding
hearts.
They
were
so
predictab
l
e.
Spotting
the flags
atop
s
hops,
he
restrained
hi
m
s
e
lf
from
doing
a
hap
p
y
dance.
The
m
arket
and
Thalius
were just
ahead.
His
cohort
should
be
in
place
by
n
o
w.

“Pad
d
y
th
e
y
’
re all
staring
at
m
e.” “Th
e
y
’
ve
never
seen
y
o
u
before.”

The
s
weet
s
m
ell
of
success
w
a
s
al
m
ost
his,
but
J
ager
also
noticed
the
gargo
y
le
goons
were hovering
a
lot
closer.
Timing
was
going
to
be
vital.

Jager
e
y
e
d
the
fake
storefront.
U
nlike
other
Enchanters
who
w
ere
put
off
by
the
spell
of
the
s
hop,
Meeka
wouldn’t
hesitate
to
enter.
A
s
soon
as
s
he
w
a
s
in,
Thalius
would
freeze
her,
pu
m
p the
dope
in
and
th
e
y
’
d be
off.
Quick,
quiet,
and
then
he
would
bide
his
time.

* * * *

Meeka
noticed
the
store
im
m
e
d
i
ate
l
y
.
It
was
intriguing,
shining
like
gold
tinsel
on
a Christ
m
as
tree.
“
I
s
this
the
store,
Pad
d
y
?
”