Enchantment (114 page)

Kerrigan
flashed
into
his
Mom
and
Dad
’
s
house.

“Mo
m
.”
He
called.
“
M
eeka.”
H
e
waited
for
a
r
e
sponse,
i
m
p
a
tien
c
e
turning
to
panic
as
the silence
stretched
out.
He
didn’t
wonder
w
here
his
dad
was.
He’d
be
working,
of
course.
Out
of the
corner
of
his
e
y
e,
he
s
potted
bags
on
the floor.

M
o
m
never leaves ba
g
s
of food
on
the floor.

A
gain,
he
sensed
danger,
and
im
m
e
di
a
te
l
y
flashed
to
his
own
kitchen
as
Threeo
and
Catz entered.

Catz
looked
like
hell.
Her
e
y
e
s
were
dull,
and
her
nose
w
a
s
an
y
t
h
ing
but
pink.
“
Catz,
y
o
u look
like
hell.”

Catz
coughed
and
sputtered.
“
I
don’t
think
this
w
orld
agrees
with
m
e.
I
w
a
s
resting.
What did
y
ou want
?
”

Putting
a
side
a
n
y
thought
to
her
looks,
he
glared
at
her.
“
Where’s
Meeka
?
” I
m
me
d
iat
el
y
Catz
was
fully
alert.
“
Last
t
i
m
e I
s
aw
her,
she
was
with
y
o
u
.” “Yes,
earlier
this
m
or
n
ing,
but
it’s al
m
ost
s
upper
ti
m
e
.
”
His
voice
r
o
se. “Are
y
o
u sure
she
’
s
not
with
Pad
d
y
?
”

Kerrigan
began
to
pace.
“No.
Nobod
y
’s
in
the
house.
Did
y
o
u
search
eve
r
y
w
he
r
e
her
e
? Ma
y
be she’s
d
o
wn
the
stream
in
the
cave
?
”

“It
was
the
first
place
we
looked.”
Catz
s
aid.

Kerrigan’s
heart
began
to
pound
as
he
closed
his
e
y
e
s
and
gave
a
c
o
m
mand.
“Str
y
k
e
r,
y
o
u
r presence
is
needed.”

Within
m
o
m
e
n
ts,
Str
y
k
e
r’s
large
form
appeared
before
the
m
.
H
e
j
erked
a
thu
m
b
over
his
s
houlders,
and
his
careless
w
ords
sent
a
bolt
of
panic
through
Kerrigan.
“Kerrigan,
w
h
y
are
the gargo
y
l
e
s
not
outside
the
ho
u
se
?
”

Kerrigan’s
world
turned
u
p
side
-
d
o
wn
in
an
instant.
Fury
drew
bleeding
welts
over
his
heart. H
i
s
e
y
e
s
narrowed.
“No!”

H
i
s roar
s
hook the
foundation
of the house before
he disappeared
into
the den
with the
other three
on
his
heels.
With
the
ball
of
light
between
his
hands,
he
thrust
it
up
against
the
m
irror. “Sh
o
w
me
Meeka.”

I
n
stant
l
y
,
the
m
irror
reflected
the
Market.
N
ot
m
a
n
y
were
left
other
than
M
eeka
and
Pad
d
y
,
w
ho
were
wandering
around
a
i
m
less
l
y
.
There
was
no
direction,
no
thought
to
their
m
oveme
n
ts. Kerrigan
ground
his
teeth
together
at
the
vacant
m
oveme
n
ts.
Bu
r
sting
from
the
house,
Catz
hot on
his
heels,
he
headed
for
the
m
ark
e
t.

Str
y
k
e
r
and
Kerrigan
were
the
first
to
arrive,
followed
by
Catz
and
Threeo.
The
three gargo
y
l
e
s
swooped
to
the
ground
upon
their
arrival,
but
Kerrigan
w
a
s
on
a
run,
heading
for Meeka.
St
r
y
k
er and
the
others raced
to Padd
y
.

Kerrigan
grabbed
Meeka
from
behind
and
spun
her
around.
At
his
touch,
the
Enchanter drone
cru
m
pled to
a
lifeless heap.
St
r
y
k
er reached
out
and
touched
Pad
d
y
’
s
s
m
all
furry
a
r
m
, with the
sa
m
e
result.

This
can’t
be
happening.
It
just
can’t
be.

Kerrigan’s
angry
roar
echoed
through
the
sk
y
.
S
wirling
into
dragon
form
and
fueled
with rage
and
s
elf
-
loathing,
he
took
to
the
air.
“
Return
to
y
o
u
r
ho
m
es!”

The
few
Enchanters
who
re
m
a
ined
in
the
m
ark
e
t
panicked.
The
ground
s
hook
and
trees
s
w
a
y
e
d
with
the
force
of
his
wings
as
he
roared
his
fury
and
his
co
m
mand.
Death
would
be
too good.
He
w
ould
m
ake them
p
a
y
!