Enchantment (118 page)

A
nger
s
oaked
through
his
ve
r
y
pores.
He
struggled
to
keep
hi
m
self
from
lashing
out, kn
o
wing
the
group
in
front
of
him
thought
th
e
y
were
helping,
but
th
e
y
didn’t
kn
o
w
the Cou
n
selors
like
he
did.
With
another
gut-wrenching
roar,
he
leapt
straight
into
the
air.
Beating his
win
g
s,
he angled
up
the
cru
m
b
ling
all
e
y
and
into
the
sk
y
.

* * * *

Str
y
k
e
r
turned
and
ordered
the
large
lioness
and
others
onto
his
back
as
soon
as
he
m
orphed into
his garg
o
y
l
e
for
m
.
He
knew exact
l
y
where the Enforcer
was
heading.
Airborne,
they
headed for
the
i
m
posing
building
housing
the
counselors.
Kerrigan’s
rage
would
put
logic
far
from
his
m
ind,
and
he
needed
to
be
cold,
co
m
posed.
If
Thalius
killed
the
m
,
nothing—not
even
the
force of
the
Counselors’
m
a
g
ic—would
save
hi
m
.

Shocked,
St
r
y
k
er
hovered,
his
wings
flapping
as
he
stared.
The
dragon
s
wooped
over
the tallest turret
of the
Cou
n
selors’ Rea
l
m
.
He
dove
straight
through the
large do
m
ed
ceiling.
Marble and
glass
shattered,
rising
into
the
s
k
y
before
falling
back.

Str
y
k
e
r
and
the
others
landed
on
the
roof
and
peered
d
o
wn
at
the
dragon
through
the
gaping hole
in
the
glass.
“
S
hite!
“
S
t
r
y
k
er
s
wore.
“
K
errigan,
da
m
n it!
Use
y
o
ur head.”

* * * *

Nine
out
of
the
ten
Counselors
had
shim
m
e
red
into
a
circle
a
m
ongst
the
rubble.
Their
s
hocked
expressions
m
irrored
on
each
face.
The
rage
bubbled
inside
Kerrigan
as
he
lifted
his head
with
s
narling
teeth
bared.
His
e
y
es
scanned
the
roo
m
,
a
low,
threate
n
ing
ru
m
ble
filling
his chest.

H
ow
typical.

Madget
cursed
as
she
stepped
fo
r
ward.
“Kerrigan,
have
y
o
u
gone
m
ad?
Stand
down
this instant.”

He
gr
o
wled.
“Where’s
Thalius
?
”

“It’s
real
l
y
none
of
y
o
u
r
business.”
Madget
gaped
at
hi
m
, fear
in
her
e
y
es.

Fla
m
es
scorched
along
his
tongue,
leaving
a
s
wath
of
burnt
floor
before
the
Cou
n
selors. “I’ve
no
t
i
m
e
for
y
o
u
or
y
o
ur ga
m
es. Tell
m
e
where
he
is.”
H
e
huffed.

“H
o
w
dare
y
o
u!
You
insignificant
lit
t
le
whelp.
Y
ou
think
y
o
u
can
stand
a
chance
against
u
s Cou
n
selors.
Y
ou
stupid
fool!”
Madget
huffed,
her
hands
knotted
in
her
robes.

He
caught
the
faint
scent
of
their
fear
and
laughed
bitter
l
y
.
“
I
want
Meeka
standing
in
front of
m
e now,
or I say
we
test
y
o
u
r theo
r
y
.”

Str
y
k
e
r
s
wore
loudly
from
behind
Kerrigan.
He
landed
with
unexpected
grace
in
front
of Madget.
“Listen,
Madget,
we
have
knowledge
which
links
Thalius
to
Jager
in
To
m
bs.
It
is forbidden.
He
knew
the
rules.
Th
e
y
have
been
m
ee
t
ing
secret
l
y
in
the
Forest
of
L
i
m
bs.
We
s
uspect
Thalius let Jager
out
of
To
m
bs
and
has
like
l
y
lent him
s
o
m
e powe
r
s,
as
well. You
need
to listen
to
what
Kerrigan
is
sa
y
i
n
g.”

Kerrigan
watched
them
shift
together,
their
heads
pressed
together.
He
caught
the uncertain
t
y
. Their
anger
boiled.
He
obviously
wasn’t
co
m
ing.

“Kerrigan,
Thalius
would
have
no
reason
to
want
this
m
ortal
girl.
This
is
y
o
ur
fault,
along with
y
o
ur
father.”
Madget pointed up at Todd Beaver. “She
s
hould have been sent back to
U
pper World
long
ago,
regardless
of
whether
or
not
she
survived.”

Catz
leapt
to
the
floor,
transfor
m
ing
from
the
pale
w
hite
cat
into
her
tigress
for
m
,
and Madget
shrieked.
“What
are
y
ou
?
”
she
de
m
anded.
“And
h
o
w
dare
y
o
u
enter
my
rea
l
m uninvited
?
”