Enchantment (12 page)

“Dearest
Enchanters,

“You cannot
i
m
agi
n
e
how
difficult
it
is
for
us
to
leave
Kerrigan.
Y
ou
m
ust
trust us
w
hen
we say
he
is
meant
to
be
in
y
o
ur
world.
O
ur
s
on
is
born
to
be
a
protector
and
destro
y
e
r
.
We
kn
o
w
y
o
u
will
find
this
hard
to
believe,
but
in
t
i
m
e,
y
ou
will
realize
we
are
correct.
He
’
s
very
s
pecial and
will
need
guidance
bec
o
m
ing
fa
m
i
liar
with
his
particular
abilit
i
es.
His
power
and
strength will
grow
dai
l
y
.

Todd
and
Pad
d
y
,
war
m
th
and
love
e
m
an
a
tes
from
y
o
u
r
home.
We
felt
y
o
u
r
love;
it
is
what brought
us
here.
The
love
y
ou
share
for
each
other
and
others
around
y
o
u
is
w
hat
we
want
our boy
to
experience.
S
how
him
w
hat
a
fami
l
y
is.
Y
ou
will
not
be
disappointed.
Y
ou
will
grow
to love
h
i
m
.

Final
l
y
,
to
the
counselors,
we
respect
all
y
o
u
have
done
for
y
o
ur
world,
but
y
o
u
will
need help.
Our
son
will
be
the
Enchan
t
m
e
n
t
Enforcer.
If
necessa
r
y
,
Kerrigan
will
die
t
r
y
i
ng
to
protect this
world
and
all
Enchanters.
You’ll
need
him
in
the
future,
this we
kn
o
w.

We
are
a
s
pecial
breed
of
creation
with
the
abil
it
y
to
travel
to
m
a
n
y
different
w
orlds ensuring
balance
and
har
m
o
n
y
.
This
child
has
been
chosen
to
protect
y
o
u
r
w
orld.
You
should feel
proud.
We
love
him
dear
l
y
,
but
w
hat
is
m
eant
to
be cannot
be changed.
We decided it
w
ould be
best
to leave
the
situation
a
s
y
ou
are
now
finding
it.

Kerrigan is
to
be part of
y
o
u
r
desti
n
y
,
so please keep
him
safe,
and one d
a
y the sa
m
e
will be bestowed
on
y
o
u.
Without
hi
m
,
y
o
u
r
existence
will
be
in
great
danger.
We
have
delivered
y
o
u our
m
ost
precious
gift.
Please
treasure
him
alw
a
y
s
.
We
hope
so
m
ed
a
y
he
will
learn
to
forgive
us for
what
we
had
to
do,
and
perhaps
in
time
m
a
y
discover
the
true
m
eaning
of
love
and
the sacrifices
one
m
akes to
keep
it.

Vallor
and
Allegra.”

Thalius
seethed
with
anger.
“
S
oon,
Kerrigan,
y
o
u
will
bow
to
me
like
all
the
others.”
He
w
ouldn’t
let
a
n
y
o
ne
get
in
the
wa
y
.
The
Beavers
had
been
w
rong—the
girl’s
powers
would
be the
m
ost precious
gift.
Her
p
o
wers
would
be
his—one
way
or
another.

In
the
m
or
n
ing,
the
Cou
n
selors
would
confront
the
Enforcer
to
discu
s
s
the
girl’s
fate
and repri
m
and
Todd
Beaver
for
his
actions.
The
dim
lights
in
the
opulent
ho
m
e
cast
s
hadows
on
the walls
like
ghosts
waiting
to
steal
s
ouls.

Thalius
s
m
i
l
ed.
He
m
ust
ensure
her st
a
y
.
A
difficult
d
a
y approached,
and Thalius
knew
he’d need
to
watch
his
step
where
the
Enforcer
was
concerned.

Chapter
F
ive

Kerrigan
closed
the
bedroom
door
and
m
a
d
e
his
way
down
the
hall
to
the
kitchen.
In
the
s
pacious roo
m
,
his
parents turned
to
look
at him
with
a
well, did
you
help?
look
on
their
faces.

He leaned
against
the
counter,
conte
m
p
lating
the
situation.
“
I have
m
a
n
y
unanswered questions,”
he
ground
out.
He
shuddered
at
the
faint
s
ensation
of
unease
that
prickled
along
his flesh.
Eve
r
y
instinct
within
him
screaming
that
she
was
in
danger,
rather
than
being
the dangerous
one.

“Son,
did
y
ou heal
her
in
j
ur
y
? Will
she
be
oka
y
,” his
m
o
m
asked.

“Yes,
the
healing
w
a
s
successful.
P
h
y
s
ic
a
l
l
y
,
an
y
w
a
y
.
”
He
paused,
not
wanting
to
get
into the
details.

The
unasked
qu
e
stions
pla
y
ed
acro
s
s
her
face.
She
understood
he
learned
int
i
m
a
t
e
details about
people
during
the
healing
process.

“You
look
exhausted.
Sit.”
She
pointed
to
the
chair.
“
I
’ve
m
ade
y
ou so
m
e
thing
to
eat.” “Mo
m
,
I
don’t
real
l
y
have
ti
m
e
to
eat
right
n
o
w.
I
have
to
explain
this
to
the
council,
t
r
y
to protect
Dad
and
get
the
questions
I
have
answered.
It’s
going
to
be
a
disaster.”
The
w
ords tu
m
b
l
ed
from
his
m
o
u
th
fast,
j
u
m
bled,
and
sarcastic.

“I
won’t
ask
y
o
u
again.
G
o
sit
d
o
wn
this
instant.
Y
ou
won’t
do
a
n
y
of
u
s
a
n
y
good
going into
y
o
ur
meeting
as
tired
as
y
o
u
are.”
Pad
d
y
waddled
to
the
counter
and
fetched
the
plate holding
a
san
d
wich.
She
gave
h
i
m
one
last
look,
m
o
t
ioning him
to
the
chair.

Defeated,
he
sat
in
the
high
-
backed
leather chair.
“It’s
pointless
to
argue
with
y
o
u, isn’t
it
?
” She
grinned
at
hi
m
, patting
his
ar
m
.

Todd
pulled
up
a
chair
beside
hi
m
.
“
The
litt
l
e
creature
spoke
to
y
o
u
?
”

Kerrigan
finished
chewing.
“Yes,
she
s
poke
to
m
e.
I
should
rephrase
that.
The
Protector
w
oke
up
and
threate
n
ed
m
e.
The
ani
m
a
l
told
m
e
its
na
m
e
is
Catz,
or
at
least
that’s
what
the
girl calls
it.
The
hu
m
an’s
na
m
e
is
Meeka.
The
hu
m
ans
assu
m
e
the
creature
to
be
a
cat,
but
this
is
no ordinary
cat.
Catz
is
from
a
s
pecies
called
L
e
m
rens.”

Todd
stared
into
his
son’s
e
y
es,
tapping
his
claws
on
the
counter.
“
Why
did
it
threaten
y
ou?
A
re
they
dangerous
?
”

“The
an
i
m
al
serves
as
a
protector
and
co
m
pa
n
ion
to
the
girl.
It
forewarned
m
e,
s
hould an
y
o
n
e
t
r
y
har
m
ing
her.
I’m
not
sure
if
I
s
hould
believe
what
the
Le
m
r
en
told
m
e.
It’s
quite
a stor
y
. One
thing
is
certain
—
the girl,
Meeka,
will
not understand
any
of
this when
she
wakes.
She kn
o
ws nothing of
m
agic
.
” Kerrigan felt his anger
stir.
“
I
didn’t believe this
t
y
p
e
of
p
o
wer existed up
there,
but
I
definite
l
y
sense
p
o
wer
in
the
fe
m
a
le.
The
Council
should
have
told
m
e
Upper Worlders
had
s
pecial
abilities.
I
had
no
idea
beings
s
uch
as
Le
m
rens
existed.”

Kerrigan
caught
the
anxious
look
between
his
parents.
Other
s
pecies
did
exist.
He
was
a perfect
exa
m
p
le
of
that.
The
conversation
behind
the
thought
m
ade
his
sto
m
ach
roll.
“
I
know there’s
a
story
to
go
along
with
the
look.
I’d
like
an
explanation,
but
it’s
going
to
have
to
wait. Right
now,
I
need
s
o
m
e
rest.”
He
pushed
aw
a
y
from
the
table
and
stood.
The
deep,
creased fr
o
wn
lines
on
his
m
other’s face
troubled
hi
m
. Paddy
seldom
w
orried
about
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng.