Enchantment (24 page)

“But I
don’t
have a
n
y special
p
o
wers
or
abili
t
ies.
If
I
did,
I’d
get
us
out of
here. Perhaps
y
ou were
confused
and
got
the
wrong
hu
m
an
?
”
Meeka
offered
a
vague,
half-for
m
ed hope.

Finding
a
spot
on
the
floor,
Catz
sat
and
looked
up
her.
“Y
o
u
are
the
one,
Meeka.
Y
our abilities
will
bec
o
m
e
m
ore
prevalent
while
y
o
u
are
here,
and
I’m
gu
e
ssing
the
m
a
l
e
will
help with
y
o
u
r
transition.”

Her
breath
caught.
Swallowing
around
the
knot
in
her
throat,
she
stared
at
Catz.
“
What
am
I
s
upposed
to
b
e
?
”

“You
will
bec
o
m
e
a
very
powerful
sorceress.
Stronger
than
I,
I’m
guessing.
But
not
to
w
or
r
y
;
y
o
u
kn
o
w I
will alw
a
y
s
protect
y
o
u
.”

Meeka
picked
up
Catz
and
hugged
her.
S
he
loved
this
cat…or
L
e
m
ren.
“O
h
,
Catz,
what
w
ould
I
do
without
y
ou?
You’re
the
only
one
who
has
ever
cared
about
m
e.
I
hope
it’s
ok
a
y
if
I still
hug
and
pet
y
o
u.”

A
s
m
ile
curled
her
lips
as
Catz
purred.
“I’m
so
glad
y
o
u
’re
here.
Forgive
m
e
if
I
doubt
y
o
u. This
is
so
hard
to
believe.
I
hope
Adonis
co
m
es
back
s
oon;
I
real
l
y
need
to
u
se
the
bathro
o
m
.” Heat
suffused
her
face
as
her
sto
m
ach ru
m
bled. “And
m
a
y
b
e
grab
a
bite
to
eat.”

Cha
p
ter
Ten

The
i
c
y
touch of
w
ater from
his da
m
p
hair streaked
down
Kerrigan’s back. Striding
from the barracks,
he
sighed,
his
e
y
es drifting
closed
for
a
m
oment as
he
chanted
the
fa
m
i
l
iar
w
ords.

“
Pralim
renolzup
.
”

A
m
o
m
e
nt
later,
the
air
still
reeked
of
bri
m
stone
as
he
opened
th
e
m
to
s
m
ile
at
the
sight
of his
parent's
ho
m
e
sitting
a
m
id
the
lush
growth.

K
nocking
loud
l
y
on
the
door,
he
w
alked
into
the
lodge,
waiting
for
one
of
his
parents
to an
s
wer
his
hello.
When
no
answer
ca
m
e, he
headed
toward
the
kitchen.

A
pparent
l
y
, they
were
out.

He
found
hi
m
self
facing
the
girl’s
bedroom
door
and
took
a
deep
breath
to
ca
l
m
his
nerves. He
knocked
on
the door,
and
with
a wave
of
his
hand,
it opened.

* * * *

Meeka
w
a
s
standing
at
the
far
end
of
the
room
with
her
back
to
the
door
when
she
heard
the knock.
She
whirled
around,
and
their
e
y
e
s
locked
from
across
the
roo
m
.
Im
m
e
dia
t
e
l
y
,
his
m
asculi
n
e scent
m
ixed
with tan
g
y citrus
and spice drifted
into the
room with
hi
m
.
He’d rendered her
s
peechless.
The
d
a
m
p locks
curled over
his forehead,
hanging
down
passed
his
shoulders
in
a sex
y
, wild
look.
Meeka’s
stomach
spoke
for
her
as
a big
growl
broke
the
silence.

H
ow
embarr
a
ssing!

Her
cheeks
felt
as
if
th
e
y
were
on
fire.
S
he
placed
Catz
back
down
on
the
floor.
H
ow
could he
po
s
sib
l
y
look
as
good
as
he
did?
He
could
render
a
n
y
wo
m
an
a
blubbering
idiot.
S
he’d
never seen a
white
T
-
s
hirt
and
tattered
blue
jeans
look
so
good.
Her
e
y
e
s
wandered
up
his
fra
m
e
as
s
he straightened.
She
was
staring
again.
Breaking
e
y
e
contact
and
ang
r
y
she’d
been
ogling
again, Meeka
ram
m
e
d
her
hands
in
her
pockets.

He
s
poke
s
oft
l
y
.
“Does
y
o
ur head
feel
a
n
y
better
?
”

Struggling
to
find
her
voice,
she
offered
a
weak
s
m
i
l
e.
“
Y
es,
I
feel
m
uch
better.”

“I’m
glad.
Rare
l
y
does
it
take
so
long
for
the
healing
process
to
be
co
m
p
le
t
e,
but
y
ou
were very
protective
.
”

Her
sto
m
ach
gr
o
wled
loudly
again,
interrupting
hi
m
.
With
a
kind
s
m
ile,
he
held
out
a
hand. “
M
y apologies.
A
pparent
l
y
,
I’m
far
from
a
good
h
o
st.
Y
ou
both
m
ust
be
hung
r
y
.
M
y
m
other
has stepped
out for
a
bit,
but
surel
y
, we
can
find
so
m
ething for
y
o
u
to
eat.”

Meeka,
although
hung
r
y
,
w
ondered
what
she
would
find
outside
this
bedroo
m
.
She
looked at
Catz
for
reassurance,
but
the
critter
pranced
over
to
K
errigan,
looking
up
at
hi
m
.

“I,
m
y
s
e
lf,
w
ould
prefer
m
e
a
t.
I
a
m
, after
all,
a
carnivore
in
this for
m
.”

Kerrigan
laughed.
“
Y
es,
I
believe
we
have
s
omething
si
m
ilar
to
y
o
u
r
t
y
p
e
of
food,
even though
my
parents
m
ai
nl
y
eat
greens.”

He
addressed
Meeka.
“
P
recious,
I
see
y
o
u
know
Catz
can
speak.
Our
w
orld,
it
is
quite different.
M
o
st
ever
y
o
n
e
here
us
e
s
magic in
one
form
or
another.”

Precious!
W
hy do
e
s
he
keep
calling me
that?

Locking
her
fists
on
her
hips,
she
narrowed
her e
y
es. Meeka
tried
to
keep
a
tight
leash on
the anger
bubbling
through
her.
“Look,
bud
d
y
.
I’m
not
y
o
ur
precious,
or
y
o
u
r
hon
e
y
,
or
an
y
t
h
ing else
y
ou
think
of. My na
m
e
is
Meeka.
While
Catz
here told
m
e
I’m so
m
e
sort of sorceress, I
find that
a
tad
difficult
to
believe.
So,
here’s
w
hat
w
e’re
going
to
do.
We’re
not
going
to
call
m
e
any of
y
o
ur
little
pet
names,
and I'm not
st
a
y
i
ng
any longer than I have to.
I'm
j
u
st unluc
k
y enough
to be
in
the
wrong
s
pot
at
the
w
rong
t
i
m
e,
and
if
that
whatever
-
it
-
w
a
s
hadn't
startled
m
e,
I
wouldn't be
here!”