Enchantment (40 page)

He
followed
his
father
into
the
den
with
Threeo
tucked
under
his
ar
m
.
Threeo’s
happiest place
w
a
s
on
a
m
ant
e
l,
though
K
errigan
had
never
kn
o
wn
w
h
y
.
That’s
w
here
he
deposited
his co
m
panion.

Todd
started
the
fireplace
and
walked
to
the
curved
wall
where
s
helves
popped
out
to
reveal an
arr
a
y
of
bottles.
He
poured
hi
m
self
a
glass
of
M
oskal,
a
healt
h
y
drink
m
a
d
e
of
m
ost
l
y
plant
m
a
t
ter.
Reaching
for
a
second
glass,
he
poured
Kerrigan
a
glass
of
S
wish.
It
certain
l
y
wasn’t
the quali
t
y
y
o
u
’d
sell
y
o
ur
s
oul
for,
but
it
did
the
trick
if
a
person
wished
to
dull
his
se
n
ses.
“
I thought
y
ou might
need
so
m
ething
a
bit
stronger
than
u
sual.”

“You
said
it.
Perhaps
y
o
u
s
hould
leave
the
bottle
out.”

Threeo
chipped
in.
“Kerrigan,
y
o
u
s
houldn’t
drink
Swish.
Y
ou
know
y
o
u
’
ll get
a
headache.” “Threeo,
I
don’t
need
y
o
ur
m
othering right
n
o
w.”

They
sat
d
o
wn,
each
in
a
large,
overstuffed
leather
chair.
Kerrigan
took
a
large
swallow
of his
drink
and
stretched
his
legs straight
out
in
front
of
hi
m
,
staring
into
the
fire.

“Todd,
are
y
o
u
sure
y
o
u
have
never
cocooned
an
y
o
n
e
before
?
”

Todd
knew
the
tone.
His
son
w
as
gone.
Now,
the
Enforcer
asked
the
questions.
It
was
the only
t
i
m
e
he
ever
called him
Todd instead
of
Dad
or
Father.

“Well,
there
were
a
couple
times
we
tried
to
cocoon
so
m
e
ani
m
a
ls
from
Earth,
but
none
of them
survived,
so
we
just
stopped
t
r
y
i
ng.
There
w
a
s
also
the
ti
m
e
when
one
Enchanter
tried
to escape
our
world.”

“Real
l
y
?
When
and
what
was
the
outco
m
e
.
”

“It
happened
a
long
ti
m
e
ago;
before
y
o
u
arrived
on
Enchantment.
A
fe
m
a
l
e
Enchanter wanted
out
of
our
w
orld.
She
w
a
s
over
halfw
a
y
up
to
the
surface
w
hen
we
discovered
her.
I i
m
me
d
ia
t
e
l
y
cocooned
her,
but
she
never
survived.”
Todd
continued.
“
It’s
just
too
ris
k
y
to chance
it.”

“Well,
we
have
to
find
a
w
a
y
.
A
safe
wa
y
.”
He
took
another
large
swallow,
allowing
the war
m
th to r
u
sh through his bod
y
.

“Kerrigan,
re
m
e
m
b
er
Threeo’s
vision.”
Threeo
spoke.
“You
m
ust
help
this
girl.
Her
life depends on it.
This vision was very strong. It was full of danger, but Threeo doesn’t kn
o
w wh
y
.
I just
know
y
o
u
m
ust
help her.”

Kerrigan
knocked
back
the
S
wish
and
pla
y
ed
with
the
glass
in
his
hand.
“I
can’t
help
her.
I can’t
even
think
straight
w
hen
I’m
around
her.
She
messes
with
my
head.”

Todd
stood
up
and
paced
back
and
forth.
“
I
’m
not
prepared
to
send
her
back
the
w
a
y
she ca
m
e down.
A
nd
I
don’t
believe
y
o
u are
willing to
risk
her
life,
either.”

Fr
u
stration
boiled;
his
attrac
t
ion
to
Meeka
s
cared
h
i
m
.
Who
would
protect
her
from
him
if he
had
to protect
he
r
? With her,
he
couldn’t
be
the
controlled
Enforcer he
was.
I
n
stead, he
turned into
a
bu
m
bling bo
y
. Even
the
thought
of
another
wo
m
an didn’t
set
w
ell.

He
placed
the
tu
m
b
l
er
on
the
table,
exasperated.
“No.
I’m
not
willing
to
chance
an
y
t
h
ing
on
s
omething
not
proven.”

Todd
stood
in
front
of
the
firepla
c
e.
K
errigan
could
see
his
fr
u
stration.
“
What
will
y
o
u
tell the
Counselors
?
”

“I
haven’t
decided
on
my
course
of
action.
S
he
has
incredible
p
o
wer,
considering
s
he’s
just discovered
the
m
.
Perhaps
it
would
be
best
to
work
with
her
to
discover
the
extent
of
the
m
.” Kerrigan
raked
a
hand
through
his
hair.
The
very
idea
of
a
n
y
o
ne
hurting
M
eeka
was
enough
to stir
the
beast
within
hi
m
,
and
he
s
huddered,
reining
in
his
anger.
“So
lit
t
le
is
known
of
Upper World
and
its
m
ag
i
c.”