Enchantment (46 page)

H
ow
could
s
he
not
s
m
ile?
Threeo
was
adorable.
S
he
had
the
urge
to
reach
out
and
wipe away
the flour
on his
beak.
“
I
don’t think
y
ou
talk too
m
uch
at all, and
it’s ve
r
y
nice to
m
e
e
t
y
o
u, but
I
have to
ask,
what
are
y
o
u
?
”

The
critter
stood
up
proudly
and
fluffed
his
feathers.
“I’m
a
Hipodo
g
wl,
and
Kerrigan’s co
m
panion
.
”

Meeka
chuckled.
“
O
f
course.
Well,
I
s
ee
y
ou
m
ust
have
m
et
Catz.
She
is…err…my co
m
panion
.
”

“I
have
m
et
Catz.
I
think
we
will
be
great
friends
as
long
as
she
doesn’t
t
r
y
to
eat
m
e
,
” Threeo
stated
with
a
concerned
look
directed in
Catz’s
direction.

Catz
blinked
and
jested.
“Feathers,
I
don’t
m
ind,
but
hippo
skin
is
where
I
draw
the
line.” Ever
y
o
n
e
laughed,
with
the
exception of
Threeo.
“What’s
wrong
with
hippo
s
kin
?
” Kerrigan
continued
to
laugh,
but
interrupted
the
banter.
“Oka
y
,
y
ou
two,
that’s
enough, unless
y
o
u both
want
to
beco
m
e floured
like Mom
and
me.
Meeka,
have
a
seat,
and
I’ll
s
how
y
o
u h
o
w
we
m
a
k
e
creature
cakes.”

She
sat
captiva
t
ed
watching
Paddy
and
Kerrigan.
Paddy
placed
s
o
m
e
flour
into
the
b
o
wl, added
so
m
e liquid,
and
then
whispered,
“Live,
laugh,
love,
and
feast.”

Meeka
didn’t
know
what
fairy
dust
would
look
like,
but
that’s
what
s
he
decided
it
m
ust
be. Min
u
scule
s
pots
of
color
floated
from
Pad
d
y
’s
paw
and
into
the
m
ixture.
Kerrigan
stirred
the batter
a
couple
m
ore ti
m
es and
said
th
e
y
were
read
y
.

Threeo
ju
m
ped
excited
l
y
on
the
island.
“
O
h
goo
d
y
,
I
love
Padd
y
’s
creature
cakes.
Can
I
go firs
t
?
”

“H
o
w
about we
let Meeka
go
first? She
has never
had
Enchan
t
m
e
nt
creature cakes,” Kerrigan
said
with
a
m
isc
h
ievous
s
m
ile.

“Oh,
that’s
a
good
idea.”
Threeo
chirped
between
wor
d
s.
“
Y
ou
go
first,
Meeka.” “Oka
y
,” she
said
hesitant
l
y
.
“What
do
I
d
o
?
”

Kerrigan
looked
at
her
with
the
sa
m
e
m
y
s
t
e
r
ious
s
m
ile.
“You
only
need
to
think
of
a creature
y
ou like
and
speak
its
na
m
e. It’s
si
m
ple.”

“Oh.
U
m
…ok
a
y
…
B
e
ar.”

He
set
the
b
o
wl
d
o
wn
beside
the
stove
next
to
the
f
r
y
pan.
The
batter
bubbled,
s
pit,
and floated
out
of
the
bowl.
She
couldn’t
believe
her
e
y
e
s
.
The
batter
shaped
itself
into
the
perfect silhouette
of
a
bear.
With
a
growl,
the
battered
bear
leapt
into
the
hot
pan
with
a
s
m
ile
on
its face.

Meeka
squealed
with
sheer
delight.
“Well,
our
pancakes
certain
l
y
aren’t
this
m
uch
fun.” When
it
was
finished,
Kerrigan
slid
the
creature
cake
onto
her
plate.

Catz and
Threeo
both
spoke
at
the
sa
m
e
ti
m
e,
Catz
y
e
l
l
ing
“
Cat” and
Threeo
y
e
l
l
i
ng
“Bird.” Chaos
erupted.

“Take
cover!”
Both
Pad
d
y
and
Kerrigan
leapt
back
as
the
batter
once
again
bubbled
and
s
purted
into
the
air.
The
blob
w
a
s
m
uch
larger
this
t
i
m
e
when
the
two
shapes
started
to
take for
m
.
The
first
s
hape
was
a
large
bird,
and
the
second
a
large
cat—a
large,
apparent
l
y
hungr
y
, cat.
The
battered
s
hapes
chased
each
other
around
the
kitchen.
Sudden
l
y
,
the
batter
-
cat
pounced at
the
bird,
which
s
wooped
neat
l
y
toward
the
cupboards,
the
cat
in
hot
pursuit.
D
rops
of
batter
s
plashed
against
the
walls,
floor,
and
counter.
M
eeka
watched
with
unbound
a
m
us
e
m
e
nt,
until
s
he
realized
the
bird
was
heading
right
toward
her.
With
a
screech,
s
he
leapt
aside,
right
into
the path
of
the
batter
cat.