Enchantment (50 page)

Tall,
lush
foliage
towered
above their
heads.
B
e
y
o
nd
the broken
s
k
y
l
ine,
m
assive
m
ou
n
tains as
m
ag
n
ifice
n
t
as
the
Rockies
back
ho
m
e
stood
watch.
Meeka
inhaled.
She
could
al
m
ost
get
lost in
their
beau
t
y
.
The
on
l
y
thing
missing
on
the
ones
she
could
see
was
s
now.
There
didn’t
appear to
be
a
n
y
s
now.
Ma
y
be th
e
y
didn’t
know
what
snow
w
a
s.

“Do
y
o
u
like
w
hat
y
o
u
se
e
?
”

“It’s
beautiful.
I
love
the
outdoors.
That’s
w
hat
got
m
e
into
this
trouble
in
the
first
place.
I
s
hould
have
st
a
y
e
d
ho
m
e
that
m
orning
.
”
Meeka
s
hook
her
head.
“
D
oes
the
m
ou
n
tain
have
a na
m
e
?
”
She
pointed
toward
an
un
u
sual
glittering
peak
in
the
distance.

Kerrigan
followed
her
gaze.
“Topaz
Mountain.” “It’s
stunning!”
s
he
s
aid
breathless
l
y
.

“Yes,
it
is.”

Meeka
s
m
iled.
Gorgeous,
o
m
inous,
for
m
ida
b
le,
Kerrigan
re
m
in
d
ed
her
of
ever
y
t
h
i
n
g
s
he loved
back
ho
m
e.
His
intense
blue
e
y
es
h
y
p
not
i
zed
her.
Meeka
w
ondered
if
th
e
y
’
d
stopped walking.

H
i
s
strength
and
confidence
w
ound
its
way
around
her
heart,
attracting
her
like
a
m
ag
n
et. H
i
s
hand
w
a
s
warm
and
inviting.
She
s
queezed
tight
l
y
,
secret
l
y
envisioning
him
e
m
bra
c
ing
her as
s
he clung
to him
in the
throes
of
ecsta
s
y
.

Meeka
j
u
m
ped
at
the
slight
growl
echoing
from
the
ground.
A
wave
of
heat
flooded
her cheeks
at
the
sight
of
Catz
rubbing
against
Kerrigan’s
leg.
With a
final, deadly
glare, Catz trotted ahead.

“I
think
it
is
a
good
thing
we
have
a
chaperone,
precious;
y
o
u're too
delectab
l
e.”

Meeka
shook
her
head,
s
hocked he’d
j
u
st
said
s
uch a
thing.
“
Stop
that. What
kind
of
spell
do
y
o
u alwa
y
s
put
on
m
e
?
”
she
whispered
back.

“You’re
the
s
orceress,
precious,
not
m
e.”

Paddy
called
out,
“
O
ur
legs
are
not
y
o
u
r
size.
Perha
p
s
y
o
u
could
sl
o
w
d
o
wn
a
bit,”
she chided.

When
th
e
y
reached
the
edge
of
the
for
e
st,
Meeka
realized
it
w
asn’t
a
regular
for
e
st.
N
ot even
the
largest
tree
on
Earth
could
co
m
pare
to
these
m
onsters.
The
li
m
bs
spread
out
in
all directions.
So
m
e
were
lea
f
y
while
others
held
needles.
One
could
m
ake
a
blanket
out
of
such large
leaves.
The
branches
danced
and
swa
y
ed
in
the
breeze,
and
when
her
e
y
e
s
focused
on
the knots
protruding
from
the
trunks,
she
saw
they
were,
in
fact,
clever
l
y
concealed e
y
es.

Todd
took
the
lead,
carr
y
i
n
g
the
heavi
l
y
laden
picnic
basket,
followed
by
Padd
y
,
Threeo, Catz,
and
then
Meeka
and
Kerrigan.
S
he’d
obviously
been
too
distracted,
stopping
m
a
n
y
t
i
m
es. But
as
th
e
y
stepped
out
from
the
trees,
she
c
a
m
e
to
an
abrupt
halt.
Be
y
o
n
d
the
towering,
seeing trees,
a
littler
farther
down
the
trail,
Meeka
spied
the
clearing.

She
stopped
again,
silenced
by
awe.
It
was
a
field
covered
with
the
m
ost
dazzling
colored flowers
that
went
on
forever.

Ever
y
o
n
e
stopped
and
watched
her.

“Oh
my
gosh!”
Meeka
excla
i
m
e
d.
“
It’s
w
onderful.” Paddy
waddled
back
to
her
side.
“It
gets
better, dear.” “That’s
i
m
possible.”

Paddy
took
her
hand
away
from
Kerrigan
and
pulled
her
forward.
“
Look
careful
l
y
,
Meeka,”
s
he
encouraged.

She
stood
s
urrounded
b
y
the beau
t
y
,
looking down
at
every color i
m
agi
n
able.
With
care, she bent
down,
intent
l
y
looking
at
the
blo
o
m
s.