Enchantment (66 page)

Kerrigan
had
one
last
question,
which
was
actua
ll
y
m
ore
of
a
statement.
“
I
’ll
inform
Todd he
is
to
resu
m
e his
regular
duties
without
del
a
y
,
as
per
the
good
w
i
shes
of
the
Council.”

“Todd
is
not
back
in
our
good
boo
k
s,
but
he
is
free
to
go
about
his
life
as
nor
m
al.
Leave
us n
o
w,
before
I
change
my
m
ind.”

* * * *

Meeka
felt
total
l
y
exhilara
t
ed.
S
he
e
m
b
r
aced
the
training
and
absorbed
eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng
Str
y
k
e
r taught
her,
but
he
w
as
pushing
her
in
an
uncertain
direction.

Str
y
k
e
r
stood
facing
her,
his
e
y
es
intense.
He
grabbed
her
by
the
shoulders
as
he
spoke. “Oka
y
,
I
know
y
o
u
can
do
this.
R
e
m
ember
I’m
not
a
good
guy
here.
I’m
the
bad
g
u
y
,
and
y
o
u need
to
stop
m
e.
Don’t
worry
about
hurting
m
e.
Believe
m
e,
I’ve
trained
with
Kerrigan.
Nobody is
m
ore
powerful
than
hi
m
,
so
don’t
wor
r
y
about
hurting
m
e.
Re
m
e
m
b
er
I’m
the
bad,
evil
gu
y
.

A
nd I’m
going
to
hurt
y
o
u
or
kill
y
o
u.
Better
y
e
t,
w
hat
if
I
hurt so
m
e
thing
or
so
m
ebo
d
y
y
o
u
care about.
If
y
ou don’t
fight,
I’ll
kill
y
o
u
r
special
interest.
Fight
m
e!

“Yes!
Y
ou
have
to
stop
m
e, or
I’m
going
to
hurt
Catz.
I’m
going
to
m
ake her
scream
in
pain, kill
her.
Think
of
the
being
that
attacked
y
o
u
.
Imagine
w
hat
it
w
ould
do
to
Catz,
to
Threeo
or Padd
y
.”
H
i
s
voice
dropped.
“To
Kerrigan.
What
would
y
o
u
do
if
y
o
u
were
the
only
one
who could
save the
m
?
D
o
it,
Meeka.
It’s
up
to
y
o
u
.
”

Slowl
y
, his
wor
d
s
reached
deep
inside.

W
h
a
t
would
I
do
if I
was
the
only one
left?

She
thought
back
to
the
evil
being
that
had
tried
to
abduct
her.
It
was
sickening
and repulsive.
Meeka
could
feel
her
t
e
m
peratu
r
e
rising.
The
little
ball
of
fire
grew
in
the
pit
of
her sto
m
ach,
de
m
anding
release.
Her
vision
bec
a
m
e
blur
r
y
as
s
he
foc
u
sed
on
the
m
e
m
o
ries
of
the evil
being.
The
fl
a
m
es
were
growing,
spreading
through
her
bo
d
y
,
consu
m
ing
all
her
thoughts until
s
he
w
a
s
b
e
y
o
nd
s
eeing.

She
heard
nothing
except
for
the
evil thoughts
and
felt
on
l
y the
invisible
groping
han
d
s.
Her sto
m
ach
rebelled
at
the
horri
f
y
i
ng thoughts
now
invading
her
m
ind.

“Concentrate,
Meeka.
You
can
do
this,”
Str
y
k
e
r
said,
shaking
her
by
the
s
houlders.
“
I’m
the bad
g
u
y
who
’
s
gonna
get
y
o
u
.”

Meeka
hit
her
breaking
point.

She
funneled
her
fury
and
drew
it
from
the
core
of
her
being.
Her
fists
opened,
and
with them
c
a
m
e
unleashed
power.
With
a
thrust
of
her
ar
m
,
a
large
ball
of
fire
hit
St
r
y
k
er
square
in the
chest,
sending
him
fl
y
i
n
g
through
the
air.

* * * *

Str
y
k
e
r landed hard,
shocked
b
y
the level of
force with
which
the tiny
f
e
m
ale
struck.
St
r
y
k
er had fought a
lot of people
and beings,
but
never had
he encountered
such strength.
The wind had been
knocked
out
of
hi
m
.
He
stood,
gasping
for
air,
but
reali
z
ed
s
he
was
stalking
toward
hi
m
. She
w
a
s
unrecogniza
b
le—a
w
alking
fire
heading
right
toward
h
i
m
.

Shit!
I
asked for
it!
How
far
will she
go?
W
h
a
t will she
do
next?

Str
y
k
e
r
w
a
sn’t
sure,
but
he
prepared
hi
m
s
e
lf
for
the
attack
b
y
raising
his
shield
and
drawing his
s
word.