Enchantment (7 page)

But
ever
y
t
h
ing
in
Kerrigan’s
body
scre
a
m
ed
at
him
to
help
her.
He
felt
co
m
pe
l
led
to
help her,
j
u
st
like
Todd
had.
The
Beaver
couple
stood
in
silence,
waiting for
their
son’s
respo
n
se.

Kerrigan
knew
the
Council
w
ould
never
agree
with
his
decision
to
save
her.
He
w
ould
be breaking
the
nu
m
ber
-
one
rule
that
e
m
bod
i
ed
the
foundation
of
Enchantment.
No
foreigners. These
two
were
j
u
st
ani
m
a
ls
like
all
the
others
that
perished.

Healing
spells
took
great
ener
g
y
and
concentration.
It
also
m
ea
n
t
K
errigan
w
ould
have
to enter
the
female’s
bo
d
y
through
her
m
ind—not
alwa
y
s
a
pleasant
experience.
Agitated,
ang
r
y
, and
frustrated,
Kerrigan
shook
his
head
in
disbelief
at
w
hat
he
was
about
to
do.
He
turned
aw
a
y from
his
parents and
focused
his
m
ind on
the
task
at
hand.

The
two
beavers
m
a
d
e
their
way
to
the
door.
Todd’s
parting
w
ords
were
ones
of
caution. “Don’t d
a
wdle,
s
on.
If the litt
l
e
w
hite
fur ball
awakes
before
y
o
u
’re
finished
the healing
process, it’ll
like
l
y
cause
a
heap
o’
trouble.”

Kerrigan
took
a
m
o
m
e
nt
to
look
at
the
creature
that’d
been
instrument
a
l
in
saving
the fe
m
a
l
e’s
life.
He
didn’t
know
w
hat
the
creature
was,
but
it
slept
curled
up
in
a
ball,
pressed
up against
the
girl’s
rib
cage.

“Luc
k
y
thing.”
The
thought
bu
r
st
unexpected
l
y
from
Kerrigan’s
lips.

Kerrigan
lowered
his
weight
cautious
l
y
onto
the
edge
of
the
bed
and
stared
d
o
wn
at
her.
He needed
to
touch
in
order
to
heal
her,
but
didn’t
know
h
o
w
his
bo
d
y
m
ight
react.
It
didn’t
seem natural
for his large,
callused hand to touch so
m
ething
so flawless.
Eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng
see
m
ed
to slow
in time
as
his
hand
hovered
over
her
cheek.

The
m
ome
n
t
the
back
of
his
hand
touched
her
s
oft
skin,
a
flow
of
turbulent
e
m
o
t
ions a
s
saulted
hi
m
.

He
shut
his
e
y
e
s
and
tried
to
balance
the
overflow
of
thoughts
and
e
m
otions
that
spread
like wildfire
through
his
bod
y
.
Pain,
love,
betr
a
y
a
l,
beau
t
y
,
tranquil
it
y
,
and
fear
swa
m
ped
his
s
enses. He
needed
to
dive
through
all
the
e
m
o
tions
and
ca
l
m
her
before
he
could
start
the
spell.

Her
inner
tur
m
o
il
do
m
ina
t
ed
her
entire
being.
Who
could
cause
so
m
uch
hurt
to
such
a beautiful
creature?
Her
helplessness
w
a
s
crippling
as
her
soul
cried
out
for
peace.
The
m
ent
a
l anguish
was
an
i
m
pe
n
etrab
l
e
barrier.
Her
m
ind refused
to
let
him
in
further.

H
overing,
he
waited
for
a
path,
and
suddenly
caught
a strong
stream
of
j
oy
and
love.

Ye
s
!

It
was
for the s
m
a
l
l an
i
m
al
huddled against
her. Strong devotion
and
love were e
m
b
edded
in her
thoughts.
He’d
found
his
opening.

H
i
s
magic
flowed
deep and
m
ixed
with
her own stream
of devotion
for the creature,
sending thoughts
of safe
t
y and
securi
t
y
.
Positive
ener
g
y flowed
war
m
l
y
through
her
bod
y
.
The
ener
g
y he sent
ca
m
e
e
m
bed
d
ed
with
a
m
essage
letting
her
know
her
co
m
pa
n
ion
w
a
s
oka
y
.
Her
defenses weakened.
His
m
a
g
ic
found
the
in
j
ury
and
began
shooting
tiny
blue
flames
around
the
w
ound, cauterizing
the
area
ceasing
the
bleeding
and
restoring
the
da
m
a
g
e.

With
the
process
co
m
pl
e
te,
Kerrigan
gradual
l
y
began
his
retreat
from
her
bod
y
,
sending reassuring
messages
that
no
harm
would
co
m
e to
her
or
her
co
m
panion. His e
y
es
opened,
and
his hand
re
m
a
ined
on
her
cheek.
Eve
r
y
inch
of
his
body
tingled
from
head
to
toe.