Enchantment (84 page)

Kerrigan
stepped
away
from
the
fire
and
set
his
drink
on
the
desk.

I
knew
Thalius
was
up
to
something.

The
old
bastard’s
interest
in
her
p
o
wers—in
her—was
nor
m
a
l,
but
his
going
against
the other
Counselors
was
be
y
o
n
d his
scope
of
decen
c
y
.
No,
there
w
a
s
so
m
et
h
ing beneath
the
s
urface,
and
he
w
ould
find
it.

There
w
a
s
nothing
Kerrigan
would
like
m
ore
than
to
strip
the
old
codger
of
his
p
o
wers.
He abused
ever
y
t
h
i
n
g
he
touched,
but
his
p
o
sition
on
the
Council
left
him
untouchable.

Why
did
the
other
Cou
n
selors
ignore
what
he
s
aw?
Was
their
fear
of
scandal
too
strong?
A
fter
all,
a
few
indiscretions
here
and
there
were
nothing.
In spite
of
his
warnings,
the
ru
m
ors
of the
old prick’s
m
isuse of
m
a
g
ic still floated
around
Enchantment.
Ru
m
ors
of
rape,
of
fraterni
z
ing with
cri
m
i
n
als,
even
m
urder,
were not uncom
m
o
n.
N
ow, Thalius
had
set his
sights on
Meeka—a far-fro
m
-
pleasant
reali
z
ation.
He
didn’t
care
what
the
Counselors
said
this
t
i
m
e.
He’d
find
out the
rat’s
warped
plan.

To
hell
with
the
Cou
n
selors.

Str
y
k
e
r
interrupted
his
thoughts.
“H
e
y
,
y
ou
interested
in
hearing
w
hat
was
discovered
or no
t
?
”

“Sorr
y
, got
lost
in
thought.
You
know
I’ve
never
trusted
hi
m
.
”

Todd
wandered
over
to
Kerrigan
and
stood
by
the
desk.
“
I
think
y
ou
have
him
pegged correct
l
y
, but
doing
so
m
ething
about
it
won’t
be
ea
s
y
.
”

Threeo
had
been
silent
up
until
this
point,
but
took
this
opportuni
t
y
to
ju
m
p
in.
“Kerrigan, again
I’m
re
m
in
d
ed
of
my
vision.

Kerrigan
strode
back
to
the
fire
and
patted
Threeo.
“
Y
ou
alwa
y
s
wor
r
y
s
o
m
uch,
my
friend. Str
y
k
e
r,
please
tell
us
w
hat
y
ou
discovered.”

“Well,
Thalius
was
seen
at
the
Forest
of
L
i
m
bs
in
the
dark
of
night.
H
e
was
heavi
l
y
cloaked as
if
to
disguise
his
appearance.”

“Huh.”
Kerrigan
blurted
out.
“It’s
unusual,
but
not
quite
as
da
m
ning
as
I
w
as
hoping
to hear.”

“He
met a
m
an
in the
clearing.
O
ne
the
garg
o
y
l
e didn’t recognize
i
m
med
i
at
el
y
.
H
owever, he did
catch
the
figure’s
scent
and
revealed
his
identi
t
y
to
m
e.
I’ve
confirmed
Jager
is
now
out
and
w
orking
with
Thalius.
What
their
plan
is,
I
cannot
s
a
y
,
but
my
scout
did
hear
Meeka
being discu
s
sed,
and
the
word
power
.”

Kerrigan
sank
into
the
nearest
chair,
his
heart
in
his
throat.
Jager,
a
foul,
rotting
corpse,
w
ould
be
a
dangerous
foe,
but
a
famil
i
ar
one.

“I
m
possible.
N
obo
d
y
leaves
To
m
bs unless
I
know
about
it.”

Str
y
k
e
r
set
his
glass
down
beside
Kerrigan’s
and
cro
s
sed
his
large
ar
m
s
across
his
chest. “Unless,
a
Counselor
got
h
i
m
out
of
T
o
m
bs.”

Rage
and
fury
built
like
a
storm
deep
inside
Kerrigan’s
chest.
“I
swear
to
the
go
d
s,
I’ll
rip his
heart
out.
I
should
have
locked
him
up
and
stripped
his
p
o
wers
long
ago,
but
no,
I’m
bound by
honor
to
protect
those
bastards.
He’ll
be
s
or
r
y
he
ever
tried
to
m
ess
with
Meeka.”
Kerrigan threw
the
glass
into
the
fireplace,
watching
the
flames
dancing
before
hi
m
.

“Ea
s
y
,
son.
I know h
o
w ang
r
y
y
o
u
m
ust be, but
y
ou
can’t act
without thinking
this through,” Todd
soothed.
“
Y
ou
need
proof,
or
the
y
’
l
l conde
m
n
y
o
ur act
as
an
uprising.”

J
ust
then,
Pad
d
y
’s
voice
echoed
down
the
halls,
letting them
kn
o
w
dinner
w
a
s
rea
d
y
. Kerrigan
was
grateful
for
the
distraction.
He
wanted
to
confront
Thalius
now,
but
his
father
was right.
He
needed
to
think
this
through
properl
y
. He
led
the
men
back
into
the
kitchen,
but
stopped abrupt
l
y
as
he
cro
s
sed
the
threshold
into
the
dining
roo
m
.

The
red
dre
s
s
fit
her
perfect
l
y
.
The
v-neckline
dr
e
w
his
atten
t
ion
to
her
full
breasts,
while the
hem
flirted
around
her
long,
sexy
legs
as
s
he
m
oved.
All
the
m
en
stopped
to
stare
at
the gorgeous
w
o
m
an standing
by
the
bar.

Todd
broke
the
spell
by
s
weeping
a
gallant
but
co
m
i
c
al
b
o
w.
“
M
eeka,
my
dear,
y
o
u
look love
l
y
—
a
l
m
o
st
as
lovely
as
my
darling
wife.”

“W
h
y
,
thank
y
o
u,
Todd.”
Meeka
giggled.
From
the
s
m
irk
on
Str
y
k
e
r’s
face,
M
eeka
w
ondered
what
the
joke
was
as
he
brushed
past
Kerrigan.

Kerrigan
w
a
s
unusually
quiet.
He
m
oved
the
food
around
on
his
plate,
not
eating
m
uch.
She tried
hard
not
to
look
at
hi
m
,
but
it
see
m
ed
he
never
took
his
e
y
e
s
off
her
for
even
a
m
o
m
e
nt. Meeka
w
a
s
unnerved.
He
never
said
one
w
ord
through
the
entire
dinner.
Paddy
got
up
to
start clearing
the
dishes,
and
Kerrigan
j
u
m
ped
up
to
help,
but
Meeka
rushed
to
Pad
d
y
’s
side,
shooing him
aw
a
y
. “Kerrigan,
let
m
e help
y
o
u
r
m
o
m
. You
look
um
m
…p
r
eoccup
i
ed.”

H
i
s
electric
blue
e
y
es
stared
down
into
he
r
s.
He
bent
down,
and
his
deep,
seductive
voice stroked along
her
flesh
to create
an
ache between
her thighs.
“I
think
y
o
u
know wh
y
.”
Gentl
y
,
he reached
up
with
his
hand
and
tucked
a piece
of
hair
behind her
ear.