Enchantment (99 page)

“Well,
I
can’t
even
tell
y
o
u
w
hat
species
I
c
o
m
e
fro
m
,
except
they
were
able
to
ju
m
p
into our
dimension
and
place
m
e
here.
Th
e
y
said
I
would
be
the
Enforcer
here
on
Enchantment,
and eventual
l
y
,
the survival of this
w
orld would depend on
m
e.
So
b
e
y
o
nd
my job description, I have no
kn
o
wledge of
or
real
l
y
a
n
y
u
se for
my
true parents,
and
no wish
to
ever kn
o
w
who
th
e
y
are.”

Silence
ensued
as
Meeka
began
to
shake. “W
h
y
are
y
o
u
tre
m
b
ling
?
”

Tears
for
m
ed
in
her
e
y
e
s.
“
What
if
Threeo’s
vision
is
true?
I
had
a
horrible
night
m
a
r
e.”
A tear
flowed
down
her
face.
“I
killed
eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng.
Even
y
o
u
.
”

He
kissed
her
tears
aw
a
y
and
held
her
close.
“You
like
me
too
m
uch
to
kill
m
e.”
he
s
nickered in
her
ear,
tr
y
i
n
g
to
lighten
the
m
ood.

A
sniffle
and
a
laugh
burst
from
her,
and
she
s
watted
h
i
m
with
a
pillow.
“
A
ren’t
y
o
u arrogant
?
”
She
took
a
deep
breath.
“
K
errigan,
I’m
scared.”

“Ah,
co
m
e
on
n
o
w.
Threeo’s
vision
is
not
coming
true.
He
gets
things
wrong
all
the
ti
m
e
.
” He
couldn’t
let
her see he didn’t believe
his
own dis
m
issal
of the vision. It
see
m
ed
s
o farfetched, it
was
i
m
possible to
believe, and
y
e
t…

“Kerrigan,
are
y
ou
s
ure
y
o
u
never
want
to
know
who
y
o
u
r
real
parents
are
?
”
Meeka
asked,
s
udden
l
y
serious.

“I
have
no
u
se
for
th
e
m
,” he
said
cold
l
y
.

“Do
y
o
u
think
this Tethran guy
would
like to
know
w
ho
I
a
m
?
”

“Meeka,
I
on
l
y
believed him to
be
a
fable, like
a
lot
of
other things here
in
Enchan
t
m
e
n
t, but from
w
hat
the
fables
tell of
hi
m
…he would
not
quite
fit
the
father
l
y
i
m
age.
He’s
apparent
l
y
quite ruthless
to
those
he
thinks
deserve
it.”

“H
o
w
do
y
ou
know
what
other
special
powers
y
o
u
m
ight
have
if
y
ou
don’t
kn
o
w
who
y
o
u
r parents
are
?
”

“I
have
all
the
powers
I
need
to
protect
Enchantment.”
He
pulled
her
tighter
into
his e
m
bra
c
e,
tugging
the
covers
up
over
the
m
.

“Are
y
o
u
sure
y
o
u
could
never
leave
Enchan
t
m
e
n
t
?
”

“No
one
ever
leaves
Enchan
t
m
e
n
t,
least
of
all
those
of
us
who
live
here,”
he
answered gri
m
l
y
.

* * * *

P
u
shing
against
his
chest,
she
tried
to
get
up,
her
e
y
es
scalded
with
tears. “Meeka
I’m
s
or
r
y
,
I
never
m
ea
n
t
to
hurt
y
o
u. I
just…
There
isn’t
a
n
y
w
a
y
.
”

She
nodded,
snuggling
against
hi
m
.
She
understood.
He
wasn’t
willing
to
consider
leaving Enchantment,
either.
She
looked
at
Kerrigan
through
unshed
tears.
“
I
understand,
Kerrigan.
It’s all
right.
I
know
y
ou
never
m
eant
to
hurt
m
e,”
she
said
with
a
s
m
all
s
m
i
le.
It
w
ouldn’t
do
any good
to
m
ake
h
i
m
feel
bad
for
hurting
her.
It
wasn’t
his
fault
she
w
a
s
a
fool
or
du
m
b
enough
to fall
in
love.

D
e
sperate
to
put
s
o
m
e
distance
between
th
e
m
,
s
he
glanced
d
o
wn
at
her
naked
for
m
.
“
U
m
, do
y
o
u
think
y
ou
could whip
m
e
up
a
pair
of
blue
j
eans
and
a
T-shirt
?
”

“Of
course.”

I
n
stant
l
y
s
he
w
a
s
dressed.
“
I
s
it all
right
if I
go
s
ee
the
ba
b
y
Threeo
s
?
”

“Th
e
y
’
d
love
it.
Threeo’s
probab
l
y
down
there
with
the
m
.”
Kerrigan
offered
her
a
half- s
m
ile. “Are
y
o
u sure
y
o
u’
r
e
ok
a
y
, Meeka
?
”