Enchantment (11 page)

Kerrigan’s
parents
transported
th
e
m
selves
into
the
w
orld—a
feat
thought
i
m
possible.

The
couple
m
aterialized
into
view
right inside Todd
and
Paddy’s
lodge. The
Council i
m
mediate
l
y
felt
the
pair
’
s
un
u
sual
supr
e
macy,
and
quickly
s
u
rrounded
them.
Thalius
and
the other
councilors
w
e
re cloaked
and prepared
to fight.
In order
to protect
themselves,
they
evoked the
Power
of
Ten.
The
Power
of
Ten
c
o
mbined
all
the
Cou
n
selors’
ability
and
strength
into
one force,
s
hielding
all
of
Enchantment
from
whatever
mischief
the
interlopers
could
have
planned. Intrigued,
Thalius
stared
in
awe
at
the
foreigners.
In
the
w
o
man’s
a
r
ms
lay
a
s
mall,
bundled baby.

A
despised
m
emo
r
y
etched
into
his
being.
It
had
happened
a
l
m
ost
two
centuries
ago,
but
it see
m
ed
like
y
e
s
ter
da
y
.

Ke
r
rigan’s
parents
tried
to
explain
they
meant
no
harm.
Thalius
didn’t
believe
a
word
they
s
poke.
The
counselors
clearly
stated
visitors
fr
o
m
other
dimensions
w
e
re
forbidden.

The
infant’s father towered
over
everyone.
T
he
woman
and
newborn
child were
held
against him
in
the
crook
of
his
muscled
a
r
m.
Apparently,
they
had
the
ability
to
travel
fr
o
m
one dimension
to
another,
but
this
time,
shock
waves
impeded
their
travel
and
rendered
them powerless.
T
he
air
in
the
r
oom
si
z
zled
and
s
napped
with
electr
i
city while
they
told
the
story.

The
baby
fussed,
and
the
mother
smiled
down
at
the
infant,
br
u
shing
its
pure
white
cheek with
the
back
of
her
finger.
They
feared
for
their
baby’s
life.
Such
a
tiny
life
could
never
survive an
inter
-
dimensional
shock
st
o
rm.
They’d decided
to take
the
risk
of coming to Enchantment,
the
closest
s
olid
dimension.
The
male
pleaded
for
understanding
and
begged
for
the
Counselors’ pe
r
mission
to allow
them to
stay
for
a
few
ho
u
rs
until
the st
o
rm
settled.

The
group
telepat
h
ica
l
ly
communicated,
bickering
back
and
forth,
debating
a
mongst themselves. Thalius
wanted the trio sent away.
H
e clenched
his fists
until sticky wetness
told
him he’d
punctured the skin
of his pal
m
s with
his nails. A sick feeling
in
his stomach
warned him any m
e
rcy
allowed
in
this
situation
may
come
back
to
haunt
him.
H
i
s
thoughts
went
unheard.

W
i
th
leniency
granted,
the
strange
r
s
were
allowed
to
stay.
Even
though
the
laws
were
rigid and strict,
the
Council
decided
a
few
hou
r
s
of
discomfort for
the
sake
of
an innocent
baby would be
acceptable.

Madget,
the
eldest
of
the
counselors,
ap
p
roached
the
Beavers
to
ask
if
the
two
s
t
rangers could
use
a
room
in
their
lodge
for
a
couple
hou
r
s.
Standing
silently,
his
ar
m
s
crossed
over
his chest,
Thalius
stewed.
He
hated
the
stupid
animals.
W
hy they’d
created
them
was
beyond
him.

N
ow,
s
o
m
a
n
y
y
e
a
r
s
later,
he
cursed
his
rotten
luck
and
downed
his
third
glass
of
Swish.
He closed
his
e
y
e
s
tr
y
i
n
g
to
force
his
thoughts
aw
a
y
from
the
past.
He’d
been
followed
b
y
the
w
retched
e
m
o
t
ions
of
regret
since
that
da
y
.
He
should
have
fought
harder,
rid
his
w
orld
of
the couple
and
their
w
help.
If
he’d
succeeded,
Kerrigan
w
ouldn’t
be
the
m
ount
a
in
in
his
path
now.

H
i
s
rage
boiled
over.
Thalius
threw
the
e
m
p
t
y
cr
y
s
t
al
tu
m
bler
at
the
fireplace
across
the roo
m
.
The
m
emor
i
es
wouldn’t
cease
s
wirling
in
his
head.

The
s
t
range
couple
s
ettled
with
Kerrigan
in
the
Beaver’s
h
o
me.
High-pitched
s
c
reams
tore fr
o
m
the
ro
o
m,
shattering
the
silence.
T
odd
and
Paddy
looked
to
one
another
in
utter
confusion. Shoving
the
door
open,
they
found
the
parents
gone
and
the
red-faced,
squalling
baby
on
the bed.

“If
I
had
the
chance,
I’d
have
ca
l
m
ed
him
for
all
eterni
t
y
.”
Thalius
rapped
his
cane
on
the floor
as
his
e
y
e
s
narrowed,
staring
at
the
cold,
e
m
p
t
y
fireplace.
He’d
found
and
read
the
neat
l
y folded
letter
before
an
y
o
n
e
else
could.
Closing
his
e
y
e
s,
he
wallowed
in
the
rising
bitterness
as he
whispered
what
he’d
long
since
m
emor
i
zed.