Enchantment (31 page)

He
dug
into
one of
the
bags.

* * * *

Meeka
followed
the
sound
of
voices
d
o
wn
the
hallw
a
y
.
A
new
feminine
voice
joined
that
of Kerrigan
and
Catz.
S
m
oothing
the
brand
new
clothes
that were
identical
to
her
own, she
w
ondered
if
there
w
ould
be
strength
in
nu
m
bers.
P
ressing
her
hands to
her
cheeks,
she
cursed
her e
m
barras
s
m
e
n
t.

She
didn't
want
to
see
him
again,
and
her
behavior
proved
to
be
m
o
r
e
than
a
little perplexing.
E
y
es
downcast
like
a
s
colded
child,
Meeka
entered
the
kitchen.
Upon
hearing
the
s
oft
warm
voice
asking
her
how
she
felt,
Meeka
lifted her
head.
Direct
l
y
in
front
of
her
stood…

A
beaver?

Her
e
y
es
widened
at
the
sight
of
the
giant
beaver
standing
talking
to
Catz.
Cursing
her
lack of
tact,
she
s
wallowed, and
tried
to
s
peak past
the
lu
m
p
in her
throat.

“Oh,
my
dear,
I
'm
so
sorr
y
.
Please
forgive
m
e.
I
m
ust
be
such
a
shock
to
y
o
u
.
Beavers
do
n
't t
y
p
i
c
a
l
l
y
talk
in
Upper
World,
do
th
e
y
?
Th
e
y
certain
l
y
aren't
as
big
and
don't
walk
on
their
hind legs.
Can
I
get
y
o
u an
y
t
h
ing at
all,
dear
?
”

Meeka
put
a
hand
to
her
head.
First
the
m
agic
bath
br
u
sh,
a
kiss
that
al
m
ost
caused
the ho
u
se to
go
up
in
fl
a
m
es, and
now
a
talking
beaver.

Just
deal
with
it,
Meeka.

“H
o
w
rude
of
m
e.
I'm
the
one
who
s
hould
be
apologizing.
Other
than
another
headache co
m
ing
on,
I
believe
I'm
fine.
Thank
y
ou
for
asking.
I’m
Meeka.”
She
extended
her
hand.
A se
n
se
of
co
m
fort
w
ashed
over
her
feeling
the
warm
furry
little paw.

“It's
my
pleasure
to
m
e
e
t
y
o
u
.
M
y
na
m
e is
Padd
y
.
I
'm
Kerrigan
'
s
m
o
ther.” Stunned,
she
m
u
t
tered.
“Ker-Kerrigan
'
s
m
o
ther
?
”

Laughing,
Pad
d
y
responded.
“
Well,
of
course
he's
not
a
beaver,
but
my
husband
and
I
have raised
him
since
he
w
a
s
a
baby
al
m
ost two
hundred
y
e
a
r
s ago.”

“Two
hundred
?
”
She
s
wallowed.

That’s not po
s
sible.
He
doesn’t look older
than 30, Meeka.
W
ow,
you’re
really
losing it girl, kissing
a
guy
who
could
be
your
g
reat,
great
grandfather.
Probably
m
a
rried
with
children.
And here
you
go
pawing at
him
like
a
cheap…

Kerrigan’s
drawl
pulled
her
from
her
panicked
thoughts.

Stunned,
her
e
y
e
s
s
ought
hi
m
,
secret
l
y
wishing
he
w
ould
dispute
the
claim.
A
slow
grin crept
acro
s
s
his
handso
m
e face.
H
i
s
lips were
m
oving, but
she
w
a
sn't
sure
what
he
w
a
s
s
a
y
i
ng.

“Re
m
e
m
b
er,
this
is
our
w
orld.
Magic
exists
ever
y
whe
r
e,
as
y
ou
are
discovering.
Enchanters do
not
age
like
hu
m
ans
do.
Magic
controls
ever
y
t
h
i
n
g,
including
how
we
age.
So
tell
m
e, precious,
how
old
are
y
o
u
?
”

Meeka’s
sto
m
a
ch
dropped
at
the
dreaded
question
all
wo
m
en
hated.
“
Twent
y
-
five,
and aging
rapid
l
y
.”
Would
he
believe
he
r
?
She
couldn’t
understand
w
h
y
she
desperate
l
y
wanted
him to.

Kerrigan
chuckled
soft
l
y
,
not
unkind
l
y
.
H
i
s
e
y
e
s
s
ought
he
r
s
like
a
tender
caress.
“I
truly can't
begin
to
imagine
w
hat
y
o
u
m
ust
be
going
through.”

Paddy
j
u
m
ped
to
her
rescue.
Her
little
ears
were
pushed
back
as
she
delivered
K
errigan
a tongue-lashing.
“
Where
are
y
o
ur
manners?
D
on’t
laugh
at
her.
You
m
a
y
be
an
enforcer,
but don’t
be
rude.
S
he's
just
a
y
o
u
ng
thing. You
be
on
y
o
u
r
best
behavior.”