Enchantment (81 page)

Kerrigan
never
s
poke
a
word,
but
instead
bent
his
head
and
captured
her
lips
for
one
last reassuring
kiss.

Careful
l
y
,
he
lifted
hi
m
self
up
off
her
and
held
his
hand
out
to
help
her
up. The
two
br
u
shed the
leaves
and
m
ud
off
their
bodies.
Stealing
one
last
lustful
glance
at
one
another,
they
walked toward
the
voices
of
St
r
y
k
er
and
Catz.

“There
y
o
u
two are. Catz
and I thought
y
ou
m
ig
h
t
have
actual
l
y killed
one another
by n
o
w.” Str
y
k
e
r
halted
in
front
of
Kerrigan.
“
Tell us,
h
o
w’d
it g
o
?
”

“As
expected.
Her
m
ind
control
is
developing.”

Str
y
k
e
r
s
m
i
l
ed
with
satisfaction. “Meeka,
how
do
y
ou feel
?
”

“I’m
tired,
but
not
like
I
w
a
s
y
e
s
t
erd
a
y
.
It
see
m
s
I’m
getting
used
to
the
effects
each
t
i
m
e
I
u
se
my
powers.”

“Once
y
o
u’ve
tota
ll
y
m
astered
y
o
u
r
abilities,
y
o
u
shouldn’t
be
tired
at
all.”
St
r
y
k
er
nodded, his
br
o
w
furrowed.
“
We’ll
proceed
after
y
o
u
’ve w
a
shed
the
dirt
from
y
o
u
,
if
y
ou wish.”

Kerrigan
watched
Meeka
t
r
y
to
rub
the
dirt
aw
a
y
from
her
ar
m
s.
His
bo
d
y
hardened,
and
he felt
a
j
ealous
twinge
as
he
caught
St
r
y
k
er
e
y
e
i
ng
M
eeka.
Stepping
between
th
e
m
,
he
bared
his teeth
at
Str
y
ker and
turned
to
Meeka.
“
S
hall
we
continue,
or
would
y
ou prefer
to
wash
u
p
?
”

“I
could
real
l
y
u
se
a
sh
o
wer,
or
better
y
e
t,
a
hot
bath.”
Her
sto
m
ach
growled
loudl
y
.
“
A
nd
m
a
y
b
e
s
o
m
e
food.”

Kerrigan
chuckled.
“
I’m
sure
we
can
fix
y
o
u
up
with
a
bath
and
so
m
e
dinner.
Str
y
k
e
r,
why don’t
y
ou
st
a
y
for
supper?
M
o
m
’s
cooking…again.”

“Your
m
o
m
’s
the best cook I know.
I’ve got to
set
the
night guard, but I’ll be back.” St
r
y
k
er
s
hot
Meeka
a
knowing
glance.
“I’m
quite
proud
of
y
o
u
,
Meeka.
You’ve
done
an
ad
m
i
r
able
job toda
y
.”
He
vanished.

“Kerrigan,
w
h
y
do
y
ou have
s
uch
a
large
castle,
if
y
o
u
’re
alw
a
y
s
by
y
o
urself
,
” Meeka
asked. “I
like
my
space,
and
because
of
my
age,
I’ve had
a
lot of
time to
build
it.”

“W
h
y
wouldn’t
y
o
u just
use
m
ag
i
c
to
build
it
?
” “Building
is
so
m
ething I
like
to
do.”

“It
real
l
y
is
beautiful.
And
huge.”
Meeka
ran
her
fingers
along
the
w
all
as
th
e
y
went.

* * * *

Kerrigan
led
the
way
to
another
room
Meeka
had
never
been
in.
It
re
m
inded
her
of
a
cave. The
walls
glittered
with
silver
like
a
Christ
m
as
tree
covered
with
m
i
n
i
-
lights.
There
appeared
no end
to
the
cave;
its
depths
reached
far
be
y
o
n
d
her
line
of
sight.
The
walls
were
separated
by flowing
turquoise-colored
w
ater.
The
glitter
followed
underneath
the
water,
ill
u
m
i
na
t
ing
the brilliant color.
Off
in
the
corner,
Meeka
s
pied
the
large
pool
of
water.

“This
is
my
favorite
roo
m
,”
Kerrigan
said
proud
l
y
. “It’s
a
m
a
zing!
This
m
ust
be
a
product
of
y
o
u
r
m
a
g
ic
?
”

Kerrigan
nodded
in
affi
r
m
a
t
ion.
“The
water
is
heated
from
the
depths
of
our
w
orld.
It’s circulated with
fresh
water
to
keep
it
from
being
too
hot.”

Meeka
saw
that
a
vani
t
y
w
a
s
built
into
the
wall
of
the
cave,
co
m
pl
e
te
with
fresh
towels
and other
personal
a
m
e
n
ities. Her
heart
pounded
as
s
o
m
e
thing
caught
her
e
y
e.
It
was
a
gigantic bed.

“Wow.”
The
bed
w
as
without
a
doubt
the
largest
s
he’d
ever
seen,
and
draped
in
velvets
of dark,
rich,
br
o
wn
colors.
It
floated
in
the water,
beckoning
to
her.

“So
m
e
t
imes
when
I
can’t
sleep
u
p
stairs,
I
co
m
e
d
o
wn
here.
The
water
has
a
ca
l
m
ing,
s
oothing
effect.
The
bed
floats
a
couple
m
iles d
o
wnstream
before
it
returns.”

“I
love
water—alw
a
y
s
have,”
Meeka
excla
i
m
e
d.

Kerrigan
chuckled,
the
warmth
in
the
sound
reaching
down
to
her
soul.
“
I
believe
it’s
what got
y
ou here
in
the
first
place.”

Meeka
glanced
at
Kerrigan,
her
bott
o
m
lip
between
her
teeth.
She
could
al
m
ost
feel
the war
m
th
of
the
water
soothing
her
aching
m
uscles.