Authors: Lawna Mackie
“Much
better.”
Jager
s
aid.
Meeka’s
hot
tears stre
a
m
ed d
o
wn
her
face
as
she
s
houted in
defiance.
“
I
s
wear
if
it is the
last thing
I
ever do
in
my life,
y
o
u
will
p
a
y
for
hurting
her.”
Jager
bent
d
o
wn
and
again
buried
his
grimy
hand
in
her
long
hair.
“
I
don’t
think
y
o
u’re exact
l
y
in
a
p
o
sition
to
m
ake threats,
my
s
weet.
Can
y
ou even
m
ove
at
all
?
”
He
m
oc
k
ed
her.
Her
body
revolted
inside
at
the
s
well and
stench
of
evil.
W
h
y
won’t
my
powers
work?
W
h
a
t
have
they
done
to
me?
She
tre
m
b
led
with
pent-up
anger,
but
l
a
y
helpless
on
the
floor. Jager
sub
m
erged
his
face
in
hair.
Paddy
screa
m
ed and
begged
for
him
to
stop.
“I’ve
never
kn
o
wn
an
y
t
h
ing
so
delicious
as
this
helpless
human.”
Jager
stretched
out
on
the floor
along
the
length
of
Meeka’s
bo
d
y
.
“
M
y
cock’s
hard
for
y
ou
alrea
d
y
.
I
can
do
whatever
the
hell
I
want
with
y
o
u
,
and
there’s nothing
y
ou
can do
to
stop
m
e
.
”
H
i
s
face
was
m
e
r
e
inches
away
from
her,
his
reeking
breath
fanning
the
hairs
at
her
te
m
p
le.
H
i
s
long, pointy
tongue
slid
up
the side
of
her
cheek as
his
hand
slid d
o
wn
to
his
crotch.
Meeka
closed
her
e
y
e
s
,
wishing
her
powers
could
feel
the
fury
deep
inside
her.
She’d
m
a
k
e him p
a
y with his
life,
if
she could
only
m
ove.
S
he
could
hear
Padd
y
’s
scre
a
m
ing.
O
ver and
over, the
valiant beaver
begged
him
to
stop.
Then,
as if
G
od
had
been
listening, th
e
y
heard
the
click, click,
click
sound
of
Thalius
co
m
ing d
o
wn
the
stairs.
Meeka
didn’t
know
if
this
new
situation
w
a
s
better
or
not,
but
it
stopped
Jager
m
ome
n
tari
l
y
.
* * * *
“Fuck
the
decrepit bastard!” Jager
s
wore, ju
m
ping
to
his
feet. He
jam
m
e
d the key
into place, opened
the
door,
and
locked
it
again
from
the
outside.
“Shit!
The
in
j
ection.”
He
s
w
ore.
“To
hell
with
it.
You
still
can’t
m
ove,
a
n
y
w
a
y
.
”
Thalius
rounded
the
corner
al
m
ost
on
the
run.
“Jager,
are
y
ou
read
y
?
We
are
leaving
now. Did
y
o
u
do
ever
y
t
h
ing
I
aske
d
?
”
“We’re
rea
d
y
,
”
he
lied,
his fingers tightening
on the
needle in his pocket. He
cast a
glance
at the
fe
m
a
le
l
y
i
n
g
on
the
floor
and
hunched
his
cloak
forward.
No
good
could
co
m
e
of
Thalius seeing
his
interest.
* * * *
Paddy
scra
m
b
led
across
the
floor
to
Meeka
the
m
ome
n
t
the
bubble
containing
her
broke. “
M
y
poor
s
weet
child.”
she
m
oaned.
Meeka
whispered
back.
“Pad
d
y
, I
think he
was
s
upposed
to drug
m
e,
but
he
didn’t.” “Yes.
Y
e
s
I
imagine
s
o,”
s
he
confir
m
ed.
“Pad
d
y
,
I
have
to
pretend
to
be
total
l
y
incapaci
t
ated
until
my
powers
start
to
co
m
e
back. Play
along
with
m
e,”
Meeka
instructed.
She
let
her
head
fall
l
i
m
p
l
y
to
the
cold
floor,
and
Paddy
careful
l
y
coddled
her
again.
Thalius
looked
over
at
the
two.
“Good.
She’s
still
w
a
sted,
j
u
st
what
I
need.
O
pen
the
da
m
n door,
Jager.
We
have
to
get
out
of
here.
The
overbearing
dragon
is
bringing
Ar
m
ageddon
down on
u
s.”
Padd
y
’s
e
y
e
s
glistened
and her chin
lifted,
and Meeka could bare
l
y keep
still.
Kerrigan
m
ust be
j
u
st
outside,
fighting
for
the
m
. Then
her
heart
stopped.
T
h
reeo’s
vision…
Jager
held
the
gate
open
s
o
Thalius
could
enter.
The
twisted
crone
shuffled
over
to
Meeka and Pad
d
y
.
“
It
’
s show ti
m
e, my sweet.” He looked down at Meeka with an air of s
m
ug satisfaction.