Enchantment (48 page)

Kerrigan
caught
the
ti
n
y
look
of
fear
hidden
in
Catz’s
green
e
y
es.
Catz
w
a
s
dead
certain
s
omebo
d
y
w
as
going
to
harm
Meeka.
Kerrigan
didn’t
want
to
ala
r
m
Meeka,
s
o
he
put
on
a
big s
m
ile
and
replied
to
Catz.
“
I
don’t
think
I
have
an
ego,
but
Meeka
will
be
safe
with
m
e.
I
am
the Enforcer.
Enchanters
respect
me
above
all
others.
S
he
will
be
w
orshiped
and
protected
like
a queen
when
she
is
with
me
and
my
parents.”

“And
Catz,
with
y
o
u along,
no
one
could
harm
m
e,
right
?
”
Meeka
j
e
sted. “Well,
let’s
get
rea
d
y
to
go,
then.”
Catz
conceded.

Kerrigan
watched
his
m
o
m
waddle
to
M
eeka’s
side.
“H
o
w
about
we
get
y
o
u
w
ashed
up, n
o
w
that
y
ou
know
about the
bath
br
u
sh
?
”

“Soun
d
s
good
to
m
e.
Is
there
an
y
t
h
ing
else
I
need
to
kn
o
w
about
the
bathroom
and
its
m
agi
c
al
abilities
?
”

Paddy
chuckled.
“No,
sweetheart.
I
think
y
ou
should
be
fine
this
t
i
m
e.
You
go
on
and
tidy up,
if
y
ou
wish.”

Meeka
bowed
her
head.
“Thank
y
o
u for
m
aking
m
e
feel
accepted.”

“I
don’t
want
to
hear
another
m
e
n
tion of
it,”
Pad
d
y
said,
s
hooing
her
toward
the
bathroo
m
.

The
m
inu
t
e
Meeka
disappeared,
Threeo,
Todd
and
Catz
turned
on
Kerrigan,
with
Threeo
s
peaking
first.
“Kerrigan,
y
o
u
’re not
re
m
e
m
b
ering my
vision!
She
is
in
danger.”

“Son,
m
a
y
be
taking
her
outside
isn’t
s
uch
a
good
idea.
Both
Catz
and
Threeo
think
she
m
ight be
in
so
m
e kind
of
danger.”

“She’s
m
ine.
N
o one
w
ould be du
m
b enough to challenge
m
e
.
” Kerrigan threw the dishtowel
down.
“
I
’m
the
Enforcer,
and
I
protect
what
is
m
ine.”

* * * *

Meeka
stepped
into
a
pair
of
den
i
m
shorts
and
a
white
T-shirt
left
b
y
Pad
d
y
,
and,
no
doubt, her
use
of
m
ag
i
c.

She
seemed
to
know
exact
l
y
what
Meeka
would
wear
at
ho
m
e
and
be
co
m
for
t
able
in.
The
m
ater
n
al
beaver
also
insisted
on
braiding
her
hair.
It
was
elaborate,
with
fine
pieces
of
ribbon intertwined.
She
felt
like
a
schoolgirl,
but
w
a
s
so
grateful
when
Paddy
offered.
Yup,
it
w
a
s
the
w
hole
m
other thing
again.
The
one
thing
she’d
never
had
and
alwa
y
s wanted.

She
basked
in
Pad
d
y
’s
attention.
Meeka
looked
at
reflec
t
ion
in
the
m
irror
w
i
shing
s
he
had
s
ome
lipstick,
and
suddenl
y
,
Paddy
opened
her
paw
to
reveal
so
m
ething
si
m
i
lar
to
lip
gloss.
“
I figured
y
ou might
like
this,”
she
said,
offering
it
to
her.

Meeka
took
the
gloss
out
of
her
lit
t
le
hand.
“Can
y
ou read
my
m
ind
?
” Paddy
stopped
and
looked
up
at
her.
“W
h
y
ever
w
ould
y
o
u
say
that,
dea
r
?
”

“Well,
I
was
wishing
I had
these
exact
clothes
to
wear
and
then
j
u
st
before
y
ou
s
poke,
I
w
as w
i
shing
I
had
so
m
e
lipstick.
A
re
y
ou
sure
y
ou
can’t
read
my
thoughts
?
”
Meeka
asked
with
a
w
orried
tone.

“N
o
w,
listen
here,
y
o
u
ng
lad
y
.
You
worry
far
too
m
uch.
I
certai
nl
y
can’t
read
m
inds.
The idea for
y
o
ur
clothes and
the lip
gloss just popped into
my
m
ind.
I do try my
b
e
st to keep
up with the
y
o
u
ng
ones.
I
read
Y
oung
Enchanters
m
agazi
n
e
m
ont
hl
y
.
” Pad
d
y
winked.

So
m
ehow,
Meeka
knew
she
wasn’t
quite
telling
the
truth.
A
chill raced
along
her
spine.

Did
I
m
ake
Paddy
think
of
these
things?