Enchantment (98 page)

Kerrigan
p
u
shed
a
pillow
behind
their
heads
as
he
continued.
“
They
left
a
letter.”
He laughed
harsh
l
y
.
“Can
y
o
u
believe
th
e
y
actua
ll
y
had
enough
nerve
to
lie
and
s
a
y
they
loved
m
e, and
Todd
and
Pad
d
y
needed
to
teach
m
e
about
real
love
and
fa
m
i
l
y
?
Ironic,
isn’t
i
t
?
Leave
y
o
ur one
and
on
l
y
child,
but
hope
he
will
grow
up
to
learn what
love
is.”

“But
Pad
d
y
and
Todd
love
y
o
u very
m
uch.”

“Yes,
I
kn
o
w
they
do,
and
I
will
be
eternal
l
y
grateful.
I
grew
up
loved
and
cared
for
b
y
two a
m
a
z
ing
people.”
He
tweaked
her
n
o
se
with
a
pla
y
f
u
l,
if
so
m
ewhat
forced
grin.
“Oka
y
,
y
o
u
r turn.
Tell
m
e about
y
o
ur ho
m
e
and
parents.”

“Well,
unlike
y
o
u
,
I
have
parents
who
don’t
love
or
care
about
m
e.”

Kerrigan
re
m
e
m
b
ered
the
scars
she
w
a
s
alrea
d
y
car
r
y
i
ng
w
hen
he
healed
her
the
first
t
i
m
e. “H
o
w
do
y
ou know
th
e
y
don’t
love
y
o
u
?
”

“Th
e
y
drink—a
lot.”
She
plucked
at
the
bedding,
her
e
y
es downcast.
“
I
gr
e
w
up
with
it.”

Kerrigan
could
tell
he
was
going
to
have
to
pull
m
ore
out
or
her.
“
What
do
y
ou
m
ean
th
e
y drin
k
?
What
do
th
e
y
drin
k
?
”

“I gu
e
ss
it
w
ould be si
m
i
lar
to
y
o
ur
Swish, but we
don’t call
it the sa
m
e.
Th
e
y are inebriated all
the
t
i
m
e,
ever
y
d
a
y
.
M
y
dad
is
not
very
friend
l
y
w
hen
he’s
drunk.
N
either
is
my
m
om.
Th
e
y don’t
know
w
hat
the
w
ord
love
m
eans.
I’m
like
the
biggest
m
istake
of
their
lives—so
m
e
thing the
y
’
v
e
taken
great
delight
in
reminding
m
e.
Unless
th
e
y
need
so
m
et
h
ing—mon
e
y
,
a
ride—and then
th
e
y
’
re
nice.”

Kerrigan
could
hear
the
anguish
in
her
voice.
“Meeka,
I
don’t
want
to
m
a
k
e
y
ou
sad.
I’m
s
or
r
y
. If
I
could
change
it,
I
would.”

Meeka
looked
into
his
blue
e
y
es.
“
I
’ve
never
told
a
n
y
b
o
d
y
how
I’ve
felt.
I
have
to
take
care of
th
e
m
.
If
I didn’t, the
y
’d
be dead. I’m
s
ure th
e
y
’
d
kill
each other. Ma
y
be
the
y
’
v
e
alrea
d
y
killed one
another
since
I’ve
been
gone.”

Kerrigan
pulled
her
close
and
ki
s
sed
her
on the
nose.
“I
can’t
i
m
a
g
ine,
but
I know
y
ou
don’t deserve
to
live
in
s
uch
an
environment.”

“Catz
told
m
e
so
m
et
h
ing
I
think
y
o
u
s
hould
kn
o
w…I
believe
it’s
my
fault
my
parents
hate
m
e.”

Kerrigan
fr
o
wned.
“
They
s
ound
pret
t
y
m
essed
up,
so
I
don’t
see
how
it
could
be.
What
did Catz
tell
y
o
u
?
”

“She
told
m
e
s
he
thinks
my
father
is
not
my
real
father.
She
believes
I’m
the
daughter
of
s
ome
sorcerer
n
a
m
ed
Tethran.
I
don’t
kn
o
w
how
it
all
fits
together.”

Kerrigan’s
heart
froze.
He’d
heard
of
Tethran,
the
great
sorcerer.
A
s
the
tales
went,
he
was
m
ore powerful than
a
n
y
o
ne
could
imagine.
The
Counselors spoke
of
him and
kept those
like
him away
from
Enchan
t
m
e
nt.
They
couldn’t
tru
l
y
keep
one
with
so
m
uch
power
awa
y
.
Kerrigan
w
ondered
if
Thalius had
put
two
and
two
together.
If
Catz
had,
m
a
y
be
he’d
figured
it
out,
too.

“I’ve
heard
of
hi
m
.
It
m
ight explain
the
p
o
wers
y
ou have.
I’ll
speak
with
Catz
about
it
later.” “Tell
m
e
m
ore
about
y
o
u
.”
Meeka
changed
the
su
b
j
ect
again.