Enchantment

by Lawna Mackie

  “Todd, never in over a hundred years have you made this type of decision. I know the pain and suffering you see in every animal that falls into the water above. Why did you save these two? Is your job becoming too much to bear?”

  Todd’s fearful expression turned rigid and proud. “You know I take my job seriously, Kerrigan. I have been a Secret Keeper for centuries. Yes, I broke the law, and I can’t tell you why I felt compelled to save them. But let’s not forget, the little it can speak. I think they were meant to find us. Or maybe I was meant to find them.”

  Paddy, who was listening in silence, got up from the table, “Kerrigan, perhaps you should take a look at the two? They are still asleep, and the larger one is injured.”

  “Yes, I suppose I should. Which room are they in?”

  Paddy pulled bandages and supplies from a drawer. “I put them in your old room. Let me finish getting what I need here, and I’ll come with you. While I don’t think those two would hurt anyone, it might be a good idea to place an entrapment spell on the room. We can’t let them wander about, should they wake up while we’re not here.”

  “Don’t worry, Paddy; nobody will be leaving this lodge without my knowledge.”

  Paddy stopped and gave Kerrigan a cross look. “You know I hate when you don’t call me Mom!”

  “Sorry, Mom. The job makes me so…formal, I guess.” A slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

  “You and your father work too hard. Do you know that?” Paddy scowled, leading the procession down one of the hallways.

  Kerrigan had long since outgrown the height of the ceilings in the lodge. Enchantment was host to many creatures, but Enchanters were—for lack of a better word—short. Kerrigan resembled his biological father, he was told, with long legs, muscular build, piercing blue eyes, and a hard, defined jaw.

  Kerrigan knew he didn’t fit the picture of a typical Enchanter, but Paddy and Todd had ignored the obvious and took him in as one of their kits. Each year, he grew stronger, smarter, keener, and seemingly more cold-hearted by the day. Only Todd and Paddy could see through his brusque exterior.

  To Enchantment, he was the Enforcer, or keeper of the peace—a warrior of sorts—not an easy job when magic came into the picture. The use of black magic made the Enforcer’s job difficult.

  The three continued through the home, and Kerrigan couldn’t help but reflect on the fond memories he would always have of this place—Paddy’s constant fussing to ensure he was properly cared for, and Todd’s concern the coddling would keep the boy from ever leaving home. Kits, or children that belonged to beaver families, left home in a couple years, but Kerrigan wasn’t a biological kit. The adjustment had been difficult for Todd and Paddy.

  Kerrigan paused, his fingers tracing over the joints on the wall from the times Todd had raised the roof to accommodate his height. The dome-shaped ceilings blended into the closets and drawers carved into the walls, making the most of the limited space.

  Unease filled him. If his two softhearted beaver parents had chosen this room for their unexpected guests, the two Upper-Worlders must be tall. A long time had passed since Kerrigan had been back in his old room, and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about strangers, never mind non-Enchanters, sleeping in his old bed.

  Chapter Three

  As Paddy pushed the bedroom door open, trepidation filled Kerrigan again. The wave of apprehension held him frozen, unable to take one step into the room. Grinding his teeth hard enough to hurt, he balled his hands into fists.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  Paddy waddled over to the night table, turning on the light and depositing the bandages and other supplies. The round bed made with down, straw, and a bit of bought magic, had been homemade by his loving parents. His mom had knitted and quilted ‘til all hours of the night in her belief that homemade was better than magic-made. All his toys had been paw-made with the same love.

  A dim glow filled the room, casting a pale golden blanket on the two its lying in his bed. Kerrigan was stunned. A river of long, dark, shiny hair spread out over his pillow. A sable tributary partly covered a creamy, pale face.

  Kerrigan felt as though somebody had thrown a magic bolt into his stomach. Paddy brushed aside the lock of hair hiding the it’s face. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t even move. He stood motionless in the doorway. In all his life, he’d never seen anything so unspeakably unique or beautiful.

  That was not the face of an it. It was most definitely a she.

  Kerrigan glanced down at the touch of a paw on his arm. Silently, he watched Todd shuffle across the floor to stand next to Paddy. “Well, are you just going to stand there? What do you think it is?”

  Kerrigan knew what he wanted to say, but of course, he didn’t. He forced himself forward. His mind told him to turn the other way, but little by little, he moved toward the bed. He now understood what Todd meant by “compelling.”

  “Todd, it’s a she. A human female.”

  Todd hovered next to his wife, his face scrunched up in consternation. “It does look like an Enchanter, doesn’t it? Look how long she is. Kerrigan, the female is almost as tall as you are.”

  Kerrigan could see the slight form of her body beneath the covers. His entire body grew stiff and tight, clearly betraying him. He found himself wondering what she looked like under his sheets.

  Shit! This is not what I need to be thinking about. I need to focus! How will I get us out of this mess?

  He winced as Paddy removed the blood-soaked bandage from her forehead.

  Why do I feel as though I should care for the stranger?

  The large, ugly cut was still bleeding. Paddy looked away from the patient and sought her son’s eyes.

  “Kerrigan, I can’t keep bandaging the wound and hoping it will stop bleeding. The cut is too deep. I could stitch it up, but that seems a shame. Stitches will leave an ugly scar.”

  He knew what she was implying. His magic could heal the wound in a day, and thus, get this intruder out of their home. Were they all crazy? The compassion they were all extending to these two strangers was unthinkable. Many animals lost their lives coming near the lodge in the Upper World, and if they ended up in the water, death was imminent. That was the point.

  But everything in Kerrigan’s body screamed at him to help her. He felt compelled to help her, just like Todd had. The Beaver couple stood in silence, waiting for their son’s response.

  Kerrigan knew the Council would never agree with his decision to save her. He would be breaking the number-one rule that embodied the foundation of Enchantment. No foreigners. These two were just animals like all the others that perished.

  Healing spells took great energy and concentration. It also meant Kerrigan would have to enter the female’s body through her mind—not always a pleasant experience. Agitated, angry, and frustrated, Kerrigan shook his head in disbelief at what he was about to do. He turned away from his parents and focused his mind on the task at hand.

  The two beavers made their way to the door. Todd’s parting words were ones of caution. “Don’t dawdle, son. If the little white fur ball awakes before you’re finished the healing process, it’ll likely cause a heap o’ trouble.”

  Kerrigan took a moment to look at the creature that’d been instrumental in saving the female’s life. He didn’t know what the creature was, but it slept curled up in a ball, pressed up against the girl’s rib cage.

  “Lucky thing.” The thought burst unexpectedly from Kerrigan’s lips.

  Kerrigan lowered his weight cautiously onto the edge of the bed and stared down at her. He needed to touch in order to heal her, but didn’t know how his body might react. It didn’t seem natural for his large, callused hand to touch something so flawless. Everything seemed to slow in time as his hand hovered over her cheek.

  The moment the back of his hand touched her soft skin, a flow of turbulent emotions assaulted him.

  He shut his eyes and tried to balance the overflow of thoughts
and emotions that spread like wildfire through his body. Pain, love, betrayal, beauty, tranquility, and fear swamped his senses. He needed to dive through all the emotions and calm her before he could start the spell.

  Her inner turmoil dominated her entire being. Who could cause so much hurt to such a beautiful creature? Her helplessness was crippling as her soul cried out for peace. The mental anguish was an impenetrable barrier. Her mind refused to let him in further.

  Hovering, he waited for a path, and suddenly caught a strong stream of joy and love.

  Yes!

  It was for the small animal huddled against her. Strong devotion and love were embedded in her thoughts. He’d found his opening.

  His magic flowed deep and mixed with her own stream of devotion for the creature, sending thoughts of safety and security. Positive energy flowed warmly through her body. The energy he sent came embedded with a message letting her know her companion was okay. Her defenses weakened. His magic found the injury and began shooting tiny blue flames around the wound, cauterizing the area ceasing the bleeding and restoring the damage.

  With the process complete, Kerrigan gradually began his retreat from her body, sending reassuring messages that no harm would come to her or her companion. His eyes opened, and his hand remained on her cheek. Every inch of his body tingled from head to toe.

  Pulling his thoughts back into his own mind, he let the anger surface. He wanted to throttle whoever or whatever had caused this woman so much pain.

  It took all his willpower to remove his hand and not scoop her up in his arms and hold her. However, the sensation of being watched broke his thoughts. As he shifted his gaze, his eyes were caught in the path of twin emerald fires. The little white animal stared straight through him. Those eyes spoke volumes—intelligence, wit, caring, anger, sincerity, and extreme devotion. Kerrigan couldn’t blame it for the latter. The warrior knew the look the critter was giving him— thankful but also making it very clear that it would fight to the death for its companion. He admired and respected that devotion.

  The animal spoke. “Thank you.”

  Kerrigan removed his hand from the girl’s cheek and immediately felt the loss. “So, you do speak.”

  “I’m quite fluent in many languages. Thank you for helping my Meeka.” It stretched, its claws flaring out before being retracted.

  The two sat staring at each other as if measuring each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Kerrigan broke the silence. “You two shouldn’t be here. Both of you are lucky to be alive.

  We haven’t had foreigners here in a very long time.”

  “I’m aware of that.” Her pet smiled, showing sharp, white fangs.

  “How is it that an animal from Earth can speak? You are not an Enchanter.” It was half statement, half question. “Here in Enchantment, I’m known as the enforcer. I keep the good magic in and the bad magic out. Since you can communicate, I need you to start answering some questions.”

  “I’ll answer your questions, so long as no harm comes to her.”

  Kerrigan looked down at the sleeping beauty. His magic was already starting to heal her wound on the outside. He tore his gaze away from the girl and straightened to his full height. He crossed his arms over his chest and returned the animal’s unblinking gaze with a determined stare of his own. “Do you have a name, or shall I continue to call you ‘It’?”

  “She calls me Catz. Up there, I’m known as a house cat.” The creature’s voice was strongly female.

  “And what is she called, this Meeka of yours?”

  “Her name is Meeka. I am her companion and protector. I will be a force to reckon with, should anyone attempt to harm her. I can sense things—good, bad, or indifferent—and I can feel your attraction to her.”

  Kerrigan couldn’t believe the audacity of the cat. Nobody spoke to him like that. “Let’s get something straight.” His reply dripped with anger. “I don’t do emotions or attractions…to anyone or anything. Any feelings I do have are always associated with death or imprisonment. You’d be wise to remember that. I also don’t take kindly to threats. We did save your lives. You should remember that.”

  Catz narrowed her eyes, showing no fear. “And I’m just stating a fact. It is not meant to be a threat, but a reality. I’m a companion to her, and will assist her with this journey. Don’t let my current size allow you to think I’m unable of delivering power.”

  She scored points for bravery. Her spirit appeared larger than her size suggested. Kerrigan shook his head, refocusing on the matter at hand. He needed to pay attention and search out more answers. “Where do these powers come from? What are you? I can sense your magic. To my knowledge, Upper World has no magic. If they have developed special abilities, this may become a major threat to Enchantment.”

  Catz stretched out lengthways and then stood. She crouched at the female’s face and rubbed her small, furry, whiskered muzzle against her companion’s cheek in a reassuring gesture, totally unconcerned the Enforcer stood right behind them.

  He stared at her in awe, aware that the animal must need rest, but sensing she wouldn’t let that happen until her friend was safe. The cat moved to the end of the bed, casually taking in her surroundings. Licking a paw and swiping it over her face, she began to answer the question he had asked.

  “Forgive me for being the bearer of bad news, but there are others with special abilities beside you. Some of us come to Upper World who act as protectors, as I do. Humans can be cruel and destructive. Unlike many, Meeka is neither. She has no awareness of her talents or her gifts,” Catz explained. “She does not understand or see that communicating with me is unusual. In many ways, Meeka is innocent, unaware of what lies beyond her eyes, and I will do whatever I can to ensure she remains as such.”

  “Where does your species come from, and what are you called? Why is she to be protected?” Unease flowed like water over him at the mention of other magics. When it appeared Catz was going to settle in, he shifted and got comfortable as she began to explain.

  “We are Lemrens sent to Upper World when a human or half-human is detected with special abilities. We spend many years with them until they are ready to discover their uniqueness. They assume we are just animals, but when the right time comes, they learn the truth. Each human must travel their own special journey to discover who they are. Meeka is here to travel that journey. She will be extremely shocked when she wakes to these surroundings and discovers the truth. You see, Mr. Enforcer, you and I are not so different. We are both protectors.”

  Kerrigan stared in disbelief. What else had the Enchantment Council not told him about Upper World? A feeling of betrayal began to form, pricking his temper.

  “I don’t know why I should believe you, but for the moment, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. You never answered my question about why this Meeka needs protecting.”

  “There are evil forces who will wish to steal Meeka’s special abilities. Her mind is very powerful, perhaps a parental trait. Until she has learned what those powers are, and how to disguise and use them, she will need protection. Meeka will always be hunted for the powers she does not yet know she has.”

  Kerrigan turned his stare to the sleeping form in his old bed. What a fine mess his surrogate father had gotten them all into. Kerrigan could sense the extreme turmoil in the girl’s emotions, but he couldn’t sense any presence of magic in her.

  Was the Lemren lying?

  Instinct told him she wasn’t. Skilled at picking out liars, cheaters, thieves, and worse, Kerrigan trusted his instincts. His gifts allowed him to detect other magic, heal most injuries, read emotions, and shape-shift into his dragon form. His instincts told him the Lemren was truthful, and he respected her power. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to find out exactly how powerful she was.

  Between the library additions and problematic parents, it had been a long day. He needed rest so he could think straight. The moment he thought about sleep, a bed, and sheets, the vision of the girl invaded his mind. He
wanted to slide into his childhood bed with the girl, pull her body into his arms, and hold her until her terrible fears disappeared.

  Damn it!

  Why did this girl have such a strong pull on him? His thoughts scared him. He had to get out of there. Kerrigan stepped back, moving toward the door.

  The cat sat motionless, watching his retreat.

  “Whether you or I like it or not, you are a part of her destiny.” Catz prowled the confines of the bed, her fluffy tail flicking side to side.

  Kerrigan paused, one hand on the doorknob, to stare at the cat. “I don’t believe in destiny, and I don’t intend to be a part of hers or anyone else’s. I don’t like people, or Lemrens, or even Enchanters all that much. The girl will not be here long enough to know what her destiny is. She will be healed by tomorrow, and you two will be on your way back to Upper World.

  “You should have done a better job protecting her. Paddy and Todd will see to your needs, and if any harm comes to them while you are here, then you had better be sure you are as powerful as you think you are.” He exhaled and met the cat’s stare. “In case you’re wondering, you will not be able to leave this lodge, so don’t even try to think you can escape.”

  * * * *

  Catz blinked in silence and watched him storm from the room. Things were definitely starting to look interesting. Giggling softly, she flicked an ear at the soft huff from Meeka. “Oh, boy. They have no idea.” Curled up against Meeka’s cheek, she waited for her to awaken to her new world. Enchantment was, after all, her greatest wish.

  Chapter Four

  Thalius ran a hand through his sparse grey hair. A gnarled hand wiped away the sweat pouring down his face. He’d been pacing so long, he wondered if a path had been worn through the marble floor. The instant she’d broken the dimension, he’d known. Hundreds of pinpricks stung his body at once. It was the signal he’d been waiting for, a pain he welcomed. He wondered whether the others could feel it as he did. Of course they would; her youth and inner strength seduced them.