Niall spins the golden bejeweled paw print necklace in front of me as if auditioning for a hypnosis seminar. "Are you paying attention? You cannot burn it, yourself, Lightning, and everyone else out this go-round. It doesn't take the biggest beast to scare away the scrawniest intruder. What good is overpowered if your well is dry as a desert?"
I offer a little "mrrp" while sitting patiently on the tiled floor of our suite in the beast and tamer housing. Of course, Niall does not require any impassioned vow of obedience or swearing that I will do everything right from now on. No. Niall smells raw, earthy, and a little like his smoking pipe. He smells real, authentic.
Dangling the amulet before me, Niall points to the glowing light that appears to emanate from within. "See? Charged. Thanks to Kasz and Dag guarding it, we have full power. Now, Kaline, can you communicate to him what to do?"
