Enchantment

by Charlotte Abel

  He let go the instant she began to struggle and stepped back — holding his hands away from his body, palms out.

  He said, “I’m Sorry.”

  “Me too.” Channie did her best to stop the curse — draining every bit of Enchantment’s power in the process. She squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed fistfuls of her hair — tugging until it made her eyes water in an effort to stop thinking about the feel of Josh’s arms around her and the sound of his heart as she pressed her cheek against his rock-hard chest.

  But there was nothing she could do about his scent. She had to breathe.

  When Chastity’s magic blasted out of her, Channie opened her eyes — just in time to see Josh collapse onto the picnic bench.

  Channie didn’t know which was more humiliating, breaking down and crying over Abby in front of Josh, or cursing him because she couldn’t control her own lust.

  She wanted to run for home, but she needed to be sure Josh was alright first.

  He gripped the edge of the table, blinked twice, then left his eyes wide open. A rim of white completely encircled his irises. “Why did you do that?”

  “I didn’t mean to, it just happened. I told you I was cursed.”

  “Whatever.” Josh got on his bike and rode away without looking back. Channie watched until he disappeared into the tunnel that crossed under Cherry Street then went home and stared at the ceiling above her bed until the sun came up.

  ~***~

  When Channie got to school the next morning, Josh wouldn’t even look at her. He kept his gaze locked onto his textbook all during first period and bolted from the room the second the bell rang. Channie looked for him at lunch, but he was sitting with that jackass, Eric and his bitch of a girlfriend, Kassie.

  She stared at the back of Josh’s head, debating whether or not to approach him when he stiffened and looked over his shoulder. It was as if he sensed her presence. A momentary flicker of pain slid across his face when his gaze first met hers. It lasted less than a second. Channie took a single step forward and lifted her hand involuntarily. It hung in the air, level with her waist. Josh pressed his mouth into a thin, hard line and glared at her, then turned away.

  Channie was surprised by how much his hostility hurt — she hardly knew the boy. They’d shared one kiss and one comforting embrace — and a couple of accidental curses. That didn’t mean he was her soulmate. But he was her only friend.

  She decided to catch up with him after school and try to explain what happened, but he was already gone by the time she got to the bike racks. A mixture of emotions — all of them negative — poured into Chastity’s power-well. By the time Channie got home from school, she was ready to explode.

  The garage door was open. Daddy was lying on his back, under the VW bus, his tools spread out next to him. This was all his fault. Well, his and Momma’s.

  Channie twisted her hair into a rope and held onto it so it wouldn’t fall into the pool of oil spreading across the garage floor. She leaned over and stuck her head under the bus. “I’m inviting a friend over for supper tomorrow night and I expect you to be nice to him.”

  Daddy shot out from under the bus, his eyes hard and dangerous.

  Channie should have been terrified. She wasn’t. Chastity’s magic feasted on Daddy’s rage.

  He took three long deep breaths and wiped his hands on a red shop towel — calming himself. “I don’t like your tone of voice, young lady.”

  “And I don’t like what you and Momma did to me. So either give me my name back or deal with it.”

  Daddy’s face turned scarlet. He stood up and unbuckled his belt.

  Normally, Channie would have apologized and begged Daddy to forgive her — or run for her life. Of course, if things were normal, Channie never would have antagonized Daddy in the first place. But things weren’t normal. Not anymore.

  Channie hadn’t meant to curse Eric or Josh. Each time had been an accident, but it was no accident when she cursed Daddy. She waited until he grabbed her wrist and jerked her around to lay his belt across her back, then released Chastity’s power. He got his shield up before her curse hit him, but it was about as effective as a window pane against a brick.

  Daddy flew back against the far wall of the garage then slid to the floor, landing on his butt, legs stiff and spread-eagled in front of him. He blinked a couple of times, then fell over sideways.

  Channie waited and watched. But Daddy didn’t move. His lips turned blue. Just how much power had she used on him? “Daddy? Are you okay?”

  She knelt down beside him and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back with cold fingers, but his grip was weak. Channie said, “I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go get Momma.”

  ~***~

  It took Daddy a full hour before he could stand on his own without support. Channie felt guilty for hurting him, but she also felt ... empowered. Chastity’s magic still thrummed under her skin, it still felt prickly, but instead of irritating Channie, it energized her. For the first time in her life, she wasn't afraid of Daddy or Momma or anyone … not even the Veyjiviks.

  Channie was drunk with power. She held onto the wall and leaned into the parlor where Momma and Daddy had their heads pressed together, whispering. They both looked up, fear and anxiety radiating off their bodies. Daddy forced a smile and said, “What do you need, baby girl?”

  She needed her old name back. She needed Abby to come home. She needed to patch things up with Josh. She said, “I need a phone.”

  Momma leaned back against the sofa, folded her arms across her chest and smiled. Daddy sighed and nodded his head. “Alright. I’ll call the phone company tomorrow and set up an appointment.”

  Channie said, “Good. We need a house phone. But that isn’t what I meant. I want my own phone; a cell phone that I can take with me to school.”

  Daddy’s face wasn’t the only one that turned crimson.

  Momma narrowed her eyes and said, “You got some nerve coming in here after attacking your Daddy, making demands like that.”

  “Everybody at school has their own phone. I’m not being unreasonable. And you didn’t seem to mind my demands when you thought it was for something you wanted.”

  Momma cast a stinging spell at Channie but she was ready for it and deflected it without raising her shield. Momma leapt off the sofa and slapped Channie’s face so hard it jerked her head to the side. The stinging spell would have been less painful, and a whole lot less humiliating.

  Channie pressed her palm against her cheek to soothe the hurt and said, “If you ever raise a hand to me again, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Try to curse me like you did your Daddy?”

  Momma came from a long line of Master Mages. Even though Channie came from that same line, she wasn’t an adult and her powers weren’t fully developed. Still, if she could best Momma, right now, she could force her to remove this horrible curse and restore Enchantment’s power. She didn’t want to hurt Momma, but if she didn’t stand up to her now, she’d never get her name back.

  Daddy’s shield was like a sheet of glass against a brick. Momma’s was industrial grade steel. But even a skyscraper yields to a wrecking ball.

  Channie didn’t even use the full force of Chastity’s power, but it knocked Momma off her feet. Daddy caught her before she hit the floor.

  He glared at Channie and brushed a lock of Momma’s hair off her face with his thick fingers. “You all right, Prudence?”

  Momma nodded without opening her eyes.

  Guilt squeezed the air out of Channie’s lungs. She stepped towards Momma with an outstretched hand, her unspoken apology bitter on her tongue.

  Momma’s eyes flew open. This time, when she cast the stinging spell, it found its mark.

  Without quite meaning to, Channie retaliated with the remainder of Chastity’s power. It shattered Momma’s shield and tore her out of Daddy’s arms. She slammed onto the sofa with a sudden whoosh of expelled breath. This time, Channie did not feel guilty. All she felt was rage and raw
power. The curse drained Channie, but there was so much negative energy in the air, her power-well was completely full again within seconds.

  Daddy joined Momma on the sofa and stared at Channie, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

  “If I don’t have a cell phone by the end of the week, you’ll wish you’d never even thought about changing my name.”

  “I already regret it, baby girl.”

  “Your regrets don’t change a damn thing.” Channie pointed at Momma. “And the next time you try to curse me, I’ll double the power behind my retaliation.”

  Daddy said, “I ain’t got no money, baby girl. You know that. How you expect me to buy you one of them fancy telli-phones?”

  It was a good question and one that Channie had wondered about for years. No one dared question Daddy about money. Until now. “Where’s the rent money coming from?”

  Momma gasped, but Daddy just sighed and said, “Your Aunt Wisdom puts money in a bank account for your momma every month.”

  Channie’s heart leapt into her throat. “Aunt Wisdom knows where we are?” Not only was Aunt Wisdom Channie’s most favorite person in the world, she was the most powerful. She could help Channie get her old power-name back.

  Momma said, “Wizzie opened an account for me with First Bank in Whistler’s Gulch the day she named you.”

  Channie’s heart tumbled into her stomach, but she refused to give up hope. “If you make a withdrawal, won’t Aunt Wisdom be able to trace it?”

  “That’s why I use the bank in Littleton, south of Denver.”

  Momma’s smirk made Chastity’s power buzz, but Channie held on to it and didn’t let it take over.

  “If you’ve got all this money, how come you grovel at Daddy’s feet every time you want to buy groceries?”

  Daddy puffed his chest up like a bullfrog and said, “I am the head of this family and as such all financial matters fall under my jury’s diction.”

  “It’s ‘jurisdiction’ and that’s bull crap. If the money belongs to Momma, she should be the one in control of it.”

  Momma rubbed her temples then folded her hands in her lap. “When I married your daddy, I promised to love, honor and obey him. Since it was said during a binding spell, I have to submit my will to his when he chooses to exercise his authority.”

  “Well, that explains a lot.” Channie decided right then and there that the word “obey” would not pass her lips during her wedding. No way was she ever going to submit to anybody ever again — not even a husband. Which reminded her …

  “Are you two gonna be able to change my name before my wedding night?” No man in his right mind would marry Channie in her present condition.

  Momma and Daddy looked at each other and then at their shoes.

  “Oh that’s just great. What the hell did you do to me? This is no ordinary spell is it?”

  Momma sighed and said, “No, it’s not.”

  “Well what is it?”

  Momma and Daddy grabbed each other’s hands and raised their shields.

  Channie rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not going stop me from cursing you. Now tell me the truth.”

  Daddy patted Momma’s knee and said, “Better just go get the book and show her.”

  Neither Daddy nor Channie said a word as they waited for Momma to come back downstairs.

  She returned with a small bundle wrapped in coppery-brown silk and sat down next to Daddy. Her hands shook as she unwound the stained fabric and revealed an ancient, hand-bound book.

  It was small for a spell book, about five and a half inches tall, four inches wide and an inch and a half thick. The wraparound leather cover was cracked and flaking. A tarnished silver chain — looped around a bone button, carved into the shape of a heart — held the book closed.

  Channie stepped closer and leaned over to get a better look. Momma said, “Be careful. This is ancient magic and extremely dangerous. I’d advise you not to touch it.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a Book of the Dead.”

  Channie arched an eyebrow and waited.

  Momma sighed. Her breath skimmed the surface of the book and stirred up a cloud of reddish brown powder that smelled like rust. “About six hundred years ago, a powerful master-mage created this book. She spent years pouring magic into the animals that would provide the leather and parchment. And for ink …” Momma’s voice dropped to a whisper, “… she used her own blood.”

  There was nothing more powerful than blood. A few drops was all any spell ever required. Why would anyone write an entire book with blood? Unless they were using dark magic.

  Momma said, “Before she died, her daughter cut out her beating heart and replaced it with the book.”

  The room spun. Channie sank to the floor and put her head between her knees. Human sacrifice — even of voluntary victims — was forbidden and punishable by death.

  “Momma? Please tell me you didn’t ...”

  “Dig up the body and retrieve the book?” Momma’s smile sent a shiver up Channie’s spine. “There wasn't much left besides bones … and of course the book.”

  Channie’s stomach lurched. She clamped both hands over her mouth. When she was certain she could speak without gagging, she said, “How is this possible?”

  She knew that leather and parchment came from the skins of animals, but these were so long dead that any ability the book had to hold magic should have faded away over a hundred years ago. Unless it had something to do with the blood sacrifice.

  Momma nodded as if she’d read Channie’s mind. “Every person that retrieves the book, must repeat the ritual. If I can’t find Abby, it will fall to you to perform the sacrifice, but we’ll wait until my death is near—”

  “No! I won’t do it.” The edges of Channie’s vision turned grey. A high-pitched hum rang in her ears, but it didn’t block out the sound of Momma’s words.

  “Then the power of our line will die with me. You, Abby, Courage, Zeal, Savvy and all your posterity will lose the ability to use magic.”

  “Did you know this when you dug up that … thing?” Channie’s hand shook as she pointed at the evil book on Momma’s lap.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then how do you know what’s required, or what will happen?”

  “It was written in the book.”

  Channie closed her eyes and repeated the words of the spell. “Child of power, child of light, we now assert a parent’s right. The name of power we once bestowed, we now revoke ‘till you’re betrothed.” She opened her eyes and said, “Why did you need that evil book for such a simple spell?”

  Daddy said, “It might be simple, but you have to admit it was powerful, and that was only the first part.”

  Channie had been so busy trying to save Enchantment that she never heard the second half.

  “What’s the rest of it?”

  Daddy said, “I don’t rightly understand it, but it goes like this … To keep you chaste and set you free. The name we give is Purity.” Daddy shrugged his shoulders. “We changed it around a bit — ‘To keep you pure and set you free, the name we give is Chastity.’ We probably shouldn’t have done that.”

  Ya think? Sometimes Momma and Daddy’s arrogance was downright astonishing. “How is one spell supposed to keep me pure and set me free at the same time?”

  Momma said, “Your new name has given you powers beyond your years. We cain’t control you no more. I just hope we done a good enough job of raising you to keep you outta serious trouble. So far, I ain’t too encouraged.”

  Channie ignored the insult and said, “Did the book tell you how to break the curse before I get married?”

  Daddy said, “Nope. I think that part’s up to you.”

  “Oh that’s just great. How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

  Momma bristled but she didn’t even try to cast a clean-speech spell. She said, “Unless you’re planning on getting married anytime soon, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “I don’t
want to wait until the last minute. Maybe you better look inside that book and find a way to fix this.”

  Daddy said, “We already tried. The book is sealed to us now.”

  “How could you do this to me?” Channie’s eyes stung, but she refused to let them see her cry. She turned her back and said, “Don’t forget about my phone,” then ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door.

  Channie cried herself to sleep, then woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat and a fever. She crept down the hall to Momma and Daddy’s room to ask for some magically enhanced chamomile to make a cup of healing tea. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to ask Momma to heal her outright since she was probably still mad at her. She’d just wind up cursing her, whether she meant to or not.

  She wouldn’t bother Momma at all, except she kept her potted herbs in her room and the medicine kit in the hall was out of chamomile. Channie was surprised to hear murmuring voices behind Momma and Daddy’s bedroom door. They should have been sound asleep. They weren’t. They were talking about her.

  Daddy said, “I want my sweet baby girl back. I don’t like what this power-name is doing to her.”

  Momma huffed so loudly Channie had no problem hearing it through the closed door. “You can blame her name if it makes you feel better, but your sweet baby girl has been a snot-nosed brat from day one. Her old power-name just blinded us to it. She’s always put on airs and acted like she’s better’n everybody else.”

  “Yeah, well you can thank your sister for that. Wisdom’s the one what went and filled Channie’s head with all that book learning, convincing the girl she needed an Empty edge-you-ma-cation.”

  Channie whispered “education” under her breath then bit her tongue when Momma said, “Ever-time that girl corrects someone’s grammar, I want to slap her face.”

  It was an automatic response, but Channie vowed to resist the urge in the future.

  Daddy said, “I don’t recommend slapping her, no matter what the offense. I’ve never been hit with a curse so powerful in my entire life — not even when your daddy caught me sneaking into your bedroom through the window.”