She stepped out of Josh’s embrace but held onto his hands. “Close your eyes and picture the mice nibbling through our last sack of cornmeal.”
Josh closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
A tingle of negative energy flowed from Josh’s hands to Channie’s. “Good! Now, direct that anger into your power-well.” She let go of his left hand and placed her fingertips on his belly, over his navel in an effort to help him guide the energy into his power-well.
Josh gasped and bit his lip.
But it was Hunter’s energy that caught Channie off guard. He gazed at her with such yearning it shocked her.
Josh obviously had no problem reading Hunter’s energy either. His hand tightened around hers, sending prickles of pain across her chapped skin. He was still radiating love and lust, but his jealous energy overshadowed everything else. He spoke quietly. But like a dog growling over a bone, there was no mistaking the threat. “Hunter. Get out.”
Hunter took a step back and raised his shield, but he didn’t leave. “I cain’t help how I feel.”
“She’s my wife.”
“I know that. And I’m probably gonna git myself killed, but maybe you can use what you’re feeling right now to curse me.”
Josh’s energy field glowed red. He put his hands on Channie’s shoulders and moved her to the side.
“Josh. Be careful.” She thought of how quickly Chastity’s magic had spiraled out of control when she got angry. Josh’s energy level was every bit as high as hers had been when she’d killed Harvey.
Harvey … No, not now!
Channie closed her eyes against the flashback, but it roared through her defenses like a runaway truck down Feenie’s Pass.
“It’s time to show your appreciation.”
“Please…”
“Please what, sugar?”
“Please ... Don’t touch me.”
“Oh, I intend to do a lot more than just touch you.”
Channie gritted her teeth to silence Harvey’s voice in her mind. “Hunter. You need to leave. Now!”
He shook his head slowly, but continued to back away from Josh, towards the open door. “This is too important.”
Josh glared at Hunter but did not curse him. Seconds ticked away as Josh’s power continued to build.
A potted fern exploded behind Channie. Hunter flinched but didn’t run. Another plant burst into flames.
“Hunter, please leave.” Aside from the fact that Channie didn’t want Hunter to die, Josh would never forgive himself if he actually killed him.
Hunter shook his head again. “Curse me.”
Josh’s voice was so low and gravelly it didn’t even sound like his. “I’m trying.”
Hunter stopped trembling and straightened his spine, but he kept his shield up.
“Imagine Channie in my arms instead of yours. My mouth on hers. Curse me!”
Sweat poured off Josh’s body, drenching his sweater. Veins appeared over his temples and pulsed with the rhythm of his heart.
Channie’s concern shifted from Hunter to Josh. If he didn’t release the pressure from so much pent up magic, he was going to explode like an overheated still full of moonshine.
“Josh. Forget about Hunter. Curse the mice!”
Josh grabbed Channie and threw his shield over both of them. There was a blinding flash of light followed by a rush of heat then a horrendous crash as the rest of the plants exploded.
~***~
Channie, Josh and Hunter were covered with dirt, bits of pottery and shredded leaves. Their shields protected them from Josh’s violent magic, but not from physical debris.
“Josh, are you okay?”
He nodded but didn’t say anything. He should have been reeling after discharging that much power. He looked exhausted, but not completely drained. Channie wished she could scan Josh and check his internal power levels but all she could do was read his energy field. He was radiating a fair amount of guilt so he must still have a little energy in reserve.
“Hunter?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He sounded disappointed.
The smell of singed hair and burnt meat made Channie’s eyes water. At least they didn’t have a mouse problem anymore.
Josh let go of Channie and stepped back. His eyes moved back and forth as he studied her face, a look of utter betrayal on his own. “You said that spell wasn’t going to hurt them.”
“That was no pest-be-gone spell.” Channie pointed at a dead mouse by Josh’s left foot. “That’s what you’ve been trying to do to Hunter.”
“Oh, man.” He knelt and scooped it up off the floor. “This one’s just a baby.”
Hunter smacked his forehead with an open palm. “You’re upset over killing a stupid mouse?”
Channie put a hand on Josh’s shoulder and glared at Hunter. “Leave him alone.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? The fate of all our clans rests in the hands of a freakin’ tree hugger.”
~***~
Hunter was damn lucky that Channie no longer had the ability to curse him. But if she were honest, she’d have to admit that she was more than a little disturbed by Josh’s reaction. She didn’t respect him any less—his compassionate nature was one of the things that had first attracted her to him—but if he got this upset over killing a baby mouse, would he be able to kill a tracker?
Josh stood up, still cupping the dead mouse in his hands and walked towards the door.
“Josh? Where are you going?”
“I need to bury it.”
Hunter pointed his index finger at Josh and said, “I ain’t goin’ to no mouse funeral.”
Josh whirled around, eyes blazing. “I’m not conducting one, but we need to bury all these mice or they’re going to stink up the place and spread disease.”
“Oh good lord, just sweep ‘em outside and let the scavengers take care of it.”
Channie agreed with Hunter, but she wasn’t about to say so. Josh might not be able curse Hunter, but he could still hit him. She had no idea which one of them would win a fist fight and no desire to find out.
“Hunter, why don’t you go fetch some more water. We’re going to need more than two bucketfuls.” Channie picked a clump of potting soil out of her hair. “In fact, we’re all gonna need baths before bed. Might as well fill the tub.”
“Fine. But if I have to haul all the water, I get the first bath.”
Josh shuddered. “I’m not using your dirty bath water.”
“I ain’t the one playing with dead mice. Dirtiest man goes last.”
Josh curled his upper lip into a sneer. “Disgusting hillbillies.”
They’d been sharing wash water since they got here and Josh hadn’t complained once. Not even after they started bathing separately. And he always insisted that she go first. Channie swallowed hard and turned her back so Josh wouldn’t see the tears filling her eyes.
“Channie. I didn’t mean you.”
She twisted sideways and shrugged his hand off her shoulder.
“Babe … I’m sorry.”
She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “All you’ve ever had to do was flip a switch or turn on a tap or … or pick up a phone and order a pizza. Anything you want is right there for the taking.”
“The only thing I want is you.”
This time when Josh reached for Channie, she fell into his arms. He pressed his body against hers and kissed the top of filthy her head. He kissed her eyes, the tip of her nose and both cheeks then moved to her mouth. She tasted the salt of her own tears on his lips.
Hunter groaned and said, “At least take it inside.”
Josh pulled Channie even closer and spoke without removing his lips from hers. “Just go get the damn water.”
~***~
By the time Hunter had filled the 20 gallon tub, Channie was almost done washing the windows. Josh had removed and buried the rest of the mice. He was now on the other side of the shack, beating the dirt out of their quilts
with a broom handle. It wasn’t the best solution, but it was good enough for tonight. She’d use the left over bath water to scrub the floors tomorrow, but they were going to need to refill the tub with clean water before she could wash their bedding.
She went outside to check on the stew. It had boiled down to a thick paste. She added two cans of water out of the rain barrel. It took a while to mix it in because she had to be extra careful not to scrape the burned layer on the bottom of the pot.
Hunter poured the last bucket-full into the tub then arched his back and stretched his arms. “I think I’ll just go on home if that’s all right with you.”
“Don’t you want to stay for supper?” The stew was scorched, but it was still edible.
“Thanks, but after five trips to the quarry and back, I’m beat. All I want to do is hit the sack. Besides, watching Josh grieve over those filthy mice ruined my appetite.”
“He wasn’t grieving. He’s just not used to killing animals.”
“He ain’t never gone huntin’?”
“No.”
“His folks got lots of money?”
Channie thought of the way Josh complained about the “tiny” condo he lived in and snickered. “Tons of it. They buy all their food at the grocery store. His bicycle cost more than most folks’ vehicles—most folks around here anyway.” Channie’s eyes stung as she thought about the home she’d left behind. She wondered if the trips missed her. “I wish you could see the place Momma and Daddy rented for us to live in.”
Hunter smiled and said, “What’d they do? Take advantage of some poor, dumb Empty?” then bumped her shoulder with his, just like he’d done a thousand times before. It was an innocent gesture of affection, but Channie flinched away from him.
Hunter puckered his brow and looked sideways at her then shoved his hands in his pockets and said, “Well, the moon’s up, I’m gonna head on out while I got enough light to see my way home.”
Channie was certain that Hunter could find his way home blindfolded. “Are you sure you don’t want some of this stew first?”
Hunter looked into the pot and wrinkled his nose. “I’m sure.”
~***~
The water wouldn’t be hot enough for bathing for quite awhile, so Channie and Josh settled for just washing their hands and faces until after supper. Josh gulped down the scorched stew so fast Channie thought maybe he preferred it that way, but when she tried to give him a second helping, he put his hand over the top of his bowl and said, “No thanks. I’m done.”
He didn’t say he was full, just done. “How much longer until the water’s hot? I can’t wait to get you in that tub.”
Uh-oh. “This isn’t play time, Josh.”
“Oh come on, Channie. It’s my birthday.”
“Aunt Wisdom said—”
“I know what she said, but do you really think withholding sex is going to motivate me?”
“You have to be more aggressive, take the offensive. If you wait for the enemy to strike the first blow, they’ll kill you.”
“They’ll have to find us first.”
“So you were serious? You really aren’t going to fight on solstice night?”
“I didn’t start this stupid war and I have no intention of becoming some poster-boy for your Aunt’s magical rebellion. I meant every word I said. As soon as I’m sure I can protect you, we’re out of here.”
Channie didn’t want Josh to fight either, and it really wasn’t fair to ask him to risk his life for a war he didn’t believe in. Maybe Josh was right. Maybe he didn’t have to be the one that killed Dominance. Maybe Vengeance had sired lots of Halfies. And maybe one of them wanted to be king and wouldn’t mind killing his own grandmother to make it happen. That was an awful lot of maybes and Channie knew in her heart that the “Son of Vengeance” mentioned in the Book of the Dead was Josh.
What would happen if no one showed up on solstice night? How powerful would Dominance become if no one challenged her? What sort of future would their children have in a world controlled by Dominance Veyjivik? Did she want to live in hiding for the rest of her life? If it was a choice between that and losing Josh, it was no choice at all. Besides, the old bitch couldn’t live forever.
“Channie?” Josh’s expression was so vulnerable it made her heart ache.
“Yeah?”
“You don’t think I’m … a coward … do you?”
“Of course not. Only a fool wouldn’t be terrified of facing Dominance.”
“Because if you want me to fight, I will.”
Josh’s declaration infuriated Channie. Of course she didn’t want him to fight, but if he left the decision up to her, and Dominance continued her rein of blood and terror, she wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. But if she told him to fight and he died … it would kill her. Even if she said nothing, he’d most likely interpret her silence as some sort of accusation of cowardice and then join the rebellion to prove his manhood. He’d as much as said so already.
Channie balanced their bowls in one hand and dunked one of the five-gallon buckets into the steaming wash tub with the other. She said, “No, I don’t want you to fight,” then turned around and headed towards the shack, leaving Josh alone by the fire.
~***~
It didn’t take long to wash, rinse and dry their dishes so Channie wasn’t too concerned that Josh hadn’t joined her by the time she finished. He was probably still pouting over not getting to have his way with her. Channie gave him another five minutes, then went outside to check on him. He was gone.
“Josh?” The moon was up, but it was too dark to see past the shadows in the surrounding woods. Channie closed her eyes and focused on their bond. It was still strong enough to let her feel their connection. She couldn’t tell where he was, but she could tell that Josh was still within the boundaries of Aunt Wisdom’s misdirection spells which meant he was within hearing distance. “Joshua Vincent Abrim, if you don’t come home right this instant you can damn well sleep on the floor!”
No answer.
“Fine!” Channie was too filthy to go to bed without bathing but the wash basin had been sitting in the coals too long. The water wasn’t quite simmering, but it was too hot for comfort. She used a stick and scattered the coals piled up around the base of the tub, then dipped out two buckets of water. The weather had warmed up considerably after the blizzard. Most of the snow had melted, but the night air was still cold enough to fog her breath as she muttered about Josh’s childish behavior.
When the water in the buckets had cooled to a tolerable temperature, Channie stripped out of her filthy clothes and wound her braid into a knot on top of her head. Her skin prickled into gooseflesh but she wasn’t some namby-pamby city-girl that couldn’t handle a little cold air. She dipped a wash rag into the still steaming bucket then wrapped it around a bar of lye soap. She lathered her arms, chest and neck then froze when she felt Josh’s gaze on her body. Her first reaction was shock, followed by anger. How dare he spy on her like a peeping Tom. She covered her breasts with one arm and her privates with her other hand. “I know you’re watching me.”
Josh didn’t answer, but the air around Channie grew warmer, then downright balmy. Channie grinned in spite of herself. “Josh. You aren’t supposed to be wasting energy on warmth spells. Aunt Wisdom said—”
“I know what she said.” He stepped out of the shadows and closed the distance between them, never taking his eyes off her face. “But you’re my wife. And it’s my job to take care of you.” He took the wash rag out of her hand and said, “Turn around.”
“Josh …”
“I’m not going to seduce you.” He smiled then said, “Unless you want me to.”
“We can’t.”
“Yes. We can. But I’m not going to beg. Now turn around so I can wash your back.”
Josh put one hand on her shoulder and washed her back with the other. Maybe he wasn’t trying to seduce her, but that didn’t mean his touch had no effect.
She trembled when h
e slid his hand over her ribs and across the dip of her waist.
“Are you cold?” His breath was hot on the nape of her neck.
“Hardly.”
“Does this feel good?”
Channie grabbed the wash rag out his hand and looked over her shoulder at him. “What do you think?”
“I think … you’ll feel a lot better if you just relax and let me take care of you.”
“What do you mean ‘take care of me’?”
“It’s not your fault I can’t curse Hunter. Why should you be punished for my incompetence?” Josh slid his soapy hands over her hips and around to her belly. Channie had to grab his arms to keep from falling as her joints turned to jelly.
“Josh, stop. I can’t take much more.”
He sighed and removed his hands from her body.
“Step up.” He indicated a large flat rock and picked up the other bucket of hot water. “I don’t want to splash mud on you.”
Channie climbed onto the rock, feeling even more self-conscious as Josh rinsed the soap off her body without touching her.
He said, “The water in the tub is a hundred and four degrees. Is that still too hot for you?”
“How do you know how hot it is?”
“Mage. Remember?”
“I could never do that. Not even with Enchantment’s magic.”
“In you go.” Josh held her elbow with one hand and her waist with the other as he guided her into the tub. Channie sank into the hot water with a sigh of pleasure. Her muscles unknotted as Josh unwound the braid from her hair, then combed it out with his fingers. He dipped half a bucket of water from the tub then sat on the apple crate behind her and washed her hair.
When he finished, Josh wrapped a towel around Channie and picked her up. She buried her face against his neck. He smelled so good. Lemon and sandalwood and just a hint of musk. Wait a minute.
“Josh? Did you take a shower?”
He chuckled. “If you’ve been hiding a shower out here all this time without telling me, you’re in big trouble.”
There was a shower at Aunt Wisdom’s house and one at the school, but if Josh had gone beyond the boundaries of the misdirection spells, Channie would have felt it. “How did you get so clean?”
TAKEN: Book Two Page 4
