Believe: The Complete Channie Series

by Charlotte Abel

  Hunter raised both hands, palms out, and backed up. “I was only going to say that you were right. I ain’t ready for marriage neither.”

  “Oh.” Kassie blinked then licked her lips. “Well, good. But that doesn’t mean I forgive you for lying to me. Or for disappearing without a word.” She pointed at Josh. “You’re in trouble too.”

  Josh shoved his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t think you’d believe me. Hell, I can barely believe it myself. But I’m glad you know.”

  Hunter nodded and grinned at her. “Me too.”

  “You said it was time for Josh to tap into his powers. I want to see how you protect all that money.”

  Josh folded his arms across his chest. “How long were you spying on us? And don’t say ‘long enough.’”

  “Hunter’s motorcycle woke me up when you pulled into the driveway.” Kassie put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder, the same one she’d been smacking, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I heard everything. I’m so sorry about Abby.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Hunter swallowed and nodded his head. “Wait, if you heard all that…then you heard what I said about Channie.”

  Kassie dropped her hand to her side and stared at the carpet. “Did you think I didn’t already know how you felt about her? I’m not blind, Hunter. I saw the way you stared at her when you thought no one was looking.”

  “Kassie, I…”

  “I’m not going to say it’s okay, because it’s not.” She lifted her gaze to Hunter’s face. “But I know it’s possible to love more than one person at the same time. Eric couldn’t make me cry if I didn’t still love him on some level.”

  “Eric is still harassing you?” The tendons on the back of Hunter’s hands popped up as his fingers curled into fists. “I’ll kill that stupid son of an empty.”

  Josh’s own hands were white knuckled, but Eric was only partly to blame. He didn’t like the idea of Hunter sneaking peeks at Channie.

  Kassie patted Hunter’s cheek then dropped her hand. “Life’s too short to waste even a minute of it on people like Eric. After we protect your money, maybe you can take me for a ride on your motorcycle?”

  Hunter grazed his fingertips over Kassie’s baby bump. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “Well, then after I have the baby.”

  Hunter winced and shook his head. “I probably won’t have the bike that long.”

  “Why not?”

  “Ms. Stephanie done cut off my credit card. I expect the repo man’s gonna be looking for that bike by the end of the month.”

  Kassie narrowed her eyes. “Who’s Ms. Stephanie?”

  “One of my lady friends.”

  “You have lady friends?”

  “Like you said. I’m too young to settle down.” Hunter shifted his gaze to Josh. “Is Carmine still around?”

  “Carmine?” Kassie spit the name out like an angry cat. “Liz’s sister?”

  “Yeah. That’s the one.”

  Kassie wrinkled her nose. “She’s too old for you.”

  “She ain’t half as old as Ms. Stephanie.” Hunter adjusted his belt and winked at Kassie.

  “Ew! That’s just gross. What are you? A gigolo?”

  “Okay, stop.” Josh wasn’t sure what sort of game Hunter was playing, but he didn’t like it. “That’s not an image I want burned into my brain. And I have no idea where Carmine is. We need to figure out how to save Channie.” Josh pressed a hand over his glowing chest, but it didn’t ease the pain. “Diego said I can find her with this heart-bound thing.”

  “Heart-bond.” Hunter nodded. “But you cain’t go. The Book of the Dead said for you to ‘live your life as you did before.’ You cain’t leave until the book tells you the time is right.”

  “I don’t have the book. Remember?”

  “Don’t matter. You could get us all killed if you don’t do what the book says.”

  “Look, I may not know anything about magic, but you’ll have a better chance of rescuing Channie if you have someone watching your back.”

  Hunter yawned. “No offense, but you ain’t had too much luck cursing anything but plants and mice.”

  “I blew up a fifty foot oak tree!”

  “Last I heard, oak trees were still considered plants.” Hunter patted Josh’s back. “Come on, let’s go cast a touch-me-not spell on this fern and scatter its leaves over our money.”

  “It’s your money. Not ours.”

  “I figure you’re gonna need a little cash for food and gas when it’s time for you to help. The Book of the Dead made it clear that you’re an important part of what’s coming. We’re all counting on you. Not just Channie.”

  Hunter set the potted fern on the floor in front of Josh’s closet. “Your magic works a bit different than mine, but I think all you gotta do is want the plant to protect the money and it’ll do it.”

  “That’s not much to go on.”

  “Give it a try. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “I could blow something up.”

  “Good point.” Hunter opened his arms. “Come here, Kassie.”

  Josh’s eyes widened when a green bubble popped out of Hunter’s stomach and surrounded him and Kassie. “Is that your shield?”

  “Yeah. And I recommend you raise yours too.”

  Josh closed his eyes. He felt a little silly as he thought, I want my shield to protect me.

  His embarrassment disappeared as a golden bubble popped out of his chest. It was different from the magic that tied him to Channie. This light didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt pretty damn good. Josh grinned and opened his eyes. “Do you see it?”

  Hunter chuckled. “It’s hard to miss. You’ve got one of the best shields I’ve ever seen.”

  Kassie stuck her lower lip out and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Only another mage can see a shield.” Hunter kissed the top of Kassie’s head.

  A flash of pain dropped Josh to his knees.

  Soft, frizzy curls tickle his chin and his lips as he leans over and kisses Channie’s lavender scented hair. She lifts her face and smiles. “I love it when you kiss my head like that.”

  He pressed his palms against his temples. “I wish these flashbacks weren’t so painful.”

  The pain lessened by half.

  Josh opened his eyes and found Hunter kneeling in front of him, his face not three inches from his own. “Try wishing they didn’t hurt at all.”

  The guy obviously had no concept of personal space. Josh leaned back. “I wish these flashbacks didn’t cause me any pain at all. I wish they felt good.”

  “Careful what you wish for.” Hunter wiggled his eyebrows. “You don’t want to embarrass yourself.”

  “How would he embarrass himself?” Kassie’s eyes widened. “Oh! Ew.”

  Heat crept up Josh’s neck and spread to his cheeks and ears. “I was thinking more along the lines of extra energy.”

  “You got to be specific when dealing with magic or it’ll twist your words into something entirely different.” Hunter stood up and offered Josh his hand. “I don’t suppose you were able to remember that flashback, were you?”

  Josh ignored Hunter’s outstretched hand and stood up. “No. And I’ve been wishing I could remember them even before I knew wishes had power.”

  “Maybe you don’t really want to remember.” Kassie touched Josh’s shoulder. “You gave up a lot to be with Channie. School, racing, college. Maybe there’s a part of you that regrets it and wishes things were different.”

  “Of course I wish things were different. I wish we could have dated for five or six years before getting married. I wish I could have had a normal senior year. And I really wish I hadn’t screwed up my racing career.” Pain and light shot out of Josh’s chest. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to remember her.”

  Hunter nodded. “Kassie’s right. You have to be committed to a spell before casting it. You cain’t have any contrary desires or it won’t work. Esp
ecially since you’re fighting another mage’s curse.”

  Josh rubbed his chest. “I wish this heart-bond thing didn’t—”

  “No!” Hunter grabbed Josh by the shoulders. “Don’t mess with your heart-bond. You don’t want to break it.”

  Maybe if he weren’t magically bound to Channie, he’d get his memory back. Maybe he’d even get his life back. He didn’t know the girl, but he knew without a doubt that if he lost this…whatever this was, he’d be devastated. “Okay, tell me how to magic this plant again.”

  “If I were going to do it, I’d reach inside my power-well and pull up a handful of energy. Then I’d focus on the plant as I thought about how I didn’t want anyone to touch that money.”

  Josh had no idea how to reach inside himself or pull up even a thimbleful of energy. “Okay. I don’t want anyone to touch that money. Hocus pocus alakazam.” He waved his hand over the plant but nothing happened.

  Hunter rolled his eyes. “No. Like this.”

  He took a deep breath and held it for a moment. As he exhaled, a stream of emerald green light poured out of his stomach into his hands. He lifted his chin, more of a twitch than a nod, and smiled as the light swirled over the plant. The fern glowed for a moment then returned to normal. Josh leaned over and touched a leafy stem.

  “Ouch!” He shook his hand and blew on his stinging fingers. “That hurt.”

  Hunter chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not supposed to feel good.”

  He broke off a couple stems then placed them inside the pillowcase. “That’ll last for a few days.”

  “How come the plant didn’t shock you?” Josh’s fingers were still tingling.

  “Cause I cast the spell. My own magic ain’t gonna hurt me.”

  “Remind me to never piss you off.” Kassie smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Hunter frowned, creasing his brow. “I’d never curse you, no matter how mad you make me.”

  “Good to know. What else can you do?” She licked her lips and swallowed then dropped her gaze to her hands, resting on her baby bump. “Can you make someone fall in love with you?”

  “Of course I can.” Hunter grinned then winked at her. “But, not with magic.”

  “Okay, Romeo, let’s stick to magic. I’d like to know how it works, too.”

  “It’s a little hard to explain.” Hunter sighed as he shifted his gaze to Josh. “Magic responds to each mage according to their nature, natural abilities and power-name. My power-name’s Hunter, so I’m naturally good at finding things. And Channie’s power is Enchantment, or at least it was before her folks changed it to Chastity. She had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She could make a fella melt with nothing more than a glance.”

  The air around Kassie glowed the same ugly shade of puke green that Josh had produced earlier.

  She twisted a strand of hair around her finger and batted her eyelashes at Hunter. “I wonder what my power-name would be if I had magic.”

  He took the strand of hair from her and tucked it behind her ear. “There’re lots of power-names that’d suit you. Beauty, Intelligence, Seduction.”

  “Annoying, Stubborn and Bossy would work, too.” Josh ducked when Kassie threw a pillow at his head.

  “Them’s adjectives, not nouns, so they wouldn’t make good power-names for nobody.” Hunter stroked Kassie’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “And don’t be disrespecting Miss Kassie like that.”

  The green glow around Kassie faded, but the air between her and Hunter still shimmered with purple energy. “What’s this weird purple glow in the air?”

  Hunter’s cheeks flamed red. He dropped his hand and took two steps back, away from Kassie. “I’ll tell you later.”

  It’s lust. I can see lust. Gross.

  Kassie shot Josh a look and narrowed her eyes. She obviously didn’t appreciate him interrupting her little game of seduction. She softened her expression before turning her attention back to Hunter. “What about Josh? Does he have a power-name?”

  “Every mage that has more than a smidgen of magic has a power-name. Josh’s is Valor. The idea was to make him extra brave and honorable. But it sort of backfired.”

  “What do you mean it backfired?” Red light pulsed out of Josh. “I’m no coward.”

  “I never said you was. It’s the honor part that’s interfering with your ability to curse anyone. And while that sounds all nice and noble, it makes you a liability in a combat situation instead of an asset.”

  Kassie’s eyes widened. “Josh had no problem cursing Eric the other day—before he lost his memory.”

  “What?” Hunter blinked then grabbed Josh’s arm. “You cursed someone?”

  “How would I know?” Josh tapped his temple. “No memory. Remember?”

  Kassie’s hands shook as she gestured, emphasizing her words. “Eric was being his usual asinine self. He came around the corner with his arm around Rebecca’s shoulders. Channie dragged me off to the bathroom to spare my feelings so I didn’t see it go down, but Bee told me all about it later. Eric was shooting his mouth off and spewing his usual lies. He even said the baby wasn’t his, but then he flew backwards and slammed into the lockers without anyone so much as touching him. He claimed Josh hit him with a taser. Was that a curse?”

  “Hell yeah!” Hunter slung one arm over Josh’s shoulder and the other around Kassie’s waist then pulled them both in for a group hug. “Let’s go snatch Eric and use him for target practice.”

  It took over five minutes for Josh to persuade Hunter to stay put and work on the Book of the Dead’s poetic messages instead of running off to kidnap Eric. It didn’t help that Kassie also thought it was a ‘freaking great idea.’

  Josh downloaded the pictures he’d taken of the Book of the Dead and printed enlarged copies for each of them then asked Hunter to read it out loud.

  “Do you think it’ll trigger a flashback?”

  “Probably. That’s why I didn’t read any of it while I was making copies.”

  “Maybe you better take a seat before I start.”

  Tender hearts full of hope and courage

  Heed the warnings, but be not discouraged.

  A love pure and true is yours if you dare

  To open your hearts and lay your souls bare.

  For every choice there is a cost

  And the things you lose are forever lost.

  You have until the full moon sets

  To bind your hearts with no regrets.

  But first remove the crimson stain

  Though it burns your flesh with unbearable pain.

  With your touch, ignite the fire

  And cleanse the one you most desire.

  You have until the dawn doth break

  To suffer for each other’s sake.

  But if you leave a single spot,

  Eternal pain will be your lot.

  Then wait until the moon is new

  Lest this tome be sealed to you.

  You have one chance to learn the spell

  And break the curse. Use it well.

  Each verse triggered a different flashback. Josh still couldn’t remember anything once they faded, but at least they didn’t cause him any pain. Each one gave him a thrill, sort of a mini-adrenaline rush. He felt encouraged for the first time since waking up without his memories.

  Hunter paused and frowned at Josh. “Are you doing okay?”

  “I’m having continuous flashbacks, but they don’t hurt. Keep reading.”

  Josh’s skin tingled as a calm feeling washed over him. He studied Hunter’s face. “Did you just use magic on me?”

  A sheepish grin spread across his face. “It’s just a be-calm spell. Your energy levels are jumping around all over the place. And you keep grabbing your chest. I ain’t no healer, but I figured a be-calm spell wouldn’t hurt and it might just help.”

  “It does.” Josh shrugged. “But I don’t want it to interfere with the flashbacks. Something tells me it’s important for me to feel
as much as possible. Even if it’s painful.”

  “Are you still getting the headaches?” Hunter frowned.

  “No. But my chest aches.” Each verse caused the light to pulse more brightly. “One of the triplets said it’s because Channie’s missing me.”

  “I’m sure she is.” Hunter leaned over and gave Josh’s shoulder a squeeze. “But I ain’t never seen a couple so devoted to each other as you two. Are you ready for me to read some more?”

  Josh nodded then laid his head on his forearms and closed his eyes.

  True love’s kiss will set you free

  But pure and chaste it must be.

  One unclean thought will seal your fate

  Changing all you love—to all you hate.

  Daughter of power, conquer your fear

  For in the fire, your path becomes clear.

  A royal mage you must wed,

  Before you share a lover’s bed.

  Son of darkness, heed this advice,

  Forsake all others that might entice

  And lead astray with a wanton smile

  The foolish boy they wish to beguile.

  Burn the image in your heart and mind

  Of true love’s kiss, and surely you’ll find

  The strength and the will and the power to keep

  The promise you made so your love would not weep.

  Josh trembled as the most powerful flashback yet consumed him. It played like a movie projected in his mind, but he felt everything as if he were living it in the moment.

  His heart pounds as he pulls off the road. The scent of rain, pine and asphalt tickles his nose when he opens the door. The car’s engine ticks as it cools. He slams the door and flies towards Channie. Icy water sloshes into his shoes and soaks the hem of his jeans, but he barely notices the cold.

  Channie’s a mess. Dirt streaks her face. Leaves and twigs stick out of her hair, but she’s never looked more beautiful to him. Tears stream down both their faces as their bodies crash together.