Finding Valor

by Charlotte Abel

  “She left?”

  “No, babe. She’s dead.”

  “Did you…kill her?”

  “She tried to curse me.” He stopped himself from revealing that the shard of glass Channie stabbed her with had played any part in her mother’s death. Even if she never forgave him for killing her mother, it was better than letting her blame herself.

  Tears streamed down Channie’s face. Josh closed his eyes as his throat tightened around a thickening lump of remorse.

  “Josh. It’s all right. You didn’t have a choice.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “No. I didn’t. But I did something else, something horrible. Something I didn’t have to do.”

  “The sacrifice?”

  Josh nodded.

  “Why?”

  He’d hoped that the sacrifice would restore Channie’s magic, but that hope had obviously been in vain. He shrugged his shoulders and looked away. He didn’t want her to feel the least bit responsible for his decision to mutilate her mother. “She told me that if I refused, everyone in her line would lose the ability to use magic. I didn’t want to do it, but it was her last request.”

  Channie cupped his cheeks in her bloody palms and forced his gaze back to hers. “I know it must have been horrible for you and I’m sorry you had to be the one to do it, but if you hadn’t; the trips would’ve lost their powers. None of our children would be able to use magic. You did the right thing.”

  Josh looked at his blood-stained hands and wondered if he’d ever feel clean again. “It doesn’t feel like it.”

  Channie squirmed in his lap.

  Josh held her in place. “Please don’t look. I don’t want your last memory of your mother to be—”

  “Right now, the last memory of my mother is the sight of her leaning over me as she cracked my ribs apart with her bare hands.” Channie’s voice quivered. “She didn’t even bother to cast a be-calm spell, much less a pain-away. She enjoyed watching me suffer. She killed Daddy, Abby and Diego. And who knows who else she’s murdered. If you hadn’t come back when you did, she would have killed me, too.”

  Josh suspected that Prudence had killed Wisdom in order to escape, but he couldn’t bear to add that burden to Channie’s grief.

  “I should hate her…but I don’t. What’s wrong with me?”

  “She was sick, Channie. Even if we can’t forgive the things she’s done, we can forgive her. In fact, she helped heal you…at the end. I didn’t have enough power to finish the job. She gave me hers.”

  “I want to see her.”

  “At least let me cover her up first.”

  Channie nodded. She kept her eyes on the floor as she crawled off Josh’s lap.

  He grabbed a blanket out of the basket next to the couch and spread it over Prudence’s body, leaving her face uncovered. In spite of her burned and blood-splattered face, she looked amazingly peaceful.

  Josh returned to Channie and took her hands. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I want to. Will you help me?”

  Josh slid his hands under Channie’s arms and lifted her to her feet. He kept one arm wrapped securely around her waist and waited.

  Channie leaned into his side, took three deep breaths then turned and lifted her head. A broken sob erupted out of her throat. “I forgive you, Momma.”

  A flash of golden light burst out of Prudence’s chest. It raced towards Josh and Channie, then flowed over them like a raging river; cleansing and purifying them, as well as everything else in its path—the floor, the walls, the kitchen cabinets, the blood-streaked refrigerator and even the spattered ceiling.

  Channie clung to Josh as the river of light formed a whirlpool of energy over her mother’s body.

  He guided her head to his shoulder and covered her eyes as the swirling light consumed Prudence. It didn’t leave behind so much as a particle of ash. It did however, leave behind a new book, bound in pure, white leather. Flames danced across the cover, embossing the surface with gold letters. Valor Veyjivik, King of Mages.

  ~***~

  Josh’s heart sank as he stared at the book. He’d accepted the duties and responsibilities of “crown prince” but he’d never really accepted the title as a part of his identity. He still didn’t feel like a prince, much less a king, but he could no longer deny it. He held Channie in his arms and drew comfort from the warmth and weight of her body pressed against his. But kept his gaze locked on the glowing book.

  He didn’t detect any malicious energy, but he didn’t trust it. The glow intensified and gathered into a single pulsating beam of power.

  Josh released Channie from his embrace then slid her behind his back.

  The beam of power shot forward and poured into his sapphire. The gem had burned him when he healed Channie, so the skin beneath it was still tender. He grabbed the stone and yanked it away from his chest. It warmed his hand as it soaked up the book’s magic, but didn’t burn him.

  Tendrils of light floated out from the sapphire and drifted over his head. Josh kept his gaze focused on the magical energy as he turned around. His first instinct was to protect Channie with his shield when it floated towards her, but something warned him not to interfere.

  She inhaled with an audible gasp as wispy filaments of light shot into her chest and stomach. She pressed one hand over her heart and the other over her navel as tears streamed down her face.

  “Channie!” Josh gathered her into his arms. His skin tingled as foreign energy swarmed over them. He covered them both with his shield, but the buzz of power only intensified. The magic was close, but he couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from.

  A sudden, overwhelming blast of lust obliterated every other emotion. He found himself in bed, on top of his wide-eyed wife before he realized what was going on.

  “Did you…was that…your magic?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The return of magic caught me by surprise. I’m like a little kid, manifesting what I want without meaning to.”

  “And this is what you want?” Josh’s mind was fogged with lust from her spell. It took every bit of self-control he possessed to keep from ripping the rest of her clothes off. But he needed to be sure he was reading the right signals. He couldn’t believe that Channie wanted sex so soon after her mother’s death.

  “I need to be as close to you as possible.”

  Josh tapped into his own magic as he gently lowered himself on top of Channie. She didn’t want sex because she was horny. She needed the comfort of intimacy. Let me give her exactly what she needs.

  ~***~

  Josh’s phone buzzed, waking him up. He snuck out of bed and crept into the bathroom to answer it, not wanting to disturb Channie. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”

  “Channie’s aunt just called. Prudence escaped and she’s afraid that you and Channie are in grave danger. I know you don’t want to involve the police, but—”

  “No!” Josh took a quick breath and tried to calm down. If he panicked, he’d never convince Dad to keep the cops out of it. “We’re fine. Prudence showed up and tried to kill Channie, but…she’s dead.”

  “Oh, Josh.” Dad’s voice cracked. “What happened?”

  “It was self-defense. But the law might not see it that way.”

  “Were either of you hurt?”

  “Channie was, but she’s okay now. I healed her.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “You don’t have to come all the way out here. We’re fine, really.”

  Josh lowered the lid on the toilet and sat down. Tears of relief filled his eyes. He was still furious with Wisdom for running off with Prudence, but he was so very glad she was still alive.

  “What about the body?”

  “It’s gone.”

  “What did you do with it?”

  “It’s a long story.” Josh’s heart sank when he realized that he still had to deal with the two guar
ds at the gate. They were empties, not a part of the mage world. He couldn’t just magically obliterate them. It wouldn’t be fair to them or their families. And it would raise too many unanswerable questions. “It would be better if you didn’t come right now. Channie’s pretty upset, as you can imagine.”

  Vince's number flashed across the screen of Josh’s phone. “Hey, I’ve got Vince on call waiting. Do you want to hold?”

  “I left a message on his voice mail after Wisdom called. I’m sure he’s going to have lots of questions. Call me back if you need anything.”

  Vince listened without interruption as Josh told him the entire story from beginning to end.

  “Hunter and I are in Cheyenne. We’ll be there in a few hours. Don’t worry about the guards at the gate. Or Prudence’s car. I’ll handle it.”

  “Thanks.” Josh ended the call then turned on the shower. The new Book of the Dead had cleaned every inch of his body, even his fingernails, but he craved the familiar comfort of hot water and soap.

  A draft of cold air warned him that someone had opened the bathroom door. He smiled when Channie stepped into the shower and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. And I have some good news.”

  “What?” She leaned back and gazed up at him.

  “Vince is on his way here to lift the containment spells. You’ll be a free woman in a couple of hours.”

  Channie’s face blanched. Her pupils dilated. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she panted. “You have to leave.”

  She reached behind Josh and shut off the water. “Go on. Get out of here!”

  “It’s okay, babe.” Josh pulled her against his chest. “Vince's one of the good guys. I told him to kidnap you.”

  Channie jerked her body backwards as she shoved off Josh’s chest. “You what?”

  He grabbed her elbows to keep her from falling. “It was the only thing we could come up with to get you out of your mother’s cabin without triggering the death pledge.”

  Channie swallowed, hard, and blinked. “You let me believe you were in danger this whole time?”

  “I’ve been protecting you!” Josh couldn’t believe she was pissed off about their ingenious plan.

  “Is the containment spell even real?”

  “Very.” Josh sighed and reached for her hand. “We had to make everything as real as possible to keep you safe.”

  Channie let him weave his fingers through hers but she didn’t reciprocate when he squeezed her hand.

  “Who else was a part of this? Besides you, Vengeance and Hunter?”

  “Everyone that cares about you.” He tugged her closer. “Please don’t be mad.”

  “I’m not.” Channie trembled as she wrapped her arms around Josh and laid her head against his chest. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

  “Come on. Let’s go get dressed and then scrounge up something to eat before Vince and Hunter get here.”

  Channie clung to Josh’s hand as they made their way down the hall into the kitchen. Her entire body trembled.

  “As soon as Vince lifts the containment spells, we’ll leave and never come back.”

  “I want to stay here.”

  “Here?” The new Book of the Dead had cleaned up everything, even the broken glass and cornbread. But Josh could still see the carnage in his mind. He could still smell the rusty tang of fresh blood. Still feel the viscous liquid dripping off his hands.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but I feel safe here.”

  “Your mother died here.” Josh ran his hands up and down Channie’s arms. “You almost died here.”

  “Momma died a long time ago, when the Book of the Dead seduced her. But she came back, for just a moment. Don’t you see what a miracle that is? She conquered her madness and willingly gave up her life to atone for her sins.”

  “I think you might be in shock.”

  “I’m not.” Channie shook her head then tilted it to the side. “When that light washed over us, it didn’t just cleanse the blood off my body. It washed away my fear and anger and grief. I’m still sad that Momma, Daddy, Abby and Diego are dead, but I’m not drowning in grief. They feel like old losses. Like it happened years ago.”

  She pressed one of Josh’s hands against the middle of her chest. “Do you feel that?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s Enchantment’s power.” She guided his other hand to her stomach. “And this is Chastity’s.”

  “You have two power-names? Isn’t that like a conflict of interest or something?”

  “Enchantment’s energy is purely positive, but it’s weak. Chastity’s energy is extremely powerful and even dangerous, but Enchantment will temper it, once I learn to use them together.”

  Josh still thought that Channie had to be in denial or suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or something. She needed counseling. He silently vowed to search every corner of the world until he found a psychologist that also happened to be a mage.

  A soft pulsing light caught his attention. The Book of the Dead was glowing again. “Ah…crap.”

  ~***~

  Channie jerked her head around and followed Josh’s gaze. She pointed at the glowing book. “What’s that?”

  “It sort of appeared after the light that cleaned everything up disappeared.”

  She took a step towards the book, but Josh grabbed her arm above the elbow, and pulled her back. “Don’t touch it.”

  “Is it another Book of the Dead?”

  “I’m not sure what it is. But I don’t trust it.”

  “It has your name on it. You have to open it.”

  “I don’t have to do any such thing. Maybe it’ll stop glowing if I ignore it.”

  “Josh!” Channie frowned at him. “That’s like ignoring a phone call from god or something.”

  “It’s a book.”

  “Listen to your magic.” She pressed one hand over his heart and the other over his navel. “What’s your intuition telling you to do?”

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “To open the damn book.”

  Channie folded her arms. “Then what are you waiting for?”

  “For your promise to stay back.”

  “Fine. As long as you tell me what it says.”

  Josh slid his hands under the book and lifted it off the floor. The binding cracked when he opened it and thumbed through the crisp, white pages. “Huh. It’s blank.”

  When he got to the middle of the book, the pages fused together. Sparks skittered across the left hand page and burned a message into its surface.

  Josh’s blood turned to ice water. “Oh hell, no.”

  “What’s it say?”

  Josh tried to slam the book closed but it refused.

  “Show me.” Channie edged closer and craned her neck to get a peek.

  “No.” Josh lifted the book over his head.

  Channie’s eyes filled with tears. “Please. You’re scaring me. Are you in danger?”

  The book burst into flames. Josh dropped it without meaning to. It hit the tile floor with a resounding thwack that extinguished the fire.

  He leaned over to pick it up, but a blast of magic caught him off guard and slammed him into the opposite wall.

  “Sorry. Reflexive magic.” Channie had the grace to at least look remorseful before squatting next to the book and reading its message out loud…

  You’ve been blessed with a powerful mate,

  Willing to share your trials and fate.

  Do not deny her deepest desire

  Or keep her from the refiner’s fire.

  Cling to the hand of your warrior bride

  And fight every battle with her by your side.

  “You are not going to war with me.”

  “I have my magic back.”

  “You can’t control it.”

  “Neither could you, at first, but look at you now. I’ll get better with practice.”

  “Magic isn’t the only weap
on being used.”

  “I can handle a gun, better than most.”

  “Now you sound like Hunter.”

  ~***~

  “Who sounds like me?”

  Josh and Channie both yelped as they jumped away from the open window.

  Hunter pressed his nose against the screen and laughed. “Unlock the door and let us in.”

  Hunter and Vince carried in six bags of junk food from McDonalds. They all had to eat with their shields up since Channie didn’t trust Vince and didn’t have control of her magic.

  Hunter chuckled every time a curse ricocheted off Vince's shield. After three such outbursts, Channie’s magic found a new target. Hunter didn’t think it was quite as funny when her curses lit up his shield.

  Vince ate in silence but when everyone finished, he cleared his throat and angled his shoulders towards Channie. “I hope in time you’ll forgive me for kidnapping you. Until then, I think it’s best I stay out of your way.”

  As if to prove his point, a bolt of red energy shot out of Channie’s stomach and bounced off Vince's shield. Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I’m trying.”

  “It’s okay, my dear. I understand. I need a sample of your blood to reconfigure the protection spells so that you may come and go.”

  “Of course.” Channie looked at Josh. “Will you do it? I can’t stand to cut myself.”

  Hunter’s chair made a screeching sound as he pushed back from the table. He stood up and whipped a switchblade out of a leather holster attached to his belt. “Better let me handle it. You remember how green around the gills he got every time he tried to skin a rabbit.”

  Channie spread her fingers as she pressed her palms against the table. “Give the knife to Josh. He’s done much braver things than skin a stupid rabbit.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot.” Hunter dropped his chin as his face turned crimson. “Sorry.”

  Truth be told, Josh would have much rather let Hunter collect Channie’s blood, but he wasn’t backing down after she stood up for him.

  Channie turned her head while Josh used the very tip of Hunter’s blade to prick her finger. He couldn’t help but think of how ironic both of their reactions were. Channie’s mother had practically filleted her and Josh had done worse to Prudence, but they were acting squeamish over a finger prick?