Believe: The Complete Channie Series (139 page)

Channie wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Vince turned and headed down the trail. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, but I’ll stay in range in case you need me.”

Aunt Wisdom sighed. “Was that really necessary?”

“What?”

“It took three weeks before he’d even talk to me.”

“So?”

“I like him.”

“You like him? Like, romantically?”

“Lower your voice.” Aunt Wisdom gave Channie a disapproving scowl. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“But…” Channie lowered her voice to a whisper. “His face.”

“Do you know what I see when I look at him?”

Channie shook her head.

“I see a man that was tortured and nearly killed by his own mother.”

Channie sucked in a quick breath as the memory of Momma slicing into her chest flashed across her mind.

Aunt Wisdom raised her voice. “I see a man that fights his power-name every day because he doesn’t want to be a vengeful person. I see a man that cringes every time some thoughtless mage stares at his scars, or worse, refuses to look at him. I see a man that wants to free the very people that shun him. I see a man with a fascinating mind and a big heart. I see a man worth loving.”

“But…you’ve always said that healing people and running the school was more fulfilling than getting bossed around by some man.”

“Vincent isn’t just some man. And he knows better than to try to boss me around.”

“Well, he does have very nice eyes.”

Wisdom smiled and reached through the bars to cup Channie’s cheek. “The bluest I’ve ever seen.”

Channie smiled back at her and placed her palm over her hand. “Like the halo around a new moon.”

“Like a still lake at midnight.”

“Like sapphires.”

“Like father, like son.”

Channie nodded. “Yeah. I guess I can see how you’d fall for him.”

Vince
clapped outside Josh’s tent.

“Come in.” Josh knew it was Vince because out of all the people in camp, he was the only one that announced his presence before just sticking his head through the flap and asking permission to enter.

“I was wondering if you might consider working on my scars?”

“Sure.” Josh had offered to try months ago, but Vince always refused, claiming it would take too much energy and that once people found out Josh was capable of such miraculous powers, they’d never give him a moment’s peace. “What changed your mind?”

Vince ducked his head and ran his gloved fingers back and forth over the brim of his hat. “I just…it’s…um…it’s really hot.”

“I’ll bet.” Josh suspected Vince's change of heart had more to do with a certain prisoner than the hot, humid weather.

Vince tugged on the fingers of his right glove. “Let’s start with my hands.”

Josh held Vince's hand in his and compared them. He had much better control of his magic than when he’d healed Liz, so it shouldn’t be that hard.

These are old scars, caused by a powerful mage. There will be pain.

Josh frowned. He didn’t want to confess that he was hearing voices, but he needed to warn Vince. “When Rider healed my wrist, it hurt worse than when I broke it.”

“That’s not unusual.”

“I’m afraid this might hurt.”

“I’m sure it will.” Vince took a deep breath then nodded. “I’m ready.”

Josh pictured Vince's hand identical to his own as he called up the magic in his stomach. It raced towards his heart, mixed with the energy there, then flowed into his sapphire. The gem pulsed three times then expelled a burst of pure energy.

Josh jerked away from Vince and screamed. His right hand felt as if he’d plunged it into molten lava.

When he regained consciousness, Vince was patting his cheeks. “Open your eyes, son. You’re okay.”

The pain was gone, but Josh was afraid to look at his hand. He ran his fingertips over the back of it and felt smooth, pliable skin. He held his hand up and examined it. It was perfectly normal. “What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know.”

Josh sat up and grabbed Vince's hand. It was also completely normal. “It worked!”

He reached for Vince's left hand, but he jerked it away from Josh.

“No. No more.”

“But…
it worked.
”
Josh wiggled his fingers. “Give me your other hand. The pain didn’t last very long. I can handle it.”

“Well, I can’t.”

“You felt it, too?”

“As bad as when I was being fried alive.”

“But it was worth it, right?” It would’ve been to Josh, if he were the one living with the scars.

Vince trailed his healed fingertips over the arm of his coat. “I’m not going to put you through that again.”

“I said, I can handle it.” Josh gritted his teeth. “At least let me do your face.”

“No.” Vince stood up and shoved his hand in his glove. “End of discussion.”

“No, it’s not.”

Vince bowed his head and sighed. “At least wait until the war’s over. Even if healing my hand hadn’t caused you so much agony, it used too much energy. You need to save your strength.”

“When this is over, I’m doing it all. It might take a few days, but we can do this.”

“Don’t tell anyone you were able to heal my scars.”

“Why not?”

“My hand looks exactly like yours.”

“Is that a problem?”

“I’m not eighteen.”

“You want me to add a few age spots?”

“I’m not
that
old.” Vince laughed. “But if word gets out that you can reverse the effects of aging, you’ll have every middle-aged woman in camp storming your tent demanding a facelift.”

”Good point.” Josh smiled, relieved that Vince had lightened up a little.

He lifted the tent’s flap then paused in the entrance. “And…thank you.”

“It was just one hand.”

Vince shook his head and ran his fingers over his coat sleeve again. “I haven’t been able to feel the difference between wool and silk for over twenty years. I can’t wait to run my hand through…”

“Through Wisdom’s hair?”

Vince's mouth twitched up into his familiar, distorted smile. “Is it that obvious?”

Josh grinned at him. “Yep.”

He
headed over to the training arena to watch the Camp Defense Corp practice. He’d expected to be entertained. What he saw amazed and frightened him. Channie was holding off both Zen and Tim as they blasted her shield with full-force, sustained energy. His first instinct was to cover her with his own shield then knock the crap out of his two best fighters. But he knew that would embarrass and piss off Channie. Besides, she was doing great. She didn’t need his help. He sat in the shade of a sycamore tree. He wasn’t hiding, but he wasn’t going to announce his presence either.

Zen stopped attacking first. Tim soon followed. Both men leaned over, bracing their hands on their knees. Zen waved Channie closer.

Josh enhanced his hearing.

Zen stood up and arched his back, obviously exhausted. “I think your shield is every bit as strong as Valor’s. But if anyone tells him I said that, I’ll deny it.”

Josh expected Channie to laugh. She didn’t. “The new Book of the Dead said I need to fight beside Josh. You have to help me convince him.”

Tim frowned and shook his head. “You’d definitely be an asset, but Valor will never let you fight in a real battle. I’m surprised he’s letting you train.”

“I’m going to fight whether he ‘lets me’ or not. If he won’t fight beside me, I’ll find someone that will.”

Josh’s chest contracted, squeezing his heart and lungs.
She can’t be serious.
They hadn’t argued over the Book of the Dead’s message for weeks. Josh thought Channie’d given up. He should have known that she was biding her time, training and growing more powerful every day. Demonstrating to everyone what a great little soldier she’d become.

He’d tie her up and throw her in the cage with Wisdom if he had to. No way was she going anywhere near a battle.

As
the days grew longer, tempers grew shorter. Josh was no stranger to heat, he’d won more than one race in hundred degree weather, but the humidity was killing him. Channie cut the legs off their jeans and the sleeves out of their shirts. Most of the men and boys went bare chested, but Josh didn’t like the way Vixen practically drooled over him so he kept a shirt on during the day.

Cleansing spells and showers were pointless. He was drenched in sweat before he could finish toweling off.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if it cooled off at night. But the temperature, as well as the humidity, never dipped below eighty. The entire camp slept outside. Josh was willing to bet there wouldn’t be many babies born in April or May.

Even the newlyweds slept in separate cots and hammocks.

Josh exhausted himself, and his magic, casting cooling spells at night.

Channie threw a fit when she woke up one night and figured out what he was doing. “You nearly died casting heating spells last winter! All magic—”

“Has its cost. Yeah, I know.” She was right. As soon as the spells wore off, Josh was even hotter than before. It was a never ending cycle. “How can you sleep when it’s this hot?”

Channie sighed and rolled onto her side. “You get used to it.”

“I don’t like this separate cots business.”

“Me neither, but it’s too hot to cuddle.”

“It’s too hot for
everything
.” Josh reached out and hooked her pinkie finger with his.

“I can think of one thing this weather is absolutely perfect for.”

“Oh, yeah?” Josh perked up at her seductive tone of voice. He propped himself up on his elbows. “What’s that?”

“Skinny dipping.”

They weren’t the only ones that preferred lukewarm lake water to drowning in their own sweat. Carver and Ness were neck deep and devouring each other’s faces.

Channie whistled, low and quietly, but it was enough to get their attention. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to let y’all know you’ve got company.”

“Do you want us to leave?” Carver sounded resigned and disappointed.