“I’d rather die out here than let one of them quacks put me under and cut me up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
“Really? Because those are your only choices. And if you want me to go get help, I need to leave now. There’s only a few hours of light left and I can’t ride technical terrain in the dark.”
Rider cocked his head to the side. “You might be the bravest mage I ever met, but you are without a doubt, the dumbest. Just cast a bright-eyes spell on yourself.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Oh good lord.” Rider rolled his eyes then squinted.
Josh’s eyes stung as if he’d opened them under water in an over-chlorinated swimming pool. But with each blink, his vision improved until he could see everything with perfect clarity.
Rider said, “Well, don’t just stand there gawking at everything. Get on into town.”
“How do I get there?”
“Once you get to the river, just follow it downstream. It’ll lead you right to the Mad Dog Saloon.”
“If I bring help, will you promise to quit tracking me?”
“By the time I find a master-healer, it’ll be too late for ‘em to fix my back. My tracking days are over.”
“I’m sorry about your back, but I’m glad you won’t be hunting me anymore.”
“You gave me the best chase of my life, Jet. I’m glad I didn’t have to kill you.”
“What about Jimmy?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about Jimmy. Except he’s probably followed your trail back to your vehicle and sold it to the highest bidder in Whistler’s Gulch.”
Josh’s heart stopped. Then pounded against his sternum. If Jimmy found his car, he’d find Channie. “No!”
“Those ignorant Empties ain’t got enough sense to hide it. Just file a stolen car report and as long as the fella that buys your car ain’t related to the police. You’ll get it back.”
Josh wasn’t worried about his car. He was worried about his wife. He prayed that Hunter had gotten her out of the shack and taken her to one of Wisdom’s safe houses before Jimmy got there. He was tempted to seek her through their heart-bond, but if he opened it, would that make it easier for Jimmy to find her? It wasn’t worth the risk. Josh wanted to kick himself for storming out of the shack without his phone. He didn’t know whether he should just ride into town to call Channie and Hunter or try to make it to the shack before Jimmy.
“How long do you think it’ll take me to get to Whistler’s Gulch?”
“The way you ride? I’d guess about fifteen minutes.”
Town it was. “I gotta go.”
A handful of pebbles skittered down the side of the ravine.
“Hey, City Boy. Are you okay?”
Hunter Feenie? “What are you doing here?” Had he misunderstood Josh’s warning spell? “You’re supposed to be protecting Channie!”
“She sent me to find you.”
“No.” Josh dropped to his knees.
Hunter half skipped half slid into the ravine. “Hey, Uncle Rider, I thought I recognized your horse. What are you doing out here?”
“Hunter! We have to get back to the shack! Now!”
“Why?”
“Because your Uncle’s partner is going to follow my trail back to Channie.”
Rider said, “Channie? That wouldn’t be Enchantment Kerns, now would it?”
Hunter’s eyes bugged out as he sucked both lips inside his mouth and shook his head.
Josh wanted to knock Hunter and Rider’s heads together.
“Hunter, did you drive my car?” Hopefully Jimmy would follow the Rav4’s trail instead of climbing the seven-mile hill to investigate the shack.
“Channie told me I could. In fact she insisted.”
“That’s fine. Where is it?”
“It’s about three miles up yonder.” Hunter pointed towards the top of a very steep hill. “The terrain’s too rough, even for that fancy vehicle.”
Josh used a series of exposed roots to climb out of the ravine. He needed Hunter to take him to the car. But Hunter and Rider were too busy yelling at each other.
“Hunter Feenie. You been playing me for a fool!”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“I knowed I should have made you swear a death-pledge to prove your loyalty. You ain’t no better’n your traitorous momma.”
“I’m already bound by a death-pledge and you leave my momma outta this.”
Josh picked up a fist sized rock and threw it at Hunter’s feet. “Come on, we have to go! You can have your little family reunion once I’m sure my family’s safe.”
Rider said, “Your family? Did you go and marry that little Kern’s bitch?”
Rage filled Josh’s power-well. Pressure built behind his eyes and inside his ears. He tried, but he couldn’t curse Rider. He wasn’t surprised his power-name wouldn’t let him curse an injured man. That would show a definite lack of valor. But all that excess power needed to go somewhere. Josh pulled it together and blasted a dead oak tree out of the ground.
That got everyone’s attention.
After a three second delay, Rider said, “Ya know, when you’re riled up you look just like … naw, cain’t be. Unless … How old are you, Jet?”
Josh ignored Rider and screamed at Hunter, “We have to go! NOW!”
“Calm down, she’s in the car. I’d never leave her unprotected. Unlike some people I know.”
Rider said, “So, Vengeance went and sired himself a bastard that went and married a Kerns. Well I’ll be damned.”
Josh was too relieved by the news of Channie’s close proximity to be angry with Hunter or worried about the secrets Rider was unraveling. “Come on, Hunter. We still need to go. I don’t like the idea of her being alone.”
He opened his heart and felt the strength of their connection. He also felt Channie’s terror as the sound of a gunshot silenced every creature in the forest.
Josh swayed, teetering on the brink of the ravine as the world once again tilted on its axis. The only thing not spinning was Hunter’s face. Josh locked his gaze on Hunter’s, willing him to say the words that would put his world back together. Tell me the sound didn’t come from Channie’s direction. Hunter’s chalky-white, terror-stricken face was a mirror of his own.
“WHERE IS SHE!” Their bond was still strong. Channie was still alive.
Hunter blinked then turned and ran up the ravine. He shimmied through the gap between the root and the fallen tree and whistled. Buddy answered with a low nicker and trotted up to him, extending his neck to blow on Hunter’s face. Hunter took the reins and mounted the horse.
Josh ran along the top edge of the ditch and caught up to him just as he and Buddy exploded out of the ravine. “Take me with you!”
“You’ll just slow me down.” And without so much as a backwards glance, Hunter took off.
If the incline had been just a little less severe, Josh would have ridden his bike, but he’d be faster on foot. At least Buddy left an easy enough trail to follow.
Another gunshot rang out. Josh screamed Channie’s name, but there was no answer. Their connection was still strong. Channie was still terrified, but after that second shot, a new emotion rushed through their bond and slammed into his chest. Shock followed by wave after wave of grief.
He’d assumed that if one of them were seriously injured, the other would feel it through the bond, but what if … god, he couldn’t bear to think it … what if the bond stayed strong until they died?
His lungs were on fire. So were his legs. But he didn’t slow down. He pushed his body to the limit, hit the wall and kept right on going. He wished with all his heart that he were stronger, faster.
And then he was.
Magic poured out of his power-well and flowed through his veins, invigorating every cell in his body. Buddy flew past on his right, without Hunter, headed back down the mountain. Josh barely noticed. His car was in sight.
Both front doors were wide open. Jimmy was on his back, a
bout five feet away from the car, lying in a pool of blood. The top half of his head was missing. Channie was not in the car. Josh ran around to the other side. She was on her knees, covered in blood, leaning over Hunter pressing both hands against his right shoulder. The gun she’d taken from Harvey on the ground beside her.
“I shot Hunter. I shot both of them. He was on a horse … I thought he was a tracker ... Help me.”
Josh dropped beside her and covered her hands with his. He rocked forward, putting all his weight in his arms, but bright red arterial blood continued to pulse out from beneath their hands.
Channie’s voice quavered as she spoke. “You have to heal him, Josh.”
“Tell me what to do.”
~***~
Nothing Channie said made sense. Trying to heal Hunter was every bit as hard as trying to curse him.
And that’s when the epiphany struck. Trying was interfering. He’d healed his own leg without trying. And he’d given himself super-human strength without trying. If he was going to heal Hunter, he’d need to do it without trying.
Josh said, “Channie, I need you to stop crying and be quiet.”
She sniffed and hiccuped then pressed her lips together and scrunched her face, pulling her features together like a drawstring purse.
Josh closed his eyes and thought about how Hunter had raced to Channie’s aide without hesitation. He thought about how much Channie loved him. Because she did love Hunter. It was nothing more than friendship, but it was a deep bond nonetheless. If Hunter died, not only would she grieve his loss, but she’d never forgive herself, knowing she’d fired the gun that killed him.
Hunter had to live. For Channie’s sake.
“Channie, move your hands out of the way.”
Josh maintained pressure as she slid her hands out from beneath his. Magic swelled up from a place deep inside Josh’s chest. He focused on his desire for Hunter to survive. No, not just survive. To be healed. A warm tingling sensation flowed out of his heart, down his arms and into his hands.
Hunter’s bleeding slowed, then stopped. A lump formed beneath Josh’s palms as his strength left his body. His eyelids fluttered shut against his will. Channie’s arms wound around his chest. She pulled him onto her lap and kissed his forehead. The last thing he heard as he lost consciousness was “Love is enough.”
CHAPTER THREE
DILEMMA
Channie wept with relief when Hunter opened his eyes and squeezed her hand. But she was still worried about him. He’d lost a lot of blood. She was worried about Josh too. She’d never witnessed such a dramatic healing. He’d passed out and collapsed into her arms as soon as he finished.
Hunter slid his left hand across his chest and ran his fingers over the lump of flesh scarring his shoulder. “Where’s Ms. Wisdom?”
“She’s not here. Josh healed you.”
“Josh?” He lifted his head about an inch off the ground, then fell back with a groan.
“Does it hurt?”
Channie’d been too concerned about saving Hunter’s life to ask Josh if he could cast a pain-away spell.
Hunter let go of Channie’s hand and lifted his arm over his head. “It’s just a little stiff that’s all. Did the bullet go all the way through?”
“Can you lift up a little? I’ll check.”
Hunter nodded.
Channie slid her hand under his back and bit her lip when she felt the ridge of raised flesh that covered his entire shoulder blade. How was he even able to move that arm? And why, if Josh had the skill to mend shattered bone, severed arteries and torn muscles, couldn’t he heal skin without leaving such hideous scars? Was he so jealous of Hunter that he wanted to leave him disfigured?
“Yeah, it definitely went all the way through.”
Hunter swore and said, “How big’s the exit wound?”
“It’s big.”
Hunter rolled onto his side and tried to look over his shoulder. “How’s it look?”
Channie cringed at the sight of the angry red scar puckering the skin over a quarter of his back. “It looks like you’re lucky to be alive.”
“Is it as bad on the back as it is on the front?”
“It’s worse.” No point lying about it. He’d find out soon enough. “But girls like a man with battle scars. It proves he’s a fighter and a survivor.”
Hunter grinned, grabbed her hand again and pulled himself into a sitting position.
“Take it easy, Hunter. You lost a lot of blood. How are you feeling?”
The corners of Hunter’s mouth twitched upwards into a smirk. “Better’n Jimmy. Nice shootin’.”
Channie’s blood turned to ice. “You … knew him?”
“I fed false information to him and Uncle Rider. It was part of Ms. Wisdom’s master plan.”
Even though Hunter was double crossing the two men, he must have had some kind of relationship with them to make them believe he was on their side. “I should have aimed for his legs or something to disable him, but I panicked. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. The man was scum. Always bragging about the women he bedded. Took ‘em against their will. You done the world a favor, take’n him out. You wanna borrow my knife so’s you can notch the handle of your pistol?”
“No!” After shooting Hunter, Channie’d been so afraid that she’d misinterpreted the stranger’s lustful energy. He came at her so fast she barely had time to grab her gun out of her holster, much less analyze his motives. She was relieved to know she’d been right about the man, but she wasn’t proud of shooting him. She couldn’t believe Hunter wanted to notch her gun to commemorate the kill.
“You could notch it twice. If Josh hadn’t of healed me so quick, I’d have been a goner. That was definitely a kill shot.”
Guilt pressed in all around her, crushing the air out of her lungs.
Hunter reached towards her face, but before he could brush away the tears flowing down her cheeks, Channie jerked her head to the side. “All I saw was a man on a horse. I thought you were another tracker. I didn’t know it was you until … until after I’d already shot you.”
“Hey, it’s okay.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Come on, girl. Don’t cry. No harm done. I’m alive and everything still works. See?” He rolled his shoulder and swung his arm around, demonstrating a full range of motion. “And like you said, girls like guys with battle scars.”
Josh yawned then said, “Wanna see my new scar?”
“You’re hurt?” Channie scampered out from under him and laid his head on the ground then ran her hands over his chest and belly. “Where?” She’d assumed the blood splattered all over him was Hunter’s. “How bad is it? Can you heal yourself?” After the amount of energy he spent healing Hunter, he shouldn’t even be awake yet.
Josh sat up and grabbed her shoulders. “I’m fine. I cut my leg, but I healed it before I even got on my bike.” He spread the tear in his jeans apart with his fingers and said, “See? Nothing but a scar.”
Channie wanted to smack him for scaring her like that, but she was so relieved he was okay, all she could do was cling to his blood-soaked shirt and cry. Great heaving sobs racked her body making it hard to breathe.
Josh pulled her onto his lap and rocked her like a baby. “Shh, Channie, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not!” She spoke between gasps, not caring if she made sense. She just needed to get it out before she had a mental breakdown. “Nothing is okay … I shot and killed a man … blew his freakin’ head off … and … and I … nearly killed Hunter … and … I thought you’d left me for good this morning. And then … just now—”
A powerful wave of calm washed over Channie. She took a deep breath then sighed and closed her eyes. “Hunter, you shouldn’t have done that. You need to save your strength for recovery.”
“I didn’t cast the be-calm spell. Josh did.”
Channie blinked her eyes open then lifted her chin and gazed at Josh. “You did?”
Jos
h grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just wanted you to calm down … and then you did.”
“What did it feel like? Inside your power-well?”
“Nothing. The magic came out of my chest.”
Hunter said, “Heart-magic? He’s using heart-magic?”
Channie smiled as a warm glow of pride radiated from her own heart. She wove her fingers through Josh’s hair and pulled his face down to hers. She said, “I’m not surprised one bit. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” then kissed him.
Hunter said, “All right you two, we ain’t got time for that. Uncle Rider is still sitting in the ravine with a broken back. What are we going to do about him?”
Josh broke the kiss, scooted Channie off his lap then stood up, bringing her with him. She bit back a gasp of pain when her ankle throbbed and shifted all her weight to her left foot.
Josh frowned and said, “Why are you limping?”
“I twisted my ankle, but I’m fine.”
“Let me heal it.”
“Not until you’re fully recovered from healing Hunter.”
“Sit your butt down and let me take care of it.”
“You can heal it tomorrow.”
“You can’t even put any weight on it. What if Rider and Jimmy aren’t the only trackers in the area?”
Hunter said, “There ain’t no more—”
“Shut up, Hunter.”
Josh was as stubborn as a herd of mules when it came to Channie’s comfort and safety.
He knelt on the ground and reached for her foot.
Channie bent her knee, jerking her foot back until her heel touched her butt, hiding her ankle behind her. The pain of the sudden movement brought tears to her eyes. “You can heal me on one condition.”
Josh put his hands on his knees and dropped his chin to his chest. “What?”
“You’ll stop the instant you feel the least bit tired. I don’t want you passing out again.”
Josh wiggled his fingers as he reached for her foot again. “I promise. Now sit down and let me do this. We don’t have time to argue.”
Josh placed his palms on Channie’s ankle as if it were as fragile as a soap bubble.
TAKEN: Book Two Page 8