Finding Valor (7 page)

“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.
 

He picks her up and swings her around then lets her slide down his body as he lowers her feet to the ground. He cups her cheeks in his palms, expecting the skin to skin contact to trigger the curse and set them both on fire, but it doesn’t. All he feels is smooth, soft skin. He tilts her head to the side and leans in. The world stops spinning when his lips meet hers. Time ceases to exist. Magic flows around and through them as they kiss. She tastes like lavender and honey. Salt and sunshine. He should be consumed with lust but all he feels is love.

A disembodied voice whispers,
“
Break Chastity’s curse and lose your power; watch love bloom and passion flower. 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
.”

His heart breaks. He’s already made his choice. He gave up his Olympic dreams when he left Grands without finishing the race. And he’d do it again. But he’d never ask Channie to give up magic.

She gazes into his eyes. “I choose you.”

~***~

Josh pressed both hands over his heart. The light and the memory were already fading.
Please.
If I can only remember one thing, let it be this.

The light from his chest flared so brightly it blinded him. When his vision returned, so did the memory of that perfect, curse-breaking kiss and Channie’s sacrifice. He licked his lips and still tasted
her.
“I remember.”

“What?” Kassie reached across the table and grabbed Josh’s hand. “What do you remember?”
 

Josh blinked, but his vision was still blurry. He wiped his eyes then stared at the tears on his fingertips.

“I remember…” Although the kiss he’d shared with Channie was completely chaste; it was far too intimate to share with anyone else. “I remember finding Channie in Oklahoma.”

Hunter’s grin split his face. He grabbed the back of Josh’s neck and gave it a squeeze. “That’s great! What else do you remember?”

Josh’s own smile widened even as his heart ached for Channie. “I remember what she looks like. And she’s even more beautiful than her photo.”

Kassie folded her arms across her chest. “That’s nice. But more importantly, do you remember how you
feel
about her?”

“I don’t remember how we met or fell in love. But I know that we did and that what I’ve felt all along is real. Even when I couldn’t remember her at all, my heart never forgot.” He’d do anything for her. He’d crawl to Arkansas on his hands and knees if he had to. He’d learn to use magic. And he’d curse anyone that got in his way. He’d lay down his own life to save hers. Josh swallowed twice before he trusted his voice not to break. “I love her. I love Channie Belks with all my heart.”

Kassie rolled her eyes. “You don’t love Channie Belks.”

“Why would you say that?”

She smiled at Josh. “Because you love Channie
Abrim
.”

Josh’s heart leapt into his throat. He still believed they were too young for the responsibilities of marriage. But the knowledge that Channie was his
wife
made his pulse race and plastered a grin across his face so wide it made his cheeks ache.
 

He wished he could remember their wedding night, but he must not have wished it hard enough because that particular memory remained locked away in the deepest recesses of his mind. Or maybe there was some other reason he couldn’t remember it? Maybe he didn’t have enough other memories of Channie to justify having access to that one. He needed to earn it.

Hunter cleared his throat. “I’m glad you remember finding Channie. It’s a good sign. But we’ve still got lots of work to do. I’d like to figure out the rest of these here instructions before I hit the road.”

It was after one when Kassie announced it was time for a lunch break. She ordered three extra-large meat-lover’s pizzas, so they’d have enough for supper as well. The hours passed in a blur of flashbacks, magical rhymes and cold pizza.

Josh replayed the memory of Channie’s kiss over and over in his mind. Hunter was reading out loud again. His voice was nothing but white noise; until he punched Josh’s arm.

“Pay attention. This is important.”

“Ow!” Josh rubbed his arm. “What’s important?”

“This is.” Hunter underlined the words as he read them…
Release this book into the daughter’s care
But of the mother, let all beware.
For evil lurks in a corrupted heart
And seeks its own will to impart.
The blood of the daughter cannot repay
The debt of the mother ’til solstice day.

“You’ve read that, and everything else, like twenty times already.” Josh was still having a hard time focusing.
 

“I cain’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner. Everything hinges around winter solstice. The total eclipse, your birthday and of course the final showdown with Dominance. I must be a lot more tired than I thought.” Hunter laughed. The aura surrounding him shone brighter. “Channie’s momma ain’t gonna try to sacrifice her before then. That gives us more time to come up with a plan.”
 

“If you want to get some sleep before you leave that’s fine. But I don’t want you to postpone rescuing Channie just because you think we have a little extra time.”

“It’s more than just a little extra time.” Hunter wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Winter solstice ain’t till December twenty-first.”

“I’m not going to wait nine months. Channie was kidnapped. She’s being held against her will and who knows what else her mother is doing to her. She could be torturing her.” The thought tied Josh’s stomach into a knot and drove a knife of pain through his glowing chest. “If you won’t go get her I will.”

“But, the book says—”

“I don’t care what the damn book says.” Josh shoved his chair away from the table as he stood up.

“Don’t get your drawers in a bind.” Hunter chased a bite of cold pizza with several gulps of Mountain Dew. “I wasn’t planning on waiting until the last second. But knowing we’ve got that much time to work with changes priorities.”

“So, when are you leaving?”

“When I’m sure you can defend yourself.” Hunter arched his eyebrows and sat up a little straighter. “Maybe all you need to do is curse someone for the Book of the Dead to decide it’s okay for you to go with me to rescue Channie.”

“Okay. I’ll try to curse Eric at school tomorrow.”

“Now you’re talking!” Hunter’s grin was downright devious.

“But we are
not
kidnapping him. Understand?”
 

“Whatever.” Hunter rolled his eyes but when they got to the top of his head, they drifted shut.
 

Josh glanced at the clock on the wall. Was it really eleven forty-five? “My brain is toast. I need to go for a ride.”

Hunter yawned and stretched. “It’s a little late to go for a ride.”

“Fresh air helps clear my mind.”

Kassie grinned like a villain in an old movie. “That’s an excellent idea. You go clear your head and I’ll stay here and help Hunter.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.” Hunter chewed on the end of his pen then tapped his copy of the instructions. “This here part about ‘blood calling to blood’ has me a bit worried.”

“Just that part?” Josh thought it was all pretty damn scary.

“If your blood is calling to the Veyjiviks, they won’t need trackers to find you. Until you can defend yourself, you better stick close to me.”

A lump formed in Josh’s throat. But it wasn’t fear making it hard to swallow. He’d never met Vincent,
Vengeance,
whatever—and he couldn’t ask for a better dad than Ezra—so where was all this emo crap coming from? He needed to get out of here. Josh leaned over and circled the words ‘Live your life as you did before’ on Hunter’s copy. “I was going to school and racing without a bodyguard. I don’t need you shadowing my every move.”

“I don’t agree. And I don’t recommend going to school until you get your memory back. It’ll bring up too many questions.”

Josh sat back down and jammed his fingers in his hair. “I don’t even know what classes I’ve got this semester. Or what I learned
last
semester. Shit! I’ve lost my entire senior year!”

Hunter spoke so softly, it was barely above a whisper. “You’ve lost a heck of a lot more than that.”
 

Pain and light flared out of Josh’s chest. Suddenly, his single memory of Channie was not enough. He waited for the pain to dull before he spoke. “What’s she like?”

Hunter propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands. “You already know she’s beautiful, but she’s also smart, funny, brave, stubborn and sassy as hell.”

“It’s hard to believe she ever fell in love with someone like me.” Josh hated how pathetic that sounded.

“She loves you more than anything or
anyone
. You guys are the perfect couple.” Kassie spoke with conviction, but Josh wasn’t sure whether she was trying to convince him…or Hunter.

Hunter leaned back and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t think none of us are gonna get much else figured out tonight. I’m plum wore out. Why don’t we all go to bed and hit it hard tomorrow?”

“I’ll show you to one of the guest rooms.” Kassie hopped up and smoothed the fabric of her shirt over her stomach. She sounded a little too eager for Josh’s comfort.

“Third floor, first door on the right.” Hunter yawned and stretched.

“How’d you know?” Kassie frowned, obviously disappointed.

“This ain’t the first time I’ve been here.” Hunter grinned and winked at her. “But it’s an awful big house. I might get lost.”

~***~

Josh felt as if he’d just fallen asleep when Kassie woke him up. “Get dressed. I have a plan for how you can go to school.”

“I don’t remember anything about any of my classes.”

Kassie handed him a handwritten schedule. “You’ve got a heavy load this semester, but you can do it.”

Josh glanced at the list.
AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP World History, AP Statistics, French III, Creative Writing.
“Are you freaking kidding me? We’re halfway through the semester. Besides, people are going to wonder why Channie isn’t in school.”

“That’s exactly why this is going to work. I’ll tell everyone that Channie ran away again. You’re too upset to talk about it. All you have to do is keep scowling like you are right now and glare at anyone that dares ask you about her.”

Hunter knocked on the open door then stuck his head inside Josh’s room. “You don’t even have to do that. Use your magic to keep people away.”

“I don’t know how!” Josh pulled his pillow over his face.

Kassie jerked it off and tossed it to Hunter. “You haven’t even tried to use magic.”

“You saw what I did to that tree. What if someone at school pisses me off? I don’t want to blow someone up because I can’t control this…” Josh waved a hand over his body. “Whatever this is.”

Hunter snorted and shook his head. “You ain’t gonna curse nobody that don’t deserve it.”

“You don’t know that.” Josh motioned for Kassie to turn her back then got out of bed and pulled a pair of jeans on over his boxers.

Hunter straddled Josh’s desk chair. “You been trying to curse me from the very first day you popped the cork on your powers. You cain’t do it.”
 

Josh grabbed a t-shirt off the floor. He didn’t think he could handle the heartache of finding Channie’s clothes in his drawers. “Why have I been trying to curse you?”
 

Kassie turned back around and rolled her eyes. “Hunter’s got a thing for your
wife.
I imagine that’s why you wanted to curse him.”

Hunter jammed his fists into his pockets. “It ain’t like that. Me and Channie have been friends since we was little.”

Hunter had already admitted to Josh that he was in love with Channie. And Kassie had overhead his confession. Why was he denying it now? Maybe it had something to do with the puke-green light oozing out of Josh’s stomach.
 

The air around Hunter shimmered, but there was no colored light. “What I feel for Channie is complicated. I don’t understand it myself, but I’d never disrespect her.”

“How are you keeping the light from escaping your body?” Josh would like to keep his feelings private as well.