Enchantment (The Channie Series Book One)

Enchantment

  By Charlotte Abel

  Enchantment

  Copyright Charlotte Abel 2013

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is fictitious. All references to ancient, historical events, persons living or dead, locations and places are used in a fictitious manner. Any other names, characters, incidents and places are derived from the author’s own imagination. Similarities to persons living or dead, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Second Printing, April 2013

  ISBN 9781458118073

  Chapter One

  CHASTITY'S CURSE

  Channie squinted against the glare of the August sun. A southerly breeze, heavy with dust, tugged at her frizzy, white-blonde hair. She wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand and inched forward until she could peek over the edge of the cliff. It was at least ninety-eight degrees in the shade, but a chill ran down her spine.

  Hunter pointed at an outcropping of granite twenty feet below. “An Empty died there two years ago.”

  “An Empty?” Channie blinked and shifted her attention from the deadly rock to Hunter. He’d grown another two inches since the last time she’d seen him. But that wasn’t the only thing that’d changed. The angles of his jaw and chin were sharper. The peach fuzz was gone, replaced by reddish-blond stubble. A splash of freckles across the bridge of his nose was the only remnant of boyishness that remained.

  She lifted her chin to look him in the eyes. It was the only way to tell if he were lying—but when his gaze captured hers, she forgot what she was doing. Had his eyes always been that shade of forest green?

  Hunter looked away first. He leaned over and picked a small chunk of rose quartz off the ground then tossed it over the edge of the cliff. It bounced and pinged against the jagged rocks six times before splashing into the water. His sandy blond hair, bleached two shades lighter by the sun, fell forward, framing his tanned face.

  Channie tucked her fingers in her back pockets to keep from brushing the tousled waves of gold out of his eyes. During the winter, Hunter was just as pasty white as she was, but the summer sun gave his skin a deep honey glow. All she did was burn, blister and peel. She spent a good amount of energy maintaining the protection spells on her skin to keep from getting fried.

  “Magically disabled, MD, whatever.”

  “Huh?” Channie’d forgotten what they’d been talking about.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Oh, that. I don’t care what you call ‘em.” Channie used the derogatory slang for magically disabled people herself. “I’m just surprised an Empty wandered this far away from town.”

  Hunter shrugged. “He paid for it with his life.”

  Channie stretched and leaned forward, just a bit, to get a better look at the water. It’d feel like slamming into concrete from this distance. But only if she managed to miss the outcropping on the way down. She was strong and shouldn’t have any trouble jumping out far enough to keep from smearing her brains on the rocks, unless she slipped or leaped too soon. She’d need to take off right at the edge. “You’ve jumped from here before, right?”

  “Lots of times.” Hunter puffed out his chest, straining the fabric of his hand-me-down t-shirt. “But we can hike down to the quarry if you’re too scared to jump.”

  Channie narrowed her eyes. “I’m not scared.”

  Hunter grinned and nudged her shoulder with his. “Atta girl.”

  He backed away from the edge, peeling his shirt off over his head in slow motion, flexing his muscles like some movie star in a love scene. Channie rolled her eyes for his benefit but enjoyed the show nonetheless.

  Hunter’s grin turned into a smirk. “Your turn.”

  “Uh-uh. No way.” Channie folded her arms over her chest and shook her head.

  “Why not?” Hunter hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, tugging his cutoffs dangerously low on his narrow hips. The bright red fabric of his boxers peeked out over the top of his waistband. “Your bra and underpants will cover up the interesting bits.”

  “I’m not showing you my skivvies!” Channie was proud of her new curves, but she wasn’t taking her shirt off just because Hunter did. Jumping off a cliff was one thing, swimming half naked was something else entirely.

  “Then turn around.” Hunter made a circular motion with his hand. “I ain’t showing you mine if you don’t show me yours.”

  “I don’t want to see your underwear!”

  “Fine. I’ll take ‘em off.” Hunter dropped his hands to the button on his waistband.

  Channie’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare!”

  Hunter placed his calloused palms on her shoulders and turned her around. The heat of his hands soaked through the thin fabric of her t-shirt, raising goosebumps on her arms.

  “The water’s murky after last night’s storm. You ain’t gonna see nothing.” He gathered her hair into a loose ponytail then draped it over her right shoulder. His breath tickled the back of her neck. “But if you want to sneak a peek before I jump, I won’t tell.”

  Channie spun around and lifted a hand to smack him.

  Hunter laughed and caught her wrist before she landed the blow. His grip was firm, but gentle. “Calm down. I was just teasing. I put a couple of towels down by the base of the cliff before you got here. I’ll cover up when we get out.”

  Channie jerked away from him and turned her back. She tried not to imagine Hunter naked, but the sound of him unzipping his cutoffs didn’t help.

  His feet slapped the ground with dull thuds as he ran.

  Channie waited until she heard his whoop of delight before turning around. She spotted his cutoffs and shirt draped over a fallen log but there was no sign of his bright red boxers. Hopefully, they were still on his body.

  Hunter’s voice echoed off the rocks. “Your turn.”

  This was crazy. She was crazy. But there was no way Channie was gonna chicken out after he’d already jumped.

  She stuffed the hem of her t-shirt into her waistband, dug her toes into the dirt then took off like a beagle after a rabbit. Her stomach flipped as she hung weightless for a split second, then lurched into her throat as she fell. The deadly outcropping zipped past on her right, a near miss that shot adrenaline into her bloodstream. She tucked her knees to her chest, wrapped one arm around her shins and pinched her nose shut.

  The force of impact needled the small of her back and yanked her shirt out of her cutoffs. But the look on Hunter’s face just before she cannonballed him was worth the pain.

  She came up laughing, sucked in a quick breath of air and grabbed Hunter’s wrists, expecting him to dunk her.

  Instead, he guided her hands to his broad shoulders. “Has anyone ever told you that your eyes sparkle like emeralds?”

  “No.” It was a cheesy line. But it wasn’t what he said, as much as how he said it, that sent a full body shiver from the top of Channie’s head to the tips of her toes.

  Hunter arched his eyebrows then slid his fingers around the bare skin of her waist. “Are you c
old?”

  “No.” A rush of heat flushed every inch of Channie’s skin as another tremor shook her body. Her heart pounded against her ribs.

  Hunter smiled then let go of her waist and crawled onto a ledge at the base of the cliff. He kept his back to her as he wrapped a towel around his hips then turned around and offered Channie his hand. “Come on, let’s go get warmed up.”

  Hunter locked his gaze on Channie’s chest when he handed her his extra towel. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

  She glanced down to see what had captured his attention, praying it wasn’t a leech. Heat flooded her cheeks when she realized he could see through the thin fabric of her wet t-shirt. She yanked the towel out of his hand and wrapped it around her body. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

  Hunter grinned but didn’t say anything.

  When they got to the top of the trail, he grabbed a faded quilt out of a picnic basket, scooped his clothes up off the log and headed towards an old shack.

  A mixture of nerves and excitement tightened Channie’s belly.

  Hunter retrieved a key from a hollow stump and unlocked the door. “This used to be the foreman’s office before they closed the quarry.”

  The door creaked as it swung inward. Hunter stepped aside and grinned at Channie. “Ladies first.”

  Sunlight poured through holes in the corrugated tin roof, dappling the warped plywood floor. The boards groaned as Channie crept inside. She threaded her way amongst crushed beer cans, broken glass and litter.

  Hunter’s bare chest grazed the back of Channie’s arm as he slid past her, making her shiver yet again. He spread his quilt over a stained mattress in the corner then sat down and patted the spot next to him.

  What exactly did he have in mind when he suggested they get warmed up? She arched an eyebrow at him.

  Hunter rolled his eyes. “I just wanna talk.”

  “Is that what you told Lovie Schmidt at Spring Gathering when you lured her into the barn?” Channie had tried all summer to get the image of Hunter and Lovie out of her head.

  “I didn’t lure her anywhere.” Hunter’s eyes widened. “Wait...you know about me and Lovie?”

  “Everybody knows about you and Lovie.”

  “Dang. No wonder I can’t get a date with a nice girl.”

  Channie gasped as her mouth fell open. “You don’t think I’m a nice girl?”

  “No! I mean…yes.” A pink flush spread across Hunter’s cheeks. “I mean…I didn’t realize this was a date. I thought we were just having fun.”

  “Fun?” Channie narrowed her eyes.

  “Whoa.” Hunter held his hands up, palms out. “I wasn’t implying nothing.”

  “You told me at Spring Gathering that there were two kinds of girls. The kind you have fun with and the kind you marry.” He’d also told her she was the marrying kind. He hadn’t elaborated, but Channie’d thought he was declaring himself—until he snuck off for a roll in the hay with Lovie Schmidt that very same night. “I know what ‘fun’ means to boys like you.”

  Hunter furrowed his brow and blinked. “Boys like me?”

  “The kind that tom cats around with any girl stupid enough to let him; but expects his bride to be pure as the driven snow.”

  Hunter’s voice dropped. “I ain’t like that.”

  Channie wasn’t falling for his sad puppy act. “I’m not having fun until there’s a ring on my finger.”

  “I ain’t got a dime to my name. I cain’t ask you to marry me. But, I’m willing to give up all them other girls if you—”

  “How many girls have you been with?”

  Hunter ducked his chin and scratched the back of his head. He peeked at Channie from under his lashes. “I ain’t actually been with anyone yet. Not like that. I was hoping that…never mind.”

  Channie’d known Hunter all her life, and she’d had a crush on him for as long as she could remember, but he was a boy. And boys couldn’t be trusted.

  Hunter tugged his cutoffs on over his wet boxers but didn’t bother with the zipper. “Why’d you even agree to meet me out here?”

  “I was hoping you’d kiss me.” Channie slapped her palm over her mouth. She had a bad habit of spurting out whatever was on her mind before thinking about it.

  A slow grin spread across Hunter’s face. “You’ve never been kissed, have you?”

  Channie wasn’t about to admit it. She was sixteen for heaven’s sake. It was high time somebody kissed her. But from the amount of lust leaking out of Hunter’s energy field, he wanted a lot more than a simple kiss.

  “Come here.” He dropped his voice to a sexy growl and patted the mattress again. “I’d be honored to give you your first kiss.”

  Channie’s heart skipped a beat. You didn’t need a mattress for kissing. She raised her shield and backed up a step.

  “Channie?” Hunter’s smile disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

  Hunter hadn’t even offered her any moonshine so it wasn’t likely that he’d stoop so low as to try to use a Come-hither spell on her. Channie didn’t want to insult him. But they were alone, miles from the nearest cabin. She kept her shield in place, even though it was an affront to his honor.

  “I don’t believe this!” Hunter yanked his t-shirt on over his head then jammed his arms through the sleeves as if he wanted to punch someone. “You’ve been using your power name on me for the past three years. I’m the one that needs a shield.”

  “I have not!” At least, not on purpose. Channie was just a nick name. Her real name, her power name, was Enchantment.

  It made her more likable and most folks responded favorably to that. She might tap into her powers during an argument to help someone see things her way, but it was good magic, persuasive magic, not dark, not a curse like a come-hither spell. “You’re the one that invited me to go swimming. Not the other way around.”

  Hunter stood up and adjusted his cutoffs, tucking a stray bit of red fabric into the fly. He yanked his zipper up then paused with his hands on the button. “What are you staring at?”

  “Nothing!” Channie dropped her gaze to the ground and took another step back.

  “I swear girl, you are such a tease.”

  “And you’re a royal pain in the ass.” Channie’s eyes stung with unshed tears. She’d dreamed about her first kiss for years. And every dream had starred Hunter Feenie. But he was ruining everything.

  She grabbed her willow-twig basket off the ground then hopped on her bike and raced down the mountain towards home.

  Momma and Daddy were always warning her about how even the nicest boys were ruled by their carnal desires. They’d neglected to mention that girls could feel lust too.

  A first kiss was supposed to be special. You were supposed to feel it in your heart, mind, body and soul. It was supposed to be magic.

  Channie was attracted to Hunter, but she didn’t love him. What she felt was lust, not love. And it wasn’t enough.

  ~***~

  When Channie was about two miles from home, she ducked behind an outcropping of granite and changed into dry clothes. She wrapped her wet things in Hunter’s towel and shoved them to the bottom of her basket then hid everything under a layer of Elderberry leaves.

  She propped her bike against the north side of the cabin then cracked the screen door open to find Momma crushed against Daddy’s chest. Channie cast a bug-be-gone spell at the blowfly buzzing around her head then stepped inside. The screen door slammed shut with a resounding thwack.

  Momma and Daddy sprang apart like startled deer.

  Channie cringed and said, “sorry,” then set her willow basket on the pine bench under the front window. As her vision adjusted to the dimmer light inside the cabin, she noticed that Momma had tears in her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  Daddy wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. “I got some real bad folks looking for me, baby girl.”

  “Again?” The word popped out of Channie’s mouth before she could
stop herself. Everyone knew about Daddy’s gambling addiction, unpaid debts and tendency to cheat at cards, but nobody was supposed to acknowledge it. Besides, it wasn’t really his fault. His power name was Money and Daddy was obsessed with it. He invested what little cash he got his hands on in get-rich-quick schemes or gambled it away as fast as he got it.

  Daddy smiled, but he also cast a spell to neutralize Enchantment’s power. He could have just raised his shield, that was insulting enough. He didn’t need to make her feel like a criminal by actively shutting her down.

  She couldn’t help influencing people to see things her way any more than Daddy could keep from lusting after money. It wasn’t as if she were enchanting him on purpose—he’d neutralize more than just her name if she tried.

  “You can take what ever you can stuff into a pillow case, but hurry it up. I wanna skedaddle on outta here before moon-rise.”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  Daddy was always running from trouble, but he’d never taken anyone with him before. He shook his head. “We’re all goin’ this time.”

  “Aunt Wisdom only gave me a week off. My apprenticeship starts up again in three days.”

  “I ain’t in the mood for none of your backtalk. Now git on up there and git packed.”

  Channie scampered up the ladder to the loft she shared with her older sister and three rowdy nephews who were, praise the lord, still napping. Once down, the triplets could sleep through anything, even the sweltering heat of a late August afternoon and Abby’s snoring.

  Savvy whined and rolled over, kicking Zeal. Channie pushed his sweaty curls off his forehead and shushed him back to sleep. The trips were ornery as the dickens but so darn cute they could get away with anything. Their carmel colored skin, big brown eyes and curly black hair added to the mystery of their daddy’s identity. There were plenty of mages in the Ozark region with dark eyes and hair, but they were all fair-skinned.

  Channie stalled as long as she could to give Daddy’s neutralizing spell a chance to fade. She only packed a few items of clothing, leaving room in her pillowcase for more important things, like her text books and journal. Hopefully they wouldn’t be gone too long. She didn’t want to get behind with her school work. Aunt Wisdom insisted all her students, especially her apprentices, excel in science, math, history and literature as well as magic.