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.
An icy sensation flowed over her skin and trickled along her fevered tendons quenching the throbbing pain of her torn muscles. It took less than five seconds for the swelling to go down and the bruises to disappear.
Channie wiggled her foot back and forth then around in circles. “Wow! Good as new.” Her smile faded when she noticed the circles under Josh’s eyes had darkened. “I knew that would drain you!”
He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I’m fine.”
“Liar.”
Josh smirked and looked sideways at her with his I-know-I’m-guilty-but-I’m-not-sorry expression plastered all over his face. “Compared to healing Hunter, your ankle was a drop of rain in the ocean. It didn’t take a fraction of the energy he required.” Josh’s expression sobered. All trace of teasing disappeared from his voice. “We need to call 911 for Rider. Did either of you bring your phones?”
Channie shook her head.
Hunter said, “I never go anywhere without it,” as he dug the cheap disposable phone out of the front pocket of his jeans. He was so proud of the dang thing, Channie wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with it under his pillow. But instead of dialing 911, he pressed and held the number one then turned on the speaker so they could all hear.
Aunt Wisdom did not take the news well at all. She was mad at Josh for leaving the safety of her misdirection spells. She was upset with Channie for shooting Hunter. But she was furious with all of them for leaving a tracker, alive and unguarded, three miles away.
Josh said, “He’s not going anywhere. His back’s broken.”
“Just, get down there.”
Channie leaned towards the phone and said, “Hunter’s too weak to walk.”
“Then go without him. Josh, you and Channie need to leave now. Call me back when you get there. I’ll have to conduct the interrogation over the phone.”
Hunter said, “Uncle Rider ain’t gonna wanna cooperate with no interrogation.”
“Then we’ll just have to encourage him. Josh, do you have your knife?”
Josh’s eyes widened as his face paled. He blinked and shook his head. “No!”
Hunter pressed his lips together, squeezing the color out of them, then swallowed and said, “I got mine.”
Channie’s stomach twisted into a knot of fire. Josh would never stand by and do nothing while Hunter tortured a man. And neither would she. She snatched Hunter’s phone out of his hand, ended the call, and shoved it into her front pocket.
Josh said, “We are not going to torture that man.”
Channie put her palms on Josh’s cheeks. “Of course not. You can try to use persuasive magic to get him to answer Aunt Wisdom’s questions. But no one is going to torture him.”
Hunter curled his lip and looked at Channie as if she were a complete idiot. “Persuasive magic don’t work on a mage that’s determined to keep his own secrets. You know that. Besides, Uncle Rider figured out Josh’s
“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.
An icy sensation flowed over her skin and trickled along her fevered tendons quenching the throbbing pain of her torn muscles. It took less than five seconds for the swelling to go down and the bruises to disappear.
Channie wiggled her foot back and forth then around in circles. “Wow! Good as new.” Her smile faded when she noticed the circles under Josh’s eyes had darkened. “I knew that would drain you!”
He took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “I’m fine.”
“Liar.”
Josh smirked and looked sideways at her with his I-know-I’m-guilty-but-I’m-not-sorry expression plastered all over his face. “Compared to healing Hunter, your ankle was a drop of rain in the ocean. It didn’t take a fraction of the energy he required.” Josh’s expression sobered. All trace of teasing disappeared from his voice. “We need to call 911 for Rider. Did either of you bring your phones?”
Channie shook her head.
Hunter said, “I never go anywhere without it,” as he dug the cheap disposable phone out of the front pocket of his jeans. He was so proud of the dang thing, Channie wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with it under his pillow. But instead of dialing 911, he pressed and held the number one then turned on the speaker so they could all hear.
Aunt Wisdom did not take the news well at all. She was mad at Josh for leaving the safety of her misdirection spells. She was upset with Channie for shooting Hunter. But she was furious with all of them for leaving a tracker, alive and unguarded, three miles away.
Josh said, “He’s not going anywhere. His back’s broken.”
“Just, get down there.”
Channie leaned towards the phone and said, “Hunter’s too weak to walk.”
“Then go without him. Josh, you and Channie need to leave now. Call me back when you get there. I’ll have to conduct the interrogation over the phone.”
Hunter said, “Uncle Rider ain’t gonna wanna cooperate with no interrogation.”
“Then we’ll just have to encourage him. Josh, do you have your knife?”
Josh’s eyes widened as his face paled. He blinked and shook his head. “No!”
Hunter pressed his lips together, squeezing the color out of them, then swallowed and said, “I got mine.”
Channie’s stomach twisted into a knot of fire. Josh would never stand by and do nothing while Hunter tortured a man. And neither would she. She snatched Hunter’s phone out of his hand, ended the call, and shoved it into her front pocket.
Josh said, “We are not going to torture that man.”
Channie put her palms on Josh’s cheeks. “Of course not. You can try to use persuasive magic to get him to answer Aunt Wisdom’s questions. But no one is going to torture him.”
Hunter curled his lip and looked at Channie as if she were a complete idiot. “Persuasive magic don’t work on a mage that’s determined to keep his own secrets. You know that. Besides, Uncle Rider figured out Josh’s
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