no idea how to reach inside himself or pull up even a thimbleful of energy. “Okay. I don’t want anyone to touch that money. Hocus pocus alakazam.” He waved his hand over the plant but nothing happened.
Hunter rolled his eyes. “No. Like this.”
He took a deep breath and held it for a moment. As he exhaled, a stream of emerald green light poured out of his stomach into his hands. He lifted his chin, more of a twitch than a nod, and smiled as the light swirled over the plant. The fern glowed for a moment then returned to normal. Josh leaned over and touched a leafy stem.
“Ouch!” He shook his hand and blew on his stinging fingers. “That hurt.”
Hunter chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not supposed to feel good.”
He broke off a couple stems then placed them inside the pillowcase. “That’ll last for a few days.”
“How come the plant didn’t shock you?” Josh’s fingers were still tingling.
“Cause I cast the spell. My own magic ain’t gonna hurt me.”
“Remind me to never piss you off.” Kassie smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Hunter frowned, creasing his brow. “I’d never curse you, no matter how mad you make me.”
“Good to know. What else can you do?” She licked her lips and swallowed then dropped her gaze to her hands, resting on her baby bump. “Can you make someone fall in love with you?”
“Of course I can.” Hunter grinned then winked at her. “But, not with magic.”
“Okay, Romeo, let’s stick to magic. I’d like to know how it works, too.”
“It’s a little hard to explain.” Hunter sighed as he shifted his gaze to Josh. “Magic responds to each mage according to their nature, natural abilities and power-name. My power-name’s Hunter, so I’m naturally good at finding things. And Channie’s power is Enchantment, or at least it was before her folks changed it to Chastity. She had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She could make a fella melt with nothing more than a glance.”
The air around Kassie glowed the same ugly shade of puke green that Josh had produced earlier.
She twisted a strand of hair around her finger and batted her eyelashes at Hunter. “I wonder what my power-name would be if I had magic.”
He took the strand of hair from her and tucked it behind her ear. “There’re lots of power-names that’d suit you. Beauty, Intelligence, Seduction.”
“Annoying, Stubborn and Bossy would work, too.” Josh ducked when Kassie threw a pillow at his head.
“Them’s adjectives, not nouns, so they wouldn’t make good power-names for nobody.” Hunter stroked Kassie’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “And don’t be disrespecting Miss Kassie like that.”
The green glow around Kassie faded, but the air between her and Hunter still shimmered with purple energy. “What’s this weird purple glow in the air?”
Hunter’s cheeks flamed red. He dropped his hand and took two steps back, away from Kassie. “I’ll tell you later.”
It’s lust. I can see lust. Gross.
Kassie shot Josh a look and narrowed her eyes. She obviously didn’t appreciate him interrupting her little game of seduction. She softened her expression before turning her attention back to Hunter. “What about Josh? Does he have a power-name?”
“Every mage that has more than a smidgen of magic has a power-name. Josh’s is Valor. The idea was to make him extra brave and honorable. But it sort of backfired.”
“What do you mean it backfired?” Red light pulsed out of Josh. “I’m no coward.”
“I never said you was. It’s the honor part that’s interfering with your ability to curse anyone. And while that sounds all nice and noble, it makes you a liability in a combat situation instead of an asset.”
Kassie’s eyes widened. “Josh had no problem cursing Eric the other day—before he lost his memory.”
“What?” Hunter blinked then grabbed Josh’s arm. “You cursed someone?”
“How would I know?” Josh
Hunter rolled his eyes. “No. Like this.”
He took a deep breath and held it for a moment. As he exhaled, a stream of emerald green light poured out of his stomach into his hands. He lifted his chin, more of a twitch than a nod, and smiled as the light swirled over the plant. The fern glowed for a moment then returned to normal. Josh leaned over and touched a leafy stem.
“Ouch!” He shook his hand and blew on his stinging fingers. “That hurt.”
Hunter chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not supposed to feel good.”
He broke off a couple stems then placed them inside the pillowcase. “That’ll last for a few days.”
“How come the plant didn’t shock you?” Josh’s fingers were still tingling.
“Cause I cast the spell. My own magic ain’t gonna hurt me.”
“Remind me to never piss you off.” Kassie smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Hunter frowned, creasing his brow. “I’d never curse you, no matter how mad you make me.”
“Good to know. What else can you do?” She licked her lips and swallowed then dropped her gaze to her hands, resting on her baby bump. “Can you make someone fall in love with you?”
“Of course I can.” Hunter grinned then winked at her. “But, not with magic.”
“Okay, Romeo, let’s stick to magic. I’d like to know how it works, too.”
“It’s a little hard to explain.” Hunter sighed as he shifted his gaze to Josh. “Magic responds to each mage according to their nature, natural abilities and power-name. My power-name’s Hunter, so I’m naturally good at finding things. And Channie’s power is Enchantment, or at least it was before her folks changed it to Chastity. She had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She could make a fella melt with nothing more than a glance.”
The air around Kassie glowed the same ugly shade of puke green that Josh had produced earlier.
She twisted a strand of hair around her finger and batted her eyelashes at Hunter. “I wonder what my power-name would be if I had magic.”
He took the strand of hair from her and tucked it behind her ear. “There’re lots of power-names that’d suit you. Beauty, Intelligence, Seduction.”
“Annoying, Stubborn and Bossy would work, too.” Josh ducked when Kassie threw a pillow at his head.
“Them’s adjectives, not nouns, so they wouldn’t make good power-names for nobody.” Hunter stroked Kassie’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “And don’t be disrespecting Miss Kassie like that.”
The green glow around Kassie faded, but the air between her and Hunter still shimmered with purple energy. “What’s this weird purple glow in the air?”
Hunter’s cheeks flamed red. He dropped his hand and took two steps back, away from Kassie. “I’ll tell you later.”
It’s lust. I can see lust. Gross.
Kassie shot Josh a look and narrowed her eyes. She obviously didn’t appreciate him interrupting her little game of seduction. She softened her expression before turning her attention back to Hunter. “What about Josh? Does he have a power-name?”
“Every mage that has more than a smidgen of magic has a power-name. Josh’s is Valor. The idea was to make him extra brave and honorable. But it sort of backfired.”
“What do you mean it backfired?” Red light pulsed out of Josh. “I’m no coward.”
“I never said you was. It’s the honor part that’s interfering with your ability to curse anyone. And while that sounds all nice and noble, it makes you a liability in a combat situation instead of an asset.”
Kassie’s eyes widened. “Josh had no problem cursing Eric the other day—before he lost his memory.”
“What?” Hunter blinked then grabbed Josh’s arm. “You cursed someone?”
“How would I know?” Josh
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