Believe: The Complete Channie Series Read Online Free

nothing to do with it. Their ignorance will protect them as well as us.”
    “How much is the blood debt? If the whole clan pitched in, maybe we could raise enough to satisfy the Veyjivik’s while we earn the rest of it. We could all get jobs.” Even as she suggested it, Channie knew it was futile. The Veyjivik’s wouldn’t care whether or not mage law demanded they accept gold in lieu of blood for payment. They’d still want revenge.
    “That’s right kind of you, baby girl, but there’s no way we could earn that kind of money. In addition to the blood debt, Dominance is demanding I reimburse her for the horse. That’s why I was gone so long. I had to find a safe place for us to start over and get new documents.” Daddy patted a large brown envelope on his lap. “I changed our last name to Belks.”
    “Belks? Seriously?”
    “I wanted to change it to Belts, but Lucky convinced me that Money Belts was a little too obvious, especially since we’ll be living amongst Empties. They have no sense of humor when it comes to names. In fact, I’ll be going by Monroe. The rest of y'all can use your first names or nicknames, but Money is too unusual for a man on the run.”

    The be-calm spell wore off a few miles west of Tulsa. Savvy, Courage and Zeal woke up cranky and fought all the way across Kansas. The little monsters didn’t fall asleep again until just before sunrise outside of Denver. Channie closed her eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. She was almost asleep when Momma turned off the engine. “Well, we’re here.”
    Daddy turned around in his seat and grinned. “Welcome to Louisville, Colorado. Home, sweet, home.”
    The trips burrowed through the clutter like gophers and crawled over Momma and Daddy to escape the confines of the bus. Channie was right behind them but waited for Momma and Daddy to get out first.
    All three boys dropped their pants and peed on the back wheel next to the curb.
    Channie stretched and looked around. Aunt Wisdom had shown her pictures of places like this, but no photograph could capture the magnificence that surrounded her.  The houses were ginormous. And well kept. They were freshly painted in muted colors that complimented the scenery. There were no sagging porches, no rusting vehicles on cement blocks, no chickens, goats or pigs either. She counted eight windows on the front of a single house. There wasn’t so much as a dandelion in anyone’s yard. But the yards were tiny, smaller than Momma’s kitchen garden back home. Did these folks buy all their groceries in town? If you could afford one of these houses, you’d probably be rich enough to buy just about anything you wanted.
    The trips finished peeing, but no one told them to get back in the bus. Channie noticed a “For Rent” sign in the yard of a two-story house next to a large park with a well equipped playground. Her jaw dropped. “Are we gonna live here ?”
    “That’s the plan, baby girl.” Daddy chuckled and gave Channie’s shoulder a squeeze. “Why don’t you and Abby take the boys to the park for some fresh air while your momma and me see if we cain’t find us a pay phone. We need to call these good people and set up a meeting face to face.”
    Channie was thrilled with the prospect of living in a mansion, but she felt sorry for these ‘good people.’ Even though you couldn’t force a person to do something against their will, you could push them a long ways down a path they’d already chosen. Especially if they were Empties with no defense against magic. These folks already wanted to rent their house, so it wouldn’t be hard for Momma and Daddy to steal it out from under them. They’d still have to pay rent, but it wouldn’t be anything close to what the house was actually worth.
    They’d been at the park for less than an hour when Daddy’s shrill whistle called them back.
    Momma opened the combination lock on a brass box hanging from the doorknob and pulled out a key. Her