Read Online Fatal Charm by Linda Joy Singleton - Free Book Online

was easy to get caught up in his energy. Emotions stirred in me, and I hoped this meant I loved him. I certainly loved being with him and I loved his excitement over helping others. He made me want to do good things, too; to be a better person. He was good for me—without the complications of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Lusted-After.
    “I didn’t know you rode horses,” I told Josh.
    “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he said with an exaggerated air of mystery.
    “Oh?” I raised a brow. “Like what?”
    “Magic stuff. You know I can’t tell you what goes on in our meetings.”
    “I’m not interested anyway. It’s probably the usual card and hat tricks.”
    “It’s way more than that. I’m learning illusions that would make you gasp. The society is all secret, but I can say it’s been freaking amazing. Grey has been teaching me some cool tricks. Some of the stuff is so unreal, I can’t figure it out.”
    “Maybe because it’s real,” I couldn’t resist saying.
    “Impossible. Magic is all illusion, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.”
    “Even the big stuff? Like when that famous magician made an airplane vanish?”
    “I don’t know how that was done, but Grey can explain any trick—usually science, clever machinery, or sleight of hand. Bodies aren’t sawed in half and people can’t really levitate into the air. Everything has an explanation.”
    I remembered Opal hinting she could tell me the meaning of everything. Maybe she could, but I was pretty sure that a stage magician didn’t have a clue. To hide my doubts, I turned back to my locker and rearranged stuff. Josh was still raving about Grey’s brilliance, and I was tempted to argue with examples of many things that defied explanation—ghosts, predictions, intuition, astral travel, and even love.
    But why shatter Josh’s beliefs?
    “If you want to practice riding, come over anytime,” I finally said with a slam of my locker. “Nona’s horses are kind of old but at least they’re gentle.”
    “Thanks. I may take you on up the offer—but not till I find out for sure.”
    “About what?”
    “If the campout is canceled.”
    “Canceled? How could that happen?” We fell into step, heading to the first period class we shared. “I thought the kids were eager to go?”
    “They are—but there aren’t enough teen volunteers. We have twelve kids to only eight mentors. Most people our age just don’t care.” He gestured around at everyone rushing through the hall; talking, laughing, and not noticing us.
    “Some do,” I insisted. “I’ll bet Penny-Love and other cheerleaders would sign up.”
    “Already tried. Penny-Love says she doesn’t want to get horse hair all over her because her boyfriend is allergic to horses. Jill used the job excuse. No one signed up.”
    “Well, this is kind of late notice.”
    “I know,” he agreed. “I only just found out myself. But the kids have been really looking forward to it for months. They’ll be bummed if it’s canceled.”
    “That would be tragic,” I agreed. “But not hopeless. You have over a week to find more mentors.”
    “I have to be realistic. It’s harder to find mentors because not just anyone qualifies. They have to be under twenty, skilled on horseback, patient with kids, and willing to rough it in rugged woods without any comforts.”
    “No TV or Internet?” I asked teasingly.
    “Or bathrooms.”
    “You’re joking.”
    “No joke.” Josh shook his head matter-of-factly. “The campers will get an authentic wilderness experience. The trail is so remote there aren’t even outhouses.”
    “Then where does everyone … you know … go?”
    “Anywhere they want.”
    “You mean … with no privacy? Outside in front of everyone?”
    Josh chuckled. “Usually behind a bush or tree.”
    I started to say, “That’s gross,” until I realized how that would sound. I didn’t want to come off like a prissy city girl who couldn’t live without malls and