The Healer: A Young Adult Romantic Fantasy (The Healer Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

me.
    Typical Kirby , I thought.
    “Check again, and tell me whether or not you can heal me.” He closed his eyes and waited for me to try.
    I breathed in deeply to steady my emotions and reached out for
    Kirby’s life force. It wasn’t hard to find. Connecting to it was even easier, but I knew the answer even before I saw it. Abnormal blood cells were deep in the bone marrow and multiplying at a rate that not even chemo or a bone marrow transplant could prevent.
    Kirby was supposed to die.
    “Well?” he whispered as I continued to go through all the images his life force was willing to show me.
    “I can’t.” I could barely get the words out. They felt awful passing through my lips.
    “Then stop blaming yourself, and start accepting what is.” He brought his hands up to cover mine. “I’m not afraid to die, big sister. Plus, I‘m totally jazzed to meet Elvis when I get to the other side.” His smile was bright and contagious.
    I focused again as I sensed more of his emotions.
    “Kirby, you’re in pain. Why didn’t you tell me it was so bad when I came in?”
    “You’re tired. It’s just my joints acting up again. All the doctors have pretty much given up on chemo. You can help me some other night.”
    I shook my head stubbornly. “No, just relax, and I’ll take care of this so you can sleep tonight.”
    “Hope, you’re tired,” Kirby repeated as he tried to push my hands away. “You’ve had to do this several times already. How will you ever be able to walk home?” He looked out the window and narrowed his eyes. “The fog is starting to roll in thick.”
    We lived in a small city along the northern coast of California called Eureka. It was beautiful country. You had the ocean to the left and redwoods to the right. The only downside this far north was the weather. It was either chilly or freezing, and it rained all the time. The fog wasn’t my favorite either. Driving in the fog at night was a pain, but I wasn’t worried about walking in it.
    “I’ll manage.” I closed my eyes and began the process of easing
    Kirby’s pain before he could voice another protest. I could sense his body relaxing, so I slowly lowered him back on his bed and pulled the covers over him.
    “Thanks, big sis,” he said gratefully. He reached for my hand as his eyelids closed.
    “You’re welcome, little bro.”
    “You’ll stay ‘til I fall asleep?”
    “Of course I will, Kirby.”
    I pushed his hair from his forehead and waited until he drifted off to sleep. I watched his breathing as it evened out and then got up and made my way to the door. Pausing in the doorway, I felt reluctant to leave him, knowing he didn’t have much time left. Emotions of betrayal and anger gripped me, and I knew those volatile feelings had been transferred over to me through my connection with Kirby.
    He’d been thinking about his mother.
    I looked back at him one last time and blew a silent kiss his way before walking into the hallway and heading for the exit. I wasn’t up for another battle of wills with the annoying, hospital elevator so I took the stairs. I made it to the first floor and out the door in record time. No doubt the elevator would have held me captive for an extra ten minutes.
    It was the prickling feeling on the back of my neck that first made me suspect I was being watched again. No, not just watched.
    This time I was being followed.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Chapter Three
     
    I quickly turned around and glanced behind me. The hospital lights were blazing from within, and there was quite a bit of activity visible. No one other than medical personnel was within walking distance from where I was standing, and yet I was certain someone was shadowing me. It was completely different from the feelings I’d experienced over the last two weeks. I wondered if the creepy presence I felt was coming from a hospital room window.
    The fog rolling in muted the lights from the hospital, making them and everything