The Healer: First Touch

by Amy Clapp

  Without further hesitation, I ran to where Varick was holding Asim, forgetting the Fury. I yanked up Asim's shirt, closed my eyes, and placed my hand on his chest, pressing down as hard as I could. The burn was instant and so intense it scorched my entire body. Asim's breath caught in his throat and his body went instantly limp. As I pressed harder, Asim's body began to shake violently. The burn continued and Asim gagged, his eyes wide with shock and pain. And then with a final yell, Varick twisted and pulled, snapping Asim's neck with a sickening crack. Breathing heavily, Varick shoved Asim's lifeless body to the side.

  I stared at Varick, tears running freely down my cheeks. Varick just stared back, his eyes electric. But we were interrupted by the howls of the Fury which seemed enraged by the demise of Asim. Varick pushed me behind him and held me there with his right hand. "It's not over yet."

  The Fury shook and quivered, transforming into the dark shrouded creature again. But before Varick could raise his left arm to protect us, the Fury used its own force to lift Varick off the ground. I screamed in terror and Varick yelled in pain as the Fury held him suspended in the air. Varick's body was stiff as he grimaced with pain.

  "Stop, please. Don't hurt him." I fell to my knees in front of the Fury.

  The Fury looked at me, eyes gleaming with raw hatred and greed. "What will you do for him, young Healer?" The Fury hissed. Varick yelled out again as the Fury's force inflicted more pain.

  "I will die for him," I answered quietly, my eyes turning to Varick.

  The Fury howled loudly and released Varick who dropped to the ground with a thud and a loud groan. I ran to him and kneeled by his crumpled body. His shirt was soaked with blood.

  "Varick!" I cried, as I tried to turn his face to look at me. But I couldn't. The Fury grabbed me around my neck and lifted me to my feet.

  "Time to die, Healer." A bony hand dug into my neck. I felt the sharp black nails pierce through my skin. The Fury squeezed my neck tighter, again choking me. Its hand was icy cold as it squeezed. I grabbed onto the bony arm to pull it off my neck. But I was weak compared to the power of the Fury.

  I looked down at Varick. He still lay motionless at the Fury's feet. As the Fury squeezed tighter, I felt myself growing tired and dizzy. I felt the Fury draining my life force and my healing powers from my body into its hand.

  I closed my eyes, ready for death. I would die just like in my nightmares, all alone.

  "Nadot," came a command from my side. I opened my eyes to see Varick standing next to me. The Fury shrieked in protest as Varick placed the hand of his tattooed arm on the bony arm holding me. The Fury screamed louder when smoke wafted from underneath Varick's hand on the Fury's arm. I fell to the ground coughing. With a yell, Varick snapped off the creature's arm. The Fury howled in pain and retreated toward the woods. Varick placed his hands in front of him. With each flex of his hands, the Fury was bombarded by an invisible force. The Fury rocked backward with each powerful blow.

  "This isn't over," it snarled menacingly. "This isn't over!" It slinked out of sight into the woods

  We stood in the meadow, both of us breathing heavily and watched the Fury's retreat. Varick finally dropped his arms and turned to me. He gave me a weak half smile before crumpling to the ground in front of me.

  "Varick!" I screamed, kneeling down next to him. "Varick, what's wrong?"

  Varick coughed violently. Blood reddened his mouth and trickled out the corner.

  "Oh my god," I moaned. "Varick." I raised my hands over him, but stopped when I remembered the warning Varick had given me about healing him.

  Varick groaned in pain and closed his eyes; his face contorted into a grimace.

  "Varick, tell me what to do," I pleaded.

  "There's nothing you can do." Varick struggled to breathe.

  "That's not true. It can't be true." I shook my head in denial.

  "Jacey, look at me," Varick said, his voice low. I looked at him, shocked to see his eyes had dulled to a pale blue as the life left him. There was so much blood.

  "Varick...."

  He tried to speak, but it only caused him to cough more, sending blood out of his mouth again.

  "Don't talk. I'll get you home so you can heal yourself." I looked around helplessly. "Somehow, I'll get you home."

  Varick placed his hand on my bare arm. His touch was cool. There were no electric sensations shooting up my arm. "Jacey, you need to protect yourself now. The Fury will be back. It isn't over." His words were so weak.

  "No, Varick. You have to protect me. I can't do it." Tears fell down my cheeks as I watched Varick struggling.

  Varick tried to shake his head. "You need to protect yourself. Be mindful of your surroundings. Listen to your instincts. You must survive." Varick coughed violently again.

  "Don't talk. Save your strength."

  Varick managed to lift the corner of his mouth in a smile. "That's the Jacey I want to leave behind. Never stop fighting. Ever."

  "Leave behind?" I blinked back tears as I wrung my hands together.

  Varick closed his eyes, his face contorted with pain. I grabbed the hand that was on my arm and cradled it gently in mine. I caressed the top of his hand lightly and tried not to show my fear and anxiety, but I couldn't stop my tears. My finger traced the lines of his tattoo.

  With his free hand, Varick caressed my cheek. His eyes were cloudy and his face pale. "There isn't much time," he whispered, running his hand across my cheek.

  "Varick, you are going to be fine. You have to be. I can't do this without you. I can't."

  "You have to, Jacey," he answered softly.

  "No, Varick," my voice broke, interrupted by a sob. "I can't."

  Varick groaned as pain racked his body again. "Sack maeoo tekay," he hissed through clenched teeth.

  "Varick, god, no," I cried, leaning over him. His breathing was slowing, his chest laboring for each breath.

  "Jacey," Varick's eyes closed and his head listed to the side, a final breath escaped from his mouth.

  My eyes widened. His hand was icy cold in mine. I looked from his face to the hand I was holding and back to his face.

  "No," I whispered. Fear threatened to crush my heart. I placed my hand on his chest. Nothing. There was no throbbing of Varick's heart. There was nothing.

  "Oh, god, no!" I yelled, dropping his hand. I covered my face with my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "No, no, no, no," I repeated, shaking my head in denial.

  I placed my hands in my lap. "Varick! You can't leave me! You promised you'd never leave me! You promised!"

  "No!" I screamed, suddenly sitting up, angry at Varick's death. "You are not leaving me. I won't let you. I won't." I wrapped my hands on either side of Varick's face. Bending close to him, I yelled at him. "Varick wake up!" My shoulders shook with my sobs. "Wake up, please!"

  I stared down at Varick's body. "I won't let you die. I can't lose you and Oma. I can't." Another wave of crushing grief wracked my body

  I brought my hands up to my face. I knew the power these hands contained. I looked past them, at Varick. I knew what I had to do. I had to try.

  I angrily wiped the tears away, breathing deeply as I did. Wasting no more time, I ripped open Varick's shirt, crying out with my exertion. I flipped open the torn remnants of cloth and exposed Varick's smooth chest. I sucked in my breath sharply, my eyes taking in the heavy tattoo that weaved around his left pectoral muscle, disappearing up over his shoulder. It was thick, intricately patterned, circling around his heart.

  Breathing deeply, I closed my eyes. "I know there's life in you yet." I placed my hand on his heart and pressed as hard as I could. "Please," I whispered. "Please come back to me. I can't live without you. I love you." I felt a flicker of warmth in the middle of my palm like a match threatening to blow out. But I refused to let it smother. Instead, I pushed down harder, closed my eyes tighter. "Take my life force, Varick. May my heart beat for us both." My breathing slowed and I focused on the tiny spot of heat in my palm, willing it to grow.


  The flame flickered timidly until suddenly it ignited. In a flash my entire arm burned with the intensity of the white heat. The searing fire throbbed from my heart through my hand with each heartbeat. The pain was excruciating. I gasped for my breaths. I tried to slow my breathing to slow my heart but it didn't work. Each pulse of searing heat quickened from another until I couldn't even feel my heart beating at all. It was just one constant fiery burn directly from my heart into Varick's. I opened my eyes wide from the shock of it.

  "Varick!" The world around us darkened. It was only me and Varick. As my life force emptied into Varick's dead heart, I noticed a faint blue glow appearing just under my hand. The glow spread along Varick's tattoo, illuminating the edges of the dark lines and patterns. The glow followed the paths down his arm until it glowed hotly at his wrist. The pattern of my name lit up. "Jakeik". My name. His language.

  A scream escaped my lips as the white burn ignited into a fiery inferno. And then, a beat of a heart, not my own, filled my hand. Varick's eyes flew open, the blues of his eyes glowing as brightly as the lines of his tattoo. He gasped violently, his entire torso rising off the ground.

  But I didn't see or hear anymore. I had nothing more to give. Absolutely nothing.

  -Thirty-Two-

  Once, when I was three years old, I had gotten myself locked out of the house in the dead of winter. I didn't have shoes on. I didn't have a coat. I just walked out the door trying to find Opa who had left for the store. I didn't know the door had locked behind me until it was too late.

  I remember I was so cold and afraid. The temperature was bitter and my bare extremities tingled painfully from the cold. It didn't take long for Oma to notice I was missing. She found me outside in the cold, half dressed, shivering violently. It did take a long time for me to warm up, though, even with electric blankets and multiple mugs of hot chocolate. I just remember feeling so very cold.

  That's how I felt now. Freezing cold. My toes and fingers felt numb. I shivered and shook uncontrollably as I struggled to warm my body. I was so cold that my skin tingled with the same prickles of pain that I remembered from my youth. Every nerve ending screamed from the cold. Even my mind was frozen. All I was aware of was the need for warmth.

  "Jacey....Jacey...Come on. Come on." A voice called for me over and over. Each word chipped away at the ice surrounding my brain.

  "That's it, come on. Wake up. You can do it." The voice encouraging me was rich and warm.

  I felt my body being surrounded by warmth, thawing my freezing legs and arms. "It's okay. It's alright," the voice soothed. "Feel the heat. Let it warm you."

  I was wrapped in something hard, but it wasn't rough. It was smooth, silky. I felt drawn to it. I moved myself closer to the warmth and wrapped my arms around it.

  I heard soft chuckling, as strong cords circled me, bringing me even tighter against the warmth. "That's it, Jacey."

  My body continued to warm, heating my body from the outside in. My cheek rubbed against the smoothness. I slowly moved my face, savoring the warmth. I sighed, breathing in a wonderfully soothing clean, musky scent.

  My eyes flew open. I focused on the intricate patterns of the black tattoo at the level of my eyes. Before I moved, I placed my hand over top of the tattoo in front of me. The heartbeat I felt throbbing under my palm was steady and strong. A small smile spread across my lips.

  "Do you like what you feel?"

  "Yes," I murmured, not moving my head or hand. "I like it very much."

  Varick moved, wrapping his arms tighter around me. He sighed heavily before he placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "You are amazing. It's impossible, but you did it."

  My smile broadened as I settled in closer to Varick's bare chest. We were sitting up against the large boulder still in the middle of the meadow. The clouds had cleared and warm sun beat down upon us.

  "Are you feeling better now?" Varick asked, resting his chin on my head.

  I was alive. Varick was alive. And I felt great. I sighed, closing my eyes and smiling.

  Varick chuckled. "I guess you are, then."

  I sat up and pulled away from Varick slightly. I kept my arms wrapped around his waist. My eyes blinked with my confusion. "I thought you were dead."

  Varick gave me his lopsided half grin. "I was. I've never heard it being done before. Not in all the years of Healers and Protectors. Never. I guess you're not normal." His smile broadened, his teeth flashing brightly. There was no blood, no cuts and bruises. Just Varick's perfect, unmarred face.

  I did do it. And I wasn't normal. And as long as I had Varick, that was alright with me. I threw myself back at Varick, burying my face back in his chest. I squeezed my arms around him as hard as I could.

  Varick groaned, followed by more laughter. "And strong."

  My eyes moved to the patterns of ink circling his left pectoral muscle. With my finger, I lightly traced the lines of the tattoo, following them as they circled over his chest. "Is this where my name is? Burned into your heart?" My fingertips lightly traced the intricate pattern on his skin above his heart.

  Varick sucked in his breath as my finger touched him. He flattened my hand against his chest, his heart. "Yes, right here." And he pressed my hand harder against his chest. My heart slowed, matching the rhythm of his heart. "I told you that you were my heart." Varick's words were soft and the intensity of his blue eyes made me dizzy. I concentrated on the throbbing of Varick's heart. I smiled feeling my heart beating as one with his.

  "I love you, Varick," I whispered to him, my eyes still tightly closed. I opened my eyes slowly, looking up into those vibrant eyes. "I love you. And I can't help it."

  Varick grinned again. His eyes sparkled mischievously. "God help me, but I'm in love with you too. I've loved you from the first time I heard your cry. I'm not supposed to though. It's against the rules...Healers and Protectors."

  My heart swelled with happiness at Varick's words. He loved me. And I loved him. I smiled.

  "It will be tough though, Jacey." Varick was suddenly serious. "I can never forget that protecting you is my first priority. I can't allow my feelings for you to conflict with that purpose. Ever."

  "I'll remind you."

  "And if others find out about our relationship, it could be dangerous for both of us."

  "So, we'll protect each other, watch out for each other."

  Varick laughed gently. "But there's also the Fury. They will be back with a vengeance, deadlier than ever."

  "I know. But we'll fight them. Together. You and I."

  "You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

  I smiled triumphantly.

  Varick unwrapped his arms from around me and peeled my hands off from him. He bent down and scooped up the broken pieces of my pin. With his other hand, he scooped up a little bit of dirt and dropped it on top of the pin pieces in his palm. He closed his fist, squeezing the pieces and dirt tightly.

  "I'm sorry about my pin. Asim took it and..."

  I stopped as Varick opened his palm. My pin was in his hand, complete, sparkling brilliantly in the afternoon sun. Varick dropped it lightly in my outstretched hand. I moved my hand slightly, watching the light bounce off the little stones. I glanced back at Varick, my eyes beginning to tear up. "Thank you," I whispered.

  Varick put his hand over mine, the little pin trapped between our hands. "Setackoo, bitaloo, kapetic miyaloo, suwaee, mikal." You are my soul, you are my breath. It is for you that I live, I exist.

  "No," I replied softly, smiling. "I exist because you exist, my Protector."

  "Mia Helsoka." My Healer.

  THE END

  End Note

  Coming in 2013

  Book Two of The Healer Series

  To learn more about the author, send her a message, or sign up to receive a notification when book two is released, please visit:

  AmyClappBooks.com

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