The Healer's Flame

By Nika Kaitlyn

With final exams creeping up quickly, Imani Shae and friends find themselves using all their free time to study.

However, at the park in town, on a day that was supposed to be relaxing, Imani stumbled upon the body of a local girldead. That is when things turn from bad to worse. She tries hard to forget what she saw, but she is still haunted by a ghost who died twenty years before, the ghost of Zoey Bishop.

Zoey follows Imani, leaving nothing but cryptic messages and confusion in her wake. Imani is left to decode them before the man who's killing teenage girls strikes again. The man is still on the hunt and won't stop until he has gotten what he's after, but is it too late for Imani when someone really close to her becomes this guy's next target? Will she be able to stop the killer and save his target before her heart gets broken?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503502536

Nika Kaitlyn

Hi, I'm Nika Kaitlyn, only eighteen years old, with my passion for creative writing being a relatively recent one. Probably my greatest claim to fame was taking out first place in a local writing competition—okay, not a Nobel Prize for literature, but I was pretty excited nevertheless. At the moment, I spend whatever free time I have writing or with my head stuck in the latest book that catches my eye. Reading has always been a love of mine. I was inspired to start writing by one of my high school English teachers, and this book is my first solid idea, an idea that expands upon a short story I wrote. Currently I live in Southeast Queensland and intend studying a bachelor of arts degree at university in the coming years. Everything in my world may be color-coded and strangely organized, but I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I've loved writing them!

Book preview

Burnt Memories

Fire Season – Three Years Ago

I T felt like all of five minutes after I closed my eyes, I was awake again. Tossing and turning all night, something – a bad feeling – had my skin crawling and made my stomach squeeze, and it was keeping me awake. No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. All I could hear through my head was the constant bang… bang… bang… as my eyes fluttered open. I sat up, my mind still clouded from the restlessness of my sleep but I glanced around my small dorm room, confused for a moment as something still didn’t feel right. From somewhere beyond my closed bedroom door, I heard shouts and frantic screams as I looked over at the bed next to mine, separated by a small nightstand with a single, unlit candle on it. My roommate – Roni Benleahy – was still sleeping peacefully, her long blonde hair tangled around her face in a pale, silvery mess as she slept through the commotion outside in the hall.

Bang… bang… bang… I heard again. This time, I looked over at the door for a moment before I threw off my warm blankets and swung my legs over the side of my bed. Shivering as the cool night’s breeze hit my skin, I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to keep warm. My feet slid across the soft, grey carpet as I felt my way through my dark room, the only light coming from the pale moonlight that shone through the bare window above the nightstand. The door flew open the second before I reached for the handle and I jumped out of my skin as a figure tumbled through the door, coughing and breathing heavily. My room was illuminated by the soft, flickering light of the oil lamps out in the hall and as my eyes adjusted to the sudden burst of light, I recognised the girl as I helped her get back to her feet.

She had shoulder length dark hair and equally dark eyes. As she stood up and dusted her pants off, I could see that she was tall, nearly my height. Her eyes were shining bright with panic as she grabbed a hold of my arms, staring straight into my eyes with desperation. Her voice held a haunted note as her nails dug into the bare skin of my arms and I blinked a few times, wondering what had frightened her so much. Her voice was rough as she spoke and distantly I could smell smoke.

Imani… you have to help… there is a fire… the dormitory is on fire! Makenzi Samyth said quickly, frantic. She tried to drag me out of the room but I didn’t move. Instead, I waited a moment for her words to cut through the cloudy veil over my mind.

Roni… get up! I yelled, leaping into action. I grabbed the edge of her blanket and yanked it off her sleeping form and stepped back, her blanket curled up at my feet. The minute the chilly air touched her skin, she was awake and sitting up.

Her usually kind blue eyes were furious and when Roni found her blanket at my feet, she glared at me. She started to yell at me but she was cut off by a shrill ringing noise that pierced the silence of the night. The wailing didn’t stop; it was just one constant siren that we all knew very well from the various fire drills the professors had sprung on us in the middle of the night. Somehow, we all knew this wasn’t a drill.

Kenzi, Roni and I heard more frantic screams as the other girls in the dorm building were woken by the alarm and pushed past our now open door, heading for the stairs that were only two doors down. Roni stared at the door in shock for a moment as the blur of frenzied panic slowly disappeared and we were left here, alone.

What happened? I asked Kenzi as I turned to face her.

It wasn’t me, I swear… It felt like something was wrong so I went to check it out. Then I saw the smoke… coming from the Library… she’s trapped under a bookshelf in the corner and there was fire… everywhere! She replied hurriedly. Kenzi’s breathing quickened – almost like she was hyperventilating and I pulled a thread of magic to myself and sent it to Kenzi, trying to calm her down.

Who’s trapped, Kenzi? Roni asks quietly as she wrapped her arms around our friend.

Lyetta… Jameson…

Moving quickly, I hurried down the now deserted hall. Half-opened black doors zoomed past me in a blur and I turned right at the end of the hall. My feet were pounding against the floor, my steps masked by the carpet and I felt the sweat dripping off my face as I came closer to the one place in this school I loved more than my dorm room; my beautiful escape.

Lyetta, I called as I reached the door of the Library. I peered inside by I couldn’t see anything other than a flickering red and orange glow on the far side of the room that just kept getting bigger and bigger, crackling higher and higher.

Slipping through the door, I held my arms out in front of me, swatting away the smoke that poured out of the room. I coughed as I walked inside and I was met by a wall of heat that nearly knocked me over in its embrace. Breathing suddenly became harder and I dropped to my knees, remembering what I’d learnt in Physics about fire and heat. Coughing as the thick, heavy air hit my lungs and nose with the smell of smoke, I looked around the room, through the ash and burning furniture, for Lyetta.

The bookshelf in the far corner had toppled over and there were books everywhere, scattered across the floor and now blackened carpet. The comfy red chairs that I’d loved curling up in were alight as well; the fire burning through the room, destroying all the beauty and magic is once held. The flames burned through the small room and I crawled around, trying to get a better look of the room around me. I could feel the heat on my skin and the desperate need to find Lyetta settled down on me as I tried to find something that would lead me to her. The only thing that looked to be out of place was the small, pink slipper that was lying on the floor near the far corner of the room. I scurried across the floor, on my hands and knees as fast as I could and as I got closer, I spotted Lyetta’s foot, trapped under a heavy-looking shelf.

Lyetta, can you hear me? I screamed over the roar of the fire.

She whimpered as I reached her side and as she gazed up at me with her pale green eyes, filled with pain, something swirled deep in my stomach. It was as if I was about to be sick but it was different somehow; sweeter, gentler. I jumped to my feet and slid my hands under the edge of the shelf before I made an attempt to lift it off her. Lyetta yelped in pain at the sudden shift of weight and I flinched as the swirling in my stomach increased and moved through my body as if there were butterflies trapped in my veins.

I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I exclaimed as I pushed the shelf away from her.

The shelf tumbled to the other side of Lyetta and I could really feel the heat in the room now. Not only was the sweat dripping from my face, my hair was sticking to the back of my neck, making it really uncomfortable to move around. Looking at Lyetta now, I saw that her face was also covered in sweat from the heat and her fiery red hair was full of soot and ash, making it look more black than red. As the flames rose higher, I watched as the tears ran down the side of her pale face and I knew there was only one thing I could do. I had to get her out of here… at least to where the air was easier to breathe.

Gulping, I grabbed her hand and held it in mine. The moment my skin touched hers, the swirling feeling exploded inside me and I bit my teeth together as my heart filled with the need to help Lyetta, to free her of her pain. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before opening them up again but in the space of a few seconds, the world around me had changed.

The fire was still burning high and bright, the heat still caused sweat to run down my face and neck but as I looked at Lyetta, I knew something had changed. I stared at her in shock as her leg pulsed with an angry-looking red light; it pulsed back and forth, fading in and out of focus but it sort of looked… magical. The light didn’t go away and as I looked at it, I couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling to take away her pain. I gritted my teeth together as I looked around the room again; everything else was still the same – no more angry red lights pulsing around anything other than Lyetta’s leg.

There was a loud crack as something crashed near the other side of the room and I knew we had to move quickly, the room was slowly becoming more and more like a sauna as the fire grew more out of control. It was getting very difficult to breathe, despite being as close to the ground as we could possibly get. I spoke to Lyetta gently, as I helped her up and tucked her arm around my neck. I half carried, half dragged her back towards the door. I coughed a few times as I dodged burning chairs and I cast a last, fleeting look around the room as we made our way to the door.

Lyetta… Imani…? I heard a familiar voice call faintly from somewhere beyond the smoke. My gaze snapped back to the door and through the smoke, I spotted pale blonde hair and blue eyes looking at me. The only problem was, the door was now blocked by fallen debris.

Roni! I exclaimed with relief. I have never been happier to see my best friend than right now. Roni, can you help me move some of this stuff?

Sure… I can try, came her reply. I sat Lyetta down somewhere out of the way and walked back over to the stuff in front of the door. We counted down and tried pushing the shelving out of the way and with much effort it eventually wobbled and shifted out of the way.

Gently helping Lyetta stand again, she cried as her weight shifted to her injured leg. My heart broke as her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. You wouldn’t expect something like this to happen to someone so young. Lyetta was a Second Year student, barely 13 years old and she was now covered in sweat, with a nasty leg injury; all because of this stupid fire – a silly accident. The swirling feeling exploded within me again and I couldn’t take it anymore, I couldn’t resist it. I reached out and touched Lyetta’s arm, feeling everything from happiness to love. It felt like finally the beauty was being brought back to the world, like I had the power inside me to make something devastating look beautiful again. There was a moment between us before I felt the ache between my ears, like a headache but worse. My energy was spent and I weakly called to Roni as my head pounded at even the slightest noise.

Roni watched with stunned eyes and I suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy as Roni pulled Lyetta away from the burning room and into the hall, casting a glance back at me and I struggled to keep my footing as the dizziness took over control of my mind and body. There was another crack and something fell just to the left of me. A scream escaped my lips and Roni stopped, calling out my name again.

Go… just go! I’m right behind you. I yelled after her, trying to be heard over the roar of the fire. Something else fell somewhere near me and I tried to hurry out of the room but something was dragging me back. There was a strange presence that was drawing me in, calling my name, something that was in the room. The flames filled my peripheral vision as I stood in the hallway and I saw something black move across my view. Looking up, I felt the blood and colour rush from my face as my heart pounded against my chest with the fear that suddenly came upon me.

She stood in front of me, not caring or even noticing the fire that burned viciously behind her, threatening to incinerate us both. She was wearing a heavy-looking black cloud, hiding her blue tunic and black pants; her face was covered as well. The only thing I could see were her eyes but I secretly wish I couldn’t as they were as black as coal and as deep as a well. Her dark eyes poured into me, looking right through me and into my soul and I shivered at that thought.

Imani… She spoke, her voice barely audible, as if it were carried through the smoke. Imani… you must listen to me… heed my warning and get away from here!

I looked at her as the fear finally spread through my veins like poison. Her voice sounded familiar – gentle like my mother’s – and I couldn’t help but feel something stab at my heart. There was another crack as something feel from the roof this time. Something heavy hit the back of my head and I staggered forward, falling to the ground. Black spots clouded my vision and I could faintly hear someone calling my name from the distance but it was her voice that I heard last, before I passed out.

Leave Tharadore Prep… your life is in peril… Her chilling voice spoke as her eyes refused to let go of mine. Imani… you must leave… get away from here before it is too late!

Happy Reunion

Snow Season – Present Day

C LIP clop. Clip clop. Clip clop. The hooves of horses, pounding against the hard-packed ground, pulled me from my deep thoughts and I looked around for a moment, stunned. The rolling plains of the countryside surrounded me and I could see little clusters of trees that disappeared behind fading mist of the Snow Season. There was still a little chill in the air that bit at my nose as the new shoots of grass poked up from the ground. The wind was blowing through my hair and whoosh ing past my ears as my horse chased a beautiful, black stallion that was just ahead on us. She chased the horse and his rider – who had red-brown hair, a muscular figure and looked to be quite tall. He rode with grace and looked like an experienced r ider.

Pushing my horse a little quicker, I tried to catch up with the black horse and his rider, who cantered off in front of me. Cressy galloped a little faster and soon overtook the man and his horse and I turned my head to look who we’d just overtaken. Jade green eyes and wild hair met me and I couldn’t help but laugh at the goofy smile on his tanned face.

Turning my head back in front of me, I nearly choked on a mouthful of my own hair. Shaking my head a little, I let the strong wind blow it behind me, sighing as I realised it had fallen loose of the ribbon that had held it. Mentally, I added new ties to the list of things I needed to get once we reached Aldden as that had been my last hair tie. I galloped ahead of him and laughed when he called out for me to wait.

Imani! He yelled but his voice barely made it to me as I raced over the hills. The clean scent of the coming season filled my nose as I smelt the freshness of the new shoots of grass and the little wildflowers that were starting to appear as the weather warmed away the cold winds from Kasatia. I can’t believe I’d forgotten what it was like to ride through the countryside, feeling the wind through my hair and the sense of freedom and relaxation that went with it and I slowed Cressy just before we reached the thick band of trees that marked the western border of Tharadore’s second largest town – Aldden.

Cressy turned around and faced the direction that we’d just come and I dismounted, waiting for my brother to catch up to us. Pulling my backpack off, I rested it against a tree nearby and stretched my legs as I watched my brother. He slowed and came to a stop just beside us and dismounted his horse, unpacking a water container and setting it down for Midnight.

Why didn’t you stop when I called you? Astyn asked; his eyes bright with curiosity.

I beat you here, for once. I laughed as I also unpacked a water container for Cressy.

Well, I think we should rest for a while, let Cressy and Midnight rest before we walk through the forest. He said as he looked deep into the forest. After a while, he took a few steps towards the tree line and knelt down, placing his hands on the moss-covered forest floor.

His eyes turned inward for a moment and I watching as his aura flashed gold with magic. He was using his magic to scan the forest for intruders and other creatures that we might run into. A moment or so later, he stood and dusted his hand off on the back of his moss-green tunic. He smiled and nodded, telling me that the forest was all clear. Our last trip through this forest wasn’t as good as you’d expect it to be – we’d run into a large pack of wolves and they had come very close to attacking me. Eventually we got away – thanks to Astyn and his… abilities.

Astyn and I, we weren’t like everyone else. We’re twins but we’re also powerful magicians. Astyn is a Master Elemental – he could control all four physical elements – air, earth, fire and water; the only catch was, he could only use them one at a time – he’d burn himself out otherwise. On the other hand, I was a Spirit Magician. I could heal people as well as see their auras and decipher their emotions and thoughts – but I’d only discovered that talent recently. Not many people knew about my ability to read thoughts from auras, because if they did, it would create problems that I didn’t need. Everyone who knew about my specific abilities had agreed to keep it secret – for my sake.

The forest is clear; we should be able to pass right through without any trouble. Astyn sighed in relief. The tension in his shoulders also disappeared as he stood and packed the water containers up. He buckled them back into the saddlebags and grabbed Midnight’s reins, gesturing for me to follow.

He handed me my pack and I grabbed Cressy’s reins and steered her towards the edge of the forest. Astyn took the lead, as he knew the way through the forest better. I was happy to follow as we trudged through the forest and over fallen logs and branches. The ground was covered in a layer of leaves and twigs and moss-covered tree trunks. Everything around us smelt like decay and I could feel the moisture in the air as I breathed in. A little bit of sunlight was filtered through the heavy canopy of leaves that hung above us and casted a soft, green glow over everything in sight.

Every now and then I would jump at the sound of a small creature scurrying along the ground, crunching over the leaves and twigs that covered the ground in a dead blanket. It took a little longer than I would’ve liked to get through the forest but Astyn was weaving his way through the maze of trees, finding paths big enough for the horses to easily walk through. We constantly had to duck under low-hanging branches and help the horses jump over the bigger logs but eventually, I saw the trees beginning to thin and I knew we’d reached the end of the forest.

Stepping out of the trees, I smiled as the horses huffed in relief and glanced around as my eyes adjusted to the new lighting. The trees were behind us and a little ways in the distance, I spotted the huge, grey brick wall that surrounded Tharadore Preparatory. Astyn mounted Midnight and I copied him, pulling myself up on Cressy’s saddle before we lurched towards the school. Just before we reached the wall, we steered a little to the left and headed for the northern corner, where there was a gate that led straight to the school’s stables. We trotted towards the gate slowly, relieved that we’ve finally made it to the school after a long day of travel. To be fair, Twin Point wasn’t that far away from Tharadore Prep, just over half a day’s travel by horse but some students had to travel for two days just to get here.

The gates were open and we led the horses to the open stable. There were a few horses out in the grazing field, munching on the fresh, green grass and there were also a few younger students rubbing down their horses after the long journey. The sun was slowly sinking lower on the horizon and I led Cressy inside to her stall. The smell of hay and horses filled my nose as we walked down the wide hall, past the gates to stables that were already reserved. I walked down the hall until I came to the ramp that went up to the next level, where there were a few more stables. I walked down the hall to the very last on and lead Cressy inside. I unharnessed her reigns and took off her bridal and saddle before taking them down to the tack room and returned with a brush.

It didn’t take long for Cressy to smell the fresh feed and water that had been laid out for her and she neighed happily. Moving around the stall, I saw that there were a few hay bales in the far corner, a water trough under the window next to the gate and the ground was also covered in a layer of grass and hay. Cressy munched on the hay happily as I stepped forward to brush her. The brush pulled all the dirt and dust out of her fur, making it silky smooth once again. When I was done, I patted her goodbye before I walked back out the gate and latched it shut. Moving to the small chalkboard attached to the wall by the gate, I picked up the piece of chalk by the board and wrote ‘Shae Twins – Sixth Year’ on the board.

I’d just walked back downstairs as Astyn came inside and he was talking to a guy who had black hair and icy blue eyes. He was tall and wearing black pants and a dark blue tunic and laughed at something Astyn had said. His laughter died away when he noticed me standing there and he turned on a charming smile that would’ve melted the heart of any young girl who didn’t know how mischievous he really was.

Hey girl, Jace Anderson said, a guilty look deep in his eyes. Astyn chuckled as I watched Jace closely. Astyn and Jace had been best friend for as long as either of us could remember and it was safe to say that they were partners in crime.

Hello Jace. What’s so funny? Care to clue me in, Astyn? Astyn and Jace just shared a look and burst into a fit of hysteric laughter that echoed through the stables. If anyone heard them, I was sure they would think something was wrong with them. Neither of them would tell me what was so funny but I had a