Read Online Locked by Parker Witter - Free Book Online Page A

see that he’s right. There is no fire. There isn’t even a trace of one. The canvas roof is whole and untarnished. It has even stopped raining.
    I wander back to Noah in a daze. I sit down on the mat next to him. “What did you do?” I ask.
    He looks at me. His eyes are unreadable. “I made it stop,” he says.
    â€œHow?”
    He glances down at his hands. “It wasn’t right,” he says. “It wasn’t—” He looks at me again, his eyes roaming over my face. “We’re not supposed to be together.”
    I open my mouth to say something, to protest, but he holds his hand up. “It’s true,” he says. “The island—” He lets his hand fall. The one motion seems to signal defeat. “This isn’t your destiny, August. However we got called, it was for me, not you. You’re not supposed to be here.”
    I move toward him. “But I am here.” When he doesn’t respond, I push on. “So these were your people, so what? It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean—” But when Noah’s eyes find mine, I know I’m wrong. “Noah,” I say. I think about him denying me last night. He knew then. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    Noah stands. He walks to the other side of the room, away from me. “I met with the chief today,” he says. “I didn’t tell you. I didn’t—” He stops, starts again. “The reason I can do that…” He gestures to me.
    â€œHeal,” I say.
    He nods. “Heal. Make you glow.” I blush, and Noah turns his head away. “It’s because these aren’t just my people. I’m some kind of…” He shakes his head, like even the words are ridiculous. “I’m a healer.” He looks at me. “I’m the Healer.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œEvery tribe had a designated healer. The Healer had powers,” he says. “He could commune with nature. He could protect his people. He was responsible for the tribe’s survival.” I see the apple from that first night turning from brown to brilliant red.
    My hands feel cold, and I realize the chill in the air has come back full force. Whatever heat Noah’s body lent me is fading fast.
    â€œI’m a part of that lineage.” He runs his hands over his face. “An important part they have been missing. The reason there have been droughts and population decline and why everyone is starving, is because I haven’t been here.”
    â€œYour dad,” I say.
    Noah swallows. “They’ve been without help for a long time.”
    â€œYou’re the only one?”
    â€œPretty pathetic, huh?” Noah snorts. I want to reach over and touch him, but I’m afraid he’ll push me away. “I can’t do anything,” he says.
    I look at my arm. I remember the gold light there, how his fingers trailed shooting stars.
    â€œYes, you can,” I whisper. “You saved my life. You said yourself there are more fish now. There was rain.…”
    He looks at me, and I see his eyes soften. “I almost killed you.”
    â€œI would have died if you didn’t do what you did.”
    But Noah just shakes his head. “The island…” He drops his eyes to the floor. “It doesn’t want us together.” He slumps to the floor, his elbows flopping over his knees. “The fire. You getting sick. It’s trying to keep us apart.”
    I feel like laughing. This is so ridiculous, all of it. “Why?”
    â€œBecause the closer I am to you the less I want to…help them.”
    I sit down in front of him. I don’t know what to say. I want to say it’s not fair, not at all, but instead what comes out is, “I’m sorry.”
    In the next moment he plucks my hand from my lap and brings it to his lips. He kisses my fingertips. I feel my body start to vibrate,