A Touch of Death

by J. J. Dean

  A Touch Of Death

  By J.J. Dean

  Kindle Edition Copyright © 2019 J.J. Dean

  Cover Art Design 2019 by JODIELOCKS Designs

  Edited 2019 by Michelle Ann at Inked Imagination

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted material is illegal.

  This is fiction completely from the imagination. The people, places, and events are based on fictitious use.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Acknowledgements

  Author Links

  About J.J. Dean

  Dedicated to my Mama Bear.

  Chapter 1

  Novia

  Flashing memories assault my already broken mind, but I keep running. The trees of the forest rush by me and sharp rocks dig into my bare feet. Branches catch my naked flesh as I sprint, cutting my face and arms, while stinging brambles draw blood on my legs. They leave me with nasty looking scrapes on my once flawless skin. My lungs are screaming at me, needing even pulls of air that my pace simply won't allow.

  But I won't stop. I can't stop.

  I push my legs harder with every glimpse of my father’s face, eyes open and void of their usual spark, sprawled on the floor like a lifeless doll. I keep sucking in shallow, harsh lungfuls of air with every sound of my sister’s cries that echo in my head like a torturous soundtrack to my escape. With every image of my sister’s tears, the broken bodies in cages, and painful cries of my family and friends, I push my body to move faster and faster, further away from that place. The place that killed my only parent, that killed my sister. The place that killed the last of my kind.

  My chest feels like a weight is pressing down on it, and a choked cry falls from my lips. However, I can't stop. Not until I'm far enough away that they'll never catch me. I swore to my father I'd run. Before the light left his moss green eyes, he made me promise I'd escape, that I'd run away and never look back. I refuse to let him down.

  I have no idea how long I've been running, not a stitch of clothing covering my body, and my hair a wild mess of blonde waves. I didn't have time to find clothing before the opportunity to escape presented itself. My dignity is long lost after being forced to stay naked throughout the time I spent at the facility where we were kept. They wouldn't clothe us, barely fed us - only enough to keep us alive - and kept us in dingy cages that I wouldn't use for a dog. Clothing was the last thing on my mind when the guard on patrol made his mistake and left the room for his regular cigarette.

  I managed to unlock my cage without alerting the guards or higher ups. It was a waiting game until I could finally burst out of my cage and help my people out of theirs. What I didn't expect was the Top Psycho to arrive before I could escape and kill the last of the fae that were still fighting, still hanging on to their lives. Why I wasn't killed too is a mystery to me, but by the time the massacre had come to an end, I was the only living being left in a cage. In the quiet of the room, my thundering heartbeat was almost easy to hear, but my father’s raspy voice reached me before he died.

  Novia, you find a way out and run. Run for your life, and don't you dare look back.

  I'd been planning on making a great escape for a while, but I never expected I'd have to make it alone. My family should be by my side, escaping with me. Not lying in disgusting cages, lifeless and left to rot.

  My breath catches again, and a new round of fresh tears pour down my dirt-caked face. Pain laces the muscles in my legs, and my arms ache with the strain of pushing my body faster than I've ever run before, but my heart hurts the most. Every scratch, cut, and bruise is nothing compared to the crushing agony that the loss of my family and people has left, burrowed deep into the depths of my chest. I shake my head to rid myself of those thoughts when I feel myself slow down. There's no time to start slacking now. I've come too far to get caught again by those sick bastards. I'll die a hundred times over before they can sink their filthy claws into me a second time.

  I push my body even harder. The wind whips at my face with a ferocity that would make my eyes water if I weren't still crying. My feet are burning due to the torn skin from the jagged stones I've had to run over, and the cuts along my arms and legs are thrumming with a dull ache as though they have a pulse of their own. I don't know how much longer I can keep running at this pace. Don't know how much longer I can keep going at all. I can feel my entire body beginning to shut down, rebelling against my rapid flight. Breathing is growing increasingly difficult, each inhale becoming sharper than the last with every passing second. I don't want to let Dad down, but there's only so long I can keep this up.

  When I escaped, the sun was just beginning its descent, the orange and pink hues in the sky growing darker, fading into the night’s dark blues and black. Now the sky is at its darkest, and large shadows litter the forest like they've made a home for themselves here. The only reason I haven't crashed headfirst into a tree yet is because of my genetics. The same traitorous genetics that found me held captive in that heinous testing facility.

  I stiffly shake my head before more images of my people filter into my brain. When I do, I notice a small clearing. The trees and bushes hide it well enough, but with my eyesight being exceptionally good in the dark, I can spot it easily. I veer to the right, moving with a new burst of energy that has me sprinting like I'm running a marathon and shooting for gold.

  Bursting through the opening, my eyes scan the area quickly. My gaze catches a large boulder placed next to an even bigger lump of stone, all cast in the dark shadows of the trees above. I rush towards the boulder, and a choked sound leaves me when I see a small space between the two chunks of rock. I hunker down between them, thanking all that is merciful that I'm as skinny as a beanpole and can easily fit in the small space.

  The darkness surrounds me like a comforting blanket, and I can finally heave in the ragged breath my lungs so desperately need. My breathing is too loud, overpowering the silence of the night and the rustling of leaves when the breeze catches them. I work hard to even out my breathing, reveling in the way the sharp tightness in my chest unravels to a bearable ache. I slide further into my hiding spot and tuck my knees close to my chest, resting my head on them while I continue to gain back the ability to breathe properly.

  After what feels like hours, I can breathe without trouble. My heartbeat has steadied, and exhaustion c
rashes over me. The aches and pains all over my body make themselves known, every move or twist of my body causing me to groan out in pain. I don’t dare move much more, though. While I was running, I did as my father asked. I never looked back once. Meaning I have no idea if I've been followed. I didn't hear noises of pursuit from behind me, but that's not to say I wasn't followed.

  Instead of attempting to push my aching body further, I settle down for the remainder of the night, curling into myself to become as small as possible. I tilt my head on my knees, making sure I'm able to listen to everything around me. The forest is quiet, and the tension in my body slowly seeps out of me and into the ground. Around my feet, small daisies sprout up from the dirt. I'd smile if I had the energy or willpower to make the small gesture. Instead, I close my eyes and listen to the forest. Leaves rustle and the wind whistles, with the scurrying of tiny feet adding to the lullaby of the night, easing me into a restless slumber.

  The snap of a twig suddenly wakes me.

  My head shoots up so fast I feel dizzy for a brief moment. The darkness has started to lighten, and I can see the sky through the branches and leaves morphing into a lighter blue. It's morning. I slept the rest of the night away.

  The loud shuffle of foliage on the ground has my body turning rigid. My heartbeat picks up the pace, thundering heavily in my chest, and my awareness sharpens so much that I can sense everything around me. The movement is coming from the opening of the clearing, slow and steady like a...a hunter searching for its prey. Shit. No. They can't have found me already. No!

  I hold my breath as I listen, tracking the movements of whoever has found my clearing. I curl myself tighter into my hiding spot, thankful for the shade that still surrounds the boulders. The sound of shuffling feet comes closer and closer, and my breath stills in my lungs. My hands grow clammy, and a bead of sweat trickles down my spine. I wait and wait, knowing I'm seconds away from being caught, hauled back to that hell hole, and my efforts of escape rendered futile. A sharp pang under my ribcage has tears forming in my eyes. I've failed my father. I've failed on the last promise I made him, and now I'll be forced to suffer the rest of my days at the hands of my family's murderers.

  I hang my head in defeat and listen as the footsteps grow closer. I wait...and wait. My eyebrows scrunch in confusion. Whoever is searching for me surely would have found me already. The sounds of my tracker’s footsteps stop at the boulder I'm cowering behind. All they need to do is look over the surface of the rock, and they'll find me. So why am I not being hauled from my hiding spot and dragged back to my own personal version of Hell?

  Slowly as to not make any noise, I lift my head to look above me. My breath lodges itself in my throat when I come face to face with the Top Psycho's second in command, Davis. His face is bathed in shadows, but the gruesome scar that mars his face is easy to recognise. The blemish cuts along his face diagonally, crossing over his eye and nose, and stops at his chin on the opposite side. The eye his scar crosses over is blue and cloudy, the loss of sight making the eye lifeless and empty. The other eye is dark, so dark the iris almost looks black. His thin-lipped mouth is drawn down in a frown, and his eyebrows are pinched together. He looks...confused.

  I watch him carefully, noting the way his good eye flickers around my hiding spot. His gaze grazes over where I’m sitting, but he makes no move to grab at me. It's... it’s almost like he can't see me. Wait. Could I have-

  Lifting my hand slowly, I flick my eyes to my arm without moving my head. Or, at least my eyes flicker to where my arm should be. I could actually cry with relief if I knew it wouldn’t give my position away. This is the first time I’ve been able to use one of my abilities in five years. Ever since being at the facility, I'd only been able to use my gifts when those bastards allowed it. I don't know how they managed to suppress them, but they seem to be in working order now that I’m free.

  Knowing I'm invisible to the bastard hunting me, I wait him out. With a renewed fervour for making my getaway, I keep myself as still as the stones I'm hiding between. My breathing is slow, steady streams of air through my nose as not to make a noise. Eventually, Davis growls and leaves my spot. I hear his feet trudge around the clearing, a cuss word flung from his mouth when he comes to a dead end, and eventually the sound of his feet retreating the way he came. I wait a while longer, listening to his feet move further and further away until I can no longer hear the sound of his boots against the forest floor.

  Making sure I'm still invisible, I lift myself from my hiding spot and look around. The clearing is empty, and the muddy ground holds several footprints from where Davis trudged around searching for me. I stay still for a brief moment, confirming that I really am alone. When the only sound to penetrate the quiet is crunching of deadened leaves beneath my feet and the chirps of birds in the trees, I bolt for the small opening on the opposite side of the clearing. A burst of adrenaline has me racing through the forest once more. New scratches mar my skin, but I ignore them while my heart pounds furiously under my ribcage. My breath comes quickly, my chest quickly rising and falling the faster I run.

  Just as I think I’m almost safe and getting further away from the danger, a sequence of twigs crack and splinter far behind me. The sound grows louder, and I know the danger is gaining on me, regardless of how fucking fast I'm going. I look at my hand and realise my invisibility is wavering, my body coming in and out of sight. Shit. I don't have enough energy to keep this going. With a curse, I drop the invisibility, needing to preserve my energy for running.

  More twigs snap, and bushes rustle. Heavy footsteps thud behind me, sounding closer and closer. I know it like I know my own name that Davis is chasing me through the forest. He's faster than me, and it won’t be long until he finally catches up.

  I jump over rocks and fallen logs, winding my way around the forest while my heart tries to crash through my ribcage. Davis' presence grows stronger behind me, but I keep going. I can't let him catch me. I won't let him.

  I take a sharp turn to the left and sprint as fast as my thin legs can go. I risk taking a look behind me and see Davis trip over a tree stump that had been hidden by foliage. It makes me move my legs faster, pushing myself to create more distance between me and the threat. I run and run, only to come to a sudden skidding stop just before I fall head first over the cliff I've found myself staring down. There's a large waterfall to the left of me, mist floating up from below where a large body of water lies.

  I look around, searching for a way to go or a direction that won't leave me stranded on the ledge of a big fucking waterfall with nowhere to run. The sound of thundering feet hits my ear drums before I find what I'm looking for. Dread pools in my stomach, and I slowly turn around in time to see Davis step through the trees. He stops a good distance away, holding his hands partially behind his back, but the gun in them doesn’t go unnoticed. I know those guns. They’re always filled with tranquilizers instead of bullets. Of course they are. He’d want me alive, given that I’m the only one who survived the Top Psycho killing every other being like me. They kept me alive for a reason. What would be the value of killing me now, right?

  With a shaking body, I risk another quick look around for a way to escape but come up empty. My risk costs me some distance between me and the hunter when Davis takes two steps closer to me. My body tenses, and I move back reflexively, the heel of my foot finding nothing but air as I get closer to the edge.

  "Now, now, pet. That was a stupid thing to do, wasn't it? Boss won't be happy that you tried to run away." Davis' voice sounds like nothing other than nails on a chalkboard to my frazzled nerves. I can't help but wince as he carries on talking. "I'm taking you back to the facility where we're going to keep you on lockdown. You won't escape again. We'll make sure of it."

  He advances, and I find myself close to panicking. My energy is depleted, so using any of my abilities isn't an option. Running won't do me any good with how fast Davis is. He'll catch me easily enough. Plus, where is there to go? There's nothing
but a waterfall behind me, and no open spaces for me to run through. The only option I have is to let Davis catch me or…

  Or jump.

  To jump would surely sign my death warrant, but I meant it when I said I'd rather die than let those scum ever capture me again. I'd rather die a free woman than suffer at the hands of those monsters again. I promised my dad I’d escape, and if death is my one way ticket to freedom, then I’m taking it.

  My resolve strengthening with every wary step Davis makes, I lift my chin high and loosen my shoulders. I move backwards a fraction, testing my weight on the ledge and gathering how far backwards I'll need to jump to hit the water below. Davis’ scrutinising gaze watches, and I can see the realisation hit him like a sucker punch when it clicks as to what I'm doing. Panic and rage flash in his eye before he lifts the gun, ready to aim.

  "Don't fucking think about it, pet. I'll shoot you before you jump. You'll die if you go over this cliff."

  A resigned calm settles over me. If I die, so be it. Dying would bring me more peace than living. Maybe I'll be with my family again. The rest of my people. I'll see my sister’s chubby cheeked smile that she never quite grew out of, my mother and father’s loving gazes, and feel the warmth of their embraces. Yes, death would be a thousand times better than whatever sick plans Davis and his boss have in store for me.

  With a sardonic smile, I tell him, "I'd rather die free than live captured. Eat shit, asshole."

  And then I'm falling.

  My hair flutters around my head and face, and my arms open wide, like an acceptance of my decision. A welcoming embrace for death.

  Through the rush of wind in my ears, I hear Davis yell, "Nooooo!" A sharp prick pierces my left shoulder, and a sudden numbness grows from where a dart pokes out of my skin. The bastard really did shoot me with a damn tranquilizer.

  Before I can panic, the sound of the crashing waterfall draws nearer, and then I'm hitting the water hard. The numbness of the dart has made its way over my torso, so the impact of water doesn't hurt as much as it would have. There’s a sharp sting on my legs and arms, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Suddenly, my body is submerged under water before I can take a breath, and my body is growing too numb for me to control my movements, leaving me stuck under the water. My lungs tighten, and the need to inhale is strong. With my body growing more numb by the second, I struggle to turn my body through the water. I’ve completely lost track of which way is up, and panic intensifies. My head begins to grow fuzzy from the lack of oxygen, and black spots appear in my vision like a warning that the thrashing water will be the last thing I see.