Untouched (Denazen #1.5)(16)

Almost a shame.

He dove again, this time whipping the sticks in a circular motion above his head. Spinning, he swung one end down to catch me behind the knees, but I arched my back and kicked up. Feet over head, I flipped back and landed safely out of range.

“Stand still, freak. The sooner I finish with you, the sooner I can get to know your girl.”

It was just talk to distract me, but it had the opposite effect. It brought focus instead. As if I’d ever let him get near Dez. He came again, the spinning sticks creating a slight breeze and making a whirring sound as he approached. He held them in front, which made it impossible for me to reach out to him.



“You’re really not the badass I expected.”

I didn’t reply.

He stopped swinging the sticks and came to a halt, looking me up and down. “You’re nothing!” he chuckled, then charged.

Just before he reached me, I bent at the waist and angled my right shoulder inward. It met his gut as I jerked my body upward, flipping him over my shoulder. As he went, I simply skimmed the side of his face with my fingertip. The look of horror was disturbingly satisfying as he crumbled inward, ashes scattering in every direction. “No, you’re nothing,” I muttered as I dusted him from my clothing. Particles fluttered to the ground.

And that was it. Either Kiernan hadn’t made it to the room yet, or she’d gone. The only people left in the room to worry about were Dez, me…and Samsen.

“I’m curious. How many people are you willing to kill to keep your freedom?”

“How many will it take?”

“What if I were to tell you I had an entire squad of agents just outside this building? What if I said they were waiting for you?”

“They’ll never take me back to Denazen. I would kill a thousand if I needed to.”

He nodded to Dez. “And for her?”

For her. To keep Dez from going to that place? “For her, I’d kill a million.”

Samsen stomped his feet and let out a loud hoot. “Well! Aren’t you a romantic? Come on, 98. Lemme see those baby blues. Look at me.”

I approached slowly from the right side, careful not to make any sudden movements. His command made my limbs twitch, but thinking of what he might do to Dez made it easier to ignore his voice.

“You’ve been living out in the world for how long now? A few months? I wonder—just how much have you experienced?” He turned his back and leaned close to Dez. I took a chance and dared to let my gaze rise several inches so I could see the back of his head. “I’m sure you’ve felt anger—you always were an angry little child—but what about jealousy?”



I started forward, a sick feeling in my gut, but Samsen held out a hand. He knew I was looking directly at him, but he didn’t turn to face me. The other hand wrapped around Dez’s shoulder and his shoulder shook with laughter. “Don’t come any closer. I may not be able to defeat you in a fight, but it’ll only take me a moment to snap her neck.”

I froze, knowing it was the truth. I could get to him, but not in time to stop him from hurting her.

Satisfied, Samsen sighed. “Dez. Since 98 doesn’t want to play…”

Something inside me came very close to breaking.

“I’d like for you to…”

The almost melodic tone of his voice turned my stomach. Unwanted memories, dark and sick, came rushing from behind the wall where they’d been stored. Things I swore never to revisit surfaced, causing every nerve in my body to twitch.

“Stop!” The scream ripped from my throat like it was made of a thousand tiny pieces of glass.

My body waged war on my brain. It demanded I move. Dissolve the distance between us and end his existence with a single brush of my skin. Yet I remained rooted.

In that moment, I understood something Dez’s ex-boyfriend Alex had said to me as we fought the night of Sumrun. Seconds before he stabbed me, he’d smiled and said, It might feel like she’s your biggest strength, but in some ways, she’s also your biggest weakness.

It made sense now. And it was true.

Chances were I could easily make it across the room to Samsen before he hurt her, yet there was a small voice in the back of my brain whispering, What if you don’t? Hesitation and uncertainty. These things were rooted deep in my subconscious because of all she meant to me. There were few things I wouldn’t gamble with. Dez was one of them.



“Your girlfriend might be cute, but this isn’t about her, 98. It’s about you and me and what you owe me. Revenge.” His voice deepened. “Look at me.”

I kept my eyes on Dez and held my breath. His voice—the command behind it—was getting harder to resist.

Samsen sighed. “If you don’t look at me, I’ll make her do something bad. Something you’ll never wipe from that broken thing you call a brain.”

I didn’t mean to do it. It was part shock and part fury.

I looked up and our eyes met, Samsen’s previous control over me slamming back to full strength. It hit hard, turning my knees rubbery and sending cold waves of fear rushing through my body.

He’d won.





10


“Now, now. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” He snapped his fingers. “Stay where you are.”