Untouched (Denazen #1.5)(19)

I smiled and reused the phrase she had said at the house when she’d seen Dez’s ability. “That’s some wicked trick.”

Dez laughed. The sound made the air flow freely through my lungs. I’d come so close to losing her.

“What do you say we blow this place?” Kiernan said. “I’ve had enough amusement park fun to last the rest of my natural life.”

“Oh, come on. This was…interesting,” Dez said to her, starting toward the steps.

Kiernan snorted. “Interesting. Right. I’d love to see your idea of super-awesome fun...” She turned to wink at me.

Dez made a move to follow, but something caused her to stumble. She went down, missing the edge by inches.

“Get back here, you little bitch,” Samsen growled. He’d extended his arm, his fingers wrapped around her ankle. There was a gash across his forehead that disappeared into his hair. A trail of blood trickled down the side of his face, making him look even more crazed than normal. “I’m not—”

I stomped down, crushing his wrist under the heel of my shoe. Bones snapped. The rest of his sentence was swallowed by an anguished scream. Withdrawing his hand, he let go of Dez’s ankle and cradled his fingers close.

I advanced, hitting him again with my gloved hand. I’d lost the left when we ran from Samsen, but still had the right. The blow landed at his throat, causing him to choke and gag on the words he was trying to get out.



“Get to the ground,” I hissed as Dez got to her feet and moved closer to the stairs. She hesitated momentarily, looking from me to Samsen, before finally nodding. She understood that I needed to deal with this alone.

As soon as she was at the bottom with Kiernan, I turned to Samsen. He’d gotten to his feet and was trying to back away, still trying—and failing—to speak.

“You said I owed you—you’re wrong. You owe me.” I brought my right leg up and kicked out hard. It caught him in the gut and he stumbled back with a grunt, teetering to the side while struggling to catch his breath.

Still favoring his wrist, Samsen jerked away as I brought my foot down again, narrowly managing to avoid the blow. He drew both legs in and scooted back along the platform to put some distance between us, and I followed, unrelenting.

Everything faded into the background. All that remained was me—and the twisted, hateful creature that took so much pleasure in seeing others suffer. For the first time, I wasn’t worried about his ability. The fury in my chest had exploded.

I shot forward and grabbed a handful of his shirt. Afraid. The man who had forced so much death on the world—had taken so much pleasure in it—was afraid. Could this really be the thing of my nightmares? This sniveling, groveling creature trying to beg for mercy?

Pulling him up, I avoided his eyes and brought my elbow down across his throat again, this time harder. He sputtered and coughed, gasping for air. If he couldn’t breathe, then he couldn’t talk. If he couldn’t talk, then he was truly powerless. I needed to take that away from him. His power. A man like Samsen was nothing without it.



He was right. I’d been an angry child. And over the years, that anger had grown and become rooted deep inside. Every cruel thing Samsen and Denazen did—every cruel thing they made me do—had fed it. Fostered its growth and made this moment inevitable. I’d pushed it down and blocked it away, but now, finally having Samsen’s fate in my grasp, it broke free like an unstoppable force.

This. This was what I’d never wanted Dez to see. My true inner self. Because it was blackness and rage and parts made of death and violence. It wasn’t all I was, but it remained a large part and always would. Where Dez brought out the light, Samsen brought out the darkness.

“You used to tell me I didn’t deserve to live. That I was nothing but an animal to train and use.”

His eyes went wide, and he shook his head, frantic. Sounds came from his mouth, but no actual words. Only more coughing.

I spun us around and positioned him at the edge of the platform. He teetered, the only thing keeping him from drifting back and over was my hand on his shirt. “Were you wrong? Is that what you’d like to say?”

He tried to speak again but could only nod enthusiastically.

I leaned in, getting dangerously close to his face, and shook my head. Warmth radiating from his skin made me uncomfortable, the throbbing of his pulse so excessive that I could almost feel it against my own skin. In his ear, I whispered, “You were right about Denazen not making me a monster.”

I pulled back so I could look into his eyes. Eyes that had haunted my entire childhood. They held no sway over me now, and the freedom I felt in that moment was second only to the touch of Dez’s lips. “But you were wrong about having to push me over the edge. There’s no need, because I’ve already gone over. You made me a monster, Samsen. Now the only thing left to do is give you a glimpse of how all your hard work has paid off.”



“Don’t—touch…” he managed to choke out.

I laughed. It was a horrible sound that burned in my throat. It caused the darkness to explode in my chest as the last vestiges of control slipped away. “I have no intention of touching you, Samsen. That’s too easy. Too fast and merciful. Why should you be shown mercy when you don’t even know what it truly is?” I took a deep breath, resigned. “No. I won’t have your stink on me.”