Dead With A Touch (Still editing)

Chapter 1

I run, making sure Kai is keeping up with me. I see a small patch of shade on the horizon and head towards it. We get there and collapse in exhaustion, panting and gasping for air. "How do you run so fast, Kat? You're about as fast as a lion!" Kai exclaims. "You run quite fast too! I'm actually quite surprised that you even kept up with me! Here, have some water." I insist. "But what about you?" she asks. "I'll be fine for a few more hours." I say as I pass her the bottle, half full with water. She has a few gulps, then falls asleep, her beautiful wavy blonde-brown hair flowing around her face like a field of gold.

I wander around, collecting some dry pieces of wood for a fire, as night is falling. I set the wood in a pile, place my hands onto the dry wood and concentrate on making a fire. The wood bursts into flame, and I step back. I've never really liked fire. Kai somehow helped me work my courage up to use my fire conjuring. You see, I'm half demon. My mother was human, but my father was a demon. They both died when I was about 8 years old. How they died? They both got burnt because the public found out that my father was a demon, and they must have thought that my mother was a witch. I was away at the park when that happened, so I didn't know what was happening. When I returned, I was chased out of the town and I've been running for 7 years now.

I wake with a start. I can hear voices. Far away, but getting closer. Hastily, I wake Kai. "Wake up!" I hiss in her ear. She sits up and rubs her eyes. 'What's going on?' she asks tiredly. "We need to move. People are coming." I say as I scatter the burnt remains of our fire. Kai is instantly awake. "Let's go, then!" she says as she jumps up and grabs her pack. I grab mine and we start to walk along the dry, cracked ground.

That night, I wake Kai at midnight, so she can keep watch. Now we know that people are nearby, it can't hurt to keep watch at night. I go to sleep, but wake to hands grabbing me roughly from behind. My eyes fly open, and I see Kai, bound and gagged. Her pretty green eyes are wide with fear. I feel responsible for this happening. People are always hunting me down. It wasn't Kai's fault he was with me. She didn't deserve for this to happen to her. "I'm sorry, Kai! You don't de-" The last words I say are muffled out by the rough hands gagging my mouth. Our captors must know about my gift/curse, as they make sure that they never touch my skin as they bind me. One man picks me up with ease and puts me next to Kai. "Kat. Listen to me. These people are dangerous. Watch what you say. Follow orders. Only speak when instructed to. Do all of this, and they won't hurt you. I'll get you out of this mess. I promise." he mutters in a gentle voice as he tightens my bonds. "Amarl! Hurry up over there!" calls another, much sterner voice. Amarl. Where do I know that name? I thought. No. it couldn't be... I glance at the young man who the older one called Amarl. He has tanned skin, tousled brown hair and deep black eyes, and he looks around my age, 15. He looks just like the Amarl I knew as a child, except a lot thinner and taller. But. . . I thought he had died. 

The journey is bumpy, rough and not at all comfortable. Kai and I are shoved in the back of a small truck. Amarl and another young man sat with us. Amarl is told to keep an eye on Kai, and the other young man gets told to watch me. While we are driving, I start to notice some disturbing details about Amarl and the other young man. There are scars on their faces and arms, some more new-looking than others. They both look half starved, and really tired. Amarl has faint purple-blue bruises around his neck. Amarl mutters something in Kai's ear. Probably what he told me. The young man that is watching me gets a piece of paper and writes on it:

Is what Amarl told me true? Are you really half demon?

He gives me the slip of paper and a pen to write my reply. Yes. It is true. Do not be worried. I will not intentionally hurt you. But do not touch my skin directly. Unless you also have demon blood, you will die. I write as my reply. It's all true, and the man looks at me in horror and fear. I hold my hand out for the paper and pen again. Just so you know, Amarl has demon blood too. But he does not have the same power as me. I write and give it to the young man. He looks at Amarl in fear. Amarl turns around, sees that cheeky look in my eyes and grins at the other young man, showing his small fangs. The look on the young man's face is priceless. Amarl, Kai and I start laughing. Just then the truck stops. All four of us shut up and put on straight faces. The young man stuffs the note in his pocket and shoots Amarl an I'll-kill-you-later look as the doors of the truck open. The older man is standing there. "Amarl. Markel. Bring them two. We're going to see the boss."

Amarl looks worried as he shoves Kai out of the truck, Markel pushing me out after them. The older man is marching out in front. He stops us just outside a pine wood door and walks in. A few moments later, he comes out. "He cannot see you right now. You will wait for him in the dungeons." Kai and I are taken underground to some slimy cell and are shoved in, the bars shut and locked behind us. Amarl slips me a note and only after they are gone do I read it with Kai looking over my shoulder.

I will try to convince Markel that you and I are friendly. I will also try to get time off work to get you out. Stay safe. AMARL

"Great. We're stuck in a cell who knows where with a person called Amarl who we don't know is helping us. Why do you trust him Kat? We only just met him! For all we know he could be trying to get us into more trouble!" Kai said when she gets the gag off her mouth. "Kai. I've met Amarl before. I thought he'd died when my parents did, but here he is. Look. I trust him, even if you don't. I've known him since we were 5 years old." I reply after I get mine off. Then I start feeling the walls for a sharp piece of metal for me to cut our bonds off. "Already found one!" comes Kai's voice from the other side of the cell. She cuts my bonds after doing her own.

"Silver. I should have known." Amarl says through the bars. "I'll try to get Markel down here to bust us through. I mean, he's completely human, right?"

"I think so. There's no trace of anything else around him."

"Good. Then he'll easily get through these things." Amarl glares in distaste at the bars.

"Well, well. Look here. Amarl couldn't be betraying us to help the demon could he?" comes a voice from behind Amarl. All of a sudden the blade of a silver dagger is at his throat.