A Breath of Life: Life & Death Saga, #2

By

D. Love

A Breath of Life ©2015 by D. Love

http://authordlove.blogspot.com/

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events; to real people, living or dead; or to real locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.

Special Credits:

Cover Designer: Bookfabulous Designs

Photography: Axell | Photography

Model: Adam Carter

Editor: Melanie Williams

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This book is dedicated to all the readers out there: I will forever be your fan-girl. Thank you for taking a chance of my stories.

Also a special thank you to the best beta readers EVER: Marilyn Ortega, Lisa Markson, Tina Harrison, and Jessica Bolduc.

Other works by D. Love

Today Only now available

After Today now available

A Breath of Death (Life & Death Saga Book 1) now available

The Bailey Trilogy

Learning the Lies (Book 1 of The Bailey Trilogy) now available

Trading Lies for Truth (Book 2 of The Bailey Trilogy) coming in summer of 2016

Accepting The Love (Book 3 of The Bailey Trilogy) coming winter of 2016

Ready For You Co-authored with Madison Daniel Now available

Chapter One

Kate

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One eye opens, and I see a flickering light seeping under the door. With my heart racing, forcefully beating against my chest, I hunker down. Holding my arm tight to my side prevents it from moving and causing a fresh rush of pain. Exhaling through pursed lips, I attempt to force the fear from my body. Getting out while she was running errands was mandatory to avoid from ever being locked in this musty smelling closet again. Every day, I have the same dream of escaping. Only now, I have stopped believing that dream will ever come true because here I sit in the same position, in the same place. Locking me in here is her pattern, one she utilizes whenever she's not using me as her tool or beating me.

Waking up in a panic, I clench my chest, so it doesn't burst from fear. This is the first time I have had this dream in months. It must still be night because my eyes are open, yet it’s so dark in my room. Panting rapidly, my body is freezing. Reaching around and tapping the ground beside me to find my blanket, I hear and feel myself smacking water. I then get a whiff of the air; it smells like a mixture of mildew and rust. Before I can halt it my heart starts thumping even harder. Pushing each arm out, my hands smack the walls.

Turning my head to the left and then to the right, I’m still unable to see anything but darkness. Proceeding to try and stand only to be knocked back down when my head slams into the roof of wherever I am. I gasp so hard it hurts my throat.

Where am I? Reaching out in front of me, I start beating with my hands. Help! My hands trail down the wall in front of me to see if I can find a door knob; however, there is nothing. My panic brings screams. Help!

No one returns my cry. Wiping my hair out of my face, I can feel my tears falling. A tremble starts rising up my body, and I realize I am sending myself into a panic attack. I try to gain composure, but it doesn’t work. I’m petrified.

Trying to think back to how I got here, my mind recaps to the demise of Kole. Kole’s dead. Panic crawls higher up my throat now. After he died from protecting me when Dom attacked us, I had to get out of the house. Bridget was standing by my door. I threw myself in her embrace, and she me told me how much she loved me. She offered to help me if I needed it, also asking me if I wanted to go for a walk to clear my head. Telling her yes, we left.

Racking my brain, I try to remember what happen after that, only my mind is blank. The last thing I can remember is being in the woods and seeing Bridget walk in front of me trying to say something that I couldn't hear or understand.

Oh, no, no, no ... Bridget. That sends me into a full panic attack. Beating on the walls harder, I scream to the top of my lungs. Bridget, where are you?

I begin crying; whoever has me also has her. She’s the only one I have left, and she is probably hurt too. It’s all because of me, just like Kole’s death was. The last few months my life has changed drastically. After losing the first twenty-two years of my life, I began a new one with the last two years in the same routine. Bridget rescued me, giving me a home and helping me get my GED, and I was hopeful of getting my first job. That’s when Price found me and took me from my repetitious life, including Bridget. Now I know Leo is my father, and I also learned who my mother was and that she is dead.

Again, I start beating the walls. Help me, please. I’m startled when someone kicks the door and the echo rings throughout the box, or whatever I’m in. I beat back, begging for them to help me, only to have them kick it again.

Where am I? Who’s out there? No one replies back. Sliding my hands across the floor again, there’s about an inch of water covering it. Raking my fingers along the bottom to see if I can dig a hole to get out, I feel splinters sliding underneath my nails. There is no way I will be able to dig myself out of here with only my hands. My lungs begin to tighten again, constricting my breathing. I start beating on the walls again, praying somebody will hear me.

I’m alone, trapped, and breathless.

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Waking up freezing, the memories of where I am comes flooding back. Hearing the bolts on the door slide, it’s followed by a loud screeching noise that meets my ears as it opens. Hope and fear races through me at the same time. A hand reaches in, grabbing my hair and pulling me out. My body drags across the floor catching on something sharp, ripping the skin off my thigh. Once I’m out, I hear someone gasp and their touch becomes tenderer. Scrunching my eyes, I rapidly throw my hands over them to block the brightly shining sun. Gradually, my eyes adjust and I look up to find a tall guy hovered over me. He has green eyes and broad shoulders, and for some reason he is wearing a sad smile. I start to say something, but he places his finger over my lips to hush me. Grabbing my hands, he pulls me up. I must have been locked away for days because my legs are weak and shaky. As my body sways, he catches me and immediately braces me. He uses his chest to support my back, and as I lean against him, I see Bridget walk in.

Bridget! You’re okay. Pushing off his chest I try to walk near her, but my legs give out. Fortunately, he catches my body before I hit the ground. Approaching me she lifts her hand, smacking me so hard my head bobbles back and forth.

Bridget? I gasp, rubbing my face in shock.

Max, remove me from this vile body before she calls me that stupid name one more time, and I kill her myself.

Max helped you because he was in love with you. Shock engulfs me as Kole’s voice echoes in my mind from the day he told me about a guy named Max. Glancing back at the guy holding me and I think to myself, How could this possibly be him? I listen to him say a few unfamiliar words as Bridget’s body falls to the ground and another woman forms to life. She’s a perfect picture of beauty with salt and pepper hair, a tall hourglass shape with huge grey eyes, and bright red lips. Crossing her arms, she taps her long black pointed fingernail continuously against her forearm.

All right, Max, let’s get this over with. Do the test. Max eases away from me, reaching in an old ragged blue bag and pulling out a huge grey rat.

The woman walks over, grabbing my arm. Breathe and kill it now. Or die, she demands. When I don't comply, she shakes me by my arm. Now, or I will kill you.

I do as she commands. I breathe on the rat, and it falls to the ground, just like everything else that I breathe on does. Then something snaps inside me. I turn my head, sucking in a deep breath, getting ready to blow it on her. Only, she realizes what I'm about to do and brings her elbow up striking me on the side of my head, knocking me to the ground.

Max, lock them both up.

In the same cage? Max questions.

Yes.

I don't think they will both fit, Agatha.

I don't care what you have to do, just make it happen, she snaps back and walks away.

Picking up Bridget, he lays her in first, and then returns for me. He scoops me up and places me inside, sitting me on Bridget’s leg. I try shuffling around to release her leg.

Listen to me, Kate. You will have ten minutes unprotected. Call out to Price using your mind. Tell him you're at the Witch River in the animal trap, he whispers. I try to ask him a question, but he shakes his head backing away from the door, closing it. Before the door shuts completely, he holds up ten fingers.

Price, you need to help us. He doesn't respond and probably won’t since I was so rude to him before. Price, please. I’m sorry for what I said after Kole died. We need you.

Kate! My God, where are you? Price earnestly asked.

We are at the Witch River in the animal trap. Please hurry! I replied.

We are on our way. Who has you? Dom?

No, Agatha does. Please, just hurry. I only have a few minutes before the shield goes back up. Wanting to make sure he understood, I called, Price? Are you still there? Not answering me back, I assume the shield must be back up. Adjusting Bridget so that her head isn’t lying on the wet ground, I gently place it on my lap. Now, I guess we wait.

Chapter Two

Price

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Kate, just hang on. We’ll be there soon. I know right where you are. Keep your mind open to me please. Kate? Can you hear me?

Damn it, I lost her. I hit the wall with my fist and pain shoots through my arm. Leo! Shouting, I run through the house trying to find him. I find him coming out of the training room wearing different clothes. He is wearing all black with a belt of knifes on his waist and his sword strapped to his back, while kicking a bag the rest of the way out the door.

Kate contacted me. She’s at the Witch River. We need to go, now.

All right Price, at least throw on your clothes and get your knife.

My heart starts pumping rapidly with excitement that we now will be able to find Kate. Truthfully, I got excited when she reached out to me. I thought for sure she had left and would never return after Kole died.

Leo and I have been frantically searching for them since we found out they were gone. He was sure that they left and went to Bridget’s because she was so distraught over his death. We drove over to check the house, but he was wrong, i t was empty. We continued our search in the woods, but again, found nothing. By the time we made it back to the house, the witches were gone. Kole’s body had been received by their higher powers through a ritual that they perform on the dead. I was caught by surprise with the amount of candles, flower petals, and people that filled the room then. Now, it’s as if no one or nothing was ever here.

We’re all prepared and equipped with armor as Leo motions for us to leave. Hold on. I need to grab Ella, just in case Kate needs help and we’re unavailable, Leo explains.

Jumping in the jeep, I’m already dreading the long hour drive it’ll take us to get to