Laika's Void: a short novel

In a world where touch brings oblivion, a girl with hands that make things vanish must decide if her power is a curse-or salvation. Nine-year-old Laika has spent her entire life within the walls of a secretive hospital run by religious fanatics, where her deadly touch is contained by milk cartons tied around her hands. When a burned boy named Helio arrives and discovers that Laika's touch reveals his inner light instead of destroying him, their unusual powers set in motion a dangerous chain...