The First Touch (26 page)

Then he asked
, “
Why are you having trouble standing? And why have your eyes not change
d?” Autumn looked at Ivan and his
eyes remained glued to the ground, though he seemed to seriously be struggling with his decision, as he was beginning to shake
in his seat
. Autumn swore to herself then realizing
that she was on her own. S
he looked up at
fire hands who was watching her closely now, still turning the pebble in his hands. She answered shrugging and trying to sound casual, “I just awoke yesterday. At least I think it was yesterday? I am not sure the days and nights are still blurring together.”

The large man looked disbelieving
, “
You should be able to stand.”

Then he shot back over his shoulder to fire hands, “You said her eyes had changed.”

Fire hands shot back angrily
, “
They were changed when I left her last.”

Autumn spoke then defending him, “They change when I am in danger.” All eyes were now on her, even the ones that she had wanted so badly to see.

Ivan’s eyes were blood shot and red rimmed and
Autumn
found the effect disheartening. His look was a warning but she was not sure why. He averted them quickly again and
Autumn
almost lost her balance then.

Th
e large man waved at another
who appeared from behind a door to the left then. He was yet another excellent example of the male gender. He had red hair and bright green eyes with mutton chops framing high cheek bones and a strong jaw line. He did not seem to notice
Autumn
until no
one seemed to notice him
. Then he turned to see what all of the fuss was about and his jaw dropped. The large man continued then ignoring the man, “Not until danger?”

Fire hands spoke up then, “Her eyes did not change until after I set Gregory on fire.”

The red head interjected then sounding cheerful now, “You set Gregory on fire eh?”

Fire hands replied reluctantly, “He tried to hurt the girl.” All eyes were now on him and he shrugged then added, “I didn’t kill him, I just singed him a bit.” The big man said something in a foreign tongue to a guard and he disappeared.

The big man looked at
Autumn
again with softer eyes now and asked c
autiously, “Is that why she can
not stand?”

Fire hands answered a little quieter, “I do not think so. I stopped him before he was able to accomplish what he had come for, though his sent was all over her.” The two women seemed to understand first, sucking in and shaking their heads
disgusted
.

The blond spat
, “
You should have killed him
Drake
.” Everyone else seemed to agree nodding in approval to the statement.

Ivan sat silently still trembling
with the rage building in his chest gripping his chair so tightly that he looked as though he might burst. Autumn could feel it and it gave her a feeling of power over her current predicament. If Ivan was angry then he cared about her still, which meant that she was going to be alright. Autumn
’s
wide smile broke on her face as she looked at the faces that now looked at her as if she were an idiot. The blond asked curiously her perfectly formed eyebrows arching slightly, “Why are you smiling?”

Autumn turned her head and decided that the truth was the best, “When I get better, I can track him down and kill him and no one will stop me.”

All of their eyes were wide except
Drake
’s; he smiled still turning the rock in his hand. Then red head broke into a wide smile as well, standing as if on cue and walked towards
Autumn
saying, “I like her already.” He stood and walked over to stand in front of
Autumn
and said placing his hand on her shoulders shaking her lightly, “Are you ready love?”

“I guess.” Ivan hissed his disapproval instantly though still not looking at
Autumn
, “She can barely stand I hardly think you could say that she is ready for this test Henry.”

Helen hissed back instead, “Trying to protect your pet are you Ivan?” Ivan growled nearly jumping from his chair to tear her apart, when the pretty blond began to hum softly and Ivan sat back in his chair again.

His growling did not cease
,
though his eyes closed and then he returned to his initial state of looking at the floor again, breathing heavily. Autumn scowled at the blond and stepped closer to her sending more hisses from the crowd this time aimed at her. She stopped her advance, as Henry stood and gestured for Flanagan to begin the test. Then she breathed her warning in the cold voice that came from behind her eyes, “If Ivan is harmed, I will kill you all.”

The echo that followed it was omnivorous and eerily familiar to
Autumn
.
The silence that followed her declaration was deafenin
g, and
Autumn
closed her eyes and
shook her head clearing the cold from her mind. She tasted the blood in her throat at the effort that it
took to push it back this time
it was strong and hungry now after waiting so long to be released. When she looked up she saw the surprise on all but one of their faces. Ivan was shaking in his chair his eyes closed tightly
still
fighting against himself.

Flanagan finally replied his eyes still wide, “Well, I think she is ready to test.” Henry nodded and gestured again not taking his eyes from
Autumn
as he did this time. The red head began to form someth
ing with his hands though she
could not see anything. He began stacking it
on
top of an invisible wall, one brick at a time.

Autumn asked puzzled, “What are you doing.”

The red haired man replied seriously now, “You should put your game face on if we are going to play.”

She looked puzzled and whispered, “Game face.” She looked at the ground pacing while trying to bring the cold on. Suddenly the idea hit her and she stopped
pacing and she looked at Drake
eyeing him cautiously.

Autumn asked softly then, “
Drake
?” He looked up at her his eyes still glazed and she asked timidly, “Could I see the
flame again?” He raised his eye
br
ow and she
added logically, “I think it will help me to bring it out.”
Drake
hesitated then and she dropped her gaze staring at the ground feeling foolish again. Though she knew it was better than the alternative which was attacking Blondie and setting off a chain reaction that she knew that she could not
yet control
. Ivan might get hurt, she reminded herself and she could not live with that.

The red head saw her reaction and then looked at
Drake
encouraging him, “You heard the lass, bring on the fire.”
Drake
sat up slowly and his hands blazed brightly for a moment and then he chucked the now smoldering pebble at
Autumn
She moved lightning fast and felt her skin ice over as she stared at the burning pebble. All of them watched her in alarm, even
Drake
, who seemed pleased by her changed state.

The red head watched her change and smiled mischievously as he finished building what appeared to be a wall of energy. He formed them from thin air like bubbles that he plucked from
the air. Now that she had her game face
on she could see them, glowing fire lined squares that he carefully laid
,
one on top of the other. He finished by balling up his hand into a
fist
and then throwing a glowing ball at
her,
hitting her square in the chest. It hit her so hard that it knocked her across the room
,
slamming her back into the wall fifty feet behind her. Ivan was on his feet instantly although no one seemed to notice but
Autumn
.

She stood and brushed the ash from her chest, “I wasn’t expecting that.” Ivan slowly sat back as
Autumn
smiled looking at the red head, “I mean I was expecting, burning pain or something.” Then she leaned down and picked up the energy ball and chucked it back at the red head. It narrowly missed
his noggin
and set the drapery behind him on fire.

He turned and looked at the drapery, his eyes wide and then
he
smiled incredulously, “It doesn’t burn your hands?”

She smiled and replied, “No it tingles a bit though, like holding something cold for too long.”

His next ball was lightening fast and
Autumn
just barely missed it. Her skin grew colder and the next ball missed her by a greater distance this time. Then after dodging a few more behind his energy wall, she finally landed
one
on the side of his head and set his red hair aflame.

Autumn closed the distance instantly
,
pulling her shirt from her body in one fluid movement.
In the process of coming to his aid
, she crashed though the energy wall as if it were tissue paper, sending gasps from the council. Then she tackled him putting his head out with her shirt. He stared at her gaping, the left side of his head covered in ash.

He sat up on his elbows
,
looking at the knocked over energy wall
,
whistling. Slowly he looked at her and then down at her breasts
, thankfully covered in a bra
and smiled wildly saying, “Now I can see why Ivan is so smitten by you love.” Autumn smacked him playfully and stood up sliding her hand out to help him up.

He took her hand without hesitation
,
br
ushing the ash from his hair as
Autumn
watched as his skin and hair grew back before her eyes. Then she asked
,
as he watched her put her ash covered shirt back on, “Do you all heal so quickly?” Flanagan smiled and nodded and
Autumn
turned towards the
group. The blond was still wide-
eyed like the others but she was also smiling. The red head said looking at his black eyed companion, “
Drake
you
a
r
e
up.”

The blond halted him then, “I want to go next.”

The red head huffed, “You will take all of the fun out of it Flora.”

Flora replied, “But at least she will not be in any real danger.” He shrugged in response and took his seat again.

Flora smiled and walked out to stand directly in front of
Autumn
Then she said sweetly, “I am going to sing you a song and I want you to try to resist it, alright?”

Autumn shot back, “What do you mean resist?” Flora smiled and then it twisted a little causing
Autumn’s
body to react. She found herself stepping back a few steps and then Flora opened her mouth again and began to sing a sweet son
g. The melody was familiar some
how and she found herself smiling and humming along with the tune. Then Flora began to walk closer and sing a little louder, the melody continuing its natural progression. There upon, Flora’s voice began to echo amplified to concert level filling the entire room with the sound of her pure voice.

Autumn stood her ground looking around assuming that if Flora were not going to attack then something else might. But nothing ever did
,
and eventually the song ended with a grand finish that dropped Flora to her knees shaking. Autumn walked over to Flora holding her hand out and said, “You have a beautiful voice. Was that it? I mean was it supposed to bring me joy or something?”

Flora stared flabbergasted as the red head clapped with joy, then asked
Autumn
playfully, “So you have no desire to scream? Or kill yourself?”

She looked puzzled and shook her head no then added, “Should I feel that way?”

He replied playfully, “It sure made me want to.”

Flora shot back, “Oh put a sock in it Flanagan.” Flora slid back into her seat glancing at her mate who exchanged a look with her. Then she looked at
Drake
and said, “Your turn.” Ivan moved to the edge of his seat with that declaration as
Drake
stood slowly and made his way to her. Autumn did not smile now and neither did
Drake
; all she could picture was Gregory screaming
,
his body a
flame
and him running from the room.
The only way that you can kill a vess
el is to behead it and burn it
. Drake
lit both of his hands at once and bent his knees read
y
ing himself for battle.