The First Touch (38 page)

She looked curiously at him, “Clan challenges?”

“Yes the eye chooses which clan that she wants to protect her. The last eye resided with our clan. The one before that resided with another clan.”

“So each eye challenges the previous?”

Grayton sighed, “
Yes,
only one eye at a time.”

“So the last ey
e challenged the one before her?
”

Grayton nodded and
Autumn
continued, “So then what happened to the last Eye?”

Grayton frowned, “The last eye killed herself after her mate died.”

“How did her mate die?”

“Another clan cornered him and killed him.”

She nodded solemnly, “They were trying to hurt her.”

“No they challenged him for the position, one at a time. He killed them all in the process though.”

She asked concerned
, “
What
position?”

Grayton replied non-
chelantly, “Her mate is highly regarded as well.”

She replied
,
looking concerned
, “
If one of them had won, would she have taken him as a mate?”

Grayton shook his head no, “She would not have taken them in. More than likely she would have killed them, but these males were arrogant and power hungry.”

She nodded sadly, “Power makes people crazy.”

Grayton replied sadly now, “As does love.”

“So if I am the eye then... I will have to worry about my own life, those that I love and my clan?” Grayton nodded yes,
then
Autumn continued
, “
So
then I shouldn’t get tested. T
he
n the
longer that no one knows what I am, or what I might be
,
keeping everyone safe
.”

Grayton frowned, “No. Everyone already knows that there is a candidate. They will become increasingly aggressive until you are tested. Since your disappearance all of the clans now know of your existence.”

“Who thought that was a good idea?”

Grayton frowned again seeming frustrated, “Ivan did
,”
then he added hopefully, “but he was only doing it to increase his chances of finding you before Mirth.”

She replied sourly, “Great Ivan. So then the only way to escape is to get killed then?”

“
If you are the eye then you can
not be killed.”

She looked hopeful, “Unless I kill myself.”

Grayton looked grey again
, “
If you do
that then Ivan will surely take his own life and
the council will
undoubtedly fall soon afterwards
.”

Autumn winced, “Y
ou think he would kill himself.”

“U
ndoubtedly
,
”
He replied unflinching.

“The bond thing?”
she asked.

Grayton nodded, “Yes, the bond thing.”

She asked
, “
So when Ivan changes into another male he can do what they can do?”

Grayton nodded, “It has been exceptionally helpful for us.”

She smiled to herself
, “
So any male huh?”

“Yes.”

Autumn looked thoughtful and then frowned, “I do not want you to tell anyone about the possible bond between Ivan and myself.” Grayton frowned,
as she continued,
“The less that other people know the better. I would like to keep him from harm as long as possible.”

Grayton nodded looking at her, “The council?”

She nodded her face deadly serious
, “
No one save you and me.”

Grayton sucked in air
, “
Ivan already suspects as do the others.”

She shrugged, “Tell them that I have not seen an apparition and that we have not slept together.”

He
nodded gravely
, “
But they may still suspect that you are the eye, in which case a few questions aimed at Ivan and it will be out.”

Autumn retorted, “I think I can keep my power repressed enough and still thwart all of the challenges.” Grayton lifted his eye brow skeptically, and she continued smiling, “I have already been through t
he testing once, save you, Henry
and Serena. I think I can handle the rest without incident.”

Grayton seemed confused then, “You have tested already?”

She smi
led and replied, “I had a dream
, I think.”

He
nodded
,
still in disbel
ief, Autumn smiled offering
, “
Ivan changes, Galen flies, Flora sings,
Drake
burns, Flanagan throws energy and can build a wall with it, Helen stinks, Henry is strong and tough.”

He
asked looking surprised and confused, “Helen stinks?”

She smiled, “Yes
,
horribly, she uses pheromones and in extreme cases a voice to zombie out others into willing slaves. That reminds me, I should eat again before I test, so that I will have less troubl
e with
Drake
during this run.”

Grayton frowned
, “
You had trouble with
Drake
?

She winced, “Not in the way that you think.” Grayton’s eye brow arched, and
Autumn
continued, “In my v
ision I sort of
…
ate
him.”

Grayton winced, “Yes we will see to it that you eat before you test.”
He
redirected the conversation, “What about his dream and the pain in both of your chests?”

Autumn thought for a moment and said, “I can explain the chest pain by explaining that I
can work like Helen,
only slightly different.”

“That will work, even the young man Travis has become quiet enamored with you.”

Autumn frowned for a moment, “Travis?”

“Yes, the first guard that you fed from.”

She replied waving her hand, “No I know who he is. I want to know how is he enamored, everyon
e else that I have fed from has
died.”

Grayton nodded looking at the table with glossy eyes, “He asks about you often, he is quiet obsessed, I think he is in love
as well
.”

She nodded looking preoccupied
, “
Humph, I will have to speak with him.”

Grayton nodded watching another couple pass by
, “
Yes that might be helpful.”

Autumn continued back on track now, “And as far as the dream... as long as Ivan does not tell anyone else and there is no reason that he should mention it.” She looked at Grayton and he nodded understanding,
as
she continued
her questioning, “Now that this
is settled, how many other clans, and what abilities do they hold?”

Grayton nodded and asked reaching out to hold her hand
, “
So then you will be tested
?”

“
Yes, until the bitter end, I need Ivan and you all need him as well, so we are in this mess together
it seems
.”

Grayton nodded smiling, and looking surprisingly relieved, “That is welcome news.”

Autumn smiled bitterly, “Well I will only be helpful if I am the eye. Otherwise I will die a horrible death in front of Ivan and the entire council.”

Grayton corrected, “And in front of all of the other clans.”

She nodded her eyes wide, “So all of them will be there?”

“It will be the only way that we can prevent the others from being killed.”

Autumn nod
ded again her voice cracking
, “
Grayton…
I
…I
don’t want to die.”

Grayton nodded, “Perhaps you should not keep Ivan in the dark.”

“No I do not want to get him killed.”

Grayton explained
, “He might be able to keep them at bay if you fall.”

“
No I would rather he think that I do not care and die alone than have him fall
and take down the rest of you
.”

Grayton took a breath looking devastated now, “This will be difficult.”

She looked stony, “No I have been keeping people at arms length for quiet some time, and I can be very convincing.”

“I am not as convincing.”

Her eyes blackened instantly, “You will not get your best friend killed, Grayton. You will not tell him or anyone else.”

Grayton nodded
,
and said softly, “Your eyes love.”

She slid a small hand mirror from her pocket and looked at her black
ened
eyes and smiled her toothy grin. Then she blinked a few times and they changed back. When she looked up from the mirror
, back at Grayton,
he smiled looking relieved. Then feeling an opportunity
s
he said
, “
I also think in order to seal the deal you should pretend to be in love with me.”

Grayton nearly choked, “What?”

Autumn replied still smiling innocently
, “
They might want proof that the bond is part of an allure like Helen’s gift. So when that time comes I want you to be the one that I kiss. Then you can pretend to be in love with me.”

Grayton breathed, “Ivan will kill me.”

She
replied still smiling, “No he won’t, I can stop him. Then he will think that I have the gift. That along with Travis’s story and we should be golden.”

He
replied shaking his head, “So many lies.”

She replied seriously, “To protect so many lives. Including your own I might add.”

Grayton huffed and then shot her a look. “Do you really think that I care about my own skin?”

She
smiled sympathetically then, “No I have been liste
ning to you over these past
years Grayton,
I
think I know you well enough. I just wanted to see the look that you gave Serena yesterday when she told you that she saw you holding a woman’s hand.”

He
scowled, “That is cruel.”

Autumn’s smile faded
, “
I am sorry love; truly, it was just a morbid curiosity that’s all. I just hear your voice night after night, and I wish well...I wish that I could see your face sometimes that’s all.”

He
seemed to melt then, “You still listen to me.”

Autumn smiled brightly, “Of course. I am sorry that I was wrong about Sophia, she was so lovely, and you have been alone for so long.” Her eyes teared up, “I ju
st wanted so badly for Sophia
to be your one, yo
u deserve it. It is a horrible
, how much pain you must feel.” The tears began streaming down her face now
, “
I know because I have felt the same as well for so long. And that is nothing compared to the years of torturous, loveless eternity that you have had. I am so sorry, that I was wrong.”
Her eyes were blurred by the tears but she welcomed his arms around her as sh
e whispered, “I am so sorry
. I didn’t mean to cause you more pain. I am so sorry I was wrong.”

Grayton
squeezed her tightly
,
murmuring,
“
Shh
h
, don’t cry love, it is alright.”

Autumn pushed her head into his chest then and breathed deeply. She did this tryi
ng to calm herself down, but received
a differen
t reaction from her body. She jerked
away sharply wiping her tears away and saw the surprise on his face. She avoided his gaze
,
guiltily trying hard to
calm herself down and murmured, “You smell good.” Grayton looked at her confused watching her closely.

Autumn cursed
, “
You smell good.” Then she took a few more steps back, “I have to go I don’t think I will be
able to stop this one.” He
stepped forward and she raised her hand stopping him. “In my vision
Drake
smelled good too
.
”

Grayton seemed to understand then and replied
remembering
, “You said that you just ate.”

S
he nodded and hissed
and then cursed
, “
I did. I have to go. I will stop by your
home tonight, alright.” He
nodded. As she fled she called over her shoulder, “Be alone tonight Grayton.”