The First Touch (56 page)

He
answered, “Yes.”

Then
she
cursed,
and cursed again, “God I hope this is a dream.”

“Not likely,” replied Utvic.

“I have not
had a dri
nk yet. I have not finished the transformation yet.”

Utvic commented, “Mirth will not care.”

She
nodded and then replied, “Wait Mirth? Why will
him
not caring have any b
e
aring on the test?” The door opened and the men yanked her up and she cursed, then the men dropped her in the center of the stage.
Autumn
lifted her head slowly her hair hanging in front of her eyes. In the very center
,
Mirth was sitting were Henry had been sitting before. Autumn’s eyes da
rted around immediately, and then spotted
Galen,
Drake
and Ivan sitting in chairs along with the rest of Mirth’s clan, including Jessup and Ann.

Her
mind ra
ced,
why
was Mirth in charge?

Mirth spoke coldly, “You awoke this Ivan?”

Ivan shrugged and then sneered, “I had to
,
she
touched me.”
Autumn
felt a tear in her heart when he spoke those words.

Then Mirth waved and a guard rushed from the room
, and he continued, “She’s quite
ugly and she smells atrocious. You have the worst luck my friend.” Ivan shrugged again, and he looked uninterested at
Autumn
,
her
heart breaking given the bliss that they had just shared the night before.

Ivan
returned his attention to the guard who was dragging Serena in chains across the floor to sit next
her
.
Autumn
looked at Serena and then up at the ceiling that she thought that she had destroyed days earlier. It was perfect like it had never happened, and
she
swallowed hard, feeling her new painful reality.

Mirth called out to Serena
, “
Well Serena
,
is this the female that you spoke of?” Serena nodded and a slice shot across her face and
she
twisted her head back down towards the assault. Serena called out in pain and dropped to her knees as it slowly healed.
Autumn
dropped her head again and closed her eyes felling Serena’s pain coming off in waves. Then she cursed under
her breath, and Mirth eyed
Autumn
again. Then
she
felt the boards shift and
she
squeezed her eyes tighter concentrating on
Ly
la
’s energy angry and raw.

She
felt her getting closer, waiting to attack on command.
Autumn
began to pull herself away from the rage and towards Mirth and his council. He
watched seeming interested and
watched as he flicked his wrist and
Autumn
put her arm up defensively towards her unseen attacker.
Lyla
sliced at her and
she
hissed and called out in pain. Mirth flicked his wrist again and
Autumn
let it slip, “
Lyla
stop it.”

The attack stopped and Mirth patted his side and
Autumn
dragged her
self next to Serena again. Then she looked at Serena’s face and saw how emaciated she looked under her straggly locks. Then Mirth said
, “
Where is she now?”

She
shrugged, “Next to you.”

Mirth seemed disinterested and then asked skeptically
, “
You see many imaginary people.”
Autumn
cursed again
and then looked at Serena once more
, and then at Mirth and said, “I see a shadow it is beckoning me to come to him.”

He
grinned, “Just one?”
She
nodded looking
at Serena who quivered at her m
otions.

Then
she
squinted, and one by one they all appeared in front of her eyes. There were twelve waving shadows by the end and she squinted extra hard at Ivan who continued to stare at the floor. Then
she realized
,
I can call anyone that I want
.
But her heart called Ivan’s and he sat up and glanced down at her suddenly nervous. She cursed again, twelve waving shadows and still all her mind focused on Ivan. Mirth asked
seeming annoyed by her slowness, demanding
, “
Whose
shadow is calling to you?”

Autumn
cursed again as all of the shadows began to move in on her and then she called out, “I don’t think you will like it.”

Mirth’s eyes narrowed, “I will be the judge of that.”

Autumn
hissed, “If I tell you
,
Lyla
will attack me again.”

Mirth raised his eyebrow and said, “
You
will not
be
attack
ed unless I command it
.”

Autumn
frowned, “She will not listen to yo
u this time.” Mirth gestured to
Lyla
and she left.

Mirth twisted his head waiting for the words and
Autumn
said, “It is you.” Mirth narrowed his eyes and
she
shrugged, “I am not thrilled either.” Then
Autumn
gave the performance of her life
,
looking totally bewildered then, “Wait. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean I have to face you for this test thing does it?”

Mirth asked mesmerized now, “What does the shadow look like?”

She
squinted, “It is dark almost black and it is connected to your feet.” Then she added, “And it keeps hissing at me, and trying to reach out and touch me.”
She
slid back dragging her legs behind her as his soul continued to step forward, then
Autumn
whispered, “It is like a ghost. It is quiet disturbing.”

He
did not like her choice of wor
ds, and he almost frowned, then she
corrected herself, “I mean I thought only dead people could see ghosts and I don’t feel dead.”

Mirth agreed with her
,
smiling now, “You are not dead.”

She
looked at him and then at his shadows a
nd
said, “Then what is it? Is that your power or something? Scaring others to death?”

Autumn
heard a few giggles at her remark and Mirth snapped, “You are here to be tested
….”

“
Because Serena said that I was special?”

Mirth smiled darkly, “Yes.”

“
But I should see more shadows if I were the special one you were testing for.”

Mirth nearly growled now, “Unless you are lying.” Then he flicked his finger at
Drake
.

Drake
stood and walked to the edge of the stage slowly twirling his pebble. Autumn cursed again and then beckoned for a guard to come to her. He did not seem willing so
Autumn
said to Mirth matter-of-
factly, “I need help to stand.”

Mirth looked at her with an indescribable look in his eyes now, “You cannot stand?”
Autumn
nodded and Mirth gestured for the guard, who walked over to help her up.
Autumn
struggled so he stepped in closer, then
Autumn
bit him hard on the forearm. He hit her on the back of her head and then threw her violently across the stage.

Autumn
smiled, blood dripping from her lips and on all fours she turned back and leapt on to his back as he ran for his life. She clamped down on his shoulder and he fell like a rock. Mirth nearly smiled as
she
lifted her head and twisted her neck cracking it and watched as
Lyla
shimmered to life next Mirth.
Autumn
smiled darkly and felt the first fire ball land inches from her head.

Autumn
began to sway as the power began to pulse through her. She caught the next fire ball as she searched desperately for the hidden Mirth who she guessed would be close to the other on the podium. She was unable to locate him in the room, as she threw the ball back at
Drake
hitting him square in the chest. Then Mirth gestured for two other males from his clan to help
Drake
.
Autumn
looked at Serena and felt the anger build in her chest.
Autumn
looked up at Ivan who still looked down at the ground seeming
ly
uninterested, and murmured to herself, “No help.”

Autumn
hissed not taking her eyes of
f
Ivan, “Serena do you know who I am?” Serena stared at the ground unresponsive and
Autumn
kicked her lightly with her foot repeating her question, “Serena do you know who I am?” Serena nodded and
Autumn
reached down and broke the chains that kept her prisoner, though she did not move once they were broken.
Autumn
watched now as guards began to slowly close in on them as well, “No
,
Serena do you really know who I am?”

Serena nodded quivering, “Yes you are the next eye.”

Autumn
cursed, “Yes but do you know me? I mean really know me?” Serena seemed confused, and
Autumn
held her hand up to the men closing in on them
, “
Back off.”

The bodies went flying and the remaining sitting bodies all stood up, watching
Autumn
in alarm, except Mirth who suddenly seemed pleased. Then
Autumn
said in her cold voice, “
Drake
, why are you sitting on Mirth’s council?”
Drake
narrowed his eyes
,
his chest fully healed now,
she
snapped repeating her question,
“
Mirth killed your first, why are you serving on his council?”
Drake
seemed concerned for a moment and then threw another fire ball at
Autumn
nearly hitting her,
she
snapped, “He had you kill her because no one else could get close enough. But she loved you and you loved her, yet you killed her. So what has changed to make you serve the man who ordered that death?”
Drake
growled then and threw another ball this one widely missing her,
Autumn
smiled then she had hit a nerve.

A
few more of Mirth’s men stood and joined in on
Drake
’s
attack. Then
Autumn
said, “Serena, I need you to listen to me carefully, when did Mirth take control of the council?”

Serena seemed confused, “The council?”

Autumn
snapped her fingers and sent
Lyla
flying, then cursed, “What is going on here? Why is everything inside out? Why does no one know who I am? Where
is
t
he rest of the freaking
council?” Serena cowered shaking violently her mind obviously not there or unable to connect to reality anymore,
Autumn
snapped her head back towards her current problem. The men that had been brave enough to close in on her again went flying with another wave of her hand as
Autumn
headed for the head chair, “And why are you in charge?”

Mirth stood as she approached and his entire original clan came for
Autum
n
now. She swept her hand across the scene in front of her and they all went flying this time with surprised screams escaping their lips. She cut several of them as they flew backwards and found
herself
covered in blood. The taste was invigorating, and
Autumn
felt an echoing growl escape from her lips.
Autumn
also noticed that the two other men that she was concerned about sat in their seats watching her closely though unmoving.

Even
Drake
had returned to staring at his pebble twirling it in his hand mul
ling her words over in his head
she guessed.
Autumn
felt pleased then, none of her men seemed the least bit aggressive, and most importantly none looked as if they were going stop her. Mirth also growled noticing that none of them moved as
Autumn
closed in on him.
Autumn
smiled speaking sarcastically, “I don’t like this possibility,
I
hope I wake up soon.”