The First Touch (59 page)

He
added, “Or both.”

Autumn
nodded, “So we need to find killer quickly and get everyone else up
to speed as soon as possible, b
ecause if Mirth knows
,
then he will ask to have the test done, and we will be doomed to repeat the last scene again. There is also the possibility that if Gregory stays alive, then as soon as I fall asleep, I will likely wake up even further back, and probably surrounded by worse.”
She
began pacing again, “I don’t know if he read the files. Because if he did then he could change my past...” She cursed to
herself
, “I might have a different outcome all together. Wait what if that was what Serena was showing me?”

Ivan frowned, “When?”

Autumn
frowned, “When I spoke to her during my second run at the tests.”

He
nodded trying to place it, and then replied, “But that was about your possible outcomes of that fight.”

Autumn
nodded, “Yes that is a possibility, but she also said h
er visions were only definite, w
hat if each one of those
is
going to happen?” Then
she
began to wonder aloud, “But if he is controlling time then why did I come back to this day? Why not the day I was born or something, I would have been easy pickings.”

“You were born today.”

“I guess it is sort of like being born.”

Ivan frowned, and then
Autumn
frowned back at him, “I don’t see it.”

He
explained, “The light, the pain, taking your first breath?”

“I did not experience it the same way.”

Ivan frowned deeper, his mind still trying to sort the memories out, “I guess you
a
r
e
right. Your release was slower and your eyes,
”
he stepped in closer and slid his hand up to her cheek
.

She
looked down replying quietly, “I know they will look frightening for a little while.”

He
frowned and stepped back dropping his h
and his voice going flat, “I had
the impression that change was permanent.”

Autumn
nodded, “Yes but I can change them back and forth, so you will not have to see them like that again.”

Ivan frowned and then scowled at her, “They are fine either way.”

Autumn
looked up at him finally and asked eyeing him carefully, “You were so frightened before
.”

He
cut her off with a slight edge to his voice, “I told you before I thought something was wrong with you.”
Autumn
nodded disbelieving,
then
Ivan added, “I am even
fonder
of them now, that I have seen them through your eyes.”

Autumn
nodded blushing, “What exactly did you see?”

Ivan averted his gaze, “Nothing important.”

She
coughed
then
,
she
felt a dry scratchiness begin to tickle her throat. The familiar sensation filled her heart with dread. Then she cursed to herself, “Maybe I shouldn’t have done the kiss so early.”

Ivan pushed his hand through his hair, and replied, “No that was logical. I would not have stayed with you unless you touched me and started the process.”
Autumn
frowned disagreeing, then Ivan added, “You are safer with a vessel around until your change is complete”

Autumn
frowned
,
touching her throat, “I am just so thirsty all of a sudden.”

Ivan eyed her for a moment, then
Autumn
cut off his thought process, “And I could have explained a
nd had you bite before the kiss..
..” Then s
he paused looking away again, “B
ut
,
well
,
you saw what happened in the very first scenario.”

“
You made the right choice.”

Autumn
frowned
again,
her brows squeezing together, “I don’t know. How long before I fall asleep... If I had waited and maybe taken care of the bad man first. Then tracked you down...”

Ivan did not seem happy with her words, “No you were too weak as
Autumn
human. There is no need to put you in that danger, even now.”

Autumn
put her hands on her hips
, “
I could have taken care of the bad man all by myself Ivan. I am not that weak. Even you agreed with me before. I believe you said, “I could probably give him a run for his money.”

Ivan nodded, “True, but I am here just as I was then, and I can make faster work of him.”

Autumn
nodded in agreement
,
then snapped her fingers
,
and said, “Sophia is going to need to be moved, those men saw me leave her apartment. Once they see a picture of me then they might put two and two togethe
r.” They
nodded together and
Autumn
took the note and journal back and put them into her bag. Then they left the alleyway and took another taxi back to Sophia’s apartment.

Twist
and Turn

Autumn
knocked on the door and it swung open, there w
as no sign of forced entry but she
stepped in cautiously
anyways
. The two men were sitting calmly waiting for
Autumn
as soon as she saw them, Ivan stepped in
front of
her.
They raised their hands and began speaking in a foreign
tongue
similar to the one that Mirth had used.
Autumn
felt a
chill hit
her
,
something was wrong
?
The two men backed away cautiously and
she
watched as Ivan closed in on them speaking fast and harshly in a cold voice.

Another chill hit her then, and
Autumn
asked
, “
Where is Sophia?” Ivan asked the men and they shrugged, seeming bewildered.
She
left Sophia’s
apartment
then and went next door. As she pushed open her door, she saw her
destroyed
apartment
and let out a gasp. She began calling for Jack instantly, and then she heard him meowing in the closet near the front door.
Autumn
opened it and he leaped into her arms then and began purring loudly.
Autumn
petted him and then
heard a loud bang
, as
the two men
stumbled
into the room.

Jack didn’t see
m to notice them as
usual,
however, when
Ivan followed them in
,
Jack jumped from
Autumn
’s arms and stood in
front of her hissing at Ivan.
She
furrowed her brows and tried to calm Jack
,
but he did not seem to hear her. His hisses turned to growls as Ivan stepped closer eyeing the cat.
Autumn
stepped closer to Jack and reached down to pick him up but he jumped at Ivan instead.
Then she
watched in horror as Ivan g
r
abbed him in mid-air and ripped him in half. As he did this he turned his back to
Autumn
and
began throwing a slew of words at the two men
,
who watched him horrified.
Autumn
stepped back then seeing Ivan’s reflection in the broken mirror in the hall, a look unlike any she had seen before.

Autumn
’s
inner
voice whispered,
run
and without hesitation
Autumn
took a running leap out of her
apartment
window. As she landed on the
ground
,
her ankles shattered, even though she tucked and rolled
,
attempting to redistribute the weight to avoid anymore damage. Just then
,
a
black sports car
came
flying towards her
,
stopping inches from her head. Before she could even take a breath, Grayton reached down and
scooped
her up off of the ground into his
idling
vehicle
and
sped
off.
Autumn
hissed as her bones began slowly and painfully mending themselves.

Grayton’s face looked pale and he was cursing profusely as he weaved through traffic heading for the expressway. As soon as they were clear
,
Autumn
whispered though her pain
, “
Thank you Grayton.”

He finally took his eyes from the road long enough to look at her. “How do you know my name?”

Autumn
winced
, “
Where
is
the rest of the council?”

Grayton seemed confused and a bit angry, “What? What would you want the council for?”

Autumn
frowned, “Wait, why? Is Mirth still in
charge of the council in this
scenario
?”

He
narrowed his eyes, “This
scenario
?”

Autumn
frowned,
“Is he in charge or
not?”

Grayton growled, “Yes.”

She
cursed, “Then where is Serena?”

He
snapped, “Dead.”

Autumn
snapped back, “When did she die?”

“Long ago
,
”
he replied.

Autumn
frowned, “Right after
I
s
i
sa
killed herself and Mirth took power all supped up on her blood I am guessing?”

Grayton pulled the car off of the
highw
ay,
his eyes blackened and snapp
ed, “What is going on?”

Autumn
huffed, “I am the eye.”

Grayton stopped and said, “Mirth is the eye”

She
huffed again, “Fine them I am the next eye.” Grayton eyed her, and
Autumn
continued, “Mirth and Gregory are trying to kill me before I can finish my
transformation. So that I can
not replace Mirth, though I am not sure what he has done to Ivan though.”

He
raised his eyebrow, “Why did you run?”

“I was in danger.”

Grayton hissed, “How did you know?”

“Ivan killed my cat.”

Grayton raised his eyebrow again, “Explain.”

Autumn
huffed, “Ivan would not have done that. Well at least not the Ivan I fell in love with in the past.” Then
Autumn
cursed again, “So Ivan works for?”

Grayton spat, “Mirth.”

She
hissed
to herself again, and then
asked, “So if Serena is dead then how did you know where I was then?”

Grayton replied, “I didn’t I was following Ivan.”

She
nodded, “What is Ivan like now in this reality then?”

Grayton twisted his head
, “
Why do you want to know?”

She
spat back, “Because I need to know if I need to kill him or not.”

Grayton huffed
, “
You will not be able to kill him. No one can.”

Autumn
looked at Grayton thoughtfully, “Did Ivan kill Serena?”

Grayton did not answer and
Autumn
nodded, “So I have to kill him.” Grayton nodded, and
Autumn
asked
feigning innocence
, “May I taste you?”

He
shifted in his seat, h
is
eyes watching her cautiously
, “
Why?”

Autumn
shifted in her seat then,
“
I want to know what is really going on and the best way is to taste you so I can see how the world is now from your eyes.” Grayton continued to watch her and
Autumn
continued
, “
Plus it will prove to you that I am the eye.”