The First Touch (15 page)

Autumn asked, “The fire?”

Serena smile
d then, “The fire is his bodies
reaction to the touch, all geared towards his goal of sealing the kiss, in order to create a new vessel.”

Autumn summed it up, “Ok so I tou
ched Ivan and it starts some chain reaction
that will destroy his body and the antidote is …a kiss. In return I turn into one of you?” Serena nodded then and
Autumn
continued, “How long does he have before it kills him? And once I kiss him how long will it take to change me?”

Serena fired back, “He has a twenty four hour window to seal a willing kiss.
”
Then
Autumn
shot a glance at Ivan w
ho was staring at the floor.
Serena continued, “The transformation could take up to two weeks for you however.”

“And the touching comment?” Au
tumn snapped this time looking
t
o
Grayton.

Serena looked mystified,
“It is not a perfect science. I
t could be that you were sweating or have an open wound somewhere ....” Autumn began searching for any cuts or abrasion on her hands. “Or you could just be....”

Autumn answered for her still looking for an entry point, “A freak.”

“
I was going to say special.”

Autumn asked undeterred, “And once I change, then I will find my soul mate?”

Serena nodded watching her closely, “Yes, it will call to you. That is a benefit of being a female.”

Autumn asked, “So does this happen a lot?”

Grayton huffed, answering for her, “Not like you.”

Serena scowled at him turning back to
Autumn
and answered, “Usually only one or two a year.” Then she added, “But this month we will see three new vessels.”

“Yes, I remember you telling Grayton.” Serena winced then and
Autumn
apologized, “I am sorry I don’t know how to stop the voices yet.”

Serena replied nodding
,
and then added softly, “They may never go away
Autumn
…
”

She
rolled her eyes, “Great
,
so you hear them then too?”

Serena shook her head no, “I am slightly different in the way that I see the world.”

“How,”
Autumn
asked curiou
sly stepping closer.

“I only see definite, the slow moving unchanging parts like earth quakes and vessel births.”

Autumn did not smile then, “So then you saw me?”

Serena shrugged, “No. I have never seen you before, well not exactly. I knew that there would be three but I only saw two of them.”

Autumn looked confused, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Serena shook her head and said, “I am not certain, I have never seen any of the members of the
council
or the eye. So I imagine that you are simply meant to be one of them.”

Autumn asked avoiding all eye contact now, “Can they have mates who are not... special?”

Serena shrugged and said, “Yes I had a non-
council
mate.”

“You are a
council
member
then?”

She smiled and said, “Yes and Grayton and Ivan are members of the
council
.”

Autumn smiled and said, “Oh
,”
eyeing Ivan who was still staring at the floor.

Innocently she
asked without thinking, “Why don’t you have another mate now?” Grayton choked on his saliva and Ivan s
hot her a look, as
Autumn
apologized instantly.

Serena waved her hand an
d said, “It’s alright. He died a very
long time ago.”

Autumn winced, “Will there ever be another?”

She shook her head, “I could but it would not be right for me.”

Autumn nodded in understanding
,
and replied, “Forever.”

Serena
smiled
and
said, “Yes
,
forever
,”
deciding then that she liked
Autumn

The girl was probably going to be a
council
member
,
as would her mate hopefully. Especially since the child had already seen so many of the council
’
s conversations. Perhaps they would get lucky
, and Grayton would be her mate, two birds with one stone
. She already seemed taken by him, and the fact that she had continued to choose to listen to his voice versus the others was pr
omising news. They could not have all of
that information fall into the wrong hands.

Autumn asked matter-of-factly
,
aiming her question at Grayton, “So Grayton meets Sophia then.” Grayton’s brow furrowed and Serena turned with Ivan to look at her.

Serena replied cautiously, “Well we’ll have to see about that. Besides you cannot see her with the way that you look now.”

Autumn turned her gaze from Ivan to Serena and said, “I just have to calm down that’s all.”

Grayton grumbled and Serena replied a little more gently almost parental in nature, “Oh dear it doesn’t work that way.”

Autumn
squinted
her eye
s defiantly,
walked over,
and
grabbed Ivan’s hand, “I did it last night in the alley. I’d like to try again at least. We still have a few hours until she even wakes up.” Ivan looked at her doubtfully and she added, “Sophia is like me Ivan
,”
his hand tightened at her words, “She does not like to be troubled by strangers if she is not comfortable. He will not get his kiss for a month.”

Serena’s jaw dropped, and Grayton swore, and Ivan tugged her arm and asked, “Are you sure?”

Autumn replied, “Yes, it is in her eyes, you know what I mean?” He shook his head no and
Autumn
replied more certain of herself now, “Well I do.”

Then she turned to Grayton who continued to stare at
Autumn
in awe, “Grayton, she is a good woman, and very pretty.” She smiled brightly and said, “The
n we will be two down and one
left to go.” Then she looke
d at Serena knowingly and she
nodded almost tearing at her words.

Autumn smiled at Ivan and said, “Have a seat.” Ivan sat and looked up at
Autumn
and her dilated irises. She smiled a little embarrassed and said, “Are you ready?” Ivan nodded,
and she swallowed placing her hands on his chest thinking about his calm deep breaths.
He shook his head no
,
his eyes looking a
t her body instead of her face and
Autumn
clarified
, “Good fire?”

He shook his head yes, and he huskily repeated, “Good fire.”

S
he
closed her eyes,
fe
eling
the tension complete
ly empty from her body
. Then she looked up at the mirror and saw
that
her eyes and skin had changed back to normal. She stopped instantly and stood brushing her clothes straight. Then she smiled trium
phantly looking at the others
, “See all better.” Then she reached her hand out to help him up he
was still trying to calm himself as he rea
ched for her outstretched hand,
she asked concerned, “Are you alright love?”

Ivan’s eyes shot up to
Autumn
and he nodded wordlessly and then replied, “You were right.”

She shrugged
, “It’s
a curse, I know
.”

Serena appeared from around the edge of the couch to get a closer look. Th
en she smiled incredulously
raising her hand to touch her face
,
and then stopping
herself
remembering the danger, “I think you might actually be a
council
member
.” Grayton nodded agreeing with her statement watching from a safer distance.

Ivan mumbled, “Sophia.” Serena and
Autumn
nodded in unison. Then
Autumn
walked around the back of the couch and picked up the letter from off of her desk.

“Ok
,
so the story is that you are both visiting from out of town, and we’ll say a double date for tonight is the goal?”

Serena smiled brightly and answered, “Excellent.”

“I will call her tonight and tell her that I am not feeling well and Ivan is staying with me. Serena has been called into work and she can go out with Grayton by herself.” Autumn smiled and ended with, “Then it will all be on you Romeo.” She pointed her finger at Grayton then
who
winced
, and looked
t
o
Ivan.

Ivan nodded and said raising his head, “You could be wrong about this
Autumn
.
.
.”

Serena chimed in a little more hopeful, “She could be right though
with
three in one month it is very
likely
that
this could be why
.”

Autumn added
,
ignoring Ivan’s comments, “Oh and she speaks her native language w
ith her parents. Russian,
seems
more comfortable speaking it than English, so if things seem to be turning south,
I would
use it.”

Grayton nodded with a stony look in his eyes. Serena said, “You speak Russian Grayton?”

Autumn answered
for him
, “Ye
ah
.” Grayton nodded in agreement and continued to stare a
t
Autumn
unflinching. Serena became quiet as the air suddenly grew
thick with an unspoken
emotion. Autumn added then, seemi
ng una
ware of Grayton’s feelings
, “S
he is a musician, the cello in some famous Orches
tra, since you play the violin perhaps that
will be useful. It would be a perfect opportunity to be alone and still keep her comfortable
.
” Grayton looked a bit worried now
, but he nodded
.

Autumn smiled at Grayton warmly and said then, “No worries Grayton, I am right about this I promise,
she is definitely a kiss girl
,
so
just be your brill
iant self. She will fall all over herself
, I mean look at you,
you’re
gorgeous.” He continued to stare at her and smiled faintly, his eyes showing
that he wanted to believe her.

She smiled back even more confidently now and Grayton involuntarily stepped forward. Ivan instantly stepped in his path with a stony look upon his face now; his back to
Autumn
.
She mis
sed the exchange though as
Jack began meowing for his breakfast. She followed him into the kitchen to feed him. As soon as she turned the corner, Ivan spoke though clenched teeth barely above a whisper
, “
I am not dead yet Grayton.” Reactively Serena stepped forward and slid her hand on to Ivan’s shoulder. He flinched at her touch and she dropped her hand away.

Grayton replied hissing
, “
You are the one who suggested that she might be intended for me.”

Ivan replied
, “
D
o not ruin my chance. If she is yours
,
then I will hand her over willingly
,
after
I have my kiss. Until then
you
s
tay away
.”

Grayton replied in a deadly tone then, “I find that hard to believe Ivan.” Then he added with a new look in his eyes, “If she is the eye... then she
chooses. All come when called
.”

Ivan snapped back, “She is not the eye, and if she is then... then she will be free to choose whom she wishes.”

Grayton hissed back, “Yes she will.”

A
crash in the kitchen sent all of them running. Ivan caught
Autumn
just before her head hit the floor. Serena asked with fear in her voice, “What is it?”

Ivan an
swered sounding unsure, “A
vision, I think.”