The First Touch (21 page)

Serena sighed and said
wistfully
, “
I think that is one of the many
eccentricities
that they have in common.”

Autumn added winking
, “
Aside from their freakishly good looks that is.” Sophia and Serena broke into huge smiles and nodded together and Sophia giggled
like a school girl
.

“How old is Grayton?”

Serena looked as though she were going say a number, but not feeling to confident with her abilities
Autumn
jumped in to save her
, “
How old are you Sophia?”

She looked taken aback slightly but answered anyways
, “
Twenty nine, why
how
old is he?”

Autumn countered taking a line from Ivan paired with a large devious smile, “No worries... he’s thirty.”

Then Sophia asked looking confused, “Then how old is Ivan?”

Serena answered, “Thirty two.”

Sophia replied then her brow furrowed
, “
Oh, I guess I thought Grayton was older than Ivan.”

Autumn smiled knowingly at Serena, “Only on the inside.”

Sophia was about to ask another question but a shooting pain in
Autumn’s
abdo
men hit her and
she jumped from the counter. It was so painful that it caused her to call out in pain.

Ivan was standing at the door instantly
,
pushing it open
,
his eyes locked upon
Autumn
, “Are you all right love?”

He saw her gripping her side and rushed over to her
without invitation. She
smiled wildly
,
perspiration forming on her forehead, “Yeah I just pulled a muscle in my side.”

Serena chimed in attempting to keep things light for Sophia’s sake, “You should eat a banana. I read somewhere that the potassium is good for you.”

She
waved them off saying
, “
I’m fine. I’m fine,
” and then she laughed a little and looked at Sophia, “
See. What did I tell you? M
y knight in
shining armor….
”

Sophia sti
ll looked shaky
, “Are you sure you are al
l right? That sounded painful.”

“Yeah it was. I am afraid that I must have been
pushing myself a bit too much
at the gym.”

Then she looked at Ivan with admiration
, while he
continued to watch
her
with concern.
Soph
ia smiled devilishly
, “I see.”

Grayton
pushed open the door then,
“Is everything alright in here?” Everyone nodded in unison and Grayto
n broke into a smile then tapping
the sign on the door
, “
Because I am pretty sure that this sign means women only.” Ivan scowled at him and Grayton looked at
Autumn
closely for a moment. Then he looked at Serena and then at his watch, and then at Ivan smirking and said, “Don’t you have an appointment to be at in like ten minutes?”

Ivan turned to
Autumn
and said, “Are you still going to be able to make it?”

Autumn smiled brightly and replied, “Of course, it was just a muscle cramp.”

She smiled lovingly at him for a moment
, and
he pulled her towards the door. Thinking to himself,
that is far enough
, he was not going to delay this any longer. Her skin was b
eginning to look paler and her
cramps
were likely her body’s reaction to the beginning
s
of the change. Autumn called back over her shoulder, “Thanks Sophia for helping me out and showing them around.”

Sophia replied as she followed them back to the table, “No problem.”

Then
Autumn
said
,
as Ivan dropped some cash on the table full of untouched food
, “
I’ll stop by tomorrow and see how it went ok?”

Sophia called back sounding merry, “Ok, have fun!”

Autumn shot her a wide smile again
,
and replied just before Ivan pulled her out the front door
, “
We will.”

Kiss

Seconds later
,
they were in the car again zooming though the city
streets
. Autumn looked at Ivan
,
who seemed a little more at ease than she thought he should be, considering the c
ircumstances. While he
stared at the road thinking about where each seclud
ed spot was along the route,
in case they needed to stop before they reached the Warf. His hands were sweating now and his head began to pound from the heat. If she even gasped or gripped her side again
,
he was going to stop and force her to kiss him.

He glanced at the clock on the dash and thought to himself
,
thirty minutes. We will be there in ten, then fifteen or twenty minutes to seal the kiss. Ivan looked over at
Autumn
suddenly feeling a bit nervous. This would be his last moments with a woman that
he knew he would never forget.
What had she called it
,
their
almost moment
, yes that was perfect, the
moment that he
almost
had her.
His mind whirled with the t
hought of the end coming so close;
her lips would feel so good, he was certain of it now
.

Autumn interrupted his thoughts by asking suspiciously,
as his pallor changed suddenly,
“Are you alright love? You look pale, paler than normal.”

“I am fine, we are almost there.”

Autumn asked again, “Are you sure? Do you want to do it now?”

Ivan unexpectedly snapped
, “
No, not yet. I do not know how your body will react to the change. I do not want to have to carry you aboard the ship. It will draw too much attention.”

Autumn replied
, “
Ship what ship?”

Ivan continued to stare
at the slick
road ahead and replied, “I have to take you to see the council.” Autumn looked suddenly pale and Ivan noted the change instantly and attempted to placate her, “They are going to ask you a few questions and perform a few tests.”

Autumn’s voice was riddled with anxiety, “Tests.”

“Y
es they need to see if you are
council
member material
or not.”

Autumn seemed to be wrestling
with a thought, “And if I am this
eye
thingy
?”

“Your testing will become more intense
.”

Autumn seemed concerned for other reasons now, “Will these tests hurt?”

Ivan struggled again with his rising emotions, “There is a possibility that they could be painful for you.”

Autumn seemed even more apprehensive now, “What do you mean possibility?”

He continued cautiou
sly, “If you are not gifted
then you will have a difficult time defending yourself.”

Autumn raised her eye brow, “Defend myself? What do these tests consist of?”

“After your transformation is complete, you will be paired against each one of them
,
han
d to hand combat
.”

“So each one will attack me?” Ivan nodded yes and added, “But not until you are finished with your transformation, and only if you exhibit anything beyond visions.”

Autumn looked at him
skeptically, “And if I do not have any abilities?”

Ivan answered just as skeptical
, “
It is no
t very likely that you will
develop your current abilities further.”

She
asked suddenly desperate
, “
And if the change removes my abilities altogether?”

Ivan replied blankly
, “
Then you will be released.” Ivan continued the rest
of his thought without a word,
and
you
be
mine
, hopefully
.

Autumn added
, “Without a test?”

Ivan frowned, “No they will still test y
ou.”
He
saw her look of
fear th
en and replied, “I will be there. If you have lost your abilities,
I will stop them from continuing.”

Autumn still looked fearful, “Promise?”

Ivan nodded solemnly, “Yes, without hesitation.”

She smiled more reassured then
,
though she shifted in her seat just the same, “What abilities do the others have?”

“
Flanagan can block and throw energy. Galen can defy gravity;
Drake
can set anything af
lame. Henry is strong and nearly indestructible.
”

She
interrupted, “Stronger than you?” Ivan
frowned
his disapproval at her
,
and continued un-answering, “Serena you already know, can see the future. Flora can control others with her voice, and Helen has another form of control that is even more powerful.”

She nodded her eyes wide as she asked, “What can you and Grayton do?”

He
replied, “Grayton can manipulate the energy around him. Though he will not be at the tests, he will likely be with Sophia until her transformation is complete.”

Autumn looked at Ivan thinking for a moment about the thought of awakening aft
er her change, sending
a cold chill d
own her back
again, “A
nd your ability?”

Ivan replied finally pulling
up to the docks, “I can change.”

Autumn asked him quickly as he opened his door
, “
Change what?”

“
I can change my appearance.”
He explained opening her door.

She wrinkled her nose and said, “Like turn
yourself
into a dog or a woman or something?”

Ivan shook his head and replied, “No always male but between human and vessel forms, as well as changing my features to look like other males.”

Autumn seemed very interested as they walked towards a small boat moored at the dock. “Can I see?”

Ivan shook his head no and replied in hushed tones, “It is painful and it takes too much energy to accomplish it.”

Autumn nodded understanding looking
at Ivan’s flushed skin, asking
, “
How lon
g can you sustain it
?”

He helped her aboard a small boat
moored just for them
and replied, “Indefinitely.”

As she sat she continued her questioning, “Does it hurt the whole time?”

He replied
,
shortly
,
obviously not comfortable with the conversation, “No it only hurts to change back and forth.”

Autumn stared at him as he started the engine and loosened the li
nes. He was silent until they came
close to the yacht waiting at the mouth of the bay. Then he simply said
as they approached, “Do not speak
to an
yone.” Autumn nodded, while
Ivan moored at the rear, where two large men waited silently for them. Ivan spoke in a strange tongue using sharp tones
that made her
skin crawl and o
ne of the men
mistaken held his hand out to help her
out of the boat
.
Ivan intervened at once, explaining the situation
. Both of the large men backed away just a fast
,
looking at
Autumn
as if she had the plague
then
.

He
jumped out and held his hand out to her still watching the two men. He shook his head and walked away
,
tugging he
r along as the two watched
carefully
,
following them slowly
inside
.
From there
,
e
yes followed them everywhere as they made their way
down
to the belly of the ship. Once there
,
Ivan pulled her into a small
dark
room with
no windows and
two doo
rs. One of which they entered through
and the other
which le
d to a very
small bathroom. The room had a
single bed and
chair in the
far
corner.