The First Touch (29 page)

Helen laughed at
Autumn’s
words, “I have known him for far too long. He had to kiss you, or he would ha
ve died! Don’t fool yourself in
to thinking it was more, girl.” As she said the last words she looked
Autumn
up and down with disgust
again
.

In a snap
,
Autumn
threw herself at Helen pulling a huge chunk of her hair from her
scalp. Helen screamed as
Autumn
felt the cold seeping from her pores and frosting her skin like perspiration. Helen tried feebly to defend herself but she was too strong. Wild with fury,
Autumn
lost herself, sn
arling and ripping at
Helen while she screamed. The next thing she knew warm comforting arms grabbed her around her middle and pulled her off of Helen
. A
s she was being pulled away another set of hands, cooler, grabbed her legs.

She writhed with anger, feeling it sear though her veins and she was blind with it. Helen continued screaming in pain and then she heard Flanagan’s voice. “Autumn stop…!
Drake
stop
her…!”

Then
Drake
spoke sounding winded, “I can
not, it is not working.”

Then Flanagan re
plied panicking, “Knock her out!
”

Drake
replied angrily, “I tried!
”

Then Flanagan screamed his voice cracking in terror, “She is killing her!”

Suddenly
,
Autumn
opened her eyes, sounding small, “I am so sorry.”

Drake
’s arms seemed to be squeezing her extra hard all of a sudden as Helen stopped screaming instantly and began to sob. Autumn finally registered the look of fear on Flanagan’s face, and his cold arms tightly wrapped around her legs. Then she looked up
at
Drake
, “I am in control now. You can set me down now.” Neither made a move, they just stared at her as she explained, “I didn’t mean to let the darkness out. She just kept pushing and I let it slip. I am sorry. I am fine now. Please put me down.”

They both looked at her carefully considering her words, then
Drake
asked, “What do you mean the darkness slipped out?”

Autumn huffed again, explaining, “I blackout when my anger becomes too great. I always have
,
even before the change.”
Drake
turned her slightly so she could see Helen’s bloody charred body.

Then he asked skeptically, “Did this happen when you blacked out before?”

Autumn replied, “God no
,” s
he gasped, “I broke a man’s arm once but nothing like that. Oh god... I am so sorry.”

Flanagan asked, “You broke a man’s arm?”

Autumn shot back absentmindedly, “He was trying to kill me. It was self defense.”

Drake
added dryly bring her back to the present, “That does not look like self defense.”

Autumn winced and asked
, “
Please put me down.” This time they complied, and she stood for a moment taking it all in before walking towards Helen slowly. The two men grabbed her shoulders, halting her advance, and she struggled suddenly desperate, “I have to help her.” Flanagan let her go seeing the pain in her eyes.

Drake
did not seem as convinced, “There is nothing you can do for her.”

Autumn snapped back, “Yes there is
. L
et me try.” He tightened his grip but when she pulled free he didn’t stop her.

Helen was sitting with her back against the wall, cr
ying silently,
sounding a bit mad now, “It is not healing, why is not it healing?” She looked up at
Autumn
and feebly pulled her feet up to her chest, “No please.”

She swallowed hard, before apologizing just as feebly, “I am so sorry. I let it get away from me. I....” Her voice faded away. Helen’s beautiful face was gone;
Autumn
began to weep, “I am so sorry.” Then it struck her,
touch her
.

Helen continued crying, as
Autumn
ask
ed
, “May I touch you?” Helen looked at her disbelieving, and she continued
,
“Please, I think I can help.” Helen looked at the two men standing there, Flanagan who nodded in approval and
Drake
who shrugged though his eyes were filled with pain for her.

Helen nodded yes,
and then closed her eyes as
Autumn
reached her hand out to touch her burnt flesh. She twitched when her hand made contact and she squeezed her eyes tight in anticipation of the pain. Autumn closed her eyes and visualized the wounds healing in her mind, one at a time. She heard the gasps and felt Helen trembling under her hand but no one seemed frightened this time or tried to stop her
,
so she continued. After a few moments
,
she felt a hand on her shoulder and she let go of Helen’s arm before she finally
opened her eyes to inspect her work
.

Her body was entirely restored a
nd
Autumn
sunk to her knees, smiling
brightly looking at her perfect pale arms and body again. “Are you alright?” She asked Helen, who nodded and giggled deliriously rubbing her skin. Autumn lea
ned backwards, loosing her balance,
and fell against
Drake
who had knelt behind her.

She closed her eyes and smiled sleepily, “I knew I could do it.” Then she puffed happily, “I rock.”
Drake
stared down at her in awe and Flanagan stood slack jawed in
wonder. Not a sound could be heard, until heavy foot steps came running down the hallway.

Ivan rounded the corner and pushed open the door demanding at once, “What happened.” Both men looked at Ivan and then at each other. Then finally they both looked at
Autumn
sleeping soundly in
Drake
’s arms.

She began snore softly, and Ivan looked at Helen for some explanation. Then at the burn marks outlining a body left behind on the wall behind Helen. He sounded concerned now, “What happened in here.”

Flanagan spoke first
,
simply and truthfully, “She is the eye.”

Ivan looked confused then, “Yes I know that. But what happened here?”

Flanagan repeated himself
,
still amazed, “She is the eye.”

Ivan began to get frustrated at the lack of input and snapped, “Explain.”

Drake
tore his eyes from
Autumn’s
sleeping face adding
, “Well she might not b
e the eye, but she
is
definitely
council
member material
.”

Flanagan was flabbergasted, “What? D
id you see what she just did?”

“Yes I saw it.”
Drake
replied dryly.

Flanagan replied, “Well then how are you
bloody hell
going to sit there and tell me that she isn’t the eye?”

“She has talent, no doubt. I don’t think it is enough for her to be the eye though.”
Drake
replied skeptically.

Flanagan snapped back, “She is still only in the first stage, and she did all this!” He gestured around the room wildly, “Wait until she feeds
,
then you will see the real
change. I would bet my left leg
that she is the next eye.”

“What do you mean she has not eaten?”
Ivan snapped.

Drake
’s eyes narrowed
,
as he spat out, “Flanagan.”

Flanagan looked at
Autumn
and deflated, “She just told me. We came here looking for Ivan, so that I could go and inform everyone else.”

Ivan snapped, “Then what?”

Flanagan continued
,
“But when we got here you were not here but she was
….
” Then he gestured at Hele
n who put her hands up.
Flanagan continued
,
shooting her a dirty look, “Helen was here half dressed and froze me. Then when I woke up
Autumn
was already on top of her.” As he said the last part he shivered.

Ivan looked at Helen and stepped forward, when
Drake
cut in, “When I arrived
Helen was already screaming.”

Ivan looked confused, “Screaming?”

Helen nodded in agreement
,
and then said in a small voice, “She nearly killed me.”

Ivan l
ooked at her in disbelief, as
Drake
added, “She is telling the truth. If we had not pulled her off, I do not doubt that she would have killed her.” Ivan eyed Helen and then the burn mark in the wall.

Then he asked the group, “What did she do?”

Flanagan started, “She tore her up and then began burning her
.
But even after we pulled her off she still kept slicing her and burning her.” Ivan cocked his head and Flanagan
continued explaining
, astonished
, “I think that she was using her mind to do it.”

Ivan nodded and then turned to Helen, but Flanagan continued anyways, “That was not even the best part though
,”
Drake
nodded
and Ivan arched his eye brow, as Flanagan continued, “After she calmed herself down, the wounds would not heal.”

“So she touched her
,”
Ivan repeated, and Flanagan nodded, “Yes
,
she touched her arm and then closed her eyes and….”

Drake
finished his sentence, “And healed her
entirely
.”

Fl
anagan replied
still awestruck
, “Yes, Helen was glowing from head to toes and the wounds
just
healed.”

Ivan blinked and said nothing, then he looked at the wall and then at Helen. Then at the wall again and then at
Autumn
then he said sharply, “What did you do Helen?”

Drake
chimed in then, “Yes Helen what did you do?” Helen slid her hand over to the bed and pulled the blanket off and
covered herself
unspeaking.

Ivan stepped forward and yanked her up by her arm, seething, “What did you do?” Helen shook her head no and would not answer.

Then
Drake
added sharply, “She said that you pushed her too far. What did you say?”

Flanagan was standing next to Ivan now, “It must have been pretty bad to set her off like that.”

Helen shook her head and said, “
All I said was that the kiss...”
her voice faded off and
Ivan grabbed her face roughly, “
What kiss?”

Drake
was watching her closely now, “Helen.”

Helen snapped shoving Ivan’s hand away, “I told her that the first kiss was not important.”

Then Ivan snapped
,
“Why did you tell her that?”

Flanagan answered that, “She answered your door half dressed.”

Ivan frowned, and then
Drake
asked, “Did you tell her that you were sleeping together?”

Helen lied not looking at him, “No.”

Flanagan jumped at that, “Liar.”

Drake
replied, “So you deserved it then.”

Helen snapped, “I did not deserve that.”

“Well you should not have told her that her mate was sleeping with you. Besides she healed you afterwards.”
Flanagan added.

Helen huffed and snapped again
, “
She is not his mate.” Ivan growled then,
then
Helen rebutted, “She has not felt the call. Besides
…,”
she added trying to deflect
some of his anger, “S
he did not seem to be complaining when
Drake
was kissing her.”

Drake
snapped, “Stop trying to change the subject.”

Ivan stopped looking at Helen anyways
,
and turned to look at
Drake
who scowled at Helen
,
as she happily added, “She was smoking and everything.”
Drake
growled back, and Helen continued
spitefully
, “You should watch the tape.”