The First Touch (32 page)

Images flooded
Autumn’s
mind as she drank greedily.
Drake
squeezed her tighter and then his back straitened, as his hands blazed brightly setting her shirt on fire. When he felt the flames on his face he broke away reluctantly. Autumn did not break away until
Drake
ripped her shirt completely off. Then she gasped for air and looked at
Drake
’s face which now had blood colored tears streaming down them. Autumn slid her hand to her mouth asking, “Are you alright?”

Drake
nodded and smiled warmly
,
his barriers all
but
fallen a
way,
“You are the eye.”

Autumn smiled sadly
,
“I know.”

Out of the dark behind them Helen stepped out and hissed unable to
hold back anymore, “What are you two up to….
” Au
tumn jumped to her feet
and looked at Helen watching them with dark eyes. The smell of Lilies was overwhelming again and she looked at
Drake
who stood his hands flaring. The
n
Helen said, “Kill Autumn”

Drake
was trying to fight it as she spat at Helen, “I will kill you if I have to Helen. How do I stop it?”

Helen hissed back, “You will have to kill him.”

She cursed under her breath, as she began dodging the
fireballs, “Helen, listen I did not mean to hurt you before I lost control,
I
was hungry.” Helen did not even look at
Autumn
, she watched
Drake
struggling to stop himself over and over. Then she tried another track, “Helen please
do
not make me do this.” Helen hissed at her words concentrating on
Drake
. Autumn felt the anger begin to rise in her chest as the cold surged quickly to her skin. She swore again and then she began to sing shakily at first but then eventually it began to flow more normally.

Helen hissed, “That doesn’t work on me.”

Autumn was almost
singed
by the next one
, which
was now blue
,
and
Drake
was no lo
nger hesitating. His flames
engulfed his entire body as it
moved slowly towards her. A
ball bounced off of the cave wall and hit
Drake
’s arm charring it instantly, it was only a matter of time before he would hit her, or that they
would
ricochet
and hit him
, possibly killing him
. She snapped then, “Helen don’t make me hurt you again.”

Helen snapped back crimson tears streaming down her cheeks, “I do not care if you do,
if
you do not then
I am certain
Ivan will.”

Autumn hissed remembering how noble Ivan had been protecting her while she slept, before the council had intervened. Then remembering that Ivan was this woman’s lover, and as much as a piece of her wanted to kill her, she knew she did not want to hurt Ivan.
“This can still be salvaged Helen.”

Helen hissed, “
I do not want stop, just like you didn’t want to earlier.
”

Autumn d
odged another ball and said trying another angle
, “Then think about what this will do to Ivan.”

Helen hissed, “He will be his same miserable s
elf. H
e will get over it.”

“He will know you did it.”

Helen replied hysterical, “No he
will
not
,
there will simply be three charred bodies in the cave. No one will know the truth, they will simply blame
Drake
.” She smiled at the cleverness of it, “
Drake
has a horrible temper you know.”

Autumn stepped forward already regretting her decision, “I am sorry Helen. I am not ready to die and I don’t think
Drake
is either.” Helen huffed in response. Autumn began with small cuts at first testing the skill and attempting to deter Helen
from her suicidal acts
, but she
would not be stopped. D
eeper
cuts were attempted next, until a fire
ball
ricocheted and
almost hit Drake and instead she leapt in front of it
, sending her temper flaring. She sliced off Helen’s head with one clean stroke, screaming in agony as she let it out.
Drake
awoke and turned his an
ger out onto the remains, instantly.

Autumn watched
Drake
unmoving and tried to speak, tried to stop him but nothing came out. She had returned to her human form shaking from the shock o
f what she had just done. The smell of burning flesh filled
her nostrils overwhelming her and
within seconds
she passed out hitting her head as she fell.
Drake
turn
ed and picked her up gently
carrying
her outside for some fresh air. Ivan and the others were already waiting for them along with
another large group of vessels. Ivan demanded,
seething with rage
, at
Autumn’s
state of unconscious,
covered in blood and ash, “What have you done
Drake
?”

The group of vessels to their rear circled the council
,
realizing that they had been lied to
and were now coming in force to rectify the situation
. Autumn had not been
wrong;
there were boats that had moored, but twice as many men
, as
they could have ever anticipated
. This was e
specially
problematic,
since Henry had just called for the island to be clear
ed,
when they had begun their impromptu hunt. As the group
closed in on the council, Ivan held
Autumn’s
limp hand sounding worried now, “Wake up Autumn, I need you.” Then without warning Flora’s head was lobbed clean o
ff and came rolling past them, and i
n an instant flames shot into the air
.

The B
oat

Autumn awoke on a familiar white bed that swayed a little as she sat there. She called out then looking at the clock next to the bed it said six o’clock. Then she looked up at the portal above the bed and said, “Night.” She tried to stand but her limbs felt weak and shaky. As she looked around the room a feeling of déjà vu hit her. She called out then, “Hello is there anyone there?”

A
familiar face popped into the room then, “Yes madam?”

She smiled brightly, “Travis.”

He smiled looking slightly confused
, but
nodded, “Yes madam.”

She called him over with a wave and patted the bed next to her. He came and stood next to the bed
,
but he did not si
t. Autumn frowned, asking
, “Where are we off to now?” Travis seemed thoroug
hly confused by her question. S
he repeated her question a little slower, “Where is the boat headed for
now
?”

Travis answered quietly, “The island Madam.”

Autumn frowned, “There is another one?”

Travis frowned now, “No, Madam there is just one island.”

A feeling of misgiving began to hit her anew
, “For the test?”

Travis nodded
,
seeming concerned now, “Yes madam just as I told you before, are you alright?”

Autumn nodded preoccupied, “And today’s date?”

Travis answered, “The same date as it was when you asked me an hour ago.”

She shook her hand at him impatiently, “Tell me the date.”

Travis replied
, “
It is still March 13th M
adam
e
.”

She spoke to herself,
frustrated,
“Again
….,
”
a look of confusion still present, as her mind awash with the feeling
of loss from her dream, reemerged
. She had been dreaming,
stage one
,
that is what Finnegan had said,
stage one
, she had no
t even fed yet, no world shifting under her feet, no dizziness
,
just darkness fading away and consciousness in a place she had already been.
Travis’s
eyes were wide now and he began to back away
in alarm
.
She held her hand up
,
“Wait.
” He
stopped, and she
continued, “I need a few things paper, a pencil and a glass of water. Can you bring me those things?” Travis nodded and disappeared returning quickly with them.

Au
tumn guzzled the glass
and handed the empty cup to Travis. Then she had him wait
,
while she scri
bbled a note to Ivan. Then she informed the guard
that
it was important that Ivan received the note
she had just penned
. Travis nodded
solemnly as
Autumn
asked, “One more thing Travis.” He looked genuinely interested, “May I feed from you?” Travis’s eyes went wide
and then they glossed over as
he nodded silently.

Autumn added more carefully, “If I am asking too much then please tell me.”

Travis answered honestly, “I would be honored to have you drink from me
, Madame
.”

She nodded, and smiled and then added more seriously, “It will hurt.” Travis nodded looking unafraid. She beckoned him to the bed, where he came and sat stiffly. She slid her hands onto his neck and then stopped herself pulling back,
adding
cautiously, “Perhaps ... which is your dominant hand?”

Travis turned towards her now looking worried, “My left hand.”

She looked up at him and placed her hand on his shoulder, “And which side would be the least bothersome for you to be unable to use for a while?”

“My right side,
”
he replied.

Autumn corrected, “No
, which shoulder. I saw you
shoulder your weapon on your right earlier, can you place it on your dominant side for a few days?”

Travis replied
,
now curious, “Yes.”

She smiled again and said softly, “Alright, can you take your shirt off for me?”

He
complied without hesitation, as she did the same. A
cold chill hit her skin and she closed her eyes for
a moment concentrating
up
on it. When
she opened them again she saw that Travis was suddenly
,
very nervous. She slid her hands on to his arms very soft
ly caressing his skin and kissing
him softly on his neck. Then she began massaging his shoulders for a while getting him to relax slowly. He watched her
in awe, caressing
her side as she continued her soothing motions
.
W
hen she
was satisfied that she had him a relaxed as she could, she
laid him back and continued kissing him softly and caressing his chest.

H
is heart rate sl
owed to a slow steady pace, and she
slid her teeth into his flesh much easier than she thought possible.
Drake
’s skin had
been much tougher than Travis’s soft
ti
ssue
. Autumn tasted
the familiar warmth filling
her with ecstasy for a second time
, nearly
sweeping her away again. She pulled away speedily, ensuring that she did not hurt the man
.

When she was finally able to focus on him again, she saw that h
is eyes were filled with tears though he did not seem aware of them. She held up her hand
, instructing him to hold still
and walked to the bathroom, returning
with a towel and a wash cloth. Then she came towards him holding them out to him. He
was still stunned, and did not reach for them
he simply stared
up
at her
,
tears spilling over his cheeks.