The First Touch (45 page)

Henry grinned announcing
, “
I will go next.”

Autumn
nodded her confirmation, as Flora frowned, “What did I miss?”

Drake
replied
,
twirling the rock in his hand again, “You lost.” Flora nodded and sat in her chair looking at Helen who filled her in, whispering quickly. Flora nodded and looked at
Autumn
smiling when she heard the last bit.
Autumn
stepped back giving Henry room on the stage. Then she concentrated and told
Flora,
and only Flora in her head, “I am going to try and behead Henry. Please do not kill me, it will be reattached when we finish
, promise
.” Her eyes were wide but she nodded, understanding
Autumn’s
objective.

Autumn
turned back to Henry who suddenly looked even bigger than he had moments before.
She twisted her head, asking
, “Is it just me or did you just get bigger somehow?”

Henry grinned
,
patting his chest
, “
You got that part right.”

Autumn
nodded bending her knees, and
said, “Seven
forty
seve
n.”

“
Are you ready?”
Autumn
sat and closed her eyes, allowing her skin to grow cold as fast as she could allowing a larger portion than she felt comfortable as she nodded.
Autumn
pictured
metamorphosing
in to a massive
stopping block at the end of a train
track in her head
,
as a train came rushing towards her.

Henry hit her with a force that she could not have ever
imagined
. The pain was more than she had felt in a long time. Instantly
,
she imagined every crack healing and then she stood looking around and saw Henry getting to his feet from the far side of the crowd. His chest and arm w
ere bloody and dented but he rose
to his feet quick enough. Then he walked back through the large
skid mark
of destruction that he had just created with his body.

Autumn
looked down at herself and saw that her body was fine not a scratch on her. But Henry was
definitely
powerful, as she thought it
,
her thirst spiked. Then she watched him walking towards her confidently, a new plan bubbling in his brain.
Autumn
’s skin went cold
again and she said to herself,
I am solid and he
…
bleeds
.
Then her hunger spiked at the word choice and Henry reached out and grabbed
Autumn
’s
wrist.

Then he tried pulling her arm from her body and she reacted instinctually. She reached down and bit his forearm. Henry sent her flying, and
Autumn
thought happily as she hit the wall behind her with her arm still attached.

She licked her lips then and tasted the pure delectable power then and felt the darkness
creeping
out. Then she said to herself as she
marched back towards the stage, “
You can only dri
nk after you take his head off.”

She hissed at her own warning,
what
would a little taste hurt
?
She smiled darkly
liking
h
er new train of thought, jumping
up on stage on all fours
. In a blink, she l
eapt
at him jumping up on to his shoulders and then
shot
up into the air behind him.

As h
e turned to face him
,
she swiped at his eyes scooping them from their
sockets
blinding him
temporarily
. Then she landed on his back imagining
hers
elf
as a growth, o
ne that would cause him physical pain if he tried to remove it.
Autumn
smiled at that last bit. He would have to hurt himself to remove her. Then she felt he
r
skin grow hot and her body fused to his back.

Autumn
bit down and began draining him, taking her almost five minutes until he dropped to the ground. He continued
feebly
to pull her loose and cried out in pain each time he did. To her surprise though
,
he continued trying long past any hope for victory
, making her proud of him
. Meanwhile
,
she was filled with images of Henry’s life and it wasn’t until the vision of Flora and Henry kissing for their first time did
Autumn
finally break the seal from his back jumping away from him.

H
e began sitting up again
,
still looking
dazed
, that
she pict
ured an axe in her hand and
sliced through his neck easily.
As i
t rolled and Flora w
as next to her holding it tears streaming down her cheeks
,
Autumn
let Flora place it back
on
as she rubbed her hands together warming them and then placed them on Henry’s neck. It took slightly longer than it had taken the others to heal and she felt Flora’s worry coming off of her like waves.

As Henry sa
t up slowly still looking very hurt and dazed,
Autumn
finally sliced her own wrist and placed it over his mouth
.
He drank heartily and when he opened his eyes they were clear and focused. He wiped his mouth and then looked back at
Autumn
his eyes
dilating
quickly.

Autumn
backed away holding up her hands, “
Whoa
boy, I won fair and square, I am not looking for a round two.” Henry stood and walked over towards
Autumn
his eyes still dilated though his face was blank. Then slid his hands out for a
hug and broke into a huge
grin.
Autumn
smiled back genuinely and
wrapped
her arms around him
,
and listened as he whispered
,
“You are the eye.”

Autumn
replied matter-of-factly
, “Yes I know.”

More

Henry patted her on the head and said to the group, “Who wants to go next?
Grayton
,
Serena
,
or Ivan.”

Autumn
frowned,
“
I would like to do Ivan last.
”
Henry nodded though he did not look at
her
,
he was staring at his wife and smiling with big love in his eyes.
She
smiled
, “
How about Serena?” Serena smiled looking at
Autumn
with red eyes
.

“
What is it Serena.”

She frowned
, “
It is just you look so different.”

Then
Autumn
frowned
, “
What do you mean?”

Serena smacked her teeth
,
“N
o it is not the out side it’s the inside,
you
are changing.”

Autumn
nodded and replied, “Yes it has been a lot in a short amount of time.” Then it hit her
with
a flash of an
image
.
It was so quick that
Autumn
thought that it was just her
imagination
. But then it happened again, as Serena began talking with her.

The images were of Ivan and her kissing, he was laying his head in her lap while she cried. Then the
image
formed in her mind again only slightly different. Ivan’s mouth was bleeding and then suddenly she was crying while she held him. Then another
image
flashed, this one was her crying and Ivan dying in her arms while Mirth watched smiling. Then the next was Ivan dying and
Autumn
standing next to Mirth holding his hand smiling. Then there was another final flash entered her mind where just as Ivan is about to be killed
Autumn
faces Mirth with new eyes.
Autumn
decided that this
was the route that she liked the most.

Meanwhile, i
t was just general conversations, on the outside. They talked about the time she was missing and then their search for her and the third. Serena’s words towards the end were of sad regret for not being able to locate the third.
Autumn
nodded and her cold voice came out and said
, “
B
ut she is here.” Serena seemed taken aback by the turn of
conversation
.

“
I smelt her on Mirth.”

Serena seemed angry then her eyes squinting
, “
You smelt her on Mirth? When did you see Mirth?”

Autumn
shrugged, “W
hen he came to my cell last night.”

Serena asked more to the others than to
Autumn
, “
Why was Mirth in your cell last night?”

Grayton answered
, “
He brought her a pillow and blanket.”

Autumn
nodded in agreement
, “
Wh
ere he also broke my forearm…
oh and the blanket he brought m
e was laced with some sort of disease
or virus, because I awoke with a fever.”

Autumn
looked at Utvic who nodded and left the hall. Serena stood instantly, and hissing came from the crowd.
Autumn
did not seem phased by the
skepticism
, “The bed I was laying on should still have plenty still on it. Have a guard bring it up.” As she said it she watched
as
the female next to Mirth
disappeared
out the back door. Serena gestured with her hand and two guards left the room.
Autumn
looked back at Serena
, “
Anyways, the female that you were looking for is with
Mirth’s clan, t
hough I wouldn’t doubt that he lied about not having her.”

Serena
beckoned
for him to come forward, a look of danger in her eyes. Grayton still stood behind her, smiling darkly. Mirth stood gracefully and made his way down the walkway slowly and calmly.
Autumn
watched him closely, as he even used the stair case, thinking to herself
,
he is stalling for time
. He came before Serena and smiled si
ckening
ly
swee
t, and Serena stepped closer and began sniffing him. She frowned and said
, “
I do not smell anyone but him.
”
Grayton came forward and smelled him as well and frowned and shook his head
,
still watching Mirth closely.

Autumn
squinted then
, “
He is sleeping with her
,
his sweat and hers, and a tinge of blood and paint.”

Serena and Grayton looked at her surprised then
, “
How d
o you know that they are sleeping together?”

She
frowned
, “
The majority of the smell is coming from there.
”
And she pointed at his groin, Serena seemed a bit
repulsed
. Even Grayton seemed a bit discomforted by her words.
Autumn
said slightly
frustrated
, “
Listen
,” s
he pointed to Grayton, “You smell like you, Serena smells like her.”

Then she walked towards Flora and said, “She smells like Flora and Henry.” Then she walked towards Galen and sniffed, “And he smells like Galen and two, no wait three females, the last two are twins.” They all looked at him and he shrugged and then nodded in
response
.

Flanagan said jokingly
, “
You dog.” Galen shot him an
angry
look and
Flanagan
added
, “
You must tell me your secret.”