The First Touch

by Alice Sweet

  Galen’s copy matched her step, feeling the alarm in it, and he became desperate, “Wait Autumn I am sorry love; I just needed to see you.”

  Her eyes nearly popped from her head, and she stuttered, backing away from him, “I...I can’t believe you tricked me.” She pushed past him angry now, “Why would you do that to me? What else did you lie about?” Her chest began to hurt, and she pressed her hand to her chest again, bending over gripping it in pain.

  He rushed to her side and put his hand on her back and she dropped to her knees. The pain increased where he touched her, like a knife being shoved through her chest. She felt her skin turn cold and then the darkness slipped out, “Don’t touch me!” She hit him square in his chest sending him flying though the air and through her bedroom wall. Then she dove though the nearest window shattering the glass. He did not follow her thankfully, and she whispered as she landed, “You shouldn’t have lied to me Ivan.” She was nearly sobbing now, “You shouldn’t have lied. I already knew about Helen, you’re just making it harder for me, you ass!”

  Ivan listened helplessly, unable to move or speak; his entire chest caved in, along with the back of his skull. Had he not been morphed he would have been standing instantly, but his body was fighting to reconstruct foreign cells. It took three times longer than it normally would to become functional. Minutes later, he was finally able to stand and he stumbled to the window letting out a strangled cry as his face returned back to its original form.

  He knew it was too late, but he was desperate. He hoped that he could follow her scent, perhaps to where she was staying. He scaled down the side of the building and followed her still having trouble moving, chastising himself then, I should have eaten. Now he was going to be too slow to catch her. He cursed under his breath and called Henry on a cell that he pulled from his pocket, “She was here, she is headed west.”

  Henry bellowed on the other end, “How did she get away?”

  Ivan snapped back still sounding winded, “She is strong, and I wasn’t expecting it.”

  Henry asked slowly, “What did she do?”

  Ivan replied just as slowly, “She nearly put her hand through my chest.”

  Flora took the phone from Henry, “Why did she do that?”

  “She thinks that I lied to her.”

  Flora added, “About what?”

  “She believes that Helen and I are together.” He replied, as it began sprinkling.

  Flora asked again sounding confused, “Why does she think that?”

  Ivan replied a little ashamed, “I was in Galen’s form, when I told her that it was not true.”

  Flora sucked in sharply almost hissing, “You should not have done that.”

  Ivan cursed to himself, as the rain increased quickly turning into a down pour, “I know and now I will not be able to catch her.”

  Flora returned sounding anxious, “I do not think you should corner her again. She might kill you.”

  Ivan retorted desperately, “She has a pain in her chest Flora.”

  Ivan could almost hear the smile in her voice when she said, “Good.”

  Then Ivan added a little harder, “When I touched her though, she seemed to be in serious pain, she told me not to touch her, and then she hit me.”

  Flora remarked sounding even more relieved, “That is good news. She must be fighting hard against it.”

  Ivan seemed relieved by her words, as he asked, “What now?”

  “Keep following her until I can get Serena there maybe she can explain things to her.”

  Ivan snapped, “If that does not work?”

  Flora retorted confidently, “Then we will send Grayton,” and then she said finishing his thought, “and if that does not work then we will send Helen.”

  Ivan snorted, “I do not think that having Helen speak to her would be wise. If she does not kill her then I will.”

  Flora asked then, “Why do you say that?”

  Ivan replied with a huff, “Autumn thinks that Helen and I are together, because she saw her undressed in my room.”

  Flora asked serious, “When did she see that?”

  Ivan answered, “I do not know. I have not seen Helen since the island.”

  Flora replied then, “I will ask her, perhaps she can tell us which of your homes that she has been to recently. That might help us in tracking some of her movements.”

  Catch

  Grayton sat at the cafe and enjoyed watching the local artists paint on the balconies above, each one attempting to catch their own idyllic views of the city. It was one of the only saving graces to this horrid place. A city filled with happy couples and romance on every corner. As he thought it, a couple on vacation no doubt, sat at a table on the opposite side of the street at another café holding hands and smiling at each other.

  Autumn was right; this place was driving him crazy. Then he felt it, before he saw it, a slender pale hand slid onto his shoulder and said in a familiar sweet voice, “I told you that you were going to make yourself even more miserable here. Why on earth would you choose France, the romance capital of the world?”

  Grayton smiled sadly, replying truthfully, “I was waiting for you.”

  Autumn sat across from him smiling warmly, but then frowned when she saw his eyes, “What is wrong?”

  Grayton smiled tightly, “You look different.”

  Autumn frowned, “Do I look bad? I ate just before I came, it may not have kicked in yet.”

  He looked at her wide-eyed and said breathlessly, “You look beautiful.” She smiled brightly and he slid his hand to his mouth his eyes still wide.

  She pouted, “What is wrong then?”

  “Your eyes are clear. How are you able to do that, you changed what four months ago?”

  “Yes. After the first time I fed, it took me a couple of days to get them back to normal and stay that way. But it’s easier now. Why? How soon can most change their eyes back?”

  “It takes most decades to master that skill, though truthfully some never do.”

  Autumn replied unphased, “What about Ivan? He seems to do it just fine.”

  “His skill is shape shifting, he has been able to do that since his change like you. That is why he was tested and became a member of the council.”

  “Ivan told us you visited him.”

  Autumn snapped defensively, “Visited him? Is that what he told you? Because it was more like he ambushed me in my old apartment, disguised as Galen.” Grayton nodded solemnly and then Autumn continued, “Did he tell you that he lied and then hurt me?”

  “He did not mean to Autumn”

  She snapped back sounding truly hurt by his words, “Which one lying or hurting me?”

  Grayton said seeming to be enjoying the conversation, “He did not mean to hurt you and he did not lie.”

  Autumn felt a smile creeping onto her lips, “He didn’t lie?”

  Grayton smiled wider, “Yes he did not lie.”

  She asked determine to iron out all of the details, “Why did she tell me that they were sleeping together and that the kiss meant nothing then?”

  Grayton replied unemotionally, “She wants Ivan for herself. She has wanted him for some time.”

  She frowned, “Some time?”

  Grayton replied, “A few hundred years.”

  Autumn winced and then continued sarcastically, “A few hundred years, and does he know that?” Grayton nodded, and she asked scowling, “Have they ever been together?”

  Grayton replied, “No, Ivan has never been interested.”

  She narrowed her eyes, “How come? She’s gorgeous.”

  Grayton sighed, “She is not his type.”

  Autumn shot back at him then, “What do you mean he didn’t mean to hurt me?”

  Grayton continued watching her closely. “Ivan has bonded with you.”

  She asked, “What does that mean?”

  Grayton continued slowly, “Flora thinks that Ivan is your mate, and since you are fighting the bond, you will fee
l pain.”

  A look of confusion came over her then, “Fighting the bond?”

  Grayton replied plainly, “You are not allowing your mate to be with you.”

  She looked curious now, “How did we bond?”

  Grayton replied slightly mopey, “Once you heard his call and he bedded you the bond was formed then.”

  Autumn seemed confused, “His call? Bedded you? What on earth are you talking about?”

  Grayton replied concerned, “You did not feel the call then?”

  She said then, “What is the call like?”

  Grayton replied, “You should see a ghostly shadow coming from him. Then once you consummate your union, you are bonded.”

  “There is no way that that could be so then. Cause I have not seen any ghosts coming from him and unless he bonded with me while I slept.”

  Grayton smiled widely then, “There is another option.”

  Autumn looked worried then, “Let’s have it.”

  “You could have called him to you, in which case you bonded him to you when you kissed.”

  She looked very confused now, “Called him to me? So he saw my spirit?”

  “No, No one will ever see your spirit.”

  She replied quickly, “Then how did I call him?”

  “The last called her mate in a dream.”

  She placed her hand over her mouth, “Ivan said he dreamed of meeting me before we finally met.”

  Grayton turned very grey as he said, “Ivan never mentioned a dream.”

  Autumn smiled, “Yes we talked about it on our first meeting.”

  Grayton stared at her then, “You should consider being tested.”

  Autumn frowned then, “I am not getting tested but I will take Ivan.” Then she cursed, “Unless he doesn’t want me.” Then she hissed putting her hand over her mouth, “Oh god I hit him so hard!” Grayton’s face was still pale then, and Autumn stopped catching that there was more, “Who was the last one?”

  “Her name was Isisa.”

  Autumn snapped then, “I am tired of hearing about the eye. I am not the eye. Even if I were, I would turn it down, I am not leadership material.”

  Grayton replied still serious, “If you are, then you will not have a choice.”

  She replied sharply, “Like hell I can’t, if I am the eye no one can stop me right?”

  Grayton nodded looking slightly disappointed, “Be rational.”

  She snapped back, “Do not judge me Grayton.” Grayton winced at her words then she continued, “It may be a great gift, no doubt, but it is my choice what I decide to do with it.”

  Grayton sighed, “I wish it were that simple.”

  Autumn placed her hand on her hip as he continued, “Once the eye is discovered there will be quiet a few who will challenge you. Then there will also be problems with clan challenges.”

  She looked curiously at him, “Clan challenges?”

  “Yes the eye chooses which clan that she wants to protect her. The last eye resided with our clan. The one before that resided with another clan.”

  “So each eye challenges the previous?”

  Grayton sighed, “Yes, only one eye at a time.”

  “So the last eye challenged the one before her?”

  Grayton nodded and Autumn continued, “So then what happened to the last Eye?”

  Grayton frowned, “The last eye killed herself after her mate died.”

  “How did her mate die?”

  “Another clan cornered him and killed him.”

  She nodded solemnly, “They were trying to hurt her.”

  “No they challenged him for the position, one at a time. He killed them all in the process though.”

  She asked concerned, “What position?”

  Grayton replied non-chelantly, “Her mate is highly regarded as well.”

  She replied, looking concerned, “If one of them had won, would she have taken him as a mate?”

  Grayton shook his head no, “She would not have taken them in. More than likely she would have killed them, but these males were arrogant and power hungry.”

  She nodded sadly, “Power makes people crazy.”

  Grayton replied sadly now, “As does love.”

  “So if I am the eye then... I will have to worry about my own life, those that I love and my clan?” Grayton nodded yes, then Autumn continued, “So then I shouldn’t get tested. Then the longer that no one knows what I am, or what I might be, keeping everyone safe.”

  Grayton frowned, “No. Everyone already knows that there is a candidate. They will become increasingly aggressive until you are tested. Since your disappearance all of the clans now know of your existence.”

  “Who thought that was a good idea?”

  Grayton frowned again seeming frustrated, “Ivan did,” then he added hopefully, “but he was only doing it to increase his chances of finding you before Mirth.”

  She replied sourly, “Great Ivan. So then the only way to escape is to get killed then?”

  “If you are the eye then you cannot be killed.”

  She looked hopeful, “Unless I kill myself.”

  Grayton looked grey again, “If you do that then Ivan will surely take his own life and the council will undoubtedly fall soon afterwards.”

  Autumn winced, “You think he would kill himself.”

  “Undoubtedly,” He replied unflinching.

  “The bond thing?” she asked.

  Grayton nodded, “Yes, the bond thing.”

  She asked, “So when Ivan changes into another male he can do what they can do?”

  Grayton nodded, “It has been exceptionally helpful for us.”

  She smiled to herself, “So any male huh?”

  “Yes.”

  Autumn looked thoughtful and then frowned, “I do not want you to tell anyone about the possible bond between Ivan and myself.” Grayton frowned, as she continued, “The less that other people know the better. I would like to keep him from harm as long as possible.”

  Grayton nodded looking at her, “The council?”

  She nodded her face deadly serious, “No one save you and me.”

  Grayton sucked in air, “Ivan already suspects as do the others.”

  She shrugged, “Tell them that I have not seen an apparition and that we have not slept together.”

  He nodded gravely, “But they may still suspect that you are the eye, in which case a few questions aimed at Ivan and it will be out.”

  Autumn retorted, “I think I can keep my power repressed enough and still thwart all of the challenges.” Grayton lifted his eye brow skeptically, and she continued smiling, “I have already been through the testing once, save you, Henry and Serena. I think I can handle the rest without incident.”

  Grayton seemed confused then, “You have tested already?”

  She smiled and replied, “I had a dream, I think.”

  He nodded, still in disbelief, Autumn smiled offering, “Ivan changes, Galen flies, Flora sings, Drake burns, Flanagan throws energy and can build a wall with it, Helen stinks, Henry is strong and tough.”

  He asked looking surprised and confused, “Helen stinks?”

  She smiled, “Yes, horribly, she uses pheromones and in extreme cases a voice to zombie out others into willing slaves. That reminds me, I should eat again before I test, so that I will have less trouble with Drake during this run.”

  Grayton frowned, “You had trouble with Drake?

  She winced, “Not in the way that you think.” Grayton’s eye brow arched, and Autumn continued, “In my vision I sort of… ate him.”

  Grayton winced, “Yes we will see to it that you eat before you test.” He redirected the conversation, “What about his dream and the pain in both of your chests?”

  Autumn thought for a moment and said, “I can explain the chest pain by explaining that I can work like Helen, only slightly different.”

  “That will work, even the young man Travis has become quiet enamored with you.”

  Aut
umn frowned for a moment, “Travis?”

  “Yes, the first guard that you fed from.”

  She replied waving her hand, “No I know who he is. I want to know how is he enamored, everyone else that I have fed from has died.”

  Grayton nodded looking at the table with glossy eyes, “He asks about you often, he is quiet obsessed, I think he is in love as well.”

  She nodded looking preoccupied, “Humph, I will have to speak with him.”

  Grayton nodded watching another couple pass by, “Yes that might be helpful.”

  Autumn continued back on track now, “And as far as the dream... as long as Ivan does not tell anyone else and there is no reason that he should mention it.” She looked at Grayton and he nodded understanding, as she continued her questioning, “Now that this is settled, how many other clans, and what abilities do they hold?”

  Grayton nodded and asked reaching out to hold her hand, “So then you will be tested?”

  “Yes, until the bitter end, I need Ivan and you all need him as well, so we are in this mess together it seems.”

  Grayton nodded smiling, and looking surprisingly relieved, “That is welcome news.”

  Autumn smiled bitterly, “Well I will only be helpful if I am the eye. Otherwise I will die a horrible death in front of Ivan and the entire council.”

  Grayton corrected, “And in front of all of the other clans.”

  She nodded her eyes wide, “So all of them will be there?”

  “It will be the only way that we can prevent the others from being killed.”

  Autumn nodded again her voice cracking, “Grayton… I…I don’t want to die.”

  Grayton nodded, “Perhaps you should not keep Ivan in the dark.”

  “No I do not want to get him killed.”

  Grayton explained, “He might be able to keep them at bay if you fall.”

  “No I would rather he think that I do not care and die alone than have him fall and take down the rest of you.”

  Grayton took a breath looking devastated now, “This will be difficult.”

  She looked stony, “No I have been keeping people at arms length for quiet some time, and I can be very convincing.”

  “I am not as convincing.”

  Her eyes blackened instantly, “You will not get your best friend killed, Grayton. You will not tell him or anyone else.”