The First Touch (28 page)

The large man replied, “We are finished for t
oday. Grayton and Serena will
return tomorrow.” Autumn nodded in response and stood still waiting for some instruction. Flora grabbed the large
man pulling him from the room while
Drake
left quickly behind them as did Helen
, who shot her a look,
as she disappeared. Ivan paused momentarily but then looked at Galen and then turned and left the room out of a back door without even glancing at her.

Galen took the opportunity to ask, “You sang to me?”

She nodded and replied, “Just to calm you down.” He rose up from his chair nodding, and seeming to be lost in thought. Then without another word he jumped out the open window. Flanagan was the only one left in the room. He smiled wildly asking, “Are you tired?”

Aut
umn smiled,
“No
pe
.”

He asked deviously, “You want to go have some fun?”

“Yes.”

Flanagan gestured for her
to follow
,
an
d they headed out the same side door
that she had entered through
earlier
. The rude man and his men were waiting patiently outside of the room in the adjoining hallway. He stepped in front of Flanagan his eyes wide with the danger that he felt from acting so bold
ly
. Flanagan did not seem pleased by his road block. The rude man spoke quickly, “Sir, I was told to take her to her chambers for the night.”

Flanagan replied authoritatively, “I will take her there myself when I am done with her.” The man seemed to be weighing his words and then tired of waiting, Flanagan pushed past him dragging
Autumn
along with him. The men tried to speak again so Flanagan lit a ball of energy in his hands and growled, silencing him.

See
ing the potential quarrel she
interjected, “He will see to it that I make it back to my room.” Then she slid her other hand into Flanagan’s glowing hand extinguishing the ligh
t, as she smiled
at him warmly
,
and contagiously he grinned back. She tugged him down the corridor and the rude man stood slack jawed staring back after them unmoving.

Flanagan smiled at her with his devilishly handsome grin, taking the lead quickly once they were clear of the rude male. As they made their way out of the castle, he asked flirtatiously, “So you are full of surprises aren’t you little one?”

Autumn smiled back at him happily, unable to help herself, “Yes, I guess I am.” Flanagan looked at her smiling, his head twisting to watch her closely then stopped at the last door. He reached his hand up and slid his finger across her jaw and watched as her eyes changed back to their human form.

Then he said, concern entering his voice, “Your eyes are changing back.”

Autumn nodded shyly shifting at his sudden closeness, and then she answered, “I am no longer in danger.”

Flanagan smiled widely and replied
,
“I see.”

Then he slid his hand across her now warm cheek, “You are warm too.” Autumn nodded in response and flinched as the door next to them swung open
,
slamming hard against the wall.

Autumn nearly gasped at Ivan
,
who stood scowling at Flanagan and growled, “She is supposed to be in her room resting.”

Flanagan did not seem to be phased by Ivan, “She wasn’t tired. I was going to take her out for a walk.”

Ivan’s anger intensified, “She needs to rest.”

Flanagan smiled and replied, “Very well then I will take her back to her room.” As he said that he slid his hand into
Autumn’s
and gave her a tug. Autumn stutter stepped, looking at Ivan who still refused to look at her
again
. Instead he was glowering at Flanagan’s hand which was gripping Autumn’s, although she did not catch that, she was too caught up in her own confusion at his lack of eye contact. Ivan seeing her sudden
distress
,
took a step forward and Flanagan stopped short remarking, “You are not even supposed to be here Ivan.”

Ivan stopped his advance cutting his eyes at him, “Take her to her room.” Flanagan nodded, then he gave her another pull and they were off making their way back down the main hallway.

After they made a few twists and turns
,
leaving Ivan safely behind them, Flanagan shook his head and commented, “He is definitely taken by you.”

Autumn jerked her hand back sharply and continued walking next to him replying
,
“You could have fooled me, he is acting so strange.”

Flanagan frowned
,
asking cautiously, “He has been visiting you?”

Autumn pouted sounding hurt, “No, and he left me with Gregory and now he won’t even look at me.”

Flanagan stopped and said seriously, “I am guessing no one has explained what happened while you slept.”

Autumn slowed her pace
, “
No, no one has told me anything.” Flanagan winced at her words. Then she continued
, “
I don’t understand any of this. Ivan said that it should take a couple of weeks not a couple of months. Then he left me. He left when he promised that he would stay with me until I awoke. Then when I awoke I was almost raped! The only reason I didn’t was because I left my body and asked
Drake
for help. And don’t ask me how I did that because I thought astral projection was complete crap until last
nig
ht,
and if he had not come....”
She shivered at that thought.

Then Flanagan opened his mouth as if he were going to speak but then he hesitated looking confused
,
and
Autumn
jumped at the pause continuing, “No
w I am being tested,
in a castle!” She gestured at the building around them before stopping altogether now, sounding frantic, “And why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on? And why can I c
hange from normal to, well what
ever? And why does everyone keep talking about my eyes? And why does my chest burn? And why have I not
had
a vision since my change? I am broken and scared and Ivan won’t even look at me!”

Flanagan looked flabbergasted before pausing, and smiling reassuringly, “Did you get it all out?”

Autumn puffed in response and then mumbled to herself rubbing her temples, “My head hurts now, and I’m freaking starving. I haven’t eaten in two months. How long do you guys wait to eat anyways?”

Flanagan stopped his first train of thought, “What do you mean you haven’t eaten?” She looked at him angrily and he stopped asking her softer, “You haven’t eaten anything since you awoke?”

She nodded, “No,
nothing. Not even a drink of water, and I am so thirsty.”

Flanagan repeated himself, “So nothing since you awoke yesterday with
Drake
?”

She
nodded looking puzzled, “Yes that is what I said.”

Flanagan swore looking at the ground beginning to pace nervously, “Ivan is going to be furious.”

She waited for a moment watching Flanagan closely and then asked, “Why will he be angry?”

Flanagan snapped unthinking, “You are not finished with your transformation yet.”

Autumn replied, “What?”

He stared at the ground deep in thought, “You are only at stage two you haven’t even fed yet! God! How could we have missed that? No wonder you are weak!” He grabbed her hand and began to pull her back the opposite direction. Then he stopped suddenly
,
stuck by a revelation
,
and said in awe, “God! Imagine what you will be like when you’re finished!” Then he smiled at her eyeing her up and down and looking pleased with himself, “You could just be the next eye after all love!”

Autumn snatched her hand back snapping unexpectedly, “I don’t want to sleep again Flanagan. I don’t care what you or anyone else says. I am not sleeping again.”

Flanagan looked concerned then and he replied, “No you will not sleep
,”
then he added more to himself
,
“Well at least I don’t think you will sleep.”

Autumn snapped back again, “I am not going to sleep; I am not going to end up in another wretched room... with some... snake again.”

Flanagan raised his hands in defense, “No I would not let that happen. I promise
Autumn
”

She spat back anger flaring, “I have heard that before. I trusted him too and he left me! No I will not make that mistake again
. I will not sleep. And you can
not make me.” Her final words turned deadly calm.

Flanagan kept his hands raised
,
and replied seriously, “No one will force your hand now.”

Autumn hissed her eyes turning black, “I want to see Ivan.”

Flanagan nodded his head in agreement
,
his eyes wide in alarm again, “I will take you to him and then I will go and speak to the others
at once
.”

“No wait, I changed my mind, I don’t want to see him right now. Just take me to my room.”

Flanagan seemed surprised by his words, “He will want to see that your safe, especially now.”

Autumn snorted back, “He doesn’t care.”

Flanagan looked stunned now and whispered, “You don’t know.”

Autumn looked annoyed, “Know what?”

Flanagan took a breath and shook his head saying, “He killed trying to protect you from us. If Grayton and Serena had not come in time…I fear that he would have killed many more, maybe even one of us trying to protect you.” Autumn looked startled then and Flanagan continued, “They hid you away, and Gregory was assigned to watch over you until you awoke and that was only because Galen caught Ivan visiting you after being forbidden to do so. He was told that you were to be killed if he did not stay away and allow for the transformation to finish. And only then after the threat of his own death proved not to be enough to keep him away.” He watched as her annoyance turned to incredulity.

Then he added more sweetly, “And I imagine that he does not look you in the eye to prevent himself from doing the one thing that could get you killed right now.” Then he added smiling, “Once the transformation and testing is completed, he will be permitted to be near you again. Though I don’t think they will mind if I take you to see him right now. Under the circumstances, having you there might save my life.”

Autumn nodded then and said, “So he isn’t angry then?”

Flanagan frowned, “I wouldn’t go that
far.” Autumn looked at him wide-
eyed and Flanagan replied smiling, “No love, I don’t think he could be mad at you. He is simply frustrated at his predicament. He will be especially angry at the rest of us now though, testing you too early.” Then he smiled deviously, “Though I imagine he is probably especially mad at me right now. I should probably take you to see him before he kills me.” Autumn nodded as her head swam with fear and anxiety, and she followed him towards Ivan’s rooms.

The Next Step

Flanagan knocked on a large wooden door and
Autumn
asked sniffing the air, “Why are we here? Ivan isn’t here.”

Flanagan looked at her confused and the door opened, Helen stood there
half-dressed
looking
annoyed
and snapping rudely, “What?”

Flanagan snapped back, “I need to see Ivan.”

Helen looked even more peeved, “He left, what do you want Flanagan?” Autumn placed her hand on her hip and cocked her head looking at Helen as if she were going to smack her. Flanagan noticed the change in
Autumn
and stepped between the two women. Helen did not miss the implicati
on and pushed Flanagan as
ide and asked
Autumn
directly, “What?”

Autumn asked Flanagan, her anger rising, “Is this Ivan’s room?” Her eyes dilated as she sniffed the air, “It smells like it.” Then she pushed past the two of them easily and looked at Helen’s clothing strewn about the floor.

Flanagan started to intercede but Helen stopped him, “Hold still and be quiet.” Flanagan’s eyes glazed over and he stiffened zombie like as the smell of lilies flooded the room again.

Autumn twisted unnaturally and asked, “Why are you dressed like that?”

Helen smiled and sneered back, “It is none of your business who I sleep with.”

Autumn snapped back her skin growing cold, “You’re sleeping with him!”

Helen snapped back, her eyes narrowing viciously, “You think because he kissed you once that you matter?”

She hissed and breathed, “It was more than just a kiss.”