The First Touch (42 page)

Flora stepped closer looking concerned, “How is she?”

Ivan said
, “
She said stop worrying and that we would talk after it was done tomorrow.”

“That is good.”

Grayton said, “Don’t encourage him, Flora. She is simply trying to placate him; she told me that he is distracting.”

Flora rebutted
, “
That is love.”

Grayton frowned, “That may be true but I doubt it. She asked that he stay clear of her so she could concentrate on the task tomorrow.
”
Grayton stepped closer and looked directly at Ivan his eyes threatening, “Not a look or a gesture, do not even breath
e
a word to her. She needs to be completely focused to accomplish her goal. At least without harming anyone unnecessarily or worse getting herself killed. She didn’t even want you the
re, but that can’t be helped.”

Ivan locked eyes with Grayton and then Flora stepped in between the two men and pressed her hands into each of their chests. They didn’t even break their gazes as they stepped back. Ivan replied, “I know what is at stake Grayton.
” The final words were spoken with
an under lying threat as well.

The two continued their wordless fight until Henry finally broke in, “You should both get some rest. If she passes the test
….”

Grayton interjected, “W
hen she passes the test.”

Henry nodded raising his hand to include the new words, “When she passes the test, the challenges might become overwhelming and we need to be on
top of them to regulate the battles to one at a time.”

Both men nodded and left the room disappearing in opposite directions. Flora commented when they left
, “
If she survives this they are going to fight for her.”

Henry nodded
, with worry in his eyes
, “Yes I fear that you
are
right.”

***

Mirth sa
t upon his bed watching the sunrise and watched
the sleeping woman
,
in his bed. No one could see her, and he liked it that way, his little minx. He wished that she had been his match, she was special, and he knew this. She was one of a kind, over the years he never thought he would find a vessel so utterly unique.

It made him uneasy when she was around other males now. He was fearful that some day that she would feel the call of another and le
ave his side. The thought of lo
sing all of that power made his head hurt. He slid his hand over
her
back and the white paint
which had finally dried
brushed off exposing the hollowness inside.

She stirred under his touch, and lifted her head, exposing the empty space there as well. She smiled darkly and he smiled back then he let
it drop as swiftly, instructing swiftly
, “Go clean up we have work to do.
”
She jumped up at the instructions, and quic
kly slipped
into the bath that he had drawn for her. The water was
cold;
he must have let it sit too long. He had let her sleep
in;
she smiled as she washed away the paint.

He did not watch her as she washed
,
though she wished that he would. Her lover, her only fr
iend, and
her
master all in one, the only man that could see her. S
he washed faster
as she observed his eyes shifting
faster than normal. She did not want to make him
angry
,
as
he was obviously agitated today. With all of the stress of this new female
, the one
who was testing for an important position in the clan
, though not
theirs
.

One that she figured Mirth was not happy
about
, he could not hold the position, even though his sister had before him. She knew his power and that he desired more,
and
this was the position that he deserved. He was a great man, but it was not his time yet. Though she
suspected
that today might be that day and she felt excitement bubbling in her chest
at the possibility
.

There was also another edge to his voice now, a
longing
of sorts
,
when he
spoke of her. Her excitement swiftly turned
into anger
,
as she thought about that woman
, s
he had the pow
er that he desired. If he had that, s
he had no doubt that he would drop her in an instant. She was not stupid and sh
e knew that the bond was weak, b
ut it was still there and she would kill that woman if she had to
do it
. If she had been the female that he had
thought that she might have
been
,
all along
, then she would no
t be having this problem right now. But she was her, and she had no problem fighting for her
piece
. She had thought about it for a long time an
d knew
she
would have to be quick, b
ut she felt stron
g
. She felt
that she could do it.

Especially now, training session after painful training session later
,
when he had
finally
determined that she was not the one.
She had felt co
mpletely defeated that day. He had been merciful though sparing her life and welcoming her to his bed instead. H
e had shown her how to k
ill man and vessel alike and it appeared in
the end that
that
was her saving grace.
She had become, h
is right hand of sorts, acting out his ever
y
whisper,
t
raining her with secret hand gestures,
so that she could
decimating
all who dared to stand in his path.

He was a hard man to please though, but she felt it was worth the challenge. When he was pleased, she felt such joy, and when he was
displeased
, she shuddered and looked up at him glad that he could not see her now. His fast temper and subtle changes were sometimes difficult to predict, even for her and mistakes were punished
,
severely
.

She dressed quickly and pulled her hair up standing by his side. He was about to motion for her when he stopped her with a twitch of his fingers, and som
eone knocked on the door. A
guard
gestured for him to follow and h
e did with his
Lyla
close at his side
.
The guard slumped to the ground instantly, gr
ipping his neck, while the other one backed away, raising his
hands defensively.

He let out a small noise before he too was gripping his throat and went flying
across
the hallway. Seconds later,
he
quivered
as an unseen
enemy
drank from his neck. Small indents appeared on his chest, and a chunk of his hair and scalp
were
pulled off and flew across the room. Mirth began walking down the hall
way again, patting
his side. The assault stopped as soon as it had begun she smiled
a bloodied toothy grin
and followed obediently.

He felt her wet fingers touching his h
and and he pulled away sharply,
t
hen
slapped her with his other
,
across her cheek, as he had do
ne so many times before, hissing
, “Go clean up, and meet me in the main hall.” He heard her pitter pattering of feet as she ran off to do as she was told. Then he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blo
od from his fingers in disgust
.

***

Autumn
woke with a soft whisper, “They are coming
Autumn
.
” She shot out of bed wiping the sweat from her brow as she stepped back. Her body was running a temperature, she could feel it immediately. The candle had gone out and the r
oom was now pitch-
black. Autumn
reached for the wall and felt Utvic’s cold hand instead. She grabbed it and placed it t
o her brow and felt him yank
away as the door opened
,
slowly.

The dim light flooded the small room and
Autumn
saw
that
the bed
was soaking wet, and the blanket still sat at the end of the bed
with the pillow on top. Autumn
felt shaky then as
she
pointed at the blanket a
nd said, “Burn it it’s infected.” T
he man at the door began to reach for it and
Autumn
said, “Stop!” He looked at her in surprise, “Not with your bare hands, what ever is on it, it will likely kill you.” He nodded his eyes wide.

Then he gestured for her to exit and she walked one shaky
step after another. As she came
closer to the door she felt Utvic’s breath on her neck,
“
Do you want me to carry you.
” She nodded, a
nd
then
felt his arms under her back and then on the backs of her knees. The guard looked at her h
is eyes ever wider, then she
smiled, “I would rather carry myself then walk.” He nodded and then gestured for the other guard to move out of the way.

Autumn
rested her head on
Utvic’s
chest, and said,
“
Can you see
to
it that I get something to eat before I test plea
se.” Her voice was weaker than
he thought that it should be. She also felt her head sweating on
Utvic’s
chest and she lifted it feeling dizzy.

Utvic whispered, “Rest.” Autumn
closed her
eyes
and awoke to
a glass being held to her lips. He
had set her in the side hall that she rem
em
bered from before, and had covered her with a blanket. She smelt the same strong blood smell from her past and said
, “
Where do they get this crap from.” She took the glass from Utvic and chugged it as quickly as she could holding her nose.

Then she finally opened her eyes and felt her stomach growl and she asked sounding stronger already,
“
More please.”

Utvic
answered her
, “
There isn’t time.”
Autumn
grunted in
disapproval
,
and
then Utvic slid his hand over to her glass and then looked over at the guard who watched her talking to herself. He seemed terribly uncomfortable and stepped away when she looked at him with her new eyes.

His eyes were the key then, “N
o never mind it will be better this way.”

Utvic asked
, “
Are you sure?”

Autumn
nodded,
“
They will expect less.” He shrugged
uncaringly
but his eyes seemed clouded with emotion.
Autumn
replied sweetly then, “I hope you will stay to watch.” He looked as if he were
appalled
by the id
ea but her pleading silenced him
, “I think I will feel stronger if I know that
you’re
watching over me.” He nodded and stepped back as she stood still slightly wobbly as her eyes chan
ged back to their original
color. Then she
whispered
as
she
walked towards the door
, “
Thank you.”

As she walked out on to the stage again
,
slowly but steadily, she saw out of the corner of her eyes that all of the stadium seating was
now
filled with bodies. The room went an
eerily
quiet as she entered center stage. Then instead of looking at the council she turned and looked at the audience. Not a single kind eye was returned as she searched the crowd for Mirth.

She found him quickly in the back corner. He was smiling innocently at her,
and
then
Autumn
smiled back,
cut
ting
the connection rudely by turning her back to him. She could feel the eyes on he
r
back then as she looked at the defeated looking council. Grayton looked near t
ears as surprisingly did Flora, w
hile
Drake
turned the rock in his hand with total concentration upon it. Helen gave her the
same
scrutinizing look as before and she found herself smiling at her.