The First to Fall: A Fallen Novel (The Fallen Series)

by Tanisha D. Jones

  She gasped and covered herself as they turned to see Remy sanding in the doorway, his face twisting with rage and revulsion.

  “Celeste, what the fuck!” He bellowed and she could see his yellow eyes glowing.

  “Boy, you better have a damn good reason-” Eli started, his eyes so pale blue that they were nearly as white as his growing fangs. The stare he centered on Remy was glacial and deadly. Celeste felt the chill in the room as a feeling of dread filled her.

  “Remy, I told you to go home. What the hell are you doing?” Celeste had pulled on her robe and was stalking over to Remy whose eyes were as wide and round as saucers.

  “CeCe, Really. Come on! You’re actually fucking this guy? What the fuck are you thinking?” he yelled. Eli took a step; Celeste sprinted across the bed to get between them, placing a firm hand on Eli’s chest. She could feel the heat radiating from him and his skin was changing from a soft chocolate brown to a mottled black. The etched mark on his chest blazed a bright crimson as his anger rose.

  “Holy fuck,” Remy gasped and Celeste dropped her hand, backing away from Eli for a second. The sight of him in mid -transformation startled her. He had gotten, bigger somehow, not just taller but broader and bulkier, his polished black skin was streaked through with bright blue scroll work; he practically glowed. This was not good, not at all.

  “Shit. Wait here,” she barked at Eli, who sat heavily on the bed, his eyes narrowed as he stared Remy down. Celeste pushed Remy out of the room, down the stairs and into the living room.

  ***

  “That is who you give it up to? Jesus Ci, his dick looks like a fucking toddler arm.” He stumbled down the stairs, his eyes back to their normal brown, wide with shock.

  “Will you shut up? He can hear you,” she whispered to him, continuing to push him across the room into the kitchen.

  “Holy shit is he-damn it! Why doesn’t the Collective know about him?” He blathered.

  “Because he doesn’t know what he is. He has some sort of binding on him. There are momentary bleeds but for the most part, he doesn’t know. Didn’t you see his eyes? Your pixie fuck buddy gave him that damned nectar. I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t fry his brain.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “And they do know. I’m supposed to bring him in. I just have to figure out how.” She chewed her thumbnail.

  “So your plan is to fuck him into submission?” Remy screeched.

  “No, don’t be vulgar. You know me better than that. The sex thing just- happened.”

  “An unclassified and apparently untrained Nephilim hybrid and you’re fucking him. Are you suicidal? If the Collective or the Council doesn’t punish you, then the dark fucking Fae will. You know what they would do with an unclassified? You don’t even know what he is. And you’re fucking him. After all these years, you couldn’t keep it in your pants until you got him to the Collective? My God, CeCe.” He stomped his foot like a spoiled child who’s favorite toy had been taken away.

  “No they won’t punish me. I’m of Nyx. They can’t touch me. And he wouldn’t either. He would never hurt me, no matter what state he’s in. I think he’s part of the Oneiroi, a dream walker or something of that nature.” She rubbed her tired eyes and exhaled. “And I kept it in my pants for centuries, which is more than I can say for you,” she mumbled.

  “But you don’t know where he came from. He could be one of the Apepos or a Rabisu demon. We don’t even know what pantheon he’s from Ci,” he whined, and she had to agree, but she felt no malevolence from him.

  “I think he is pre-pantheon. Whatever he is, he’s still Nephilim.” She sighed. “I haven’t seen anything that would make me think that he was anything but good.”

  “Really, because what I just saw scared the shit outta me. His cock alone is enough to give me nightmares.” He shivered, “And you opt for that monster over me?” Exhaling she faced her brother. “He’s no more of a monster than you or me.” Remy lifted eyebrows and gave her a “duh,” expression. Exasperated by him, she shook her head. “We are not monsters. We’re – gifted.” That elicited a snort of derision.

  “Yea right. I guess you forgot the villagers chasing you along the French countryside with torches and pitchforks. They weren’t yelling ‘Kill the gifted’, Celeste.” He grunted before hopping over the back of the sofa to land with a muted thud. He snorted again before propping his motorcycle booted feet on her rather expensive coffee table and folded his hands behind his head as he stared at her. His relaxed pose incensed her even more. Angrily, she kicked his feet off of her table and stood over him.

  “Remy, what are you doing here? The Kent men have no concept of privacy.” She mumbled. He was silent for a moment, studying her closely. He was standing before her within seconds, his eyes searching hers.

  “You have actual feelings for him, don’t you? You slept with him because you- Celeste, do you love him?” His voice was so low that it was nearly a whisper.

  “What?” She barked out a choking laugh, but averted her eyes.

  “I said, do you love him?” She could see the pain in his eyes and she ached for him. She folded her arms across her chest and shrugged. “Answer the question, CeCe. Do you love him?” He said each word deliberately. She bit her lip and looked down at her bare feet. “It’s either yes or no, it’s not that difficult a question.”

  “You know that we don’t deal in love. We don’t fall in love, isn’t that the Collective’s stand on it. Love and emotion equal death.” She turned away from him, not wanting him to see what he’d done as tears dampened her eyes. Remy had always been able to bring her to emotional extremes; there was never a happy medium with him.

  “Ci, other than Nicky, I think I know you better than anyone else in this world. I know when you are just playing with someone, and you have done that plenty. Even with me. But this man- this thing has you all turned around, doing things you would never do. You actually had sex with him, Ci. That’s something you have managed to go years without doing. So there is something there. Right? Right?”

  “Why are you here again?” She kept her back to him, not wanting him to see the panic that rose in her as she realized that, yes, there was something there. Something she was not accustomed to feeling. It made her nauseous and excited and terrified at the same time. But it wasn’t as simple as love. This wasn’t at all what she needed right now. She wiped the tears away and inhaled.

  “Please, Celeste- Because if you do, I will go to the wall for you against the red-headed menace,” She smirked at his affectionate name for Lilith, “but if he is just a play thing, just some passing lust, I say let him go.” Remy came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder, and for the first time in many years, she felt no lust from him. There was no sexual undertone to the embrace, no shifting of the hips or tell-tale pressure in the small of her back. She turned to face him, Remy was only a breath taller than her, but right now, he looked and felt the part of her big brother and best friend. “I can see it in you and believe it or not, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy and I know that it’s part of your make-up to feel deeply, unlike the rest of us. But – I saw the mark. This is going to be a problem, especially since he doesn’t know what he is. It can be very dangerous, coeur tendre.”

  He was such a sweet, such a good looking man. She touched his cheek and smiled at the pet name that only he called her, tender heart. It went against everything she was, everything that was known about her to everyone other than Remy and Nicky, and now of course, Eli.

  To the Collective and all others within their world she was known as Vitiosa Forma, Vicious Beauty. According to them, she was a heartless machine and not meant to love. It would have been so much easier if she would have chosen Remy, to care for him as he cared for her. She wished she could love him. She wished that it were as simple as that. There would be no passion, but she would be safe and she would be cherished, protected and most of all, she would be left alone. Re
my would love her and make her happy, he would make sure they never harmed or harassed her again.

  If not for Eli she would have thought that enough. But Lilith’s vendetta against Remy would never allow it. If the Council had its way, she would be already linked to a Collective member, most likely Julian or Karim.

  Karim, she thought. How she loved that man. He would always hold a special place in her heart. And she knew that he would do absolutely anything for her, but their timing had never been right. They had missed their chance because he wasn’t the One. Absently, she rubbed the mark at the nape of her neck and sighed.

  The One, the great and magical Fallen one who would rule her destiny. That had been the Collective’s master plan all along, control of the ultimate power and she was the key. She guessed she’d just thrown a six foot eight inch wrench into that plan. If Eli was a problem the Council might not allow it.

  Sighing heavily, tears still threatening, she gave Remy a cheerless smile. “Have you heard anything about Briar?” she asked rubbing her forehead.

  “He was in pretty bad shape, but they say he’s doing better. Already giving them shit about his dinner. ‘A man needs meat.’” He did a perfect imitation of Briar’s thick rolling brogue. “You know Briar; you can’t keep him down for long.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He always seemed haunted when he spoke of Briar, the once great love of his life. She wondered if they would ever work that out, but she dared not ask. Not like he’d answer anyway. Remy glanced nervously back at the closed bedroom door, his face creased with worry.

  “Why are you here?” she repeated and Remy looked at her sheepishly. He was there, he’d finally confessed, because he and Jinxie’s play time had involved chocolate syrup, strawberries and clogged hot tub jets which had flooded Gaston’s bedroom ruining the carpet in the master suite. The water had then seeped into the floor, ultimately cracking the ceiling of the dining room, ruining the antique chandelier that had been original to the house, destroying Gaston’s dining table which had once been in the Palace at Versailles. Gaston had come home early and Jinxie being Jinxie disappeared. Remy had found himself on her doorstep.

  “I was actually coming to crash in the guest room, when I heard moaning, I thought you were hurt. I didn’t expect to find you playing reverse cowgirl with the cop with your hair full of fuck knots.” She absently touched her tangled hair.

  “You can’t tell the difference between someone in pain and someone so obviously not?” she mumbled. He smirked and lifted a brow.

  “Actually, they sound eerily similar.”

  “Guest room.” She pointed to a door beneath the stairs as she turned and headed up the stairs. “You have been spending too much time with Jinxie. Spend more time with humans, Remy. You’re starting to scare me.” She could hear him laughing as she closed her bedroom door behind her.

  ***

  It was still dark when he woke again; the moon was high and bright in the night sky. Feeling more relaxed then he had in years, he moved closer to Celeste, kissing her bare shoulder before snuggling in closer to her. He inhaled sharply, and caught a trace of the stench of a rotting animal. He sat up slowly, his eyes scanning the darkness of the bedroom. Something was in here, something small and moving through the room. He saw a shadow from the corner of his eyes and turned to find discarded clothing piled on the chair in the corner. The smell faded and he thought that perhaps, he was letting his imagine get the better of him. He settled back down, when something large and dark cast a shadow from the sky light, blocking out the glow of the moon that had just illuminated the room in pale shades of silver. Now there was something up there, watching. When he turned to look up, he saw nothing by the moon staring back at him.

  “Get a grip, man,” he whispered to himself.

  Sighing, he turned to look at Celeste, who slept peaceful and unmoving beside him. He snuggled close, smelling her natural scent, slightly sweaty, but sweet, like vanilla and as always lavender. She lay on her side, her back to his chest, and it amazed him how perfectly they fit together. He stared at her for a while, gently brushing the hair from her face and realized that she was cold. He touched her cheek and found it to be ice cold and she wasn’t breathing. Terror ripped through him as he gave her a shake, his hand landing in something wet and sticky, the scent that filled his nostrils, metallic and surprisingly enticing.

  Blood.

  His heart banged frantically in his chest; he turned on the bedside lamp and found that he was lying in a pool of blood. Her face was ashen from blood loss. A scream bubbled up in his throat as he rolled her onto her back. Her throat was torn open viciously, something black and sticky oozed from the wound coating his hand and forearm, biting into him, burning into his flesh leaving the skin broken and yellowed. Her head lolled sickeningly to one side, her once vibrant eyes stared at him, but seeing nothing, her lips an unnatural shade of purple.

  “You’ve lost another one detective.” Nicky Sky spoke from the foot of the bed; his pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, his eyes a vivid blue. Shaking his head slowly, he smiled exposing frighteningly pointed teeth coated with thick dark viscera that dripped on ashen skin. Right before Eli’s eyes, he began to flake away, like dust in a strong breeze.

  Eli pulled Celeste’s limp and lifeless body into his arms and began to scream, a guttural hollow sound that seemed to come from some unknown source deep in his soul.

  ***

  “Eli. Eli, Elijah.” He was being shaken hard by surprisingly strong hands; the lights came on and his eyes snapped open. Celeste was still leaning across him, her eyes worried. He sat up with a start, grabbing her by the shoulders and turned her head left then right, inspecting her neck.

  “It’s okay. It was just a dream. Baby, it’s just a dream.” She stroked his cheek, her face anxious with concern. He stared at her for a moment, his hands on her flawless neck before pulling her into his arms.

  “You’re okay. You’re okay,” he whispered over and over as he stroked her hair. She pulled away, looking into his panic stricken and terrified eyes.

  “I’m fine,” she assured, kissing him softly on the lips as if to prove her point. He held her for a while longer, waiting for his heart to stop racing and exhaled.

  “Are you going to tell me what that was about?” They’d settled back under the covers, her head on his pillow.

  “Just a nightmare. I’m sorry if I scared you.” He breathed, his arm thrown over his eyes. She rolled over to face him.

  “About?” she asked.

  He peered at her from beneath his arm and sighed, then draped his arms around her naked body and shared her warmth, his lips on her bare shoulder.

  “Did I scare you?” he asked quietly. She nodded sleepily. “Sorry.”

  “You never have to apologize to me for anything about you. Never.” She kissed the hollow of his throat and draped one long smooth leg across his hips. She wanted him again, just once more before the dream was over. She wanted to live with the memory of this night forever. “Never.” She repeated softly snuggling closer, until she lay with her warmth cradled against his newly awakened body. She let her hand move lower running her finger across the soft tangle of hair just below his navel. He sucked in from the shock of pleasure and chuckled. “Sweetie, you are something else,” he whispered.

  “You have no idea,” she agreed.

  ***

  It was just after sunrise before Celeste managed to wiggle out of Eli’s arms long enough to use the bathroom. Her bathroom was awash of pinks and whites, with neatly hung monogrammed towels coordinating with the fluffy pale pink rugs. There was a glass encased sauna shower, with beautiful Italian marble walls and floors. The toilet was a little room just behind the shower with its own door for privacy.

  Her bathtub was a white cast iron claw footed slipper tub that had been custom fitted with massage jets and was large enough to fit at least two people. It faced a long high window that overlooked the downtown skyline.

  Filling the tub with hot
water and her favorite bubble bath, she slipped her sex sore body in, turning on the massage jets and relaxed into the steaming warmth. Who knew sex could make every muscle in your body ache and sing at the same time, she thought. As the bubbles tickled her toes, she had an overwhelming feeling of dread. Eli would be awake soon, and he would remember all of the things he’d done and seen. He’d remember and he’d react badly, and if he reacted badly that would bad for everyone. Really bad. Apocalyptic.

  She’d known what he was for sure when they’d arrived at Jinxie’s. It was obvious he wasn’t normal; he was special, even by their standards. Even Remy, in his drunken rage, had known what he was, after a moment, that’s all it had taken. A moment and Remy had known, so had Julian. For Lilith it would only take an instant. And knowing that bitch, she’d use him then discard him when she was done. It’s what she’d done to Remy and she would do it to Eli without batting a pretty little eye. Sighing, she closed her eyes and slipped beneath the surface of the water. When she came up, wiping the water from her eyes, he was standing there, naked and smiling.

  “Good morning,” he sunk into the tub at the opposite end, sending water sloshing over the sides.

  She studied him as he pulled one of her feet to his chest in the depths of the warm soapy water. She watched as the glow from his eyes finally faded. That meant he was completely sober. That meant they were going to have to talk soon, and that was something she was dreading.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked cautiously. She didn’t want him to freak out on her suddenly. “Tired, but in a good way, alive, hung over, a pounding headache, and very satisfied. I also had a very strange dream. I dreamt that your friend Jinxie told me she was a pixie and that your brother and I nearly came to blows. ” As he spoke, he began to knead the arches of her feet. She laughed lightly, trying to make it sound effortless. Eli lifted an eyebrow but continued to slowly knead the sole of her foot.